What is a 'Jaina Factor' in Understanding Meditation? A Critical Study

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.

Study at a glance

Abstract

“Meditation means dissolving the invisible walls that unaware has built” This is said by the well-known spiritual Master Sadhguru. With this, he is suggesting that meditation means going beyond all barriers, conditionings and labels. Not only him, but all those who practice meditation and/or engaged with it in the same way or the other echo the same feeling that meditation takes you closer to ‘you’ as free from conceptions, pure ‘you’. If this is the case, the terms like ‘Buddhist Meditation’ or ‘Zen Meditation’ or ‘Prekşā Meditation’ will turn out to be mere labels to the most naturalizing act of human mind, not realities. But these practices are in vogue since very ancient times and cannot be discarded as unreal. So, how can this dilemma be tackled? Is meditation free from any epithet, any label? If so, how do we make sense of the labels that have been prevalent since a long time? This paper is an attempt to address this dilemma with special reference to the Jaina tradition. In the course of discussion, a humble attempt is made to unfold numerous aspects of ‘meditation’ according to Jainism which include meditation as a constituent of the path of liberation, psychological and spiritual dimensions of meditation, and Prekşā meditation etc. The discussion will try to situate the concept of ‘meditation’ in other relevant concepts such as Guņasthāna, the stages of spiritual development within the Jaina fold and expound the theoretical network between meditation according to Pātan͂jala Yoga and the Jaina meditation in order to unravel some interesting comparisons. The comprehensive discussion of the Jaina notion of meditation will be accomplished only if its conceptual network is taken into account and if a subtle relation between meditation and non-absolutism is expounded.