Who
Am I?
There is more to life than just living.
There has got to be more to life than to just live. There should be a higher
purpose in life. The purpose of life
is to come to the real answer of ‘Who
am I?’ -An unanswered question of infinite previous lives (anant avatars). The missing links of the search for ‘Who am I?’ are now being provided through
the words of the Gnani Purush (An enlightened being) and edited
for the purpose of comprehension.
Who am I? What am I not? Who is above the
Self? What is mine? What is not mine? What is bondage? What is Moksha?
Who is the ‘doer’ in the world? Is God
the ‘doer’ or not? What is the real nature of God? What is the nature of the real ‘doer’ in this world? Who runs the
world? How does it function? What is the real nature of illusion? Is whatever
one knows, real or is it an illusion? Will one become free or remain bound with
the knowledge one has?
This book will give the precise
understanding of the true meaning behind these issues. The reader of these
pages will understand the essence of Akram
Vignan.
Dr. Niruben Amin
Bombay
1986
Ambalal M. Patel, a Gnani Purush (Self-Realized being),
popularly known as Dada, always used to say that it is not possible to
translate Akram Vignan, verbatim into English, because some meaning would be lost.
He stressed that one needs to learn the Gujarati language to understand all the
facets of Akram Vignan.
Despite this Dada did give his blessings
to translate Akram Vignan into English and other languages.
With the popularity of Akram Vignan increasing amongst non-Gujarati
speaking people, it is evident that translation into English is a necessity.
In this attempt, we have tried to capture
the essence of Dadashri’s teachings. Many people have contributed to this
effort and we thank all of them.
This is an elementary introduction to the
vast treasures of the Akram Vignani (Absolute Scientist). It is our
sincere prayer to Him to guide the readers to understand the exact meaning of
the knowledge that Dada passed on to us all.
We would appreciate your input
and suggestions for future editions of this book.
JAI SAT CHIT ANAND
July 15, 1994
CONTENTS
1.
What is the purpose of life?
2.
The only goal worth having.
3.
Awareness of bondage (bandhan) is the
beginning of the search for freedom (mukti).
4.
Dependency is bondage.
5.
The ‘true’ understanding of independence.
6.
For those striving to be free...
7.
The precise method for liberation.
8.
The effects of acquired ignorance.
9.
Who am I?
10.
If things affect you, you are not the Soul (Atma).
11.
So many wrong beliefs.
12.
‘I’ in the wrong location.
13.
Atma darshan (Self-Realization)
through right belief.
14.
The world through the vision of the Gnani
(the Absolute Scientist).
15.
One is a stranger to one’s Real Self.
16.
Realization of the Self results in departure from ‘My’.
17.
Separate ‘I’ and ‘My’.
18.
Only the Gnani shows you the real
‘I’.
19.
You own mistakes are your upri (you
are subservient to your own mistakes).
20.
The Real Nature of the ‘Doer’ of this world.
21.
This cannot be Moksha.
22.
Then, who made God?
23. Neither a beginning nor an end to
this world…! (anadi-anant).
24. God's correct address.
25.
The world is the puzzle itself.
26.
Scientific Circumstantial Evidence.
27.
The Principle of convenience.
28.
Circumstances by nature are transient.
29.
Contradiction in ‘doership’.
30.
Did you wake up or were you awakened?
31.
How much of it is in your hands?
32.
It happens...
33.
The subtle distinction between Prarabdh
(destiny) and Purushaarth (efforts).
34.
The Scientific understanding of Prarabdh (destiny)!
35.
All action is Prarabdh and Feelings (Bhaav) is Purushaarth.
36.
The Purushaarth of this world.
37.
Real Purushaarth starts after one
becomes a Purush.
38.
‘Doership’ = Prakruti: ‘Non-doership’
= Atma.
39.
Karta (‘Doership’) and Naimittic
(Instrumental) ‘Doership’.
40.
‘Doership’ binds Karma.
41.
Atma (Self) and anatma (non-Self) become one through ignorance.
42.
Knowledge of Jeeva (Chetan- Atma, life force) and ajeev
(anatma- Matter).
43.
Scientific separation of Atma and anatma (Self and Non-Self).
44.
Ignorance (Agnan) - The root cause of
the worldly life.
45.
No effort required in Self-Realization.
46.
Moksha is effortless.
47.
Moksha means eternal bliss.
48.
Two stages of Moksha.
49.
Experiencing Moksha in daily living.
50.
The one trapped in suffering is the one seeking happiness.
51.
Who achieves Moksha?
52.
Only Gnan (Real Knowledge) can end
all unhappiness.
53.
Extraordinary powers of Akram Gnan.
54.
How long does it take to dispel darkness (ignorance).
55.
Distinction between Atma (Self) and anatma (non-Self).
56.
Paths: Kramic (step by step) or Akram (no steps, lift, elevator).
57.
The one who meets ‘me’ is ready for Akram
Gnan!
58.
Who is Dada Bhagwan?
59.
Freedom through the Science of Self-Realization (Vitraag Vignan).
60.
Get your work done!
"WHO
AM I?”
1
Dadashri:
What is our life’s purpose? What
is its aim? Have you ever thought about this?
Questioner: Life is for living.
Dadashri:
Living for what?
Questioner: We are born and therefore we have to
live.
Dadashri:
We are born, so we have to live. But all
living beings live! Animals too live! What is the purpose of this living? Have
you decided a goal for your life? What should you live your whole life
for? Should there not be a purpose for
living? Is it to acquire wealth, fame or prestige? Or is to compete with others
in order to gain importance? What do you think? What is the purpose?
Questioner: Yes, we are working for these very
things.
Dadashri: But should man not have a goal? What
goal should that be?
Questioner:
It is to live life well.
Dadashri:
But how do you define a well-lived life? What would you call a
successful or a worthwhile life? And how would you define success? Have you
ever thought about this?
Let me give you an analogy to illustrate
what you have said. Suppose there is a twenty-five horsepower engine. We put
fuel in it and we let it run. It runs aimlessly and continuously while we just
sit and watch it. Would people not ask us as to why we are letting the engine
run idle?
Questioner: There has to be a purpose for running
the engine.
Dadashri: There has to be a purpose. Similarly we
need to give a purpose to this ‘engine’ of our life and channel its energy in
the right direction, so we can get our work done. Like the engine, this ‘human
engine’ of life has to have a direction or path to follow. Only then this life of ours would have a
definite purpose. Otherwise, all living beings eat and sleep. Even the animals!
By purpose, I mean which gati (life-form)
do you want to go to? Do you want to be born as a deva (heavenly, celestial
being) and go to devagati to
enjoy the heavenly pleasures? Or do you want to be born as a human and be like
Gandhiji? Or would you like to go to Moksha
(liberation)? One has to have a purpose or a goal in life in order to
achieve something. Without a goal how can anything be accomplished? What is
your ultimate goal in life?
2
Questioner: What goal must a human being have?
Dadashri:
Moksha should be the only goal.
This should be the only goal.
You do want to go to Moksha don’t you? For how
much longer do you want to keep on wandering aimlessly? You have done only this
for infinite lives. You have not left any place to wander! You have wandered
aimlessly between different gatis: janwar gati (animal kingdom), manushya gati (human form) and devagati (celestial form).
Why did you have to suffer such endless
wanderings? Because you have not known your true identity, you have not known
the answer to ‘Who Am I?’ Should you not know your Real Self? Despite your
extensive wanderings of countless lives, you do not even know who you really
are. Is making money your only pursuit in life? Should you not be making a
little attempt toward Moksha?
Questioner: Yes, an effort should be made.
3
AWARENESS OF BONDAGE (BANDHAN) IS THE BEGINNING OF THE SEARCH FOR LIBERATION (MUKTI)
Questioner: Please explain the meaning of Moksha.
Dadashri: Why are you asking this question? Are
you in bandhan right now? Are you
aware that you are in bondage? Do you know what bondage is? Do you understand
what parvashta (dependency on external
factors) is?
Questioner: I don't feel any parvashta.
Dadashri: If we lock up a monkey in a cage, what
will that monkey try to do?
Questioner: The monkey will try to escape.
Dadashri: Yes, the monkey does not like being
caged up. He wants to be free. He does not like the bondage of the cage.
Likewise you are bound in so many ways. But you are not yet aware that you are
bound. You will begin to understand Moksha when you become aware of the
countless bondages of life and when you feel trapped in life’s cage. Even a
monkey does not like being caged, so how can humans like it? Do you follow me?
Questioner: Yes, I do.
4
Dadashri: Do people at home scold you when you
come home late? Do you like that?
Questioner: No.
Dadashri: That is what bondage is. Dependency is
the fear you experience of having to face the consequences of coming home late.
Do you not have to experience fear? Are you not afraid of being caught and
punished when you have done something wrong?
Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri: All that is dependency. Any dependency
is itself bondage. If you wanted to go outside but you had a migraine, then
would you be able to go? You would have to stay indoors. And would you not also have to suffer the
pain?
Questioner: Isn't this dependency due to our unique
inherent nature (prakruti)?
Dadashri: Yes, but not only are you dependent on
your own prakruti but also on
others’; even the family members at home. For example, you have to wake up when
your wife calls you for breakfast although you may not be feeling well.
Questioner: But don't I have to cooperate and adjust
with the people around me?
Dadashri: Yes, but you have no choice! What else
can you do? You were born into this group of mutually dependent people and
therefore you have to adjust. It is only through the attainment of absolute and
total independence that dependency on anyone or anything is destroyed.
Questioner:
But when once you realize that this world is a dream (svapnamaya), then what?
Dadashri: It would not matter if it was a dream
and there were no bondage. But, this life is full of all kinds of
bondage. We feel the dependency all day long. There is no freedom! Let me give
you a few examples. If you were forced to sit in this satsang for two hours and not allowed to leave, and you begin to
feel hungry, what would you do? How intense is the bondage of hunger, of thirst
and of sleep! Even the fear of being
caught by the police is bondage. There is bondage from your wife and your children - so many different types of
bondage! Even getting a haircut when your hair becomes too long, and clipping
your nails is bondage.
5
Dadashri: Do you now understand that you are
bound? Are you experiencing the bondage
of everything?
Questioner: Yes, but previously I was not aware
that it was bondage. It is only after you explained the meaning of bondage, I
understand.
Dadashri: Prior to this you had no awareness, so
what could you do? People are in search of Dharma
(religion), but
they are not aware that they are in bondage. As for myself, I felt bound since the age of thirteen. When
someone told me, "God will take you to Moksha,"
I replied, "If God gives me Moksha
then I do not want it!" If God takes me to Moksha then he becomes my upri
(superior), and if there is an upri
then dependency will always
remain.
People’s knowledge of this world is
relative knowledge. Everyone believes that God has created this world, but if
God did create this world then, as a creator, he would always be our superior
and nobody
would attain liberation.
Questioner:
So how can you tell that Moksha
has been attained?
Dadashri: Moksha
means we have no superior nor do we have an ‘underhand’. No one can
interfere in our affairs. That is
called Moksha. No one can interfere with our happiness; that itself is Moksha. One feels completely
liberated.
So now, do you
understand the need to become independent? How long can you go on being dependent? In such a vast world, even
the mosquitoes and the flies can disturb your peace. Anyone that comes along
can disturb you. There is so much
dependency! Even for a haircut, you have to go to the barber. Sometimes the barber
can be rough when he manipulates your head. He will turn your head one way or
another. Under such circumstances what can even a brave warrior do? So
therefore this is all dependency. Is
there not a need then to become independent?
Questioner: I believe it is not
necessary to become independent but rather to understand the need for becoming
independent.
Dadashri: Yes, that understanding is
necessary. It is enough to understand it just
once. Even if you cannot become
independent, at least there is a need to understand it right? Independent will come later on but for the
time being the understanding is enough.
6
FOR THOSE STRIVING TO BE FREE...
Dadashri: Now the one who has the desire to remain
bound will not become free and the one, who desires freedom, cannot be bound.
Does anyone have the desire to be free?
Questioner: We have been searching for the path that
will lead us to liberation. Independence is something that everyone
cherishes.
Dadashri: No, but you have never really had the
true desire for liberation! Usually you have desires for things that bind you.
Questioner: We want to become free, how can we do
so?
Dadashri:
Not like this. You should have the desire to be free, right?
Questioner: Only when the
desire is there can one ask such a question.
Dadashri: No, everyone has had that kind of
fleeting desire at one time or another! Everyone has the desire to become
free. No one likes bondage. Certainly
everyone gets tired, but what is the ‘true’ desire for liberation? It is the desire, which is never forgotten. Do you not forget this
desire from time to time? Don't you sometimes forget your desire to
be free? Do you go to sleep at night or not?
Questioner:
Yes, but sleep is
inevitable.
Dadashri: Yes, but even so, it is he who never
forgets the desire to be free, that attains freedom. Otherwise, at night we get
under the soft warm covers and fall asleep and that’s that! Furthermore, if
someone calls you “stupid” then you instantly forget your desire to be free and
instead react in such a way that your response creates further bondage. Or if someone blames
you and says “You have ruined me”, at that moment you will forget your desire
to be free and instead continue the desire to be bound.
Questioner: What can be done to acquire this
constant awareness of the desire for liberation, so that it would not be
forgotten?
Dadashri:
For that you have to know the method for acquiring such a desire. Merely
talking about it gets you nowhere. Are all these ascetics (sadhus, Acharyas etc.,), not striving for liberation? For so many lives they have done the same
incantations, penance and renunciation and yet where has it taken them? Without the precise method, nothing can be
achieved. So it is the precise method that is needed.
Questioner: What is the precise method?
7
Dadashri: What is your name?
Questioner: My name is Chandulal.
Dadashri: Are you really Chandulal?
Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri: Chandulal is your name. Is Chandulal not your name? Are you yourself
Chandulal or is your name Chandulal?
Questioner: It is my name.
Dadashri: Then who are you? If Chandulal is your name then who are you? Are you and your name not separate? If you are separate from
your name, then who are you? Do you understand what I am trying to say? If you
say, "These are my eye-glasses," then you and the glasses are
separate, right? Similarly, do you not
feel that you are separate from your name?
In the same token there
is nothing wrong with naming a shop ‘General Traders’. But, if we were to call out to the shop owner, "Hey! General
Traders ...come here!” he would reply, "My name is Jayantilal, General
Traders is the name of my shop". So, the owner, the shop and the
merchandise inside the shop, are all separate entities. What do you think?
Questioner: That makes sense.
Dadashri: But, here people insist ‘No, I myself am Chandulal’. Therefore
I am the owner of the shop and I am also the sign on the shop. ‘Chandulal’
is just a means for identification.
8
Dadashri: Did you name yourself Chandulal or did
someone else name you?
Questioner: People say that this is your name.
Dadashri:
People tell you that you are Chandulal so you readily believed and
accepted that you are Chandulal? People can say anything but do we have to
believe everything they say? Should we not use our own intellect? Should you
not ask yourself whether you are who people tell you that you are, or whether
you are somebody else? Do you understand this point?
Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri: Let me tell you how this world
functions. People are social beings. When a child is born, they insist on
giving the child a name. How else can the child be identified? So a name is
given as a means of identification. You were not even aware of it when you were
given the name ‘Chandu’, nor did anyone ask you. Does anyone ever consult the
child before naming it?
Questioner: No.
Dadashri: From your very
childhood, people kept calling you ‘Chandu’ and you have come to believe, ‘I am
Chandu’. You believe this name to be
you. In
reality you are not that, but you insist that you are Chandulal because
everyone tells you so. Since you do not know who you really are, you believe
yourself to be the name that you have been given. This has had a very powerful
psychological effect on you. This effect is so deeply ingrained within you,
that you unconsciously assume Chandulal to be your Real Self! As a result of this wrong belief, you have
experienced countless lives ‘sleeping with your eyes open’.
9
Dadashri: Will you not have to investigate who you
really are? How long can you go on being in the dark about your Self? Do you
not think it is ignorance
to not investigate your true identity?
Questioner: Yes, Dadaji. It really is a
mistake.
Dadashri: Is it not possible for one person to be
a father-in-law and a son-in-law at the same time? And that same person will
also say, “I am the owner of this grocery store.” Come now decide! Who are you?
Are you a father-in-law, a son-in-law or a shop owner? Should there not be an
investigation into who we really are?
Should you not inquire whether you really
are Chandulal or some other entity? It is understandable that a small child
would not inquire into this matter, but as an adult should you not investigate
this?
Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri: Yes, until you realize who you really
are, everything else proves to be wrong and incorrect.
Even before you purchased this watch, did
you not inquire about its make, quality, price, warranty, etc.? Then, is it not
ironic that you have not made inquires about your own Self yet? Who are you? You have no knowledge about your true identity, where you come
from and where you reside. You know
none of these things and even without knowing the answer to this one vital
question (Who am I?), you complicate your life further by actively
participating in this relative world.
In this state of ignorance you further complicate your life by getting
married. Hence arise the confusion and puzzles in the relative world.
Even when you fall asleep at night, you
fall asleep as Chandulal. All night long this wrong belief reinforces itself,
becoming stronger and stronger. Only when you realize the answer to ‘Who am
I?’ does your wrong belief stop. It is
because of this wrong belief you have been wandering from one life to
another. You do not know your true
identity and furthermore you impress upon yourself the belief of that which you
are not. You have imposed this wrong
belief on your Real Self. Not only this, but you have accepted that 'I am
Chandulal' and have behaved accordingly. This false accusation is a blunder. It
is because of this very blunder you constantly have suffering from within (you
experience antardaah - the inner
restlessness of misery and discontent). At the moment, you have so many worries
because of your belief of ‘I am Chandulal’. This aaropit bhaav (to impose a false belief)
is a guno (misdeed) and you become the culprit of this guno; the consequence of which you will have to suffer!
Have not all your
academic achievements been in vain because you have not doubted your
identity? You do not have the precise
understanding of who you are.
10
Dadashri: It is not that you are not Chandulal at
all. You are Chandulal, but from a relative viewpoint. ‘I am Chandulal’, is
correct by a relative viewpoint, but you need to know who you are by the Real viewpoint.
Questioner: I am a Soul (Atma), but my name is
Chandulal.
Dadashri: Yes, but suppose someone insults
Chandulal right now and call him names, would it not affect you?
Questioner: Yes, it would affect me.
Dadashri: Then you are Chandulal and not the Soul.
If you were the Soul, you would not be affected at all. But because you are
affected when someone insults Chandulal, then you are Chandulal despite your
belief.
When someone insults Chandulal, you take
it personally. If someone were gossiping about Chandulal in the next room, you
would put your ear to the wall and strain to hear what was being said. I enter
the room and ask you what you are doing and you would tell me that you are
listening to the conversation that is going on in the next room. I ask you who
the conversation is about and you tell me that it is about Chandulal. Oh! But
you are not Chandulal! You are the Soul so you would not be affected by
anything that is said about Chandulal.
Questioner: But in reality, I am the Soul, right?
Dadashri: Yes, but you have not realized the Soul yet! You are still
Chandulal. ‘I am Chandulal’ is an aaropit
bhaav (wrong imposition). It is your strong belief that you are Chandulal
and this belief is a wrong belief.
11
Dadashri: The belief that ‘I am Chandulal’, does not go, even in your
sleep. And when you get
married, people tell you, “You are this woman's husband” So, you accept the role of a
husband, and act like one. After that, through repetition, you keep reinforcing the belief of being a husband. Is anyone
a husband forever? If you get a divorce will you still be her husband? All
these wrong beliefs have become deeply ingrained within you.
The first wrong belief is that 'I am
Chandulal'. ‘I am this woman's husband’, is the second wrong belief. ‘I am a Vaishnav (religious sect)’, is the third
wrong belief. ‘I am a lawyer’, is the fourth wrong belief. ‘I am this boy's
father’, is the fifth wrong belief. ‘I am an uncle’, is the sixth wrong belief.
‘I am fair-skinned’, is the seventh wrong belief. ‘I am forty-five years old’,
is the eighth wrong belief. ‘I am a businessman’, is also a wrong belief. If
you say that “I am a taxpayer”, then that is yet another wrong belief. How many
such wrong beliefs do you have?
Questioner: Too many wrong beliefs.
Dadashri: Wherever you super-impose ‘I’, where ‘I’
does not belong, that is a wrong belief. You have to get rid of all these wrong
beliefs. How can you be happy with so many wrong beliefs? Now tell me! What
kinds of beliefs make a man happy?
Questioner: The person who does not have any beliefs
is happy.
Dadashri: No, one cannot live without beliefs. But
what you need is the right belief.
Questioner: Is it possible to be without any
beliefs?
Dadashri: It is like this. Suppose we want to go from Los Angeles to
San Francisco. Instead we take the road going to San Diego. Then do we not have
to back track from San Diego to Los Angeles (our original place)? Likewise, it
is important to keep this right belief in order to come back to our original
place. Once
you get rid of the wrong beliefs and keep the right belief for a while, you
will arrive at your original place,
after which there will no longer be a need to keep any beliefs. Then your work
is done.
Now, how will you get rid of all
these wrong beliefs?
Questioner: I don't know. I need your guidance for
that.
Dadashri: Yes, it is because people do not have the knowledge of how to
get rid of this wrong belief that this whole world has been wandering
aimlessly. They know that this belief is wrong, but how can they get rid
of it? Infinite lives have passed without
getting rid of even a single wrong belief.
12
‘I’ IN THE WRONG
LOCATION.
Dadashri: This belief of ‘I am
Chandulal’ is ahankar (ego), because
to impose ‘I’ where ‘I’ does not belong is ahankar
(ego).
Questioner: How can there be ego in saying I am
Chandulal? If I say, “I am great” or “I
am the smartest man in the world”, then it would be a different matter. But if
I instinctively (with
sahaj bhaav) say, “I am Chandulal”, then where is the ego in that?
Dadashri: Even if you say so with instinctively, does the ego go
away? Even if you say, “My name is Chandulal”, with sahaj bhaav, it is
still considered ego, because ego is when
you do not know who you are and you identify yourself with what you are not.
A businessman once said to me, “I do not
feel that I am.” I asked him, “What is your name, sir?” He answered, “Manilal.”
I asked, “How do you experience Manilal?”
He replied, “I know that I am Manilal, but I do not identify and act
like Manilal. I do not have any ego.”
Then I asked him, “If someone insulted Manilal, would it affect
you?” He replied, “Of course it
would!” I told him, “Then you are
definitely Manilal.” Just because you
may not verbally say, “I am Manilal,” does that mean you have accomplished
anything? If someone insults
‘Manilal’, does he not immediately think the insult is directed at him? So does he not take it personally?
‘I am Chandulal’ is for
a “dramatic” (for playing your role in the worldly interactions) purpose only. (Readers note: Dada has used the word ‘drama’
and ‘dramatic’ as a synonym for the word ‘play’ and ‘acting’). There is no harm in saying, “I am Chandulal”,
but the belief of ‘I am Chandulal’
should not be internalized within you. It should be for “dramatic” and
identification purpose only.
Questioner: Yes, otherwise ‘I-ness’ (with Chandulal) will set in.
Dadashri: If the ‘I’ is in its Real ‘I’ place, then it is not ego. If you believe that
‘I am Chandulal’, then the superimposition of the ‘I’ on Chandulal is ego. When
you identify ‘I’ with your Real Self
(its proper place), then it is not ego.
If the ‘I’ comes out of its incorrectly positioned place (Chandulal) and
assumes its Real place, then the ego is gone.
Therefore
you do not have to get rid of the ‘I’, but you just need to put the ‘I’ in its
correct location.
13
ATMA
DARSHAN
(SELF-REALIZATION) THROUGH RIGHT BELIEF
Once you become aware of your true
identity, your work is done. Otherwise,
you are going around in a false state of awareness and acting according to this
false belief.
Questioner: Dada that is why we have come to you for
the Real awareness.
Dadashri: Yes, you must get the awareness (darshan) of who you really are. Not only the awareness, but you
will also need Absolute Knowledge (Gnan)
and right conduct (charitra). The awareness is called darshan (vision); samyak
darshan (right vision). At the
moment you have mithya darshan (wrong
vision). The right belief is called samyak
darshan and the wrong belief is called mithya
darshan.
Right now, you believe you are Chandulal.
This wrong belief has become an integral part of your knowledge. If someone
calls out, “Hey Chandulal,” you will automatically turn your head in response.
Therefore, in your knowledge you are Chandulal. In your darshan (vision)
and also in your belief you are Chandulal. And through your conduct (charitra) you behave as Chandulal. Right now, your knowledge, understanding and
conduct are all false or incorrect. Liberation is when knowledge, understanding
and conduct (gnan-darshan-charitra) become right or samyak: That is called Moksha.
Permanent happiness is when samyak gnan (enlightened knowledge), samyak darshan (enlightened world view)
and samyak charitra (enlightened
conduct) are attained.
The conduct of this world is not the Real
conduct. All worldly conduct falls into
the ‘foreign department’ (i.e. not your own).
You have believed this ‘foreign department’ to be the ‘home
department’. Can the ‘foreign’ and
‘home’ department be the same?
Questioner: No, ‘home department’ is everything that
goes on internally.
Dadashri: Yes, ‘home department’ is your Real
Self.
Questioner: ‘Self’?
Dadashri: Yes, ‘Self’. This ‘Self’ is ‘home’ and not ‘foreign’. So the viewpoint that ‘I
am Chandulal’ is a wrong belief. This
wrong belief has to be destroyed and the right belief should be acquired. This
right belief can only set in if the wrong belief is removed. How can the right
belief move in if the wrong belief does not move out? When you acquire the
right belief, then you become Self-Realized (samkit). After this, your goal is accomplished.
The world talks about ‘mithyatva’. The word ‘mithyatva’ is said all over the
world. But no one has ever explained
what mithyatva is. That is why the
world continues to be in such a turmoil. These wrong beliefs in themselves are mithyatva. It is not mithyatva to
wear fashionable clothes. Nor is it mithyatva
to get married. All these wrong beliefs are the only mithyatva, and when the right belief is acquired, it is called samyak darshan (enlightened world-view,
true understanding).
The belief by which you realize the Atma (the
Real Self) is called samyak darshan (enlightened
view).
14
THE GNANI (THE ABSOLUTE SCIENTIST)
Dadashri: Therefore there is a need to acquire the enlightened view. Enlightened view occurs when all these wrong beliefs are
destroyed and the right belief sets in. When the true understanding (samyak darshan) is acquired, the world
can be seen exactly as it is. The Gnani
Purush does not see the world any
differently from the way you see it. He sees the world in the same way as you
do. You see the rising sun and so does the Gnani
Purush. But for the Gnani, the
Absolute Scientist everything is clearly defined as to what is ‘temporary’ and what is ‘permanent’.
Everything has been classified in this way. For Him, there is a definite
separation of the ‘home department’ and
the ‘foreign department’. The ‘Foreign department’ is a ‘temporary adjustment’,
a temporary state and the home department is a ‘permanent adjustment’.
All these wrong beliefs that you have,
are not permanent adjustments. Today
you could say that you are this woman's husband, but if you divorced her three
days later, could you honestly say that you are still her husband?
Questioner: No.
Dadashri: Therefore all these wrong beliefs are
temporary adjustments and the enlightened view is a permanent adjustment. The true awareness is a permanent
state. Once this enlightened view
starts, then the state of permanent happiness begins. Do you understand?
Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri: Until now you were not even aware that
all your beliefs are wrong. Until now you believed that ‘I am Chandulal’. But
all these are only adjustments: temporary adjustments. All these relatives are
temporary adjustments and ‘You’ are
permanent. But you do not have the awareness of the permanent yet. Do you?
15
This is an effort on one’s part to remain
hidden from one's own Self for endless lives.
Is it not strange that for infinite lives he has remained hidden from
his Real Self and yet he knows everything that is related to the non-self? How
long do you think he will remain hidden from his Real Self? This life is meant
for the realization of one’s Real Self. The human life is expressly meant for
the investigation of one’s true identity, otherwise one will wander aimlessly.
Do you not think it is imperative that you will need to know the answer to ‘Who
am I?’ Will you not need to enquire
about who you really are?
Questioner:
We will need to know this for sure.
Dadashri: Then why have you not known this so far?
Once you become aware of your Real Self, then you will achieve eternal bliss.
Is there anything difficult in this?
Questioner: It does not seem difficult, but in
reality it is very difficult.
Dadashri: From which point of view do you find it
easy and from which viewpoint do you find it difficult?
Questioner: In theory it appears simple, but to put
it in practice it seems very difficult.
Dadashri: Who told you that it is difficult in
practice?
Questioner: It appears that way because we do not
get any results from whatever efforts we make.
Dadashri: It is correct that you do not get any
results from efforts. This is because you do not have the right instrument (sadhan). Success requires the right
instrument and that is not to be readily found.
16
Questioner: Dada what technique or method is there
by which I can come to know my Real Self?
Dadashri: Yes, I will explain that technique to
you. In Lonavala (a hill station in India), a couple from
Germany approached me out of curiosity.
They wanted to learn more about the Atma. I said to them, “Separate ‘I’ and ‘My’”. They needed more
clarification, so I explained further after which they took their leave. These people are simple and straightforward
(sarad); they are not complicated or
awkward like the Indians. Our people always try to find an alternate way, even
though this straight path is quite evident to them. Our people are vikalpi (use their own ego). The couple
liked my ‘I and My’ approach very much.
Questioner: Will
you please explain in detail, what is ‘I’ and what is ‘My’?
Dadashri: ‘I’ is the elemental form (vastu svaroop) and ‘My’ is a
circumstantial form (sanyogi svaroop). The circumstantial form and the elemental
form are always separate. I’ is the
natural elemental form.
‘I’ is God and ‘My’ is maaya (illusion). Everything that falls under ‘My’ is
illusion. ‘My’ is all maaya. ‘My’ is filled with all varieties
of maaya. The moment you say ‘My’,
you are under the influence of maaya.
Whenever you say ‘My’, you become attached to whatever you refer to as ‘My’.
But ‘My’ cannot attach to ‘I’. ‘My’ is relative to ‘I’.
‘I’ is the only independent form.
Everything that falls under ‘My' is alien and not related to the Self. The body
(pudgal-cosmic flux of input (puran) and output (galan)) also falls under ‘My’.
In the relative world you have to say ‘my’ or ‘this is mine’, but from
within, your internal understanding should be that ‘it is not really mine’.
When a person achieves this understanding nothing bothers him. There is
nothing wrong in speaking this way, but from within one should decide what
really belongs to him. If a policeman
makes an inquiry at your house and asks whose house it is, you will have to
say, “It is my house”, but from within you should have an understanding that it
is not yours. It is the inner understanding that makes the difference. The real
‘I’ has no possessions.
Questioner: Even though I know ‘this is not mine’,
why can I not let go?
Dadashri: You will not be able to let go, how can
you? The one who wants to let go has not yet become ‘Absolute’. He keeps saying “I”, but he still believes
that ‘everything is mine’. Only when he
becomes Absolute, will he be liberated. Otherwise the ‘Absolute I’ is always tanmayakar (absorbed) with ‘My’. It is
as if the ghost of ‘My’ possesses him.
‘My’ is the ‘relative department’ and it
is a temporary state, while ‘I’ is the ‘Real department’ and it is the
permanent state. ‘I’ can never be temporary. Therefore, of the two, you need to
pursue ‘I’.
17
If I tell you to separate ‘I’ and ‘My’ with a ‘separator’, would you
be able to do so? Do you not think it
is important to separate the ‘I’ and ‘My’? Sooner or later you will have to
know this. Separate ‘I’ and ‘My’. Just as there is a method to separate curd
and whey, there is a way to separate the
‘I’ from the ‘My’.
At the moment, do you identify with the
‘My’ and the ‘I’ separately, or do you identify with them as being together?
Questioner: ‘My’ is always there.
Dadashri: What are all the things that fall under
‘My’?
Questioner: My home and all the things inside my
home.
Dadashri: Are all of those things yours? To whom
does your wife belong?
Questioner: She is also mine.
Dadashri: And these children?
Questioner: They are also mine.
Dadashri: And this watch?
Questioner: That is also mine.
Dadashri: And these hands, whose hands are these?
Questioner: They are also mine.
Dadashri: Then you will say “My head, my body, my
feet, my ears, my eyes.” All these parts of your body fall under ‘My’. But then
who is the person that is saying this word ‘My?’ Who is the one that says all
these things are “mine”? Have you ever
thought about that? When you say “My name is Chandulal” and then you turn
around and say, “I am Chandulal” do you not think there is a contradiction (virodhabhas) in this?
Questioner: Yes, I think so.
Dadashri: You are Chandulal right now. In this
Chandulal there is both ‘I’ and ‘My’. They are like the two railway lines
of ‘I’ and ‘My’; they always run
together, yet are always separate. They are always parallel and never become
one. Despite this you believe them to be one.
This is due to the ignorance or unawareness of your true identity.
Having understood this, separate the ‘My’. Keep all that comes under ‘My’ to
one side. For example, ‘My heart,’ keep
your heart on one side. What other things do we need to separate from this
body?
Questioner: The feet and all the sense organs.
Dadashri: Yes the five gnanendriyas (five organs of perception) and five karmendriyas (five organs of action) and
everything else. Furthermore do you say “My mind” or “ I am mind?”
Questioner: We say, “My mind”.
Dadashri: Do you not also say, “My intelligence”?
Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri:
And “My chit (the roving
tendency of the mind)”?
Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri: Then do you say, “My egoism” or do you
say, “I am egoism?”
Questioner: My egoism.
Dadashri: So even egoism is not a part of
you. By saying “My egoism”, you will be
able to separate that too, but you are not aware of other components that fall
under ‘my’. That is why you are not
able to do a complete separation. Your
awareness has limitations. You are aware
of only the sthool (gross)
components, beyond which there are sookshma
(subtle) components. The subtle
components also need to be separated,
after which there are two more levels of subtlety; sookshmatar and sookshmatum, which
also need to be taken away. Only a Gnani Purush is able to achieve a
separation at these intangible levels. But is it not possible to separate the
two? If you keep on deducting ‘My’ from ‘I’, at every step and level and put
all the things that fall under ‘My’ on one side, then what will remain?
Questioner: the ‘I’.
Dadashri: That ‘I’, is precisely what y
ou are.
And that is the ‘I’ that you need to realize.
Questioner: After such a separation am I to
understand that whatever is left over, is who I really am? Is that the Real I?
Dadashri: Yes, after separation whatever is left,
is your Real Self. ‘I’, is the Real You. Should you not inquire into this? Is
this method of separating the ‘I’ from ‘My’ not simple?
Questioner: It appears to be simple but how are we
going to make the separation at the sookshmatar
and sookshmatam levels? Without a Gnani, this is not possible right?
Dadashri: Yes. That is what the Gnani Purush ‘does’ for
you. That is why I say separate ‘I’ and
‘My’ with the ‘Gnani's
separator’. What do all the teachers of
our scriptures (shastrakaros) call
this separator?
They call it bhed Gnan. It is the
Science (knowledge) of separation. How are you going to take away the ‘My’
without this Science? You do not have the precise knowledge of what comes under
‘I’ and what comes under ‘My’. Bhed Gnan
means ‘I’ am totally separate from everything that is mine. It is only through
meeting a Gnani Purush can one acquire this Science
of Separation.
Is it not simple once this distinction
between the ‘I’ and the ‘My’ is made? Does not the Science of Self-Realization
become simple this way? The method I have shown makes Adhyatma (the study of the Atma) easy, does it not? Otherwise in this day and age, one can go
on reading the scriptures to the point of exhaustion and still not attain
Self-Realization.
Questioner: We need someone like you to help us
understand all this, do we not?
Dadashri: Yes, it is absolutely necessary;
unfortunately there are not many Gnani
Purush around. In fact it is indeed
an extremely rare occasion when a Gnani
Purush comes into existence. At such a time you need to seize the
opportunity and acquire Self-Realization from him. There is no charge for this,
nor are there any fees involved! Furthermore the Gnani can give you this separation within one hour! Once you have
acquired the knowledge of the Real 'I', everything has been achieved. This is
the total essence of all scriptures.
If you want material things then you will
have to keep the ‘My’, but if you want to become liberated then you will need
to relinquish ownership or surrender (surrender by means of understanding only)
everything that falls under the category of ‘My’. Surrender all that is ‘mine’
or ‘My’ to the Gnani Purush and you
will be left with only the ‘I’. The realization of ‘Who am I?’ is associated
with the loss of ‘My’. If ‘My’ becomes separate, then everything is
separated. The belief state of ‘I am’
and ‘all this is mine’, is defined as jivatmadasha. A person with this belief (prior to Self Realization) is a jivatma. The belief “I Am” and all of this is not mine’ (an
inherent understanding that comes about as a result of Self- Realization) is the
state of Parmatmadasha. Everything
associated with ‘My’ are obstacles on the path of liberation. Once ‘My’ becomes
detached from the ‘I’, everything becomes clear. The realization of ‘Who Am I?’ is spontaneously associated with
the loss or detachment of ‘My’.
18
ONLY THE GNANI SHOWS YOU THE
REAL ‘I’!
Questioner: How is it possible to understand and
realize the real ‘I’ when we are living in this worldly life (sansaar).
Dadashri: Where else are you going to realize the
real ‘I’? Is there any other place
besides this worldly life where one can live?
Everyone in this world is of this world and must live in it. It is here in this world that you can
know your Real Self. This is the science of understanding ‘Who am I?’ Come to me and I will make you realize your
True Self.
In the process of this realization, I am
not asking you to do anything, because it is not within your capacity. That is
why I am telling you that I will do everything for you. You do not have to
worry about anything. The first thing we need to know is who we really are and
that which is worth knowing? What is
the Real Truth? What is this whole world about? What is all this? What or who
is God?
Is there a God? Yes, indeed there is God
and moreover, that God is with you. Why
are you searching for him on the outside? But it is only when someone opens the
door for us, can we get His darshan (see Him). The door has been shut so tightly, that it is impossible to open
it on your own. Only a person who himself is Self-Realized (a Gnani Purush) can show you the path and
open this door for you.
19
The Absolute ‘I’ within you is God.
Beyond this, there is no other God or superior (upri) above you. There is
no almighty power to rule over you. You are completely independent. There is no
one that can hurt or hinder you. The only thing that can hurt or hinder you,
are your own mistakes.
For instance on your way here, you
violate a traffic law and a policeman stops you. You argue with him and drive
away. The policeman will now have an
upper hand over you, will he not? With your mistake of driving away, he becomes
your upri. This mistake of yours
becomes your upri. Therefore, if you
make no mistakes then you have no upri.
It is only your mistakes that hang over you; otherwise there is no upri.
Not only do you not have an upri, but also no one can bother you or
interfere with you. There are innumerable life forms but none of them ever
interfere with you. And those that do, do so because of your own mistakes. You,
yourself had previously caused interferences and therefore, are now facing the
consequences of your own past actions. I see this in my Gnan vision. I am telling you this as I see it.
Questioner: You are telling us there is nobody above
us. But is there not some power (shakti)
that is regulating all this?
Dadashri: There is no one regulating all this. For
example on your way to Ahmedabad you come to a crossroad and you do not know the
way, what would happen?
Questioner: I might take the wrong road.
Dadashri: Yes, you may take the wrong road and
become completely lost. People in Ahmedabad are expecting you to arrive at 9:30
and they become anxious when you are not there on time. In the meantime you too
get anxious and confused because you are lost.
It is ignorance that has led you into all this confusion. It is this
very ignorance that causes confusion for you.
People ask me, “Surely there must be some upri?” I tell them, “Your blunders and mistakes are your upris, otherwise there is no upri.” What did I say?
Questioner: Blunders and mistakes?
Dadashri: Yes, if you take away these blunders and
mistakes, then there is no one above you. Only your own blunders and mistakes
bind you. There is nothing else. There is no one to tie you down. Not even the devas (celestial beings) can bind you.
Questioner: Are blunders our serious mistakes?
Dadashri: No, not serious mistakes. In your daily life they are called serious
mistakes, but in reality it is because of your ignorance of the Real Self that
it becomes a blunder. Not knowing your true identity, not knowing your correct
location, not being aware of your qualities and then calling yourself
“Chandulal” is a blunder: this aaropit
bhaav is the blunder. As long as
you believe that you are Chandulal, your worldly life remains and you become
bound by it. The moment this aaropit bhaav leaves you, your ties to
the worldly life also break. Knowledge
of your Real Self will free you from the bondage of the worldly life.
“I am Chandulal” is a blunder. “I am this boy's father, this woman's
husband, this person's uncle”, are all blunders. How many such blunders are
there? These are the blunders that keep you trapped and bound.
‘We’ (The Gnani Purush and the Diving Lord within) destroy all your blunders.
It is not possible for anyone to do this by himself. That is why ‘we’ break all
these blunders. I do so by placing my hand on your head, and through the
blessings of the Lord within (Dada
Bhagwan) you receive his Divine Grace (Krupa).
Thereafter, you will be able to get rid of your mistakes by yourself
because you will be able to ‘see’ your own mistakes. In fact you will rid
yourself of your mistakes as you see them. Everyday you will be able to see
anywhere between five to fifty faults of your own. The experience of the Self within will increase as your mistakes
decrease and the purity increases.
I have no mistakes or blunders left,
therefore I do not have any upri and
I experience this independence constantly. That is why it is my desire that you
too acquire this permanent happiness and become independent. Whatever you are,
you are your own Self; you yourself are the master. Why then do you have fears?
The fears people have in this world are like a frightened horse: The horse is
frightened to begin with, so what would happen if someone were to place a giant
firecracker near its feet? Such is the pitiful state of people nowadays.
In the following two sentences I
guarantee a man his liberation. These are:
“You do not have any upri in this world. Your upri
is your blunders and your mistakes. In the absence of these two you are the
Supreme Lord”
And…
“No one can ever interfere with you. This
world is such that no one living being is in a position where it can ever
interfere with another.”
These two sentences will resolve
all your conflicts and bring peace and harmony to you.
20
It is the ignorance of reality and facts
that has resulted in all this obscurity and confusion. So do you now wish to
know about things that are already known to this world, or do you wish to know
that which is not known?
Questioner:
I want to know that
which is not known.
Dadashri: Here, through the Gnani you will acquire the knowledge of that which is unknown.
Elsewhere, wherever you look, there is only knowledge of that which is already
known. Is it not so? Here, you will get
knowledge of the Reality. Elsewhere everything is relative (laukik, pertaining to worldly matters). You need to know what is Real (alaukik, beyond this world). And here, you will know the Real: The
Facts. The Real state or fact is such that despite living in the worldly life,
you are free from all its bondages and miseries.
What is this world all about? How did it
come into existence? Who is the creator? What is our role and relationship with
everybody in this world? How should we deal with our relatives? How does
business occur? Am I the 'doer' of anything or is there another ‘doer’? Is it
not important to know all these answers?
Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri: So then let us talk about what needs to
be known first. Who do you think created this world? Who do you think made such
a complex, entangled world? What is your opinion?
Questioner: Only God must have made it?
Dadashri: Then why is the whole world made to live
in worries? Everyone has worries. There is no state free from worries.
Questioner: That is because everyone worries.
Dadashri: Yes, but if God made this world, then
why did he make it full of worries? If he is guilty of creating such miseries
then we should have him arrested! But in reality God is not guilty. The people
of the world have made him the culprit by calling him the creator of this
world!
Questioner: Then tell us about the reality behind
this world.
Dadashri: For once let me tell you about this
world. Listen attentively to everything. Some foreign scientists asked me why I
was telling them that there was no creator in this world, when there really was
one. I asked them who told them such a thing.
They replied, “Our Christ has said, ‘God is the creator of this world’”
I told them, “Your Christ is correct, to whatever level his knowledge extends.
He is correct up to that level. But beyond this level, one needs to know about
rebirth (punarjanam). Beyond this a lot more needs to be known.
Calling God the creator of this world is a false accusation. God is not a potter! The very meaning of a
creator is a ‘potter’ (one who labors and toils to create). God is not a
potter!” They then asked me that if one billion Christians believe that God
created this world, are they wrong and are only the Hindus right, since only
the Hindus believe in reincarnation?
If God was not the creator of this world,
these scientists wanted to know the facts. I explained to them, “God is
Creator, is correct by the Christian viewpoint and not by fact. God is creator
is correct by the Indian viewpoint but not by fact.” Even the Indians believe that God is the creator, but it is not
so by fact. They then asked me what the
facts were and I replied, “By fact all
this is only Scientific Circumstantial Evidence.”
In reality, God is not the Creator of
this world at all. All of this is only Scientific Circumstantial Evidence.
Therefore all of this is a natural creation (kudrati rachna). In Gujarati, I call it Vyavasthith Shakti (Scientific Circumstantial Evidence). This is a
very subtle fact.
How did this Scientific Circumstantial
Evidence come about? This can only be understood through Absolute Knowledge
(gnan), and not through the medium of the intellect (buddhi). This is the only part where your intellect will not help
you, so I am keeping that portion with me. You will not be able to understand
it with your intellect, but your Soul will accept it. I myself understand it,
because I see it through my vision (Gnani's
State), and am able to explain it to you.
21
THIS CANNOT BE CALLED MOKSHA!
A child will say, “God made this.” Even a
renowned holy man will say, “God made this.”
This is a worldly viewpoint; it is not the Real viewpoint.
If God were the creator then he would
perpetually be our upri, and there
would be no such thing as liberation.
But there is liberation. God is not the creator of this world. People who
understand Moksha will never accept
God as a creator. ‘Moksha’ and God as
a ‘creator’ are two contradictory statements. Creator means a permanent upkari (someone who does you a favor)
and if God is an upkari then you will
always be indebted to him. As your creator, God will always be your upri, and you will always be his
subordinate. Even when you attain liberation, he will be your superior, will he
not?
Questioner:
Yes, he will be our
superior permanently.
Dadashri: Yes, he becomes our permanent boss and
therefore there is no liberation. Then liberation cannot be called liberation.
Instead the ‘liberation’ with one’s wife would be better. At least you can
enjoy her cooking, even if at times she insults you. Even with insults, such
liberation is preferable!
22
If we were to say that God is the creator in reality, then the logical question to ask would be, “Then who made God?” So many different questions would arise. People come and tell me, “We think that God is the ‘doer’ in this world and you are saying that this is not the case, but it is difficult for us to accept this”. At that time I ask them, “If I accept that God is the ‘doer’ of things, then who made this God? Tell me this much, who made the ‘maker of this world’? ” It is simply a logical statement, that if there is a Creator, then there has to be yet another Creator of this Creator. There would be no end to this. Therefore such talk is really incorrect.
23
(ANADI-ANANT)
All this has come about without anybody
creating it. Nobody has created it. Since nobody has created it, then who can
we ask about it? I too was searching for the one who had created such a chaotic
mess and taking on such a liability. I
looked everywhere for that person, but never found him anywhere.
I asked these scientists to discuss with
me their evidence that God indeed created this world. I asked them to give the year in which it was created. They drew a blank. I then asked them whether the world had a beginning or not. They replied that there was a
beginning. If there is a creator, then
there has to be a beginning. If there is a beginning then there has to be an
end. In fact, this world is anadi-anant. This
world carries on without an end. Therefore there is no beginning and there is
no end. If there is no beginning, then there is no creator.
Questioner: Then what is the purpose of creating
this world?
Dadashri: If there is a creator, only then can
you call this a creation. This is an endless world. This world has always been
there from time immemorial and will always be there. This has never changed. If it had a beginning, then it would also
have to have an end. But it is not so. This world has always been there and
will always be there, therefore “God is not the Creator of this world”.
24
Then these scientists asked me if all
this meant that God did not exist. I told them that if God did not exist, then
there would be no experience of pleasure or pain for anyone in this world. So
God definitely exists. They asked me where God lives. I asked them where they thought he lived. They pointed towards the sky. I asked them where exactly was he to be
found, what was his precise address and that could one mail a letter to him.
They did not know. I told them there is
absolutely no one up there. I myself had been there and checked since everyone
was saying that God lives up there. I
have looked for God there but there is no body up there, only the vast open
sky. Nobody lives up there. When they
asked me for God’s correct address, I told them to write this down: ‘God is in
every creature whether visible or invisible. Not in creation’.
This record player is a manmade creation.
God does not reside in any manmade things. God resides in nature. God is
present in all things that are naturally created. Therefore God resides in
every creature whether visible or invisible. Between you and I there are
infinite invisible creatures, which cannot be seen even under a microscope. God
Himself resides in all of them. Now
what does God do? He only gives light (prakash)
to every living being. How to utilize that light is up to each individual.
Whether one performs good deeds, like giving alms, or bad deeds, like stealing
or cheating; one does so at his own risk.
You are free to use this light for whatever purpose you want to.
You too believe that he is up there don’t
you? There is no one up there. It is
your wrong belief that someone is up there.
I have come to reveal to you that all these beliefs are wrong and unless
this is openly declared, things can never be resolved. All your wrong beliefs and confusion will
remain. Traditional beliefs will not die.
Now supposing my statement, “God is not up there”, were incorrect, do
you think God will leave me alone? If
God is up there and I say that he is not, would he leave me alone? Who can
utter such a bold statement: A statement that carries with it, such grave
responsibility? Only the person, who
has actually investigated this, has seen it and knows it to be a fact, can make
such a statement. If I were to ask
someone else to repeat my statement, he would refuse because he is afraid to
make such a statement. Therefore it requires a brave and fearless person: a
person who has no ego. Only a person with these qualities can make such a
statement. Such a person should be completely free from any sense of ownership
or possession, including his speech. If
this person has even the slightest of ego, his speech would be ineffective and
the confusion of this world would continue.
25
“THE WORLD IS THE PUZZLE ITSELF!”
“The world is puzzle itself”. It has puzzled itself. God has not created this puzzle. If God had
created this puzzle, then we could hold him accountable for all the suffering
in this world. We would ask him why he
makes people suffer. But God has not created this puzzle. God is God; God is
the state of permanent bliss (Paramaanandi)
and always remains that way. We accuse him because of our own ignorance and
that is our mistake, which is why this world has puzzled itself. No one else
has created this puzzle.
Questioner: Is it like a spider making its own web?
Dadashri: It is not from the viewpoint of a spider
spinning his own web. This puzzle has
been created by a different method altogether. Moreover, people are becoming
increasingly entangled in this puzzle. Man can only attain peace when this
puzzle is solved.
This whole world is a puzzle. People
living in this puzzle think they have made their way out of it, but in reality
they have not. Any attempt by anyone to solve this puzzle will be in vain. Even until his last breath, one will not be
able to achieve anything. People will get exhausted if they attempt to solve
this puzzle by themselves. From my vision I can see exactly how this world has
evolved as a puzzle. If this puzzle were never to arise, do you know how much
bliss you would experience?
Questioner: A lot of bliss.
Dadashri: To solve this puzzle permanently, once
and for all, is Moksha. At this
moment if someone called you ‘stupid’, you would have problems. Would new
puzzles arise from this?
Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri: If someone were to insult me right now,
it would not affect me, but for you the puzzle will arise because you are
bound. The ropes of ignorance bind
you. The wires of ignorance (agnanta) bind you.
Questioner: So how can this puzzle be solved for us?
Dadashri: There are two viewpoints to solve this
puzzle: One relative viewpoint and one Real viewpoint. Real is permanent and
relative is temporary. All these relatives are temporary adjustments and You
are the permanent. Once you discover
what is permanent, this puzzle is solved. All these ascetics and people in
search of God have not been able to solve this puzzle. Instead they themselves
have become further entangled in it. I can help you solve this puzzle. I can do
it for you in just one hour! Thereafter this puzzle will not arise again.
You only need to understand this world as
it is and after that, you do not even have to memorize anything. Understand it
just once: How it has come into existence: Who is God? Who is running this
world? What all this is about? What is our Real form? Only after knowing the
answers to all these, will the puzzle be solved forever.
26
SCIENTIFIC CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE
So let us continue with this discussion. Ask whatever questions
you need to have answers for.
Questioner: I do not understand this ‘Scientific
Circumstantial Evidence.’
Dadashri: Scientific Circumstantial Evidence is
the basis for all this. Without it, not
even a single parmanu (atom) can
change in this world. When you are about to sit down to dinner, do you know
what you are going to be served? Even the person who prepares the food does not
know what he or she will prepare tomorrow. Even the amount of food you are
going to ingest is very precisely determined, all the way down to the atomic
level. What is it that brings all this
together and makes it all happen? It is a wonder.
Questioner: Does it mean that it is not possible for
us to know our destiny?
Dadashri:
It is possible to
know. We can know everything, but there
is a very deep and profound meaning behind it. Having understood the Absolute
Reality, it becomes very clear and yet it is very profound. Otherwise it is a
sheer puzzle. How is a poor person to understand all this? For myself, I have come to know and
understand all aspects of this puzzle.
What is this meeting between you and I
based on? It is based solely on the
Scientific Circumstantial Evidences. There are very subtle and incomprehensible
causes behind this meeting. Find out what these causes are.
Questioner: How do we find these causes?
Dadashri: Think for a minute. In such a large room
how is it that you happen to be sitting in this particular place and not in any
other place? Therefore, this space is one of the evident causes. Did you know that you were going to occupy
this space? You yourself have not acquired this space, but the space, as one of the evidences, has
come to you. Then did you know at what time or length of time you would be
conversing with me? So Time is
another cause. This time and space are evident causes. In addition to these,
there are innumerable subtle causes. Also there are causes from events and
connections from your previous life (Punarjanam
nu roonanu bandh). Have you not heard people talk about this? It is the
interaction of all these causes; all the Scientific Circumstantial Evidences
coming together, that result in a task being accomplished.
In fact, in whatever you do, you are not
independent in your actions. Even when you came to satsang here, you believed that, ‘I came here today’. It is your
wrong belief and egoism when you say, “I came and I am going.” If I were to ask
you why you did not come yesterday, you may point to your legs. So what am I to
understand by this?
Questioner: That my legs were hurting.
Dadashri: Yes, your legs were hurting. You would
blame your legs. Then if your legs were hurting, did your legs bring you here
or did you come here by yourself?
Questioner: It was my desire to come here and that
is why I am here.
Dadashri: Yes it is because of your desire you
came. But because your legs and everything else was fine, you were able to come
here. If your legs were not functioning well, would you have come?
Questioner: Then I would not have been able to come.
Dadashri: So then could you have come on your own
accord? For example if a paralyzed man
were to come here in a bullock cart, he would say, “I came”, but we ask him,
“Oh but your legs are paralyzed so how did you come here?” He would still
insist that he came. But if I were to ask him, “Did you come or did the cart
bring you here?” He would then reply, “The cart brought me here”. Then I would ask him “Did the cart come here
or was it the bullocks that brought the cart here?”
Therefore, your beliefs are so far from
reality. Your ability to come here is dependent upon so many different
circumstances. A lot of circumstances have to be just right and precise in
order for you to be able to come here.
If you had a migraine, you may have to go
back, even after arriving on time! If you yourself were truly independent and
came here of your own accord, your migraine would have no bearing upon your
being here.
Or else, if on your way here, you meet a
friend who insists that you go with him, then you would have to turn back.
Therefore, so many circumstances have to be just right. There should not be any
obstacles from anywhere, only then are you able to come here.
27
So this is Scientific Circumstantial
Evidence. Only when numerous circumstances come together can an event take
place. But you claim with egoism, ‘I did it.’ You take credit for things that
turn out good and blame others or bad luck when things do not turn out as
planned. Some people blame it on negative circumstances, don't they?
Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri: A person is proud of himself when he
earns money, but when he incurs a loss or a failure, he gives excuses or will
say, “God is upset with me.”
Questioner: This is a convenient excuse.
Dadashri: Yes convenient, but one should not
accuse God for anything. It is okay if we accuse a lawyer or someone else. But
how can we accuse God? A lawyer can file a suit and claim damages, but who will
file this suit? Such accusations
cause terrible bondage in the next life. Can anyone accuse God?
Questioner: No.
Dadashri: Sometimes people will give a variety of
other excuses, always avoiding ownership and acceptance of their own faults and
mistakes. One will never accept one’s own faults. In this context, a foreigner
once remarked to me, “Why don't you Indians accept the blame for your own
mistakes gracefully?” I said, “That
itself is the Indian puzzle, the biggest puzzle of all, is this Indian puzzle.
You will not be able to solve it. Indians would never accept their own
mistakes, while you foreigners are very gracious about accepting your own
faults”.
28
How have these circumstances come about?
Who has sent them? What for? I used to
ask these questions. The reality is that the circumstances are the consequences
of one’s own mistakes from the past life.
All these circumstances (sanyogs) come about in order to
dissipate. You will not have to do anything to dissipate them. They come to an
end whenever it is time for them to do so. Therefore, let these circumstances
come. When the time comes, they will dissipate and come to an end by
themselves. Some after a month, some after two months and some after six
months. But all will eventually come to an end. Even your marriage, after five
or fifty years will come to an end. Your wife will not live forever, will she?
Therefore, be aware of these things as you get married. Everything must come to
end. Everything forms and disintegrates.
If the association of circumstances (sanyogs) were not going to result in
their dissipation (viyog), then
nobody would achieve liberation.
People would have to do something to bring about an end and in this case
liberation would be impossible.
29
CONTRADICTION IN
‘DOERSHIP’
Sanyog (an event, association of circumstances)
happens by itself and so does viyog
(dissipation of circumstances). But man, with ego, takes the credit: When a man
earns money, he says, “I earned it.” When he suffers losses, he loses all
confidence and despairs: “What could I do?”
Questioner: Yes, sometimes I say the same thing.
Dadashri: If you are the ‘doer’ then you will
never say, “What could I do?” Let us take a simple example of the process of
making kadhee (a Gujarati dish made from yogurt). If the kadhee turns out well and tastes good, the person who prepared it
will say, “I made it” and take credit
for it. If it boils over whilst cooking, she would say, “What could I do? The
children were bothering me, the phone was ringing constantly, or the flame was
too high etc…” Why all these excuses? I
came to understand that everybody talks like this. When a patient recovers from
his illness, his doctor will say, “ I saved his life!” but if the patient dies
then he will say, “What could I do?” Why make such unfounded statements?
This is nothing but egoism. One is
totally unaware of one’s Real Self and the infinite powers he possesses. He is
looking for this power where it does not exist. He is searching in the wrong
place altogether. First of all we should check whether we are in the right
place; whether this power is our own or not. Once we confirm that we are in the
right place we will be able to discover things and know the purpose of our
existence and whether we are fulfilling this purpose.
30
DID YOU WAKE UP OR WERE YOU AWAKENED?
Dadashri: Are you able to fall asleep when you
want to?
Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri:
Does sleep ever elude
you?
Questioner: Very rarely. Normally it doesn't happen.
Dadashri: Does that mean you can sleep at will?
Questioner: Most of the time I am able to do that.
Dadashri: Can you sleep at will? Is sleep under
your control? If you can sleep at will, it means you have control over it. So
is it under your control or someone else's?
Questioner: I do not know.
Dadashri: Do you have control over your waking up?
Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri: If you wanted to wake up at two o'clock
in the morning, would you be able to wake up?
Questioner: Yes, Dada.
Dadashri: Or do you have to set the alarm first?
Questioner: Yes, I would need to set the alarm
first.
Dadashri: Ah ha! So it means that the clock is
waking you up! Is the clock waking you
up or are you waking up? Do you not see the contradiction in this?
If you wake up early in the morning, you
will say, “I woke up.” What makes you think that you are able to
wake up early? At night when you cannot sleep, you will say, “I cannot
sleep.” If you yourself have control
over your sleep then why can you not sleep when you want to? In reality you
have no control whatsoever.
If somebody asks, “ Who woke me up in the
morning?” I would tell him that he woke up because his sleep karma was over. It
was his karma that woke him up.
31
HOW MUCH OF IT IS IN YOUR HANDS?
You, the Real You have never eaten. It is Chandulal who consumes the food. You have never eaten anything and yet you
believe that you are the one who
eats. Chandulal is the one who eats and
Chandulal is the one who defecates. And you are trapped in this for no reason.
Do you understand this?
Questioner: Please explain that.
Dadashri:
No such man has ever been born who has the independent willpower even to
defecate. If he does not have the independent power over his own bowels, then
what other power can he have? He will realize this when he becomes constipated.
When a few things go according to his plans, he thinks he is making them
happen.
I had satsang in Baroda with a group of physicians. When I told them that
one does not even have the independent control over one’s bowels! They were all taken aback. I went on, “You
will realize this when you become constipated. At that time you will have to
seek external help.” You never did have this power in the first place, which is
why you have to seek help. Therefore
this is not under your control. It is through your wrong beliefs that you
consider nature’s powers as your own power. To call someone else's power your
own power is branti (illusion, wrong
belief). Do you understand what I am trying to say? Is it a little clearer now?
Questioner: Yes, I understand.
Dadashri:
If you understand even
this much, you are closer to solving this puzzle. All these people claim to do
penance, incantations and fasting. All
this is an illusion. But the world will always carry on like this and will
never be without ego. That is its nature.
32
IT HAPPENS...
Dadashri: So do the events that take place, occur
because of our authority or control or do they just happen?
Questioner:
They just happen by themselves.
Dadashri: Yes, all this just continues to happen.
When you wake up in the morning; it just happens. When you drink tea; it just
happens. When you use the lavatory; it just happens. When you sleep; it just
happens. Are you making all these things happen or do they just happen?
Questioner: It just happens.
Dadashri:
When you are working at a job, does it happen or are you doing it?
Questioner: It happens.
Dadashri:
Yes, so in this world, ‘It happens.’ This is what the world is all
about; things just happen. But people say, “ I am doing it.” “I went to the toilet.” “ I did this.” “I
earned this money.” And so on. When
something is happening by itself and we say, “ I am doing it.” we are creating
new karma (sowing new seeds of karma). If you stop creating (charging) new
karmas, you will be freed. Without Gnan
however, one cannot stop creating new causes (karmas).
It happens. And what do people say? “I am
doing it.” And that is why it is called egoism. Somebody else is the ‘doer’ and
we are falsely projecting that, ‘I am the doer.’ This is called egoism. Do you
not think we need to know this?
Questioner: Yes, we need to know this.
Dadashri: Since he does not see that things are
just happening by themselves, he believes that “I am doing it.” For example if
he has to go to Bombay to get a job done and if he accomplishes it successfully,
just as he planned to, he believes that since there is no one else, he must be
the ‘doer’. If however, things do not go according to his plans, then he begins
to realize that he is not the ‘doer’; he does not have control over the events
so he blames his destiny (prarabdh),
or his bad luck.
33
People are not aware of this phenomenon:
“It happens.” So things are explained in terms of prarabdh (destiny) and purushaarth
(freewill).
Questioner: Things do not always happen according to
one's will, they are dependent on destiny, are they not?
Dadashri: People usually say that if something
happens according to one’s wish, then it is because of their efforts, and if it
does not happen according to one’s wish, then it is destiny. But that is not the way it is in reality.
When a person’s punya (good karmas
from past life) is operating, everything will happen according to his wishes.
And when paap (bad karma) is in
operation, then nothing will happen according to his wishes. In fact punya and paap are both destiny.
Go find me just one person who can
clearly define the exact line of demarcation between destiny and free will!
Someone, who is not doing his job well,
is called a prarabdhavadi and if he
is doing a good job he is called a purushaarthi.
Therefore the world does not really understand the real difference between purushaarth and prarabdh. All these false beliefs: this ignorance and illusion
exist because people do not understand the difference between prarabdh and purushaarth.
Questioner:
Without hard work and labor, how can there be fulfillment of destiny?
Dadashri:
Hard work is just a natural effort. It is not something that needs to be
done, because it merely happens on its own. This subtle fact is worthy of
understanding.
People say that the diligent man who
works hard to earn his bread is a purusharthi
while the man who wastes away his time and energies, is labeled a prarabdhi. According to worldly
understanding it is correct and people cannot be denied their beliefs, but it
is neither scientific nor correct. Should you not know about the science behind
this?
34
THE
SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF PRARABDH
(DESTINY)
From the time you are born, death is
imminent. The ‘signpost’ pointing in
the direction of the cemetery is always there.
From the beginning until the end, whatever you do is destiny. Your role as a student is destiny,
your marriage is destiny, earning money is destiny, loss is destiny, so is
illness and health. Whatever you experience is prarabdh all the way to the funeral pyre. From birth until death, all that you experience is prarabdh. The whole day long you
experience prarabdh. Purushaarth on
the other hand, occurs from within, but you are not even aware of it.
Questioner: Make us understand purushaarth. Please give us an example.
Dadashri:
There are two brothers. One has
a predisposition to help anybody who comes to him. The second brother steals cotton from other people’s farms. The act of stealing the cotton is prarabdh. Even thoughts of stealing are prarabdh, and it is also prarabdh that he actually carries out
the act of stealing. If however, while
he steals, from within he repents and feels that he is doing something wrong,
even if he feels the slightest amount of regret for his actions, he is creating
positive purushaarth. It is also prarabdh that the other brother does not steal because his karmas
are such. If the brother, who although does not steal, starts to have the bhaav from within that, ‘it is not wrong
to steal’; then that bhaav would be
called his negative purushaarth. This
would result in him becoming a thief in his next life.
Whatever people do in this world, whether
it is good or bad, is all prarabdh.
That which is experienced through the five senses, is all prarabdh, while purushaarth
occurs from within. This is the line of demarcation between prarabdh and purushaarth.
35
ACTIONS ARE PRARABDH AND BHAAV (INNER
FEELINGS) IS PURUSHAARTH!
In this world, all externally visible
actions are prarabdh, but so many
people call it purushaarth. According to people, any work that is a good
deed or which is done for religion (dharma)
is purushaarth. And anything that is done for the sake of
worldly life is considered prarabdh.
Such talk is one hundred percent incorrect!! Whether the deeds are good or bad,
it is all prarabdh. The only purushaarth is your bhaav.
Questioner: Do you mean to say that there is no purushaarth in the acts of dharma (religious work) or charity?
Dadashri: Of course, the purushaarth is there. But it is happening internally, within the
person. Everything that is taking
place, every action (kriya) taking
place is all prarabdh. Even the act
of donating money is prarabdh, but
the intention behind that donation is called purushaarth. It is the inner intentions that bind new karmas, while
prarabdh discharges them.
The whole world has bhaav purushaarth. The purushaarth
depends upon the kind of bhaav one
has. A wealthy businessman donates fifty thousand rupees to an educational
institution and a friend comments on his generosity. He tells his friend that he would not have given even a single
penny if it were up to him, but the mayor pressured him to do so. Do people not
do this?
Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri: Now when the businessman says, that if
it were up to him, he would not donate even a single penny. This is his inner bhaav and so in his next life his circumstances will be just that:
This bhaav is the cause or bhaav purushaarth for his next life, which will result as prarabdh, so that in his next life he
will not be able to donate anything.
Now suppose another man, while offering only a rupee to a temple, has a bhaav that if he had a hundred thousand
rupees, he would gladly offer it to the Lord. In this case, his bhaav will result in him being able to
donate a hundred thousand rupees in his next life. This bhaav will become
an effect in his next life.
So both these bhaavs of ‘If I had the
money, I would donate one hundred thousand Rupees’ and, ‘If I did not have the
pressure from the mayor, I would not give anything at all!’ are both purushaarth.
So purushaarth
is really where your bhaav is. And
whatever actions take place; those actions are all prarabdh. What is purushaarth? It is the bhaav with which you accept or experience your external
circumstances. This is a very subtle point. Even the prominent sages and
ascetics are unable to grasp this.
36
THE
PURUSHAARTH OF THIS WORLD
Questioner:
Dada, is it not my purushaarth
that I came to this satsang (Sat-the Absolute Truth, -sang-a
gathering of)?
Dadashri: People would consider that your purushaarth. But I say that your coming
here is prarabdh!
What is the meaning of prarabdh? When many Scientific Circumstantial Evidences come together, only
then are you able to come here to this satsang.
Among all these evidences, even if a single evidence were missing, you would
not be able to come. To name a few: you need to have time on your hands, you
need a vehicle to bring you here, and you need the address and the directions
to reach this location. When all these
evidences are able to come together, only then are you able to come here. Having come to this location, you also need
the evidence that would allow the meeting between you and I to take place. Therefore, so many evidences have to come
together in order for an event to take place.
All events that occur, good or bad, as a result of Scientific
Circumstantial Evidence, are prarabdh. Purushaarth
however is independent.
Your coming here is prarabdh and after coming here if you feel, ‘What a great joy it is
to meet a Gnani! When will I get such
an opportunity again?’ That is your positive purushaarth. If on the other hand, you feel, ‘This was all a waste
of my time. Why did I bother coming here?’ That would be your negative purushaarth.
While this conversation is going on, some
individuals may have positive feelings of joy while others may have negative
feelings of dislike. Having any kind of opinion about Dada is purushaarth. Whatever opinion one has is his purushaarth. Some people may feel anger towards ‘Dada’, while some
may feel joy towards ‘Dada’. Both these sentiments are purushaarth.
Thus the occurrence of all events is prarabdh (result of past karma) and
while prarabdh is taking effect, the
seeds of purushaarth (cause of karma)
are constantly being planted simultaneously. While the whole world is operating
in the process of prarabdh, one is
constantly planting seeds of purushaarth
without being aware of it. One is
creating purushaarth in a state of
ignorance. If this purushaarth is performed with awareness and understanding, one
could create a glorious and worthy life for his next life.
37
REAL PURUSHAARTH
STARTS AFTER ONE BECOMES A PURUSH
(SELF-
REALIZED)
There are two kinds of purushaarth: relative purushaarth and Real purushaarth. Relative purushaarth is
also called bhaav purushaarth and
this is the one being discussed so far.
Real purushaarth starts only
after one becomes a Purush. One
becomes a Purush when the
‘I’is separated from prakruti (My) by
a Gnani Purush. ‘I’ with ‘My’ is Chandulal (prakruti). ‘I’ without
‘My’ is Purush. As along as you are Chandulal, it is prakruti. But when you come to realize
your Svaroop (your Real Self), then
begins your Real purushaarth. Your Real purushaarth begins when Purush
and prakruti are separated. Until
then, the prakruti is tugging at you
forcefully.
38
‘DOERSHIP’
= PRAKRUTI: ‘NON-DOERSHIP’= ATMA
All the human beings in this world are
‘T-O-P-S’! What is a top? It is a toy that spins on its tip, when the string
wound around it, is pulled. The top will spin around until all its energy is
dissipated. In this example the winding of the string is the bhaav purushaarth (cause) and the spinning is prarabdh (effect, result). It is prakruti that makes a person do things, but he says, “I am doing
it”. He is in essence, just like a puppet on a string. Prakruti makes him do penance, incantation, and meditation etc.,
but he believes that he is the one doing it.
Questioner:
Tell us about prakruti, Dada.
Dadashri: The moment you claim to be the ‘doer’ (karta), prakruti comes into existence. As Atma you are the ‘non-doer’ (akarta). You have the wrong belief that
‘I am Chandulal’, and that ‘I am the doer’. The moment you say this, you
immediately become bound. It is because
of this wrong belief, that prakruti
comes into existence. As long as there is ignorance of the Real ‘I’, one feels
that he is the ‘doer’ and he is therefore bound by his prakruti. When the awareness of
‘I am not the doer’ is acquired and one ceases to be the ‘doer’, the prakruti no longer remains. From that moment onwards one does not bind
any new karmas but past karmas remain
and these have to be discharged.
39
KARTA
(DOERSHIP) AND NAIMITTIC
(INSTRUMENTAL) DOERSHIP
Questioner: If
one is not the ‘doer’, then who is? What is the nature of the ‘doer’?
Dadashri:
One’s ‘doership’ is only ‘instrumental’ (naimittic karta) in any process. One is
not an independent ‘doer’ of anything.
This ‘instrumental ‘doership’ (naimittic karta) can be further defined
as a parliamentary process where the final decision is based on collective
votes and where each individual has only one vote. Thus your vote is one of
many in the final outcome. But you believe that ‘I am doing this’ so you become
the doer.
The ‘planning’ (through bhaav purushaarth) occurs in this way: You yourself are the ‘planner’ and
this ‘planning’ is the final signature (endorsement); the ‘doership’ is only in
the ‘planning’ stage, but this fact is unknown to the whole world!!!
The output of this small ‘computer’
(Chandulal) becomes the input into the giant ‘computer’ of Scientific
Circumstantial Evidence. In this manner the planning (bhaav purushaarth) is fed into the giant computer. The giant computer then gives forth effects
(visarjan) of this ‘planning’. All the events of one’s life are an effect (visarjan). The discharge in the present
life is the result of causes created in the past life. Nothing in this life is
under one’s control. It is under the control of ‘other hands’. Once the
‘planning’ is done, it is then out of the hands of the ‘planner’ and falls
under the control of ‘other
hands’. These ‘other hands’ (Scientific
Circumstantial Evidence), play a part in bringing forth the effects. So the
effects may be different from the ‘planning’. The unfolding of the effects is
entirely in ‘other hands’. This is a very subtle point. Do you understand this?
Questioner:
Yes Dada, I understand
it.
Dadashri: That is why you do not even have control
over your own bowels, neither do you have control over your eating, or your
ability to earn. This is not in your control. It is dependent upon external
events and circumstances that come together. Do you understand that it is
dependent upon external events? Even the ordinary process of getting up in the
morning is dependent upon many factors. Simply making a cup of tea is also
dependent upon so many external factors: You need tea, milk, water, sugar, heat
etc. Thus anything that is dependent upon other factors is not entirely under
your control.
Questioner:
Who then is the Real ‘doer’ of all this?
Dadashri:
That is exactly what I am trying to explain. There is no ‘doer’ in all
that is going on around you. Everything
that is perceived through the five senses; all that you see, perceive or
experience in totality, one hundred percent of it, is a result of karmas created in your past life.
There is no ‘doer’ in everything that happens around you. All these
visible karmas are in the form
of ‘phal–svaroop’ (final product; fruition
of past karmas). At the present time you are experiencing the fruits of your karmas and not the karmas
themselves. The effects that you are
experiencing in this life are the results of karmas bound in your past life.
And what is more, everything is farjiat
(mandatory), but while
experiencing the fruits of previous karmas,
new karma seeds are being sown. Why are these new seeds being planted? You are not the ‘doer’ yet you believe that
you are. It is this wrong belief that sows new seeds. While all the actions of
your body are taking place, you yourself become tanmayakar (involved) in it, which is why new seeds are
sown. Whatever action is going on, you
believe that, ‘I am doing it’, that is why karmas are being bound. The world
has no idea about where one’s independent control lies. The control is where he
is independent and that independence is very limited. It is only at the point of becoming involved in the belief that,
‘I am doing this’. One’s control is
only limited to this, there is no other control. And even this belief is due to ignorance.
Questioner: What is the difference between svatantra satta (independent control) and parsatta (control in the hands of another)?
Dadashri: Parsatta
means that the control is not in our hands. No matter what type of control it
is, it is not in one’s hands. Why then are these seeds being sown? It is
because one makes a bhaav in it. One has control over one’s bhaav satta but even then, that control
is not independent, it is naimittic
(instrumental). If one had the independent free will to do bhaavs he would be called the ‘doer’ and if he were the ‘doer’,
then even in Moksha, that ‘doership’
would not go away. But because his ‘doership’ is instrumental, he attains
liberation.
What is naimittic karta? Suppose a man takes a bribe, but in doing so
he regrets his action. This regret is his bhaav.
And another man, who does not take bribes, has a wife who constantly nags at
him and complains that everyone around them have nice homes while they do
not. He then begins to think, that ‘I
too should start taking bribes’. On the one hand he has the bhaav to want to take bribes, and on the
other hand he is not able to do so. From within he wants to take it but his prakruti will not allow him to do so.
Even if someone were to leave a bribe on his desk, he would be afraid to take
it, while the man, who normally takes bribes, cannot stop even if he wants
to. Although the former does not
accept the bribe, his bhaav that ‘I
ought to take it’, will bind his prakruti
for his next life and the latter whose bhaav
is, ‘I should not be taking this bribe’, is creating his prakruti for his next life. This is how, through bhaavs, prakrutis are formed for the next life. This ‘doership’ is naimittic and nothing else.
In this world, there is no ‘doer’. But I
am also saying that without the ‘doer’, this world cannot exist either. In
other words, ‘doership’ is needed for this world. The world cannot exist without somebody doing something but there
is no independent ‘doer’ of this world.
Everything happens through naimittic-karta
(instrumental ‘doership’). I am
telling you precisely the way it is.
Does this talk appeal to you or is it
difficult for you to understand? Obviously you have not heard this kind of talk
before, have you? Therefore it is natural that you would like to hear something
more.
Questioner: I am enjoying this talk very much.
Dadashri: In reality, this is a totally different
world. But it takes time for you to grasp these new concepts. Although it
appears to be simple, it is difficult for you to grasp because it is new to you
and quite different from the traditional knowledge that you have been exposed
to so far.
40
‘DOERSHIP’ BINDS KARMA
Feel free to ask any questions. Whatever
it is that you want to understand, ask your questions. But will you remember
whatever you have understood so far? This Science is worth understanding. Here
you can ask anything and everything.
Questioner: How can we escape from the bondage of karma?
Dadashri: These karmas exist because the belief of ‘doership’ exists. The
existence of these karmas is
directly dependent upon ‘doership’. There is no karma if there is no ‘doership’. There is no ‘doership’ in the
‘I’ state and so there are no karmas.
Karma can only be created if
there is ‘doership’. As Chandulal, when you say and believe that “I did this,
or I did that…” you become the ‘doer’. This then becomes a support for karmas. When one stops being the ‘doer’, the karmas have no basis and no support so they fall away.
41
ATMA (SELF) AND ANATMA (NON SELF) BECOME ONE THROUGH IGNORANCE
Atma and anatma
are two separate entities. They have not become one but they are ‘stuck’ to
each other. How? Through brantiras
(false interest; or essence; the delusional belief that I am the ‘doer’) they
have become stuck to each other. Where did this brantiras come from? The moment one says, “I did it,” the ras (cohesion) of Atma and anatma
occurs. This ras is so sticky that even if it has been there for years, it will
not lose its bonding power, so how can we even begin to talk about the
additional ras that is created every
day!
Now a Gnani can dissolve all the brantiras,
and separate Atma and anatma. Atma remains in its natural state and anatma (Pudgal) remains in its natural state. Yet
even after they have been separated, as long as there is ego through illusion,
one will always say, “I am the doer and I am also the knower”, “I did this and
I know this”. They will speak in this
manner. When the feeling of ‘I am the
‘doer’’ and ‘I am the knower’ are together, it is branti (illusion). But it is no longer an illusion, when the feeling ‘I am the Knower and
the Seer’ is not associated with ‘I am the doer’.
Right now you believe, ‘I am Chandulal’
(I and My as one), that is why both the Atma
and anatma have become one. But
both these entities are separate. You are separate and Chandulal is
separate. But until you are aware of
this difference, what can you do? A Gnani Purush can make this separation for you through the Science of
Separation. After this, the Real you,
‘I’, does nothing. It is Chandulal that continues ‘to do’ everything.
42
KNOWLEDGE
OF JEEV (CHETAN- ATMA, LIFE FORCE)
AND
AJEEV (ANATMA - MATTER)
So far your drashti (direction of ‘vision’ or understanding) has always been
towards the drashya (external objects
that are seen) and has never been directed towards Drashta (the Seer). The main focus lies on whether the drashti falls on the Drashta. Has the Gnan (knowledge)
fallen on the Gnata (the ‘Knower’)?
When the drashti falls on the Drashta, all the problems will be
solved.
This world has arisen because of this deviation in drashti. All
Gnanis are unanimous on this point: ‘This is pudgal's bhaav and this
is Atma's bhaav.’ This point is the pivotal point, beyond which there is so much
more. But one first has to come to this point.
Once you become aware of this Atma
bhaav (Dhrashta) and this pudgal
bhaav (dhrashti) you will have essentially attained the knowledge of jiva (animate) and ajiva (inanimate). This understanding will bring you Moksha. People generally maintain that
they have the knowledge of the animate, the inanimate and the seven elements (tatvas). It is only talk. It would be enough if they
were to understand just these two elements alone. They say that they understand
all the nine elements, but when they say this, they are ajiva. One has not even become jiva
yet. If one had become jiva, one
would have attained Moksha. So one is
ajiva when one says, “I know of all
the seven elements.” Now who is the
Knower? And he answers, ‘Me, Chandulal!’
So then who is he really? Ajiva! All
you need to understand is jiva and ajiva, which you can only understand
after attaining Atma Gnan. Atma Gnan is a rare thing
indeed.
43
SCIENTIFIC
SEPARATION OF ATMA (SELF) AND ANATMA (NON-SELF)
What is Atma Gnan? It is the understanding of the inherent qualities (guna dharmas)
of Atma (Purush) and the anatma (prakruti). The one who knows the
qualities of Atma and of anatma and has been through the process
of separation, is said to have acquired Atma
Gnan. When you become aware of the inherent qualities and differences
of Atma and prakruti, you have acquired Atma
Gnan.
It is not possible to attain Atma Gnan
on your own. This is because right now you are living and behaving as prakruti and you are trying to destroy
the prakruti while being in it. How
can this be possible? You will only be able to scratch the surface, but you
will not be able to totally destroy prakruti.
If this cloth becomes dirty, you will need soap to remove the dirt. In the
process of cleaning the soap will leave behind a residue. While you remove one
kind of residue another kind will set in. Then you have to use Tinopal (name
brand cloth whitener in India) in order to remove the residue from the soap.
The Tinopal will also leave its own stain. I am giving you this analogy to help
you understand why it is not possible to attain Atma Gnan through one's
own efforts. Unless one receives Atma
Gnan, it is not possible to destroy prakruti,
although it can be weakened. Once
you recognize the guna dharma
(attributes) of Atma and anatma, you have the solution. The Gnani Purush can help
you know all the attributes. Only a Gnani Purush
can separate Atma and anatma for you.
For example, this gold ring contains a
mixture of copper and gold. Who do you think will be able to separate the gold
from the copper?
Questioner:
Only a goldsmith.
Dadashri: Yes, a goldsmith can separate the gold
and copper because he knows the qualities of both of these elements. Similarly,
a Gnani Purush knows the
qualities of Atma and anatma and so he can separate the two.
The gold and copper in this ring are in
the form of a mixture rather than a compound. The goldsmith therefore, can
easily separate the mixture. Similarly, Atma
and anatma are in a mixture form
and not in a compound form, which is why it is possible to extract one from the
other. If they were in a compound
form, it would not be possible to separate the two. That is why the Gnani Purush is able to separate the two, and one is
able to understand the Atma.
44
IGNORANCE
(AGNAN): THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE
WORLDLY LIFE (SANSAAR)
The Gnani Purush
frees you from the fetters of agnanta
(illusion or ignorance). Through ignorance, there is bondage in this
world. Through Gnan (Knowledge of the Real Self), there is liberation. Without
knowledge, you cannot even go the train station from here! Because of ignorance, one can never have liberation! Only Gnan
can liberate you. There is no other solution for liberation. All others are
solutions for procuring Gnan, but
without Gnan there is no freedom.
Once ignorance goes, liberation
is in the palm of your hands.
Vedanta says that if you take away mud-vikshep
(the tendencies of the mind, especially the chit
that takes support from material things due to not having acquired the support
of the eternal element i.e. Atma) and
ignorance, you will attain Self-Realization. The Jain scriptures say, that for
one to attain Self –Realization one should be free from raag-dwesh (attachment
and abhorrence) and ignorance. Now in both cases, the Vedas and the Jain shastras,
ignorance is the common denominator. The Jains call it raag-dwesh and the Vedants
call it mud-vikshep. Mud-vikshep or raag-dwesh will always accompany ignorance. People are constantly
trying to get rid of raag-dwesh or mud-vikshep,
when really all they need to do is eradicate ignorance, which is the root cause
of all of this! Ignorance is the root cause. Should you get rid of the root or
simply trim the branches? What do you think?
Questioner: We should eradicate the root cause.
Dadashri: Once the root cause is removed, the
puzzle will be solved.
Questioner: Do we not need some sort of power to
remove the ignorance?
Dadashri: You only need the power of the Gnani Purush. It is the Gnani Purush who is the source of infinite powers and he instills this
power in you. Thereafter, you will need to follow his directions for some time.
Only a Gnani Purush is able to eradicate the root cause. A Gnani Purush is rarely to be found in
this world. The presence of a Gnani Purush is considered a great wonder. He can get your work done for you!
Since Gnani Purush are very rare, people have given up on the idea of
getting rid of ignorance. In the Gnani's
absence, they have focused on getting rid of raag and dwesh, which is
only limited in its efficacy, because as one gets rid of them, one is
perpetually creating new ones.
Ignorance is the fundamental thing that
one needs to be rid of, after which there will be no more raag-dwesh. Only their
‘exportation’ continues; they will no longer be ‘imported’. Ignorance will perpetuate the worldly life, and Gnan will result in liberation.
45
Questioner: Where does one go when one goes to Moksha? What is to be found there?
Dadashri: You do not have to ‘go’ to Moksha. You only have to ‘come’ into
your svabhaav -your real nature. Moksha
is your svabhaav. Do you have to go
look for something that you already have? All you need to do is understand the
nature of your true Self.
If you let this water flow according to
its own nature (svabhaav), it can
flow for hundreds of miles. But you would find it difficult to raise its level
high by even two feet. The process of raising it is called vibhaav (against the Real nature). Atma's Real nature is Moksha
and this worldly life is called vibhaav.
There is a lot of suffering in vibhaav!
Do you understand this?
Questioner: Yes, I do.
Dadashri: Moksha
means to come to your Real nature and the worldly life means to go away from
your Real nature (vibhaav). So, which
one is easier of the two? To come into your Real Self is not difficult but the
worldly life however is always difficult.
Have you ever tried to heat water in a
boiler? What do you have to do when you want to boil water in the boiler? You have to make some effort to heat the
water will you not?
Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri: What efforts will you need to make?
Questioner:
I would have to fill up the water tank and then heat it with some fuel.
Dadashri: You will have to put some coal under the
tank, then?
Questioner:
I will have to light it.
Dadashri: How will you light it? You will have to
sprinkle lighter fluid on the wood chips and then light them. So much fuss!
Only after so much effort will you be able to heat the water.
Now imagine a water tank with a storage
capacity of ten thousand gallons. Think of the effort required in heating that
much water. But what if you wanted to cool the water? What would you do for
that?
Questioner:
We can add some cold water to it.
Dadashri:
Yes, but here is my
solution; I would tell you to go to sleep and the next morning the water will
have cooled off by itself. How can this
happen without anyone trying to cool it, you may ask. I will tell you to sleep
without any worries and not wake up in the middle of the night and by the next
morning the water will have cooled down. Is this not possible?
Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri: How does that happen?
Questioner: Because there is enough time for the
water to down.
Dadashri:
No. It is because the
innate nature of water is cool. Just as it is its nature to flow downstream, it
is its nature to become cool. There is no effort required for the water to be
in its natural state but effort is required for it to be in vibhaav (against its nature).
Similarly, Moksha is your Real nature. So it is very simple to attain it. It
is easier than preparing khichdee (A Gujarati dish made of rice and lentils)!
To prepare khichdee, you need many
ingredients like rice, lentils, spices, vegetables, water, a pan, fuel, a stove
etc. Only then will you succeed in making khichdee. Moksha
on the other hand, is easier than khichdee.
But you do need to find a Gnani
Purush, who can bestow Moksha upon you. Have you not gone through endless reincarnations?
46
MOKSHA IS EFFORTLESS
I am telling you to come and get your Moksha from me! People are still
skeptical: “How can anybody give us Moksha
without any effort on our part?” they comment. Very well then, go ahead and try it with your own efforts! With
effort you will only find worthless things. Nobody has ever attained Moksha through effort.
Questioner: Is it possible to give or take Moksha?
Dadashri: Moksha
is not something you give or take. But
you do need a nimit (Gnani is your nimit, i.e. he becomes instrumental in the process of your
acquiring Moksha). Moksha is naimittic (acquired through an ‘instrument’). Your meeting me is
also a naimittic process. In reality,
there is no giver and there is no taker of Moksha.
What is the definition of a giver? If you give something that belongs to you,
then you are called a giver. When you give something to someone, you are
actually relinquishing its possession. Moksha,
however, is your birthright. I am just instrumental in making you aware of your
‘Real Self’ through Gnan. I am a mere
instrument (Nimit-matra). I cannot give you something that
is already yours. I am not the giver and you are not the taker.
47
MOKSHA MEANS ETERNAL BLISS
Questioner:
What is the point of
acquiring Moksha?
Dadashri: Some people tell me that they do not
want Moksha. And I would tell them
that it is not a necessity for them to want Moksha,
but do they at least not want some happiness?
People do not understand what Moksha really is. They only just use the word Moksha. They are under the impression
that Moksha has a particular location
and once they reach there, they will enjoy Moksha!
But it is not like that.
48
Questioner: Ordinarily by Moksha we mean release or freedom from the cycles of birth and
death.
Dadashri: Yes it is true, but that is the final
stage of liberation; it is the secondary stage. The first stage of Moksha is where you experience a sense
of neutrality towards problems and miseries. In the first stage of Moksha, one experiences indifference towards any worldly unhappiness. Even in worldly unhappiness, one is not
affected. In the midst of upadhi (suffering imposed upon you by
others or external factors) you experience samadhi
(to be free from suffering and to experience the state of one’s own bliss).
That would be the first stage of Moksha.
Then upon death, one attains the permanent Moksha.
But first and foremost, Moksha should
be attained here and now. I experience
this first stage of Moksha all the
time. Moksha should be such that even
while one lives amongst the worldly things, they do not affect him. That is the
Moksha one must strive for. There is
no form of bondage. This stage of Moksha
is possible only through Akram Vignan.
49
Questioner: Is such freedom or Moksha experienced while one is living (jeevanmukti) or is it the freedom that comes after death?
Dadashri: What is the point of having freedom
after you are dead? This is how people
become conned into promises of Moksha
after death and become trapped. Of what use is a pending Moksha to you in this life? You need to be able to experience or
get a taste of it right here and now. Otherwise how can one be sure whether
there is such a thing as Moksha? Moksha
after death is like borrowed Moksha.
One cannot depend upon things that are borrowed. You need to have the Moksha in your hands, like ready cash.
You should be able to experience this Moksha
while you are alive. Just as King Janak experienced living Moksha in his lifetime. Have you heard of this?
Questioner:
I have heard that.
Dadashri: Did he not remain free in spite of all
the many responsibilities as a king? That is the kind of mukti you should have.
Questioner: But we will still have all these other
bondages and responsibilities will we not?
Dadashri: No. How can you call it mukti if you have any sense of bondage? Mukti means no bondage. Mukti cannot exist simultaneously with
bondage. It is a sense of total freedom. Wherever you are, you feel complete mukti. Even if you were put in prison,
you would still feel mukti. That is
called Moksha.
Questioner: Don't you think there will still be some
degree of bondage?
Dadashri: Only the bondage of karmas created before Gnan. All
you have to do is clear them out of the way. But no new bondage will occur and
you will not be charging new karmas
either.
50
Moksha means indifference towards any and all forms of pain and
suffering. There is no fear, pain or suffering. You experience your own eternal
bliss.
Questioner: Who experiences the eternal bliss?
Dadashri: You, yourself. You yourself are Atma! ‘I’ in the Real form. You are a
pure Atma (Chetanya Svaroop); that is what you need to realize.
Questioner:
Yes but who experiences this eternal bliss? Is it the Supreme Self or me
that experiences that state?
Dadashri: No, You yourself do. The real ‘I’ does!
Not the ‘I’ of ‘I am Chandulal’. ‘I am
Chandulal’ is from a relative viewpoint. ‘I am a pure Chetan (soul)’, is the awareness that you should have.
Questioner: Is it necessary for the Pure Self to
stay in permanent happiness?
Dadashri: No, it does not require any effort to
stay in eternal happiness, because eternal happiness is the intrinsic property
of the Pure Self. Eternal bliss is its very nature! Right now you are searching
for eternal happiness because you assume that you are ‘Chandulal’, so at the
present time you are not experiencing the bliss of your Real nature. This is
because illusion deludes you and egoism has stepped in. You are asserting your
‘Self’ where you are not. You claim to be the ‘doer’, which you are not. In
this state of egoism and ‘doership’, the internal suffering remains. Attachment
(mamta) and egoism are the root
causes of all suffering.
51
WHO
ACHIEVES MOKSHA?
Questioner: So in reality, who is it that attains Moksha?
Dadashri: Only the ego is released through Moksha.
It is the one that is bound that attains Moksha; it is the one who suffers, that attains Moksha.
Atma itself is the state of Moksha.
The one that is bound and the one that
suffers from being bound is the one that seeks liberation. It is the ego that
suffers the pain of bondage, so it is this very ego that wants to be liberated.
Now unless ignorance is removed, the ego cannot be liberated. When you attain Gnan from the Gnani Purush, ignorance will be lifted and the ego will find Moksha.
52
ONLY
GNAN CAN END ALL UNHAPPINESS!
This world is trapped in the trough of
suffering. What is this suffering due to?
This suffering stems from ignorance of the Self. All suffering in this
world is because of ignorance. Because of this ignorance that raag and dwesh occur relentlessly and suffering is experienced as a
consequence. Only Gnan can cure this
suffering. There is no other remedy. Gnan
insulates you from suffering.
Therefore, acquire the kind of knowledge
which will liberate your from suffering, worries and regrets. You should
acquire the kind of Gnan that will
perpetuate your peace and happiness, even when you are affronted by insults or
when your pocket is picked. Without Gnan,
if you were to lose one hundred rupees, it would upset you and gnaw at you. Why
let such things make you suffer? Not only do you lose the money, but you also
lose your peace of mind. Will the money return to you if you go on worrying
about it?
Questioner:
No.
Dadashri: So learn the kind of Gnan where you would not have to suffer
any mental anguish. If a man loses his wife, then is any amount of mourning or
grief going to bring her back from death? So what should he do? He should
acquire the kind of Gnan that would
protect him from the negative effects of such events: A Gnan that would shield him from suffering.
It is for the purpose of imparting this
very Gnan that the Gnani Purush exists. It is only when
he himself is completely and absolutely in bliss, that he is able to make
others happy in the same way. We here have the need for happiness. We should find permanent bliss.
53
THE
EXTRAORDINARY POWERS OF AKRAM GNAN
Questioner: But is it possible to live in this
worldly life and acquire Self-Realization so easily?
Dadashri: Yes, there is such a way. Not just by
being in this worldly life, but it is even possible to attain it, while living
with your wife and your children (one does not have to renounce his family or
anything else). You can attain Self-Realization while living the worldly life
and fulfilling your parental and other duties. I myself, who am living in this
worldly life, can procure this for you. You will have the freedom to do whatever
you wish: go to cinema; get your children married; wear beautiful clothes etc.,
What other guarantees do you need?
Questioner: Then it is easy. If I can have that kind of freedom then I
think it would be easy.
Dadashri: All the freedom you want! This is a
shortcut path to Self-Realization. It does not require any effort on your part.
I will give you your Atma in your
hands, so all that remains is for you to enjoy its experience and stay on the
‘elevator’ (the shortcut path as opposed to the Kramic step by step evolution to Moksha). Thereafter, you will not be binding any new karmas. The only karmas you bind will be through
following my aagnas, and they will
amount to only one lifetime. I give you these aagnas to protect you from any deviations or obstacles on this
path.
Questioner: Is there another lifetime for me after
this Gnan?
Dadashri: You have had a past life and you will
also have a future one too. This Gnan
is such that it will give you Moksha
in a couple of lifetimes. First comes the freedom from ignorance; then comes
the final Moksha after a couple of
lifetimes. Because of the current time cycle, one more birth still remains.
So come back to me again. We will set a
date for the Gnan Vidhi (the ceremony where the Gnani imparts Gnan).
On
that special day of the Gnan Vidhi, I will cut the ‘ropes of
ignorance’ that have kept you bound for infinite lives. They need not be cut
everyday. If that were the case, one would have to go and buy new blades each
day. Whenever you decide, on that day I will sever only one twist of the rope,
nothing else. Then immediately, you will realize that you are free. The moment
you open your heart, you will experience ultimate freedom. You should
experience the awareness that you have been freed. This liberation is no joke.
It is very real. I will give you just that.
What happens on the day that you receive
this Gnan? During the Gnan Vidhi, the fire of knowledge (Gnan Agni)
destroys two of the three different forms of karmas. The three forms of karmas are analogous to the composition of steam, water and ice.
During Gnan Vidhi the first two types of karmas
(steam and water) are destroyed. One feels light and one's awareness is
quickened.
The only karmas that remain are those in the form of ice. You have to suffer
the effects of these karmas
(good or bad) because these karmas
have solidified and are at the point of fruition, so you cannot escape them.
The karmas in the form of steam
and water will evaporate in the Gnan Agni, so that immediately after
attainment of Gnan, you will feel
light and your awareness will have increased. Until one's karmas are destroyed, one's awareness
will not increase. Only the karmas
that have solidified will have to be endured. To make these ‘ice’ karmas easier to endure and to minimize
the suffering that they may entail, I have shown you all the ways: Repeat Dada Bhagwan
Na Aseem Jay Jaykar Ho; say the Trimantra and the Nav Kalamo etc. (See appendix)
As these lighter karmas are destroyed when I give you this Gnan, simultaneously many of the aavrans (layers of ignorance over the Soul) are broken down. At
that time through Divine Grace, one becomes aware of the true Self. Once
awakened, the awareness will never leave you. Pratiti (the conviction that ‘I am Pure Self’) will always be there,
as will the awareness. Pratiti will
only remain as long as there is awareness. First comes the awareness (jagruti) and then comes pratiti. Pratiti is the conviction that ‘I am Pure Self.’ Anubhav
(the experience), laksh (awareness)
and pratiti (conviction) all
remain. The experience of pratiti will be constant, whereas laksh will be wavering and last for
short periods. When we become distracted or engrossed in our work we may lose
that sense of laksh for that amount
of time. But whenever we have a moment’s respite from our work it will return
again.
Anubhav is the experience that is felt when one
is relieved from one’s work and duties and when one sits in a meditative
state. It will be something that will
continue to grow because one will perceive what Chandulal is now as opposed to
what Chandulal was before. What makes this difference? It is the experience of
the Atma that changes this. Before,
one was in dehadhyas (conscious only
of the actions and temperament of the physical body) whereas now, one is
conscious of the Atma.
Questioner:
What happens during experience of the Soul?
Dadashri: When you experience the Soul (‘I am Atma’), dehadhyas (the experience that ‘I am the body’) is destroyed. Once
the experience of ‘I am this body’
goes, new karmas cease to bind
you. What more could you want?
Questioner:
I want you to show me this path of Gnan. That is all.
Dadashri: Yes, I will show you this path. Not only
will I show you this path, but also I will give you your Soul in your hands.
Questioner: Then the purpose of my human birth is
fulfilled, so then what else remains?
Dadashri: Yes, completely fulfilled. That which
you cannot find through efforts of countless lifetimes, I will give you in one
hour! Then you will feel that you have
achieved your ‘safe-side’. Otherwise
you cannot achieve this even after a thousand lifetimes of effort.
54
Questioner:
Many different ways to attain Self-Realization have been described in
the Vedic scriptures. One has to
achieve the qualities: Vivek
(discrimination), vairagya
(renunciation/ loss of interest in worldly things) and mumukshata (intense desire to know one's true Self) and all of
these require time and effort. Then, how is it possible to receive this Gnan in such a short time?
Dadashri:
It does not take time to receive Gnan.
Gnan is pure prakash (light). It is like turning on a flashlight in pitch
darkness. The light will appear instantly. Likewise, it takes no time at all
for a Gnani Purush to dispel ignorance with the light of Knowledge (Gnan) so that you will not stumble.
Questioner: Should one be spiritually elevated to
receive Gnan?
Dadashri: Man has reached this spiritual level
many times over in past lives, but because of ignorance (branti); his inability to realize his Real Self, he has been led
astray by his ego. On the contrary, as he has progressed to a higher spiritual
level, his ego has become stronger. He has practiced much vairaagya and vivek, but
that has only served to enhance his feelings of superiority, through his sense
of accomplishment of these things. What is all this? He still keeps on stumbling.
Even as he continues to stumble, he keeps on saying, “I am
something”. He has endeavored many a sadhana (various kriyas to know the Self), yet he has not attained the realization
of his own Real Self
Your astitva
(the knowledge that you exist) is there. There is no doubt about this
fact. You do not have the knowledge of Vastutva (the knowledge of who you are), but you have the knowledge
that you ‘are’ (astitva). When the Gnani Purush washes away your sins,
you will have the knowledge of who you are. Once you attain Self- Realization,
you will automatically progress towards Purnatva
- the fully Self-Realized state. Then yyou do not have to do anything and you
yourself will become independent. The only difference will be the direction of
your ‘vision’. At this moment, all of you are looking one way, and I am looking
the other way. All I do is change the direction of your ‘vision’ (drashtipher). This is the task of a Gnani Purush; without Divine Grace it
is not possible.
55
DISTINCTION BETWEEN ATMA
(SELF) AND ANATMA (NON-SELF)
It is because of Akram Vignan that you
are able to achieve this samkit state
(Realization of the Self) in such a short time. In these times, it is
impossible to achieve this state of samkit
through the traditional Kramic marg.
Akram Vignan is the most superior Science. It draws an exact line of demarcation between that which is yours
and that which is not yours; the Real and the relative. It clearly defines
their properties and characteristics. As a result of this demarcation and
precision, the results are immediate and experiential. In the Kramic marg, this line of demarcation is not clearly defined and therefore
it is very difficult to reach the correct location. Once this distinction is
made, the Real will never be relative and the relative will never become Real.
Unless they are separated, they cannot stay within their own svabhaav (nature).
Questioner: It is beyond my imagination to even
believe that this demarcation of Real and relative is so easily possible.
Dadashri: That is true. You will not be able to
imagine it. Do you know why? Even though it is impossible to draw the line of
demarcation in this current phase of the time cycle, with the emergence of this
Akram Vignan it has become possible. This is a Vignan (Absolute Science). It is not Gnan (knowledge). Gnan is
something you can find everywhere else, but it will be Kramic Gnan. We call it Vignan, (the Absolute Science) because
it yields immediate results. Instant results.
56
PATHS:
KRAMIC OR AKRAM
The Gnan
of the Tirthankars is Kramic Gnan, i.e. The Realization is achieved gradually, one laborious
step at a time. One goes higher with each step one takes. As one's parigrah (attachment to material
objects) diminishes, one progresses further spiritually towards Moksha. This may take innumerable
lifetimes.
But this is Akram Vignan! There is no
need to climb the steps. One simply has to get on the ‘lift’ (elevator) and go
to the twelfth floor. Such is the beauty of this Akram Marg! One only
needs to find this ‘elevator’ and one's salvation will be at hand! I am myself
simply a nimit (instrumental) in
showing you this path or pointing you in the right direction. Anyone that
boards the ‘lift’ will have all the answers. Surely one must find all the
answers! Now, despite having sat in
this ‘lift’ will we not need reassurance as to whether we are going to Moksha? Your assurance will be that your
anger, lust, greed and pride (krodh-maan-maaya-lobh) will go away. The internal suffering
will go away. There will not be anymore aartdhyana
or raudradhyana (aartdhyana –
internal worries or suffering. Raudradhyana
– thoughts of hurting others or taking away from others or depriving
others). This will be your confirmation. Then this task is completed, is it
not?
Questioner:
Is the Kramic marg not the main path? The Akram Marg is fairly new is it not?
Dadashri: Yes, the Kramic marg is the main
path but it is grueling and it involves much penance and renunciation, etc. It
entails a lot suffering in order to reach your goal or destination. One’s
progress is proportionately dependent upon ones degree of penance. The Kramic marg is full of penance.
Questioner: So without enduring any of the suffering
and hardship, one cannot progress in the Kramic
marg, right?
Dadashri: Yes, Kramic
is full of both internal and external sufferings until the very end. It is like
purifying gold; you cannot do it without the heat of the fire (suffering).
Questioner: Are there any rules in Akram, as there are in the Kramic path?
Dadashri: No. Wherever there is a rule, it is
considered to be relative. Sitting in a
certain position or posture as a rule, is all relative. In Akram, there are no rules. Despite not having to do a thing for
their salvation, very few people come to this path.
Questioner: They refuse to accept that it is
possible to achieve Moksha without
any effort.
Dadashri: Yes, how is it possible to achieve something
without doing anything? If I ask you to do something, how will you be able to
do it when you yourself are bound by anger, lust, greed, pride, raag and dwesh? You are the prisoner of your own dependencies. How will you
get yourself unbound? Nowadays, nobody has the power to do penance. I am here
to give you this new and simple Akram
Marg. I am not only giving you this Akram Marg, but I am also simplifying the traditional Kramic marg such that heavy penance would not be necessary.
Questioner: Will the Kramic marg also become
so simple?
Dadashri: Yes, we will also simplify the Kramic marg. The Akram Marg is open and available, but for a
limited period of time. This Marg is
very unique. It comes directly from Divine Grace. So many people were directly
blessed during the time of the Tirthankars.
In those times, when Divine Grace was bestowed upon a person, he or she would
set out on the path of their divine calling, whereas nowadays, if such a
blessing were bestowed on anyone, that person would make excuses not to go. But
this is indeed the Akram Marg where it is possible to reach Moksha even while living the worldly
life. This is the ultimate passport that you will receive. After this, such a passport will no longer
be available, because everything will come to an end. Thereafter, only dharma (religion) will remain. Through dharma, one will gain punya (good karma) and fall into the
cycle of cause and effect i.e. having to reap the benefits of the punyas in the next birth and so on and
so forth. The chances of slipping will be greater also! This is the last and
final path to Moksha that has come
about. This is the final ‘sieve’, so glean as much as you can in it. Anything
leftover will last until the next Chovisi,
(the next cycle of twenty-four Tirthankars
on this planet). So for the next eighty thousand years, no other Marg will succeed. This Akram is indeed the last straw.
57
THE
ONE WHO MEETS ‘ME’ IS READY FOR AKRAM
GNAN!
Questioner:
If this is such a simple
Marg, then do we not need to have the
eligibility or qualifications?
Dadashri: Some people ask me, “Am I qualified to
receive this Akram Gnan?” I tell them, “Your meeting me is
in itself, your qualification.” This
meeting is due to Scientific Circumstantial Evidence. Therefore anyone that
meets me is considered qualified. Those who do not meet me are not
qualified. What is the reason behind
one meeting me? It is because of his qualification, that this meeting takes
place. However, after having met me, if
one does not achieve Self-Realization, then it is because his own obstructive karmas (antarai karma) prevent
him from achieving what he seeks.
Some people tell me, “I have bad
qualities within me”, or “I am a very bad person”. I tell them, “I do not have
any objections towards your bad qualities.
Your Soul is pure. (You are Shuddhatma).
And in this age of Kaliyug, it is
very rare to find a perfect human being!”
Human morality has declined everywhere in this world. What kind of
qualities would you expect to find in this Kaliyug,
the age of squalor and degradation?
Questioner: That is it!
Dadashri: I tell him, “Whatever your qualities
are, I have no need to look at them.
Just come and get your work done!
All the other things, I will destroy with the fire of Knowledge during
the Gnan Vidhi.” I do not consider any qualifications other
than age, because the buddhi
(intellect) must also be developed.
What would the true qualifications and
worthiness be? It is when despite
living in the worldly life and possessing ego and attachment, one does not
create any conflicts (kalesh).
People in general do kalesh,
relentlessly. So where there is kalesh,
there cannot be worthiness and where there is worthiness, there cannot be any kalesh. Therefore, is there any point in
looking for such worthiness?
Besides such Atma Gnan has never before taken place in any time cycle: Never in
thousands of years. It is because this is Akram
that it has become possible. I am
giving you a solid guarantee that if after this Gnan and my aagnas, you
suffer from worries, then you may make a claim of two lakh (hundred thousand) rupees against me. I give you such a
guarantee! Now do you have any objections?
Questioner: No.
Dadashri:
In the worldly life
there will no longer be any worries or arta
dhyan and raudra dhyan. Never
before has this been possible! But this is Akram
Vignan. This is the eleventh wonder
of the world! This will bring salvation to the people!
58
WHO
IS ‘DADA BHAGWAN’?
The person whom you see in front of you
is not Dada Bhagwan. You probably think
that the person you see before you is Dada
Bhagwan, don’t you? But the person you see is a man from the
city of Bhadran named Ambalal Patel. I am a Gnani Purush and
it is Dada Bhagwan that resides within this body that appears before you. The
Lord of the Fourteen Worlds has expressed Himself within this body of Ambalal
Patel. I have seen Him myself and experienced Him myself. With a guarantee I am
telling you that He is fully enlightened within me.
Then who is the one that speaks? It is a
‘tape recorder’ that emits these words. Dada
Bhagwan (the Soul within) does not
have the power to speak. And it is because of this ‘tape recorder’ that this
‘Patel’ speaks. It is because Dada Bhagwan and Patel are separated, that
the ego is eliminated. Patel cannot be
the possessor of his speech, because of the absence of ego. He cannot say, “I am speaking” without ego to back him up.
It is the ‘tape recorder’ that speaks and ‘I’ remain Gnata Drashta (the Knower
and Seer) of that speech. Even your speech is a ‘tape recorder’, but in your
mind you think ‘I am speaking’, and feel a sense of pride. All speech is a
‘tape recorder’ only.
Even I too have to do namaskaars (bow with reverence) to Dada
Bhagwan because Patel and Dada Bhagwan are separate. The relationship that Ambalal
has with Dada Bhagwan is one of separation, whereas people have a misconception
that Ambalal Patel himself is Dada Bhagwan. No! How can Ambalal be Dada
Bhagwan? Ambalal is a Patel from Bhadran.
59
(VITRAAG VIGNAN)
This entire path is alaukik (Real). There is no laukikta
(relative) in this path. Real means alaukik
(beyond this world), and relative means
laukik (of this world). This path is
for the one who has tried everything else and has not found the solution to
liberation. Otherwise there are other standards and paths available. This is
for those who want to get ‘out of standards’.
This is the inner science and it is
permanent. Everything else you see in the world is the external science and it
is temporary. This will give you the experience of the permanent. This is an Absolute Science, and it is
through this science that one achieves liberation. Any amount of dharma (duties/religion) you practice
will not give you liberation. Through dharma
you may attain material happiness and support that will prevent you from
falling. Dharma is that which
prevents you from falling from your spiritual progress. For Moksh, however you need Vitraag
Vignan (Science of Absolutism). This science has never before been expressed
in any scriptures. The Tirthankars
knew about this science, but they could not impart it to the people of their
times. In these troubled times of today, very rarely does a Bhed Vignani
(Scientist of separation of 'I' and My') come along and make this science
available to be ‘given’ to everyone.
Therefore I am ready to give you whatever
you ask for. Whatever you ask for!! Ask
for Nirvikalp Samadhi (A continued and uninterrupted state of the experience of
the bliss of the Atma - even while performing all life’s duties). Ask for a state free of anxiety and worries
forever. I will give you all this with a guarantee. Ask for whatever you want,
but you should know what to ask for. This science will give you freedom despite
living in the midst of the worldly life.
60
GET
YOUR WORK DONE!
Get your work done! Whenever you have the
need for it. I am not forcing you to
come. Come if you feel like coming. If you like the worldly life and the way
things are, then continue as you are. There is no pressure from me that you
have to do it this way. I am not here to write letters inviting you to come. If
you happen to meet me, then I will tell you about this Gnan and suggest that you take advantage of it and get your work
done. This is all I will tell you. For thousands of years such a science has
not been available. Therefore I am telling you that from here onwards whatever
happens, let it be, but get your work done!
The Awareness of the Eternal is Bliss.
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Last update:
January 20, 2001.