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Aptavani-5
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Aptavani-5
Even while doing something bad or hurtful, if your dhyan (mediation, inner state) is of a high level; you will bind punya (merit karmas). When a hunter kills a deer, if he repents heavily, 'Why did this action come to me? I have no choice but to do this to feed my wife and my children', then the dhyan has risen higher. Nature does not judge-see one's kriya (actions); it takes into consideration one's dhyan at the time of his actions. It does not even look at one's desires.
When someone robs you, the bhaav (intent; meditation; state of the mind) becomes raudra (violent and hurtful). Such intent occurs in the darkness (agnan, ignorance). Now what kind of bhaav occurs in the One where there is pure light; the knowledge of the Self? He will say it is vyavasthit and will move on without any bhaav or abhaav (positive or negative reaction in inner intent).
Dharma, Artha, Kaam and Moksha
Questioner: Dharma, artha, kaam and moksha; can you explain these four stages (roles) of the human life?
Dadashri: Artha is what people generally refer to as worldly intent in life (swarth). Starting from this point, all the way to the point of the ultimate meaning (parmarth), is all artha. This intent (artha) remains all the way to the level of absolute enlightenment (Parmatma).
moksha (done without expectation of rewards), or worldly life (done with expectation of rewards).
Similarly, dharma can make you wander in the worldly life, and the same dharma can take you to moksha.
Questioner: What is the definition of dharma?
Dadashri: That which makes wander around is shubha (good) religion and that which takes you to moksha (liberation) is shuddha dharma (pure religion).
Why did we give the name .dharma? It was because there was adharma (wrong deeds) that it came to be named dharma (positive or righteous deeds). So we have dharmaadharma (both good deeds and bad deeds). What do people with good moral attributes do? They keep pushing away their negative thoughts. To push away the negative, to push away adharma, is called dharma.
Questioner: Does practicing dharma automatically get rid of adharma?
Dadashri: There are two kinds of dharma (religion). One is natural (swabhavik dharma); the religion of the Self. The second is extra (vishesh) religion, the religion of the nonSelf. When one attains the Self; realizes the pure Self (Shuddhatma), he attains the natural dharma: the religion of the Self. That is Real religion. In the Real religion nothing needs to be weeded out, however in the other religion one has to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong.
What is the worldly (laukik) religion? It is to give charity, to serve others, oblige others; all that is considered dharma. You bind merit karma with all that. By insulting people, fighting, stealing, hurting people, you bind demerit karma. Real dharma is not to be found where there is (bondage of) merit and demerit karma. Real dharma is beyond merit or demerit karmas. Merit and demerit karma is considered heya (that which is worth
What does parmarth mean? It is where there is only interest in matters of the Self. Besides the Self (Arma) there is no other worldly) interest (swarth) whatsoever. The Gnani Purush is selfish for the Atma.
The artha (intent), when it takes you towards selfishness, is sakaam (action done with expectation of worldly rewards), and when it goes towards the salvation of all (parmarth) - ultimate good, it is nishkaam (action done without expectation of worldly rewards). Action (kaam) can take you towards
