Aptavani-6
17
before. There is no change in action. What you can ‘see’ is due
to the power of Gnan.
Idol as a Result of Pratishtha
Questioner: What is pratishthit atma?
Dadashri: Until one attains the knowledge of his true
Self, the belief of, ‘This Chandulal is who I really am,’ is what
we call the pratishthit atma (the relative-self, energized non-
Self complex of thoughts, speech and acts). This belief, ‘I am
Chandubhai,’ is a pratishtha (instilling something more into) that
is being done just like doing pratishtha for an idol, and that is
why it continues to bear its fruits. What is Atma? It is your own
Self. Your work is done when you acquire awareness of your
real Self. You should have the realization of ‘Who you are.’
Questioner: The pratishthit atma does not have
awareness of the Shuddhatma, does it?
Dadashri: How can it have the awareness? It can only
have that awareness when the Gnani Purush gives that awareness.
Questioner: No, but does the pratishthit atma not have
awareness after you give Gnan?
Dadashri: Yes, that is when you became aware and that
is why you started to say ‘I am pure Soul (Shuddhatma).’ You
saw a change from your old awareness and, therefore, you felt,
‘This is not me; I am the Shuddhatma.’
Who Contemplates on the Soul?
Questioner: ‘The soul (atma, the self) becomes what it
contemplates (chintavan)’; so who does the contemplation
here?
Dada