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Aptavani-9
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Aptavani-9
Dadashri: Yes, abhimaan is a result of the ego. That result remains but the root cause is gone. The ego is gone. Kevalgnan (absolute enlightenment) occurs when all the results of the ego go away.
Questioner: But abhimaan is a result of the ego, so does kevalgnan come when abhimaan goes away?
Dadashri: No, abhimaan is not the only result of ego; there are many other results too. One achieves kevalgnan when they are all gone.
Questioner: Then what are the other results of the ego (ahamkar)?
Dadashri: There are many different kinds of results.
Questioner: What should we do so that our abhimaan does not cause anyone any difficulty and makes them happy instead?
Dadashri: All you have to do is have such an inner intent, nothing else. Your intent should be, 'My abhimaan should not hurt anyone but it should make them happy. 'And if someone still gets hurt, then do pratikraman and move on. What else can you do? Do you have to sit there the whole night? You cannot sit there even if you want to, so what can you do?
Nevertheless you should proceed in a way that it does not hurt anyone.
Questioner: Is the worldly life not supported by the result of the ego, 'I am Chandulal?
Dadashri: But that ego is gone after attaining this Gnan. If the ego remained it would continue to produce results, would it not? New results do not arise after attaining this Gnan. The old ones will dissipate; only the old ones will dissipate. So then the problem is solved. The karmic 'tank' does not refill. One person may have a fifty-gallon tank; another may have a tank of twenty
five hundred thousand gallons! The bigger the tank the longer it takes to empty out, but it is emptying all the same. So what does it matter for the one whose tank is emptying?
Questioner: But while it is emptying, it will sweep one away like the floodwaters, it will topple someone and it will hurt someone.
Dadashri: Yes, but all those are 'his' consequences, it is a result. What do you have to do with that? However, you should do pratikraman for it if someone gets hurt in the process.
Swamaan and ego with rich material
Questioner: What is the difference between maan (pride) and swamaan (pride within limits)?
Dadashri: Maan means 'ego with rich materials' (materials attached through 'my' or 'mine' with the ego) and swamaan is confined to having pride over one's own qualities; it is associated with one's own personal attributes, such as, 'I am a graduate'- that is the extent of his pride. That is pride within limits; that is swamaan. He asks to be recognized for what he has achieved and nothing more. When that is violated he feels, 'Why are they doing this when I am a graduate?' so his expectations are confined to him being a graduate. He considers it important for him and so you should not violate that. You should not violate someone's swamaan (pride within limits).
And what is maan? In maan one is not concerned whether he has a degree or any specific qualification. In fact, forget about qualification; it is 'ego with rich materials'. He wears a long coat (fancy clothes), a three-thousand dollar watch, gold frame glasses, that is maan!
Questioner: What is the difference between hurting one's ego ahamkar and hurting one's swamaan?
Dadashri: A lot! The one whose swamaan is hurt will bind vengeance (vair).
