Aptavani-9 Aptavani-9 | Page 73

6 Aptavani-9 deep within your self to see it. You have to adopt an impartial attitude to see obstinacy. When someone says, ‘Why are you being obstinate?’ you respond by saying, ‘Just look at him! He is a fool. Am I being obstinate or he is being obstinate?’, on the contrary the man is telling you to investigate, so then you should. People do not look at their own obstinacy and they go looking for obstinacy in others. Why do people not accuse me of being obstinate? If they were to see obstinacy in me, they would not refrain from telling me so. The world will tell you what it sees. When obstinacy leaves… Some men tell their wives, ‘If you make the tea, I will not drink it.’ Oh! ho ho! Then whose tea will you drink? Exercising his role as a husband (dhani; owner), he intimidates his wife. What does he tell her? ‘You ruined the tea, so I will not drink tea again if you make it.’ He intimidates the poor woman. He becomes awkward and obstinate. So much obstinacy! That is why there is so much suffering! Therefore, obstinacy (aadayee) is the obstacle, not attachment (moha). A person may enjoy attachment (moha) once or twice but the third time around he will get tired of it. What happens if someone serves you a good meal with an upset and a non-communicative (risavu; sulking) face? You will not like it, will you? Would you not say, ‘The heck with your meal’? Even if someone gives you diamonds with an upset and non-communicative (risavu) face, will you not say, ‘Keep your diamonds to yourself’? So what is worth more, diamonds or an upset and non-communicative (risavu) face? Our people will not accept a diamond if given by someone with such a face. People of foreign countries will eat a meal even if their spouse is upset and non-communicative (risavu) but in India, the wife will get into trouble for doing that. Nevertheless, women in India will not behave this way. It does not matter in the foreign