Jain Agams state, ‘Je egam janai, se savvam janai’ – the one who knows his soul, knows everyone. This Selfrealisation is the biggest achievement of life.
And who can attain ist? Self-realisation is possible for the person, whose mind, which is like water, does not have any ripples due to the mental waves of his likes and dislikes. Man wants to realise the Self, but until the emotions of attachment and aversion are overcome, this cannot happen.
Self-realisation can be easy as well as tough. It is easy because it happens as soon as the feelings of attachment and aversion are relinquished. It is difficult because it is not so simple to separate one’s self from attachment and aversion. Self-realisation calls for hard work, practising of austerity and purifying of the mind to attain the state of thoughtless mind. Acurious disciple once asked his guru, ‘Master! How can I become free from attachment and aversion?’ The guru replied, ‘You need to practise living in the natural state of consciousness.’ Here being in the natural state of consciousness means to know only and to observe only.
Gurudev Tulsi would say: ‘There is one home in which one can stay forever, but difficult to stay. That home is our soul.’ Acharya Mahapragya underscored this by saying, ‘Stay inside, live outside.’ Jain Agam states: ‘Sampikkhae appagamappaenam’ – see your ‘self’ through your ‘self’. The natural function of the eyes is to perceive the physical world, but we need to practise seeing inside the self, meaning, perceive our Self and move towards Self-realisation.
Gurudev Tulsi and Acharya Mahapragya have propounded a technique of meditation for Self-realisation known as Preksha Meditation. Meditation brings a paradigm shift from instability to stability, from the external to the internal, from activity to non-activity. The person moves from unrestraint to self-control and from darkness to light.
Many people overcome their problems through the practice of meditation and evolve spiritually.
There are two types of people: One who lives in the world outside of himself and uses material objects to achieve a false sense of personal fulfilment, and the second kind, who lives within one’s Self and consumes material objects only to fulfil basic needs.
Someone has said it right, intoxicants make the mind or psyche delusional. People engrossed in sensory pleasures like taste, touch, sight, sound and smell are constantly on the lookout for ways to fulfil these desires. They crave different foods, fragrances and vistas. It is natural for people to be delighted when their sensual desires are realised, but such joy is temporary since the next craving may already be sprouting. Such pleasures cannot bring true happiness; it comes only from the satisfaction of giving up or resisting things one typically yearns. Curbing desires also imparts the strength needed to gain control over mind and body.
This slow yet steady process can lead to a state where one recognises the true Self, despite the usual worldly distractions. We need to use worldly things with detachment, develop the state of an observer, purify the mind, and try to live a life free from attachment and aversion. If this is achieved, Self-realisation becomes possible. Let’s make the best use of our time – for, Self-realisation is possible in human life only.
The writer is the 11th Acharya of Terapanth Jains
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