________________
Aptavani-5
153
154
Aptavani-5
Dadashri: No, not equally. It depends on how much bhaav (intensity of devotion, feelings) one has for 'Dada Bhagwan'
Questioner: Suppose my vessel is bigger, it will hold more water than someone with a small cup. So does it depend on the size of the vessel or the bhaav?
Dadashri: There is no need for a vessel here. If one does not know how to do anything I will tell him, 'Stay here, hang around here, and if you do not know anything, just keep polishing those shoes.'
You have to become worthy of the grace of the Gnani; there is no need to do anything else. What creates an obstacle in attaining the Gnani's grace? It is one's own obstinacy (aadayee).
Questioner: Should one not get rid of the obstinacies?
Dadashri: No, the obstinacy will not let you reap the benefits that quickly. Wherever I see obstinacy, I maintain compassion. Gradually, through compassion, that obstinacy will leave. I have to work harder there.
Reading Scriptures Questioner: Can demerit karmas (sins) be destroyed through reading scriptures?
Dadashri: No. You bind merit karmas (punyas) through that but you do not destroy your demerit karmas. It is called punya-anubandhi-punya (discharge of merit karmas, effect that leads to cause of new merit karmas). Studying the right scriptures (sadshastra) leads to the study of one's own Self (swadhyaya). This will help you in concentrating of the chit and the mind.
Questioner: Along with the satsang of the Gnani Purush, should we also not read and contemplate on the
(sadshastra) scriptures that show the way to the Self?
Dadashri: That is fine but when you get 'full marks through the Gnani's satsang, there is no need to read anything, is there? On the contrary, when you receive full marks, reading will increase botheration. After attaining such wonderful awareness (jagruti), your time is wasted.
Questioner: What if one reads just as a nimit?
Dadashri: It is as a nimit (evidentiary) for sure but it is circumstance dependent and therefore not under your control.
Questioner: Is it not a weakness of the mind to say that I have no control over circumstances (sanjog)?
Dadashri: No, there is not a single person in this world who has any control over circumstances.
The Cause Can Be Changed, Not the Effect "Dravya na palte, bhaav farey toh chhooti shakey chhe
bhuvno fajeto. "Effects cannot change, if causes change, one can be free from the fiasco of the next life.'
-Navneet Dravya means that karma is ready to give its result. I will give you an example of how an effect cannot change. If a man has a habit of stealing, does it not happen that he cannot break that habit even if he says he wants to? It will only happen when the time is right. Now what Kavi is saying in this couplet is that, if one has the bhaav everyday, that 'stealing is not right', then one day he will run out of the bhaav of stealing. Otherwise, if he continues to have the bhaav of stealing, he will sow seeds' of stealing. Therefore stealing will lead to more stealing.
This statement has a very profound meaning.
