Preksha meditation: History and Methods
by Samani Pratibha Pragya | 2016 | 111,074 words
This page relates 鈥楨lements and Sources from Hindu Yoga Systems鈥� of study dealing with Preksha-Dhyana: a meditation technique created by Acharya Shri Mahapragya (Acarya Mahaprajna) in the late twentieth century. It synthesizes ancient Jain ascetic methods, ritualistic practices, and modern scientific insights, appealing to a global audience. The thesis explores its historical context, theoretical foundations, and the rise of contemporary Jain meditation systems.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
4.2. Elements and Sources from Hindu Yoga Systems
[Full title: Mah膩praj帽a鈥檚 Exegetical and Constructive Method鈥擨ntroduction (2) Elements and Sources from Hindu Yoga Systems]
The term 鈥楬indu Yoga鈥� is multi-dimensional and a catchphrase for a vast area of texts and practices. In the construction of 辫谤别办峁Ｄ�-诲丑测腻苍补, Mah膩praj帽a made ample use of 笔补迟补帽箩补濒颈鈥檚 Yoga-蝉奴迟谤补 (Yoga-蝉奴迟谤补). The concept of cakra is not directly mentioned in the Yoga-蝉奴迟谤补, but is rooted within it. The source of cakra can be derived in terms of following particular aphorisms.
The indicator terms of somatic spots are in fact key: wheel of the navel (苍腻产丑颈-cakra)[1], throat well (办补峁囜弓丑补-办奴辫补)[2], light in the head (尘奴谤诲丑补-箩测辞迟颈峁)[3] and on the heart (丑峁沝补测补).[4] These wheel, well, light, and heart are aligned with four cakras, and in terms of 辫谤别办峁Ｄ�-诲丑测腻苍补 four psychic centres are located too. However, the 蝉奴迟谤补s mention that these are corporal centres for restraint (蝉补峁儁补尘补) in Yoga-蝉奴迟谤补1. The 痴测腻蝉补-产丑腻峁补 a commentary on Yoga-蝉奴迟谤补 dated 5th鈥�th c. CE[5], presents few other somatic locations associated with concentration (诲丑腻谤补峁嚹�). The combination of Yoga-蝉奴迟谤补 and 笔腻迟补帽箩补濒补蝉奴迟谤补-vy膩sa-产丑腻峁补 covers most of the psychic centres which Mah膩praj帽a introduced in 辫谤别办峁Ｄ�-诲丑测腻苍补.
These 诲丑腻谤补峁嚹� locations in 笔腻迟补帽箩补濒补蝉奴迟谤补 痴测腻蝉补-产丑腻峁补 (YSBh III.1) records that concentration means, the mind becoming concentrated in such places, as the sphere of the navel, the lotus of the heart, the light in the brain, the fore-part of the nose, the fore-part of the tongue, and such parts of the body; by means of the modifications only in any other external object.[6] Now it is clear that Mah膩praj帽a鈥檚 psychic centres are very closely related, to the place of 诲丑腻谤补峁嚹�, as the following table shows:
TABLE 3 -Psychic Centres and 顿丑腻谤补峁嚹�-厂迟丑腻苍补
| 顿丑腻谤补峁嚹�-蝉迟丑腻苍补 痴测腻蝉补-产丑腻峁补 on 笔腻迟补帽箩补濒补 yoga-蝉奴迟谤补 | 顿丑腻谤补峁嚹�-蝉迟丑腻苍补 in Yoga-艣腻蝉迟谤补 of Hemacandra | Psychic Centres in Prek峁Ｄ�-诲丑测腻苍补 | |||
| 1 | Wheel of the navel (苍腻产丑颈 -cakra) | 1 | Navel (苍腻产丑颈) | 1 | Centre of bio-electricity (taijasa-kendra) |
| 2 | Lotus of the heart (丑峁沝补测补-辫耻峁囜笉补谤墨办补) | 2 | Heart (丑峁沝补测补) | 2 | Centre of bliss (腻苍补苍诲补办别苍诲谤补) |
| 3 | Fore-part of the nose (苍腻蝉颈办腻驳谤补) |
3 | Tip of the nose (苍腻蝉腻驳谤补) | 3 | Centre of vitality (辫谤腻峁嘺办别苍诲谤补) |
| 4 | Forehead (濒补濒腻峁璦) | 4 | Centre of enlightenment (jyoti-kendra) | ||
| 5 | Between the eyebrows (产丑峁沰耻峁璱) | 5 | Centre of intuition (诲补谤艣补苍补办别苍诲谤补) | ||
| 6 | Palate (迟腻濒耻) | ||||
| 7 | Eyes (netra) | 6 | Centre of vision (肠腻办峁峁办别苍诲谤补) | ||
| 4 | Fore-part of the tongue (箩颈丑惫腻驳谤补) |
8 | Mouth (mukha) | 7 | Centre of celibacy (brahmakendra) |
| 9 | Ears (办腻苍补) | 8 | Centre of vigilance (apram膩da kendra) | ||
| 5 | Light in the brain (m奴rdhni jyoti峁�) |
10 | Head (mastaka) | 9 10 |
Centre of knowledge (箩帽腻苍补办别苍诲谤补) and Centre of peace (艣腻苍迟颈别苍诲谤补) |
Some mainstream Hindu tantric elements are mirrored in 辫谤别办峁Ｄ�-诲丑测腻苍补 components: 鈥渃oiled power鈥� (办耻峁囜笉补濒颈苍墨)/ internal journey (补苍迟补谤测腻迟谤腻), wheel (cakra); lotus (kamala)/ psychic centre (caitanya-kendra), colour visualisation (r膩ga诲丑腻谤补峁嚹�)/ colour meditation (濒别艣测腻-诲丑测腻苍补) and alphabet fixing (mantra 苍测腻蝉补) (Pratibh膩praj帽膩, 2015: 8).
Mah膩praj帽a studied the ha峁環a-yogic texts 贬补峁环补测辞驳补-辫谤补诲墨辫颈办腻, 艢颈惫补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻, 惭腻濒颈苍墨惫颈箩补测辞迟迟补谤补-tantra and states his positive views about the tantra tradition in the following manner:
Masses do not possess a positive perspective towards some forms of tantra. We need to accept the fact that each technique has two modes; equally the tantra has right hand practice (诲补办峁峁嘺-尘腻谤驳补) and left hand practice (惫腻尘补-尘腻谤驳补). The usage of five letter 鈥�ma鈥� (辫补帽肠补尘补办腻谤补)[7] is acceptable in left hand practice (惫腻尘补-尘腻谤驳补). Everyone perceives only that form of tantra, that鈥檚 why there is a wrong attitude towards tantra. I was surprised when I read tantra as a means to obtain a state of passionless (惫墨迟补谤腻驳补迟惫补) (Mah膩praj帽a 2010a: 187).
Mah膩praj帽a studied 惭腻濒补濒颈苍墨-惫颈箩补测辞迟迟补谤补-tantra, he was impressed by its colour meditation. It was a colour visualisation practice documented as such 鈥淥ne who meditates upon his own body like the autumnal evening sky [shine], obtains a passionless state (惫墨迟补谤腻驳补迟惫补) within six months, there is no doubt.鈥�[8] The term 惫墨迟补谤腻驳补 is also connected to Jaina tradition and is the ultimate goal of all religious practice.
In the field of 腻蝉补苍补 and 辫谤腻峁嚹乱腻尘补, 辫谤别办峁Ｄ�-诲丑测腻苍补 follows the path sketched by the Hindu yoga systems. It is notable that most of the Hindu yogic elements, were already adapted by Haribhadra, 艢耻产丑补肠补苍诲谤补 and Hemacandra. Mah膩praj帽a simply assimilated those already 鈥淛ainised鈥� elements.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Yoga-蝉奴迟谤补1, 3.28. 苍腻产丑颈 cakre k膩yavy奴haj峁嚹乶a峁�
[2]:
Yoga-蝉奴迟谤补1, 3.29. ka峁囜弓ak奴pe k峁tpip膩s膩niv峁泃t岣�
[3]:
Yoga-蝉奴迟谤补1, 3.31. m奴rdhajyoti峁 siddhadar峁na峁�
[4]:
Yoga-蝉奴迟谤补1, 3.33. h峁沝aye cittasa峁僾it
[5]:
Many scholars believe the 叠丑腻峁补 was authored by 痴测腻蝉补 dated 5th鈥�th c. CE, e.g. Larson and Bhatt膩c膩rya (2008) Burley (2007), Whicher (2000). Phillip Maas (2006) notes the 厂奴迟谤补 and the 叠丑腻峁补 were co-authored concurrently by 笔补迟补帽箩补濒颈 between 325鈥�425 c. CE. Maas also considers Yoga-蝉奴迟谤补 and YSBh forming as one text: the 笔腻迟补帽箩补濒补 yoga-艣腻蝉迟谤补. (Class note from: Dr. Ted Proferes 2014/15).
[6]:
YSBh III.1 苍腻产丑颈cakre 丑峁沝补测补-pu峁囜笉ar墨ke m奴rdhni jyoti峁 n膩sik膩gre 箩颈丑惫腻驳谤补 ityevam膩di峁 de艣e峁 bh膩hye v膩 vi峁ye cittasya v峁泃tim膩tre峁嘺 bhandha it墨 诲丑腻谤补峁嚹�.
[7]:
[8]:
惭腻濒颈苍墨惫颈箩补测辞迟迟补谤补迟补苍迟谤补, 16.25.