Aptavani-6
131
What does interference (dakhal) mean? If someone tells
me to teach him to make yogurt, I would show him how to heat
the milk, let it cool down, then add a spoonful of yogurt in it and
stir it, then cover up the pot and just leave it alone. He can go
to sleep. Now if he gets up at two in the morning to go to the
bathroom, and he goes to the kitchen and sticks his finger in the
pot to check if the yogurt has formed; that is called interference
(dakhal). And so in the morning you will see the ‘muddle of
mush’ (dakho) which is the result of the interference. The yogurt
will not have jelled properly. This is how people make a mess
(dakho) of their worldly life and that is how they live. Therefore,
do not let the upayog, awareness as the Self, slip astray; that is
called focused awareness (upayog jagruti).
What do ‘we’ (the Gnani and the fully enlightened Lord
within) refer to as focusing the awareness (upayog)? Say there
is a narrow bridge a mile and a half long. Only one person can
walk on it at a time. This bridge goes through the sea with water
on both sides. And you are told to walk on that bridge. The
focused awareness, the undivided attention that you keep at that
time, is called upayog. Now if while walking you happen to get
a thought about your bank and how much you have paid and
how much is still pending, you will immediately push it away and
focus and concentrate on walking on the bridge.
Scripture writers have said to maintain focused awareness
(upayog) while eating, drinking and in doing any kind of work.
Upayog means that there is nothing else going on while eating.
Having the chit present in all you do is called upayog. Does one
keep his chit present when there is sea on either side? Even
children will stop playing and become aware. Even they are
smart.
There is no living being that cannot have focused awareness
(upayog). Go and see anyone counting money. If his wife or
daughter comes in while he is counting, he will look up but not