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[25] Understanding the Principles of Pratikraman
black hair and white hair.
499
Questioner: Tell us how you do pratikraman, please.
Dadashri: Alas, you cannot find its method. After attaining Gnan, and until the intellect (buddhi) goes away, do not try to look for the method. You should continue to climb on your own; whatever progress you make, that much is good.
Questioner: We do not want to look for the method; we just want to know, Dada.
Dadashri: No, but that method can never be found. When everything has become 'clean,' where everything is 'clear,' what else remains to be done there? On the one hand a mistake is being made, and on the other hand it is being washed off. Here there is no other interference. Elsewhere, everything is 'unclear' - there are piles and piles of dirt and rocks lying around; that is not acceptable. Nevertheless, now that You are beginning to 'see' the dirt on the road, understand that you will reach your destination. What is the problem now that You are able to 'see'?
Questioner: No, I simply asked because I wanted to
know.
Dadashri: As long as You can 'see' your mistake, realize that your work is done.
When a person from Bhadran comes, I may even say to him, 'Your uncle was like this.'
Questioner: It is different for You.
Dadashri: No. No matter how different it is for us," 'we' still have to do pratikraman for the other person, for that mistake. 'We' cannot let even one word slip by because he is God. What do you think? Should a person stop backbiting and criticize negatively (ninda)?
Questioner: A person would not do ninda (backbiting)
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Pratikraman
if he had awareness.
Dadashri: One has the awareness. On the one hand there is awareness and on the other hand he is also talking that way; he even realizes that what he is saying is wrong; he has knowledge of that also.
Questioner: That is applicable to the Gnani Purush. Dadashri: No, the same is the case with You too!
Questioner: What occurs is that the awareness is there and, at the same time, ninda is occurring; both are occurring at the same time. And at that time pratikraman occurs.
Our Mistakes Are Subtler and Subtlest
Our prakruti is free from mistakes. No one can find any mistakes in 'us' because 'we - the Gnani' are without mistakes. What kind of mistakes do 'we' have? 'We' do not have any gross (sthool) mistake. 'We' do not have any subtle mistake. Your gross mistakes are gone, but the subtle ones still remain, whereas 'we' have neither gross nor subtle mistakes. 'We' have subtler (sookshmatar) and subtlest (sookshmatam) mistakes, which cause no harm to anyone. These mistakes of the level of sookshmatar and sookshmatam do not hurt anyone. (474)
There is no superior over a person who is able to 'see' his own mistakes. As long as You cannot 'see' your own mistakes, there is a superior above you. There is no one above you when You 'see' your own mistakes. This is the law of
nature.
Whatever mistakes I 'see' occurring by 'Me - the Gnani Purush,' if I were to disclose it to the world, the world would be full of praise and awe (aafrin). Is this considered a mistake? 'We' no longer have these kinds of mistakes (gross and subtle). That is all garbage. My mistakes that I can see, if I were to declare them to everyone, people would be awed and question
