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260
Aptavani-8
Questioner: The body is not mine.
Dadashri: Does this body not affect you? Do you feel cold? Or do you feel warm?
Questioner: It is the body that experiences that.
Dadashri: The body experiences it, but you do not experience it, do you? You do experience the effects of this body, do you not? What are you affected by? You can feel the effects of whatever is yours. Anything that is not yours, will not affect you. Can you comprehend this? Therefore, what is it that affects you? It is something that you believe is yours. You are affected by it when you say, 'this body is mine'. Even in sleep, you have this awareness. Even in your sleep, you say, 'this body is mine. This name is mine'. So, when it is yours, is it something we can just let go?
Therefore, this I (hoo) is not something that you are likely to be free of. The 'I' is the biggest ghost. Many say, 'this body is not mine, this is not my son, this is not my wife; no one is mine.' This is the kind of fruitless hassle they do. Nevertheless, ultimately you are there of course, are you not? Now where will you go? And where do you throw this mind, speech and body? Where will you throw this body? All other forms of material things can be discarded, but how are you going to discard this one? If one goes to the Gnani Purush, the Gnani Purush will free him.
Will the Endeavor to Understand be Fruitful? Questioner: I am also actually trying to understand the
Atma.
Dadashri: When will that attempt to understand occur? If you are Chandubhai, how will you try to understand? And really, you are not Chandubhai at all. Chandubhai is your name. You are this boy's father; that too is a worldly interaction (vyavahar). Besides, we accept all that anyway. What is new
