Aptavani-4
291
in the absence of a nimit (instrumental person), what karma has
caused that?
Dadashri: You get hurt because in your past life, you
made an inner intent (bhaav) to hurt another. And if you had not
made such an inner intent, then nothing will harm you.
When everyone around is being robbed, but if there is as
honest man in their midst, he will never be robbed. The thieves
themselves will not be able to rob such a man. That is the kind
of “safe-side” there is in this world.
Aashrav, Bandh, Samvar and Nirjara
Questioner: How should I understand the term
‘discharging of karma’?
Dadashri: What is the root cause of karma? Attachment-
abhorrence (raag-dwesh). In Jainism it is said, ‘If you want to
go to moksha, then you have to get rid of attachment (raag),
abhorrence (dwesh) and agnan (ignorance of the Self).’ And in
Vedanta it says, ‘You attain moksha when mudd (impurity),
vikshep (obstructed view; false projection) and agnan (ignorance
of the Self) go away.’ Agnan (ignorance) is common to both.
Agnan is the basis for attachment-abhorrence (raag-dwesh).
Karma will begin to fall off when ignorance of the Self (agnan)
goes away. How can you get rid of ignorance (agnan)? With
Gnan (Knowledge of the Self). Liberation is halted because of
the ignorance of the Self.
Who do you think is the ‘doer’ of karma?
Questioner: The Atma (Soul).
Dadashri: How can the Atma be kriya-vadi (‘doer’ of
anything)? This is very important to understand. No one is able
to shed even a single karma. Karma is shed when samvar
(stoppage of karmic matter) occurs. With all this continuing
aashrav (influx of karmic matter), how can the karma be