Aptavani-4
117
the mind as well. The mind is completely physical. All these have
control over you at this time. Oh, forget the body having control
over the embodied soul (jiva), what about a pimple that breaks
out on the body and starts to throb! Even that controls the jiva.
The Nature of Ego
Questioner: Which one goes through birth and death
(the coming and going; avagaman), the Soul or the body?
Dadashri: Neither the body, nor the Soul, undergoes
birth and death (avagaman). Only the ego does. This body
comes with all its necessities, but it is mainly the ego that comes
and goes. The cycles of birth and death come to an end, for the
one whose ego has ended.
Questioner: What is a true definition of ego?
Dadashri: The world has not understood the real meaning
of the ego. It is not how they understand it. Each understands it
according to his own language (bhasha; interpretation). Isn’t
everyone’s ‘language’ different? But it will not do, as far as the
language of God goes. You will be put to the test, because ‘there’
(in matters of liberation), it will not work.
Ego means that although one does not do anything, one
asserts, ‘I am the doer’ (ahamkar). That is the false assertion
(aropit bhaav; false imposition). It is called ego. The primary
thing is the ego, and from it arises all kinds of words like: maan
(pride), abhimaan (excessive pride due to material possessions),
garva (ego of doership), ghemaraji (pompous display without
any substance), etc. What kind of a thing is abhimaan? In it the
aropit bhaav (false assertion) which is the ego, is there, but
when someone shows off by saying, “I have four bungalows and
I have two cars,” it is called abhimaan.
To claim to do something when one is not the doer is
called egoism (ahamkar).