18
Aptavani-4
Japas (chants) and tapas (penance), etc., are for one’s
concentration (ekagrata). Those who cannot maintain ekagrata
should do these, or do something similar. Bhaavnindra becomes
lighter as one’s concentration (ekagrata) increases. Some
people have thin bhaavnindra, while others have heavy
bhaavnindra. In the latter, even if you were to throw water
over the person’s face and shake him, he will not “awaken”; this
is the kind of thick and heavy bhaavnindra people are in. When
‘we’ give the knowledge of the Self, one’s “eyes” open just a
little (partial awareness). That is when he “sees” that ‘I am
separate from all this.’ Then as he spends more time with ‘us’
his “eyes” continue to open more (increasing awareness), and
eventually he will attain absolute awareness. Therefore, one will
have to know the Self (Atma; the Soul). Without knowing the
Self, no one will attain moksha.
Non-Doership Is Where Absolute Awareness Lies
Questioner: When can one say that he has attained the
Self? Is it when his belief of doership goes away?
Dadashri: When the awareness of “I am doing,” is
destroyed, that is when the Self is known. Experience of the Self
(Atmanubhav) shows the mistakes of the self all day long. Do
you not have the awareness, “I run this worldly life”?
Questioner: That is happening by itself.
Dadashri: When something good happens and someone
gives compliments like, “Look, how well he did this,” one will
take credit and say “I did it,” and when something goes wrong,
one will say, “The unfolding karma has overwhelmed me.” That
is what the whole world says. The sense of ‘doership’ will never
go away; you will become free from everything except your
sense of ‘doership’. Until a person’s ‘doership’ goes away, he
is called egotistic, and ego means an illusion. Anyone in such
complete illusion is not allowed over “there” (moksha).