Aptavani-8
37
Questioner: If all the things in this life happen according
to the planning in the past life, then how can I do the planning
for my next life?
Dadashri: Let me tell you how the planning happens. If
in this life, the planning does not happen at all, then final liberation
(moksha) will occur.
Now, planning means to charge karma. While the old
karma is being discharged, a new one is being charged within.
How is it charged? How does the planning occur? Right now,
someone might tell you, ‘I donated twenty-thousand rupees to
a charity.’ And when you ask him, ‘sheth (boss), you would
never give away twenty-thousand rupees to anyone, so how did
you manage to give it in this case?’ He would reply, ‘I was
forced into it by so and so person.’ Therefore, although he gave
twenty-thousand (as his karmic effect from past life), but his
planning (cause of next life) is negative. If he had given the
money with a higher inner intent (bhaav), as far as the planning,
the seed would have been sown accordingly and he would have
reaped a greater reward (in his next life).
Now if a person commits any kind of violence (himsa),
and he feels what he did was wrong and is truly remorseful, then
the planning happens according to that. Also, if you tell a lie and
in your mind your inner intent (bhaav) is that it is a wrong thing,
then that is how the planning will go.
Now there is only one cause for birth and death, and that
is the lack of awareness of ‘who You are’, which is the only
cause. In Jainism it is said that it is because of attachment-
abhorrence (raag-dwesh) and ignorance (agnanta), that one
becomes bound; whereas in Vedanta, it says that one is bound
because of mudd (impurity), projection through illusion (vikshep)
and ignorance of the Self (agnanta). They both agree on
ignorance (agnan). Therefore, a person is bound through
ignorance of the Self (agnan), and is set free through Knowledge