152
Aptavani-8
Questioner: That is something beyond my intellect
(buddhi).
Dadashri: You are talking about witnessing (sakshibhaav),
but by coming to the Gnani Purush, you will attain the Self
(swa swaroop) right here.
Change of Vision Leads to the Experience of
One’s Changed State
Questioner: Are the words Atma-Parmatma, Brahma-
Parabrahma all the same words, or do they express different
phases of the same thing (paryayvaachak)?
Dadashri: They are all synonymous words. Paryaya
means phases or state (avastha). In certain state (avastha), the
Atma, is considered Atma, and in certain state (avastha), the
same Atma is considered the Absolute Soul (Parmatma), and
the same Atma in some state (avastha), is considered mudhatma
(unaware of the Self). Mudhatma means an externalized
(bahirmukhi) Atma, but even that is the same Atma. What you
call the inner awakened Soul (antaratma); even that is the very
same Atma. And what you refer to as the Absolute Soul
(Parmatma), is also the same Atma! Therefore, they are only
the different states (dasha) of the Atma!
It is like the lawyer, who initially does not make money,
he is in a bad situation, and so people will say, ‘this attorney is
not making any money, he is poor.’ And when the very same
lawyer suddenly has a turn of fortune and starts earning lots of
money, they will say, ‘He is a very clever lawyer, he is a rich
man.’ And when the same lawyer loses all his money, they will
say, ‘He is bankrupt.’ But in essence, he himself is the same!
That is how the states of the Atma are. As long as it
desires the pleasures of the worldly life (sansar), it is considered
mudhatma; it is called bahirmukhi atma – turned towards the
worldly life.