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and started proclaiming, I am the tirthankara, he (meaning Lord Mahavir) is not a tirthankara.' At other times he used to say, 'he is a tirthankara, and so am I'. What can become of a person once this disease sets in?
Now when one does not behave even in the direct presence of Lord Mahavir, how likely is he to behave before 'us' and not go astray? What happens to people if they break before they have a chance of becoming strong? And that incident with Goshada took place in the fourth era whereas this is the fifth era, a destructive time cycle as compared to the fourth era; it will ruin countless lives to come.
People have taken just this kind of beatings from time immemorial. They have had this very same beating over and over again. The slightest taste of the inner pleasure sends the 'monkey ego' scrambling way up to the top.
The intense greed and craving to be worshipped
Do you ever have an intense craving (kaamna) to be praised or worshipped (poojavu)? Let me know if you do, I will help you suppress it. That desire will stop if 'we' cut it off at its roots. That kaamna is very dangerous. Such kaamna does not arise in you, does it? It will arise some day for sure! So consider it a danger and proceed with great caution. When people praise you and welcome you, you will develop a habit for it; it will take hold of you from within, just like the habit of drinking tea. Then when you don't get it, you become perplexed and suffer. You will resort to deception (kapat) in order to get respect and praise from others. There is great danger in this, so beware.
But what are people hungry for? What is their bheekh - beggary for? It is a beggary; the need to be worshipped. And when someone even does 'this', give them respect by placing their palms together and bowing their head to him, he becomes
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elated. The fool! These are all signs of going to hell. There is grave danger in this. Such habits, that have taken hold, will not leave.
Questioner: How can one tell whether he has an intense craving to be worshipped (poojavani kaamna)?
Dadashri: He can know everything; he knows what he likes. Does he not know that he likes ice cream? The 'thermometer' (gauge) within, The Self, is there, hence he knows everything.
The human beings of the current era are very lalachu - insatiably greedy. They create their own world of self-importance; they create situations where they get praise wherever they go. And those who covet praise and recognition will not be able to attain the truth. Everywhere you look, people have started their own shops of worship. They have an intense inner craving to be worshipped and praised. The moment someone folds his hands and bows his head to him in a praiseful manner, the internal sweet tingling rises in a crescendo. He wallows with indulgence in such temporary pleasures.
That is a completely wrong path. There is no graver disease than this intense craving to be worshipped. Who is to be worshipped? The Self is indeed the One to be worshipped. So where is the need to worship the body? But there is tremendous greed and craving for wanting to be worshipped. What are you going to gain from the worship of the body that is inevitably going to be burnt in the funeral pyre? But alas! That lalacha kashaya - the kashaya of insatiable greed is such that he seeks to be worshipped. So these are all intense cravings (lalasa) of wanting to be recognized and worshipped. Otherwise, liberation is not difficult to attain. These tendencies (daanat) that exist within are difficult and problematic.
It is very dangerous if such cravings arise. Have you ever had such a craving or desire? Do you ever feel 'tickled' inside,
