Preksha meditation: History and Methods
by Samani Pratibha Pragya | 2016 | 111,074 words
This page relates ‘Colour-Visualisation of the Tirthankara’ of study dealing with Preksha-Dhyana: a meditation technique created by Acharya Shri Mahapragya (Acarya Mahaprajna) in the late twentieth century. It synthesizes ancient Jain ascetic methods, ritualistic practices, and modern scientific insights, appealing to a global audience. The thesis explores its historical context, theoretical foundations, and the rise of contemporary Jain meditation systems.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
3.1.2. Colour-Visualisation of the Tīrthaṅkara
[Full title: Jayācārya’s Meditation (1) Baḍā-Dhyāna (Long Meditation) (2) Colour-Visualisation of the Tīrthaṅkara]
Meditation on the tīrthaṅkaras is a traditional practice in Jainism being a part of the Āvaśyaka-sūtra, obligatory for ascetics and laity to some degree. This meditation on the Caturviṃśatistava (Logassa)[1] is a concentration on words, and not visual form. Jayācārya’s visualisation of the twenty-four tīrthaṅkaras in various colours appears to be an interiorisation of the popular tradition of seeing the image (darśana). This type of practice falls under the category of meditation on form (rupastha-dhyāna). Each tīrthaṅkara has their own colour used in various worship (pūjā) rituals. It is the basis for the development of meditation on subtle colours or auras (leśyā-dhyāna) in prekṣā-dhyāna (see chapter 4). Jayācārya described the five colours of the tīrthaṅkaras[2] in his work Caubisī.[3] The purpose and method of such visualisation is to focus on visible colours to enable ‘seeing’ and ‘purifying’ the non-visible subtle body and the self.
The colours of the tīrthaṅkara are found in Hemacandra’s work, the Abhidhāna-cintāmaṇi[4] (Abhidhāna-cintāmaṇi, 1.49). The colour of Mahāvīra as per Hemacandra is gold which does not match the colour ascribed in the Digambara tradition. Jaini (1978: 35) pointing to Ravisena’s Padmapurāṇa mentions that Mahāvīra shone like a crystal in Samavasaraṇa. Bronkhorst (1993:11), comparing the Jaina and Buddhist traditions, descibes the Buddha in golden colour. This also reveals that tīrthaṅkaras and Buddha have been identified with colours, though specification of colours does not seem to exist unless the explanation is symbolic. Ellen Gough (2010)[5] in her research has brought to light this issue of colour dispute between Digambara and Śvetāmbara traditions. The reasoning behind the different colours of all the tīrthaṅkaras also remains unresolved.
The image of the assembly hall where the tīrthaṅkara delivers his sermon (samavasaraṇa) is another way of visualising the environment in which the tīrthaṅkara is present. It can be visualised or imagined in a pictorial way as though one can feel the presence of a tīrthaṅkara (Jayācārya, 1997a: 81).
Jayācārya describes this practice in the following way:
Thereafter meditate on the ford makers (tīrthaṅkaras). Whichever body colour the twenty-four tīrthaṅkara were, visualise them with those colours. Where you sit leave a distance of two, three or four arm’s length and establish the tīrthaṅkara. Imagine that the Lord is sitting here. He is in a stable posture. From the five colours (black, blue, yellow, red or white), visualise whichever colour your mind chooses. Knowing (as if) the tīrthaṅkara deva is sitting in this colour, and I am meditating upon Him. Śrī tīrthaṅkara deva was this colour. He lived for many years at home. After initiation he bore many hardships…[6]
Meditation upon the tīrthaṅkaras is an important exercise for the theory of transference of qualities (guṇa-sankramaṇa). The meditator can begin to mimic the qualities of tīrthaṅkaras through the technique of visualisation. The idea is that with repeated practice over a long period, it is possible to achieve what one wishes or focuses upon.
Jayācārya elucidates the concept of the preaching assembly of the ford makers (samavasaraṇa) description was parallel to the concepts of aṣṭa-prātihārya in the Āvaśyaka-niryukti (Āvaśyaka-niryukti2, 362.1).[7]
The Lord seems as if he is sitting on a throne of snow rock crystal. Above his head are three parasols (tri-chatra) and an aśoka tree. Flanked by him are flywhisks, divine kettledrums, a halo and religious wheel to adorn him. Ahead of him is the finery of the four-fold congregation. There, the heads of the Demi Gods and Goddesses, men and women are gathered and seated. They look upon him, transfixed they become ecstatic.[8]
The tīrthaṅkaras were engrossed in extremely pure meditation for long durations in stable postures and stopped the movements of mind, body and speech. They were performing the highest level of penance and in their meditation posture achieved perfection and attained omniscient knowledge. A tīrthaṅkara is considered to be endowed with infinite knowledge, perception and conduct. His modes and qualities of conduct are held to be extremely pure. He is assumed to know and perceive all of the substances of the cosmic space (loka) and super-cosmic space (aloka) with his infinite knowledge (Jayācārya, 1997a: 81–2). These reflections refer to the description found in texts like Samavāyāṅga such as thirty–five verbal superhuman magnificence (vacanātiśaya) (Samavāyāṅga-sūtra, 34; Abhidhāna-cintāmaṇi, 1.65-71), thirty-four special qualities (atiśaya) (Samavāyāṅga-sūtra, 34-35; Abhidhāna-cintāmaṇi, 1.65-71) and other qualities of the tīrthaṅkaras.
Jayācārya summarises this description in the following way:
His dripping nectar like voice is enlightening. It is the exceedingly loving voice of the Lord. The ocean of ambrosia water is sweet but the voice of the Lord is sweeter, it contains the thirty-four supreme qualities (atiśaya). The tīrthaṅkara is as pure as the moon, is like an earthen lamp light illuminating. He is like the ocean deep and carries its stillness. He crosses the worldly ocean and enables others to cross. He is the great shepherd man (gopāla). Apart from that there are numerous other qualities that he has. As the meditation becomes purer, more qualities appear and as more qualities are praised the meditation becomes purer. Thereafter whichever colour was contemplated that colour begins to appear; it is as if the tīrthaṅkara has taken seat at this location. This type of omniscient God (arahant-deva) having destroyed all his karmas becomes a liberated soul (siddha).[9]
Visualisation extends to the physical environment of the tīrthaṅkara, his physical body, physical suffering, etc. This is done as a means of developing one’s imagination in a way that enables clear, discriminating perception of the nature of things, in particular, differences between the inner and outer worlds, and the importance of turning inwards only once the outer world has been mastered.
Jayācārya’s meditation presents a deep devotion, which is based on the description of the tīrthaṅkara’s hagiography from the later developed canons. He incorporates the technique of visualisation and colour, which are well-known tantric elements. He does not present this meditation as a worship (pūjā) ritual, but creates an environment of tīrthaṅkara’s presence.
Visualisation of the tīrthaṅkara’s physical appearance, physical struggles, environment, etc. relies on historical evidence, especially from canonical literature, and is recommended as a means of turning and focusing the mind (manas) inwards. Although key tantric elements are incorporated in the visualisation of the images of tīrthaṅkaras such as the use of colour meditation, and the employment of mantras like so’haṃ, these techniques serve as a means of imagining and aligning one’s own nature with regard to thought, speech, and bodily appearance to be the same as that of the enlightened ones (arhat), something which is the goal of every Jaina seeker who follows the path of liberation. This clarifies that some of the elements such as colours of tīrthaṅkara, meditation on middle point of eyebrow of Jayācārya’s meditation remained rooted in traditional Jaina literature.[10]
The colour meditation undertaken by Jayācārya seems to be merely an expanded form of the canonical and post-canonical literature description of analytic meditative practice (dharma-dhyāna). One of the four analytical meditation (dharma-dhyāna) is based upon the cosmos and its content (saṃsthāna-vicaya) (Tattvārtha-sūtra1, 9.37). A detailed visualisation process is presented by Śubhacandra in Jñānārṇava (Jñā, 34.1), where meditation on the form of arhat is rūpastha-dhyāna. Visualisation is embedded within the colours and forms. Jayācārya’s effort to explicate the traditional philosophical ideas of vicaya dhyāna, renders a detailed illustration of color meditation. Jayācārya asks one to visualise the colour of ones own choice and to accordingly choose the tīrthaṅkara relating to that colour. He emphasises the importance of selecting colours that are appealing to oneself, rather than merely having a devotion to any specific tīrthaṅkara. Colour visualisation of Jayācārya and the notion of leśyā serves as the seed for Mahāprajña’s leśyā-dhyāna (see chapter 4).
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
A eulogy of twenty-four Tirthaṅkara being a part of Pratikramaṇa ritual or āvaśyaka-sūtra.
[2]:
[3]:
[4]:
Abhidhāna-cintāmaṇi, 1.49.
[5]:
In her article ‘Shades of Enlightenment: A Jain Tantric Diagram and the Colours of the tīrthaṅkaras,’ Ellen Gough (2010) discusses the debate between the Śvetāmbaras and Digambaras concerning the colours of the tīrthaṅkaras. However, her study is restricted to sectarian debates and there is no reference to the practice of visualisation upon the tīrthaṅkaras during meditation.
[6]:
Jayācārya, (n.d./1997a: 81, Prayoga-2) raṅga sahita tīthaṅkara rai dhāyan rā prayoga: tivārai pachai tīrthaṅkara noṃ dhayān karaṇo | caubīsa tīrthaṅkara je raṅge thayā te tīrthaṅkara raṅga sahita ciṅtavaṇā | āpa baitho tiṇa āgai do hātha tīna hātha yā cāra hātha rai āṅtarai tīrthṅkara nai thāpaṇā | jāṇai iṇa ṭhikāṇai śrī bhagavaṇṭa virājyā chai | thira āsaṇe chai. Kālo nīlo pīlo rāto tathā dhavalo ai pāṇcūī raṅga māṃhai āparo mana hovai soī raṅga rī cintavaṇā karaṇī | jāṇai iṇa raṅge tīrthṅkaradeva virājyā chai, so hūṃ piṇa uṅāro ija dhyāna dhyāvūṃ chūṃ |śrī tīrthaṅkara deva ise raṅge huṅtā | so ghaṇā varsāṃ tāi to ghara meṃ rahyā. Pachai dikhyā lai nai, ghaṇā parisaha sahī nai…
[7]:
[8]:
Jayācārya, (n.d./1997a: 81, Prayoga-2) te bhagavān jāṇai phaṭika siṅghāsaṇa ūpara virājamāna chai | mastaka ūpara tīna chatra asoga vṛkṣa chai | pāsai cāmara, devadundabhī, bhāmaṇḍala, dharmacakre karī sobha rahyā chai | mukha āgala cyāra tīrtha rā thāṭa chai | jihāṃ indra-indrāṇī, deva, nara-nāryāṃ rī paraṣadā baiṭhī chai | te bhagavaṅta nai dekhai chai, dekha dekha nai harṣe chai |
[9]:
Jayācārya, (n.d./1997a: 82, Prayoga-2) imaratadārā vāṇī prakāsa karai chai | atyaṅta vallabha bhagavān rī vāṇī chai | mīṭho khīra samudra no pāṇī te thī piṇa bhagavān rī vāṇī ghaṇī mīṭhī chai | paintīsa guṇe karī sahita chai | te bhagavāna caṅdra jisā niramala, dīpaka jyūṃ udyota rā karaṇahāra chai | samudra samāna gambhīra chai | āpa tarai chai, aurāṃ nai tārai chai | mhā guvāla purasa chai | iṇa rīte aura aneka guṇa chai | dhyāna niramala caḍhai jarai guṇa ghaṇāṃ pragaṭa thāya anai ghaṇā guṇagāna karai tivārai dhyāna niramala caḍhai | tivārai jehavo raṅga ciṅtavai tehavoī dīsaṇa lāga jāvai, nai ima jāṇai śrī bhagavaṅta ija iṇa ṭhikāṇai virājyā chai| īsā arihaṅta deva sarva karma khapāya nai siddha thayā|
[10]:
As we found in Hemacandra and Śubhacandra’s works.