Aptavani-2
51
Hence the doer loses the ability to discriminate whether the
action is right or wrong. So what can anyone do? When a
person loses discrimination between right and wrong, that
person will not understand the truth even in a hundred thousand
lifetimes, no matter what he does.”
‘We’ were pleading with a tapogachha (one who
believes in penance of physical means in order to attain the
ultimate reality) maharaj, “If you feel offended, you can slander
me all you like, but let me ask you one thing, are you doing
penance for liberation?”
The Maharaj said, “Of course. What else would I be
doing penance for?”
‘We’ said, “The Lord has said, “Penance for liberation
should not be a visible. No one should be able to see your
penance. Your penance is like the heavy workouts in a
gymnasium. Are you doing workouts? How can you call this
penance? This is not the type of penance required for liberation.
The Lord has said ‘no’ to such penance.” The Lord has said
that unless the body becomes natural and spontaneous, neither
will the soul. When the body becomes natural and spontaneous,
so will the soul, or when the soul becomes natural and
spontaneous, so will the body. When either one becomes natural
and spontaneous, so will the other and that is when your work
will be accomplished.
Why have idols been set aside? It is because apathy can
set in, in idol worship. The idol is not going to get angry with
you, is it? The idol is not going to question why you did not do
samayik (introspection on errors committed), will it? At least
the Guru will tell you off! But calling an idol inanimate completely
changes the meaning for its existence. Idols are necessary and
so are the temples. Until one attains the darshan of the formless
(the Self), one cannot let go of the rope that keeps one afloat.
Idol worship is a spiritual science of India. Only if there is an idol