72 Pratikraman
Whenever I make fun of someone, I have to do pratikraman for that also. I am not excused from that.
Questioner: Yes but that’ s just joking around. Surely there is no problem with that.
Dadashri: No, but even then I have to do pratikraman. It is not so necessary for you, but it is imperative for me. If I did not do pratikraman, then the words from this taped-record( speech from the Gnani) would not come out as precise.
I too used to make fun of all sorts of people, from the ordinary to very prominent, successful ones. Extremely intelligent people have a tendency to make fun of others. Is such an ego not futile? Is that not misuse of one’ s intellect? It is a sign of misuse of intellect to make fun of others.
Questioner: What are the consequences of making fun of others?
Dadashri: It is better to slap someone than to make fun of him or her. You misuse your intelligence when you make fun of others. You took advantage of your higher intellect to overcome his lesser intellect by making fun of him.
Questioner: How can we stop this tape from recording? How can we stop from creating new causes for speech that will hurt others?
Dadashri: By not creating any vibrations of any kind through speech, you will not make a‘ new tape’( bind new karma). You must simply observe everything; however that is not easy because even this is a machine( the relative self) and it is not under your control. That is why I am showing you an alternate way. If the words have expressed and you do pratikraman immediately, the taping of an effect in the next life will be erased. Pratikraman is the tool used for erasing. With