Editor Aparigraha Jain
Editor Carla Geerdes
In 2001, both of us, editors Karuna & Aparigraha Jain, went to Gangashahar, Rajasthan, for Maryada Mahotsav.
Acharyashree had proposed that we should follow lessons in Jain philosophy by Munishree Dulheraj, and sessions of Preksha Meditation by Munishree Kishanlal (photo). For about one year, practise of Preksha Meditation was integrated into our daily morning routine. Unlike previous years, both of us did not get flue; immune system already had benefited from meditation practise. Now we were highly motivated to experience the meditation system in depth.
Acharyashree and the Munis were staying in Gangashahar’s Terapanth Bhawan (House of Terapanth, see photo); and it was there where most of our meditation sessions took place in the room where Ganadhipati Tulsi had taken his last breathe in 1997. The atmosphere in this room was that of a sanctuary, permitting full concentration to learners of meditation like us. Coming and going of the many visitors did not reach there; astonished faces behind the glass panel were last impressions of worldly activities, before we closed eyes and went deep inside. Then the vast spiritual universe, we were about to enter, made us forget everything around.
The soft, but powerful voice of Munishree invited to relax in Kayotsarg, and to realise that we are soul, and nobody, ‘You are soul, no body, feel it, experience it,’ was repeated many times.
Freed from gravitation, guided by Munishree’s voice, we started extending all over the planet, from north to south, from east to west, from left to right, up and down, and vice versa; there was no beginning and no end, and no time. Munishree’s voice seemed to be everywhere, and even turning around us. We felt lightness, bliss, and uploaded with energy.
When the session was over, Aparigraha felt relieved from a ubiquitous burden, resulting in nearly unbearable pain in the back. From this time on, he succeeded in managing it, and further on, it hardly got any chance to bother him like before. A problem, neither medical doctors nor therapists were able to solve.
Later on, when we asked Munishree if he had moved around, his answer was a smile, accompanied by a negating headshake. We realised that Munishree had not moved at all, all the time he was sitting with closed eyes in meditation pose. However, it must have been us, turning around inside...
One day, we asked Munishree, if the process to reach deep concentration could be accelerated. His answer was, ‘Look!’ He raised his eyes, and rolled the pupils behind the eyelids, only his white eyeballs were visible. Immediately he had gone into deep meditation for thirty seconds.
When he was back, he smiled encouragingly at us, and advised just to continue practise.
[To be continued]