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Aptavani-4
83
Cardamom is expensive, cloves are expensive, betel nut is expensive and that is why people do not eat them. They do not get to eat these, because they had created obstacles towards them. Seven members in a household, are eating shrikhand (yogurt pudding), while one of them has to eat rustic bread and buttermilk because the doctor has warned him that he may die if he ate shrikhand. Why do such obstacles happen? It is because he had previously scornfully rejected that food when it was served to him.
Obstacles on the Path to Moksha
When you encounter obstacles on the path to moksha, your energy manifests even more. Therefore, even when you encounter an obstacle, maintain your firm decision (nischay) that, “Nobody has the power to stop me”; have such an inner intent. You do not have to utter it because to speak it is ego.
Your lack of firm decision (nischay) is itself the obstacle. This obstacle can be destroyed through a firm decision. Don't all obstacles get destroyed with the nischay for the Self (Atma)?
There is not much of a problem with obstacles created by the intellect (buddhi) in worldly matters, but when it comes to the intellect in religious matters, it creates great obstacles. Such obstacles make you wander endlessly from one birth to another. In 'relative' religious matters, the obstacles for many of the male ascetics (sadhus), female ascetics (sadhvis), spiritual masters (acharyas) have been destroyed; however they still have many obstacles that pertain to 'real' religion; the religion of the Self (Atma-dharma).
How are obstacles in religion created? “I know something," is the greatest obstacle. In religion, when can you say that you know something? It is when you never stumble; when you never have any artadhyan (adverse internal meditation that hurts the self) or raudradhyan (adverse internal meditation that hurts the
