Sampikkhae appagamappaenam (Sanskrit — Samprekseta atmanamatmana) : This aphorism from the Jaina canon Dasaveaiiyam forms the basic principle of this system of meditation, propounded by His Holiness Acharya Mahaprajna, a great thinker, philosopher and saint of today. It simply means: ‘See you thyself — perceive and realize the most subtle aspects of consciousness by your conscious mind. Hence ‘to see’ is the fundamental principle of this meditation process. Preksha means to ‘perceive carefully and profoundly’. The name Preksha dhyan (Preksha meditation) was therefore assigned to this system. It is basically not the concentration of ‘thought’ but is the concentration of ‘perception’
It is conceded that both thinking (conception) as well as seeing (perception) assist in ascertaining and knowing the truth; the latter is more potent than the former. In the tenets produced by Bhagvan Mahavir, ‘Perceive and Know’ is given more prominence than ‘Think, Contemplate and Know’. This is because perception is strictly concerned with the phenomenon of the present; it is neither a memory of the past nor an imagination of the future. Whatever is happening at the moment of perception must necessarily be a reality. The process of perception, therefore, excludes a mere ‘appearance’.
One commences the practice of this technique wilh the perception of the body. Body contains the soul. Therefore one must pierce the wall of the container to reach the content (the Soul). Again, breathing is a part of the body and the essence of life. To breathe is to live; and so breath is naturally qualified to be the first object of our perception, whereas the body itself would become the next one.
Our conscious mind becomes sharpened to perceive the internal realities in due course, and then it will be able to focus itself on the minutest and the most subtle occurrences within the body. The direct perception of emotions, urges and other psychological events will then be possible. And ultimately the entire envelopes of karmic matter, contaminating the consciousness, could be clearly recognised. (— Acharya Mahaprajna and Muni Mahendra Kumar).
As stated above, our conscious mind is capable of two categories of functions, viz. thinking and perceiving — conception and perception. But it is incapable of being engaged in both the categories simultaneously. One either thinks or perceives at a time. Exclusive perception of a single object can thus become an efficient tool for steadying the ever wandering mind. If one concentrates in perceiving any external object, he finds his mind steadied and his train of thoughts almost halted.
Similarly, when one concentrates on the perception of one’s own internal phenomena such as sensations, vibrations or even thoughts, one will realize that the mind has stopped its usual wandering and is fully engaged in perception. In the system of Preksha meditation, perception always means experience devoid of the duality of like and dislike. When the experience is contaminated with pleasure and pain, like and dislike, perception loses its primary position. (— Muni Mahendra Kumar)
The purpose of the practice of Preksha meditation is to purify the mental states. Mind is constantly choked by contaminating urges, emotions and passions. This hampers the flow of wisdom. The hurdles of uncleanliness must first be removed. When the mind is cleansed, peace of mind automatically surfaces. Balance of mind, equanimity and the state of well being (physical health) are also experienced simultaneously. So its practice also has precious therapeutic value.