Pratikramana Freedom Through Apology and Repentance

Author(s): Dada Bhagwan
Publisher: Dada Bhagwan Foundation

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20
Pratikraman
improvement.
(P.76)
The path to liberation does not have any rituals. Rituals are only present in the worldly life. The worldly life is for those who want material and physical comforts. For them, rituals are appropriate; but they are not needed for liberation. What is the path for liberation? It is alochana, pratikraman and pratyakhyan. These will fuel your vehicle en route to moksha. The way to moksha is thru these no other rituals are needed. This is what I myself have done for countless lives. For so many lives I have done alochana, pratikraman and pratyakhyan and my efforts have brought me thus far. (P.77)
There are two religious doctrines. One is not to do any kashays (anger, false pride, greed and illusionary conduct) and the other is to do pratikraman. If kashays happen as a result of your past karmas, you must do pratikraman. That is dharma (relative religion) and nothing else. Unfortunately it is precisely these two things that people have eliminated.
If you say something hurtful to anyone, you must do pratikraman. He in turn must do pratikraman also. What pratikraman should he do? His pratikraman should be; "I must have erred somewhere in the past which has given this person the occasion to insult me." He must do pratikraman for his previous life's karma and you must do pratikraman for the present. Only through such pratikramans - being done at least five hundred times a day - can one attain liberation.
It will be enough to do just this and nothing more. You need not seek any other religion. I am giving you my guarantee and blessing you for liberation. I will be with you the entire way, giving you my full support. All that is required of you is your readiness. If you were to apply any of this in your daily life, it
Pratikraman
would be enough.
21
(P.78)
5. The Way of Akram Vignan
What does The Science of Akram say? If a person has a habit of stealing and I were to ask him in a kind and gentle manner, whether he steals, he would confess everything to me. I would tell him that I do not have an objection with his stealing, but that he must regret his acts and do pratikraman for it. (P.80)
I would teach him to do pratikraman in Dada's name and repent by saying, 'It is wrong to steal and I will never steal again.' Whatever pratikraman he does will erase the consequences of the stealing (cause karma) he has done in the past. By doing pratikraman his opinion about stealing will change. His opinion will not support the act of stealing. He should continue this pratikraman even if he continues to steal. Only I understand what happens when one utters such pratikraman. Akram Vignan teaches us that whatever has occurred cannot be undone, but there is a way to make things better for the life to come. (P.81)
Every religion says that you are the 'doer' of penance and renunciations. They tell you to renounce. If you do not, they say that you are not doing it. To say that you are not doing it' is the same as saying that you are the 'doer'. By saying this they accept 'doer-ship'. Even when someone says that he is not able to renounce anything, it is tantamount to claiming 'doership'. Any path that accepts or believes in 'doership' is the path of worldly wanderings. In Akram, we do not accept 'doership'. None of the literature of Akram prescribes 'doership' of any sort.
Nowadays, people are being told to 'do' things that are irrelevant and what really needs to be done is altogether overlooked. Moreover, they are not even successful in doing the things that they are not supposed to do. It is all a sheer waste of