Aptavani 06

Author(s): Dada Bhagwan
Publisher: Mahavideh Foundation

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Aptavani-6
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When you come home and hear of some problems the minute you step inside the door, you will know whether you get affected by the ups and downs or whether inner peace prevails: you will be able to tell. You need that gauge, do you not? You cannot buy such a gauge from the market; it would be nice if you had one at home.
Currently, we are in the time cycle of Kaliyug; it is a time of discomfort so you will have several such 'gauges' at home, not just one! Otherwise, who else will test you? Even if you "hire' someone to do so, he will not. Even if you do find someone and you pay him to insult you, he would not go around with a sulking face and you will know that the insult was fake. But the other insult that comes from your files' at home is exact! Their faces are pouty and they sulk, their eyes get red from anger; you couldn't get that even if you paid someone to do it. And here you even get your insults free of charge!
This worldly life is such that it appears wonderful to your eyes, so how can you ever become free from it? Even when you take a beating from it, you forget about it. People say that dispassion towards the worldly life (vairagya) does not stay, how can it?
In reality, there is nothing except pure Soul (Shuddhatma) and circumstance (sainyog). There are two kinds of circumstances: unfavorable (pratikud) ones and favorable (anukud) ones. There is no problem with the favorable ones; it is the unfavorable ones that cause problems. You have to take care of only the unfavorable circumstances. And all circumstances are temporary by nature. Therefore, they will leave when their time is due. They will not stay even if you insist that they do.
Difficult circumstances do not remain for long. Why are people miserable? They are miserable because they remember and recall the bad circumstances long after they are gone. Why fret over them when they are gone? It is a different matter if one cries when he gets burned, but now, when it is healing, the fool keeps on complaining, 'I got burned, I got burned!
Now for You, only circumstances (sainyog) remain. You do not know how to use the pleasant circumstances. It is because you endure (vedavoon) the pleasant circumstances through, 'I am enjoying,' that you have to suffer the bitter and painful ones. But if you simply remain the 'knower of pleasant circumstances, then the 'knowing' will remain during the painful ones too. But you cannot get rid of old habits and that is why you become the enjoyer. The Self does not enjoy anything at all. It just continues to 'know everything. The one that enjoys is the illusionary soul; it is the relative-self (pratishthit atma) that was charged in the past life. You have to know too that, 'Oh ho ho! This pratishthit atma has become engrossed in the pleasant circumstances!
Lord Mahavir taught His disciples that when they went out, if people hit them with a stick, they were to take it as, 'At least it is only a stick; the hand is not broken. The hand is spared. They were to consider that much of a benefit. If someone breaks one arm, he has to be grateful that at least he did not break the other one also. If both hands get cut off, they should say that at least they have their legs. If both the arms and both the legs are cut off, they should say at least they are alive and at least able to see. The Lord has shown you the way to look at benefit-loss (benefit - laabha and loss - alaabha). Do not cry; be happy. There is nothing wrong with that; is there?
The Lord Mahavir saw with an enlightened view (samyak drashti) through which one 'sees' benefits even in adverse circumstances.
Take the Beating and Be Free What is the rule of this world? The strong take advantage of the weak. Whom does nature make strong? It makes strong those who have committed fewer demerit karma (paap); and for those who have committed greater paap, it makes them weak.
If you want to be free and liberated, then take the beating