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36
Aptavani-4
I am”, you say, but you do not even have the independent power to go to vacate your bowels at will. You are a “bhammardo” (A spinning top. Dadashri uses this analogy to describe the charging and discharging of karma: the winding of the string is the 'causal' karma – charged in the past life, and the unwinding string is the effect' karma – discharged in the present life)! It is because of your nose that you are able to breathe. You do not even have control over your own breathing. This “top” does not even have the independent power and energy to breathe in and out. You say, “I am breathing,” so who does the breathing while you are asleep?
You know what happens when you pinch your nose for a while, don't you? This machinery is so arranged that it draws its breath from within. And it is the very same machinery that throws the breath out. Nevertheless, people still say, “I am taking a deep breath”, and “I am taking a shallow breath.” You do not even have the awareness of who you are. The string is merely being wound (charging of karma) around the top (bhammardo) here, and as the top spins, the string unwinds (discharging of karma); but you say, “I am spinning.” No one in this world has the power to vacate his own bowels at will. Even I don't. You keep saying, “Purusharth, purusharth”. Are you talking about the purusharth of the one who is living, or the one who is dead? How can one do purusharth without first becoming a Purush (the Self)? That which you believe to be the Soul (Self) is actually the energized or charged non-Self (nischetan chetan). Who does the purusharth?
Questioner: I am the one doing it, am I not?
Dadashri: But who is this ‘I? This ‘T' (that you know) is the 'top' itself. So how is this 'top' supposed to do any purusharth? If you could do purusharth, you would never let yourself die, but who is to say when this 'top' will topple over onto its side. This 'top' says to the doctor, “Sir (Saheb), please