358
Aptavani-4
Questioner: Is it free from insistence (niragrahi)?
Dadashri: Yes, you can say that. There is no kind of
insistence in it.
Questioner: For speech that is non-insistent (niragrahi),
do we have to think before we speak?
Dadashri: No. If you think before you speak, your
speech will never be niragrahi. This directly comes out after
touching the chetan (the Self). The Gnani’s speech comes out
with awareness (jagruti). It is only for the benefit (hitta; good)
of others. The awareness (jagruti) remains to the extent that no
one’s benefit (hitta) is compromised.
When you keep listening with zeal, to the Gnani Purush’s
speech, even your speech becomes like that. Just imitating it will
not work.
Questioner: When does one’s speech become syadvaad?
Dadashri: When all the karmas are destroyed; when
anger, pride, deceit, greed (krodh, maan, maya, lobh) are
destroyed, then the speech that emits will be syadvaad (hurts no
one) speech. The entire science of the Vitarag Lords must be
present. It will only occur if one has clear and distinct experience
(spashta anubhav) of the Atma. Until then, it is all talk related
to the intellect, and is considered as talk pertaining to the
worldly life (vyavahar). Unless your speech is syadvaad, you
take on a big risk when you preach about the path of moksha.
Who Has the Right to Preach?
Who can give spiritual discourse (updesha)? Only
someone who does not raise the listener’s objection. However,
in our path, there is no discussion. How do you go about
understanding our books? No two people will have the same
comprehension. One may have the right understanding, while the
other person’s understanding will be incomplete. So if the one