190
Aptavani-4
The Meaning of Religion
Religion (dharma) exists even outside. Religion exists in
places of worship; in temples and monasteries, and everywhere
people go. But there is no meaning left in it. You cannot find
meaning (marma) there any longer. If you have a nice big
mango, but when you slice it, all you find is just the stone and
the skin around it, so what meaning (marma; substance) is there
to it? It is just like the religions of today; without substance!
Religion means to look for the real thing (Self), but with a wrong
belief. ‘This’ (Akram) here, is a science. Religion should be
something that helps you gather the tools (sadhan) to guide you
for spirituality.
Even That Kind of Awareness Is a Great
Awareness!
Viradhana of the guru is to oppose, criticize and offend
the very person from whom one has attained something; it is to
destroy the foundation that one has created through one’s guru.
Such a person is called purva viradhak jiva (did viradhana in
his previous life). In this era, there are purva viradhak souls, of
which I myself too was one once. I became aware that I too
was one of them and it was after this realization that the Gnan
manifested in me.
Recognizing The Guru
Questioner: If I make someone my guru, without much
thought, and later I realize that it was a mistake and I picked the
wrong person, what should I do?
Dadashri: You do not have to recognize the guru; you
just develop a liking for him that leads you to make him your
guru. No one knows how to recognize a guru. Where is the art
of recognizing precious jewelry? These people are likely to
present you with glass instead of diamonds. We have ways to
test authenticity of diamonds, but where are you going to find