Pratikraman: Freedom Through Apology & Repentance (Abr.) (In English) Pratikraman: Freedom Through Apology & Repentence | Page 54

Pratikraman
41
Dadashri: No, you don’t have to look at it that way.
The importance is given to pratikraman. You are free from your
responsibility when you do pratikraman.
Sometimes, very rarely, I myself end up hurting people,
against my will. Within the past twenty years, I may have hurt
two or three people. I however, followed up with my
pratikramans, constructing a fortress around them so that they
would not suffer a spiritual fall. A person should not fall from
where I have put him. I give him all the support and protection
and then let go of him gently, once he is stable.
My principle is to go as far as to change the course of
a highway to protect a newly planted sapling from harm. In the
same way I would never allow anyone to come to harm.
Questioner: If someone does something wrong to us
and he comes to ask for forgiveness, we forgive him. We have
forgiven him internally even when he does not ask for forgiveness.
What should we do if he keeps doing the same thing over and
over again?
Dadashri: Try as best as you can to explain to him in a
gentle manner. There is no other way because you do not have
any control over the matter. You have no choice other than to
forgive him. If you do not forgive, you will end up forgiving after
more suffering. There is no other way. You have to make him
understand and you should try to make him see his error. If he
changes his internal intent and recognizes that it is wrong for him
to hurt you, your work is done. His hurting you is an effect for
him.
How much good would it do you to know that your son
has pilfered some loose change from your wallet while running
an errand for you? You must accept him the way he is. Can you
throw him out and find another son?