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Dana and Dhyana in Jaina Yoga: A Case Study of Preksadhyana and the TerapanthKothari, Smita 10 January 2014 (has links)
This dissertation examines the role one aspect of the Jaina tradition plays in a
globalized world in the 21st century vis-a-vis an economically viable, socially just, and
ecologically sustainable society. I address this by means of an in-depth study of dana
(giving, gifting, charity) and dhyana (meditation) conducting a case study of
preksadhyana, a form of meditation developed by the Terapanth, a Svetambara Jaina
sect, in 1975 and their stance on dana. These practices, the Terapanth claim, are
transformative on an individual and societal level. I argue that while preksadhyana’s
spiritually transformative influence remains narrowly circumscribed to the individual
level, nevertheless it allows the Terapanth to participate in the booming economy of the
transnational yoga market. Yet, as my analyses of their historically controversial position
on dana vis-a-vis the Jaina position on dana and the recent change in this position within
the Terapanth reveal, their ability to transform the world is limited to their own
community. I explore, through participation/observation, how preksadhyana as a
performative ritual brings an individual closer to spiritual liberation, and attempt to
demonstrate how the Terapanth construct this practice as a form of modern yoga by using
authoritative discourses of science and scripture. I conclude by offering some final
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thoughts on how successful the Terapanth are in their dissemination of preksadhyana to a
global audience and what role the authoritative discourses of science and scripture play in
the evaluation and/or erosion of Jaina theology.
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Dana and Dhyana in Jaina Yoga: A Case Study of Preksadhyana and the TerapanthKothari, Smita 10 January 2014 (has links)
This dissertation examines the role one aspect of the Jaina tradition plays in a
globalized world in the 21st century vis-a-vis an economically viable, socially just, and
ecologically sustainable society. I address this by means of an in-depth study of dana
(giving, gifting, charity) and dhyana (meditation) conducting a case study of
preksadhyana, a form of meditation developed by the Terapanth, a Svetambara Jaina
sect, in 1975 and their stance on dana. These practices, the Terapanth claim, are
transformative on an individual and societal level. I argue that while preksadhyana’s
spiritually transformative influence remains narrowly circumscribed to the individual
level, nevertheless it allows the Terapanth to participate in the booming economy of the
transnational yoga market. Yet, as my analyses of their historically controversial position
on dana vis-a-vis the Jaina position on dana and the recent change in this position within
the Terapanth reveal, their ability to transform the world is limited to their own
community. I explore, through participation/observation, how preksadhyana as a
performative ritual brings an individual closer to spiritual liberation, and attempt to
demonstrate how the Terapanth construct this practice as a form of modern yoga by using
authoritative discourses of science and scripture. I conclude by offering some final
iii
thoughts on how successful the Terapanth are in their dissemination of preksadhyana to a
global audience and what role the authoritative discourses of science and scripture play in
the evaluation and/or erosion of Jaina theology.
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EEG Spectral Changes Before and After an Eight-week Intervention Period of Preksha MeditationJoshi, Chintan 10 November 2016 (has links)
Various types of meditation techniques, primarily categorized into concentrative and mindfulness meditation, have evolved over the years to enhance the physiological and psychological well-being of people in all walks of life. However, the scientific knowledge of the impact of meditation on physiological and psychological well-being is very limited. Electroencephalography (EEG) was used to study the effect of a sequence of different forms of Preksha meditation on brain activity. EEG data from 13 novice participants (10 females, 3 males; Age: 19-49 yrs) were collected while meditating for the first time (pre) and at the end of an eight week (post) intervention period (3 meditation sessions/week). EEG spectral power densities were calculated in delta (1-4Hz), theta (4-8Hz), alpha (8-13Hz), beta (13-40Hz) and gamma (40-100Hz) bands. A Support vector machine algorithm based on the radial basis function kernel was used to classify different forms of Preksha meditation. The SVM classification was able to differentiate the brain activity amongst the forms of Preksha meditation with 6-12% accuracy only. These accuracies are extremely low and the classification was not able to discriminate between different forms of meditation within a session. It is therefore concluded, that the format of Preksha meditation utilized did not elicit clear changes in EEG, discernable using the SVM algorithm.
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