358 Pratikraman
‘ we ’ are not making fun of him , it is considered a kashay of laughing . ‘ That poor man is naïve , is that why you are poking fun at him ?’ But ‘ we ’ do pratikraman .
Even ‘ we ’ have a little fun in that . When ‘ we ’ ‘ poke fun ’ at them , there is a little enjoyment in it , but at the same time ‘ we ’ have a little fun with the knowledge that ‘ he is going to come out strong from this , so let things be . Everything will work out .’
Questioner : But the laughter you got at his expense : what kind of pratikraman does it call for ?
Dadashri : Yes , it is pratikraman of compassion ; it is for his progress . Other people will come and tell ‘ us ,’ ‘ Why don ’ t you say something like that to me ?’ I tell them , “ We ’ cannot tell you .’ They do not need help to progress ; they will do it on their own . They are capable of grasping everything through their wisdom . But ‘ we ’ have to do pratikraman . Is that not a wonder ?
There is Grave Danger in Making Fun of People
I too used to make fun of all sorts of people , from the ordinary to the very prominent and successful ones , from all walks of life . Egoistic intellect-laden 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 misguided intellect to make fun of others .
Questioner : Even now I feel like making fun of people .
Dadashri : There is grave danger in making fun at the expense of other people . One always has the capability of making fun through his intellect ( buddhi ), but it also carries a grave danger along with it . ‘ We ’ took on a grave liability ‘ our ’ entire life in this regard .
Questioner : What are the consequences of making fun of others ?
Dadashri : It is better to slap someone than to make fun