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272
Aptavani-8
Questioner: Do the karmic layers of coverings (avaran), starting from clothes to children; present an obstacle to spirituality?
Dadashri: None of those things are really an obstacle. But since there is so much pressure from them, they are obstructive to a certain degree. And to a certain degree, they are not obstructive, there are some such limits. There is nothing that obstructs me. Whatever I wear, and all that I possess, none of them hinder me. Besides, even if they took away my clothing and pulled off my clothes, it would not bother me, and later if you put them back on me, I still would not have a problem. I do not have any kind of problem with anything. This body behaves according to the circumstances that surround it. And I am the Knower-Seer (Gnata-Drashta) of it. This body is my neighbor, only a neighbor!
Questioner: So does that mean, that there is only an obstruction in spirituality as long as there is egoism (ahamkar) and ‘my-ness' (mamata)?
Dadashri: Only egoism (ahamkar) is an obstacle. The ‘my-ness' (mamata) is only there, as long as the ego (ahamkar) is there. Otherwise, if the ego is not there, there is no ‘my-ness' (mamata) at all. Now ‘I-ness' is not egoism (ahamkar). 'I am' is one's existence (astitva) anyway. However, not having the awareness of 'What am I?' is the reason why the ego (ahamkar) remains in existence. Where Is the Spiritual Path in This World?
Therefore, even if there is a mahatma or Self-realized being (sat purush), whose anger-pride-deceit-greed (krodhmaan-maya-lobh), have diminished, you can make do with him. There would be some spirituality there, some, meaning that it would all be at a primary level. However, real spirituality does not exist in this world. People only chant about spirituality, and that is all. But there is no spirituality in the world: what does spirituality mean? What is spirituality?
