Aptavani 06

Author(s): Dada Bhagwan
Publisher: Mahavideh Foundation

Page 78

Aptavani-6
123
the pure Soul - from the perspective of the Self (nischay) and from this viewpoint; they cannot have any mistakes, can they?
If anyone had made a mistake, Lord Mahavir would have seen that, but the Lord did not see anyone at fault. Even when large bedbugs were biting him, the Lord did not see them at fault.
Viewing the Mistakes through Upayog
Questioner: Can we see past mistakes by remembering them?
Dadashri: Past mistakes can be seen only through focused awareness (upayog), but not through memory. You have to scratch your head in order to recollect. You have to recollect if a veil comes over it, do you not? If you had a disagreement with another person, then if you do prarikraman (asking forgiveness, with remorse, from the pure Soul of one we have hurt) to him, he will be present before you. You simply have to resort to this focused awareness (upayog) and do pratikraman. There is nothing to remember in our path. Recalling is dependant on memory.
Questioner: What is memory? Can that be considered as being dependent on the intellect?
Dadashri: Memory is the recall that takes a long time coming if there is a huge veil, like a large cloud, though sometimes the recall comes in two minutes, sometimes in five. Do you have such an experience about memory?
Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri: Many times you will not be able to recollect for hours. Now the rule is that you can destroy the veil through concentration (ekagrata). A veil that is half an hour long can be brought to an end within five minutes through concentration.
[15] Upayog: Levels of Awareness
Questioner: Please explain the difference between that which is mechanical and that which is with awareness (jagruti).
Dadashri: The whole world functions while still asleep. That is considered 'mechanical.' It is called 'asleep to the Self (bhaavnindra), or unaware of the Self. We can say that everyone in bhaavnindra is mechanical. Is every man not aware of profit and loss in his business? So, he can maintain awareness in his business, and when he sits in a bus, is he not aware? He is not mechanical there; he is awake and aware. Now the world considers that as being 'with awareness' (jagruti-purvak); actually, that, too, is mechanical. Most of the people in foreign countries can be considered mechanical, not aware of the Self. These animals and trees are all also considered mechanical, are they not?
Questioner: Can the celestial beings (devas and devis) be considered mechanical also, or not?
Dadashri: The celestial beings cannot be considered mechanical. They do have awareness. There are some devas who are aware that they are 'mechanical.' So they get tired of this state and feel it should not be that way. Not all devas are like that. Some move about absolutely carefree in a state of intoxication of the mind. That is called 'mechanical.'
Questioner: While singing a spiritual song (pad), one may be reciting the words but his attention is elsewhere; what do we call that?