Twelve reflections (cintana-anupreksa)

[Full title: 12 types of attitudes or practice of Reflections or cintananupreksa]

Tattvarthasutra also prescribes twelve positive thoughts of contemplation designed with one-pointed mind to serve as an aid to spiritual progress leading to the path of renunciation. They are called as anupreksa or bhavana or chintananupreksha.^[1] These are reflections as meditation on transitoriness, helplessness, trans-migration, loneliness, distinctness, impurity, influx, stoppage, dissociation, the universe, rarity of enlighten-ment and the truth proclaimed by religion explained as under:

a) Anitya bhavana or anityanucintananupreksa:^[2] One has to meditate profoundly on Tirthankara’s words on impermanence of the world and all worldly things including our body. All these and places or genus where we are living are transitory, nothing is permanent and all is perishable and hence, we should not get attached to any of them. This practice is comparable with one of the meditative practices based on the same principle of non-permanency in Buddhism which is also called as “Anitya Bhavna”.

b) Asarana Bhavana (Asaranucintananupreksa): Asarana means unsheltered, helpless. Meditate on thought that no one else is going to give us protection, shelter and nobody can share my pains and sufferings except the ultimate. I have to experience all myself. So, surrender to him. At the time of death, we become helpless as nobody can save us. No worldly things can provide refuge so why should we depend upon them.

c) Samsara Bhavana: Samsaranucintananupreksa means contemplating on worldly order. Meditate on thought that there is no permanent relationship with anyone in this universe. During the cycle of birth and death, any friend becomes enemy and vice versa. Our own people, samsarik mother, sister keep on changing, sometimes in the same cycle too. So, we should not have any attachment for any type of relationship. We should make attempts to attain permanent happiness.

d) Ekatva Bhavana: Ekatattvanicintananupreksa is contemplation on solitude of the soul. e.g. “I am alone, was born alone will die alone, am sick alone, am going to suffer alone. I have to experience the karmas, which I have acquired alone.” This meditation can free us from sense of attachment and accelerate towards liberation.

e) Anyatva Bhavana: Anyatvanucintananupreksa means the otherness, different from everything else. Think and realize that this body is separate from the soul. Realize that this body, wealth and family are not mine and different from me.

f) Asuci Bhavana: Asucicintananupreksa is contemplation on contents and components of our body. Actually, they are in no way adorable or pleasing. This body is made up of and is producing lots of impurities is the thought which minimizes our attachment towards it.

g) Asrava Bhavana: Asravanucintananupreksa is to become aware of influx of karmas and their consequences. All sources and causes that create the inflow of karmas should be discarded. Sensual desires bring lots of bad karmas. We come to know by this contemplation that every indulgence in the sense objects leads to Asrava. The root cause of all miseries is relation of soul with karma pudgals, so get detached. Minimise and stop accumulation of karmas.

h) Samvara Bhavana: Samvaranucintananupreksa is to meditate on wishful implementation of all mahavruttas, to appreciate all great souls and try to adopt those characteristics that they lived. Above reflection on Asrava leads us to contemplate on stoppage of influx karmas and various methods thereof. One should carry out those activities including contemplation on Samiti, Gupti, Yati and dharma mentioned earlier which reduce or block new bondages of karma.

i) Nirjara Bhavana: Nirjaranucintananupreksa burns all karmas giving faster results. Make efforts for “sakama nirjara” and automatic arousal of good karma or experiencing fruits of all karma is “akama nirjara”. Contemplate on shedding of accumulated karma, and various spiritual practices for destroying them. One must contemplate on twelve kinds of austerities, peacefully bearing the hardships and discomforts that one may come across by virtue of karma without grumbling.

j) Loka Bhavana: Lokanucintananupreksa is to know about self, universe or their interdependency. Loka means cosmos (vishvaracana), which is made up of pamchastikay. Meditate on transitoriness of this universe, on three Lokas, namely the Upper world, the middle and the lower world filled with souls and pudgalas. It improves metaphysical knowledge and philosophy.

k) Bodhi-durlabha Bhavana: Bodhidurlabhanuchintananupreksa is to meditate on this birth and its uniqueness. It also includes thoughts of repentance about unattainability of the right faith, right knowledge and right conduct. One must contemplate on how difficult it is for the souls that are wandering aimlessly in the four stages of existence in this vicious cycle, where there is a rare chance of right guidance and enlightenment.

l) Dharma Bhavana: Dharmanuchintananupreksa is to meditate on our true religion, duties and aim of the life. Thoughts of repentance about unattainability of true preceptor, scripture and religion and appreciate the omniscient who has expounded an excellent srta Dharma and Caritra Dharma. Thus, adoring the spiritual aspects laid by Tirthankaras amounts to attitude called as Dharma-svakhyatattvanupreksha. This helps to stay firm on the spiritual path.

These states of mind and this attitude teach us to utilize the spiritual knowledge in developing and expanding one’s own soul. It inspires to purify and develop the inner soul. Apart from these twelve reflections, there are four more additional reflections that represent the positive means of supporting the five vows. They play very important role in the day-to-day life of a householder as they are intended to develop purity of thoughts and sincerity in the practice of religion. They can be practiced very easily to attain the right sentiments. They are maitri (amity), pramod (appreciation), karuna (compassion) and madhyastha (equanimity)^[3].

Maitri Bhavana is contemplation of friendship. Lord Mahavira’s philosophy is cultivating friendliness towards all living beings and adores the virtuous which brings love and respect to others. Result of this meditation is removal of harsh thoughts, words and actions which will hurt others. It leads to a supportive, tolerant, caring and forgiving attitude.

Pramod Bhavana is admiring the success of our friends or others including spiritual leaders. Friendship combined with admiration, destroys jealousy. At the end, negative impulses get turned into positive ones resulting into peace. By appreciating the virtues of others, we develop that virtue.

Karuna Bhavana is expressing compassion towards weak, helpless, addicted with vices, poor and people in distress instead of disgust or hate. We can show such people the right path with patience, tolerance and forgiveness. Thus, we can avoid accumulating bad karmas for us as well as for them.

Madhyastha Bhavana is remaining in equanimity, instead of provoking turmoil in our mind when situation does not work out favorably or somebody behaves abnormally causing terrorism in the society. Instead of being disappointed, angry or getting disturbed, try to be calm thinking that you have done your best to resolve the situation. Develop objectivity towards the inveterate. It is not in our hand to change others, so change our own approach, attitude and neglect reaction of others.

Thus, we can avoid influx of bad karma and live peacefully in the worldly life by developing friendship with all living beings, admiring their success, holding their hands when they are in distress, and leaving them alone at the times when they do not understand what is right or wrong. One should continue contemplating on these attitudes or bhavana till it becomes the natural way of life to observe them.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

anityaśaraṇa saṃsāraikatvānyatvāśucyāsravasaṃvara nirjarā lokabodhi durlabha dharmasvākhyātattvānucintanamanuprekṣāḥ | Tattvartha-sutra 9.7

[2]:

Amarmuni, Acharamgasutra, sutra-400, p. 557

[3]:

maitrīpramoda kāruṇyamādhyasthyāni ca sattvaguṇādhikakliśyamānāvinayeṣu | Tattvartha-sutra 7.11