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[17] Removing the Root Cause of Opinions
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opinion about anyone because after all, he is an Arma (the Self), so how can you form an opinion about him? He is the Self. Do not see anything of the non-Self.
You Have to Become Free From Opinions, Not from Things
Questioner: There is a lot in my understanding, but I am not able to put that into practice; so what about that?
Dadashri: There is no problem if it does not occur that way. All one needs is understanding (samjan). Understanding means that you are free from the moment You become separate from your opinion. If 'Chandulal' is doing anything negative and he says, 'I do not want this; I do not want to do this,' then he becomes free from his opinion. And if this opinion of his remains forever, then he is definitely separate from it.
So one has to be free from opinion, not from any thing. Whenever one becomes free from things (events and experiences through thoughts, speech and acts), it is fine. But it is more important to make it without any support (of the Self). Therefore, You have to be free from your opinions and not from the thing itself. That is why 'we' have given pratikraman. Pratikraman means that one has become free from opinion. If one does such firm and exact pratikraman, he will become free from the opinion.
Without pratikraman, your opinions will remain and you will stay bound to your mistakes. Your opinion is in whatever mistake occurs. Once you do this pratikraman, this opinion is erased.
The mind has arisen because of opinions. I never have any opinions about anyone. This is because after having 'seen' once, there is no second opinion. If a person steals due to circumstances, and I see it with my own eyes, even then I will not call him a thief. This is because it is his circumstances that lead him to steal. People would immediately label him a thief if they caught him
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stealing. Was it due to circumstances or not? Was he a thief forever? The world does not care about this. I would only call a person a thief if he were a thief forever (steals all the time), and not the one who steals only due to the bad circumstance. My opinion about a person does not change, once it is made. Until now I have not changed my opinion about anyone. Pratikraman is Disagreement with Old Opinion Questioner: Now I have to continue doing pratikraman for the opinions that arise, do I not?
Dadashri: The opinions that arise are due to a past karmic account (hisaab). If you do pratikraman now, then you do not bind an opinion again. In doing so, You are saying, *I am no longer of the same opinion, I am not in agreement in this matter,' and so you become free at that time. Opinion that was bound in the past was cleared this time around. Once You understand this much, there will be no problem. If a mistake is being protected (rakshan), then You should correct that. There is nothing else to it. If you make a mistake, if you do something that would harm someone, you will attain closure if you do pratikraman.
What does pratikraman mean? It means, 'I am not in agreement with the mistake being made.' Pratikraman itself proves that I do not agree with that. Before, I was of the opinion that it should be done a certain way, but now I do not agree with that. It is enough if the opinion changes. This world exists on opinions.
You Need to Become Aware Right Away
For you, everything is proceeding in agreement, is it not? You are proceeding with what you agree with, do you not? (304) Questioner: Opinions I have today differ (from those of the past).
