Aptavani-4
349
Questioner: Baal-avastha (childhood), youva-avastha
(adolescence), praooddha-avastha (maturity) and vruddha-
avastha (old age).
Dadashri: Are there only the four avasthas? Isn’t death
also an avastha?
Questioner: That is a full stop (a period).
Dadashri: Even death is considered a situation (avastha).
When a living being (jiva) enters the womb (garbha), it is a
state in the womb (garbha avastha). Prior to this there was the
avastha of death (maran avastha). So the wheel of avastha
keeps moving. You think that there are only four avasthas,
don’t you? But all this changes every five minutes. One moment,
you will be thinking about your home, and the thought may last
for two or three minutes, then you will think about something
else. All these avastha keep changing. You have given me the
names of all the major situations (avastha) in one’s life. But one
continues to dwell only in avasthas. “All these are temporary
adjustments.”
Questioner: Right now we are certainly in an avastha.
Dadashri: Those situations are not the kind that will bring
peace and closure. Gnan is something which allows you to
remain nihshank (doubt-free) in every situation (avastha). Our
Gnan is such that in every avastha (situation) it will give you
nihshank samadhan (doubtless inner satisfaction). Whereas
here, you have people who get ‘depressed’ when their pockets
get picked, and so ‘tight’ (conceited) when they are given an
accolade.
Questioner: What is avastha (situation) and paryaya
(phase)?
Dadashri: Relative knowledge is all the knowledge of
avastha. Paryaya is a very profound and subtle thing. And