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[9] Pratikraman in Varying Situations
193
Dadashri: No, you don't have to look at it that way. It is true about pratikraman. The importance is given to pratikraman. You are free from your responsibility when you do pratikraman. Once you do pratikraman, you are home free regardless of the state of the other person.
Questioner: When I apologize directly to the one who works under me, you would not believe how it goes to his head. (182)
Dadashri: There is not need to say anything to him. When you inadvertently say something hurtful, do you not repent it? When you repent your actions, you are doing pratikraman. Then you are not responsible at all. That is why 'we' have said that we will take on your responsibility, because if you do this much, then the responsibility is no longer yours. After that, 'we' know how to defend that. You are within the law of Nature if you do this much. And then 'we' know how to deal with whatever occurs. Do you understand that? We can handle it. But at least do what 'we' tell you to; then it is more than enough.
If a person becomes so depressed that he feels like committing suicide because of what you said to him; if you find yourself in that state, then you should continue doing pratikraman for half and hour to an hour that, 'Why did I have to get in such a situation? I became a nimit (instrument) for this?' Then the responsibility is no longer yours. So do not be afraid. If you abide by what 'we' say up to this point, then 'we' will take the responsibility of it with the 'higher courts.' 'We' will take care of any dispute that arises thereafter. But you have to go as far as this; it is more than enough. Deal with whatever is in your karmic debt (hisaab); do not dwell too deeply into it.
The Protective Fence of the Gnani Purush
Very rarely do 'we' end up hurting a person even though 'we' do not wish to. Now generally, this does not occur, but it happens towards a rare person. In the last twenty years or so,
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Pratikraman
I may have hurt two or three people. That too, only if one is a nimit. Afterwards, 'we' do his pratikraman and build a 'fence' around him so that he does not fall down. However high 'we' have taken him, he should not fall from that level. 'We' give him all the support and build protection around him. We will never let him fall. Even if he is insolent towards 'us,' or swears at us, 'we' would never let him fall. That poor man does not have the understanding. He speaks in a state of complete ignorance. We do not have a problem with that. If 'we' let him fall, then it was wrong for 'us' to elevate him in the first place.
'We' are with principle. We would go as far as diverting the course of a road in order to protect a newly planted tree, but we would not harm the tree. We have principles we follow so we would never allow anyone to fall. He will remain in the very same place he was in. 'We' will turn all his thoughts around. Here, sitting at home, 'we' change all these thoughts around. 'We' put in extra effort in that area. 'We' have to make the special effort. 'We' do not have to make extra effort for you all; but for him 'we' have to put in a lot of effort. 'We' have to catch all his thoughts and 'we' have to exert effort such that his thoughts do not go past that point. Such cases are very rare; not all the cases are like this.
Questioner: What is all this about creating a fence around him? What does he need that for?
Dadashri: 'We' have to catch hold of his antahkaran (inner mechanism of mind-intellect-chit-ego). 'We' have to take his vyavasthit in 'our' hands.
Questioner: How is that?
Dadashri: 'We' take charge of all that, otherwise, he will fall, will he not?
God Does Not Forgive or Punish Questioner: Whatever pratikraman we do, we do
