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(3) These Are Not Lord Mahavir's Pratikramans
51
Pratikraman
Questioner: Yes, but whatever one's goal is, in that there are two types of goals, correct? One is the goal of moksha...
Dadashri: Not two types of goals, there are many types of goals. The goals vary with each individual.
Questioner: Now the goal of the worldly happiness that is there, does that mean that one attains dharmadhyan (absence of adverse internal meditation) with pratikraman, and not shukladhyan (meditation as the Self)?
Dadashri: There is no connection between pratikraman and shukladhyan. There is no connection between shukladhyan and the worldly life. With us here, because we have Akram Vignan (where the Self is attained in directly two hours), there is shukladhyan. Otherwise, we cannot even utter the word 'shukladhyan.'
Questioner: But that is for becoming free, and the other kind?
Dadashri: In the other pratikraman, there is no connection with becoming free.
Questioner: But if he has decided in his mind that, 'I want...
Dadashri: No, but he does pratikraman as, 'I am Chandulal
Questioner: So one is Self-realized (gnani) and the other is agnani (one who does not have Self-realization)?
Dadashri: That is it.
Questioner: That is the difference. Yes, then it is correct. So when the person without Self-realization (agnani) does pratikraman, he binds punya - merit karma.
Dadashri: Whatever an agnani does, he will bind either merit karma (punya) or demerit karma (paap). There is nothing else. There can never be the path of liberation there.
Questioner: Yes, that is correct.
Will Pratikraman Yield Fruits?
Questioner: So how does one do that pratikraman? Say, for example, I want to do pratikraman, I want happiness in my worldly life; how should I do pratikraman for that? What kind of goal should I have? Meaning having decided the goal, how should I carry out the pratikraman?
Dadashri: No, no. When one does pratikraman, then the mistake that had occurred within is washed off. (48)
Questioner: Once it is erased, it is erased for good? Dadashri: That is why one binds merit karma (punya).
Questioner: Yes, so similarly in the path of moksha, one also binds punya, right?
Dadashri: No. Questioner: So how am I to understand that?
Dadashri: In the path of moksha, we are doing pratikraman in order to become free.
Questioner: Even Akram Vignan helps us attain the state similar to that of the twenty-two Tirthankars, does it not?
Dadashri: It will not bring you into that high a state but this Akram Vignan will give you the fruit of moksha! The other will not give you moksha. That is the difference.
Questioner: Which one?
Dadashri: This Akram Vignan will give you moksha. But the pratikraman of Kramic path cannot give moksha, there is only the awareness and, therefore, one will bind merit