Aptavani-9 by Dada Bhagwan (best english books to read for beginners txt) 📖

is the path of attaining freedom from all worldly attachments. Whatever practice one resorts to believing them to be instrumental for his freedom, it does not give him the experience of freedom. His attachments are not broken in spite of performing many different practices. Where is the mistake being made? One should serve the ‘causes of freedom’ in order to achieve freedom, and whatever causes one serves, if he experiences freedom and detachment; then only can he say that the causes served are those for liberation. Instead, his attachments are not broken in spite of serving the causes for freedom. Why is that?

The Gnani Purush has seen the complete path to final liberation. He has known that path, He has the experience of it and he has completed it. Therefore, he can show us the mistakes obstructing that path; he can show us the difficulties, obstacles and dangers along that path. To those who have embarked on the path of liberation, the Gnani can give complete knowledge and complete remedy as to how to eradicate those mistakes.

There are mistakes, which cause bondage. People in this world cannot see those mistakes and so because of constant bondage due to those mistakes and supporting them, people have turned away from the path of final liberation altogether.

The Gnanis of the past had cautioned people about the mistakes that hinder the path to final liberation. However, one can steadily progress on the path, if the truly desirous devotee has, prior to achieving the path and after being on the path, a detailed description of the mistakes that hinder him. Nevertheless, the correct path is to complete it by completely surrendering to the Gnani Purush.

The Gnanis have said that bondage and obstruction on the path of liberation is because of kashayas (anger, pride, deceit and greed). Being absolutely rid of these faults one attains final liberation. All faults within a person are encompassed in anger, pride, deceit and greed, but how do these faults unfold and manifest in worldly interactions? This can only be understood when The Gnani Purush explains them to us in detail.

Gnani Purush is perfect light, and in his manifest illumination, it is inevitable that, in order to break free from all one’s mistakes, one must review and confess all the mistakes (alochana) to the Gnani Purush. The Gnani Purush, by direct interaction with the seeker can erase all his inner mistakes. Whenever one has suffered from pain, has experienced difficulties, uneasiness or lack of spiritual experience, or has troubling attachments, and he does detailed alochana to the Gnani Purush, the Gnani will show him the light. And in that light, he can see all his mistakes, and find a way to get rid of them.

The main issue is that these mistakes or faults have remained in the form of ‘tubers’. These tubers are always buried ‘underground’ (they remain hidden within). Under the right circumstances, when these tubers get ‘water’, they germinate and sprout into branches and leaves, and from that, one can discover which kind of tuber he has; he can discover what ‘disease’ lies within him. Unless the nature of the mistakes is identified, the mistakes continue to get support and nourishment. By coming to the satsang of the Gnani Purush, by repeatedly listening to his speech, and by repeatedly understanding his interaction with specific questioners, the seeker develops awareness and gets the strength to identify and visualize his own mistakes and faults. After that, he gains awareness to weed out the sprouts and by effectively practicing this; he can completely eradicate the tuber. However, this process has to be carried out under the guidance and instructions (Agnas) from the Gnani Purush who shows him his mistakes in detail, helps to identify the nature of those mistakes, thus helping him become free from them.

Thus is perfected the path of final liberation (moksha marg).

Here in this Aptavani is the speech of Dadashri who is the manifest form of pure Absolute knowledge. This compilation of the causes that obstruct the path to final liberation is presented in an eloquent, basic and heart-touching discussion, for all on the path of liberation. It will help the spiritual practitioner at every step from falling down. In this Aptavani, if the informed reader finds any defect or shortcoming, it is not because of the Gnani’s speech, but because of the defect of compilation. For that, we offer apology and prayer.

- Dr. Niruben Amin

PREFACE

By Dr. Niruben Amin

From time immemorial, prakruti, which is the non-self complex (also known as the relative-self), is characteristically bound by worldly affinities. When one meets a ‘Gnani Purush’, he enters into spirituality i.e. non-worldly affinities. However the prakruti, which was created in the past life and its inherent tendency to remain bound to the worldly life, will not refrain from manifesting when circumstances of nature pressure it. And in the current time cycle of Kaliyug, the effects of past karma of the relative-self are such that they oppose and mostly obstruct final liberation. In such times, to win the conflict between worldly entanglements and spiritual efforts to attain the real Self, the Gnani Purush gives many explanations of His experiential understanding here.

1. Obstinacy (aadayee) : To be upset and noncommunicative

(risavu) : Manipulative tantrum (tragu)

Those who are straight and simple achieve straight and simple liberation. Gnani Purush is straight and simple in every way. His statements are proven true in all three times; the past, present and future. For any man who comprehends the statements of such a Gnani Purush, his liberation is at arms length. Gnani Purush says that obstinacy is an obstruction on the path to liberation, and if one can straighten out, then he can become God. What is wrong in becoming straight through your own understanding as opposed to becoming straight after taking a beating from others?

If you admit to your obstinacies, they will go away but if you deny them, they become stronger. You can only win over obstinacies by acknowledging and then ‘seeing and knowing’ them.

You have the right to see only your own obstinacies. However, you can only see them when you attain impartial vision, or if someone points them out to you and you examine them. Then that would be the scope to remove your obstinacies. However, if you see other people’s obstinacies, it is regarded as your own obstinacy. Your obstinacies will vanish the moment you start to see them.

One becomes God when his obstinacies are completely gone.

When a true statement that is satisfying to the heart is not accepted, that verily is the nature of obstinacy. Obstinate people behave according to their own opinions. Obstinacies end in those who behave according to the Gnani’s opinion.

The finest qualities of the prakruti (the innate nature of one’s relative Self)are freely available to everyone on the path to liberation. These qualities are ultimate humility, extreme simplicity, spontaneous forgiveness, and total lack of obstinacy. These qualities can be regarded as measures of spiritual progress.

To be aware of one’s own obstinacies is verily called awareness!

Obstinacies may have lessened, however if one has ‘my-ness’ (mamata), then he is absorbed in the worldly life only. Whereas, if there is no ‘my-ness’ and if the subtlest obstinacies have ended, one will become a Gnani.

The root of obstinacy is the ego. If a person has faith in the opinion of ‘people will only shape up if I sulk, remain obstinate, upset and non-communicative (risavu)’, then obstinacy will not refrain from manifesting in his behavior.

If you become obstinate with the Gnani Purush, you will not get any support or encouragement from Him. There, in front of the Gnani, one has no choice but straighten out and shape up! Obstinacies succumb and bow down to the one who is nispruha (without any inclination towards needs, or desire, of any material things of this world). The one who has the virtue of being straight will naturally receive the grace of the Gnani Purush who himself is completely straightforward in everything.

One is considered to have become straightforward when he knows his own obstinacies. The obstinacies can be identified only if one has the Knowledge of his real Self. And only then can they be reduced and ultimately eradicated. On the other hand, the one who is obstinate will completely miss the whole path of liberation.

Obstinacy arises in making others do according to your will. By doing according to the will of others, obstinacies come to an end.

“To have the knowledge ‘the one who is obstinate is not I’ is called Akram Vignan, which is a step-less (short-cut) path to Self- realization and ‘the one who is obstinate is I and I have to straighten out’, is called Kramic path, which is a step by step path (you progress one step at a time).”

~ Dadashri

To be upset and non-communicative (risavu) is also a type of obstinacy. Who is at a loss from becoming upset and non-communicative? Will the train wait for the one who remains upset and non-communicative? The train will leave right in front of him. The world will not stop for him at all.

If someone is being upset and non-communicative (risavu) with you, he is being so with the one that is a risad in you; i.e. the one that gets upset and non-communicative within you. The risad within you is seeing the one who is upset and non-communicative. The risad within you is not the real Self. The one who is upset and non-communicative (risavu) with you is not the real Self either. The Self sees the Self; the Self sees the pure (shuddha)only. Inherent in this, is the path of liberation.

If someone is upset and non-communicative (risavu) with the Gnani Purush, how does the Gnani Purush deal with him? Only the Gnani can explain the state of absolute detachment (vitaragata)! The excellence of the manifest Gnani Purush is in His unattached state, along with his nishkaran karuna (Gnani’s compassion for us in which He has no ‘personal gain’ or agenda. This is the only ‘reason’ and ‘purpose’ of the Gnani’s compassion is to take us to our Ultimate Freedom, or Moksha). As a result, we become free of faults and become steady on the path of liberation and attain the bliss of the Self.

In the advancing stages of obstinacies, one becomes upset and non-communicative (risavu) and then if things don’t happen as per his intentions, he will resort to manipulative tantrums (tragu).

The characteristics of a tragu is where one will create a commotion like banging his or her head, crying out loud and resorting to any means possible in order to put others in his or her own grip. So much so that it scares people into submitting under the control of the one doing a tragu! With such people, explaining everything to them and reasoning with them can achieve a resolution, but otherwise it is best to walk away from them.

It is an art to do a tragu (manipulative tantrum). Tremendous energies are wasted in doing one. One incurs tremendous loss and as a result, risks bypassing the animal kingdom altogether and takes birth straight in hell.

Dadashri, the Akram Vignani shows us ways to be saved from manipulative tantrums. He opens up the vision to get freedom from all kinds of deformed personalities by looking at them and experiencing them from all the phases; so that we too, in our own lives can open up and develop that vision and make