Preksha Dhyana : Perception of Body

Our series on "Science of Living" includes tracts on various facets of prekṣā dhyāna.

In the present one, the reader will find an elaborate discussion on "Śarīra-prekṣā" (perception of body). One could never reach the spiritual self without properly under­standing the significance of the subtle vital energy flowing in the body, or the mysteries necessary first to become acquainted with the body as a medium of spiritual advancement The "Perception of body" is a practice of becoming acquainted with the body. During the practice, the sādhak concentrates his perception on the various parts of the body and perceives the event taking place inside it without any like or dislike. A great number of changes take place every moment throughout the body. The practitioner of śarīra-prekṣā realizes them, and comprehends the truth.

The intellectual man of the modern age seems to have lost his self-awareness. The more he is engrossed in his intellectual activities, the less he knows about the "self" and his "body". He feels tension but it would be difficult for him to actually locate it. In the present tract, we shall see how the technique of śarīra-prekṣā enables one to reach the subtlemost processes in the body, and helps him to regain his self-awareness.