Acharya Mahaprajna
** In Search of Truth
- Self-awareness and self-realisation -Awakening the insight
**Transformation and Transmutation
- Integrated personality
- Chemical transformation
- Transmutation of leśyā
- Emotional purity
** Towards Absolute Tranquillity
** Psycho-therapy
In Search of Truth
It is quite normal for a sādhaka to raise the question: Why should I practise meditation? Why should I abandon all mundane activities and become inactive? If one can comprehend the true inter-relation between activity and inactivity, the question would be properly answered. But if the slightest doubt remains in this regard, the practice of meditation itself will look doubtful. Mundane activity is for subsistence of life i.e. for survival. Its suspension is for realising the purpose of life—for realising the truth. Whosoever is totally engrossed in worldly activity would live, but would never be able to realise the purpose of life. Mundane affairs are instruments for survival and means to support life, but not its purpose. But when one does not maintain an equilibrium between engrossment in mundane affairs and withdrawal therefrom, one is apt to believe the former as the 'be-all and end-all' of life. There can be no greater aberration than this, and hence, to destroy the aberration and to realise the truth—the true purpose of life—it is essential that one does regularly practise meditation.
Self-awareness and Self-realization
Modern Physics has already made many discoveries about matter and still continues to do so. It has been able to penetrate the atom and to analyse the Structure of the atomic nucleus. But the object of its quest is paramāṇu-the ultimate particle of matter and not the conscious reality—the psyche or the soul. Physics, in its quest, employs scientific equipment-apparatus and instruments which are themselves made from matter. Hence, it can have access only to matter. The spiritual existence could never enter the range of their investigation and become tile object of their quest. That is why science has not so far positively accepted the separate existence of soul. Due to this non-acceptance, the purpose of meditational practice appears to have been restricted to relaxation, easing of tensions etc. The popular belief is that meditational practice results in physical benefits, such as maintenance of physical health etc. This appears to be the 'be-all and end-all' of meditation. It is true that regular practice of meditation eases mental and emotional tensions, improves health, balances blood-pressure; in short, establishes homeostasis. Maintenance of robust physical health, and treatment (and prevention) of serious mental illness without drugs, though valuable contributions, are not the only or even the chief objective of meditational practice. Its aim-in-chief is realization and awareness of one's spiritual self—the real SELF. As long as one is not aware of his real SELF, he cannot end his misery. The only means of eradicating all suffering is realization of Truth—realization and awareness of one's real SELF.
Awakening the Insight
Insight, i.e. the ability to see one's own self, means freedom from the emotional experiences of joy and sorrow. Until and unless one frees oneself from this tinted outlook, one cannnot realise the truth. One may become very learned, an erudite scholar, or may acquire proficiency in theoretical philosophy, but one cannot obtain insight. Truth is synonymous with insight, right faith and right attitude etc. Meditational practice aims at awakening insight so that one can be aware of one's spiritual self, who is the real knower and real seer. A man of science cannot know him, only a sādhaka can do so. By systematic and regular practice of meditation, he (the practitioner) will progressively free his perceptions from the pollution of like and dislike, pleasure and pain. He abandons his role as a 'doer' and assumes the role of 'knower'.
Actual Experience of Self-realisation
Dr. Erwin Schrodinger and other eminent physicists admit that they are still confused about the ultimate unit of material reality and are engrossed in discovering the most elementaryparticle. But this problem is not of primary importance. The real challenge to the scientists should be: What is consciousness? Does it exist in its own right? Is reality consciousness or matter or both? Recent research in subatomic Physics has answered many questions regarding the structure of matter. But as regards consciousness, there is much ignorance not only among scientists but also among spiritualists.
Spiritualists tend to solve the riddle of conscious existence on the basis of scriptural knowledge. They base their solutions on the precision of logical processes. They think they can realise the nature of consciousness through philosophical literature. What a pitiable paradox that on the one hand the nature of consciousness is propounded emphatically to be beyond logic, literature and language, while on the other hand, they want to realise it through these very instruments. The one and the only way to realise the nature of consciousness is through personal experience. Without experience, no one can comprehend it. Scriptures and philosophical literature are expressed in language. Language is very helpful for conveying useful and important information, but whoever tries to communicate experiences through it is very much mistaken. All that any language can do is to talk about an experience, but description of an experience is not the experience itself. It is only talk about it. Whenever anyone did have the experience after learning from books, the experience came from himself and not from the books. The process is to purify the perceptive competence and raise the level of consciousness. For a practitioner, striving for a personal experience is an inherent part of the process; hence, it is incumbent upon him to do so. He must not depend too much on books and beliefs, but on himself. This does not mean that we ignore or forget what we already know from books. It means that the practitioner must himself realise his own real SELF; the inspiration must come from within.
Scriptures are emphatic about the reality of the consciousness. But again, what they say is lingual expression about truth, a belief or faith. When, as a result of regular meditational practice, one becomes enlightened by insight, and when he is face to face with his real SELF, he knows that it is real. Then, he not only knows but is aware of his real SELF. It is the Truth itself—the Truth of experience, and it can be realised only by practice of meditation. There is no other means which can elevate one from a lingual truth to the Truth of experience.
Transformation and Transmutation
Integrated Personality
The preceptors of spiritual science have propounded the process of self-realisation in such a lucid and systematic manner that if one takes the trouble of acquainting himself with the process, and practises it, he will find no difficulty in integrating and developing his personality.
One can truly embrace religion only by the process of transmutation of malignant leśyā. When, and only when evil trinity of leśyā is transmuted into the benign one, can the change in personality factors be brought about. The way of life can not be changed without purification of leśyā. The doctrine of leśyā is not a mere theoretical tenet nor is it pure sophism. It, indeed, is a logical expression of philosophical truth; but it is not a mere persuasive discourse. It is not only theoretically sound but an efficient practical technique for searching and realising the truth. The crux of being religious is to make progress on the path of (internal) change, to go ahead in the direction of transmutation. The advent of taijasa leśyā and spiritual progress are synchronous events. In first, the starting point of spiritual progress is transmutation of leśyā into taijāsa. When taijasa leśyā is activated, it produces benign spiritual radiations, and these, in turn, become the catalysts for attitudinal change and personality development.
The entire course of spiritual progress is the process of metamorphosis and it has a pre-set curriculum. Whoever accepts this course will positively transmute his leśyā. He transcends and transmutes the vicious trinity (of leśyā) and enters the realm of the benevolent ones and experiences its beneficial radiation. Under the shelter of the benign trinity, the attitudes get automatically converted. Thus, transmutation is concomitant with behaviour-modification and development of integrated personality. Perception of psychic colours (leśyā dhyāna) is the means of achieving it.
Chemical Transformation
Devout austerities, practice of Yoga and meditation—all aim at internal chemical transformations. Indulgence in rich, spicy or high energy foods results in production and accumulation of toxic chemicals which, in turn, vitiate the mental states and kindle the passions. Eating only fatless, tasteless, unsweetened food; missing a meal; fasting for one day or more days—all these external disciplining and dieting bring about internal changes in the body metabolism. Similarly, body-postures, controlled breathing and other Yogic exercises also change the body chemistry. Confession and penance, humbleness, scriptural studies etc., are internal austerities. Cleansing streams of expiation wash and purify the internal distortions. Humbleness counteracts the evil effects of arrogance and haughtiness. All these changes are produced by chemical transmutation within the body, as we shall see later.
Transmutation of leśyā
Practice of meditation, however, is the most powerful of all the above practices which produce internal chemical transmutation. Perception of psychic centres (caitanya-kendra-prekṣā) and perception of psychic colours (leśyā dhyāna) produce astonishing results. The change is more profound and radical because there is a fundamental change in inner structure of emotions and leśyā. As shown before, one's indulgence in evil actions attracts and assimilates contaminating matter (karma), which continue to reinforce the field of kaṣāya. In due course, when the karma comes to fruition and is ready to produce the result, it re-emerges from the internal field in the form of chemical forces and radiations, stimulates specific endocrine glands and ultimately produces urges and emotions. Perception of psychic colours on psychic centres produces and radiations which are diametrically opposite to those produced by karma. This technique of meditation operates by (i) producing benevolent colour waves which are able to neutralise the malevolent waves and (ii) transmuting the synthesization of impulse-producing hormones. This double action successfully reduces the strength of the assaulting force and foils its attack.
It has been stated that the endocrine system is a vital link between the subtle karma śarīa and the gross physical body, in the process of producing mental states and behavioural patterns. Perception of psychic colours changes the chemical synthesization of the endocrine output, thereby transmuting leśyā. This transmutation of leśyā decontaminates adhyavasāya. This, in turn, affects the field kaṣāya and weakens its strength and dilutes its intensity. A weak field is unable to generate strong compulsive forces and can not produce distorted emotions and passions.
Emotional Purity
While defining leśyā, it was known that the spiritual self (soul) is the nucleus of the living organism. It is enveloped by a field of contamination created by the subtle karma śarīra. Now the soul is transcendentally a pure substance. Then, from where does the impurity arise? The cause of pollution is the complete envelopment of the nucleus by an ocean of malevolence (kaṣāya). But, then, another question arises that if the soul is completely surrounded by impurity, how does the 'purity' arise? Whatever passes through the polluting field must necessarily become impure. How can one talk of pure (benevolent) leśyā? How can one envisage goodness' in emotion and thought? There is only one logical conclusion viz., whatever has to pass through the sea of pollution has to interact and intermingle with it and consequently becomes impure, polluted and contaminated on its emergence. Then how can it remain pure?
Emotional purity is the outcome of pure adhyavasāya and the latter is the result of nullifying or weakening the effect of kaṣāya. Now the polluting forces of kaṣāya can be countermanded in two ways: First, whenever the psychic energy is purely objective, it is not polluted by the forces of kaṣāya. Consequently, the adhyavasaya produced at the moment would be pure. The psychic energy remains purely objective when it is free from the tint of like or dislike. That is the case only when the psyche is merely a spectator or knower and not an actor or doer, and this is exactly what a practitioner of prekṣā system of meditation endeavours to become.
Secondly, there is an alternate method of countermanding the forces of kaṣāya by the production of waves of delusion-subsiding type. When we practise meditation, our subtle body simultaneously radiates two types of waves; (i) the delusion-producing types and (ii) its opposite, the delusion-subsiding type. Inevitably they interact with each other. It is the resultant wave which is processed and converted into emotion, when it interacts with leśyā. [1] The weaker the field of malevolence kaṣāya, the less strong and more debilitated would be the delusion-producing waves. Although they would not be extinct, their strength and intensity would by very low. The resultant wave would be predominantly delusion-subsiding and the resulting mental state would be auspicious and beneficial. In other words, when the delusion-producing waves are stronger, (that is when malevolent leśyā are dominant), the effects of benevolent leśyā are nullified. Conversely, whenever delusion-subsiding waves are stronger, benevolent leśyā is dominant and the corresponding emotions are pure and virtuous. Thus, the other way of countermanding the forces of kaṣāya is to neutralise or modify the waves of impulsive forces emerging from the field of kaṣāya by producing waves of benevolent leśyā, and superimposing them on the former before they reach the physical body. The means of achieving this is perception of psychic colours (leśyā dhyāna). In this technique of meditation, the practitioner visualizes bright beneficial colours, thereby producing waves of benevolent, leśyā. They would modify the waves of malevolent leśyā emerging from within, and thus countermand the forces of kaṣāya.
It must be remembered that the subtle body - (karma śarīra) functions through ultra-microwave radiations. (The conversion into gross emotions would occour much later). The conscious self also functions through ultra-microwave radiations. This, it is the world of waves and nothing but the waves. For instance, anger is one form of expression of kaṣāya. It originates in the form of waves [2] in the field of kaṣāya (karma śarīra), where it interacts with the psychic waves and becomes wave of adhyavasāya. So far they are wave-forms and much later on will take the form of emotion as they interact with endocrines. This is an instance of energy being converted into matter (hormones—chemical messengers). Sail later on the feeling of anger will be converted into a more gross form of appropriate action, e.g. aggression. Thus during its journey from the karma śarīra to the physical body, the waves of anger pass through the intermediate stage of feeling or emotion before manifesting themselves as behaviour or action. Let us now review the process of countermanding the forces of kaṣāya by leśyā dhyāna, taking anger as an illustration. As shown above, the anger first takes the form of waves. It must be obstructed and opposed at this very stage and that is exactly what is being done by perception of psychic colours (leśyā dhyāna). Counterwaves of auspicious colours are produced which annihilate or at least weaken the force, the effect, and the intensity or the inauspicious colours of anger. The action takes place when the assaulting force of anger and counterattacking force of leśyā dhyāna are both still in the form of energy radiations.
Towards Absolute TranquillityOne can envisage three mental states: 1. evil thoughts, 2. good thoughts and 3. tranquillity. The first two states are both states of agitation i.e. states of waves. In this regard there is no distinction between the two states. Of course there is a lot of difference in regard to their effects. A layman expresses his view of the visible universe, in such terms as heat, light, sound, colour, etc. But a physicist would think of all these as radiations of electromagnetic energy—waves of different wavelengths and frequencies. Everything in the universe manifests itself by emitting or absorbing electromagnetic energy. Therefore, both bad and good thoughts also are electromagnetic waves; both are forms of agitation. If one wants to attain the state of tranquillity where there is no agitation, no excitation and no motion, one has to follow a prescribed route. The first step in this process is to annihilate the malevolent waves by the benevolent ones. Unless one produces benevolent waves, the malevolent ones cannot be destroyed. Waves of evil thoughts have carried one much further away from the point of tranquillity. Waves of good thoughts bring him nearer to that point. True, one cannot attain tranquillity by good thoughts alone but he can surely proceed in that direction by first breaking and then reversing one's motion which was taking him further away from the point of tranquillity.
The simple way of reversing the direction, i.e. from evil thoughts to good ones, is leśyā dhyāna. Without resorting to its practice, the thought-direction cannot be reversed. Man, being a social animal, is constantly affected by social environment. Sometimes he is overwhelmed by aggressive moods and desires to harm his supposed enemy. If he comes face to face with the opponent, his anger becomes fury. Sometimes a mere memory of the 'enemy' is enough to produce agitation of evil thoughts. All these reactions will continue till he learns and practises leśyā dhyāna. The three meritorious leśyā—taijasa, padma and śukla—are of three auspicious bright colours—red, yellow and white respectively. Perception of these colours curbs the evil urges and transmutes the emotional state of a person. Evil thoughts (of enmity, hate etc.) will be replaced by good ones (of friendship, love etc.) And, thus, internal purification of the mental state will radiate beneficial waves, affecting the environment.
Perception of taijasa leśyā and padma leśyā is a very powerful means of catharsis of evil emotions. To be safe from the onslaught of evil from outside, the practice of the perception of colour of śukla leśyā is recommended. The purpose is to create an impenetrable armour which will not permit the ingress of evil thoughts in our mind. The strong protective cover fabricated by śukla leśyā saves us from external assaults, while the one made by taijasa and padma leśyās saves us from internal turmoil. Once the double protection shield is there, waves of good and benign thoughts only will be produced. These will help and not hinder our spiritual progress. Indeed, leśyā itself is not tranquillity, but perception of psychic colours (leśyā dhyāna) helps us to reach our goal of tranquillity.
Psycho-therapy
Colour affects us both physiologically as well as psychologically. Colour-therapy [3] is used to cure somatic illnesses and mental imbalance. Colour is also useful for modifying our modes and behaviour. Perception of psychic colours (leśyā dhyāna) is an efficient psychotherapy for remedying spiritual incompleteness and stupor and reducing inner discord. Psychological distortions and vitiated thoughts produce and accumulate toxic matter inside the body. Leśyā dhyāna is a unique process of catharsis for cleansing the body. Colour-therapy and leśyā-dhyāna purge out the accumulated toxic matter and purify the emotions and thoughts.
When the attitude is positive and unvitiated, the thoughts are also virtuous and pure. Thoughts are not directly affected by kaṣāya (innate malevolence). Thoughts are produced by cerebral activity and learning. Thought, memory, contemplation, analytical faculty, assessment and all other such faculties are branches of knowledge and are, therefore, cerebral functions. On the other hand, emotions are endocrine expressions. We have two controlling systems in the body—the endocrine system and the nervous system. The former produces emotions and the latter produces thought. Thought has little influence on emotions but the latter has profound effect on the former. Emotions belong to the internal domain and thoughts belong to the field of action. That is why one should not-worry too much about one's thoughts. Let those who externalize make 'thought' their chief concern, but for those who want to internalize and whose main concern is inner harmony, thought is of little significance. They should concentrate on the purity of emotions.
The simplest catharsis for purifying the emotion is the perception of bright colours—red, yellow and white.
When we visualize the above bright colours and intensify the visualization, our emotions and attitude change automatically. There is no scope for thinking or contemplating. The radiant energy of bright colours neutralizes the waves of thought, uncertainty and delusion. They subside. At the same time, the delusion-subsiding waves are reinforced and activated.
By the process of catharsis, let us purge out our distortions and make our emotions as pure as snow. Let us apply the psychotherapy of leśyā dhyāna to cure physical, mental and emotional sicknesses. Let us cure physical, disorders and their cause, remove mental imbalances and their cause, eradicate psychological distortions and their cause—let us annihilate the root cause of all these disorders by the application of the proper therapy. For those who desire to regain and maintain physical, mental and emotional health as well as spiritual progress, the doctrine of leśyā will not remain a mere theoretical tenet but will prove to be a complete and comprehensive therapy to cure all evils.
