112
Aptavani-8
Should You Know Atmagnan? Or...
Questioner: Can we say that if someone knows
Atmagnan (Self-realization), that he also has knowledge of the
non-Self complex (paudgalik)?
Dadashri: In truth, you do not have to know Atmagnan
(Self-realization); you just have to have the awareness of your
own nature (swaroop; the Self). A person is in a state of
unconsciousness (bebhaan); he has no awareness (bhaan) of
his own nature (swaroop). That is the awareness (bhaan) which
he must get. One can use words to say that he has to know it,
but he has yet to attain his own Self awareness. That is why our
shastra gnani (experts of scriptural knowledge), all know about
Atmagnan, but cannot get the awareness (bhaan). They know
everything; they can recite all the scriptures by heart that, ‘This
is how the Atma is; it is exactly like this’; they know all that, but
they cannot get the awareness (bhaan) of it.
...Which Is the Easier Method?
There are only two things in all this: the Atma (Self) and
the pudgal (non-Self complex). He that knows the Atma; has
understood the pudgal, and he that knows the pudgal; has
understood the Atma. However, it is not possible to understand
the pudgal; it is not a very simple thing. With the help of the
Gnani Purush, it is possible to know the Atma.
The Vedantis (those involved in Vedanta; Hindu scripture),
have endeavored to know the non-Self complex (pudgal), for
which they had written the four Vedas. That is because it is
possible to know the Atma, after having known the pudgal. But
they became worn out from trying. Therefore, the four Vedas
said, ‘This is not That. This is not That. This is not That.’ So the
Vedantis tried to examine it by way of the pudgal; whereas
those with absolute Knowledge (Keval Gnanis) took a different
approach of inquiry: ‘Who we are in fact.’ Examine that, and the
rest is all pudgal (non-Self complex)!