PREKSHADHYAN
Acharya Mahapargya
The Making of Personality.
Relief from Tension.
Time Management
Self Management
Physical Health
Mental Health
Emotional Health
Working Proficiency
There is a profound relationship between an individual and society, like that between a drop and a ocean. The drop and the ocean like the individual and the world cannot be separated and therefore they cannot be viewed in isolation. Two sanskrit words Pind and Brahmand are very well known. Whatever is in the embryo is in the universe and whatever is in the universe is in the embryo. According to the philosophy of Anekant, the relation between the individual (the embryo) and the collectivity or society is so close that it cannot be severed. There is a saying that shaking a finger results in shaking the whole world. The commentators have put the whole concept instructively thus : whenever a sage or anyone tears a cloth, some particles of the atoms thus released may travel thousands of miles and may cause ripples in a sheet of water if they strike it. This encapsulates the entire theory of the environment. Everyone and everything is so closely related to one another that it is undesirable to harm, obstruct or oppress anyone or anything. We should experience this all pervasive universal interrelatedness. It applies to the individual and society as well.
The Method of Anekant.
As stated earlier, society inheres in the
individual and the individual inheres in the society. The sociologists' assertion that man
is a social being cannot be gainsaid. It is equally true that it is a combination of
individuals which constitutes society. For the sake of convenience, it is the one or the
other that is brought into focus. Here is the methodology of anekant. While talking of
one, the other cannot be disregarded. It is our viewpoint which lends primacy to one or
the other. The true understanding of and reflection on the individual as society is
possible only by a proper understanding and application of the language and methodology of
anent.
The Meaning of Individuality.
There are a few special characteristics of the
individual. They do not belong to society and are altogether individual or personal. Thus,
it is the individual and society who has a body. Similarly, thinking, feeling and action
all belong to the individual. Again, qualities like tolerance, modesty etc. are also
entirely personal. Thus a person's individuality or personality means a harmonious
combination of his characteristic traits. That is what personality is.
A Second Face of Individuality.
Individuality also shows itself in the form of
behavior. Both peculiarities and expression of an individual are reflected in his
behaviour. In fact behaviour is the external manifestation of inner special qualities. So
far as behaviour is concerned, it acts as a binding agent of society. If society is a
portrait, human behaviour is its canvas. An individual is assessed on the basis of the
quality of his behaviour,his speech,thoughts and feelings. What else is society except the
final outcome of individual behaviour? It is interpersonal behaviour which shapes society.
The latter cannot exist if each individual were an island unto himself, non-interactive
and non-reactive.
Behaviour Speaks for Itself.
Tolerance as such cannot be seen but it becomes
manifest in behaviour. If a man stays calm and unruffled, and does not retaliate even in
the face of abuse and ill-treatment, it is not difficult to infer that he is well-bred and
cultured. Someone once punched Acharya Bikhsu and then used abusive language against him.
The inner quality of tolerance became vocal in his behavior, making it obvious how
well-bred and cultured he was. Lord Buddha kept laughing in the face if invective. Someone
asked him if he did not accept it, Invective not accepted belongs where it came from. The
behaviour got modified as a result.
The Question of Personality Building.
How to build personality is avery complex
question-how to build it so as to avoid irrational insistence and cultivate flexibility,
for there are people who go on insisting without relenting in the slightest. Some people
have a strong sense of self-conceit, who fancy themselves to be the best and advertise
themselves as such. Jain Acharyas entered into a controversy. Should ascetics (Munis) wear
clothes or not? Those favouring no clothes made out they represented the acme of virtue.
One of the Acharyas following anekant said that practice differed--some people using one,
some two, some three dresses and some others no dress at all. Using dress was no vice, not
using any also meant a certain spiritual effort. Neither was to be looked down upon. It is
good if someone fasts, but those who do not, should not be regarded inferior. Self-conceit
should not be publicized.
The Course of Disintegration
There is something remarkable in having neither
disdain nor conceit, neither self-glorification nor decrying others, neither one-sided
insistence nor false belief, but an integrated anent methodology. Perhaps it is the best
principle of building personality.
Internalizing and adopting anekant
automatically ensures building a personality. There is no room for worrying at all.
Disintegration of personality is the direct consequence of one-sided or biased view-point.
Psychologists have done a lot in this field.
From Jung to countless modern psychologists all have shed light on the subject of
personality-building and they have come out with a variety of methods for achieving the
purpose.
Human Body and Personality.
It is very necessary to take care of the body
in order to build personality. Not all bodies are alike-- some are tall others short;
some are fat, others lean-- these are personal peculiarities which are not of much
consequence. But two systems of the body-- the endocrine and the nervous-- have a
far-reaching influence on our personality. In fact, they play the main role in building
the personality.
The Endocrine System and Personality.
The endocrine system cannot be viewed apart
from one's personality. A person whose thyroid is dysfunctional leading to a shortage of
thyroxine becomes irritable and his ratiocinative and memory power suffer. On the other
hand excess of thyroxine results in a high-strung and hyper-sensitive personality. These
qualities obstruct personality-building and the causative factor behind them is the
endocrine system. If it is neglected, a refined personality cannot built. Whenever faced
with such an obstructive situation, our attention should be directed towards some
distortion in the endocrine system, in the secretion of the endocrine gland concerned. One
should try to find out if harmful hormones are not distorting the personality. We use a
thermometer as soon as we experience fever. Thus, we do not investigate external symptoms,
but we never think it necessary to get our endocrine system examined, the system which
affects our mind, memory and thinking. It is this system which is responsible for the
building and refinement of personality.
The Nervous System and Personality.
The second system which affects the personality
is the nervous system. Our life force has three streams called ida, pingla and sushumna in
the ancient texts. In terms of modern science they are sympathetic, the para-sympathetic
and the central nervous system respectively. We should try to find out whether a
particular type of disposition or behaviour is due to some trouble in the nervous system.
The excess of aggressiveness both in adults and children can be result of the
malfunctioning of the sympathetic nervous system. Likewise, a general feeling of
inferiority, apprehension and suspiciousness may be traced to the malfunctioning of the
parasympathetic nervous system.
Physical Beauty.
The beauty and good features of the body also
affects human personality. There was a vaidya(Ayurveda practitioner) in Jaipur ,named Nand
Kishorji.He was the disciple of the famous Dadupanthi Swami Lachchhiramji. It was
the time when
Gurudeva was camping at Melusar village near Sardarshahr.The vaidya met him and as he was
looking at Gurudeva reverentially,his eyes got fixed on the latter's ears and he
said ,''Acharyaji,seeing you, I am reminded of Lord Buddha.Your ears are very much like
his". Thus the external features also influence the onlooker considerably.They are
also a constituent of personality. However ,we should not stop but go beyond them to
acquaint ourselves with the inner personality.We should see
how healthy the nervous and the endocrine systems are.
The Problem of the Teacher.
Many methods and techniques of preksha dhyan
aim at making the nervous and the endocrine systems healthy. Some of the pranayam
exercises balance the nervous system. A big problem the teacher faces is that he
encounters two types of students
-those who are rudely rebellious and those who are timid and outwardly ,always staging a
retreat. A competent teacher will try
to locate the problem , direct attention to the nervous system and come up with a
solution.But an ignorant teacher will complaint against the students to their parents or
guardians , who will remonstrate with their wards ,which will in no way solve
the problem. Complaints may bring temporary relief ,but cannot bring about any great
reform.They do not solve the problem of building the students personality.
The Formula of Solution.
The solution lies in being aware of the fact
that we are inattentive to the process of transformation.We rarely deliberate on the way
which can bring about a change and build personality. No need was ever felt to include
things these in formal education.
In the past , students were subjected to corporal punishment , but it did not at all help
in personality-building.Now a days, teachers refrain from it, they either register
complaints against the erring students or grow indifferent to them, neither of which
again leads to the development of personality. Those determined to bring it about have to
have a comprehensive view of things
and locate the cause of the aberration. That is why the teacher too has been regarded as a
physician, for he also diagnoses and treats to cure.
Balancing Exercises.
As has been noted earlier , there are two
constituents of personality building- the endocrine system and the nervous system. Persia
Dhyan exercises balance the endocrine system.A number of students who were extremely
cowardly got rid of their fear by meditating on the 'taijas kendra' or Center of
bioelectricity. The son of a millionaire had a constant fear of people and things
and even in his business dealings shivered with fear and hesitation in talking to
other people. He too by following the same practice, completely overcame his fear and
began talking and negotiating deals with utmost confidence and self -assurance.
Fear automatically vanishes with the activation
of the taijas kendra (at the navel), which is the product of bio-energy. The
exercise relating to the balance of the endocrine system is meditation on the chaitanya
kendras or psychic centres. It is extremely helpful in building personality.
Similarly,exercises in the perception of breathing through alternate nostrils and the
perception of
slow and deep breathing also play an important role in balancing the nervous system.The
clear direction towards personality -
building requires that the body be made one of its means and the body be put to use.
An Aspect of Personality.
Thinking constitutes one aspect of human
personality. We should develop mental competence, for it is an important means of
personality-building. In fact one who is possessed of mental capability ensures automatic
development of personality. Morale makes even an ordinary person great. Conversely,
However big a person may be, he becomes small in the absence of morale. We know many
people inspite of a strong body could not attain anything in life for want of morale. On
the other hand, we also know people who, though skeletal, had high morale. Gandhi was a
living example of the above truth. A frail body and high morale can only be imagined. He
shook the greatest empire of the world. What was after all the source of his strength?
What made him such a powerful and great personality? Sheer morale and strong resolution.
The Source of Strength.
It is purity of thoughts which strengthens
morale or will-power. Morale will be strengthened if a man resolutely decides not to
entertain any ill-will against others. He should tell himself,' I will never think ill of
others.' The converse is also true; thinking ill of others weakens morale. The first
resolution made while practicing preksha-dhyan is ,' I am practising preksha-dhyan for the
purity of my mind.' It helps in cleansing thoughts. It is doubtful whether the person of
whom we think ill is harmed, but it is certain that in process we harm ourselves.
Eighteen demerits have been enumerated in all.
Out of them, a few are included in the list specifying demerits which weaken morale.
Pugnacity, slandering and back-biting together constitute the best recipe for lowering
morale. One has to eschew them for keeping one's morale high. By doing so the much sought
after personality can be built. Developing morale is the source of all energy.
Modern education has no provision whereby a
student may learn the process of strengthening morale. Worse still, it has created the
delusion that intellectual development is the same as mental development. The two
fundamental different. Mental development means development of morale. Intellect and mind
are two distinct things. Confusing the development of the former with that of the latter
is delusive.
Purifying Emotions.
The third component of personality-development
is purifying emotions. It is a more important factor than even the development of mental
capacity. In fact, it has a bearing on the mind too. The world of emotions is our inner
world. Man is what his emotions are. Everything depends on the emotions. So purification
of emotions is an important element in the building of personality. Anger, pride, greed
and deceit are derivative passions and balancing and purifying them is necessary. It can
be done through preksha-dhyan. Of course, it is not true that a practitioner of
preksha-dhyan at once becomes free f ick results. When even an ordinary ailment takes quite some time to cure, how
can we expect mental ailments to heal promptly? Practice in freeing oneself completely
from passions is the most difficult of all spiritual practices. One should, from time to
time, see how much emotional purification has occurred and through introspection, try to
find out the reason of slow or no achievement. Thus, it is a matter of stage by stage
development.
Key to Fearlessness.
Purification of emotions substantially
contributes to personality-building, and in that process the crucial role is played by
meditation on the center of intuition, enlightenment and peace(pituitary, pineal and
hypothalamus). Utarradhyan Sutra says the key to fearlessness is purification of the
emotions. While practicing it Atari Bikshu encountered the fear of death a number of
times, but he did not allow any fear to strike him. Jayacharya has rightly said the way to
purity lies in the purification of emotions. I often intone the following lines-- I am not
afraid of death, death has been afraid of me. Death cannot kill me, death has been killed
by me.
Behaviour Should be Exceptional.
The above state leads to emotional purification.
However, other factors also play a role in the building of personality. Any individual
interested in building his personality should practise the prescribed exercises. Mere
discussion will achieve nothing, but practice is bound to result in exceptional behaviour.
Other people too will notice that there is something exceptional about him, which casts
its influence on everyone. Our exceptional qualities should be so internalized that social
behavior may reflect them. By doing so, our personality will acquire a new refinement and
shine. It is this shining refinement which enables us to touch the peaks of excellence.
Man is full of passions. The cycle of passions
is operating within the definition of doctrine of Karma. Going by the Vedas, Rajogun and
Tamogun are active, i.e. the disposition of activity or passion(rajas) and that ignorance,
moroseness, inertness or maliciousness(tamas) are at work. Tension is the effect not the
cause. There are many causes of tension. In the language of doctrine of Karma the biggest
cause of tension is Mohakarma(the fourth deluding Karma out of eight Karmas at whose
appearance a soul is subject to attachment, hatred, passion, sexual enjoyment and
falsehood), which causes anger, pride, greed, fear, hatred and lust, all of which generate
tension. Besides rajogun and tamogun, there are physical cusses also leading to tension.
Life's Unavoidable Process.
Any physical activity involves tension. Life
does not function without tension. The entry in the room necessities its ouster which in
turn causes tension. Stopping someone from doing a wrong involves tension. Thus tension
has become an unavoidable process of life. An individual can get tense at any moment.
Tension is not harmful if it is momentary, but prolonged physical tension is dangerous.
Too much and
unceasing activity without any rest results in a precarious situation so much so that even
muscles become tense.Mental and emotional tension is absolutely harmful, whereas physical
tension within limits is both necessary and sometimes useful. Many administrators believe
that they cannot keep their subordinates under control without an occasional show of anger
or rage.It is just an opinion. It should be remembered that normal, low level tension must
not constitute a problem but if it becomes habitual, its intensity increases and the
problem becomes aggragravated. Today, tensions becomes a big problem in the world. Like
poverty and disease, it to has acquire global proportions.
Mistaken Notions
One might ask why tensions grow to an undesirable extent.
The answer is that it is due to mistaken notions, which have caused and are causing
tension and which are also nursing it. For example, one of the widespread notions that has
taken root in people's minds is that every action must be followed by reaction. Any
behavior which is deemed unfavorable islet to be intolerable and it causes immense
tension. You are walking through a lane. One of your workers passes by you without
greeting you.That is a sufficient cause of tension. If asepoy does not salute his officer,
the latter becomes tense and feels relieved only after punishing the former.These wrong
notions of ours cause tension.
Causes of Tension.
Greed, anger ,drug addiction, fear and lust are the main
causes of tension. The Science of Yoga mentions three states of the instinctive mind
-- distracted, perplexed and stupid. It is these three states which cause tension. In the
distracted state, the mind is rather scattered and is an easy victim of tension. A
distracted mind falls prey to an intense desire for sensual pleasures, which leads to
tension. We can compare it to stress. In this state, the mind is under the stress of
sensual desires or attachments and the stress is so heavy that great tension is created.
The second state is that of perplexity. In this state
the mind gets easily agitated and emotion gets out of control. Uncontrolled emotions are
bound to generate tension.
In the third state of stupidity or foolishness, man
cannot understand anything and fails to decide what to do.
Tension is not Unprovoked.
The above three states have been explained in science
on a physical basis. Stress is a kind of pressure and when someone is in the state of
stress the nerves start dilating and contracting leading to misshapen nerves and
consequent tension. Hypertension can be a dangerous thing. Too much cramping and
tightening leads to the contraction of arteries and blood clotting. In such a state people
have to go in for cardiac surgery including bypass surgery. This kind of tensions neither
unprovoked nor natural. It is a consequence of factors preceding it.
The Process of Relieving Tension.
Let us consider the process of relieving
tension. We do not have anything better in this regard than the spiritual way of tackling
it. The spiritual process is the most important and effective process. Physicians
while treating tension, usually use tranquilizers. They may release tension, but the
effect is not lasting. The pills afford temporary relief followed by a recurrence of
tension and it becomes cyclic. Drugs palliate by putting the sufferer to sleep. But on
awakening the pre-drugging state returns. It was perhaps for this reason that Mahavira
said, "An ignorant person who is forever doing sinful acts is best kept asleep."
For getting permanent relief from tension, the spiritual process will have to be learnt.
In the absence of basic knowledge no proper food is cooked; all one gets is more smoke and
smoke. There is an old tale of about a prince who asked both his wives to cook dinner
using sugarcane as fuel. The elder of the two used fresh sugarcane to light afire and got
nothing but more and more smoke. The younger one got a number of children there and asked
them to suck all the juice from the sugarcane and then used the juiceless dry stems to
light the fire. There was no smoke to disturb her perfect cooking.
The Formula of Freedom from Attachment.
How to cook without there being any smoke is the
question. The Geeta rightly says - All beginnings, all activities, have some wrong at the
back of them.
No activity is without a blemish.The author of the
Geeta explained it metaphorically by saying that it is not possible to have a fire without
any smoke. Even as burning fuel is accompanied by smoke,every activity is accompanied by
some blemish. We have to find out how to reduce our the activities of mind, body,speech
and feeling. This formula of getting freedom from attachment, this spiritual formula is a
powerful formula of relieving tension. Follow each activity, each engagement by
disengagement. For every one hour of engagement let there be a ten-minute disengagement.
In ordinary language, we can call it 'relaxation'. Such disengagement or detachment will
drive us inwards and besides giving relaxation, it will also curb and quieten our
instincts. The first formula of relieving tension is maintaining a balance between
attachment an detachment. between engaging in an activity and dis-engaging from it.
Every such engagement produces the chemical, lactic acid. Disengagement brings down it's
output. Likewise kayotsarg is a spiritual discovery capable of truly remedying is a
tensions of life. Practising kayotsarg as soon as one experiences tension is the
best way to remove it. Everytime one feels tense, one should resort to kayotsarg.
An Illusion.
Many people say that during meditation they
get the feeling of being free from passions. But meditation over, they relapse into pre-
meditation state. Here it is essential to remove the illusion that an hour of meditation
can make us free from passions. Emotions, impulses and passions are so
deep-rooted in us that it is foolish to imagine that a little spiritual practice will make
us free from them.We have discovered a single method by which tension can be removed. But
to ensure that one does not suffer from tension at all, one will have to find out a
permanent remedy through the adoption of a long term process of practice. Permanent relief
from tension can be had only by destroying the causes that produce it and this needs
long-time spiritual practice.
Temporary Cure, Permanent Cure.
What is the permanent remedy for avoiding tension
altogether? It is the science of differentiation accompanying kayotsarg. The
clearer the differentiation with reference to matter, soul, body, the conscious mind, the
deadlier the attack on the source of tension, so that tension is completely rooted out. We
should have a proper understanding of the lines of differentiation. For , kayotsarg
after each bout of tension is but a temporary remedy. The science of differentiation on
the other hand, strikes at the very root of the tension and therefore,affords permanent
relief.
Developing the Stance of Knower-Seer.
Another method of getting relief from tension is the
development of the stance of a knower-seer. Happenings should be known and seen, not
experienced or participated in . Knowing an event is different from experiencing it. The
wise know, the ignorant experience. There is a fundamental difference between the two. He
who knows the event but remains unaffected by it never suffers from unhappiness. Most
people live the event. Seeing others weeping at somebody's death, they themselves start
wailing, allowing themselves to drift with the current.
It is said that once Bernard Shaw, while witnessing a play was so
moved by the misbehaviour of the villian that he moved forward and slapped him. This
illustrates how people allow themselves to be moved by external events.
It is necessary to understand the difference between knowing and
experiencing. We should practice to be knower-seer. It is of course difficult, but once it
has been accomplished, tension bids us goodbye forever. Being told that someone has
severely criticized us, irrespective of its correctness, our tension rises to a
point of hostility. It happens precisely because we are experiencers, not knowers-seers.
We become tense by simply experiencing events without even ascertaining their truth.
The Nature of the World.
The third way of relieving tension is to deny importance to
events. Giving them importance raises tension. Any event should be taken in its stride. It
will pass without affecting us. Rainwater collects only in depressions, not on elevated
heights. Similarly the knower-seer stands too high a ground to let worldly events affect
him. If we realize the true nature of the world, we will abstain from getting involved in
things and people, and as a result, avoid sorrow. Such an attitude will give us immunity
against tension.
Such are the Ways of the World.
Here is an incidence which took place during Gurudev's stay
in Delhi. A known person who was both a good businessman and a political worker came to
see me. Sitting beside me he began weeping. I was amazed and asked him why he was weeping.
Having calmed down after sometime he said, "Maharaj, I am simply at my wit's end. We
are four brothers. A few days ago, my three brothers who look after the business suddenly
told me that I had no share in it anymore. On the other hand, they told me that I owed
them five to seven lakh rupees." He added in an anguished voice, " Maharaj, it
is not the money, but their treatment that has broken my heart. Why did they deceive me? I
simply cannot bear the thought of my brothers deceiving me." I said, "You
are grossly mistaken. How come you are growing so sentimental despite being wise ?
Take it that such are the ways of the world. In fact, it would be a surprise if it didn't
happen that way. " my words struck a deep chord in him and he became quite normal in
a day or two.
Changing ones deep-rooted views is a means of getting enduring
relief from tension. Kayotsarg etc. are also steps in that direction as an isolated
exercise, but kayotsarg will not be a permanent way of relieving tension, unless it
is accompanied by a transformation of intellectual awareness. Right faith alone can bring
permanent relief from tension and right faith implies an awareness of the science of
differentiation.
Kayotsarg and Shavasan.
Kayotsarg is not shavasan (the corpse
posture). Shavasan is practised in hathyoga, while kayotsarg is
practised in prekshdhyan. The former involves relaxation. The latter has three more
things besides relaxation- spiritual alertness, dissolution of the ego and the science of
differentiation.If kayotsarg is devoid of these three qualities,
it is reduced to mere shavasan- a tranquilizer. Kayotsarg is not a
tranquilizer.
Kayotsarg as a part of preksha-dhyan is an abiding remedy,
because in it the ego is completely dissolved. How can tension arise when one believes in
the principle that ' nothing is mine'.
The Source of Tension.
The biggest source of tension is egocentricity or sense of owning. You can yourself
experience it. When your servant is defiant, you show your anger and work normally
thereafter. You think that afterall, he is a mere servant. If he goes away, another will
come. But if your wife defies you, it causes unbearable agony,because you relate yourself
with her by the tender thread of attachment. In reality, however, no one is anyones
else's- all are independent. Just as you are an independent being, so are your servant and
wife. The moment you call anyone 'mine', suffering starts. The true meaning of kayotsarg
is dissolution of the sense of owning and science of differentiation. The spiritual
philosophy of treating body and soul as different entities automatically puts an end to
tension by destroying its very source.
Spirituality is the Refuge.
There can be many ready remedies of relieving tension such as
medicines, yogic postures and intoxicants, but they give temporary relief. Even if one
were to resort to them endlessly, tension would keep recurring. For permanent relief, the
only relief is in spirituality. Both physiology and psychology suggest measures for
relieving tension, but none is capable of affording enduring relief. They act as mere
palliatives. Therefore, what is needed is cleansing the mind. Mental attitude should be
increasingly refined by passing through successive stages of concentration and steadiness
of mind without the aid of external support ( the fifth stage of mental state,according to
Yoga, the fourth being concentration). No tension can arise in a state of placidity.
I Head my Mind Fixed Elsewhere.
There is an incident which took place in one of the southern states. A
Jain ascetic was standing in the kayotsarg posture. Nearby were roaming a few
shepherds. Seeing the ascetic in deep meditation e snake-bite. He said there was no need of any treatment as he
did not even know that he had been bitten and there would be no poisoning since he had his
mind fixed elsewhere.
It is Fear that Kills.
Feelings arise where the mind is fixed or directed. It is the mind that
has to carry the feeling of poisoning. Moreover ,it is an established fact that some
ninety percent people die of fear and only ten percent of snake-bite. Of hundreds of
species of snakes only a few are poisonous, but the very feeling that one has been bitten
by a snake is enough to kill a person. The thought of poisoning results in poisoning. No
poisoning takes place when the mind is fixed elsewhere.
The Vital Truth.
First of all, we must practice concentration. Patanjali has said that
even pain occurs when there is deflection of the mind. There is no pain where there is no
mental deflection. This is a vital truth. We should try to transcend deflection by
practising prekshadhyan. We should overcome fickleness of the mind and attain
concentration. The surroundings should not affect us. We should learn to be oblivious to
the happenings around us.It is essential, because it is quite normal to be surrounded by
crowds and noises. Without concentration, nothing much can be accomplished. Therefore, it
is desirable that we give serious attention to the spiritual process of relieving tension
and practise it hard.
By so doing, we will have mastered the secret of solving the deadly problem of seeking
freedom from tension.
The completion of a task is time-bound. Success eludes the person who
is careless about time-management. Even the quality of work suffers in the absence of
proper planning of time. Management relates to many areas. Like time management,there is
also space management, which too is a pre-condition of full success. Mahavira profoundly
investigated every task from four view-points: substance, (substratum of attributes and
modes), space, time and mental inclination. Success can be assured only by the combination
of all the four. Even if the other three elements are present, in the absence of time
management, the desired result cannot be obtained. In fact no task can be conceived
outside a time-frame.
The Basic Aim.
The basic question relates to the aim in view. The very first
thing to do is to fix an aim, for aimlessness is subversive of success. While determining
the aim, priorities have to be fixed. What is the basic aim? Over a long period of five or
ten years, many tasks may have to be achieved. Which of them should be undertaken first?
What is to be done this year, this month, this day? It is a matter of settling priorities.
The aim as well as the available period of time may be definite. Yet single-minded pursuit
of the aim through successive priorities within the given time is essential. Such a
commitment and alertness constitute the first step to success.
The Principle of Time management.
One element of prekshadhyan is inner disposition. It
is an important principle of time management too. be completely dedicated to task in hand.
It means living in the present. People visualise a future and set a goal. But while
working for it, they have to live in the present. If the future intrudes even while
at work, the work will suffer. Being alert about the present implies directing all
attention and energy to finishing the work in hand. Even a few seconds delay means
missing the bus or train. It shows lack of time-management. Success is assured only by
concentrating on the work in hand.
Human Resources.
What are the resources necessary to achieving one's aim? In
the context of Prekshadhyana two resources can be pointed out: human resources and
material resources. those engaged in state administration and building industries have to
reckon with one more, financial resources. but money cannot be a basic resource if we
discuss the matter in spiritual context. a man with an acutely distracted mind may require
a year to control it. if he resolves to achieve his aim within a year, he will have to
think of human resources. He will have to look out for a proper guru (teacher), capable of
helping him achieve his goal. For want of a proper guru many people spend years without
achieving concentration and a steady mind. They need a teacher and a guide who can tell
them the right way, help them practice properly and instill confidence in them that it is
within their power to reach the goal.
Material Resources.
The second requirement is material resources. Things
and material are also necessary. In every thing some substance or essential material plays
its part. It is true of meditation too. Whatever task is undertaken must have a purpose.
Material cause is not enough. We live in a dialectical or dualistic world where both the
causes are necessary. If we take a partial view and think that the material cause alone
can bring about the desired result, we are bound to be disappointed. The purpose of any
action cannot be ignored, and for that reason, the usefulness of the material resources
cannot be denied.
Make a Choice.
We have to opt for an essential task.
There is no dearth of things to be done in our life, but we have to choose among the most
important amongst them. Let us take the example of meditation. We may set a target - we
have to attain the state of concentration within a year. Then we have to ask what should
be done to achieve the target. The practice of deep breathing and kayotsarg is essential
for it. These resources can help us achieve the target. Some people are fickle-minded. Any
novelty attracts them. They give up the old and think the new is a better choice. Soon
thereafter a third choice is available and so on. Such people never achieve success, for
they are unable to manage time and choose the best. here it is worthwhile to point out
that selection and rejection or acceptance and refusal are two sides of the same coin.
Those who cannot refuse or reject cannot manage their time well.
Will the Wait Ever End?
Rajaldesar is a small town in in the churu
district of Rajasthan. There was an ever obliging servant there who never refused to do
any work. He left home early in the morning daily and on the way, got ready to as
asked by each member of the masters large family- buying vegetables, bringing milk,
fetching medicines from a drug store, going out to another town to accompany a young
girl - each in succession without bothering to finish the earlier jobs. Those who
ordered vegetables, milk and medicines kept waiting . Would their wait ever end? It
is anybody's guess.
Learn to Refuse.
A person who cannot learn to say 'No' can never
be good at time-management. For successful time-management, it is essential to have the
strength to say 'No'. In fact, the power to accept gets weakened in the absence of the
power to refuse. Both the extremes govern the direction of our lives. One could go a step
further and say that those lacking the capacity to say 'No' deceive others as well as
themselves, so much so that they have often to hear the reproach, "You have wasted my
time; it would have been better if you had at the very outset said 'No'."
Time Management: Svarodaya.
Why are planning and management of time
necessary? Simply because everything we do takes place in time, is time related. The
principles of time management enunciated by Western scholars arequite important and not
dissimilar to the principle of introspection. As a matter of fact , it looks as though
they have equated introspection with time-management. Let us throw a glance at ancient
Indian thinking. It propounds a principle of called Svarodaya, which was greatly developed
in the country. According to me the principle of time-management has at the back of it the
powerful concept of Svarodaya. The Science of Svarodaya encompassed deliberation on
health, success, victory and defeat. When should one talk to which person? When should one
meet which person? When to place one's suggestion before the leader to ensure it's
acceptance? All these questions received profound deliberation under the Science of
Svarodaya. In it wherever speech is mentioned, time is mentioned too.
The Cycle of Time : The Cycle of Air breathed through Nostrils.
Time and svara (air breathed through the
nostrils ) are mutually related. The svara starts with the dawn. It is necessary to know
which svara is working at dawn under which situation. Is it the moon svara or the sun
svara which is working? One should know at what time and under which svara a
particular task should be undertaken. Time cycle and svara cycle go together. By knowing
the right time and the right svara, a task can be successfully accomplished. For this
reason, the science of svarodaya has an important place in time-management.
Each Activity Has its Proper Time.
Unlike today, in the past, all our
daily activities were planned to be undertaken at specific hours. Lord Mahavir gave the
following principle: do everything at its proper time; eat, drink, be at home and sleep at
their respective times. If we analyse it, we conclude that every activity has its proper
time. Specialists have laid down different times for different activities. But let us
decide atleast about two things - when to go to bed and when to get up and when to eat and
when to drink water. Even if the timings of these two things are decided, it will result
in good time-planning.
Why Should One Get up at Dawn.
Indian time experts laid down the
small hours of the morning for getting up. To be precise, one should get up at about 4.00
a.m. Why was it prescribed? It was said that one who practices it, spends a fine day and a
good life. Today it has been scientifically proved. The chemical serotonin is
responsible for the peace and happiness of the mind. It is secreted at four in the
morning. One who is awake at four in the morning maintains mental equipoise the whole day
and carries out his duties efficiently. The flow of serotonin suffers in the case of those
who are in bed at four o'clock. As a result, they suffer from tension, restlessness,
irascibility and lethargy. So far as we are concerned, getting up early in the morning is
our tradition. During his seventy years of the life of an ascetic, Gurudev may perhaps
have not got up at four hardly fifteen or twenty times. By following the principle of
rising early, Gurudev has preserved the agility of a twenty-year-old youth's mind. Let us
probe the matter a little more.
The Secret of Speed Walking.
There is an incident which happened in
Chhapar. A sixty-year old person told Gurudev that at his age, he was unable to walk fast
and therefore wondered how the latter, even at seventy, could walk so fast. I asked him if
he ate sweets. He said he ate them in plenty. I then told him that that explained the
difference. If he left eating sweets, he too would be able to walk fast like Gurudev.
Nothing happens without a reason. Getting
up at four, as stated earlier, is of utmost importance. Likewise, going to bed at about
nine or ten is also necessary. After the days hectic work all our systems need rest. if we
deny rest and keep awake, internal reactions take place and the time meant for sleeping is
transgressed. If food is not taken at a time when the liver is functional, the digestive
system gets impaired. If we do not sleep in the time meant for sleeping, sleep will
vanish. The only way left then will be to court sleep by gulping sleeping pills.
The Truth of Maxims.
There is waking time and there is
sleeping time. There is time for eating and time for drinking ; there is also time for
sitting and resting. Many proverbs stress the point that time once gone is gone forever
and and no regret or repentance can bring it back. Those who transgress time remain
deprived of many achievements.
Listing the Daily Tasks is Essential.
Preparing a schedule of work is
also essential for time management. There may be a weekly and a daily schedule. Busy
people need to list the things they have to do on a specific day. Jain monks have fixed
timings for certain timings for certain activities. Pratikraman (coming back, receding
from sins, repenting), vandana (deferential obeisance) and pravachan (religious discourses
) - all these observances go on uninterruptedly and regularly. Meditation calls for some
special rules. The incantation of the mantras and meditation must be done at the same time
daily. It gives continuity. Everything needs to be listed and done at the fixed time to
achieve success.
Observing One's Weaknesses.
One of the principles of time
management is observing one's weaknesses. What is it that is obstructing meditation? The
goal cannot be achieved unless one sets out to discover and pay attention to one's weak
points. Human nature is giving to hearing only good things about oneself. But the feeling
that all is well is often very deceptive. Flatterers and lackeys are sources of deception.
Those who are truthful do not hesitate to point out weaknesses. By analysing ones weak
points, one can identify the causes of failure. To concentrate on ones weaknesses is an
important element of time management.
Principles of Time Management.
These days a lot of emphasis is
being laid on the fact that time is money. There
is Prakrit formula -- Understand time . One of the
immortal lines of revered Gurudev
is Let a new noble trait of
character of time management have been
put forward :
Failing to manage time amounts to managing failure. The secret of Success lies in proper time management . There is a saying - " If eight hours are spent on cutting a tree, six hours should be spent on honing the axe. This represents wise time management .
Time and You
Since all human
activities elated activity. For this to
happen, proper feeding of the mind is
necessary. Thus an important aspect
of the success of a piece of work
is proper evaluation and planning of time. Right
thing at the right time. Complete
cooperation between you and time can prove
a boon in achieving success.
Observing others and learning about them is one
of our natural habits, thanks to our sense organs. On the other hand the main aim of
meditation is self-discovery. It may be called self-management. Comparing the spiritual
term self-management and the modern western concept of personal management, we find that
our ancient spiritual thinking is being expressed in a new context using new phraseology.
Who am I ?
The first topic in self-management concerns the
drawing of one's life map. Its underlying principle is, 'Who am I ?' Maharshi Ramana used
to repeat it very often. It reminds us of the first lesson of Mahavira's Acharang
Sutra-Who am I? Where do I have to go from here? The same truth has been expressed
differently in a different context. No thinking or system is possible by keeping oneself
out altogether. Self-observation is an imperative. Behind all success-industrial,
political, religious-lies self-observation.
Examine Your Decisions/Beliefs/Opinions
The second principle of self-management is
studying one's decisions. Man conducts himself on the basis of his beliefs. He
believes/decides that one things is good while another is bad and acts accordingly.
Judging the individual facing us is not easy. But if one has already formed an opinion
either about oneself or others, all behaviour will be guided by that opinion.
Opinion/belief becomes a testing criterion in viewing ourselves and others.
By the Beliefs Of Others
The third principle of self-management is
viewing through other's beliefs. It is a difficult task. Going by others' opinions, an
individual either boosts his ego or feels condemned, depending on whether he receives
praise or criticism.
Do Not Be A Puppet
Man is guided too often by the ideas of other
people. Therefore, spirituality requires us not to become puppets of anyone, but to
undertake introspection. We should decide our own destiny, not let others decide it for
us. Provided a man is capable of healthy thinking with a healthy mind, he can know better
about himself than what others think about him. People form opinions about others guided
by their own interests and intentions and so they are more likely than not biased.
Therefore relying on self-analysis or introspection and retaining self-confidence are
essential for achieving success.
Developing Competence
A very important principle of self-management
is developing one's competence. See all that there is in you-strong as well as weak
points. Do not regards yourself either inferior or superior. Have a correct appraisal of
facts and then develop your competence, will-power, imagination, cognition, memory and
insight. All these things are related to preksha dhyan.
Dhyan
According to prekshadhyan, one should develop imagination, but should not abuse it. Power is certainly developed, but if wasted, its development is neutralized. Choose the right time for the right work. If imagination intrudes into cogitation, the latter will become useless. If imagination intrudes into eating, both will lose their quality. Thanam Sutra says Only one thing at a time. Let the mind concentrate on one thing at a time. The skill to plan and manage in the above way is best acquired through meditation. Practise to do one and only one thing at a time
This Indeed is Sadhana
A great Sadhaka was asked about the nature
of his practice.
He said, 'Mine is very simple spiritual
practice'.
'What is it ?'
'It lies in my eating when hungry and sleeping
when I feel like going to bed.'
'Is this all that you practise ?'
'Yes'.
He remarked,
'This is rather simple. I heard it was
extremely difficult. I also do what you are doing.'
'Undoubtedly this is spiritual practice'.
Then the Sadhaka invited the questioner to
dinner. Both ate together. After dinner was over, the sadhaka asked, 'What else did
you do along with eating ?'
'Oh, I did a lot of thinking. In fact, I have
decided the whole week's schedule.'
'In that case you did not really eat. Your mind
was elsewhere-planning the weekly schedule. What really happened was that your physical
body performed a mechanical activity.'
'How about you ?'
"I simply ate, and was conscious of the
process of eating and nothing else.''
It will be seen that for a spiritual
practitioner,even eating is a dedicated action.This is what dhyan is all about.Only what
one is doing should figure in the mind.The word 'only' is important here.Once it is
understood,the important principle of meditation or dhyan will be fully internalized.
What makes us busy is not the work we have taken in
hand, but the useless mental going-ons accompanying the work.All of them affect work and
work suffers.
The Problem of Forgetfulness.
One of the big problems today is the weakening
of memory.We know of young students having a worse memory than that of some octogenerians.
The reason lies in the obstructions to remembering things, which weaken and impair
memory.If the emphasis on 'only' referred to above is fully understood, the problem of
poor memory will disappear.
Self Planning.
One of the principles of management is
self-planning or living an orderly and systematic life. It is of the highest importance.
In the absence of proper ordering, our energy gets
dissipated. The disciple has to plan where he will concentrate his energy-on serving the
guru or on deep study. Lord Mahavira laid down a code of conduct comprising twelve vows,
for the householder. That code is in reality a code of self-planning. One element of
self-management is 'managing your needs'. It was on this basis that Mahavira gave
his code. Acquiring wealth is essential. So are food, water, clothing, shelter. But along
with them, proper ordering of one's needs is also essential. We mistake all our needs as
necessities? A little reflection will severely limit our needs. If a man has requisite
competence, he should be able to limit his needs.
Wherein lies the worry ?
Greatly misleading arguments are given in favor
of acquiring wealth. It is said that a factory owner has to do it, else how will he give
employment to a large number of workers? However, this is a specious argument. And
this idea has lured people and also mis-guided them. In reality, every individual has his
task to carry out. Our Prime Minister gave a new direction to the Panchsheel programme.
The five point program of Panchsheel has been freshly defined. The main thrust of it is on
rural development. Gandhiji said that every person must have his own
work to do . Spinning was not an absolutely new discovery. But the most important point
was that every person must have the means to earn his livelihood or satisfy his basic
needs. Man cannot live without bread.
Gandhiji made the spinning wheel the symbol of individual labour and self-employment. Unfortunately the lesson has not yet been understood. The plain fact is that if the motive behind opening huge factories was to provide a living to large numbers of people, why are mechanization and nationalization, including computerization and use of robots being increasingly introduced, for they do just the opposite of the proclaimed aim-they result in large-scale redundancies and retrenchment. All these things are done for self-aggrandizement and personal glory.
Is the World a Bazaar or a Family ?
Limiting necessities means their reduction Mahavira said-Do not snatch someone's livelihood. At that time, it was a very important pronouncement. The livelihood of others should not be snatched, since no one else has a right to it. Such a discipline is inner, not legal. It is self-organization. Again, Mahavira said-Develop your intuition and examine your behaviour towards others and find out how it is affecting them. Many principles have been incorporated in self-management, but perhaps self-organization is the most important of them. Plan and regulate your necessities, activities and behaviour. Our biggest problem today is that we do not properly organize or regulate them. Today desires and needs are uncontrolled and unorganized. It is for this reason that a price can be set on people. I liked a remark of Shri Atal Behari Vajpayi very much. He said,'For America, the whole world is a bazaar, for us it is a family.' This family feeling or kinship is reflected in self-organization in the belief that the other person is also like me. I should so organize or regulate my needs, desires, expectations and activities that others are not harmed by them and my attitude remains free from cruelty.
Planning and Regulation by a Pure Mind
One of the avowed principles of prekshadhyan is the purity of the mind. Right planning, organization or regulation is possible only by a mind that is pure. The history of industry, business and administration is replete with instances of fraud and deceit. Ditching a partner by betraying his trust is a familiar phenomenon in trade and industry. All such frauds are the direct result of lack of purity of mind. We should organize with a pure mind. It includes organization of our behaviour, our activities and also our time.
Organization of Communication
Another element of self-management is planning and organization of communication. Reaching out to others is an art. The quality of a man's communication is reflected in his behaviour.
Round about Way
Whatever has been said above leads to but one
conclusion. The roads may be different, the destination is one and the same, viz. the
soul. One who has succeeded in understanding spirituality will automatically learn the art
of self-management. In the absence of the above understanding one will have to resort to a
round about way (dravidi pranayam). Things become easy when we do right thinking.
The Ultimate Goal
Timely thinking and taking a decision is very
difficulty.It is possible only by looking inward. The main principle of prekshadhyan has
been the development of insight. The same is the case with the development of
imagination. Both thinking and imagining need controlling. Our ultimate aim is to reach a
state of mind free from all cogitation. The practitioner of dhyan has also to organise
himself in order to get success. Dhyan results in failure in the absence of
self-organization or control.
Western scholars have not talked of
self-management in the context of spirituality. Self-management came into being to help
people earn success in organizing industries. But self-management is in reality the means
of achieving a distant goal. Therefore, people undertaking dhyan should simultaneously
understand the principles of self-management. They should learn how to organize all the
energy they have and also the different stages of life.
An Important Principle
Childhood, youth, middle age and old age are
four stages of life. The fifth stage is death. There has to be proper planning for all
these stages. The experiences of childhood should be made use of at twenty. Those of youth
should be made use of at fifty. Young people have enough strength to sit down and
meditate for two hours at a stretch. May be it is not possible at seventy. Therefore,
planning for the seventies and beyond should be done while one is young. Yoga calls for
developing a few powers-Tratak (gazing fixedly at an object) and Kundalini (divine
cosmic energy) etc. These are best developed during youth, because in old age, cells
degenerate and the vital energy diminishes. Therefore, we derive an important principle of
self-management-Do proper planning of your health and vital energy.
Opening a New Direction
By attending to all the principles discussed
above, one should develop a life style conducive to meditation. In fact, meditation has
many advantages in the field of practical behaviour also. However, meditation is not
a simple process. The higher and more important development is, the more complicated and
difficult its process will be. Keeping it in mind, if we make proper use of meditation, we
will gain an excellent knowledge not only of self-management, but also of prekshadhyan,
which can prove immensely useful by opening a new direction of making a better life.
PHYSICAL HEALTH
Natiropathy, Ayurveda and other systems have given a lot of attention
to hygiene or health science. In medical science, therapeutics has been highly developed,
but it will be no exaggeration to say that health science has developed much less.
The science of remaining healthy and the science of treating diseased people are two
different things. Even though allopathy has put forth the principle that 'prevention is
better that cure', it has been given much more attention and emphasis in naturopathy and
Ayurveda.
Who is healthy?
Let us first concentrate on health science. Since earlier times, man
has wished to remain healthy and not fall ill. But who can be called healthy? According to
Ayurveda, he is healthy whose sense organs and soul are in state of felicity. Perfect
equilibrium between the three doshas ( forces controlling all bodily and mental activity)
viz. kapha, pitta, vayu (phlegm, bile, wind) and a parallel equilibrium of biological
combustion are the hidden symptoms of good health. We should see the visible symptoms to
be sure of health- a happy mind and uncontaminated sense organs.
Physiological viewpoint
let us look at the issue from the physiological point of view. He is
healthy who digestive and excretory systems functions properly. One eats, assimilates the
required elements and excretes the rest. If this happens, man may be regarded healthy. Let
us go to a step future. He is healthy who nervous and endocrine systems functions
properly. Let us go still further and analyse the word 'healthy' also. In the ancient view
he is whose skeleton system is good, for the entire body rests on the bones. Jain yoga
puts it succinctly thus: Depending on the quality of his bone structure, man can become
proportionately knowledge and meditation are assessed on the basis of the bone structure.
Our physical is very critically dependent on the spinal cord. the spine has 33 vertebrae.
the more flexible they are, the better the health of a person. If the spinal column is
bent, it is a sign of deteriorating health. Our grey matter, the bone marrow contains a
large part of inherited traits and knowledge. The health of the marrow determines the
quality of knowledge, meditation and health.
Health-Scientifically speaking
what should we do to preserve our health? While discussing it the first
thing to consider is our food. In modern scientific language, balanced food is essential
for health. There are score of tables relating to balanced food, which comprises vitamins,
salts, alkali, carbohydrates etc. But it is not enough. The principles enunciated as part
of preshadhyan are very useful for health also. One of them is eating moderate
quantities of food. merely taking balanced food is not enough; it should also be moderate
in quantity. Even nutritious food taken in excessive quantity damages health. Further,
food should not only be tasty, but also beneficial. Its benefits will have to be judged
from a number of angles. One of them is the avoidance of inimicals. there are foods which
should not be taken together, for example, oil and milk do not go well together and
similarly musk melon and milk are inimicals.
Consideration of Age
Ayurveda has considered age in terms of kaph (phlegm), pitta (bile) and
vata(wind). Upto the age of fourty kaph predominates, thereafter pitta predominates upto
seventy and in the third and final stage it is vata which predominates. Those who
are above seventy are bound to harm their health if they eat things causing the formations
of wind.
Consideration of Time
Let us health in relation of time. The first quarter of the day is kaph
(phlegm)dominated, the mid-day pitta (bile)dominated and the third quarter or evening is
vat (wind)dominated. Therefore if things like musk melon or guava are eaten in the
evening,it will be difficult to avoid illness. It means that one should know which food
will be useful at what time of the day. Those who eat after sunset are also wrong,because
the digestive system cowers in the absence of the rays of the sun. It again proves that it
is not enough to take balanced food.
Consideration of the Science of Svarodaya.
Now we can treat health from the point of view of svar (air breathed
through the nostrils.) The Science of Svar requires that food be taken when the svar
of the sun (right nostril) is operating. Food eaten during the operation of the svar of
the moon (left nostril) will do no good even if it is nutrition. Water should be drunk
while the moon svar is on and food should be eaten while the sun svar is on.
Food must be Justly Earned.
Proper food is that which has been earned through just means. Such food
has purity in it. Our health is related not only to material substances, but also to our
attitudes and mental states. Food earned through even means, deceit, fraud and crookedness
has a harmful effects on the body. judged by this criterion, it is difficult to identify
people unaffected by these evils. Even our (Jain ascetics) food comes from other
households. Even proper food should be subjected to further improvement by taking it only
when one is very hungry. Wealthy people rarely observe the above principle.Wherever and
whenever they go, they are served attractive things to eat and drink. They hardly worry
about the number of times they eat. Such a practice proves extremely harmful to health.
Avoid being Reactive.
Every man has the tendency to react. There is no man who will act but
not react. But sometimes the reaction are very fierce and aggressive. They throw the
digestive system in turmoil. One of the principles of good health is to restrain reaction,
practice indifference and avoid extreme reactions.
Health and Friendship.
Another element of good health is friendliness. Once a man gets
used to becoming hostile, he begins seeing an enemy in every body. He becomes obsessed
with the desire to pull others down, to wipe them out, or to teach them a lesson.
Such a hostile temperament is inimical to health. hostility is mental Poisson. Heartattack
and cancer psychosomatic disease. Behind them the main cause is bad thought and enmity.
These causes act as internal Poisson and render the body diseased. Only those people can
stay healthy who observe friendliness towards others.
Thought Activity.
One more element of health is thought activity. It means while eating,
all should be on eating. Neither thought should cross the mind at that time. According to
Charak, the mind should be happy and free from all worries while eating- It is symptom of
health.
Restraint in Speaking.
Another element of health is restraint in speech. The whole day should
be calculated in terms of periods of silence and those of speaking. In fact there are
three ways of dissipating our energy and one of them is excessive talking, the other two
being excessive activity. Thus restraint in speaking is also an important sign of good
health.
Sleep.
Ayurveda speaks of three secondary supports of health. Breath or vital
energy is the main support which helps us preserves health. It has three secondary
supports: food, sleep, and continence. Sleep is extremely important. Without it ,
health is inconceivable. Even a day's loss of sleep disturbs everything. in modern times,
sleepiness has become a widespread problem. Even as tension is universal disease,
sleepiness too is acquiring the same proportions. Sleeping pills are manufactured to treat
it and the sales are so enormous that the manufacturers are multi-millionaires.
Continence.
The third secondary support is continence. Today we witness a
topsy-turvy situation. Instead of continence we have free sex. People wonder at the
phenomenal and constant increase in the number of hospitals, doctors, medicines and
researches. And yet diseases are multiplying. Thousands of animals and birds are being
killed in the name of research, just for the sake of keeping the human healthy. Despite of
all these, newer and deadlier diseases like cancer and AIDS are appearing. Earlier, the
incidence of tuberculosis was also much more limited. It was deemed to be princely
disease, not affecting the common people. A few of the emergency diseases have not yet
been identified. One factor which is at the back of them all is lack of tertraint of the
sense organs.
Reliance on Medical Treatment.
Self-restraint is terms of continence does not mean restraint on only
the reproductive organs. Brahmacharya is a term of very widescope. It implies restraint on
all the five sense organs. Our health cannot be good if we do not learn how to control
this sense organ.The number of hospitals in all the big cities is constantly increasing.
Even then, not only patients, are getting expected curative treatments. The reason is that
we rely on medical treatment not on health. We do not know the method of staying healthy.
At the slightest indication of disease we rush for getting medical treatment. The right
thing to do is to first give careful attention to health.
Development of Health Consciousness is Necessary.
In the context of prekshadhyan the development of health consciousness
has been given a serious thought. Development of health consciousness is an essential as
that as spiritual consciousness. Understanding the way of keeping good health is a prelude
to staying healthy and avoiding the need for medical treatment. Though all disease are not
the result of our actions, some of them are and their proper treatment is possible only
through spiritual cleansing. Seasonal ailments are quite common. But we can save ourselves
from many dangerous disease if we know the rules of good health and practice them.
Yogic Postures.
Prekshadhyan prescribes Yogic postures and rhythmic breath control.
There are some methods of meditation like vipashyana which prohibits Yogic postures, but
we consider them indispensable. We believe that meditation without yogic postures results
in the weakening of the digestive system. Dhyan or meditation entails a high expenditure
of energy, which is only natural because concentration involves considerable use of vital
energy. In that state, the digestive system will be thrown into disarray if yogic postures
are rhythmic control of breathing are not practiced. That is why prekshadhyan insists on
yogic postures. These postures are useful for both preservation and health and
therapeutics in the first instance? We should choose postures which would reserving
health, keep the digestive, elimination and respiratory system functional preserve the
balance of the balance of the nervous system and of the endocrine secretions.
Rhythmic Breath Control for Health
There are two types of pranayam, one meant for the body and another for
meditation. We have to take care that rhythmic control of breath is not exclusively for
the body, but also for meditation. Otherwise, the mind can grow more fickle.
All of you have Passed the Test
Here is an incident which relates to ancient Takshila University. The
Acharya told the disciples, 'Go and explore for a whole year the region at the back of the
University in order to identify the root of a herb having no medical property.' After
spending twelve months, the disciples returned empty-handed. The Guru said, 'How come,
none of you could discover even one herbal root having no therapeutic use?' the disciples
replies,' No Gurudev, we could not despite our best efforts,' The Guru was pleased and
remarked, 'You have all passed the test'.
As there is no herbal root without atleast one medical property, there
is no yogic posture which does not have a therapeutic effect. Properly understood and
practised they can prove extremely useful. If we think the body in the light of the
contributory of breathing and mental purity, we may be able to enjoy good health and
vitality.
MENTAL
HEALTH
The body is gross and perceptible, the mind is subtle and
imperceptible, and can be known only through its function. The body, the sense organs and
the mind are three functionaries which we experience. The mind directs the sense organs
and compiles their objects. But for this coppilation, each sense organ would have been
left to act independently and no progress could have been possible.
Shelter for Both Health and Disease
The mind is both compiler and innovator. Imagining, remembering,
thinking, arguing for and against are its normal functions. It is extremely useful, but
something useful can also be a source of trouble. The mind is very useful and also very
troublesome. Maharishi Charak has written:
The body and the mind are the two shelters for diseases. Both suffer
from diseases. However, the mind is a shelter not only for diseases, but also for health.
A healthy mind and a healthy body do a lot Of good to us. On the other hand, a diseased
mind becomes a source of trouble for us.
Mind Power and suffering
Mental function is epistemic and at the same time worrying. Worriedly
suffering may be considerably lessen if mind power is developed. According to an old
proverb,'This world is full of sufferings for the ignorant and full of the blessings for
the knowledgeable.' The question was asked,' Is the world full of light or darkness?' The
answer was,'For a man who is blind it is all darkness,for a man who can see well it is all
light.' Similarly it can be seen that the proposition 'the world is full of sufferings for
the ignorant ' can be rephrased,'the world is full of suffering for one lacking mind
power,it is not so for one who has strong mind power.'
Lord Mahavira has said that there are four kinds of beings:
1. Hri Sattva
2. Hri Manah Sattva
3. Chala Sattva
4. Sthira Sattva
Hri Satva.
A hri sattva person is shy. His self-discipline is so deep rooted that
he does not publicize his adversities and sufferings at all. A just and fair man- one who
follows ethical laws- does not let anyone know his loss of wealth and mental anguish.
Such a hri sattva person has a strong mind power. In fact he is too shy and
self disciplined to express his personal feelings to others. Nor does he allow them to be
manifest through fear or physical effort. He remains unaffected by external events.
Hri Manah Sattva
This type of person is accomplished, but not fully.
Thought he does not show signs of mental agony, his body does get affected by it, The body
trembles and fear is writ large on the face.
Chala Sattva and Sthira Sattva
Achala sattva person has an extremely fickle and highly confused
mind. On the other hand, a sthira sattva perosn's mind does not become unsteady under any
circumstances. It is never deflected from the right course.
The contrast between the two types is best illustrated by the
following anecdote. the house of a wealthy merchant was burgled. The burglars made off
with a large amount of money. The merchant was a sthira sattva. When people came to
express their sympathy, he dismissed the whole episode by saying that it was not worth
bothering about. After all, he said, money comes and goes. he would make good the loss by
fresh earnings. The merchant's wife was, however, a chala sattva. She wept and wailed
inconsolably. The merchant had to beseech a saint to console and quieten her. The saint
asked her:
'What happened?'
'Maharaj, lacs of rupees have been stolen.'
'Do you have a well in your house?'
'Yes'
'Does it have plenty of water?'
'Yes, Maharaj.'
'Has all your wealth been stolen?'
'No, there is plenty still left.'
'How do your relatives, servants and others behave with you?'
'Very nicely, as usual.'
'Then where is the cause for grief? The ancient sages have said
There are only three most precious things (gems) on the earth-
water, food, and agreeable speech. You have a well full of water right in your
house,plentiful stores of food and members of the family all of whom are sweet-tongued.
Why then are you sad? Only a foolish person regards stones as gems and laments their
loss.'
The merchants wife became enlightened hearing the above words.
Challa sattva changad into sthira sattva.
Example of Sthira Sattva.
An incident involving a severe ordeal occurred in revered
Gurudev's life. For all practical purposes, it was a time when any chala sattva person
would have buckled up. But sthira sattva Gurudev remained unscathed. Not to speak of
outsiders, even monks and shravaks (those who hear religious scriptures or observe partial
vows) told him, 'Maharaj,see what you are getting in return for the tremendous good work
you have done for the people. Now it is time you gave up all activities related to
anuvrat. All kinds of advice and counsel were given.However sthira sattva Gurudev said,
'Our task is not yet complete and that accounts for what has happened. We should now work
with redoubled effort.'
It illustrates the difference between chala sattva and
sthira sattva. A man with fickle mind i.e. a chala sattva acts on the spur of the moment
on the basis of the immediate circumstances without any deliberation about the likely
consequences. On the other hand, a sthira sattva decides on the basis of the intrinsic
nature of things.
Circumstances versus Intrinsic Nature.
Once an ascetic was taking a rest. Close by spring water was
flowing. The ascetic asked his disciple to go and fetch a pot full of water. The latter
went to the spring. Just then a bullock-cart crossed the spring,muddying the water. The
disciple returned empty handed and told the ascetic- 'Gurudev that water is dirty and not
portable. Let us go further and find clean water.' The guru asked him to wait for a few
minutes and then go again to fetch the water. The disciple obeyed the guru, went to the
same spring and fetched fresh,clean water. The guru said,'Young man, contrary to what you
said the water is very clean.' The disciple replied,' Maharaj at that time it became
unclean because of a bullock-cart's movement.' Thereupon the ascetic remarked,'A decision
must be taken not on the basis of immediate circumstances, but on that of intrinsic
nature. Basically, the spring water is not unclean. It is always clean. You decided on the
basis of the prevailing circumstances. You understand only circumstances, not intrinsic
nature.'
Nature is Permanent
A chala sattva person is mentally unhealthy and his secessions are
based on the prevailing atmosphere and circumstances. Ecology plays a significant role
these days in the fields of social psychology and sociology. As a result, the
surroundings, circumstances and environment have become decisive factors in people's
thinking. It has led to the unfortunate result that people have forgotten the real nature
of man. Decisions are being taken entirely based on physical surroundings without taking
nature into consideration. Consequently many mistakes are being made. Circumstances are
temporary and are born of social factories. The permanent element is nature. Understanding
nature will make for correct decisions.
The Criterion of Mental Health.
The Gita, Sankhya philosophy and charak have analyzed the mind in terms of
sattva (quality of purity and goodness), rajas (love of sensual enjoyment or pleasure),
and tamas (the third disposition of the human mind- the quality of darkness,ignorance and
irascibility). Will-power and tolerance are important elements. We should know that the
mind, its power and health do not have a close relation with the intellect. Intellect and
mind have separate functions. Tolerance is a quality of the mind. Intellect does not play
any part in it. A man with a healthy mind can tolerate any situation, but a diseased mind
cannot do so. The criterion of mental health is tolerance. As Sushruta puts it : The man
having the sattva disposition (benevolence,purity,goodness) can tolerate anything. One
having the rajas disposition (love of sensual enjoyment) lacks tolerance personally, but
with proper advice and support he is able to develop tolerance. But one having the tamas
disposition (ignorance,mental darkness implying inertness,indolence,anger,malice) is
incapable of both understanding by himself and of being made to understand by others,
besides lacking tolerance altogether.
Take the case of three different types of individuals,all being victims
of some tragedy- huge business loss or the death of a near and dear one. The first type of
sattva are able to bear with the tragedy. The second type rajas are amenable to being
consoled. For example, many people come to Gurudev and listen to his enlightening
discourse and as a result are able to overcome grief and anxiety. The third type tamas
wail inconsolably and are immune to all instruction. (They cannot be influenced and made
to understand even by Bramha,the creator). Only those having the sattva disposition are
inherently tolerant.
Fortitude.
The second criterion of mental health is fortitude or steadiness. A
steady person does not get deflected even in the face of adversity. He retains his
equanimity despite bad news. Constancy and steadiness are symbolized by the Sumeru
mountain which no storm,howsoever fierce can move or shake. Lord Rishabh has been
eulogised in Bhaktamar Strot thus: It is no wonder even celestial damsels could not
deflect you. Can a storm causing universal destruction shake the Sumeru mountain?
Steadiness of mind is best defined thus: That man is steady whose mind
suffers no distortion even when the cause of distortion is present.
This steadiness or fortitude is a sign of mental health. It enables man
to overcome all adversities and sorrows.
Intelligence/Wisdom.
The third criterion of mental health is intelligence or wisdom. The
function of intelligence is to discriminate and decide. In performing it will-power can be
a great help. A mentally healthy person takes correct decisions and acts intelligently.
Memory.
A good memory is the fourth criterion of mental health. Whenever a sign
of mental disease appears or depression sets in, memory also suffers. Absence of the loss
of memory denotes mental health.
Take Care of the Mind.
People suffer more from mental than physical diseases. We come across a
large number of mental cases as quite a lot of them come to attend the preksha dhyan
training camps. Some of them give the impression that for them the world is all suffering.
Even though possessed of all assets, a mentally ill person feels total deprivation.
Therefore, care of the mind is of utmost importance. People take much more care of their
bodies yhan of their minds. Intelligent people do otherwise. After all, it is the mind
which controls the body. If it's controller is not healthy, how can the body be healthy?
An Unfailing Principle.
Let us discuss the relationship between preksha dhyan and mental
health. For retaining mental strength it is necessary to keep the mind vacuous (free from
thought,memory and imagination). If we make the mind function ceaselessly-endless
remembering,thinking, and imagining- it will become ill. An unfailing principle of mental
health is resting the mind, keeping it vacuous. Thinking is a good activity, but constant
thinking is not good. The same is true of remembering and imagining. Excess of them is a
sign of mental illness. By regulating memory, thought and imagination, the mind should be
given rest. It will strengthen the mind and keep it healthy.
One of the methods to achieve the above purpose is the practice of
shvasa preksha (perception of breathing). A man who has practised perception of slow and
deep breathing can keep his mind vacuous (free from thought,memory and imagination).
Practice of concentration is the best tonic of the mind. It nourishes the mind much more
than anything does. Tonics are not used in all seasons but the practise of slow and deep
breathing can be done all year round. If it is done twice or thrice, ten minutes each
time, the mind will get tremendous rest.
Cessation of Mental Activity.
Even more advanced is the stage where the mind is closed altogether,as
it were. Such a state is much more nourishing. If a person wants to preserve and develop
the power of the mind, he should definitely practice this 'mind-closure' for at least ten
to twenty minutes. In Jain terminology it is called manogupti (control or closure of the
mind), wherein the mind is kept away from thought, memory, imagination, argument-counter
argument and all such things. Such a state provides an elixir to the mind.
Perception of Psychic Colours.
Another practice consists of contemplating or meditating on the white
or green colours. Green makes man introvertive and keeps unwanted things away. When we
meditate on the green at the Centre of Intuition (the pituitary; middle of the eyebrows),
the mind becomes absolutely tranquil and withdraws itself from all external
matter.Similarly meditating on the white at the Centre of Enlightenment (the pineal;
Centre of the forehead) also contributes greatly to mental health.
Mahapran Dhvani (Musical Sound Experienced in the State of Deep Meditation).
Next comes the practice of mahapran dhvani, musical sound experienced
in a state of deep meditation. It strengthens the texture of knowledge within our minds.
It is very useful for mental health. As in the case of the humming of the black beetle,
mahapran dhvani is also pure sound, no words. During lots experience, both imagining and
thinking vanish and the mind experiences vacuity. If it could be practised for ten
minutes, the mind would get all the nourishment it needs.
Sarvendriya Sanyam Mudra (A sealing posture aimed at restraining all sense organs).
Another practice is called sarvendriya sanyam mudra.The mind becomes
weak due to our sense organs.They direct our mind to objects of their respective pleasures
and render it weak. By cutting ourselves off from the outer world and deactivating the
sense organs, we automatically afford rest to our mind. This is what one should do. Insert
the two thumbs in the ears. Close the eyes and put one finger each of the two hands on
them. Put the next finger of each hand on the nose and the final two fingers
of each hand on the lips. By closing the ears,eyes, nose and the mouth, the sarvendriya
sanyam mudra can be practised. It will cut off our relation with the external world and
give us a feeling of not-being. Five minutes given to the above posture will give rest
equivalent to that of three hours. This practise leads from duality to unity and makes one
feel alone in the crowd.
Experience of the Impassible State.
All the above mentioned practices of preksha dhyan are extremely
important for mental health. With their help we can create the mental disposition we want
and develop the mind. We can even put up with our present circumstances which are
responsible for mental diseases. In fact these diseases have a direct relation with
materialism. Even in India, which is a developing country, the number of mentally sick is
constantly increasing. In this context it is essential to pay attention to mental health
and know all about the informal methods calculated to improve the health of the mind. By
so doing, we can develop the power of the mind and experience a state of transcending
sorrows and suffering even while living amidst the woes of the world.
Physical and mental health are visible externally. But emotional health
is an internal matter.many things going on inside us are known to us,but we do not know
much about what is at the root of them. The principle of preksha dhyan is to see the soul
by the soul.It simply means- have an internal trip and see the goings on there.
Emotion as an Agentive.
We have put a lot of burden on the mind -a lot more than what it can
bear.Who is putting this burden? A close examination of the above question will lead to
the opening of the door of the inner world and thence on to the vast world of inner
happenings. We presume that X is good while Y is bad; one thing is agreeable, another
disagreeable; and A is a friend while B is a foe. Who is it that presumes these things? It
is not the function of the mind, for its functions are confined to remembering, imagining,
and thinking. Where does the presumption come from? It's source is the world of our
emotions. We have not paid as much attention to the world of emotions as we have to that
of the mind.The real agent or source lies in the emotional world.
The Original Source is the Soul.
The original source is the soul. It is the souls animation that flows
out. Around the soul the first circle is that of the karma sharir (a body made up of the
combination of the eight kinds of karma) from where the vibrations of the karma
sharir emanate. One of the circles is that of sukshma sharir or tejas sharir (made up of
the aura and light radiation). In it the vibrations coming from the karma sharir take
shape and turn into psychic colours and a stream of emotions, which enter the
hypothalamus, a part of the brain. Only after that do they effect the mind. The mind in
itself lacks animation. It is the emotion which animates the mind. Preksha dhyan has
considered at length the difference between the mind and the subtle or activating mind.
The mind is lifeless. It cannot be a director. It is directed by emotions. Emotion is
instinctive awareness. The vibrations of instinctive awareness together with those of the
sukshma sharir become emotions which direct the mind.
Mental Feelings.
These days a lot of emphasis is being put on psychiatry. Medical Science does
not give as much importance to the psyche as to the mind. Carl Jung gave more importance
to the former. It opened a new chapter in psyche. Both the Jain philosophy and the
Patanjali Yoga philosophy also put a lot of emphasis on the psychic, thousands of years
ago. Anger, conceit,deceit,crookedness, fear, greed, hatred and lust are all parts of
human life. They dwell inside a man and are not visible externally. These feeling are
active in the psyche and manifest themselves through the medium of the mind. The
expression 'mental feeling' is indicative of the fact that the psychic drives force
themselves on the mind and are experienced as mental feelings. Both literature and poetics
deal with them comprehensively.
A life of Struggle
Our life is an endless struggle. In another context, Charles Darwin
used the expression 'struggle for survival'. That struggle takes place externally, but
even in our inner world, there is a constant struggle. According to the Philosophy of
Karma there are two words: audayikbhav and kshayopshamik behave. The latter means
'constant struggle', whereas the former increases self-conceit, anger, simulation and
dissimulation, jealousy etc. Its only function is to nourish these perversions or
distortions. The function of kshayopshamik behave is to assuage and remove this
perversions, not only to suppress anger,self-conceit etc., but also to encourage and
nourish modesty, uprightness etc. These two tendencies are always at war with each other.
While on of them is soul's pure stream, the other is it's karmik stream. both are working
within us all the
time.
The Weapon of Soul's Inclination
People ask, 'why should we practice prekshadhyan?' We should do it
because we have to strengthen that inclination of the soul which has in it peace,
non-violence, reconciliation, integration, friendliness and coexistence, and have to
weaken that stream or inclination which produces disquiet,wars, terrorism, agitation.
Modern thinkers hold similar view. The United Nations Organisation says in it's
Constitution,'Since wars begin in the minds of men,it is in the minds of men that the
defences of peace must be constructed. These words have become very famous. Some two
thousand five hundred years ago, Mahavira also revealed the same truth. He said that the
weapons are of ten kinds, the tenth among them is the inclination of the self. Wars,
conflicts , violence are first born inside us and it is only later on that they manifest
themselves externally.
Manifest and Non-manifest Worlds
The external world is manifest, the inner one is non-manifest.
According to the Sankhya Philosophy,the earth is odorous. Where is the odour? Well.the
earth does not have an odour, but it is not manifest. If water is poured over it fine
scents comes out of it. The world of our mind is manifest while that is of our inner
feeling is non-manifest. Most of the things first happen in the inner world and then
manifest themselves. It is like the foetus which is growing inside the womb before being
delivered. Our sense organ functions externally and so we give importance to external
events and disregards the inner happening. One who has tried to understand the theatre of
inner happening is fully knowledgeable about what is happening and where. However it is
not enough to know. What matters is bringing about a transformations.
Peace is the Real Issue
The whole world is concerned about peace. In the worldly context
it means world peace . In the context of the individual it means peace of mind. No one
wants mental unrest or disquietudes. Everyone likes to lead a life of peace and
tranquillity. How can it be possible? There can be no individual and world peace without
refining the inner world of emotions, because it is there that unrest has it's roots.
The Way of Refinement
One of the way refining the inner world is choosing someone adorable
(Ishta). There is no religion which has no concept of Ishta who can be such a person? Can
it be the Guru? No the Guru can show the right path, but cannot be Ishta. Can any man like
a teacher be Ishta? The teacher can show the way, can teach and impart knowledge, but
being a human being cannot be Ishta. Even a Trithankar (Saint of the Jains) cannot be an
Ishta. One becomes an Ishta when one has accomplished or reached the destination. No
physical being can be an Ishta. Why? Because an Ishta is Nirvikalp. A physical being will
say, 'Do this, don't do that'. That will create a dilemma. Why follow someone who
obstructs, hinders, stops? The Ishta neither stops nor obstructs but is simply an ideal.
Centres of Faith
Deva ( a god) and guru (the teacher) have been recognized as two
centres of faith. Deva is one who becomes passionless and a seer. It is only the seer who
can be an Ishta, but one who shows the path is a different person. Vitaraga or the
passionless do not show the path. For this reason, they do not regarded as arha (competent
to guide). It is the guru who has been regarded as arha, he points out the path. The
vitaraga, if asked whether something should be done, will answer : Do as you please. The
guru on the other hand, can stop you from doing something. The Ishta can only be one who
has transcended the world of inner feelings. He is not only beyond the mind, but also
beyond emotions. The great soul, pure and free from love and hate can alone be Ishta. The
Arhats also belongs to the category of vitaraga. One who has become Arhat or Vitaraga,
becomes our Ishta. We can call him by any name, Atma,Parmatma or whatever.
Ups and Downs of Life
One of the principle of yoga is oneness or unity with the Isht. Those
who want absolute peace and tranquillity, should conceive of the Ishta at the centre of
peace (hypothalamus),should install the image of the Ishta there. In times of difficulty,
they should concentrate on it and the suffering will disappear. Our happiness will
disintegrate again and again, until we are able to install the concept of bliss inside us.
If a man's mind is devoid of the concept of absolute peace, peace will keep eluding them.
Now happy, now offended/that is the way he lives. Our emotions change so often! If a
person starts noting down in a notebook all the emotional changes he has undergone from
the time of getting up in the morning till going to bed at night, noting down when he felt
at peace and when he was agitated, he will probably fill the whole notebook. We cannot
help being affected by these emotional changes from moments to moments. If one feels
insulted by any remark by someone, he will be on the offensive and have a strong desire to
take revenge. Even in a single day moments of joy and sorrow, peace and unrest keep
alternating. This momentary ups an downs keep repeating the recurring. Even a single
disagreeable remark creates mental disturbance and fills the mind with feeling of revenge.
The Instinct of Revenge
Once a man organized a big reception. The richest people were invited.
He served the food himself. In Rajasthan. there is a custom serving papad (salted or
spiced crisp thin cake made of ground pulse or sago,etc.)at the end of meal. When the host
reached the last man to serve the papad, it unfortunately broke into pieces. The guest was
a highly conceited person. He thought that he was being wilfully insulted by being served
a broken papad, whereas papads served to all others were unbroken. He resolved to avenge
the insult. He developed a complex. After sometime he thought of throwing a party,just to
take revenge. Again, all the dignitaries were invited, especially those who were present
at the earlier party,including it's host. At last, the time to serve papads came. He
served the whole papads to everyone but when it came to his earlier host, he deliberately
served him broken papad. The latter was a cultured gentleman. He had no misgivings in his
mind. After all papad had to be eaten in pieces. He accepted the broken pieces cheerfully.
It irritated the avenger. The cheerful attitude of the guest upset him for his purpose of
hurting the feelings of the guest were defeated. He had not been able to take his revenge.
Feeling piqued,he asked the guest,'How do you like the papad?' The guest replied,'I am
very happy to eat it.' The host said,'Perhaps you did not notice that the papad was
broken.' The guest responded,'It was very convenient since, I ha to eat it only in
pieces.' The host blurted out ,'Perhaps you have forgotten that you served me a broken
papad and I have avenged the insult.' The cultured guest said, 'Brother, I am sorry you
have been compelled to organize such a big party for a paltry reason. If only you had
expressed your objection then, I have served you a whole papad.
Determining the Ishta
How strange is the world of our emotions ! Our goal is to see the soul
that is absolutely pure and sacred. But it is an advanced stage. Long, dedicated practice
is needed to attain it. If a scientist could direct his lifelong research to the
revelation of its mysteries,he would immense good to mankind. Likewise, if a spiritual
practitioner could devote his entire life to its quest, he would benefit not only himself
but also the rest of the world. Unfortunately, the door leading to this quest is closed
and we find ourselves unable to gain access to it. There is only one way of transforming
the world of emotions, of inundating theself with endless joy and peace-determining
the Ishta or installing the centre of peace, (the hypothalamus) the image of
vitaraga or bliss, so that the course of the audayik stream (agitating the mind and
causing anger , hatred , jealousy, intolerance) of emotion block and the course of the
kshayopshamik stream is allowed a free and unhindered flow.
Two Glands
the forehead and its centre are very important. Near it are located two
glands, the pineal and the pituitary. Medical science has known much about the pituitary
gland, but its knowledge is still incomplete. Its physical aspect has been extensively
investigated, but the spiritual aspect has been very little worked upon. Still less work
has been done on the pineal. It is the seat of our intuition. Once the power of intuition
is awake, we are able to overcome, the struggles and conflicts of the world of emotions.
Sight : Insight
Once a blind men went to meet Jesus Christ. Jesus was a powerful man
and his inner or bio-power was highly developed. He took pity on the blind man and
restored his sight. A little later, when Jesus was going somewhere, he saw a young man
chasing a prostitute. He recognized the man since he was the one whose eyesight had been
restored He accosted the young man, 'You are the same person whose sight I restored. Why
are you indulging in such a vicious act? You seems to be still blind and dispite your
eyesight. The young man said, it is the resulty of shortcoming. You indeed gave me sight,
but you did no give me insight (intuition). If only I had been given insights also,
I would not have run after a prostitutes.'
Lights and Brakes
The location of intuition is the front portion of the brain.
concentrating on its balances our emotional flow. Development of intuition and
self-control are extremely important.
car was speeding past a crossroad where a traffic policeman was
standing. The latter gave the sign to stop the car. The driver said, 'why?' The policeman
said, 'Yours lights are not on'. The driver remarked,'Give way, it doesn't have brakes
either and you may as well be run over.'
A car without lights and brakes is extremely dangerous. Likewise, aman
having no control on his emotions is also very dangerous. The front of the brains is where
the brakes are. Infact, it has both, lights an brakes. We can increase self-control and
develop intuition by concentrating our attention on it. That is why during preksha
dhayan training, the seekers are asked to practise long deep breathing, kayotsarg
(relaxation) and perception of the centre of enlightenment (the pineal). It affects both
the pineal and the pituitary glands.
Points of confluence
The place where centre of peace is located is very important. Our
emotional stream is cleansed and refined by concentrating on it. A question that plagued
the minds of both philosophers and practitioners of yoga alike for a long time was
where the meeting point of the body and the soul or of the gross body and the subtle body
is. Where do they meet? Plato and other Greek philosophers said that the soul is in the
pineal gland. we would know that the meeting points of the two bodies-gross and sublet- is
the hypothalamus . Therefore it is vital to understand it. Brain scientist or
neuroscientists have done a lot of work on it, but still the information is inadequate.
Those who have done research on the human brain have hardly come to know some ten to
twenty per cent of its secrets. Most of its functions still remain unrevealed, because it
is an infinitely complex organ. In the language of the science of Karma it can be
said that there are as many innumerable points in the brain as there are centres of karma.
Acupressure reveals that there are reflex points of various organs including the
pituitary in our palms and soles.
Vigorous Effort and Guidance are Necessary
Concentration on the white colour at the Centre of Peace, installing
the image of the Ishta there, fixing the sacred white aural colour are extremely useful
means of rectifying or purifying the emotional flow or stream. One of the psychic centres
is the Centre of Wisdom (cerebral cortex). It has been called sahasrar chakra in the
language of Hath Yoga. Thousands of rays emanate from there. All these centres have been
given great importance in prekshadhyan. If we evaluate them and practise meditation on
them, we can overcome the inner conflict between the two emotional streams. All that is
needed is purusharth (vigorous efforts) and guidance of the guru. The emotions of a man
who is capable of vigorous efforts and who has access to guidance of a guru are always
pure and healthy
The purpose of work
It is not obligatory to work. What makes it obligatory is sits
necessity. We work as much as is necessary. Work in itself has no meaning. Man works
according to his needs. Work is dependent on the purpose in view. Once the purpose is
achieved the work comes to an end. There is a saying (Even a dull-witted man does not work
without a purpose). Purpose is important for any activity. What is our purpose? It is to
fulfill the basic needs of life- food, clothing, shelter, education, medical aid etc. Work
grows with the growth of needs.
Work is Skill
Industrial and business expansion has taken place in modern times.
Thousands of workers found work. With it arose the question of work proficiency. But
discussion about proficiency in working is nothing new. It existed in ancient times too.
What is, however, significant is the meaning we give to the word proficiency. Proficiency
in working harms physical health, it is not proper. Today, work and activities have
multiplied to the extent that physical health is being adversely affected. Even greater
harm is being caused to mental and emotional health. Proficiency is something which does
good but no harm. It should not be like an allopathic drug which cures one disease but in
the process gives birth to ten new ones. It should have no side effects or reactions
leading to a new disease. Skilled or efficient treatment cures the disease without
creating a new complication. Modern man is certainly more proficient in working, but the
increase in work proficiency has been accompanied by increased disorganization of the
mind.
Everything Within Limits
Indian thought has from time to time addressed itself to defining
limits to dharma (discharge of duty), artha (acquirement of wealth), kama (gratification)
and moksha (final emancipation)- the four basic aims of human existance. It has been said
that gratification which comes in the way of earing wealth is undesirable; acquiring
wealth which prevents grantification is also bad. Again, both artha and kama turn
degrading if they stand in the way of practising the discharge of duty and keeping
the soul pure.
Another Aspect
We shall have to consider many aspects while discussing skill or
proficiency. Does increase in proficiency affect health? Is it not giving rise to
increased mental deflection, craziness and insanity? If that is the case, it cannot be
called competence or proficiency. A nation may boast of developed working proficiency
leading to that nation's domination of the world market. So far so good. But look at
another aspect. The development and domination have been accompanied by an increase in
suicides and divorces besides increased mortality and widespread insomnia. Shall we
recognize it as a true increase in working proficiency? Things have to be balanced, so
that with the increase in working proficiency, there must be a simultaneous and
proportionate increase in physical and mental health.
The Concept of Development
Modern concept of development and working proficiency are simply
confined to material aspects. All other dimensions of the mind have been relegated to a
secondary position. In fact, mental awareness has lost almost all its value. No one minds
mental degradation. It is insisted that material development should have no bars. The
stress is on multi-story buildings, latest cars, speedier airplanes, spacecraft and
building cities in the oceans and in outer space. Development and proficiency are
increasing in all directions, but, alas, no attention is being paid to making a better
man. Today's man is anguished and perturbed beyond imagination. But it causes no concern.
If at all, one feels worried about it, one resorts to tranquilizers and other pills,
weakening the mental state all the more. Such a concept of development is difficult to
understand.
The Real Criterion is Emotional Health
Proficiency in work is not possible in the absence of emotional health.
There is no parameter whereby emotional health may be judged but it can be tested through
an individual's behaviour. Behaviourally, four criteria of emotional health can be laid
down peace of mind, polite behaviour, steady behaviour and contentment. We can assess
proficiency in work by observing the increase or decrease in the above four
characteristics. Is proficiency increasing mental unrest, is it obstructing polite
behaviour, is it agitating the mind or making it unsteady and is it making one conceited
and devious and insatiably greedy? If so, the so-called proficiency is counter-productive.
What, after all, is the purpose of proficiency? Everything is being
done to make man happy, but in reality, he is disintegrating. Our work and activities are
unavailing and meaningless. Therefore, the first definition of work proficiency is that it
does not obstruct, impede and adversely affect any other aspect of life.
Thinking, Deciding and Implementing
Let us consider the means of proficiency. For it a proper strategy of
work will have to be prepared. Whatever the work, it should be done in a planned
manner. Lenin gave a fine principle of work proficiency-there should be no hiatus between
deliberation, decision and its implementation. There should be harmony among all the
three. A thought comes today, a decision about it is taken a year thereafter and it is
implemented five years later-this should not happen. It has been called dirghasutrata in
Sanskrit literature. A Sanskrit tale illustrates it. A few scholars were invited to
dinner. They were served vermicelli. One of the scholars was reminded of the maxim (that
which is long and dilatory is destroyed). Since the vermicelli is long and not straight,
it should not be eaten. From it follows the conclusion that one who goes on thinking
without coming to a decision meets with total failure. Time takes a heavy toll in this
case.
Where has the milk Gone?
A cow's capacity to yield milk diminished. From five kilos it came down
to one kilo. The owner thought that there would be a marriage in the family in a month and
at that time some fifty kilos of milk would be needed. He thought of stopping milking the
cow so that on the occasion of the marriage, he could get full fifty kilos of milk from
out of the cow. He implemented his thought and stopped milking the cow. When the wedding
day came, he started milking it but not a drop came out. He wondered where all the milk
had gone. Obviously time had sucked it away.
Postpoining a piece of work instead of doing it at the right time
results in courting failure. Proficiency of work requires following two important
principles: There should not be long gaps between thinking, deciding and implementing, and
nothing should be done impetuously, with unthinking hastiness.
Developing Concentration.
If we look at the above matter in the context of prekshadhyan, the
first principle of proficiency of work is development of concentration. Infact the word
dhyan itself implies development of concentration.The second principle is freeing the mind
of all thoughts-attaining the state beyond the mind. First of all we should learn to stick
to a point, to get engrossed in the thing under consideration,todirect all mental energy
to the task in hand,to remove the gap between the work and the mind on the one hand and
between the work and the world of emotions on the other. Anger and conceit spoil the work.
Conscientious efforts with inner resolution should inform the work. Total dedication is a
pre requisite to proficiency of work.
An example of Dedication.
It relates to a slave bazaar in the Arab country. One of the customers asked
slave,' I want to buy you.Will you like to go with me?'
'Of course I will.'
'What work will you do?'
'Whatever you will you ask me to do?'
'Where will you stay?'
'Wherever you will like to keep me.'
'What will you eat?'
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