Pratikramana Freedom Through Apology and Repentance

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

Page 22

Pratikraman
Pratikraman
31
whereas paap karma hurts others. It is a sin when you hurt others, therefore you should not inflict even the slightest pain on others.
When you do pratikraman, your clothes will become cleaner. Why leave dirt on your clothes when Dada has given you such a simple solution? Why not use it and get your clothes radiantly clean?
will not become further complicated, because you will inevitably think of Dada and the practical science of Akram will be there to relieve you of all conflicts. I caution you not to make mistakes and if ever you happen to do so, you must continue to do pratikraman. Now you have the understanding of the implications of your mistakes. Elsewhere people are tired of listening to the same old preaching of 'Be truthful, do not steal, be kind etc.
Whenever you hurt someone even slightly, you must accept the fault as your own. You will know that you have hurt him because you will feel uneasy from within. You can see that the other person's mistake is evident because he is suffering, but you too are at fault because you became instrumental in his suffering. Dada does not have any suffering because he no longer has any faults. So if someone is hurt by your actions, you must immediately do pratikraman and erase that fault. Also if someone else commits a fault because of you, you have to do pratikraman. (P.113)
Questioner: I never got much out of doing pratikraman as prescribed in the kramic (traditional path of liberation involving rituals, penance, recitation of scriptures etc) path, but when I do the pratikraman as shown in Akram Vignan, I feel as light as a flower.
Do not sleep on your mistakes. If you have any conflicts within, you must clear it before fall asleep. If you cannot clear this conflict, you should simply do pratikramans. You should ask for forgiveness because you are the one feeling disturbed. In this way, you will succeed in finding a solution, otherwise these mistakes will continue to occur all the time. Forgiveness is the greatest weapon
(P.116)
Dadashri: But those are not pratikramans in any case. They were all pratikraman done in ignorance and without any understanding. Pratikraman means that your faults must decrease right away. Pratikraman means to track back whatever distance you have traveled in the wrong direction. But when people do pratikraman, not only do they fail to do this, but they also continue to walk further in that wrong direction. How can that be called pratikraman?
When you scold someone, do you ever stop to think how you would feel if someone were to scold you? You should consider this before you scold anyone. To think about the other person and to put yourself in his shoes is the mark of a humanego, whereas being inconsiderate and getting into a disagreement with him and thinking only about yourself when you interact with him, is a bestial ego.
(P.116) If someone points out your mistakes, you should tell Chandulal (your relative self) that he (Chandulal) must indeed have made a mistake, and that is why it is being pointed out to him. Why else would someone bring it to his attention? People in general would not say anything without reason, so naturally he must have done something wrong. Tell Chandubhai to do pratikraman when he hurts anyone. If you want liberation, you can no longer afford to do as you please.
(P.118)
(P.114)
From now on, if you encounter any internal conflict, they