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inclined towards penance are people who are 'heated'; they are like burning coals that are so hot that the moment you touch your cigarette to it, it will catch fire. So you have to be very cautious when you interact with such people - there is no room for any mistakes there! The Lord was not like that. He was supremely wise.
Where is the shortage of prapta tapa nowadays? Ultimately the tooth will start to hurt and it hurts so bad that it takes your breath away. The stomach will hurt, the head will hurt, this will hurt, and that will hurt. If someone clashes with you, that is prapta tapa also. And sometimes when the husband is late getting home from satsang, the wife will say, "You are so unreliable. Is this the time to be roaming around outside? Where were you wandering?" Now how does the wife know whether he was wandering or sitting in satsang? If the wife speaks this way and he does not remain calm, is that not being foolish? He just has to realize that penance has come calling so he'd better suffer it. If he doesn't do this and instead retaliates by saying, "You just keep quiet! I don't want a word out of you!" then she will be loading 'bullets in her gun. If you ask her, what she is doing she will reply. "Let him finish his meal, I will take care of him at bed time." But in the end they still have to sleep in the same room. If there was another room, one can say the heck with it, "I don't have to deal with this problem", but alas, there is only one room and they are both stuck with each other. You foolish man! You cannot have fireworks where you sleep and it some do happen to take place, douse them out. You can do anything outside but don't do this at home where you have to live day and night. Gnanis are very wise; they understand instantly what is beneficial to the Self when someone throws fireworks. The husband should understand and have insight that the wife threw the 'firecracker' at his leg because she was angry, but if he were to do the same, she will aim for his head the next time. So let go of your nonsense. Just deal with the
situation once and for all.
True penance is one that you suffer and yet not let anyone around you know of it. When you tell someone of your penance, they will listen to you and sympathize with you. And by doing so they take a cut in the 'commission' you gain from your penance and they may even put you on the wrong path. So how can you tell anyone of your penance? Who would give away a commission to others without cause? The more sympathy you get from others for your penance, the more penance you will have to suffer. 'We have not taken any sympathy from anyone. If you take sympathy, you have to suffer more penance, otherwise keep quiet and keep accumulating the penance within. The heat of the penance is such that it will overflow, but then it will simmer down. When the time comes, it will overflow for sure. It is said that we need all four: Gnan, darshan, charitra and tapa ie. right knowledge, right vision, right conduct and penance for moksha. True penance is that penance which comes to you naturally. If you feel like eating potato fritters but you don't get them, then do penance that day!
Questioner : Dada why do you have calluses on the soles of your feet?
Dadashri : They are from penance 'we' suffered in search for the Soul. This penance was from a nail from the sole of my shoe that has pierced through the inside of my shoe, I would not take it out; I would continue wearing the shoes. It was later that I discovered that I was on the wrong path; it was the penance the Jains do. I used to believe that if the nail cut through and affected the Soul, it meant that I had not attained the soul and so I would continue to suffer that penance. But the 'stains' of that penance are still there. The stains of penance will remain throughout the life. Later I understood that I was on the wrong path and that the right penance was the penance that one has to suffer internally.
