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Aptavani-9
187
Dadashri: Yes, it increases lot. Straight people are easily deceived, but their commonsense will also increase a great deal in the process. Someone may cheat a straight person by charging him more money but in return his commonsense will increase. Nothing in this world happens without an exchange of give and take. An exchange of one kind or another will inevitably take place.
Questioner: Commonsense is applicable everywhere, right? So then, how does one get cheated?
Dadashri: A person gets cheated because of his straightness and lack of excess intellect. He may not get cheated often but he will get cheated one or two times. However, his commonsense will blossom when he gets cheated. He will realize that he gets cheated in certain circumstances and so his commonsense will continue to increase.
Solution with commonsense
Commonsense is a tremendous thing. One man went to his boss and started to say all kinds of things to him. Because the boss had commonsense, he was not affected at all. So we can see a practical application of commonsense here. Any other person will get discouraged and get very depressed. But I did not see any depression in this boss. I was observing him to see whether he would become depressed or not. Despite all the insults, he did not get depressed at all.
So what do I tell everyone? Solve all your problems with commonsense. No matter what the other person says, it is all dependant upon that person's mind. And it is only because of your own punya (merit karma) (!) that he speaks that way to you! No one will say anything to you without your punya (!)
Selfishness prevents full commonsense
Questioner: A person with commonsense may not get affected but can he become instrumental (nimit) in causing hurt to someone else?
188
Aptavani-9
Dadashri: Yes, it may happen. It will happen if the other person is weak, he will be hurt. In this world the weak person will become miserable. Misery is proportional to one's inner weakness. What can a stronger person do if a weaker person feels miserable? What can a big scary looking man do if people run away from him in fear the moment they see him? Where is his fault?
Questioner: A person may have the art of pleasing others with his words and actions and with such a gift; he is able to accomplish his work through others, is he not?
Dadashri: All that may be there, but deep within, all those gifts are the result of selfish intents, and they are not good. Such gifts prevent the expression of complete commonsense. Commonsense does not become complete where the slightest selfish motive exists. Only commonsense without selfishness is worthy. Thereafter, pleasing others without any selfish motives is done with the aim of not hurting them. Worldly people on the other hand, please others for selfish reasons; for fulfilling their own selfish goals and desires, and therefore such people never develop full commonsense. This is because commonsense gets used up in their selfish aim and intent.
Insight (sooj) is a different thing altogether
Questioner: Is it commonsense that in order to quickly accomplish any worldly task, a person reduces conflicts with others?
Dadashri: That which accomplishes any kind of work fast is really insight (sooj). Commonsense is different, it is applicable everywhere, it will open any 'locks' that one cannot normally open (It can solve problems that otherwise cannot be).
Questioner: Some people get confused when they have to make a decision while others make decisions very fast, is that insight (sooj)?
