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Aptavani-4
167
The Life Given to Inanimate Objects by ‘My
ness'
People say that there is God in every grain, in this and in that. Isn't there a difference between what the person is trying to say and the way the listener understands the message?
Questioner: Of course, there has to be!
Dadashri: I will explain to you what the expectation (apeksha) behind a message is. There are two divisions in this world: The Atma (Self) and the anatma (the non-Self). This table here has no chetan (life) in it. But because this table belongs to 'Chandubhai’, it means that it has become vested with the chetan bhaav (living intent). That is sankalpi chetan, or the extension of life through ‘My-ness'; it is given life because of Chandubhai's belief that he is its owner. If you took the table away from him, without asking, then to such an extent, you would be at fault. However, if you paid him for it first and then smashed it and destroyed it, then in that case, you would not be at fault. The chetan tattva (element of chetan; the Self) is that in which there is knowledge (Gnan) and vision (darshan).