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268
Aptavani-8
In This Time, Do Efforts Pay Off? Questioner: Does one have to make any effort for that?
Dadashri: You will not be able to make that effort. That is because you yourself lack unity in your thoughts, speech and actions; you have become unsteady (vyagra; lack of unity in mind, speech and actions), so you will not be able to try. Only if you have absolute unity of thought, speech and action (ekagra), will I be able to show you. But in this age (kaad), a person cannot maintain that kind of unity (ekagra). Besides how can a person maintain unity of thought, speech and body (ekagra) in this era of the time-cycle; in such tumult, in such a time of upheaval? Therefore, I destroy your demerit karma (paap) first, and then I instill the right belief in you.
Questioner: Is it necessary to practice focused attention and concentration (ekagrata) to make progress?
Dadashri: The way it is, is that there are remedies that do involve focused attention (ekagrata), which are helping. Nothing in this world is wrong. All these things are helping. But if you want to become completely independent, there should be intense desire to experience the Self. Sugar is sweet – what does sweet mean? Your focus and awareness should be only on this. To realize the ultimate, one will have to come here (to the Gnani Purush). Otherwise there are all these other things you can resort to, and they are stepping (gradual ascent towards the Self). Not Action, but Awareness Needs to Be Changed
Questioner: How can people who are caught up in the responsibilities of the worldly life (sansar), attain the Atma?
Dadashri: Chandubhai and the Atma are both completely separate. And they display their own different qualities and functions (gunadharma). If one comes to understand this from the Gnani Purush, then all his responsibilities in the worldly life (sansar) will be carried out nicely, and even this too will carry
