First Steps to Jainism Part 1

SR No.: 001640
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Sancheti Asso Lal, Manakmal Bhandari
Publisher: Sancheti Trust Jodhpur
Publication Year: 2002
Total Pages: 300
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Religion, & Education
File Size: 10 MB

Page 90

76 First Steps to Jainism
without any selfish interest but also with equanimitye.g. without revulsion while serving a sick person.
(vi) Study or Swadhyaya-To study respectfully and according to prescribed
procedure the scriptures falls under this category and is considered a high type of penance because it helps to acquire right knowledge and destroys Karmas pertaining to knowledge. It has been divided into (a)taking lessons (from the teacher), (b) enquiring, (c) repeating, (d) reflecting and (e) preaching.
(v) Meditation or concentration (Dhyan)-Turning mind away from several
objects and fixing it on one object is concentration. Concentration can be of four types:
(a) Sorrowful (Aart) concentration is to think of getting rid of
disagreeable objects and acquiring agreeable ones.
b) Cruel (Roudra) concentration is to think of violence, untruth, theft
and pleasures (of the senses). (c) Virtuous (Dharma) concentration is to think of the instructions of
the Jinas, the channels of sin and methods of stopping them, the Karmas and the universe. The best kind of Dharma meditation is to concentrate one's mind upon the self, renouncing all other thoughts.
(d) Prime or Shukla concentration is the highest type of concentration
when all desires have vanished and passions extinguished and the mind attains absolute purity without any trace of worldly thoughts.
The first two types leads to bondage and are to be shunned and the latter two types lead to salvation.
(vi) Renunciation or Vyutsarga means giving up and is of two types (a)
giving up of external attachment like house, wealth etc. (b) giving up of internal attachment like the passions, even the body, This type of penance is intended to encourage fearlessness and non-attachment.