Dhyana Battisi

SR No.: 022342
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jerome Petit
Publisher: Hindi Granth Karyalay
Publication Year: 2010
Total Pages: 28
Language: English, Sanskrit
Classification: Book_English & Book_Devnagari
File Size: 7 MB

Page 11

pleasures (nidāna). These words never appear in the writings of our author, but each item appears in the text (verses 20-21). Similarly for the meditation on the Harmful, the doctrine defines four points: infliction of hurt (himsā), falsehood (ansta), theft (stheya) and protection of wealth (dhana-samrakṣaṇa). We can read (verses 22-23) the evocation of the four subsets in a livelier style than a simple list. Similarly for the meditation on the Moral: we can find in the text (verses 25-26) the invitation to discern: the command of the Jina (ājñā-vicāra), the nature of what is calamitous (apāya-vicāra), the consequences of karma (vipāka-vicāra) and the structure of the universe (samsthāna-vicāra). For the Meditation on the Pure, Banārasīdās gives the development of each subset giving the traditional term (at least approximately): consideration of diversity (prthaktva-vitarka), consideration of unity (ekatva-vitarka), maintenance of subtle activity (sūkşma-kriyā-pratipāti) and complete destruction of activity (vyuparata-kriyā-nivartini). The definition of Sukla-dhyāna (verses 27-33) is more important than others, although it is usually reserved for the most hardened monks. One must have reached at least the seventh stage of the Gunasthāna to be qualified for the Meditation on the Pure, and one must have reached the twelfth stage for starting the first category of this Meditation. The two latter categories are only possible in the last two stages. This great interest in sukla-dhyāna is surprising in the writing of a layman. We (and probably his entourage) could expect a longer development of the dharma-dhyāna, which is much more concrete and accessible to the practitioner.
* See R. Williams p. 240:"the other forms of dhyāna (dharma- and sukla-) are proper for an ascetic and sukla-dhyāna is in fact only possible for one who has reached a very high stage of spiritual development”.
s See N. Tatia, Studies... p. 292.