Daaji and Vidyut Jamwal discuss God, meditation and finding the right Guru at Heart of a Jain Conclave
The inaugural ‘Heart of a Jain ’ conclave kicked off at Kanha Shanti Vanam , the headquarters of Heartfulness bringing together Jain philosophers, spiritual leaders, government officials, and community representatives to explore the contemporary relevance of Jain wisdom. The chief highlight event was Daaji’s Q&A session with actor and martial artist Vidyut Jamwal . Here is the full transcript of the discussion.
Jamwal: What is your message to today’s youth?
Daaji: The youth today are sharp and intuitive, they know the absurdity of ritualistic life. Rituals are one thing, way of life is another, when there is contradiction, they are lost. They are hungry for the Truth , but there is so much corruption. They read Gita, but it is for display. The real seeker will find the truth and have his life changed. People believe in God, but many also don’t believe because they lack experience. The belief is however based on what parents pass down in terms of belief. The youth today is asking why the belief in God. Vivekanand used to question Ramakrishna Paramhansa . When one gains the experience, one doesn’t need belief. The belief dissolves with experience. Stay on your turf, doubt as much as you can, enquire, exercise and have the restlessness to know the Truth, then it will emerge. With authentic thought. Divinity is hungrier to make us experience the Truth. God is also waiting for authentic heart and souls craving for his manifestation. God’s love is much greater than that of a mother waiting to see her child. The problem is religious have blatantly misguided humanity. Humanity has misunderstood also, in some way, the essence of God. God is not a person. During the lifetimes of the Tirthankars, how many of us witnessed their divinity. During Krishn’s time how many could see him and feel the divinity. His darshan was an external sensory phenomenon. Ram Chandra’s divinity was not experienced by his very mother. How can one find divinity in a stone murti? I agree with today’s youth. Gita – chapter 10 verse 20, Krishn says he dwells in every heart. But nobody makes the attempt to look within. The question is whether you really want God. This is my question to the youth.
The other question is: whenever we look at nature which teaches us so much, the whole life is full of sacrifice. We are at the pinnacle of consumerism take the best and give barely anything to nature. We need to think what we can contribute to mother nature and how we live in harmony with mother nature. This is true Dharm. Dharm does not mean religion. When we understand the Jainpant, we can understand Dharm. When a Yaksh asked Yudhisthir the definition of Dharm, he said in one word, ‘Apramadham’ meaning ‘to be alert’. A man who is aware, he knows what to do what not to do the consequences therein. It has nothing to do with religion. The Jagrukt or awareness comes from different places. Alertness in India is more important than living in distinct geographies. It diffuses itself in different forms. Jainism is the mother of all religions. Jainism predates Maharvir by 23 tirthanaras. It kept evolving through the psyche, the society, the need of the time. Nonviolence is fundamental. But giving happiness is also an important next step. This is what is the next stage in Jainism. In meditation, people are get alarmed at the revelations of what they were supposed to do and didn’t do. Let it come to the mental surface and pull yourself towards the divine force. It’s good that all the defects come out through meditation because it is an indicative of what you need to work upon. All the 24 tirthankars are depicted in meditative state. Without dhyan , you cannot progress.
What is dh yan ? It comes from Sanskrit word ‘dhi’ + ‘yan’. Dhi means ultimate knowledge. Yan is a vehicle. Dhyan is a transporter taking us to the ultimate wisdom. For our consciousness to go higher, we need energy as well just like a satellite has to have escape velocity. What is the gravity that pulls us back when we try to ascend in our consciousness — it is your desires and ego. Does that mean you should have no desires? Without desire you cannot go towards God. Being a slave to desires and insistence and demand is disastrous. Have better kind of desires. To escape this, you need Pranahuti . It is subtler than consciousness itself. Pranahuti emanates from the ataman, it connects with the source and is subtler than consciousness. Heisenberg said that determining the position and speed of an electron is not possible. The instrument through which he was measuring was wrong. It would measure electron with electron displacing it. The speed and position can therefore never measure in the same time. If it was more refined than electron itself, then one would be in position to determine it. Pranahuti is the digestive nectar that directly enters the heart and shifts our consciousness little by little. Daily practice of meditation through Pranahuti is a must.
Pranahuti was invented by Rishabhdev. Lalaji Maharaj in his vision saw 73 generations before Bhagvan Ram, Rishabhdev found the technique which he utilised during his lifetime. After his passing this knowledge was lost. Incremental level of this calmness prepares us slowly until we are able to tolerate that level of consciousness.
Jamwal: Youngsters want to know how to choose the right guru.
Daaji: If you sincerely look, you will find one. Also, when there is monetary transaction, stay clear from it. They need help, you don’t need help in that case. But people are very greedy. Atman’s aim before arriving in this world is to attain some level of liberation. Anything that fulfils that purpose in life is good. Suppose we do some kriya, we are anxious then it means we shouldn’t do that. Ask your heart whether you are doing the right thing. Does it fulfil your hunger in real sense or is there something beyond that. Lamp lighting or agarbatti lighting are visual graphics. We need to remove the darkness within us through the lamp of knowledge. When we find the right process or the right guru, the atman will give a signal and you find peace. Pray to the Almighty to help find the right guru.
Daaji: The youth today are sharp and intuitive, they know the absurdity of ritualistic life. Rituals are one thing, way of life is another, when there is contradiction, they are lost. They are hungry for the Truth , but there is so much corruption. They read Gita, but it is for display. The real seeker will find the truth and have his life changed. People believe in God, but many also don’t believe because they lack experience. The belief is however based on what parents pass down in terms of belief. The youth today is asking why the belief in God. Vivekanand used to question Ramakrishna Paramhansa . When one gains the experience, one doesn’t need belief. The belief dissolves with experience. Stay on your turf, doubt as much as you can, enquire, exercise and have the restlessness to know the Truth, then it will emerge. With authentic thought. Divinity is hungrier to make us experience the Truth. God is also waiting for authentic heart and souls craving for his manifestation. God’s love is much greater than that of a mother waiting to see her child. The problem is religious have blatantly misguided humanity. Humanity has misunderstood also, in some way, the essence of God. God is not a person. During the lifetimes of the Tirthankars, how many of us witnessed their divinity. During Krishn’s time how many could see him and feel the divinity. His darshan was an external sensory phenomenon. Ram Chandra’s divinity was not experienced by his very mother. How can one find divinity in a stone murti? I agree with today’s youth. Gita – chapter 10 verse 20, Krishn says he dwells in every heart. But nobody makes the attempt to look within. The question is whether you really want God. This is my question to the youth.
The other question is: whenever we look at nature which teaches us so much, the whole life is full of sacrifice. We are at the pinnacle of consumerism take the best and give barely anything to nature. We need to think what we can contribute to mother nature and how we live in harmony with mother nature. This is true Dharm. Dharm does not mean religion. When we understand the Jainpant, we can understand Dharm. When a Yaksh asked Yudhisthir the definition of Dharm, he said in one word, ‘Apramadham’ meaning ‘to be alert’. A man who is aware, he knows what to do what not to do the consequences therein. It has nothing to do with religion. The Jagrukt or awareness comes from different places. Alertness in India is more important than living in distinct geographies. It diffuses itself in different forms. Jainism is the mother of all religions. Jainism predates Maharvir by 23 tirthanaras. It kept evolving through the psyche, the society, the need of the time. Nonviolence is fundamental. But giving happiness is also an important next step. This is what is the next stage in Jainism. In meditation, people are get alarmed at the revelations of what they were supposed to do and didn’t do. Let it come to the mental surface and pull yourself towards the divine force. It’s good that all the defects come out through meditation because it is an indicative of what you need to work upon. All the 24 tirthankars are depicted in meditative state. Without dhyan , you cannot progress.
What is dh yan ? It comes from Sanskrit word ‘dhi’ + ‘yan’. Dhi means ultimate knowledge. Yan is a vehicle. Dhyan is a transporter taking us to the ultimate wisdom. For our consciousness to go higher, we need energy as well just like a satellite has to have escape velocity. What is the gravity that pulls us back when we try to ascend in our consciousness — it is your desires and ego. Does that mean you should have no desires? Without desire you cannot go towards God. Being a slave to desires and insistence and demand is disastrous. Have better kind of desires. To escape this, you need Pranahuti . It is subtler than consciousness itself. Pranahuti emanates from the ataman, it connects with the source and is subtler than consciousness. Heisenberg said that determining the position and speed of an electron is not possible. The instrument through which he was measuring was wrong. It would measure electron with electron displacing it. The speed and position can therefore never measure in the same time. If it was more refined than electron itself, then one would be in position to determine it. Pranahuti is the digestive nectar that directly enters the heart and shifts our consciousness little by little. Daily practice of meditation through Pranahuti is a must.
Pranahuti was invented by Rishabhdev. Lalaji Maharaj in his vision saw 73 generations before Bhagvan Ram, Rishabhdev found the technique which he utilised during his lifetime. After his passing this knowledge was lost. Incremental level of this calmness prepares us slowly until we are able to tolerate that level of consciousness.
Jamwal: Youngsters want to know how to choose the right guru.
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