Pratikraman: Freedom Through Apology & Repentance (Abr.) (In English) Pratikraman: Freedom Through Apology & Repentence | Page 38

Pratikraman
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liability in saying that someone is bad, when he is bad. Because
in reality a person is never bad, it is his effect karma that makes
him good or bad. He is not at fault, but it is his circumstances
that make him so. So how can you blame him?
If a group of women are passing by and the person you
are with makes a comment about one of them being a prostitute,
and you become prejudiced based on what he says, you will
incur a tremendous liability. The woman has been forced in that
predicament by her circumstances; she is suffering the
consequences of her own effect karma. Why must you take on
a liability on her account? She has not become a prostitute of
her own will. No living being likes to be degraded. It is a
circumstance that initially drives a person to do something, but
later it becomes a habit with him or her. Nevertheless initially it
was circumstances that drove them to do so.
Questioner: Are the people who are not Self-realized,
able to see only certain kinds of faults?
Dadashri: I tell them they should learn to ask for
forgiveness for their faults. Whatever faults they perceive in
themselves, they should ask for forgiveness. They should never
condone their fault; otherwise the fault will double. Ask for
forgiveness after you do something wrong.
Questione r: How should those who are not Self-Realized
do pratikraman when they see their own faults?
Dadashri: There are some people who despite not having
this knowledge, are very sharp and have a keen awareness of
their faults. They understand what pratikraman is and they do
it. Others are not included in this, but we still need to tell them
to repent.
What happens in the process of pratikraman? The Self
puts pressure on the ‘relative’ self. Atikraman is the process