Acharya Mahapragya Blog
The following post is based on Acharya shree’s hindi book, mastishk ka prashikshan
Our brain is a store house of powers. Many people have strengths and abilities but they are not awakened, which is so because they haven’t practiced to awaken them.
The awakening of strengths is dependent on practice. Nothing can be learnt without practicing. Through practice, animals and birds can also be taught many things. All arts and studies have been made possible through practice. Through practice the impossible becomes possible. Practice holds great importance.
First principle is that the brain is very powerful. Second principle is that through practice mental abilities can be developed. And the third principle is that through awareness anything can be achieved.
Unawareness and sorrow are companions. With laxity/unawareness sorrow comes, energy dwindles.
When we have faith in our energy, know the importance of practice, and there is awareness, dormant energies can be awakened. To awaken our energies, the first thing to be practiced is - comprehension. There are two types of comprehension - comprehending many objects, and comprehending the nuances of one or more objects. Both are important principles of practice.
Our five sense organs comprehend corresponding sense objects. Their ability to comprehend can be developed. A single object is a mixture of many objects. After sharpening the ability of a sense organ, each of these objects can be comprehended. For instance, one’s hearing ability can be sharpened to such an extent that words from a single source in a cacophony can be heard and understood.
The ability of sense organs comes from the ability of our brain, which can be developed. Many can be seen, many can be heard, and many can be smelled.
In ancient times, training of detecting the source of sound (dhwanived) was famous. Acharya Kaalak was a famous acharya of our generation. His sister was once kidnapped. She was a saint and was very beautiful. The kidnapper king was skilled in gardbhi vidya, in whose effect wherever the sound of gardbhi reached, there doors would become so strong that nothing could destroy them. Kaalkacharya got to know about this. He thought of an idea. He readied his devotee kings. It was decided that when gardbhi’s mouth opens for speaking, his mouth be attacked with arrows, so that no sound comes out. This was only possible through dhwanivedh. Shooting an arrow on the basis of sound was its speciality.
This is just an example of how the brain can be trained. Bahuvidhgrahan or the ability to comprehend a variety of objects is also special. Prekshadhyan provides brain training in the forms of deerghashwas preksha and samvruttishwaas preksha. Breath comes in and goes out - knowing just this is not bahuvidhgrahan (comprehension of variety) But, knowing a variety of aspects about it is. A variety of aspects include, if the breath is cold or hot, dry or wet, strong or light, and if there are many or few atoms in the breath.
On the basis of sound and speed, many kinds of sciences have been developed. Svaroday vigyaan is based on the speed of breath. Through this science one develops the ability to know the past and the future. This was a miraculous science. The brain would become so trained and active, the gyantantu would become so sensitive that one would have the ability to sense the past and the future.
On the basis of speed of breath some principles were established, prophecies were made. The science is an example of bahuvidhgrahan.
Meditation is spiritual. With the purity of spirit, meditation also brings benefits in worldly aspects such as inter-personal skills, personality, focus, and etc. Through meditation, one can find success in many areas of life. Earlier there was a belief that one who wants liberation or wants spiritual development should meditate. But the reality is that meditation has benefits both in the worldly and otherworldly planes.
Meditation is a prime factor in training the brain and awakening its dormant energies.
Jain philosophy has a unique assertion of every object having many facets. Among these unlimited facets, if we understand fifty to hundreds of them, it will be a miraculous learning. Through subtle understanding we can know about the colours of breath - when we breathe in, its colour is red and when we breath out, its colour is black. This can be learnt through subtle practice.
There is a sequence of the development of five sense organs. First, the sense of touch, then taste and then smell. After these three senses are developed, eyes and ears are developed. Organisms in which the eye and ear is not developed, those organisms sense the world through the sense of smell. Smell is a very important feature. By discerning a person’s smell, one can know about their character, behaviour, and health.
An enlightened being can be identified through their smell. Their body and breath smells like lotus. A great yogi has a fragrance which is different from ordinary men and women.
The breath of every creature has a particular smell. And on the basis of a person’s smell, their personality can be analysed. There are instances when someone comes and sits near you and you wish that he leaves. Similarly, there are instances when someone sits near you and you wish that they stay. This change of feeling occurs on the basis of difference in smell.
The practice of identifying the breath’s smell, touch, colour is an idea of training the brain. The more trained the brain becomes, one’s comprehension ability increases, further making a person distinguished.