Equanimity and Meditation

BY Prof. Sagarmal Jain

Samayika is the principal concept of Jainism. It is the first and foremost duty among six essential duties of a monk as well as of a house‑holder. Prakrta term Samaiya is translated into English in various ways such as observance of equanimity, viewing all the living beings as one's own self, conception of equality, harmonious state of one's behavior, integration of personality as well as righteousness of the activities of mind, body and speech.

Acarya Kunda kunda also used the term samahi (Prakrta) its Sanskrita samadhi, in the sense of samayika, where it means a tensionless state of consciousness or a state of self absorption (1).

In its general sense the word samayika means a particular religious practice through which one can attain equanimity of mind. It is end as well as means in itself. As a means it is a practice for attaining equanimity while as an end it is the state in which self is completely free from the flickering of alternative desires and wishes as well as excitements and emotional disorders. It is the state of self absorption or resting in one's own self. In Avasyaka-niryuti it is mentioned that the samayika is nothing but one's own self in its pure form (2).

Thus from transcendental point of view Samayika means realization of our own self in its real nature. It is the state in which one is completely free from attachment and aversion. In the same work Arya Bhadra also mentions various synonyms of samayika. According to him equanimity, equality, righteousness, state of self‑absorption, purity, peace, welfare, happiness are the different names of samayika (3).

In Anuyogadvara-sutra (4), Avasyaka Niryukti (5), and Kundakunda's Niyamasara (6), Samayika is explained in various ways. It is said that one who by giving up the movement of uttering words, realizes himself with non‑attachment is said to have supreme equanimity (7). He, who detached from all injurious or unpious actions, observes threefold control of body, mind and speech and restrains his senses, is said to have attained equanimity (8). One who behaves equally as one's own self towards all living beings mobile and immobile, is said to have equanimity (9). Further, it is said that one who observes self‑control, vows and austerities, one in whom attachment and aversion do not cause any disturbance or tension and one who always refrains indulgence, sorrow and ennui, is said to have attained equanimity or Samayika (10).

This practice of equanimity is equated with religion it self. In Acaranga Sutra, it is said that all the worthy people preach religion as equanimity (11). Thus, for Jainas, the observance of religious life, is nothing, but the practice for the attainment of equanimity. According to them, it is the essence of all types of religious activities and they all, are prescribed only to attain it. Not only in Jainism but in Hinduism also, we find various references in support of equanimity. Gita defines yoga as equanimity (12). Similarly in Bhagvat it is said that the observance of equanimity is the worship of Lord (13).

The whole frame‑work of Jain religious practise (sadhana) has been built on the foundation of samayika i.e. the practice for equanimity. All the religious tenets are made for it. Acarya Haribhadra maintains that one who observes the equanimity (samabhava) will surely attain the emancipation, whether he belongs to Swetambara sect or Digambara sect, whether he is Bauddha or the follower of any other religion. It is said in Jaina religious texts that one who observes hard penances and austerities such as eating once in a month or two as well as one who make the donations of crores of golden coins every day, can not attain emancipation unless he attains equanimity. It is only through the attainment of equanimity of mind that one can get emancipation or liberation. Acarya Kunda-Kund says what is the use of residing in forest, mortification of body, observance of various fasts, study of scriptures and keeping silence etc. to a saint, who is devoid of equanimity (Niyamasara 124).

Now we come to the next question that how one can attain this equanimity of mind. Mere verbal saying that I shall observe the equanimity of mind and refrain from all types of injurious activities does not have any meaning unless we seriously practices it in our own life.

For this, first of all one should know that what are the causes which disturb our equanimity of mind and then one should try to eradicate them.

Though it is very easy to say that one should observe the equanimity of mind, but in practice it is very difficult to attain it. For our mental faculty is always in grip of attachment and aversion. What so ever we think or do, is always motivated by either attachment or aversion. The vectors of attachment and aversion are solely responsible for the disturbance of mental equanimity and so the practice to attain equanimity depends on the eradication of attachment and aversion. So long as we do not eradicate the attachment and aversion, we are unable to attain equanimity.

Now our attention turns to the eradication of attachment and aversion. How we can get rid of these two enemies of equanimity. Attachment is an another name of mineness and this mineness can only be vanished through the contemplation of ektva bhavana and Anyatva bhavana i.e. nothing is mine except my own self. In Aurapaccakhana it is clearly mentioned that.

It we want to conquer the mineness we must have to contemplate on the transitory nature of worldly things as well as of our own body. One, who perceives that the death is coming nearer and nearer every moment, only can see the things in their right perspective. Samyak‑darsana is nothing but to have a proper understanding of the worldly thing. One who perceives one's own death and transitory nature of things can never be attached to them. When mineness disappears otherness also disappears. For these two are the relative terms and without one other also loses its meaning and when the idea of mineness as well as otherness dissolves attachment and aversion disappears and equanimity dawns.

There is only one way to attain the equanimity of mind and that is through the contemplation of real nature of one's own self as well as of worldly things, one can eradicate the vectors of attachment and aversion and thus attain equanimity and it is through self‑awareness that one can be steady and firm in the state of equanimity or self‑absorption. Equanimity needs proper understanding of real nature of one's own self as well as of others.

In Niyamasara, it is said that one who meditates in one's own real nature with non‑attached thought, activity and realizes his self through righteous and pure concentration can attain the supreme equanimity. One, who always practices the dharma dhyana (righteous meditation) and Sukla dhyana (meditation of Pure‑form or real nature) can attain the equanimity. Thus, samayika is closely related to meditation, without meditation and self‑awareness no one can attain the equanimity of mind. Kund kunda further maintains that one who is absorbed in righteous and pure meditation is the Antaratma or sadhaka and one who is devoid of such contemplation or meditation is called Bahiratma. The realization of self is only possible through equanimity and equanimity is only possible through the meditation of one's own real nature (Niyamasara 15, 147).

At last I would like to conclude my paper by quoting a beautiful verse of religious tolerance of Acarya Amitagati ‑

Sattvesu maitrim gunisa pramodam klistesu Jivesa Krapapartvam Madhyasthyabhavam Viparita Vrattan Sada mamatma Vidhadhatudeva.

"Oh Lord. I should be friendly to all the creatures of world and feel delight in meeting the virtuous people. I should always be helpful to those who are in miserable conditions and tolerant to my opponents."

BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Amgasuttani‑I, Jaina Visva Bharati, Ladanun, ed. Ist 1974.
2. Acaranga Curni, Jinadasa Gani, R.K.S.S. Ratlam (M.P.), ed. Ist, 1941.
3. Acaranga Tika (Ist Srutaskandha), Siddhacakra Sahitya Pracaraka Samiti Surat, ed. Ist, 1934.
4. Ayaro‑ Comment., Ed. & trans.by Yuvacarya Mahaprajna, Jaina Canonical Text Series, Jaina Visva Bharati Ladanun ed. Ist 1981.
5. Bhagavatisutra Tika, Agamodaya Samiti, Bombay, ed. Ist 1918.
6. Jaina Sutras Jacobi Hermann, (S.B.E.S. Vol. XXII, pt.I), M.L.B.D., Delhi, Rep. ed. 1964.
7. Mahavira Carita Mimansa (Guj.) pt.1, Pt. D. D. Malavania, Ramesh Malavania, 8, Opera Society, Ahmedabad, 7, ed. 1st, 1992.
8. Niryukti‑Samgraha‑ ed. Vijayanemisuri, Harsa Puspamrta Jaina Granthamala (189), Lakhabaval, Santipuri, Maharastra, ed. 1st, 1989.
9. Sutrakrtanga‑Tika pt.1, Agamodaya Samiti, Bombay, 1919.
10. Sthananga‑Tika‑ Seth Maneklal Cunni lal, Ahamadabad, ed. 1st, 1937.
11. Vyavahara Bhasya Tika,Vakil Kesavalal Premchand, Ahmedabad, ed. Ist.1926.

Meditation - Dhyaan

-By Sreepalan V C

Jain Dharma has very clearly defined what is dhyaan, which is the only source to free one from the cycle of birth and death and bring out the lasting bliss inevery one’s soul.

To quote from the sacred works of Jain Dharma: Shri Thavaartha Surta.
“uthama sangananasyo ekaagra chintha nirotdho dhyaanam aantharmuhoorth”- Shri Umaaswamy’s Shri Moksha sastra – ch 9 – sutra 27.

“ekaagra chintha nirotdho dhyaanam” is only taken up for detailing here.
Dhyaan in short is “ ekaagrathaka naam dhyaan” – canalizing the flow of thoughts continuously on one subject is dhyaan.

Dhyaan is classified into four types viz., aartha – pain and suffering thought activity, roudhra – pitiless, unkind and cruel thought activity, dharma –passionless and painless thought activity and shukla – pure thought activity i.e., thoughts on one’s own soul.

Aartha and roudhra dhyaans are baneful and demeritorious and dharma and shukla are beneficial and meritorious in the sense the later are towardssecuring relief from the cycle of birth and death.

Soul alone has gynaan – knowledge quality and its capability is knowing and seeing. This function of knowing and seeing is called paryaay – modification /expression of the knowledge quality, the prime quality of all the soul. This function of knowing and seeing is ceaselessly ever flowing and never ending under any circumstances, as it is independent and self-subsisting.
For example the waves of the sea are ceaselessly flowing and it comes from the sea and goes back to sea only, is that right? But the sea has no control on theshape or timing of the flow of the waves, any doubt? Nonetheless, waves are part and parcel of the sea and there cannot be a sea without waves and waves with out sea.

Since its function is ceaseless, no one, including soul – atman or knowledge quality – gynaan guna from where it emanates, can stop its flow and soul in turnknowledge quality can only be a silent spectator of what is seen and known in paryaay – expressions.

Its life is only one samaya – the smallest unit of time according to Jain Dharma and for purpose of understanding here, it is enough to know that it ismomentary. Soul and its infinite qualities are permanent and unchanging from the beginning less time to endless time.

Every mundane soul in the universe, we all know, is an expert in demeritorious meditation -aartha and ruodhra dhyaanas, any hesitation to accept?

We are either new or disinterested in dharma or shukla dhyaanas for best-known reasons.
So body, place, time, posture etc are not being discussed here.

Those apart, having placed some of the basics on the discussion table, let us attempt to understand the dhyaan process.

The basic process carries in it four tools and they are as follows:01) Dhyaatha – meditating person –02) Dheya – what to meditate –03) Dhyaan – function of meditation and04) Dhyaan ka fal – fruit of meditation.

Now what one has to perform in meditation?

Soul is the meditating entitySoul is the meditatable subjectSoul is meditating function andSoul realizes and manifests soul’s infinite qualitiesand this is the fruit of meditation.

Besides the above mentioned some more information onsoul may be necessary at this point and helpful tohave a fully perceive dhyaan - mediation.

Soul has three parts viz.,01) soul as one unit of infinite soul substances – atma dhravya,02) its infinite qualities – ananth gunnas and03) the modifications / expressions – ananth paryaas of soul and its infinite qualities.

The first two parts are permanent – saswath, unchanging – achal, endless – avinashi, undying - amar etc., from the beginning less tome and shall be so forendless time.

The last one part - paryaayas - are impermanent, ever changing, ever ending and ever dying; in other words it is just opposite of the first two and which part isalso from the beginning less time and shall be so for endless time.

This is Anekant - the structural nature of all the 6 kinds of substances, which constitutes this universe and soul too i.e., two diametrically opposing dharmas– realities coexisting from the beginning less time and shall be so for endless time. This is the symbol of Jain Dharma.
So now, the aspirant meditating soul has to associate itself and starts meditating by identifying itself with the unchanging permanent soul and its infinite qualities. In other words while in dhyaan, it dissociates itself from all that is changing andperishable seen or known in the knowledge quality of the soul.

To elaborate, soul is not man, women, rich, poor, beautiful, ugly, teacher, worker, husband, wife, son, daughter, heavenly being, hellish being, plants etc.,but merely and only an unchaning knower – gynaayak.

It is, in short, an unchanging and imperishable knower and knower alone and nothing but knower – gynayak. Gynaayak is nothing but unchanging simple ordinary knowledge – gynaana samaanya.

For example take TV. When TV is on, so many varying and serious and gay images appear, namely, floods, collapse of tall buildings, explosion of bombs, earth quakes, construction and consecration of temples, magnificent idols being installed with all pomp and show, marriages, divorces, child birth what all andwhat not. But when the TV is put off, it remains as it was before the start with out any iota of change, is that right? Unit of soul is the substance – dhravya, all its parts such as screen, light tubes, speakers, and many electronic gadgets and all these parts are its qualities – gunnas and what is seen in the screen are its paryaayas. What is the connection between the TV as unchanging substance – dhravya , its qualities – gunnas and modifications – paryaays. Absolutelynothing excepting the images / pictures are seen only in the screen of the TV. If the TV is identified with any one of the images say, explosion of bomb TV alsomust have been destroyed, is it not? But that is not so.

Similar is the position of the soul. So aspirant should practice immersing himself in his nature – gynaayak be a knower and knower alone and nothing but knower.

This is in the very simplest form an explanation of dhyaan – meditation.

An attempt is made to explain meditation – dhyaan, but this write up is only a walking stick and an ardent aspirant if he has understood dhyaan and secures thefruit of it, it is surely because of his determination, involvement and unfailing interest and certainly not because of this small write-up. Walking stick cannot make a man walk but if man attempts to walk, walking stick may be of assistance.

May many doubts and questions be lingering in the readers mind and are welcome to come up.
"KNOW THYSELF AND BE THYSELF' is by KEVALIN, of KEVALIN and for KEAVALIN.