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[14] Release from Bondage of Inner Enemies
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Pratikraman
is so for infinite lives. Pratikraman as done by the ascetics and the acharyas cannot destroy mistakes; it binds merit karma (punya). Whereas pratikraman as prescribed by the Gnani Purush is 'shoot-on-sight' pratikraman, it is done the moment the mistake occurs. All these mahatmas have so much awareness that they see their mistakes the moment they occur. They see thousands of their mistakes the moment they arise, because they have become free from kashays (anger-pride-deceit-greed).
Unawareness (ajagruti) is due to kashays.
Questioner: If one does no atikraman towards anyone and has no active, ongoing kashay, how can he remain a hundred percent in the Knower-Seer (Gnata-Drashta) state?
Dadashri: No, it is not like that. He may not have atikraman towards anyone even in his thought, but his mind is always in some kind of kashay. If it is not in raag (attachment), it is in dwesh (abhorrence). Kashay is always there when one is not in the Knower-Seer (Gnata-Drashta) state.
Questioner: Is there always some kind of kashay in a thought that is going on?
Dadashri: It is always there. It is always there for sure, but kashay is not there in the thoughts that one can see.'
Questioner: That entire ball of confusion comes and goes and only afterwards do I become aware of it.
Dadashri: No, You can see joyee) it, and then you know (janavoo) it. Still, until then it is considered a kashay.
Questioner: I see it after fifteen or twenty minutes have passed.
Dadashri: Kashay stops our jagruti (awareness) and so it will not allow us to remain as the Knower-Seer. And if you have the worst of thoughts, and You keep seeing them, then no part of kashay will touch you.
Where There is No Anger, There is Forgiveness
People will say, 'Lord Mahavir had to suffer a lot. He had to suffer internally as well as tremendous bodily pain. He had to endure a lot in penance.' Moksha is not attained by enduring such physical suffering. What is such talk like? What people say is that the Lord has forgiveness for one, no matter how bad a deed he does. The Lord does 'have' forgiveness, so he can "give it to others; it may appear so to people. What does forgiveness (kshama) mean? There is no such thing as forgiveness. Absence of anger in itself is forgiveness. Hence one does not have to forgive. The Jain sadhus (ascetics), not having understood this, claim how wonderful the Lord's forgiveness is. There is no forgiveness. It is a different matter where, through the ego, one says, 'Go! I forgive you! One can understand that forgiveness, but that is on a superficial and a gross level. The absence of anger is forgiveness in itself.
(270) Kashay is Not in Our Control but
Pratikraman is
In Akram Vignan, true control (saiyam) is the cessation of anger, pride, deceit and greed. If any of these kashays occur, one has to do pratikraman, because that is atikraman. Sensual enjoyment (vishay) is not atikraman, but these kashays (anger, pride, deceit and greed) are atikraman. You have been taught to do pratikraman for the atikraman. The world has arisen because of atikraman and it will end with pratikraman. Worldly interaction with kashays have given rise to life-after-life world; not the worldly interaction in vishay. Worldly interaction with kashays has given rise to the worldly life, and that is the atikraman which can be washed off with pratikraman. Occurrence of kashays is not under your control but doing pratikraman for it is under your control. Therefore, effort (purusharth) towards liberation is through pratikraman.
Has your ego (ahamkar) and pride (maan) gone away