Aptavani-8 by Dada Bhagwan (beginner reading books for adults .txt) 📕

That which dwells in the worldly life cannot be the original Atma. It is attachment and abhorrence (raag-dwesh). As long as its results keep occurring, the seat of the pure Soul will not be attained.

Due to close proximity with Chetan (Atma), illusory energy (mayavi shakti) arises and that is the deluded atma ( bhrant chetan). The non-Self atma (nischetan-chetan) means that on the outside, it shows the qualities of chetan (Atma), butin all truth, it is not.Theoriginal chetan (Atma) remains inside, and there is a layer of non-Self atma ( nischetan-chetan) over it. It is the non-Self atma, that itself is called mechanical chetan.

What the Gnani’s original word mishra-chetan (‘I’ with wrong belief) - indicates, is that when one starts to become involved in situations, the mishra-chetan begins to form. This results in the charging of karma, which in the next lifetime, come to fruition and the discharge process begins – that is when it is called mechanical chetan (atma).

The “real Atma” and “relative atma” are identified by eternal and non-eternal qualities, respectively. Until the Real is realized, the relative atma is believed to be the real Atma, because of illusion (bhranti). It is because of scientific causes that this illusion comes about. Under illusion (bhranti), the Knower and the doer; the eternal and the non-eternal behave as one. When the Gnani Purush breaks down this illusion, and places a “line of demarcation” between the real and the relative, one attains the Vision of the Self (Atma-darshan), which, before the realization is concealed from awareness. And compared to this, there is no other vision as wonderful as this in the entire world! After that, one remains in the state of the Knower of the location (kshetragnya) and knows every action in the non-Self field. If one misses the location of the Self (swa-kshetra), one will become involved in the location of the non-Self (kshetrakaar). Only the permanent can call the temporary, as temporary. You are already permanent; but only if you have that awareness!

The reason why every individual appears different, is because each one is dependent on matter (dravya), location (kshetra), time (kaad ) and inner intent (bhaav). In this however, when the location changes or another enters one’s location, the time will have changed, and because of that, the intent will have changed, which means that the matter (dravya) will also have changed. Regardless of all the external changes that happen in the circumstances, there are no changes in the state of the Atma. The Atma is in its pure state throughout all the three time periods (past, present and future), but because of layers of coverings (avaran), its reality is obstructed from coming into one’s vision. Once the vision is purified, there is no place for impurity. As long as the ego is there, there is a reason why one’s vision (drashti) is flawed. Nevertheless the real Atma, the real Self has always maintained its state of detachment and purity throughout these changes and even its phases (paryaya) have remained constant. The relative self (vyavahar atma) has pure (shuddha) and impure (ashuddha) phases. Obstinacy (insistence on one’s own truth) in the relative self (vyavahar atma) will lead to the creation of another relative self. As long as a person does not meet a Gnani , he has to carry on making his spoiled worldly interaction (vyavahar) auspicious and good (shubha). But when he meets the Gnani, he just has to purify his worldly interaction (vyavahar). When in worldly interaction (vyavahar), one is a relative self (vyavahar atma), and when one is in the real Self (nischay), one is the nischay Atma (the real Self)! But, in all the states the Self is one and the same.

What is the origin (adhishthan) of the world? If it has been exposed in the exact way, it is by the revered Dadashri. The origin of the world is the relative self; the atma that has been instilled with life (pratishthit atma). The real Atma has always remained here; in the state of complete non-doership (akarta bhavey) and detachment (uninvolved - udaseen bhavey). It is only because the energy of vision ( darshan shakti) has been covered up, and the wrong vision (vibhavik drashti) has set in, that the world has come about!

The fundamental real Atma (nischay atma)is the pure Soul (Shuddhatma), and in worldly interaction (vyavahar) it is the believed atma, which is the relative self (pratishthit atma). I am Chandubhai, I am his maternal uncle, his paternal uncle...; this wrong belief has become instilled, and it has created an instilled (pratishthit) persona which continually gives results. In the process of tasting the fruit of these results, through ignorance, one instills anew, yet again; therefore, the cycle continues.

While under the influence of alcohol, a man forgets himself and says, ‘I am the king’. In the same way, under the influence of the ego, a person will say things like, “I am Chandubhai…I am her husband, I am his father...”! In reality, One is the Absolute Soul (Parmatma); the master of the fourteen worlds. But because of the wrong belief, he sets himself up as the woman’s husband and loses his own status. But when the Gnani Purush gives him the awareness of his own Self and uproots his ego, and when all the previous illusory effects are erased, he attains the perfect state. Otherwise, as long as the ego is there, one sees through the vision of the intellect (buddhi), and believes that the atma is the doer-sufferer ( karta-bhokta). When one sees through Gnan (Knowledge), that the Atma does not do anything, then it fits (acceptable). If the wrong belief disperses, then the reality becomes visible. It is the changed belief that has initiated the worldly life (sansar) and given rise to the relative self (prakruti). The original Atma has always remained unaccompanied (asanga) and untainted (nirlep).

The relative self (prakruti) arises because of scientific circumstantial evidence. No one has any doership in any of this. The prakruti is effective, and that is why one becomes affected. But this is only so, as long as the wrong beliefs are there.

With the right belief, the wrong belief is severed and the right belief gradually and naturally cuts itself (wrong belief part) off and this occurs even in this very age of the current time cycle (Kaliyug) through the present Akram Vignan due to the phenomenal exploration to impart liberation by the Gnani Purush of our times!

If one prevails in the right belief, one is within the domain of the Self and if one prevails in the wrong belief, one is within the domain of the non-Self. Illusory vision (mithya drashti) shows everything the wrong way. When you meet the Gnani Purush, and you come to hear hissatsang (spiritual talks); from that moment on, your vision will begin to rectify. Or you can change your vision by praying to the Gnani Purush. Once your vision changes, you continue on to become Bhagwan (God).

In the shubha-ashubha (auspicious-inauspicious) religions, both truth and untruth have a place. Their way to attainment, is attachment to truth and contempt for untruth. There is no place for that in the pure religion, in the religion of the Self (Atma dharma). The religion of the Self is about being beyond attachment-abhorrence (raag-dwesh); it is about absolute absence of attachment and abhorrence (vitaragata). It is the poisoned vision that causes attachment and abhorrence. The Gnani Purush turns the vision that was directed towards temporary things; towards the permanent. He changes the direction of the vision. Then the vision of, “I am in all that lives” (Atmavat sarva bhuteshu) arises.

There is a big difference between the experience of the Atma (Atma anubhav) and Self-realization (Atma sakshatkar). Experience is the final stage, and it is permanent; whereas with Self-realization, only the conviction (pratiti) has set in. After the experience of the Atma, one enters the conduct (charitra) stage, which is considered prevailing as the Self.

The Atma is invisible (aroopi) and even the one that realizes it, is invisible, so that both natures blend, and the vrutti (tendencies towards the worldly life) return home to the Self.

When one knows what Atma is and what the Atma is not, one is said to have known the Atma. In the state of ignorance, one should not say, ‘the Atma is pure perfect knowledge (shuddha-buddha)’. At the most, one can say, from the perspective of the body, the Atma is impure but from the perspective of the Atma, it is pure.

Once tasted, the bliss of the Atma never goes away. It is the joy of the mind which is fleeting, so that once it comes, it will go away. As long as the chit (inner functioning component comprised of knowledge and vision) stays involved with the kashays (inner weakness of anger, pride, deceit and greed), it is not possible to experience the Atma. A state of eternal bliss is itself the experience of the Atma.

The Gnani gives you the awareness that worry and anger is something that happens in the non-Self, and not in the Self; thereafter, the conviction that nothing can happen to the Atma sets in.

After attaining the Atma in the exact manner, only the discharge karmas remain. In that state there is only samvar purvak nirjara,meaning there is blockage of new binding karma (samvar) while the effects of past causes are unfolding. Thereafter, no further karmas are bound.

The karma exerts control, as long as it receives one’s support. Once the support is removed, the karma becomes neutral. The support is given during the unfolding of the karma, when because of ignorance one says, ‘I did this’ when in reality the doer is the unfolding effects of past causes!

Although the Gnani Purush does all the activity involved in sansar (worldly life), firmly embedded in his consciousness there is always the awareness, ‘I do not do anything’, and that is how he remains as the Atma. The agnani (one without Self-awareness), on the other hand, never steps out of the consciousness of ‘I am the doer’, not even momentarily!

“He who knows the Atma has known everything”. He who has known the Atma is karan sarvagnya (one who creates causes to become Knower of all elements); he is called karan Keval Gnani (he creates causes to become fully enlightened). The Knower of the Soul (Atmagnani) is without obstinacy or insistence (niragrahi), and without ego (nirahamkari).

Nothing is gained by repeatedly saying, ‘I am not the body, I am not the body; I am the Atma, I am the Atma’. Here, one has to have the experience of the Atma. Whatever disciplines (sadhano) for the attainment of Self knowledge (Atmagnan) one has implemented until today, have all become binding. The true sadhan (means; instrument) is where one employs the manifest Gnani Purush, and only there, lies liberation! The disciplines (sadhano) only lead you up to Knowledge (Gnan); whereas the Atma is in the form of science ( vignan swaroop). The Atma can pass all the way through this body, the houses and a thousand walls; it is the subtlest of all! So how can it be