Dr. N.L. Kachhara
I will now describe meditation in more detail. Dhyana, meditation, is of four types: (1) aartadhyana, (2) raudradhyana, (3) dharmadhyana, and (4) shukladhyana. The first two types force the soul to be reborn and go into the cycle of life and death; the last two types help the soul to achieve liberation.
- Aartadhyana: Many people continuously worry about their painful and unhappy situations. Such mental worrying is termed aartadhyana. There are mainly four situations in which worry occurs: to avert a disagreeable situation; to avert a painful situation; to regain a lost favourable situation; and when someone has a strong inclination to stake everything for some worldly gain.
- Raudradhyana: Maintaining a violent, untruthful, stealthy and sensual mode of life constitutes raudradhyana. In this state, a person not only resorts to wrong and violent means, but he or she also enjoys such actions.
- Dharmadhyana: Contemplating the nature of the soul: that is, contemplation that leads to self-realization.
- Shukladhyana: Perfect meditation, which is only possible for spiritually advanced monks who have considerably reduced their passions.
