Jainism considers meditation ("dhyana") a necessary practice, but its goals are very different from those in Buddhism and Hinduism. In Jainism, meditation is concerned more with stopping karmic attachments and activity, not as a means to transformational insights or self-realization in other Indian religions. According to Padmanabh Jaini, "Sāmāyika" is a practice of "brief periods in meditation" in Jainism that is a part of "siksavrata" (ritual restraint). The goal of "Sāmāyika" is to achieve equanimity, and it is the second "siksavrata". The "samayika" ritual is practiced at least three times a day by mendicants, while a layperson includes it with other ritual practices such as "Puja" in a Jain temple and doing charity work.
Meditation
Jainism
Jainism | Meditation
Yes, they do. Yes, They consider meditation ("dhyana") a necessary practice. Yes, it is considered as a necessary practice. Yes, Jainism considers meditation ("dhyana") a necessary practice.
which of the following is not among the practices of jainism
user
Violence, attachment, sensual pleasures, lie and possessiveness are some of them.
assistant
and which are the practices?
user
Jains take five main vows: “ahiṃsā”, “satya”, “asteya”, “brahmacharya” and “aparigraha".
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when did jainism begin?
user
Historians date it to 8th or 7th century BCE.
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who is the leader?
user
Rishabhanatha
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what are the beliefs?
user
It is transtheistic and forecasts that the universe evolves without violating the law of substance dualism, auto executed through the middle ground between the principles of parallelism and interactionism.
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do jains fast?
user
They fast particularly during festivals and it is  practiced according to one's ability.
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what food do they eat?
user
The practice of non-violence towards all living beings has led to them to follow vegetarian diet.
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and what are they not allowed to eat?
user
Eggs, root vegetables such as potatoes, onions, and garlic are some of the food avoided.
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which symbols are used by them?
user
"Swastika", "Om" and "Ashtamangala".
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which symbols are used by them?
user
"Swastika", "Om" and "Ashtamangala".
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do they have any pilgrimages?
user
Yes, they do. "Nagarparkar" located at Pakistan  is one of them.
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do they practice meditation?
user
Jain "Tirtha" (pilgrim) sites are divided into the following categories: Outside contemporary India, Jain communities built temples in locations such as Nagarparkar, Sindh (Pakistan). However, according to a UNESCO tentative world heritage site application, Nagarparkar was not a "major religious centre or a place of pilgrimage" for Jainism, but it was once an important cultural landscape before "the last remaining Jain community left the area in 1947 at Partition".
Jainism | Pilgrimages
According to Johnson, as well as Jaini, "samayika" connotes more than meditation, and for a Jain householder is the voluntary ritual practice of "assuming temporary ascetic status".
Jainism | Meditation
Jainism considers meditation ("dhyana") a necessary practice, but its goals are very different from those in Buddhism and Hinduism. In Jainism, meditation is concerned more with stopping karmic attachments and activity, not as a means to transformational insights or self-realization in other Indian religions. According to Padmanabh Jaini, "Sāmāyika" is a practice of "brief periods in meditation" in Jainism that is a part of "siksavrata" (ritual restraint). The goal of "Sāmāyika" is to achieve equanimity, and it is the second "siksavrata". The "samayika" ritual is practiced at least three times a day by mendicants, while a layperson includes it with other ritual practices such as "Puja" in a Jain temple and doing charity work.
Jainism | Meditation
Jains believe all twenty-four Tirthankaras (such as Rishabhanatha) practiced deep meditation, some for years, some for months and attained enlightenment. All the statues and pictures of Tirthankaras primarily show them in meditative postures. Jain tradition believes that meditation derives from Rishabhanatha, the first tirthankara. Some scholars have pointed to evidence from Mohenjodaro and Harappa (such as the pashupati seal) as proof that a pre vedic sramanic meditation tradition is very old in ancient India. However, Sagarmal Jain states that it is very difficult to extract the pre-canonical method of Jain meditation from the earliest sources. The earliest mention of yogic practices appear in early Jain canonical texts like the Acaranga, Sutrakritanga and Rsibhasita.
Jain meditation | Pre-canonical
Jain meditation is also referred as Sāmāyika. A form of this which includes a strong component of scripture study (Svādhyāya) is mainly promoted by the more conservative Digambara tradition of Jainism. The word "Sāmāyika" means being in the moment of continuous real-time. This act of being conscious of the continual renewal of the universe in general and one's own renewal of the individual living being ("Jiva") in particular is the critical first step in the journey towards identification with one's true nature, called the "Atman". It is also a method by which one can develop an attitude of harmony and respect towards other humans, animals and Nature.
Jain meditation | Introduction
This has led certain Indologists like Prof. Robert J. Zydenbos to call Jainism, essentially, a system of yogic thinking that grew into a full-fledged religion. The five yamas or the constraints of the "Yoga Sutras of Patanjali" bear a resemblance to the five major vows of Jainism, indicating a history of strong cross-fertilization between these traditions.
Jain meditation | Post-canonical
The Acaranga for example, mentions Trāṭaka (fixed gaze) meditation, Preksha meditation (self-awareness) and Kayotsarga ("‘kāyaṃ vosajjamaṇgāre’", giving up the body). The Acaranga also mentions the tapas practice of standing in the heat of the sun (ātāpanā). The Acaranga sutra, one of the oldest Jain texts, describes the solitary ascetic meditation of Mahavira before attaining Kevala Jnana as follows:Giving up the company of all householders whomsoever, he meditated. Asked, he gave no answer; he went, and did not transgress the right path. (AS 312) In these places was the wise Sramana for thirteen long years; he meditated day and night, exerting himself, undisturbed, strenuously.
Jain meditation | Pre-canonical
Jain meditation and spiritual practices system were referred to as salvation-path. It has three parts called the "Ratnatraya" "Three Jewels": right perception and faith, right knowledge and right conduct. Meditation in Jainism aims at realizing the self, attaining salvation, and taking the soul to complete freedom. It aims to reach and to remain in the pure state of soul which is believed to be pure consciousness, beyond any attachment or aversion. The practitioner strives to be just a knower-seer (Gyata-Drashta). Jain meditation can be broadly categorized to "Dharmya Dhyana" and "Shukla Dhyana". Jainism uses meditation techniques such as "pindāstha-dhyāna, padāstha-dhyāna, rūpāstha-dhyāna, rūpātita-dhyāna, and savīrya-dhyāna".
Meditation | Jainism
The "Uttarādhyayana-sūtra" "offers a systematic presentation of four types of meditative practices such as: meditation (dhyāna), abandonment of the body (kāyotsarga), contemplation (anuprekṣā), and reflection (bhāvanā)." Pragya argues that "we can conclude that Mahāvīra’s method of meditation consisted of perception and concentration in isolated places, concentration that sought to be unaffected by physical surroundings as well as emotions." Pragya also notes that fasting was an important practice done alongside meditation. The intense meditation described in these texts "is an activity that leads to a state of motionlessness, which is a state of inactivity of body, speech and mind, essential for eliminating karma." The "Uttarādhyayana-sūtra" also describes the practice of contemplation (anuprekṣā).
Jain meditation | Pre-canonical
The mind tends to enjoy this at the cost of the soul as well as the body. "Pratyāhāra" is obtained by focusing the mind on one point for the purpose of receiving impulses: on the eyes, ears, tip of the nose, the brow, the navel, the head, the heart or the palate.
Jain meditation | Techniques
These three ways are:- In performing "sāmayika" the "śrāvaka" has to stand facing north or east and bow to the "Pañca-Parameṣṭhi". He then sit down and recites the Namokara mantra a certain number of times, and finally devotes himself to holy meditation. This consists in: "Sāmayika" can be performed anywhere- a temple, private residence, forest and the like. But the place shouldn't be open to disturbance. According to the Jain text, Ratnakaranda śrāvakācāra, while performing "sāmayika", one should meditate on:
Jain meditation | For householders
This practice of self study (reciting scriptures and thinking about the meaning) is included in the practice of equanimity (sāmāyika) which is the spiritual practice emphasized by 20th century Digambara sects. The Digambara Jain scholar Kundakunda, in his "Pravacanasara" states that a Jain mendicant should meditate on "I, the pure self". Anyone who considers his body or possessions as "I am this, this is mine" is on the wrong road, while one who meditates, thinking the antithesis and "I am not others, they are not mine, I am one knowledge" is on the right road to meditating on the "soul, the pure self".
Jain meditation | Modern history
The two major traditions of meditative practice in pre-Buddhist India were the Jain ascetic practices and the various Vedic Brahmanical practices. There is still much debate in Buddhist studies regarding how much influence these two traditions had on the development of early Buddhist meditation. The early Buddhist texts mention that Gautama trained under two teachers known as Āḷāra Kālāma and Uddaka Rāmaputta, both of them taught formless jhanas or mental absorptions, a key practice of proper Buddhist meditation. Alexander Wynne considers these figures historical persons associated with the doctrines of the early Upanishads. Other practices which the Buddha undertook have been associated with the Jain ascetic tradition by the Indologist Johannes Bronkhorst including extreme fasting and a forceful "meditation without breathing".
Buddhist meditation | Pre-Buddhist India
Jain meditation ("dhyāna") has been the central practice of spirituality in Jainism along with the Three Jewels. Jainism holds that emancipation can only be achieved through meditation or "Shukla Dhyana." According to Sagarmal Jain, it aims to reach and remain in a state of "pure-self awareness or knowership." Meditation is also seen as realizing the self, taking the soul to complete freedom, beyond any craving, aversion and/or attachment. The practitioner strives to be just a knower-seer ("Gyata-Drashta"). Jain meditation can be broadly categorized to the auspicious ("Dharmya Dhyana" and "Shukla Dhyana") and inauspicious ("Artta" and "Raudra Dhyana"). The 20th century saw the development and spread of new modernist forms of Jain "Dhyana," mainly by monks and laypersons of Śvētāmbara Jainism.
Jain meditation | Introduction
Sagarmal Jain divides the history of Jaina yoga and meditation into five stages, 1. pre-canonical (before sixth century BCE), 2. canonical age (fifth century BCE to fifth century CE), 3. post-canonical (sixth century CE to twelfth century CE), age of tantra and rituals (thirteenth to nineteenth century CE), modern age (20th century on). The main change in the canonical era was that Jain meditation became influenced by Hindu Yogic traditions. Meditation in early Jain literature is a form of austerity and ascetic practice in Jainism, while in the late medieval era the practice adopted ideas from other Indian traditions. According to Paul Dundas, this lack of meditative practices in early Jain texts may be because substantial portions of ancient Jain texts were lost.
Jain meditation | Ancient history
Despite the innovations, the meditation system it is said is firmly grounded in the classic Jain metaphysical mind body dualism in which the self (jiva, characterized by consciousness, "cetana" which consists of knowledge, "jñāna" and intuition, "darśana") is covered over by subtle and gross bodies.
Jain meditation | Terāpanth "prekṣā-dhyāna"
Jains believe meditation has been a core spiritual practice since the teaching of the Tirthankara, Rishabha. All the twenty-four Tirthankaras practiced deep meditation and attained enlightenment. They are all shown in meditative postures in images and idols. Mahavira practiced deep meditation for twelve years and attained enlightenment. The Acaranga Sutra dating to 500 BCE, addresses the meditation system of Jainism in detail. Acharya Bhadrabahu of the 4th century BCE practiced deep "Mahaprana" meditation for twelve years. Kundakunda of 1st century BCE, opened new dimensions of meditation in Jain tradition through his books such as "Samayasāra" and "Pravachansar". The 8th century Jain philosopher Haribhadra also contributed to the development of Jain yoga through his Yogadṛṣṭisamuccaya, which compares and analyzes various systems of yoga, including Hindu, Buddhist and Jain systems.
Jain meditation | Introduction
In this era, the Jain canon was recorded and Jain philosophy systematized. It is clear that Jain meditation and samadhi continued to evolve and to be practiced after the death of Mahavira by figures such as Acharya Bhadrabahu and Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of Maurya Empire who became a Jain monk in old age and a student of Bhadrabahu. It describes Mahavira as practicing intense austerities, fasts (most commonly three days long, as extreme as six months of fasting) and meditations. In one instance he practiced standing meditation for sixteen days and nights. He did this by facing each of the four directions for a period of time, and then turning to face the intermediate directions as well as above and below.
Jain meditation | Canonical
In "padāstha dhyāna" one focuses on a mantra. A mantra could be either a combination of core letters or words on deity or themes. There is a rich tradition of Mantra in Jainism. All Jain followers irrespective of their sect, whether Digambara or Svetambara, practice mantra. Mantra chanting is an important part of daily lives of Jain monks and followers. Mantra chanting can be done either loudly or silently in mind. Contemplation is a very old and important meditation technique. The practitioner meditates deeply on subtle facts. In "agnya vichāya", one contemplates on seven facts – life and non-life, the inflow, bondage, stoppage and removal of "karmas", and the final accomplishment of liberation.
Meditation | Jainism
This period also sees the elucidation of the practice of contemplation (anuprekṣā) by Kundakunda's "Vārassa-aṇuvekkhā" or “Twelve Contemplations” (c. 1st century BCE to 1st century CE). These twelve forms of reflection ("bhāvanā") aid in the stopping of the influx of karmas that extend transmigration. These twelve reflections are: In his "Niyamasara", Acarya Kundakunda, also describes "yoga bhakti"—devotion to the path to liberation—as the highest form of devotion.
Jain meditation | Canonical
Between 1888 and 1893, Narendranath travelled all over India as a "Parivrajaka Sadhu", a wandering monk, and visited many states and holy sites. During his tours he always wanted to live in secluded locations where he could stay alone and concentrate on meditation. During these lonely years, he reportedly gained inspiration from the words of Gautama Buddha— Go forward without a path, Fearing nothing, caring for nothing! Wandering alone, like the rhinoceros! Even as a lion, not trembling at noises, Even as the wind, not caught in the net, Even as the lotus leaf, untainted by water, Do thou wander alone, like the rhinoceros! Once when Narendra was meditating under a peepul tree in the Himalayas, he realized the oneness of man and all other objects in the universe and that man was just a miniature of the whole universe, i.e., the human life follows the same rules as applicable for the whole universe.
Swami Vivekananda and meditation | Meditation during the Wandering years
Citrabhānu (b. 1922) was a Jain monk who moved to the West in 1971, and founded the first Jain meditation center in the world, the Jaina Meditation International Centre in New York City. He eventually married and became a lay teacher of a new system called "Jain meditation" (JM), on which he wrote various books. The core of his system consists of three steps (tripadī): 1. who am I? (kohum), 2. I am not that (nahum) (not non-self), 3. I am that (sohum) (I am the self). He also makes use of classic Jain meditations such as the twelve reflections (thought taught in a more optimistic, modern way), Jaina mantras, meditation on the seven chakras, as well as Hatha Yoga techniques.
Jain meditation | Other traditions
According to the early texts, the Buddha rejected the more extreme Jain ascetic practices in favor of the middle way.
Buddhist meditation | Pre-Buddhist India
This is one of the most holy and revered sites for the Jain community. They call it Sammed Sikhar. It is a major pilgrimage site. Out of 24 Thirthankaras of Jains, 20 got nirvana on Parshvnatha Hills. On the mountain, there are the Shikharji Jain temples, an important tirthakshetra or Jain pilgrimage site.. For each Tirthankara there is a shrine (gumti or Tonk) on the hill. Some of the temples on the hill are believed to be more than 2,000 years old. However, although the place was inhabited since ancient times, the temples may be of more recent origin.
Parasnath | Jain Heritage
Parasnath Hill, with a height of 1,350 metres (4,430 ft)), is the highest mountain in the state of Jharkhand. The number of Tirthankars who attained nirvana at Shri Sammet Shikharji is 20. For each of them there is a shrine on the hill. The hill is also known as Parasnath, a name derived from Parshva, the 23rd Tirthankara who attained Nirvana there. The present temple is not very old, although the idol in the main temple is ancient. The Sanskrit inscriptions at the foot of the images indicate that they were installed in the temple in 1678 AD.
List of religious sites | Jainism
The ascetic has to perform the "sāmāyika" three times a day. Champat Rai Jain in his book, "The Key of Knowledge" wrote:
Jain meditation | For ascetics
The growth and popularity of mainstream Yoga and Hindu meditation practices influenced a revival in various Jain communities, especially in the Śvētāmbara Terapanth order. These systems sought to "promote health and well-being and pacifism, via meditative practices as “secular” nonreligious tools." 20th century Jain meditation systems were promoted as universal systems accessible to all, drawing on modern elements, using new vocabulary designed to appeal to the lay community, whether Jains or non-Jains. It is important to note that these developments happened mainly among Śvētāmbara sects, while Digambara groups generally did not develop new modernist meditation systems. Digambara sects instead promote the practice of self-study (Svādhyāya) as a form of meditation, influenced by the work of Kundakunda.
Jain meditation | Modern history
Bua said: "This monastery has always been a place for meditation. Since the beginning it has been a place solely for developing the mind. I haven't let any other work disturb the place. If there are things which must be done, I've made it a rule that they take up no more time than is absolutely necessary. The reason for this is that, in the eyes of the world and the Dhamma, this is a meditation temple. We're meditation monks. The work of the meditation monk was handed over to him on the day of his ordination by his Preceptor — in all its completeness.
Ajahn Maha Bua | Wat Pa Ban Taad
In an effort to provide a more uniform experience in all of the centres, all public instruction during the retreat is given by audio and video tapes of Goenka. When asked about problems related to growth and expansion, Goenka stated: Students practising Goenka's Vipassana technique at the meditation centres are asked to agree to refrain from practising any other religious or meditative practices for the duration of the course. Concerning practices of other religions, Goenka stated: "Understand. The names of many practices are all words of pure Dhamma, of Vipassana. But today the essence is lost; it is just a lifeless shell that people perform.
S. N. Goenka | Meditation Centres
Chaumukha temple in Ranakpur is considered one of the most beautiful Jain temples and is famous for its detailed carvings. According to Jain texts, Shikharji is the place where twenty of the twenty-four Jain "Tīrthaṅkaras" along with many other monks attained "moksha" (died without being reborn, with their soul in "Siddhashila"). The Shikharji site in northeastern Jharkhand is therefore a revered pilgrimage site. The Palitana temples are the holiest shrine for the Śvētāmbara Murtipujaka sect. Along with Shikharji the two sites are considered the holiest of all pilgrimage sites by the Jain community. The Jain complex, Khajuraho and Jain Narayana temple are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Jainism | Temples
The Palitana temples on Mount Shatrunjaya, located by the city of Palitana, in Bhavnagar district, Gujarat, India are considered one of the holiest places for Jains. Jains believes that a visit to this group of temples is essential once in a lifetime to achieve nirvana or salvation, although many Jains frequent it many times in their lifestyle. Shikharji or Śrī Sammed Śikharjī (श्री सम्मेद शिखरजी), also known as the Parasnath Hill, located in Giridih district in Jharkhand, India, is a major Jain pilgrimage destination and is one of the most sacred place for Jains in the world. According to Jain belief, twenty of the twenty-four Tirthankaras (teachers of the Jains) attained Moksha (Nirvana) from this place.
List of religious sites | Jainism
it is based on Jain Canons. It included "meditative techniques of perception,Kayotsarg, Anupreksha,mantra, posture (āsana), breath control (prāṇāyāma), hand and body gestures (mudrā), various bodily locks (bandha), meditation (dhyāna) and reflection (bhāvanā)." The scholar of religion Andrea Jain states that she was convinced that Mahāprajña and others across the world were attempting "to attract people to preksha dhyana by making it intersect with the global yoga market". The key texts of this meditation system are "Prekṣā-Dhyāna: Ādhāra aura Svarūpa" (Prekṣā Meditation: Basis and Form, 1980), "Prekṣā-Dhyāna: Prayoga aura Paddhatti" (Prekṣā Meditation: Theory and Practice, 2010) and "Prekṣā-Dhyāna: Darśana aura Prayoga" (Prekṣā Meditation: Philosophy and Practice, 2011).
Jain meditation | Terāpanth "prekṣā-dhyāna"
According to the some commonly practiced "yoga" systems, high concentration is reached by meditating in an easy (preferably lotus) posture in seclusion and staring without blinking at the rising sun, a point on the wall, or the tip of the nose, and as long as one can keep the mind away from the outer world, this strengthens concentration. "Garuda" is the name Jainism gives to the yoga of self-discipline and discipline of mind, body and speech, so that even earth, water, fire and air can come under one’s control. "Śiva" is in Jainism control over the passions and the acquisition of such self-discipline that under all circumstances equanimity is maintained.
Jain meditation | Techniques
The Śvētāmbara Jains hold five centers of pilgrimage to be most sacred. These places are Shatrunjaya and Girnar in Gujarat, Mount Abu in Rajasthan, Shikharji in Bihar and Ashtapada in Himalayas. People who are unable to go for the pilgrimage, can achieve its religious merits by viewing cartographical overview of the pilgrimage site on Tirth Pat. Every year (in Oct-Nov), Tirth Pat is hung in the vicinity of a Jain temple or at a prepared location for devotees to worship.
Tirth Pat | Belief
Very often numbers of rock-cut Jain temples and monasteries share a site with those of the other religions, as at Udayagiri, Bava Pyara, Ellora, Aihole, Badami, and Kalugumalai. The Ellora Caves are a late site, which contains temples of all three religions, as the earlier Buddhist ones give way to later Hindu excavations. There is considerable similarity between the styles of the different religions, but often the Jains placed large figures of one or more of the 24 tirthankaras in the open air rather than inside the shrine. These statues later began to be very large, normally standing nude figures in the "kayotsarga" meditation position (which is similar to standing at attention).
Architecture of India | Jain architecture
Ācārya Suśīlakumāra (1926–1994) of the Sthānakavāsī tradition founded “Arhum Yoga” (Yoga on Omniscient) and established a Jain community called the “Arhat Saṅgha” in New Jersey in 1974. His meditation system is strongly tantric and employs mantras (mainly the namaskār), nyasa, visualization and chakras. The Sthānakavāsī Ācārya Nānālāla (1920–1999), developed a Jaina meditation called Samīkṣaṇa-dhyāna (looking at thoroughly, close investigation) in 1981. The main goal of samīkṣaṇa-dhyāna is the experience of higher consciousness within the self and liberation in this life. Samīkṣaṇa-dhyāna is classified into two categories: introspection of the passions (kaṣāya samīkṣaṇa) and samatā-samīkṣaṇa, which includes introspection of the senses (indriya samīkṣaṇa), introspection of the vow (vrata samīkṣaṇa) introspection of the karma (karma samīkṣaṇa), introspection of the Self (ātma samīkṣaṇa) and others.
Jain meditation | Other traditions
These statues later began to be very large, normally standing nude figures in the "kayotsarga" meditation position (which is similar to standing at attention). Examples include the Gopachal rock cut Jain monuments and the Siddhachal Caves, with groups of statues, and a number of single figures including the 12th-century Gommateshwara statue, and the modern Statue of Vasupujya and, largest of all at 108 feet (32.9 meters) tall, the Statue of Ahimsa. In recent times, the use of murti images has become controversial within Jainism, and some smaller sects reject them entirely, while others are selective in terms of which figures they allow images of.
Jain temple | Architecture
The pilgrimage is located in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is from the Nashik Road Railway station and from Nashik City, and is situated on the steep slopes of a hill. The pilgrimage site is accessible via a staircase built in black stone, which leads directly to the temple. The hill has 450 steps, three caves (known as "chamar leni"), and several temples belonging to the Digambara sect of the Jains. There is also a sculpture depicting samavasarana (divine preaching hall of tirthankara) on the hills of Gajpanth.
Gajpanth | Geography
Along with Shikharji in the state of Jharkhand, the two sites are considered the holiest of all pilgrimage places by the Jain community. Jains believe that a visit to this group of temples is essential as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to achieve nirvana or salvation. Of note, Digambara Jains have only one temple here on the hills.
Palitana temples | Introduction
In Jainism, monasticism is encouraged and respected. Rules for monasticism are rather strict. A Jain ascetic has neither a permanent home nor any possessions, wandering barefoot from place to place except during the months of Chaturmas. The quality of life they lead is difficult because of the many constraints placed on them. They don't use a vehicle for commuting and always commute barefoot from one place to another, irrespective of the distance. They don't possess any materialistic things and also don't use the basic services like that of a phone, electricity etc. They don't prepare food and live only on what people offer them.
Monasticism | Jainism
Other austerities include meditation in seated or standing posture near river banks in the cold wind, or meditation atop hills and mountains, especially at noon when the sun is at its fiercest. Such austerities are undertaken according to the physical and mental limits of the individual ascetic. Jain ascetics are (almost) completely without possessions. Some Jains (Shvetambara monks and nuns) own only unstitched white robes (an upper and lower garment) and a bowl used for eating and collecting alms. Male Digambara monks do not wear any clothes and carry nothing with them except a soft broom made of shed peacock feathers (pinchi) and eat from their hands.
Monk | Austerities and other daily practices
Shikharji at Siddhachalam is the first Jain place of pilgrimage outside India. The main temple has idols of the tirthankaras Rishabha, Pārśva, Mahāvīra, Chandraprabha and Shantinatha. There is also a small temple where the main idol is Pārśva.
Siddhachalam | History
The oldest documented evidence of the practice of meditation are wall arts in the Indian subcontinent from approximately 5,000 to 3,500 BCE, showing people seated in meditative postures with half-closed eyes. Written evidence of any form of meditation was first seen in the Vedas around 1500 BCE. Meditation as a spiritual exercise and religious practice has a long tradition in Hinduism. The Upanishad Hindu texts also discuss meditation as a way to remove ignorance and to acquire knowledge and oneness with the Absolute. In India, the tradition of Guru and Shishya (teacher and disciple) has been around for ages, where students were sent to Gurukuls (schools) mostly in the forests to live and learn under a learned teacher.
History of meditation | Origin
The last stage of the meditation consists of fifteen minutes of dancing and celebration. Rajneesh developed other active meditation techniques, such as the Kundalini "shaking" meditation and the Nadabrahma "humming" meditation, which are less animated, although they also include physical activity of one sort or another. His later "meditative therapies" require sessions for several days, OSHO Mystic Rose comprising three hours of laughing every day for a week, three hours of weeping each day for a second week, and a third week with three hours of silent meditation. These processes of "witnessing" enable a "jump into awareness". Rajneesh believed such cathartic methods were necessary because it was difficult for modern people to just sit and enter meditation.
Rajneesh | Meditation
It is inferred that the temples are built in clusters known as "tunks", as Jains undertake pilgrimage mostly on foot and hence they would like to reduce the distance of travel on foot to the minimum. As a religious practice they cover their mouth while offering "puja" to the tirthankaras at the temples so that they don't hurt any insects by swallowing them with an open mouth. Also, for this reason they do not offer open lighted lamps but offer aarti with covered lanterns. The religious practice also involves pilgrimage by fasting throughout the journey to and from the shrines.
Palitana temples | Religious practices
Jains practise "pratikraman" (Sanskrit "introspection"), a process of repentance of wrongdoings during their daily life, and remind themselves to refrain from doing so again. Devout Jains often do Pratikraman at least twice a day.
Introspection | Jainism
Jain texts prescribe meditation on twelve forms of reflection ("bhāvanā") for those who wish to stop the influx of "karmas" that extend transmigration. One such reflection is "Dharma bhāvanā"-
Dharma (Jainism) | Dharma bhāvanā
In "apaya vichāya", one contemplates on the incorrect insights one indulges, which eventually develops right insight. In "vipaka vichāya", one reflects on the eight causes or basic types of "karma". In "sansathan vichāya", one thinks about the vastness of the universe and the loneliness of the soul.
Meditation | Jainism
Asanas and positions such as the full-lotus, half-lotus, Burmese, Seiza, and kneeling positions are popular in Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism, although other postures such as sitting, supine (lying), and standing are also used. Meditation is also sometimes done while walking, known as kinhin, while doing a simple task mindfully, known as samu or while lying down known as savasana.
Meditation | Posture
Sufism uses a meditative procedure like Buddhist concentration, involving high-intensity and sharply focused introspection. In the Oveyssi-Shahmaghsoudi Sufi order, for example, muraqaba takes the form of tamarkoz, "concentration" in Persian.
Meditation | Islam
In the Bhajan hall, in addition to Ramnam, the following are also chanted: Vishnusahasranam, Gurustuti, Hanuman Chalisa, chapters of the Gita by children, "Arunachala Shiva", "Namo Ramanaya" and "Aksharamanamala" (in deference to Sri Ramana Maharshi), "Om Nama Shivaya" and "Hare Rama Hare Krishna." Spaces are also available for silent meditation. The practice of meditating in Swami Ramdas's room in the early hours of the morning continues.
Anandashram, Kanhangad | Daily routine
Terapanthi Digambaras limit their ritual worship to Tirthankaras. The worship ritual is called "devapuja", and is found in all Jain sub-traditions. Typically, the Jain layperson enters the temple inner sanctum in simple clothing and bare feet with a plate filled with offerings, bows down, says the namaskar, completes his or her litany and prayers, sometimes is assisted by the temple priest, leaves the offerings and then departs.
Jainism | Rituals and worship
The modern era saw the rise of a new Śvētāmbara sect, the Śvētāmbara Terapanth, founded by Ācārya Bhikṣu, who was said to be able to practice breath retention (hold his breath) for two hours. He also practiced ātāpanā by sitting under the scorching sun for hours while chanting and visualizing yantras. Further Terapanth scholars like Jayācārya wrote on various meditation practices, including a devotional visualization of the tīrthaṅkaras in various colors and “awareness of breathing” (sāsā-surat), this influenced the later “perception of breathing” (śvāsa–prekṣā) and the meditation on auras (leśyā-dhyāna) of Ācārya Mahāprajña. Tulasī (1913–1997) and Ācārya Mahāprajña (1920– 2010) developed a system termed "prekṣā-dhyāna" which is a combination of ancient wisdom and modern science.
Jain meditation | Terāpanth "prekṣā-dhyāna"
On an average the flow of pilgrims is about 10,000 people a day. A mechanised kitchen provides free food for all pilgrims, and there are guest houses with modern amenities. Dharmastala represents religious tolerance. A Jain Tirthankara is worshiped beside Daivas and Lord Manjunatha (Shiva). The priests are Vaishnavite Brahmins and the guardian of the temple a Heggade (Jain). To those who come here for justice, the Heggade dispenses judgments that are said to represent the will of the deities.
Dharmasthala | Introduction
In Sikhism, simran (meditation) and good deeds are both necessary to achieve the devotee's Spiritual goals; without good deeds meditation is futile. When Sikhs meditate, they aim to feel God's presence and emerge in the divine light. It is only God's divine will or order that allows a devotee to desire to begin to meditate.Nām Japnā involves focusing one's attention on the names or great attributes of God.
Meditation | Sikhism
The monks are dedicated to meditation practice and stay in solitary huts in the forest. Lay meditators stay in rooms in compounds. The monks and lay meditators regularly receive instructions from Ven. Dhammajiva, who regularly holds retreats for lay meditators at Nissarana Vanaya. Meditation is done in a large meditation hall in the centre of the monastery. Most monks meditate alone in their huts in the forest. In the morning monks go on alms begging to a kitchen area down the hill where lay-people who have cooked food donate it to them. A few monks go begging in the traditional style to the village.
Nissarana Vanaya | Life at the monastery
Svetambara ascetics have an Ogho or Rajoharan (a broom of woolen threads) to clean insects around their sitting place or while they are walking. Digambara ascetics have a Morpichhi and a Kamandal in their hands. This practice may vary among different sects of Jains but essential principle remains the same to limit needs.
Religious habit | Jainism
Balochistani taught the method of meditation (Naam Shabad) to thousands of people over a period of twelve years (1948-1960). During this period, people from various parts of the country started coming to Dera Sacha Sauda and became his followers. He built 25 ashrams in Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. Facilities of drinking water and langar (free community meals) were provided in these ashrams. He taught the practical method of meditation to thousands of people in simple language.
Mastana Balochistani | Teachings
They also have the habitual ritual of reading the history of the 24 Tirthankara at the temple, during the festival. During the Jain festival, there are no concrete norms for fasting and meditating and this is a rather surprising side of Jainism. The followers have the freedom to carryout prayers and fasting according to their capacity and desires. Jain followers are pure vegetarians "Jain vegetarianism" and they are forbidden from consuming alcohol. Those who consume meat and alcohol are strictly prohibited from entering the premises of the temple. Though they are vegetarians, they also do not consume anything that grows underground.
Jain temple, Alappuzha | Festival at Jain Temple
The Islamic practice of Dhikr had involved the repetition of the 99 Names of God since the 8th or 9th century. By the 12th century, the practice of Sufism included specific meditative techniques, and its followers practiced breathing controls and the repetition of holy words. Interactions with Indians or the Sufis may have influenced the Eastern Christian meditation approach to hesychasm, but this can not be proved. Between the 10th and 14th centuries, hesychasm was developed, particularly on Mount Athos in Greece, and involves the repetition of the Jesus prayer. Western Christian meditation contrasts with most other approaches in that it does not involve the repetition of any phrase or action and requires no specific posture.
Meditation | Medieval
They are considered to support meditation practice, and are often observed when staying in monasteries and temples. In some periods and places, such as in 7th10th-century China, the precepts were widely observed. In modern times, there have been revival movements and important political figures that have observed them continuously.
Upāsaka and Upāsikā | Precepts
In 1980, Muni Sushil Kumar, a well-known Jain monk encouraged his disciples to acquire a long-abandoned children summer camp and founded an ashram there to teach ahimsa. A self-taught yogi, Muni Sushil Kumar reportedly engaged there in extended samadhi meditation. Twelve years later, he encouraged the community to establish temples in homage to Jinas. The ashram maintains the only Jain monastery outside India. Siddhachalam has become an important center of Jain conferences and an important Jain pilgrimage. The center houses idols from all Jain sects, given that American Jains have sought to not bring in sectarian differences from India. In 2012, Siddhachalam became the site for the world's first full-scale, complete replication of Shikharji, the most important place of pilgrimage for the Jains.
Siddhachalam | History
Modern Buddhist studies have attempted to reconstruct the meditation practices of pre-sectarian Early Buddhism, mainly through philological and text critical methods using the early canonical texts. According to Indologist Johannes Bronkhorst, "the teaching of the Buddha as presented in the early canon contains a number of contradictions," presenting "a variety of methods that do not always agree with each other," containing "views and practices that are sometimes accepted and sometimes rejected." These contradictions are due to the influence of non-Buddhist traditions on early Buddhism. One example of these non-Buddhist meditative methods found in the early sources is outlined by Bronkhorst: According to Bronkhorst, such practices which are based on a "suppression of activity" are not authentically Buddhist, but were later adopted from the Jains by the Buddhist community.
Buddhist meditation | Pre-Buddhist India
"Digambara" monks follow 28 "vratas" (vows): five "mahāvratas" (Great Vows); five "samitis" (regulations); the five-fold control of the senses ("pañcendriya nirodha"); six "Şadāvaśyakas" (essential duties), and seven "niyamas" (restrictions).
Jain monasticism | Digambara monks
Samayika is the practice of equanimity, translating to meditation. It is a ritual act undertaken early in the morning and perhaps also at noon and night. It lasts for forty-eight minutes (Two Ghadis) and usually involves not only quiet recollection but also usually the repetition of routine prayers. The ritual is chanting and also praying about the good things.
Jain rituals | Samayika
The history of meditation is intimately bound up with the religious context within which it was practiced. Some authors have even suggested the hypothesis that the emergence of the capacity for focused attention, an element of many methods of meditation, may have contributed to the latest phases of human biological evolution. Some of the earliest references to meditation are found in the Hindu Vedas of India. Wilson translates the most famous Vedic mantra "Gayatri" as: "We meditate on that desirable light of the divine Savitri, who influences our pious rites" (Rigveda : Mandala-3, Sukta-62, Rcha-10). Around the 6th to 5th centuries BCE, other forms of meditation developed via Confucianism and Taoism in China as well as Hinduism, Jainism, and early Buddhism in India.
Meditation | From ancient times
The Jangama dhyana technique is as follows: Sit, closing the eyes. Concentrate the mind and sight in between eyebrows. Keep watching there by focusing the attention. Do not repeat any mantra or name. Do not imagine anything. Do not open eyes until the duration of meditation is over. Today, initiation into this technique is given by Shri Shivarudra Balayogi Maharaj. He identifies the greatest secret of meditation as not analyzing any thoughts or visions that may appear: This meditation is a purification process, but this purification doesn't occur quietly. During the purification, visions and thoughts come. It is just like when you are washing clothes; you see the dirt coming out into the water.
Jangama dhyana | Technique
Meditation means you have to hold consciousness by itself. The consciousness should give attention to itself. This consciousness is Ishwara. As there is no God other than this consciousness, worship it.’ ‘The knowledge “I am” is God. It is Ishwara, as well as maya. Maya is God’s power. All the names of God are of this consciousness only in different forms. Remember the fact “I am not the body” and get firmly established. That is the sign of a true seeker.’The Seven Principles of Nisarga Yoga (As identified by Nic Higham, 2018)
Nisargadatta Maharaj | Nisarga Yoga
He renounced the world at the age of thirty after taking permission of his parents. The Digambara believe that after attaining enlightenment, Mahavira was free from human activities like hunger, thirst, and sleep. Digambara monks tradition do not wear any clothes. They carry only a broom made up of fallen peacock feathers and a water gourd. One of the most important scholar-monks of Digambara tradition was Acharya Kundakunda. He authored Prakrit texts such as Samayasara and Pravachansara. Samantabhadra and Siddhasena Divakara were other important monks of this tradition. The Digambara are present mainly in Southern India, Bundelkhand region (Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, etc.
Jain schools and branches | Digambara
The local community, which is primarily Buddhist, looks after the day-to-day needs of the devotees. There are about 12–15 meditation caves here. The main cave has many Buddha statues and paintings and is decorated with flowers. The monastery is situated in a Natural Forest Reservation. A stream called Nachchimale flows through one boundary of the monastery, adding additional scenic beauty to the area. There are many local plants, birds, rare butterfly species, and wild animals in this environment.
Ingiriya | Madakada Aranya Senasanaya
The pilgrimage to Shikharji is a round trip of 27 km through the Madhuban forest. The section from Gandharva Nala stream to the summit is the most sacred to Jains. The pilgrimage is made on foot or by a litter or "doli" carried by a "doliwallah" along a concrete paved track. Along the track are shrines to each of the twenty four "tirthankaras" and vendors of tea, coffee, water, fruits and snacks. There is an option for parikrama of the entire Parasnath Hill, a pilgrimage of . The parikrama path is through the forest and is walking only. In 2019, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal included Sammed Shikharji under Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra Yojana.
Shikharji | Approach
Textual evidence shows that many Mahāyāna Buddhists in northern India as well as in Central Asia practiced meditation in a similar way to that of the Sarvāstivāda school outlined above. This can be seen in what is probably the most comprehensive and largest Indian Mahāyāna treatise on meditation practice, the "Yogācārabhūmi-Śāstra" (compiled c. 4th century), a compendium which explains in detail Yogācāra meditation theory, and outlines numerous meditation methods as well as related advice"." Among the topics discussed are the various early Buddhist meditation topics such as the four "dhyānas", the different kinds of "samādhi", the development of insight ("vipaśyanā") and tranquility ("śamatha"), the four foundations of mindfulness ("smṛtyupasthāna"), the five hindrances ("nivaraṇa"), and classic Buddhist meditations such as the contemplation of unattractiveness ("aśubhasaṃjnā"), impermanence ("anitya"), suffering ("duḥkha"), and contemplation death ("maraṇasaṃjñā").
Buddhist meditation | Indian Mahāyāna Buddhism
Amongst Jain merchants, there is a tradition of inviting monks to their respective cities during Chaturmas to give religious instruction.
Chaturmas | Jainism
Jain ascetics follow a strict vegetarian diet without root vegetables. Shvetambara monks do not cook food but solicit alms from householders. Digambara monks have only a single meal a day. Neither group will beg for food, but a Jain ascetic may accept a meal from a householder, provided that the latter is pure of mind and body and offers the food of his own volition and in the prescribed manner. During such an encounter, the monk remains standing and eats only a measured amount. Fasting (i.e., abstinence from food and sometimes water) is a routine feature of Jain asceticism. Fasts last for a day or longer, up to a month.
Monk | Dietary practices
Buddhist meditation refers to the meditative practices associated with the religion and philosophy of Buddhism. Core meditation techniques have been preserved in ancient Buddhist texts and have proliferated and diversified through teacher-student transmissions. Buddhists pursue meditation as part of the path toward awakening and nirvana. The closest words for meditation in the classical languages of Buddhism are "bhāvanā", "jhāna"/"dhyāna", and "vipassana". Buddhist meditation techniques have become popular in the wider world, with many non-Buddhists taking them up. There is considerable homogeneity across meditative practices – such as breath meditation and various recollections ("anussati") – across Buddhist schools, as well as significant diversity.
Meditation | Buddhism
Once these methods had provided a glimpse of meditation, then people would be able to use other methods without difficulty.
Rajneesh | Meditation
Ascetics do not have a home or possessions. They choose austerity, avoid services such as telephones and electricity. Monks engage in activities such as meditation, seeking knowledge and acquiring self-discipline. Jain monks and advanced laypeople avoid eating after sunset, observing a vow of "ratri-bhojana-tyaga-vrata". "Digambara" monks observe a stricter vow by eating only once a day. The "Yati" of the "Śvētāmbara" sect and the "Bhattaraka" of the Digambara Terapanth do not wander; they usually live in temples and perform daily rituals. The monks rise before dawn, most around 5:00 a.m. but some as early as 2:00 a.m. In observance of "utsarg-samiti", defecation takes place in the open where feces does not harm living creatures; urination is into a shallow pan, which is emptied onto a dry patch of ground.
Jain monasticism | Rules of conduct
Buddhist meditation is the practice of meditation in Buddhism. The closest words for meditation in the classical languages of Buddhism are "bhāvanā" ("mental development") and "jhāna/dhyāna" (mental training resulting in a calm and luminous mind). Buddhists pursue meditation as part of the path toward liberation, awakening and Nirvana, and includes a variety of meditation techniques, most notably "asubha bhavana" ("reflections on repulsiveness"); reflection on "pratityasamutpada" (dependent origination); "sati" (mindfulness) and "anussati" (recollections), including "anapanasati" (breath meditation); "dhyana" (developing an alert and luminous mind); and the Brahma-viharas (loving-kindness and compassion). These techniques aim to develop equanimity and sati (mindfulness); samadhi (concentration) c.q.
Buddhist meditation | Introduction
Some of the difficulty in precisely defining meditation has been in recognizing the particularities of the many various traditions; and theories and practice can differ within a tradition. Taylor noted that even within a faith such as "Hindu" or "Buddhist", schools and individual teachers may teach distinct types of meditation. Ornstein noted that "Most techniques of meditation do not exist as solitary practices but are only artificially separable from an entire system of practice and belief." For instance, while monks meditate as part of their everyday lives, they also engage the codified rules and live together in monasteries in specific cultural settings that go along with their meditative practices.
Meditation | Separation of technique from tradition
Aharji is a historical pilgrimage site for Jainism in India. It is located in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, on the road from Tikamgarh to Chhatarpur. This place is famous for Jain Temple.
Aharji | Introduction
The "Digambara" Jains recite the ten chapters of the sacred Jain text, "Tattvartha Sutra" on ten days of fasting. "Digambaras" celebrate "Ananta Chaturdashi" on which a special worship is done. Many towns have a procession leading to the main Jain temple. "Ananta Chaturdashi" marks the day when Lord Vasupujya attained "Moksha" ("nirvana"). At the conclusion of the festival, followers request forgiveness from others for any offenses committed during the last year. Forgiveness is asked by saying "Micchami Dukkadam" to others, which means, "If I have offended you in any way, knowingly or unknowingly, in thought, word or action, then I seek your forgiveness." During the eight-day festival, the Śvētāmbara Murtipujakas recite the "Kalpa Sūtra", which includes a recitation of the section on birth of Mahavira on the fifth day.
Paryushana | Observances
In religion and spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or search of great moral significance. Sometimes, it is a journey to a sacred place or to a shrine of importance to a person's beliefs and faith. Members of every major religion participate in pilgrimages. A person who makes such a journey is called a pilgrim. There are number of historical Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India.
Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India | Introduction
, an important tenet of all the religions originating in India, is now considered as an article of faith by the adherents of the Indian religions. Mahatma Gandhi was of the view: Bal Gangadhar Tilak has credited Jainism with the cessation of slaughter of animals in the brahamanical religion. Some scholars have traced the origin of Ahimsa to Jains and their precursor, the sramanas. According to Thomas McEvilley, a noted Indologist, certain seals of Indus Valley civilisation depict a meditative figure surrounded by a multitude of wild animals, providing evidence of proto yoga tradition in India akin to Jainism. This particular image might suggest that all the animals depicted are sacred to this particular practitioner.
Ahimsa in Jainism | Appreciation
Ahikshetra is an important religious place for the followers of Jainism in India. Jain literatures cites this as a place where Parshvanatha attained Kevala Jnana
Ahichchhatra | Jain tradition
Salah is a mandatory act of devotion performed by Muslims five times per day. The body goes through sets of different postures, as the mind attains a level of concentration called "khushu". A second optional type of meditation, called dhikr, meaning remembering and mentioning God, is interpreted in different meditative techniques in Sufism or Islamic mysticism. This became one of the essential elements of Sufism as it was systematized traditionally. It is juxtaposed with "fikr" (thinking) which leads to knowledge. By the 12th century, the practice of Sufism included specific meditative techniques, and its followers practiced breathing controls and the repetition of holy words.
Meditation | Islam
"Prānayāma" – breathing exercises – are performed to strengthen the flows of life energy. Through this, the elements of the constitution – earth, water, fire and air – are also strengthened. At the same time the five "chakras" are controlled. "Prānayāma" also helps to stabilize one’s thinking and leads to unhampered direct experience of the events around us. Next one practices "pratyāhāra". Pratyāhāra means that one directs the senses away from the enjoyment of sensual and mental objects. The senses are part of the nervous system, and their task is to send data to the brain through which the mind as well as the soul is provided with information.
Jain meditation | Techniques
In temples and homes, devotees sing and chant hymns and mantras from Jain religious texts in praise of the Tirthankar and congregate for a prayer and recite verses from the Uttaradhyayan Sutra which contain the last teachings of Mahavira. Jains pay visit to Pawapuri, Nalanda in Bihar on this special day to offer their prayers. The Jain year starts with Pratipada, next day of Diwali.
Diwali (Jainism) | Celebration
At a public meditation event in early 1970, Rajneesh presented his Dynamic Meditation method for the first time. Dynamic Meditation involved breathing very fast and celebrating with music and dance. He left Jabalpur for Mumbai at the end of June. On 26 September 1970, he initiated his first group of disciples or neo-sannyasins. Becoming a disciple meant assuming a new name and wearing the traditional orange dress of ascetic Hindu holy men, including a "mala" (beaded necklace) carrying a locket with his picture. However, his sannyasins were encouraged to follow a celebratory rather than ascetic lifestyle. He himself was not to be worshipped but regarded as a catalytic agent, "a sun encouraging the flower to open".
Rajneesh | Mumbai: 1970–1974
In an April 2019 "Medium" article, Brathwaite describes his current spiritual practice: "On every good day, on every day that I'm not rushed, I get on my floor and I meditate for 15 to 20 minutes, sometimes longer. Then get on my knees and stretch, and then pray. And sometimes when I do it so much, that that's when the ritual has to be made new again. "I started those rituals when I started this play and that was my way of sampling. Because meditation was an Eastern practice, and the way that I stretch probably looks like Islamic prayer to some people, and then I pray sometimes just in that Catholic form.
Dahlak Brathwaite | Religion
More than two thousand years ago, a jain sage named "Kundakunda Acharya" stayed here and prompted the birth of this jain holy place. A temple is constructed with stone statues of jain sages. As the place is secluded, there has been efforts to damage stone statues to find hidden treasure.
Kundadri | History
Satsang at Adhyatma Niketan has assumed the greatest significance. It is understood that the disciple or sadhaka gains maximum spiritual benefit through satsang with the least effort. The Satsang at Adhyatma Niketan is practised in three parts. First in the morning with the dawn, the recitation of DHUN is practiced. DHUN is a continuous recitation of mantras. After that, nearly about 11.00 AM, the morning satsang starts. This continues for nearly three hours, in which the disciples practice meditation, bhajans (devotional songs) and ask the queries to the maharajji. In evening after sunset, 7.00 PM the evening satsang starts. This continues for nearly two hours.
Adhyatma Niketan | Satsang at Adhyatma Niketan
Alexander Wynne argues that the Buddha learned "dhyāna" from brahmanical teachers. Whatever the case, the Buddha taught meditation with a new focus and interpretation, particularly through the "four dhyānas" methodology, in which mindfulness is maintained. Further, the focus of meditation and the underlying theory of liberation guiding the meditation has been different in Buddhism. For example, states Bronkhorst, the verse 4.4.23 of the "Brihadaranyaka Upanishad" with its "become calm, subdued, quiet, patiently enduring, concentrated, one sees soul in oneself" is most probably a meditative state. The Buddhist discussion of meditation is without the concept of soul and the discussion criticises both the ascetic meditation of Jainism and the "real self, soul" meditation of Hinduism.
Buddhism | Origins
A tirthankara or Jina is represented either seated in lotus position ("Padmasana") or standing in the meditation Khadgasana ("Kayotsarga") posture. This latter, which is similar to the military standing at attention is a difficult posture to hold for a long period, and has the attraction to Jains that it reduces to the minimum the amount of the body in contact with the earth, and so posing a risk to the sentient creatures living in or on it. If seated, they are usually depicted seated with their legs crossed in front, the toes of one foot resting close upon the knee of the other, and the right hand lying over the left in the lap.
Jain art | Iconography of tirthankaras
"Anussati" (Pāli; Sanskrit: "Anusmriti") means "recollection," "contemplation," "remembrance," "meditation" and "mindfulness." It refers to specific meditative or devotional practices, such as recollecting the sublime qualities of the Buddha or "anapanasati" (mindfulness of breathing), which lead to mental tranquillity and abiding joy. In various contexts, the Pali literature and Sanskrit Mahayana sutras emphasize and identify different enumerations of recollections.
Buddhist meditation | "Anussati" (recollections)
The name "Sāmāyika", the term for Jain meditation, is derived from the term "samaya" "time" in Prakrit. Jains also use "samayika" to denote the practice of meditation. The aim of "Sāmāyika" is to transcend our daily experiences as the "constantly changing" human beings, called Jiva, and allow identification with the "changeless" reality in practitioner, called the atman. One of the main goals of "Sāmāyika" is to inculcate equanimity, to see all the events equanimously. It encourages to be consistently spiritually vigilant. "Sāmāyika" is practiced in all the Jain sects and communities. Samayika is an important practice during Paryushana, a special eight- or ten-day period.
Jain meditation | "Sāmāyika"
The hills are an ancient "tirtha" (religious pilgrimage site). The Palitana temples, a pilgrimage complex on both hills and their saddle, are reached by climbing approximately 3750 stone steps, which are carved into the mountain. The climb is from the base and takes approximately two hours. The hills are closed to pilgrims for four months during the monsoon season. The pilgrimage is known as ""Shri Shantrunjay Teerth Yatra"". It occurs from the Poornima day (Full Moon Day) of Kartik month according to the Jain calendar (October–November as per the Gregorian calendar). Jains assemble at the foot of the hills to undertake the "yatra" (religious journey).
Shatrunjaya | Culture
There are many schools and styles of meditation within Hinduism. In pre-modern and traditional Hinduism, "Yoga" and "Dhyana" are practised to realize union of one's eternal self or soul, one's ātman. In Advaita Vedanta this is equated with the omnipresent and non-dual Brahman. In the dualistic Yoga school and Samkhya, the Self is called Purusha, a pure consciousness separate from matter. Depending on the tradition, the liberative event is named moksha, vimukti or kaivalya. The earliest clear references to meditation in Hindu literature are in the middle Upanishads and the Mahabharata (including the Bhagavad Gita). According to Gavin Flood, the earlier Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is describing meditation when it states that "having become calm and concentrated, one perceives the self ("ātman") within oneself".
Meditation | Hinduism
The meditation centre built in 2013 can accommodate hundred people at a time and was targeted to be a tourist centre in the region.
Perambalur Buddhas | Culture
His message was often summarized with the following words: "Know truth through meditation, then you yourself will know who you are, your religion, your purpose in life, and your nature. Do not believe what others say and become a slave to religious prejudices. Meditation is your religion. Meditation is your purpose. Meditation is your path." Swamiji emphasized that it is not simply by closing one's eyes that one meditates – the mind has to become quiet. On one occasion, he advised Srinivasa Dikshitar "If you surrender mentally to your Guru through service, then automatically your mind gets controlled." Later when the same disciple translated to another devotee the word "sadhana" (spiritual practice) as meditation, Shri Shivabalayogi corrected him:
Shivabalayogi | Meditation: silent teaching
In the modern era, new forms of Jain meditation have also been developed. One of the most influential ones is the "prekṣā" system of Ācārya Mahāprajña which is eclectic and includes the use of mantra, breath control, mudras, bandhas, and so on.
Yoga | Jain yoga