JVBL ►01.01.2013 ►How To Get Rid Of Previous Year’s Baggage?

A workshop on the above topic was organised by JVB London on Tuesday, 1st January 2013 in Edgware (northwest London) in the auspicious presence of Samani Pratibha Pragya and Samani Him Pragya. In her opening remarks, Samani Pratibha Pragya stated that not only human beings but even arhats have baggage, but their baggage is full of purity. Moreover, only siddhas do not carry any baggage. Samaniji said that our mind, speech and body are the agents of baggage accumulation. Our unconscious mind has no clock and it thrives on recollecting past events of current life as well as previous lives whereas a conscious mind carries a limited baggage.

Samani Pratibha Pragya mentioned that the human body is enveloped by internal and external auras which are constantly changing. Non-living things (e.g. houses) also contain auras though they are mostly unchangeable. There are six kinds of auras - krishna, neela, kapota, taijasa, padma and shukla.

Samani Pratibha Pragya referred to a hymn Chaitya Purush Jug Jaaye, composed by the Late Acharya Mahapragya which deals with the awakening of consciousness. She referred to the last stanza of the hymn which contains eight bija mantras which are very important as cleansing tools. Samani Pratibha Pragya explained and demonstrated on which psychic centre the mind is to be focused while reciting a particular bija mantra. A visualisation of a particular colour has to be done simultaneously. Workshop participants were then asked to take part in this exercise.

Samani Him Pragya in her talk, referred to a hymn composed in salutation of the first Tirthankara, Lord Rishabhdev. This hymn is also linked to bija mantras. She stated that one of the prime essentials of a “baggage free living” is a healthy body. Samani Him Pragya explained this with a practical exercise. She asked the participants to focus their mind on a psychic centre while simultaneously visualising a relevant colour when reciting a particular bija mantra.

In her concluding remarks, Samani Pratibha Pragya reminded the audience that out of the eighteen types of papas (sins) - anger, ego, deceit and greed are the most harmful kasaayas (passions). Samaniji said that through Preksha Meditation, we can minimise these types of passions in our day to day life. Lord Mahavir, the twenty-forth Jain Tirthankara has stated in one of his aphorisms that a warrior who conquers his own self is greater than a warrior who conquers a million enemy on a battlefield.  The three hour workshop not only showed ways of off-loading  previous excess  baggage but  it also gave to over fifty  participants a new key for  unlocking  the secrets of travelling light!

Mr Rajesh Jain on behalf of Jain Vishva Bharati London thanked the family of Mr Dineshbhai Sanghrajka for their hospitality to the participants as well as for providing a workshop venue.