18 Aptavani-9
The main nature( swabhav) of the Self is that one becomes whatever he envisions. If you say‘ I am God’, then you become like God, and if you say,‘ I am worthless’, then you will become worthless. You become that, the moment you say it. When you say, I should become a God, then at that moment you do become God, but then you will ask,‘ What should I do now?’ So you do not know it well and hence you revert to what you were before, dim-witted! Should you not learn how? Should you not know what you have to do after attaining the Self? Otherwise, you will revert to what you were before. The Self becomes what it envisions( chintavan) and because it is so, it will continue to take on countless different forms and change from one form to another of whatever is envisioned. The one who is envisioning is not doing it independently. The pressure of his surroundings and the prevailing circumstances influences the envisioning.
The knowledge guides one’ s conduct Questioner: So what is the root cause of obstinacy? Dadashri: The ego. Questioner: But is it not the effect of past life’ s causes?
Dadashri: It is an effect, but only because the causes were created. How do causes occur? First comes the knowledge of obstinacy that says,‘ If I become obstinate and inflexible, everyone will straighten out. I will become obstinate to sort everyone out at home. Obstinacy can be very useful.’ One attains this knowledge first, and then the faith( shraddha) sets in. The faith in turn strengthens that knowledge. Knowledge without faith will not last, but when faith develops, it makes the knowledge stronger and then that obstinacy comes into conduct. Then all the fun(!) begins!
Everyone’ s obstinacy is different
Questioner: Everyone does not have similar obstinacy, do they?