Prof. Dr. Sohan Raj Tater
JAIN VISHVA BHARATI UNIVERSITY
Need for the formation of sacraments
Acharya Mahapragya Pravas Samiti 's president Shri Babulal Sekhani along with his team requesting Acharya Shri to extend his Bidasar stayIndian philosophy and the philosophies other than the Indian one have expatiated the word "sacraments" or habits in their own way. Considering from a broader point of view, formation of good habits, or bringing about refinement and purification means inculcation of human virtues in man. All the philosophies and ideologies agree to this definition. The present age is an age of science and of materialism. By making new discoveries in all the fields of life, science has made life extremely comfortable and convenient. The quest for convenience has given birth to materialism. Presently, materialism is at its highest level and the whole world is dazzled by it. No doubt there has been a great development in the whole world but the fact that there has been a great deterioration in values cannot be denied. The fact that is the most alarming is that the greatest deterioration has been there in human values. We see that human values like the feeling of friendship, compassion, brotherhood, sensitivity, morality, forbearance, renunciation, honesty, simplicity and positive thinking etc. are nowhere to be found. That is why human qualities like - terrorism, immorality, insensitivity, selfishness, corruption, cruelty, dishonesty, distrust, stress, negative thinking, resentment and absence of peace etc. are prevailing everywhere. The ones who are still clinging to the good human values, are feeling suffocated. Hence a great need for the formation of sacraments, for bringing about refinement and for the development of human values is being acutely felt. Good habits are important for and useful to each and everybody, but here I am particularly concerned about the need for and utility of forming sacraments in girls. I will try to throw light on the ways and the experiments by which this purification may be brought about. Man is the smallest unit of world peace.
Acharya Tulsi has rightly said -
Sudhre vyakti, samaj vyakti se|
Rastra svayam sudhrega||First of all there should be improvement in an individual. If the individuals are improved, society will improve, as society is nothing else but a group of individuals. And if society is improved, nation will improve automatically.
In order to bring about and establish peace in the world, we will have to think of the ways of improving man, the smallest unit. In this regard, it has been aptly said -
Apna sudhar sansar ki sabse badi seva hain
Improving oneself is the greatest service to world. If every person brings about a change in himself, improves himself, the world will be automatically changed and improved. By improving oneself, one can render the greatest service to the world. The first thing required for improving the world is to make man a 'good man'. All the great thinkers of the world are emphasizing the fact that without the restoration of human values, there can be no happiness and prosperity in the world. Today, things have changed immensely. Globalization has reduced the whole world to the level of a small village. A village being very small, anything happening in it, immediately comes to the knowledge of each and everybody living in it. In the same way because of the great revolution in the field of Information and Technology, anything that happens in the remotest corner of the world, immediately spreads all over the world through T.V. I.S.D; internet, e-mail and mobile. This is human weakness that a person grasps evil earlier than he grasps good. We will have to arouse awareness for human values; we will have to attract man to goodness. Man, by instinct, is drawn to evil. In order to restore human values, we will have to start a campaign for the formation of good habits. The need for bringing about refinement and purification in man with the help of experiments and training is being felt all over the world. Such a refined person can bring about refinement in others as well. Thus the number of the people refined in this way will go on increasing and their ratio will also increase.
Utility Of The Formation Of Sacraments In Girls
A Girl is a seed; a mother is a tree and a grandmother is a banyan tree. The quality and form of a tree depends on the seed. If the quality of seed is improved, the quality of the tree will automatically be improved. The life of a girl is like a plain paper. We can write and imprint on it whatever we like. Childhood is the best period for the formation of good habits. Habits acquired in childhood persist for the whole life. A girl puts two families in proper order. Before marriage, she takes care of the household of her parents and after marriage; she manages and looks after the household of her in-laws. A girl today is the mother of tomorrow. If a girl has developed and inculcated good values and habits, she will remain refined and cultured even when she becomes a mother. Mother is the first school of a child. A child gets all his sacraments and characteristics from his mother. According to Ayurveda, a child gets his body's tender parts like brain, blood and heart from his mother's blood and menstruation and hard parts like bones, hair and nails from the sperms of his father. During pregnancy the child feeds on his mother's blood and the food that she takes. When he is born, the mother rears him up. Women are the embodiments of affection, compassion, devotion and tenderness. They are said to be the ornaments and dignity of the family. They play on important role in establishing men's households. A mother can rear up ten children but without her a man cannot properly rear up even one child. Affection dwells in the heart of a mother. Man's life is incomplete without woman. Man and woman are the two wheels of the chariot of household. Woman is an embodiment of love and affection but she can be as brave as goddess Durga and Laxmi Bai, the queen of Jhansi if an occasion arises. In the present day world, women are proving themselves superior to men in every field of life - politics, administration, business, science, telecommunication, education and medical science. The background of a woman is a girl. A woman is initially a girl. Hence to form good habits in her is very important. If a girl is not refined and cultured in early childhood, she presents a very ugly picture when she grows up into a woman. The whole society is stained and we have to bow our heads with shame when we behold the ugly form of a woman. Women not having good values are responsible to a great extent for the increasing corruption in society. A refined woman is the basis, the backbone of society whereas an unrefined woman brings only wastage and destruction in life. If we want to remove corruption, we will have to give good sacraments to our children; we will have to make them realize the importance of values. You may think from any point of view, but if we want a good and decent society, we will have to give good habits to girls specially.
The Ways of Forming Sacraments
Our habits of today form our fortune (karma) of tomorrow. The habits earned previously are our fortune (karmas) of today. In Jain philosophy, apprehension, speculation, perceptional judgment and retention have been said to the means of gaining knowledge. Retention means storing our sacraments. Sacraments may rise in our present birth and they may rise in our future births also. What are sacraments? Sacraments are the deeds done by us. The sacraments that have been accumulated for thousands of year may rise now in the present. In the same way, sacraments acquired today may rise even after thousands of years. According to the karmic theory of Jain philosophy, the condition of karmas depends on the stages of bondage like duration, fruition, quantity and nature etc. Mind, body and speech are the parts of our attitudes. Similarly, body, senses, mind, prudence and emotions are the parts of out life. For the formation of habits we will have to go to the subtle world, to the sub-conscious mind. Transformation takes place in the sub-conscious mind. According to Frayed the famous psychologist, there are three levels of mind (1) conscious mind (2) sub-conscious mind and (3) unconscious mind. Conscious mind works at the level of brain. Imagining, thinking and memory are the functions of the conscious mind. It is the controller of all the activities of out gross body. Senses receives the subjects from outside and carry them to the conscious mind. It is the controller of all the activities of our gross body. Senses receives the subjects from outside and carry them to the conscious mind. This conscious mind pertains to all the three periods - present, past and future. All the function of the material world is controlled by conscious mind. Body and speech too are controlled by it. Now we come from gross body to subtle body. After coming in contact with the gross body, we come to the subtle-Tejus-body. This Tejus body is known as electric, etheric or astral body. Vitality is controlled by Tejus body. All the wonderful acts of vitality are performed through Tejus body. The parts of Tejus body are aura and volitions. Sub-conscious mind is related to Tejus body. There is no reach of words there; it is a world of vibrations. Transformation begins to take place when something enters sub-conscious mind. We are transformed if we manage to carry our emotions to sub-conscious mind through contemplation. In order to form good habits in girls, we will have to carry them to their sub-conscious minds through relaxation, meditation and contemplation. These habits are permanently fixed there. A thing, once received by sub-conscious mind, can never be forgotten. A person may be transformed as we like by putting the feelings in the sub-conscious mind again and again. If human values are carried again and again through contemplation to the sub-conscious minds of girls, they may be moulded as we wish them to be moulded.
Now let us proceed even beyond sub-conscious mind. The subtlest body is the karmic body that is mixed with our soul in the same way as milk and sugar-candy are mixed together. There are vibrations in soul. There are vibrations in karmic body also. Connected with our karmic body is our unconscious mind. All our sacraments are stored there as goods are stored in a godown and are exposed when they get a chance of rising. Unconscious mind is our ware-house in which all our auspicious and inauspicious habits of many lives are stored. Our desires, that are not fulfilled, are all stored in our unconscious mind. The Tejus body, that is coming in contact with the gross body, is bringing the raw-material from the ware-house of unconscious mind. As Acharya Mahapragyaji says, we should try to understand the process of refinement and then refine and purify our karmas.
The Practical Aspect Of The Formation Of Sacraments
In order to provide permanence to habits, practice and training are required. Families will be refined when girls are refined. It is a girl who acquires the status of a mother when she grows up. Mother is the first school of a child. A child gets most of his sacraments from his mother. Although each and everybody should inculcate good habits and honour values, yet forming good habits in girls will be all the more fruitful. In my opinion, Preksha meditation is the best means of forming good habits. Good habits can be developed in girls by means of practice and training in Preksha meditation. Here I am presenting the practical forms of the eight steps of Preksha meditation and their advantages:
1. Relaxation
In this method, the body is relaxed. One forgets the existence of body even when it is there. Every limb of the body is relaxed and distressed by auto-suggestions. One feels that every part of the body is relaxed and distressed. One feels very light. When we reach this stage we forget the existence of our body though it is there. May people go to such depths during relaxation that their Tejus (astral) body comes out of the gross body and travels to far-off places. The great advantage of this practice is that we come to know the science of differentiation. We feel that soul is different from body. This science of differentiation teaches us right faith and the transformation of life begins.
(2) Perception of breathing
In this experiment, the speed of breathing is slowed down. Breathing is long, slow and at an equal interval. The breath, that come in and goes out in between the two nostrils, is reflected on. By training one learns to take as much time in breathing out as in breathing in. The number of breathing is slowed down from 15-16 to 6-7 per minute. Mental concentration will increase in proportion to the decrease in the number of breaths. The greatest advantage of perception of breathing is that one gets rid of stresses and excitement. This riddance increases the feeling of Joy in life. Perception of breathing gives mental peace and increases mental concentration.
(3) Journey to the inner-self
In this experiment; energy is raised from the lowest point of the spinal chord and taken to the center of knowledge, the highest point of head through the spinal chord. Energy is taken from the center of energy to the center of knowledge with every breath. Psyche is again concentrated on the center of energy while breathing out. The greatest advantage of this journey to the inner self is that one is freed from lust and the feelings of sexual enjoyment. Knowledge and memory are enhanced, as the center of knowledge gets active. Through this journey, energy is transferred from the center of energy to the center of knowledge.
(4) Perception of body
Every external and internal part of body is reflected on by auto-suggestions. Psyche is concentrated on every part of the body. The latter gets relaxed as it is reflected on and begins to function properly. The greatest advantage of reflection in body is that one gains physical and mental health. The part of the body that is having pain is relieved of pain when it is concentrated on.
(5) Perception of psychic centers
There are, in all, 13 spots in the body, which are the centers of soul (consciousness), they are centers of - knowledge, peace, light, perception, purification, joy, health and energy etc. These centers get active when psyche is concentrated on them and the energy of the soul is centred on these spots. Perception on different centers of consciousness yields different advantages. For example, excitement is subsided when the center of light is concentrated on. Equanimity is enhanced and transcendental knowledge is gained when the center of perception is reflected on. Tissues of knowledge are developed when the center of knowledge is concentrated on. Lust and the feelings of sex are purified when the center of purification is concentrated on feelings are purified when psyche is concentrated on the center of joy.
(6) Aural meditation
Aural meditation is brought about by concentrating on colours. The center of consciousness is concentrated on keeping different colours in mind. Memory is enhanced when yellow colour is concentrated on the center of knowledge. Passions like anger, vanity, illusion and greed etc. are subsided when the white moon is experienced while concentrating on the center of light. Transcendental knowledge is gained by gradual and constant practice. With the result that we move from the gross world to the subtle world of intellect. Thoughts and ideas gets purified when yellow colour is realized while concentrating on the center of purification. Feelings are purified and joy is gained when green colour is realized while concentrating on the center of joy. Vitality gets enhanced when blue colour is experienced while concentrating on the center of Tejus. Will power is enhanced when blue colour is thought of while concentrating on the center of health. Lusts are subsided when blue colour is realized in mind while concentrating on the center of energy.
(7) Volition
By auto-suggestions, mind is filled with the feelings of non-eternal, birth, non-shelter, oneness, separateness, non-greediness, stoppage, influx, dissociation, religion, enlightenment, friendship, and compassion etc. By the development of these feelings, psyche is purified, fickleness of mind is removed, attachment is destroyed and the feeling of renunciation is encouraged. Attempt is made to fill mind and soul with each and every feeling. By doing so again and again, this act is formed into a habit with the result that there is no chance of evil habits getting developed. Good habits may be developed in girls by filling their minds with these positive feelings.
(8) Contemplation
Thinking again and again for which Preksha meditation is carried out in mind, is known as contemplation. In order to form good habits in girls, practice of the reflection on compassion, friendship, mutual trust, adjustment, humility, morality and authenticity is given to them. While reflecting, first of all mind is concentrated by relaxation and aspirate sound. When mind is concentrated, it is given auto-suggestions that the feelings of compassion, friendship and morality are getting strengthened. This process is repeated many times. Attempts are mode to carry these feelings upto the sub-conscious mind. So that they are retained and get permanent and strong. By reflection on these feelings, we are moulded into their form. We get accustomed to these habits and we begin to behave accordingly.
Acharya Mahapragya says, "You will have the feelings as you have the auras, the thoughts as you have the feelings and the behaviour as you have the thoughts." We have to purify our feelings and this can be done only by the practice of reflection.
Thus, with the practice of these eight steps of Preksha meditation, the feelings of girls are purified. After doing that, good habits may easily be formed in them. If these steps are practiced daily, there will be no possibility of inauspicious habits getting developed. The ideas with which we fill our mind and soul are always hovering in them and we behave with our mind, body and speech in conformity with them. Bringing about refinement in a girl means bringing about refinement in two families. A girl is the plant that grows into a big tree in the form of a sister, a mother, a wife and a grand mother. She gets an even greater form as a banyan tree. Harmony in families is very necessary to remove and solve the present day problems. In order to establish this harmony, giving good habits to girls is the first priority of the present age. The following lines of Acharyashri Tulsi will automatically be realized if the girls develop good habits.
Sudhare vyakti samaj vyakti se,
Rastra svayam sudhrega.
If an individual is improved, society will be improved and eventually the nation will be improved.