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[6] The Thorns Vanish and the Blossoms Remain
do not happen right away.
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Dadashri: Why does it not?
Questioner: It does not occur right away.
Dadashri: If it does not take place right away then do it after a couple of hours or even at night. You can also do pratikraman after a week for all the mistakes committed throughout the week. Just do them collectively.
Questioner: But it should be done immediately, right? Dadashri: There is nothing better than immediate pratikraman. Most of our mahatmas do 'shoot-on-sight' pratikraman.
Pratikraman for Lack of Awareness
Questioner: Sometimes, even while I think of Dada or do arati (devotional singing accompanied with burning oil wicks), my mind wanders and I begin to sing something entirely different, but eventually I do come back to the present.
Dadashri: When that occurs, you should do pratikraman. There is no problem when thoughts arise if You are able to 'see' that 'Chandulal' is having these thoughts, and if you can 'see' that then you and 'Chandulal' are separate. But such awareness is a little dim at that time.
Questioner: There is no awareness at all during that time.
Dadashri: Then you should do pratikraman for the loss of awareness by saying, 'Dada Bhagwan, please forgive me for this lack of attention and awareness.'
Questioner: Sometimes I realize much later that I have to do pratikraman for certain people.
Dadashri: But you do eventually remember, don't you? You need to spend more time in satsang and ask about everything
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Pratikraman
in detail. This is a science and it requires your understanding. You need to ask questions.
You do have the good intention to do pratikraman and yet you are not able to, right?
Questioner: Yes, I do wish to, for sure.
Dadashri: Yes. You do not have the practice yet. You have to have the practice first. You have to first practice for the first, two, three or four days.
If the doctor tells you not to eat with your right hand today, you will still end up using it when you start eating.
Questioner: If I have constant awareness, then it occurs naturally and spontaneously.
Dadashri: Yes, it is possible for all this to occur naturally and spontaneously. One does not have to do anything. That is why I will do that for you.
Questioner: I still like doing pratikraman; I enjoy it and feel good. But I should be able to see my mistakes the way I am supposed to, am I not? That does not occur.
Dadashri: You will be able to see them now. It takes some time. You will be able see them when they become lighter. Right now it is all dense but it will become lighter with pratikraman.
It is not easy to see your own mistakes. 'We' illuminate everything for you, but you should have the intent that you want to see your mistakes; then you will be able to. It is like when you sit down to dinner, you have to make the effort to raise your hand to the dinner plate. The food is not likely to enter your mouth, without your effort, is it? There should be some effort on your part.
It is natural for humans to err, but how can they become
