Acharya Mahaprajna
There are three obstacles in the way of attaining Samadhi (Yogic trance):
1 Adhi
Mental suffering
2
Vyadhi
Physical suffering
3
Upadhi
Anxiety
The first two belong to the external world. The third exists inside us. Today, we confine ourselves to the external factors, ignoring the inner world of emotions. No lasting solution of a problem is possible without tackling this inner world. So we must attend to the basic question of finding ways of refining the emotions.
The Idea of refining Emotions
The whole idea behind Jeevan Vigyan is to refine the emotions. Contrary to popular belief, man does change. We saw in the Preksha Dhyan camps that man does change. It is usually believed that man does not change. There is a well-known Rajasthani couplet: Man cannot change his nature; a Neem plant would never become sweet even if watered with jaggery and clarified butter.
Modern scientists have brought about changes undreamt of before. A seedless variety of guava has been developed, its colour has been changed and it has been made to yield a pleasant smell. New species of fruits and cereals have been produced. Then why can man be not changed? We are convinced that man can be transformed by spirituality, Yoga and religion.The training camps of Preksha Dhyan have shown that highly irascible people return home after the training as sober and calm human beings. On seeing these startling results revered Gurudev Tulsi thought that it would be far more useful to train young students. More enduring results are obtained by trying new things at an impressionale age. The idea of Jeevan Vigyan was born to achieve the above purpose. It was decided that the practice of Jeevan Vigyan should be combined with education.
Uselessness of Adding the Book Burden
It so happened that revered Gurudev Tulsi arrived at Jaipur just when the then Education Minister of Rajasthan, Mr. Chandan Mai Baid, had announced the government's resolve to include moral education in the school curriculum. We told him that it would be futile to include a book or two on moral education to the present syllabus. Already the young students bore a heavy burden of books. The minister wondered what else could be done. Gurudev Tulsi asked him to give the matter some serious thought.
It is not faulty but inadequate
The Education Minister arranged a seminar, which was attended by many officers of the ministry including the secretary, university professors and other people related to education. Addressing the seminar, Gurudev Tulsi said that contrary to what others had said, he did not consider the education system faulty. On the other hand, it was inadequate. If the system had been faulty, it could not have produced good doctors, engineers and scientists. But it was certainly inadequate because it was not fulfilling all the expectations the people had from it. It did not succeed in instilling in the students morality, honesty, discipline, a sense of responsibility and dutifulness. Education simply lacked the elements capable of yielding the above results.
Selection of Schools
The then Education Secretary Mr. K.K. Bhatnagar said, “Acharya ji, it is the first time we have heard such a thing. You have in fact given us a new insight. Will you kindly tell us the way of removing the inadequacy?” We suggested that they should first of all arrange for the training of the teachers. We would give them training in Jeevan-Vigyan and these trained teachers would in turn train the students of their respective schools. The Ministry of Education made the necessary arrangements. Training camps for the teachers were organized. Hundreds of teachers were trained. A few Resource Persons were also prepared. Then a few schools were selected, a dozen to begin with. Practice of Jeevan Vigyan began. The results reported after a year's practice were truly startling. Impressed by them, some of the schools run by Christian missionaries wanted the experiment to be extended to their schools too.
The Students' Experiences
Revered Gurudev Tulsi arrived in Udaipur. The practice of Jeevan Vigyan was started in Guru Govind Singh School. Its principal, Mr. Niaz Beg, requested us to go personally to his school and see the practice of Jeevan Vigyan by the students. We went there. After watching the practice by the students we talked to them and listened to their experiences. Many students told us that earlier they used to get angry often, but the practice of Jeevan Vigyan had rid them of it completely. Some of them said that as a result of the practice they were able to concentrate on their studies and understand the lessons better. Principal Niaz Beg said that the students had become disciplined. We felt encouraged by these remarks.
The Guardians' Surprise
The experiment of Jeevan Vigyan began in Bikaner. The Director of Tulsi Adhyatma Needam and education officers of the government of Rajasthan went there together to assess the results. The Principal told them that initially the school authorities did not pay any heed to it as they thought it was one more governmental plan among many meant as paper work. But one of the Resource Persons trained by us showed extraordinary keenness to make a success of it. And the results of his efforts were simply astonishing. Our attention to the results was drawn when many guardians came and met us and told us about their pleasant surprise at their wards' improved behaviour at home. Formerly, they were complaining a lot, but for some time past they had stopped complaining altogether. It further convinced us of the efficacy of Jeevan Vigyan as an effective means of transformation.
If it had been in my Power
There is a Jain residential teaching institution in Beawar, where regular practice of Jeevan Vigyan was in vogue. The principal was a christian. We asked him what he thought the results were like. He said that not to speak of the results, the entire atmosphere of the school had changed. If it had been in his power, he would have immediately made the practice of Jeevan Vigyan compulsory in the whole of Rajasthan.
At least I have benefited a good Deal
In fact we did not get a single negative report about Jeevan Vigyan from wherever it was practised. On the other hand, the reports said it benefited not only the students but also the teachers and the guardians.
Once revered Gurudev Tulsi was staying on the campus of the Jain Vishva Bharati. It was the final day of a training camp meant for teachers. They related their experience to Gurudev. One of them said, “Gurudev Tulsi, I don't know when the students will benefit from it, but I have benefited all right. I was given to alcoholism and chain smoking. All that is history now. I feel blessed.”
The teacher training camps proved highly successful. The training campaign was intensively carried out in Nagaur district and a large number of teachers took training in Jeevan Vigyan there.
He is the same Man
There is a village called Nava near Parbatsar in the Nagaur disrict. One day, the District Education Officer came unannounced to the village school for inspection. He was late and the principal told him that school was over, but he could, if he so wished, see the practice of Jeevan-Vigyan going on there. The officer agreed to do so. One teacher was giving practice to about forty students. The officer was very pleased at the way the teacher was training the students and expressed his admiration to the principal. The latter remarked that the teacher being admired was once the most undisciplined member of the school staff. He was a veritable tyrant but was completely transformed as a result of his training in Jeevan Vigyan. He was the same man who was once a terror to everybody in the school.
In Bokaro
The same experiment was repeated in the schools at Bokaro. Prior to that, Pandeji, a Yogacharya (master of Yoga), of that place, had visited Jain Vishva Bharati and had acquainted himself with the method of Jeevan Vigyan. He liked it so much that he said he would introduce it at many places in Bokaro. His efforts bore fruit, so much that at present, some seven thousand students studying in forty different schools are practising Jeevan Vigyan. In one of the functions organized by Pandeji as many as twenty thousand guardians took part.
The Point of Transformation
Rather than relate innumerable similar incidents, it is better to understand the basic principle of transformation. Which is the point responsible for bringing about the change? All talk about moral education will be in vain until we know the point of transformation. And that point is our brain. Language does have an effect on the mind, but it is temporary. If only listening to moral instruction could bring about permanent change, the world would have been completely metamorphosed by now.
The Process of Transformation
Sometimes people wonder why the desirable change does not occur. Spiritual teachers had understood the problem two to three thousand years ago. Mahavira said, “First listen, then know”, as a result of which discrimination will grow and the ability to refute will be earned. It makes it possible to abandon the undesirable, accept the desirable and ignore what is not worthy of notice. One has to go through the entire process. The principle enunciated in the Upanishads is shravan, manan and nidhidhyasan (listening, reflecting and deeply meditating). Mere listening is not enough. Emulating and practising the good are important. Constant study and practice spread over a long period build permanent traits of character.
The Importance of Character
Someone wanted to know in a couple of minutes how to restrain the fickle mind. I told him that if it had been an intellectual question, it could have been answered in two minutes. But the question related to the inner being and even if a short answer were given, it would do no good. He could find the solution to his problem if he stayed with us and practised for at least ten days.
It is only intellectual activities with which the world of modern education is concerned. The intellect does develop the thinking power. Subjects taught under the Faculty of Arts do require an intellectual basis. But when it comes to Physics, Chemistry, Biology and other subjects like these, practicals are compulsory. It is through practical experimentation that a scientist becomes an expert in his field of study, and yet the problem of character would be before him too.
What causes Suicides?
Revered Gurudev was in Delhi in 1987. Dr. Daulat Singh Bhandari along with four or five professors of physics came to meet him. A few days earlier, a scientist of the Pusa Institute had committed suicide on the issue of job promotion. I expressed surprise at such reputed scientists committing suicide. Dr. Kothari was a wise scholar. He said that he would not have done so had he received training in nonviolence. He further said that there were a number of scientists living under severe stress that sometimes resulted in an extreme step like suicide.
Indira Gandhi's Experience
One of the aspects of our personality is character. It can be said to be either the aspect of peace or that of non-violence. It is a compulsory component of every branch of education for those who practise Jeevan Vigyan. The aspect of mental peace or nonviolence or character should be a part of all education, because it is every man's need.
Revered Gurudev Tulsi was sitting in the Adhyatma Sadhna Kendra. Mrs. Indira Gandhi came there to meet him. At that time, she was not Prime Minister. Janta Party was ruling at the Centre. During long talks, seeing that she was sad and tense, Revered Gurudev Tulsi advised her to practise Preksha Dhyan. She was also told about certain practices involved in Preksha Dhyan. She did not tell us anything about herself, but Pupul Jaykar in her book on Indira Gandhi writes: “Indiraji told me that she had gone to meet Acharya Tulsi and learnt a few practices of meditation, which enabled her to get a lot of mental peace. She was very tense then, but experienced extreme tranquillity of mind after meeting him.”
It should be a general Practice
Innumerable experiences prove the same truth. Jeevan Vigyan is both an art and science. It is the art and science of living. It is a science because it interprets scientific facts. The art of living should be learnt by everyone whatever branch of knowledge he opts for. It should not be specialized but generalized. There is no choice except to practise Jeevan Vigyan if someone wants to live peacefully and non violently. The biggest problem facing us today is violence, not only in the form of fighting and killing, but also in its myriad forms in every walk of life. That explains why the Government is more worried about internal security than about the security of the borders of the country. If a well-thought out long term policy decision is not taken to overcome it, the results will be simply disastrous ushering in an era where the law of jungle will prevail. It will be difficult to distinguish man from animal. The need today is to inactivate the animal brain and to activate the neo-cortex or the reasoning mind so that violence may be minimized. Future generations will curse us if our educationists do not understand the above fact. The situation is truly grave and calls for utmost seriousness. Revered Gurudev Tulsi has drawn the attention of many important dignitaries to this problem and all of them had assured him of their cooperation in his endeavour to find a lasting solution to the problem.
We shall do justice to the future generations by starting a massive programme of building character. By doing it, we will ensure the end of the prevailing indiscipline and lawlessness.
