Editor Carla Geerdes
Muni Mahendra Kumar stayed with other monks in a private house in front of Terapanth Bhawan Sri Dungargarh. Very often Munis, Samans, Sadhvis, and Samanis are accommodated in houses, which most of the time are closed because their owners’ principal residence now is elsewhere. The houses being family propriety, as well as locations of their owners’ more or less sweet childhood remembrances are maintained rather properly, but lovelessly. Their time of being a may-be heart-warming focus of family life is over. When the saints are visiting remote areas with plenty of such houses their atmosphere gets new impulses. The former inhabitants having moved to other locations while following the call of the material world make place to temporary inhabitants who have decided to lead a life completely dedicated to immaterial cardinal virtues as non-possession and non-violence. Visiting the saints there gives a more than real feeling of transitoriness in human life. It seems like a visit to the stony form of the contemplation on transitoriness.
Muni Mahendra Kumar
Muni Mahendra KumarAfter all one might think that there would not be too much noise around when visiting a Muni. But this was not the case when we visited Muni Mahendra Kumar. This is surprising and against the expectations one might have towards meeting a Muni. No calm and balanced environment, as a matter of fact, one involuntarily starts asking inside how one can maintain any concentration in these noisy surroundings. The saints are writing books, preparing lectures, giving meditation sessions. It is the demonstration under so-called normal life situations where to put the own focus. If the circumstances cannot be changed, change your attitude. This is one of the lessons in Preksha Meditation, to act, and to stop reacting. In the video some ambient noises from the street (cars, taxis) or other visitors are audible, giving the right audio impression of the location. Munishree unfailingly stayed concentrated on what he had chosen to be the present moment. No sign of reaction to the circumstances, no wandering of the eyes or from the subject.
Muni Mahendra Kumar
Muni Mahendra KumarWhen we entered the room, Munishree was busy with writing. When he saw us he laid down his pen. It was obvious that he was following a straight schedule, where each and every minute was buzzing with activity as a reverence to life. We greeted Munishree respectfully and expressed our gratitude that he was giving his precious time for providing answers to our questions. He gave his permission to video record our talk, and editor Aparigraha installed the technical equipment.
Muni Mahendra Kumar
Editor Karuna JainWhen the first question was put, Munishree looked at me. It was a look from soul to soul. In his glance were understanding, tolerance, and respect. I immediately relaxed, all my tensions dispersed. Only very few people nowadays have an eye for their vis-à-vis. Munishree not only has an eye for the people he is talking to, he treats them equally to himself. And to be treated by a Jain Muni equally to himself is really a very special experience of softness, tenderness, and universal love. After these 24 minutes in the presence of Muni Mahendra Kumar I felt different, more relaxed, more aware, more confident.
It was like having breathed plenty of fresh air during a walk in a park, not physically, mentally. The encounter with a wise person made all the difference. A person with not only highly developed intellectual capacity, but also highly developed spiritual capacity. According to Muni Mahendra Kumar wisdom is knowledge in action. This had been demonstrated in the way he responded to our queries.
An encounter that had uplifted us and hopefully you too.
- Interview in 3 videos available next article: .
Abstract Part 1
Questions:
- Benefits of Preksha Meditation for contemporaries
- Meditation or Medication?
Muni Mahendra Kumar:
- Providing a profound analyse of the situation
- More people are suffering from emotional than physical disorders
- Lack of control over desires is main hindrance to a happy & harmonious life
- Own weakness to get control over desires causes violent, forceful & exploitative reactions from others
- Mismanagement of the own system can be stopped
- Science has proved that emotional system is amenable to own control
- Biochemical transformation frees from the stress generating pressure of desires
- Psychosomatic diseases can be cured by triggering the auto-healing system
- Quasi-miraculous results in improvement of behaviour
- Knowledge has increased, but know-how fails to teach the nature of things
- Wisdom more required than knowledge
Abstract Part 2
Muni Mahendra Kumar:
- Knowledge is not enough to restore mental & emotional balance in human life
- Activating the dormant energies for developing human qualities & virtue of temper
- Preksha Meditation appropriate tool to mastermind the brain
- Fight or flight - the hereditary biochemical code of the animal brain
- No acceptance of animal brain reigning the system
- Long term practice of Preksha Meditation the key to wisdom
Abstract Part 3
Question:
- Request for a simple, not much time consuming way to make this year a year of compassion
Muni Mahendra Kumar:
- 5 minutes of contemplation on 365 days will make a difference
- Contemplation of compassion and universal friendliness
- Compassion: My heart is filled with compassion for every living being
- Universal friendliness: I will respect and tolerate every living being
Recommended literature:
- Preksha Meditation by Muni Mahendra Kumar