268
Aptavani-8
In This Time, Do Efforts Pay Off?
Questioner: Does one have to make any effort for that?
Dadashri: You will not be able to make that effort. That
is because you yourself lack unity in your thoughts, speech and
actions; you have become unsteady (vyagra; lack of unity in
mind, speech and actions), so you will not be able to try. Only
if you have absolute unity of thought, speech and action (ekagra),
will I be able to show you. But in this age (kaad), a person
cannot maintain that kind of unity (ekagra). Besides how can a
person maintain unity of thought, speech and body (ekagra) in
this era of the time-cycle; in such tumult, in such a time of
upheaval? Therefore, I destroy your demerit karma (paap) first,
and then I instill the right belief in you.
Questioner: Is it necessary to practice focused attention
and concentration (ekagrata) to make progress?
Dadashri: The way it is, is that there are remedies that
do involve focused attention (ekagrata), which are helping.
Nothing in this world is wrong. All these things are helping. But
if you want to become completely independent, there should be
intense desire to experience the Self. Sugar is sweet – what
does sweet mean? Your focus and awareness should be only on
this. To realize the ultimate, one will have to come here (to the
Gnani Purush). Otherwise there are all these other things you can
resort to, and they are stepping (gradual ascent towards the Self).
Not Action, but Awareness Needs to Be Changed
Questioner: How can people who are caught up in the
responsibilities of the worldly life (sansar), attain the Atma?
Dadashri: Chandubhai and the Atma are both completely
separate. And they display their own different qualities and
functions (gunadharma). If one comes to understand this from
the Gnani Purush, then all his responsibilities in the worldly life
(sansar) will be carried out nicely, and even this too will carry