What is a 'Jaina Factor' in Understanding Meditation? A Critical Study
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) July 3, 2025 Meenal Katarnikar
The paper addresses a dilemma: if meditation is described as dissolving all barriers and labels, how can we make sense of specific labels like 'Buddhist Meditation' or 'Jaina Meditation' that have been used for centuries? It explores this question with special reference to the Jaina tradition, examining meditation as part of the path to liberation, its psychological and spiritual dimensions, and the practice of Prekṣā meditation. The discussion situates meditation within the Jaina concept of Guṇasthāna (stages of spiritual development) and compares Jaina meditation with Pātañjala Yoga. It argues that understanding Jaina meditation requires considering its full conceptual network and the subtle relation between meditation and non-absolutism.