Aptavani 01

Author(s): Dada Bhagwan
Publisher: Dada Bhagwan Foundation

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are attracted. This is the very thing that brings you misery. When things go according to your wishes, it is because of your merit karma and when things go against your wishes, it is because of your demerit karma. There are two kinds of merit karma and two kinds of demerit karma :
(1) Paapanubandhi paap (New demerit karma stemming from past demerit karma): A person binds new demerit karma while experiencing the effects of demerit karma from his past life. For example, when a person inflicts pain on somebody and enjoys doing so.
(2) Punyanubandhi paap (New merit karma stemming from past demerit karma): A person is suffering as a result of demerit karma from his past life, but he binds new merit karma by leading a moral and ethical life.
(3) Paapanubandhi punya (New demerit karma stemming from past merit karma): A person enjoys happiness as a result of merit karma from his past life but while doing so, he binds tremendous demerit karma. Today, this type of karma is rampant everywhere. A wealthy man is not even able to enjoy the comforts of his huge mansion. He is out the entire day making money, his wife is out shopping and running around looking for beautiful clothes and his daughter is driving around in her car. Only the servant is to be found at home and the entire bungalow is uselessly wasted. He has acquired all his material comforts as a result of his merit karma from his past life but despite this merit karma he binds demerit karma as a result of his behavior. He is consumed with immense greed and attachment and he is not able to enjoy his wealth. Such people with paapanubandhi punyas are always after sensual gratification.
(4) Punyanubandhi punya (New merit karma stemming from past merit karma): A person performs rituals and works towards attainment of Self-Realization while enjoying the fruits
of his past merit karma. He accumulates more merit karma and reaps the fruit of liberation.
All activities of rituals and austerities carried out with obstinacy, inflexibility and staunchness bind papanubandhi punya, whereas austerities and rituals performed with the proper understanding of what is beneficial for one's Soul and liberation binds punyanubandhi punya. With such karma, the person will one day meet a Gnani Purush and eventually achieve liberation.
Wealth does not come to you without merit karma.
Who in this world is considered one with the most merit karma? It is the one who in a passing thought will desire something and having decided on it will have his wishes fulfilled for years to come without any efforts on his part.
Second come the ones who desire something and having decided on it over and over again, will acquire it easily at the end of the day.
Third come the ones who desire something, will make an effort to acquire it and their wish will be fulfilled.
Fourth come those who work very hard towards fulfilling their desire and eventually get what they want.
Fifth and final come those who desire something, work very hard for it and still do not get what they want. These laborers work very hard, in addition to their hard work they face abuse at the hands of others and still they do not get any money. And when they do get any money, there is no certainty that they will have anything to eat at home. They work the hardest and yet they are not rewarded for their labor.
Many people believe that demerit karma created unknowingly or in ignorance bear no consequences. Why would there be no consequences? Is there not a consequence to putting