Aptavani-2
491
Dadashri : There are many meanings of bhakti, starting
from one to 100. We have to define the meaning of those
starting from 95 to 100. Doing Dada’s niddidhyasan is bhakti
itself. Scriptures have placed emphasis on bhakti because
people are weak. If only Gnan were emphasized, people would
misuse it and they would become weak, and would be misled.
So with this intention, the scriptures have placed an emphasis on
bhakti. What is Gnan? Gnan is the Self and ‘I am Shuddhatma’
is the ultimate bhakti. Gnani’s niddidhyasan is the ultimate bhakti
in the form of ‘I am Shuddhatma’.
True surrender (samarpan bhaav) is where no element of
the world impresses you and you leave it all aside for the Gnani.
This means I am prepared to be with the Gnani Purush and take
whatever comes in front of Him. Whatever happens to the Gnani
let it happen to me. One does not let one’s boat of life go astray
from His boat; he keeps it joined continuously. So how can the
boat capsize? Therefore one should join his boat to the boat of
the Gnani Purush.
We can say that the Gnan has remained in his nature as
Gnan when the Self within the body remains as the Self. This is
the highest bhakti. However, if ‘we’ openly declare this as
bhakti, people will misinterpret this and take it in their own
language to the level of their traditional idea of bhakti and
devotion. That is why ‘we’ are giving so much emphasis to
Gnan.
Jagruti (awareness of the Self) is Gnan itself. A constant
awareness ‘I am Shuddhatma’ is not a bhaav (inner intent), but
it is laksha and without this awareness one would not be able to
maintain ‘I am Shuddhatma’. The establishment of this laksha
(awareness of Shuddhatma) is an extremely great matter! It is
extremely difficult. Laksha means awareness and awareness
verily is Gnan. It is not the final Gnan. The final Gnan is the
natural state of the Self (swabhav). To remain as the Self, which