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Aptavani-9
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Aptavani-9
Dadashri: She does not gain anything: it is the ego that claims 'See how I straightened him out?' And that poor man out of intense greed lalacha will do whatever she asks. But then she will pay the price later, will she not?
Questioner: Is she protecting her womanhood (prakruti nature as a woman - streepanu) by doing that?
Dadashri: No, it is not protection of streepanu. It is a show of the ego. She treats him like a little monkey. Would there not be a reaction to that later? He too will remember what she put him through. He will remember, 'You took advantage of me and disgraced me when I was under your control. Wait until you come under my control. Then he will disgrace her and destroy her in no time. The touch of a lalachu person will ruin
samskar (moral values) An avaricious (lalachu) person should not even touch young boys and girls. His influence will corrupt their values. So it is better if he does not even touch them. A covetous man will entice young girls and play with them for his own pleasure; he will not do that with unattractive children. He will play with children that look like beautiful rosebuds; that too for his own pleasure. Now there is no sex involved in this, is there? But still it is better if he does not touch the children. It is because the mind of an avaricious person will keep going there over and over again. Sex is not the only thing that attracts. And in this case there is no sex, but the attraction is there all the same. Instead it is better if nothing becomes defiled.
That is purusharth Is there intense greed only for sex? No, there are all kinds of intense greed. Eating and drinking, are all these not intense greed (lalacha)? There is nothing wrong in eating but there should not be any intense greed for it.
Questioner: Does intense greed (alacha) mean that one gets excited at the mere sight of something?
Dadashri: He will get very excited. But it is good if he recognizes it as intense greed.
The moment a covetous person sees someone he knows, he thinks, 'We will go eat together.'What should one do for such an intense greed? He should tell himself 'I just had something to eat. I am not interested. Should there not be some self-respect and dignity? People will take you out for dinner and that impression will remain in your mind, will it not? Does it get erased from your mind? So when you see that person again, you will immediately have the thought, it will be nice if he takes me out again,' will you not? It is Your job to turn such thoughts around. That is called purusharth. And you are at risk for not turning that around - if you don't that risk remains.
Questioner: If we decline his invitation to eat out are we not insulting and rejecting (tarchhod) him?
Dadashri: How can that be rejecting him? What if someone tells you, 'Let us go out for a drink?'' where is the rejection in that? Why are you looking for sorry excuses like that? If he invites you, you should go and if you do not like the food, take it and put it aside. Surely, you should know how to handle yourself in such situations!
If one eats only one thing, even then there is no problem. He does not have any other intense greed (alacha). If he has intense greed for just one thing, even then there is no problem; at least he will be preoccupied with just one thing. But avaricious people are tempted by anything and everything. So wherever thieving tendencies of intense greed (alacha) creep in, a person has to create a safe-side for himself. Intense greed is very poisonous. There is no problem if lalacha is limited to only one thing
