Aptavani-5 179
relinquishing and ignoring), and the Self-form is considered upadeya( that which is worthy of acquisition and consideration) and that is real dharma. Therefore real dharma and relative dharma are both separate.
If the purpose( artha) of your life results in worldly selfinterest, it is called adharma( lack of religion) and if it leads to religion of the Self, it is called dharma. The same holds true with reference to passion( kaam). If the passion is for the self, it is adharma. If there is dispassion for the self, and passion for the Self, it is dharma.
Questioner: Can any living being survive without dharma?
Dadashri: No living being is ever outside of dharma. It is either in dharma or in adharma.
Questioner: There are many who do not believe in a higher God, do they?
Dadashri: You should not call those who do not believe in God, atheists or agnostics( nastik). It is a tremendous crime to call them nastik. Why is that? Because those who have the awareness of‘ I am’, they are all astik( theistic), whereas dharma exists in so many different ways. Some believe in ethical principles, some believe in truth, some believe in saving lives; that is also one of the steps of dharma. Building temples is not the only dharma. It is acceptable if a person follows the religion of good conduct and never goes to a temple to do darshan. He does not need to do anything else. Honesty is the greatest force of dharma. There is no greater force of dharma than honesty and ethics.
When there is no ethical standard and honesty, one tries to be religious, goes to temple and says,‘ Dear Lord, I cheat my customers by stretching the cloth when I measure it, so please forgive me.’ Why do the businessmen stretch the cloth as they