The Secret of Past Lives: The Reason for such Recall

The most important result of recollecting one's past is to enter the world of truth and leave behind delusion; thus enhancing one's devotion. Mrigaputra's situation was similar for some time. With clarity and purity the inner consciousness sprouted. He was disinterested in consumption, relaxation and comfort. He was engulfed in restraint. He got initiated into the fold after getting the consent of his parents. On the contrary, Muni Meghakumar (story told at the beginning) felt insulted and humiliated by other saints and so felt drawn back to the world and a life of comfort as in the palace. He came to Mahavir with such delusional thoughts. As he came closer to Mahavir, his aura engulfed him and when the master revoked his memory by mentioning the name of Meruprabh, the elephant, he began to recollect his past. On seeing the past in his mind, he once again became firm in his resolve to follow the path of restraint. Here two aspects are important to note: Meghkumar filled with inauspicious coloured aura and negative emotions came into Mahavir's aura and his leshya or the colours of his aura were cleansed and his thoughts became positive or pure. When he heard the name of Meruprabh, his memory was jerked into recollection. This is the way past life recollections work. The moment they get the right stimulus, the recollections buried deep in the mind begin to resurface. In the practice of recollecting past lives, the practitioner gets into deep relaxation via Kayotsarg. Then he is asked suggestive questions: 'Where are you?' 'What do you see... a house, the cremation ground or any significant incident. Old memories come back. This is the place where I lived with my family, and he or she begins to recollect past acquaintances, things, place or some incident and starts relating them in detail. Such things light on the incidents of his past birth.