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Aptavani-8
One by Nature but Separate in Existence
Now what problem do people have? It is that, why is it not there just one thing over there? Alas! It is really just one, but in what way? If we had a stack here, of five hundred thousand gold bars all piled up, would we not have to say that it is gold? We can call it that, can we not?
Questioner: You can call it gold or you can also call it gold bars.
Dadashri: No. But could you just not ask if all of it is gold? Never mind that it is in the form of bars, is it still not all gold? And in the same way, the Absolute Soul (Parmatma) is also just one. The Atma is one, and like gold, it has just one form, but in the form of gold bars, it is separate. Each one, does not let go its individual inherent nature.
Questioner: So does it mean that a single Atma is one whole Atma? Can we say that?
Dadashri: Pertaining to gold, every Atma itself is gold, but when it comes to gold bars, each Atma does not relinquish its own individual state.
Questioner: Does it mean that each individual's Atma is ultimately, just one?
Dadashri: One, meaning that it is one by nature (swabhav). There is no difference in the Atma. Just as there is no difference between the gold bars, as they are ultimately all gold, in the same way, there is no difference within each Atma.
Questioner: If the Atma has only one inherent property (gunadharma), then why did they all become individually separated?
Dadashri: The reason why it has separated individually is because of the change in its time and space! Each one's time and space is different. Is this person sitting in the same space
