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possessions are there, but to claim them as yours and to enjoy the taste that results from displaying them, is abhimaan. The taste of abhimaan can be very sweet. Pleasure arises within, the moment he says, "These are my homes.' Then it becomes a habit for him, like going to the Havmor ice cream parlor.
Questioner: You had once said that the whole world is trapped in 'Havmor' (brand name for ice-cream).
Dadashri: In 'Havmor'! I do not need this Havmor and therefore I am not trapped by it, nevertheless I will eat icecream if someone offers me some. That (the pursuit of pleasure) is the aim of worldly people and for me such aim is meaningless. My goal is different.
Havmor becomes a habit for people because of ajagruti (unawareness); they do not have the awareness of its benefits versus harm. When can one become habituated? When he is not aware of what is right and what is wrong. If someone feeds me ice-cream everyday, I would not even remember (think of) it the next day. I would not miss it for a second, even if he feeds me ice cream everyday for months and then stops suddenly. I would give compliments and say, 'the ice-cream is very good' I would say this, but superfluously! If the ice cream were to continue giving its sweet taste after it is gone, then I would accept that it is a good thing. After we finish eating it, no matter how much we say, 'give me more taste', it will not, will it? So what is the use of such a taste? Many people become so engrossed in the taste that as their portion of the ice cream gets smaller; they leave it longer in their mouth and savor it for as long as they can. What happens when only the last bite is left? After you swallow it, the taste will no longer be there.
Do you now understand what abhimaan is and what ahamkar is?
Questioner: And when one attains saiyam, (absence of kashaya) will his abhimaan not increase too?
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Dadashri: There is no abhimaan where there is saiyam (absence of kashaya). Abhimaan is blind and where there is saiyam, you will not find abhimaan. Not only abhimaan but you will not find ego (ahamkar) there either.
The zero state of the Gnani Purush
'We' are allowed to have abhimaan about attaining the status of the Lord of the whole universe and yet 'we' have less abhimaan than even a young child. 'We' do not have an ego ahamkar at all. 'We' would not be able to attain all this if 'we' had ego. The one who has no ownership of the body, the mind, the speech; he becomes the owner of the entire universe.
Questioner: But some people say that one can often see abhimaan in a Gnani Purush. How can that be?
Dadashri: Where there is abhimaan, there is no Gnan, and where there is Gnan, there cannot be any abhimaan.
Questioner: Does that mean that Gnan and abhimaan cannot co-exist?
Dadashri: Gnan and abhimaan can never co-exist. There is either Gnan or abhimaan. If you see abhimaan when you slap the 'Gnani', then that is ignorance (agnan) and you will clearly see that he cannot be a Gnani.
Yes, until 'we' attained Gnan, deh-abhimaan (abhimaan of I am this body') existed. It increased, as I grew older. When I was born it was about 25% but as I grew up, it increased 150%! It used to gnaw at me even when it was about 25% so do you think it did not bite me more as it increased? When it bites or gnaws at you, it is abhimaan and when there is internal suffering, it is the ahamkar ego. Abhimaan is a constant gnawing.
Instead of just mere ego, I had abhimaan (pride with 'my-ness'). I was also a tundmijaji (someone who does not
