68 Pratikraman
of your past karmas. The actual charging of karma occurs because of one’ s internal intent and resolve to tell lies. Will this knowledge help you?
Questioner: One should stop telling lies.
Dadashri: No. One should let go of the opinion that he should tell lies. If you lie, you must repent for it. When you do this, you may not stop lying, but at least your opinion supporting lies will cease.
Repent for your lies by saying,“ I am not going to lie from this day onwards. Lying is the greatest sin. Lying causes great pain. Telling lies will bind me. Please forgive me, Lord.” Once your opinion changes, you will ultimately stop telling lies.
20. Awareness While Speaking …
The mind is not as much of a problem as the speech is, because the mind functions secretly, whereas speech can carve a hole in a person’ s heart and hurt him severely. You must ask for forgiveness from whomever you have hurt with your speech. You must recall each and every person and do pratikraman in his name.
Questioner: Can we expect be forgiven for all faults committed through our speech, with pratikraman?
Dadashri: The faults will remain in the form of a burnt rope. It looks like a rope, but it cannot bind like a rope. With pratikraman, its residue will instantly disintegrate in the next life.
Doership is the support on which karma are bound. Now that you are no longer the doer, no new karma will be bound. The remaining karmas from your past will bring forth their effects and then dissipate.
Questioner: If a person speaks while he is irritated would that be atikraman?