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then he makes a firm inner resolution (niyanu) exclusively for earning maan (respect). Such a person grows to be a big maani (one perpetually hungry for respect and recognition). From a very young age he makes a decision of, 'now I want to get ahead of everybody and be successful'. So he makes this his main goal. He will say, 'I will prove that I am better than everybody and will go farther than everyone, and he will accomplish this too. Yes, he will do whatever it takes, give his all for it and will progress further ahead. A person who has been given a lot of maan growing up will not have this extra drive.
Now if one receives lots of respect then his appetite for it would be satisfied. If a person gets excessive, then his hunger for it is fulfilled. He will then begin to dislike respect people give him. Do you think people don't give me enough respect? If you too were to get such abundant respect, your appetite for it will be finished, too. Tasting' respect releases one from having
greed for it Do you like respect?
Questioner: Dada, up until today. I used to be intimidated by the fear of being insulted or by losing respect. Because of this fear I would not take part in any activities and I used to be depressed. But now all that has gone away. As I got respect and recognition (maan) I began to feel free.
Dadashri: No, that is lobh-granthi - a 'tuber' of greed (obh-greed. Granthi or gaanth - tuber). That is why when one gets respect and the taste he gets out of it, will break his tuber of greed. As he gets to taste respect, his tuber of greed will begin to dissolve very fast.
Now if a person has a tuber of pride (maan), it will make him run around for respect and recognition. Wherever he gets
respect he will be there. If they tell him, 'We will hang a plaque with your name on the wall', he will say, "Put me down for fifty thousand rupees. 'When a maani person gets respect he will let go of his greed, whereas a greedy (obhi) person will not let go of his greed even for million times the respect. It is very difficult to find such greedy people in this current time cycle. There is no one as such. Such greedy people were to be found during the third and the fourth Ara (past eras of the present cosmic time cycle). They were very greedy. In the current time cycle there is no telling where pride (maan) lies or where greed (lobh) lies.
The beggary for respect He who says, 'I do not want anything, his work gets done. Even when things come before him naturally, there is no want in him. And you, you still have needs and wants, do you not? What do you want?
Questioner: I recognize that I want respect (maan).
Dadashri: There is no problem with wanting respect, but are you preoccupied with attaining it? Are you caught up with "how can I get respect?
Questioner: No, not that kind of preoccupation Dadashri: Then what if you do not get any respect? Questioner: Then there is no problem.
Dadashri: Then there is no problem with that. If you have an intense desire (kaamna) for respect, it is considered beggary (bheekh). An intense desire for anything is called beggary. Intense desire or beggary is not a (karmic) discharge. Words like kaamna and bheekh (intense desire and beggary) are very similar. But nothing will affect You if Your upayog, meaning applied awareness as the Self is maintained. Therefore, our spiritual path is not obstructed by simple pride. But it can be
