Preksha Dhyana: Self-Awareness By Relaxation: [0.1] Publisher's Note

Publisher's Note

In publishing this booklet, it is hoped to bring to the reader, in simple language, some of the truths, already known to the ancient philosophies, and now known to modern science.

Age of Tension

In this age of technology, industrialization and over-urbanization, we are constantly subjected to tremendous stresses and tensions. These, in turn, produce psychosomatic diseases like hypertension, insomnia, and various types of heart diseases. In desperation, people take to drinking and dangerous drugs which give temporary relief, but create more serious problems. The remedy does not lie in drugs or fantasy, but in the process of catharsis and development of the inherent powers.

Philosophy teaches us to realize that our existence is functioning in duality, i.e. there is a spiritual self within a physical body. Science is also proving that life's processes for man lie almost wholly within himself and are amenable to control. The control has to be exercised by the power of the spiritual self, and that inherent potency can be developed by knowing how to live properly, which includes eating, drinking and breathing properly, as well as, thinking properly.

What is Prekshã Dyãn?

Prekshã-dyãn is a technique of meditation for attitudinal change, behavioural modification and integrated development of personality. It is based on the wisdom of ancient philosophy and has been formulated in terms of modern scientific concepts. We hope that the synthesis of the ancient wisdom and the modern scientific knowledge would help us in achieving the blissful aim of establishing amity, peace and happiness in the world by eradicating the bestial urges such as cruelty, retaliation and hate.

The different methods of preksha (i.e. perception) include shvãs-prekshã (perception of breathing), sharīr prekshã (perception of body), chaitany-kendr-prekshã (perception of psychic centres), etc. All these are methods of ultimate transformation in inner consciousness. Here, there is no need to sermonize for adopting virtues and giving up evils. When one starts practising perception, one experiences himself that he is changing, that anger and fear are pacifying, that one is getting transformed into a 'righteous person'.

Our series of "Science of Living" includes tracts on various facets of Prekshã-dyãna.

In this booklet, we have extensive discussion regarding Kãyotsarg i.e. total relaxation of the body accompanied by full awareness of the real self. What is relaxation? How does it differ from meditation? Can relaxation become meditation? What is the raison d'etre of relaxation? What benefits could be derived from relaxation? It is necessary to know the answers to these questions both with a scientific and philosophical background.

Relaxation is a pre-condition of meditational exercise. It can be called the first phase of meditation. To steady the mind, one must first suspend all voluntary motion of the body, observe complete silence and slow down the rate of respiration. These are essential preconditions of meditation. When the body attains and maintains a motionless state, and the mental process of speech is also halted, mental concentration and meditation will naturally follow.

Relaxation plays an important role in treatment of physical and mental diseases. When a bone is broken, the affected part is put in a plaster, thus giving it a compulsory motionless state. Doctors know that for the broken bone to mend properly, the relative motion of the broken parts must be stopped. Similarly, when one consults a psychiatrist, he is asked to relax on a couch. When the patient is thoroughly relaxed,the doctor can reach his subconscious mind and know the root cause of the problem.

Finally, Kãyotsarg is a simple but important tool for not only physical and mental health but also (and this is the real purpose) for emotional health and integrated development of personality.

Benefits of Prekṣā Dyāna

Preksha may appear to mean different things to different people because it contributes to increase physical, nervous as well as spiritual energies.

On physical level, it helps each bodily cell to revitalize itself; it facilitates digestion; it makes respiration more efficient and improves circulation and quality of blood.

On mental level, it proves to be an applied method to train the mind to concentrate; it cleans and relaxes the mind; it offers a way to treat serious psychosomatic illnesses without drugs; it is an efficient tool for ending addictions and other bad habits; it reveals to one the mysteries of his mind by the realization and the real experience of the inner consciousness which includes the subconscious and the unconscious.

On emotional level, the strengthening of conscious reasoning controls reactions to environmental conditions, situations, and behaviour of others: harmonization of the functioning of nenous and endocrine systems results in control and ultimate eradication of psychological distortions.

On spiritual level, firm control of the reasoning mind, regulation and transformation of blood-chemistry through proper synthesization of neuro-endocrinal secretions, and production of dispassionate internal vibrations lead one to attain the power to control the mind and to become free from the effects of the external forces compelling one to lose equanimity.

No Theological Dogma

Preksha-dyan can be learnt and practised by anybody without distinction of caste, colour, country and creed. There is no communal or theological bias, nor does it insist on any particular theological belief.

Though the process is not very difficult to learn and practise, it is essential to learn the technique through experienced and trained teachers. Normally a ten-days retreat (training camp) is a suitable means to acquire proper training.

Review of Results

During the last 15 years, more than 100 training camps have been organised and more than 13,000 persons have been oriented in this technique. Amongst them, are scientists, doctors, engineers, professors, teachers, government servants and other intelligentsia, besides the general public. Police Department, Education Department and others have taken part in the special courses organised by Tulsi Adhyatma Nidam. More such courses are being planned for different disciplines, professions and work areas. Over and above those who have been trained in these camps, thousands of others have practised prekṣā dyāna and have been benefited thereby. While many of them have restored their physical health, hundreds of others have been cured of mental tensions, hypertension and other psychosomatic diseases.

For all this, we are grateful to Yugapradhana Acharya Shri Tulsi and his successor-designate Yuvacarya Shri Mahaprajna for their constant guidance and efforts in this direction.

These two great spiritual saints have truly blessed the entire human race with the boon of preksha-dyana, and we are confident that all and sundry will be benefited by learning and practising this universal and easy-to-learn technique of preksha-dyana.

Three permanent tranining centres have been estab­lished viz. 1. Tulsi Adhyatma Nidam at Jain Vishva Bharati, Ladnun (Rajasthan), 2. Adhyatma Sadhana Rendra at Chhattarpur Road, Mehrauli, New Delhi and 3. Tulsi Sadhana Shikhar at Rajsamand (District Udaipur, Rajasthan).