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Aptavani-5
Aptavani - 5
person would be able to hear. So tell me now, who does the listening?
Questioner: One hears through the ears but only if the living element (Chetan tattva, the Soul, the Self) is present.
Dadashri: The living element never listens to anything at any time at all. It is the Knower-Seer (Gnata-Drashta) and It is in permanent bliss (parmanand). The Self is infinite knowledge (anant gnan), infinite vision (anant darshan), infinite energy (anant shakti) and infinite conduct (anant charitra). So then do you believe that hearing is an attribute of the Soul?
The Self and the Religion of the Self Dadashri: What does the Soul (the Atma) do?
Questioner: The Soul is the Knower-Seer (GnataDrashta).
Dadashri: But you say, 'I am listening'. Are you the Soul (Self) or the listener?
Questioner: I am the Soul. Dadashri: But the Soul cannot hear; only ears can hear,
night?
Questioner: Is it not the association of the Soul and the physical body (pudgal)?
Dadashri: But who does the hearing, the Soul or the ears?
Questioner: The Soul is the one doing the hearing; the ears are inanimate (jada).
Dadashri: Then why not ask a deaf person? Is the Soul not present in a deaf person too? Then who hears?
Questioner: Without the presence of the Soul, none of the sense organs can function.
Dadashri: There is life in one because of the presence of the Soul, but who does the listening, the Soul or the ears? Indeed, if the Soul were the one listening, then even a deaf
The Soul does not listen at all. Listening is not its attribute at all. Just as 'to rust' is not one of the attributes of gold, hearing is not the attribute of the Soul. Speaking is not its attribute either.
Questioner: But the ears can only hear if the Soul (chaitanya tattva) is present, is that not so?
Dadashri: The existence and interaction of the whole world is based on the presence of the Self. The body will not live without the Soul, but it is not the Soul that does the listening.
Questioner: Then please explain who does the listening?
Dadashri: Will you not have to understand this? When a person says that his Soul hears then it can also be said that the Soul speaks. One may say anything as far as the worldly (laukik) language is concerned, however, it will not be acceptable in the Lord's alaukik (not of the world, spiritual) language (the Lord here is Lord Mahavir).
In this conversation with you, who is speaking right now? Questioner: You are.
Dadashri: If 'Dada Bhagwan' (the manifest Lord within the physical body of the Gnani Purush A. M. Patel) speaks, then Dada's value is the same as this two thousand rupee tape
