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[3] These Are Not Lord Mahavir's Pratikramans
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Parrot-like Pratikramans Are Useless
Questioner: How much truth is there in the Jain sectarian pratikraman and samayik?
Dadashri: None whatsoever. Doing pratikraman in the Maagdhi language (language spoken during the time of Lord Mahavir 2500 years ago) is like a parrot repeating, 'Ram...Ram' (the Lord's name). Is the parrot going to go to moksha by simply repeating, 'Ram, Ram?" When we do pratikraman in the Maagdhi language, our state is like that of the parrot.
Questioner: In the sectarian pratikraman, one has to do that, Dada, does he not?
Dadashri: No, no. Why should you follow someone who is on the wrong path? Are you a parrot? Our birth is that of a human being. Anyone that does anything without understanding is like a parrot. What am I telling you here? First understand, and then sing with me. This human birth is for the purpose of understanding. Maharaj (Jain guru) keeps reciting in the Maagdhi language; neither the maharaj nor his followers understand any of it. Each one of them a parrot! Ram...Ram!
They do pratikraman but what is their pratikraman like? The doer of pratikraman does not know anything; and the one that makes them do it does not know anything either, as to what it is all about. Have you done such pratikraman? You did? You cannot understand it, right?
What can we consider as real pratikraman? It is that which decreases your faults. How can it be called pratikraman if your faults increase? The Lord did not say for us to do it this way. The Lord has said to do pratikraman in a language that can be understood. Do pratikraman in your own language; otherwise you will not reap any benefits from it. The Jain pratikraman rituals are being done in the Maagdhi language. Now what good does it do for people who do not even
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Pratikraman
understand Gujarati to be doing pratikraman in Maagdhi? Even the sadhus and acharyas do not understand it themselves, which explains why their own faults do not decrease. Such is the state of things of today.
The Lord has instructed that only the Navkar Mantra be recited in the Maagdhi language and that, too, with complete understanding. Only the Navkar Mantra was worth retaining in the Maagdhi language because they are the Lord's words. But before doing pratikraman, first you should understand the true meaning of pratikraman; you should understand that you are doing pratikraman and for whom? It is being done because someone insulted you or you insulted someone else. (38)
Pratikraman means to bring about the end of the inner enemies of anger, pride, deceit and greed.
Is This Religion?
Questioner: How does one purify the ego in the Kramic
path?
Dadashri: It is like removing dirt with soap; like removing one type of dirt with dirt. (Soap has its own impurities; it is like removing one type of dirt with dirt). You have to take support of both pratikraman and pratyakhyan. The ego is purified when you take constant support of the two, otherwise the ego cannot be purified.
That is why anger, pride, deceit and greed have increased The disciples of the middle twenty-two Tirthankars (that is 2nd Tirthankar to the 23d Tirthankar) were deep thinkers and they used to do pratikraman and pratyakhyan every moment. The disciples of Lord Mahavir are obstinate (vaanka) and unaware (jada) and even in twelve months they would not do proper pratikraman. Once a year they will say, 'Michhami dukkadam (forgive my transgressions)."
Can you call this dharma religion? If you call this dharma,
