12
Aptavani-4
tapa (penance), etc., help towards the awareness of the
Self?
Dadashri: One will get the benefits of whichever goal
he carries out these activities for. If one wants to get married,
but he cannot find a woman, he will find one if he does
worship, and penances, etc. He will receive whatever he does
all that for.
Questioner: Will he not gain any benefit towards his
spiritual (adhyatmik) progress?
Dadashri: He will gain spiritual benefit, if he does it with
a spiritual goal. But no one does it for a spiritual goal. Everyone
wants a cure for his ailment. People are all suffering from the
infernal pain and misery of this world. They are looking for a
cure for their suffering. In this worldly life, people are suffering
from all kinds of miseries. No one is doing anything for the
awareness of the Self. Some have hunger for respect (maan),
some have hunger for fame (kirti), and some have hunger for
disciples. They are hungry because of all this beggarly need
(bheekh). In spirituality; however, there is no expectation for
respect, fame or anything else. Whereas here, people are
absorbed in all that is inauspicious (ashubha); some are looking
for fame, and some for recognition. They are only engrossed in
enjoying sensory pleasures. How many people can be on a
spiritual path like this? Only a rare one. Most people have
hunger for recognition and pride.
If sleep were to stop for just a moment, then there would
be illumination everywhere. A person is considered as being
asleep, when he is engrossed only in his daily routine of living.
I am saying this from the perspective of ultimate knowledge –
that one remains completely engrossed in chanting mantras and
doing penance etc., that one carries out. If one were to awaken
for just a moment, it would be plenty. If a person can see his
own faults and give an impartial judgment, then he is considered