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170
Aptavani-8
Dadashri: This is what so many people believe; that you should call it an embodied soul (jiva), if it has layers of karma (avaran) over it, and that if it does not have the coverings (niravaran), you can call it Atma. But what am I trying to tell you? That despite having the coverings (avaran), the Atma is still attainable; therefore is this not something new!
Questioner: This is something new. Otherwise we have been led to understand it as: whenever the water in the ocean is turned into waves, by the wind, it is the waves that are the Atma, and the ocean is the Absolute Soul (Parmatma).
Dadashri: You can call all that a confusion caused by the ego (vikalp). Mad misconception (vikalp)! Yes, you can say that the one with coverings (avaran) is the living being (jiva), and the one without the coverings (niravaran) you should call Atma. We can put up with such a misconception (vikalp). But any other projected beliefs (vikalp) like these, are useless. The Atma is not something you can know. Rarely is there evereven in a thousand or so years - one who has known the Atma (Atmagnani), and there may only be one, but no one else; that is how unique it is. Unique means something you cannot compete with (binharif).
So Many Consequences of the Illusion
Questioner: Living being (Jiva) is Atma (Shiva) and the Atma is itself the Absolute Soul (Parmatma), then why do people kill each other, murder, and hurt one another?
Dadashri: That is a fight between the non-Self complexes (prakrutis); it is not a fight between Atmas. The prakruti fights. It is just like puppets fighting. As long as illusion (bhranti) exists it will be, 'My son's son (grandson) has died'. But oh! The Atma has stayed as it is. However when the packing (khokha) dies, they grieve intensely! 'He was my son's only child! He cries as if he himself is going to die!
