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Aptavani-9
379
Questioner: That is correct.
Dadashri: And the human nature is to be competitive. Are people not competitive?
Questioner: Yes they are. That becomes cheap.
Dadashri: There is competition everywhere. Even at home, if an argumentative person comes along, he will start a competition between the husband and wife. If the wife says something, the husband will tell her, 'You be quiet, you did it this way and I am going to do it this way...' Hey! Both the horses have started running? Who is going to give you the prize? That is why 'we' say, 'We' do not know how to do things the way Hiraba knows.' So 'we' let her run. Run. Run as much as you want to! Even Hiraba says, 'You are naïve (bhoda).' I tell her, 'Yes that is fine."
People suffer because they compete. They enter competitions. Just watch the competition; you have to simply 'see' which horse comes first. When one continues to simply 'see', then the 'seer' (jonaar) has no pain or suffering. Those who enter a 'racecourse' have to suffer the pain. So it is not worth entering a 'racecourse."
Criticism ruins everything for the one who criticizes
Secondly, you should no criticize (do teeka of) anyone; the one who criticizes, hurts himself. Whatever anyone does, the person who criticizes him will 'stain his own clothes', and then he will ruin his body as he goes deeper into the criticism. If he goes even deeper, he will ruin his heart. So criticism is a tool that ruins people. You should not get involved in it. Know things for the sake of knowing them but do not get involved in anything. You have not attained this human life to criticize anyone. What is more, it is not worth making an intense mental note (nondha) of anyone that criticizes you.
380
Aptavani-9
Questioner: A person must have some interest in our work that he criticizes (do teeka), is that not so?
Dadashri: To criticize is the main attribute of the ego. It is an attribute of competitiveness (spardha) and that is why criticism remains. Besides, competitiveness is always there in this worldly life. There is liberation when competitiveness leaves. When people go on fasts, it all occurs due to the effect of the attribute of competitiveness; 'that other person did fifteen fasts, so I will do thirty!' Still, it is not worth criticizing anyone.
When you criticize other people, you ruin your 'clothes' first, then your body and then your heart. That is it. So do not get involved with anyone because is everyone not an owner of his world, his space, inner and outer? The ownership titles are his own. How can you criticize or violate that? You are trespassing when you do so.
The escape from the racecourse
Now all this (competitiveness) is going to carry on for sure. One is not at all the doer of anything; he has simply developed a habit of tasting the fruit of doer-ship (garvaras). When a person learns that someone earns eight hundred rupees, he thinks, 'I earn eighteen hundred so I do not have a problem. He gets only eight hundred.' This is how it all starts. As if no one earns more than eighteen hundred rupees. There is always competition where there is someone higher. What possible reason do we have for staying in this race course? Are we here to take part in a racecourse"? Are we horses of the racecourse? Instead, why not simply admit that you have no sense? I say, 'I do not have sense. I lack worldly understanding.' I am being very candid, am I not?
I do not even know how to shave and that is why I cut myself shaving. I have yet to meet a man who knows how to shave. What ego people walk around with! Only someone like me would make such a statement, would he not? There is a
