Pratikraman: The Key that resolves all Conflicts (Full Version) by Dada Bhagwan (classic novels for teens .txt) 📕

Pratikraman-Granth

The Key that resolves all conflicts

As expounded by the Gnani Purush "Dada Bhagwan"

Originally Compiled in Gujarati by : Dr. Niruben Amin

Introduction to The Gnani

One June evening, in 1958 at around six o’clock, Ambalal Muljibhai Patel, a family man, and a contractor by profession, was sitting on a bench on the busy platform number three at Surat’s train station. Surat is a city in south Gujarat, a western state in India. What happened within the next forty-eight minutes was phenomenal. Spontaneous Self-Realization occurred within Ambalal M. Patel. During this event, his ego completely melted and from that moment onwards, he became completely detached from all of Ambalal’s thoughts, speech, and actions. He became the Lord’s living instrument for the salvation of humankind, through the path of knowledge. He called this Lord, ‘Dada Bhagwan.’ To everyone he met, he would say, “This Lord, Dada Bhagwan is fully manifested within me. He also resides within all living beings. The difference is that within me He is completely expressed and in you, he has yet to manifest.”

Who are we? What is God? Who runs this world? What is karma? What is liberation? Etc. All the world’s spiritual questions were answered during this event. Thus, nature offered absolute vision to the world through the medium of Shree Ambalal Muljibhai Patel.

Ambalal was born in Tarasali, a suburb of Baroda and was later raised in Bhadran, Gujarat. His wife’s name was Hiraba. Although he was a contractor by profession, his life at home and his interactions with everyone around him were exemplary, even prior to his Self-Realization. After becoming Self-Realized and attaining the state of a Gnani, (The Awakened One, Jnani in Hindi), his body became a ‘public charitable trust.’

Throughout his entire life, he lived by the principle that there should not be any commerce in religion, and in all commerce, there must be religion. He also never took money from anyone for his own use. He used the profits from his business to take his devotees for pilgrimages to various parts of India.

His words became the foundation for the new, direct, and step-less path to Self-Realization called Akram Vignan. Through his divine original scientific experiment (The Gnan Vidhi), he imparted this knowledge to others within two hours. Thousands have received his grace through this process and thousands continue to do so even now. ‘Akram’ means without steps; an elevator path or a shortcut, whereas ‘Kram’ means an orderly, step-by-step spiritual path. Akram is now recognized as a direct shortcut to the bliss of the Self.

Who is Dada Bhagwan?

When he explained to others who ‘Dada Bhagwan’ is, he would say :

“What you see here is not ‘Dada Bhagwan’. What you see is ‘A. M. Patel.’ I am a Gnani Purush and ‘He’ that is manifested within me, is ‘Dada Bhagwan’. He is the Lord within. He is within you and everyone else. He has not yet manifested within you, whereas within me he is fully manifested. I myself am not a Bhagwan. I too bow down to Dada Bhagwan within me.”

Current link for attaining the knowledge of Self-Realization (Atma Gnan)

“I am personally going to impart siddhis (special spiritual powers) to a few people. After I leave, will there not be a need for them? People of future generations will need this path, will they not?” ~ Dadashri

Param Pujya Dadashri used to go from town to town, and country to country, to give satsang and impart the knowledge of the Self as well as knowledge of harmonious worldly interaction to all who came to see him. During his final days, in the fall of 1987, he gave his blessing to Dr. Niruben Amin and bestowed his special siddhis upon her, to continue his work. “You will have to become a mother to this whole world, Niruben” He told her as he blessed her. There was no doubt in Dadashri’s mind that Niruben was destined to be just that. She had served him with utmost devotion day and night for over twenty years. Dadashri in turn had molded her and prepared her to take on this monumental task.

From the time of Pujya Dadashri’s mortal departure on January 2 1988 to her own mortal departure on March 19th 2006, Pujya Niruma as she lovingly came to be called by thousands remained true to her promise to Dadashri to carry on his mission of the world’s salvation. She became Dadashri’s representative of Akram Vignan and became instrumental in spreading the knowledge of Akram Vignan throughout the world. She also became an exemplary of pure and unconditional love. Thousands of people from all walks of life and from all over the world have attained Self-Realization through her and are established in the experience of the pure Soul, while carrying out their worldly duties and obligations. They experience freedom here and now, while living their daily life.

The link of Akram Gnanis now continues with the current spiritual master Pujya Deepakbhai Desai whom Pujya Dadashri had also graced with special siddhis to continue to teach the world about Atma Gnan and Akram Vignan. He was further molded and trained by Pujya Niruma who blessed him to conduct Gnan Vidhi in 2003. Dadashri had said that Deepakbhai will become the decorum that will add splendor to the Lord’s reign. Pujya Deepakbhai, in keeping with Dada’s and Niruma’s tradition travels extensively within India and abroad, giving satsangs and imparting the knowledge of the Self to all who come seeking.

Powerful words in scriptures help the seeker in increasing his desire for liberation. The knowledge of the Self is the final goal of all one’s seeking. Without the knowledge of the Self there is no liberation. This knowledge of the Self (Atma Gnan) does not exist in books. It exists in the heart of a Gnani. Hence, the knowledge of the Self can only be acquired by meeting a Gnani. Through the scientific approach of Akram Vignan, even today one can attain Atma Gnan, but it can only occur by meeting a living Atma Gnani and receiving the Atma Gnan. Only a lit candle can light another candle.

EDITORIAL

Should there not be some unfailing remedy for those who are sincerely trying to move forward along the path of liberation? There should be some remedy to successfully remove all kashays (internal anger, pride, deceit, greed, attachment and abhorrence) that hinder people every moment of their lives. How is one to remove the gross and subtle conflict from his life? How do we prevent ourselves from being hurt or hurting others? How can we shelter ourselves from the kashays that bombard us? How do we stop them from recurring?

Many of us have faithfully adhered to religious rituals. We have surrendered ourselves to strict penance, fasting, meditation and other such austerities, only to discover that we still make mistakes through our mind, our speech and our conduct. Why have we not found inner peace? What should we do when we realize our faults and how should we get rid of them? There should be some method through which we can eliminate kashays from our lives and progress spiritually towards liberation. Surely there should be a way to live happily with peace and love. What spiritual knowledge have the Vitarag Lords (the supreme enlightened Beings) bestowed upon the world? What is true religion? Is there any assurance that one can be absolved for the sins he commits? And if there is such a method, why is it not evident?

One can attain an abundance of knowledge from scriptures, but why can he not incorporate it into his daily life? Ascetics and spiritual teachers continue to preach, but where do they fall short in getting the desired results? Practically every religion mandates stringent rituals and austerities, yet why does the aspirant not achieve any results? Why do his kashays not decrease or his sins erase? Does the liability for all this not fall upon the heads of religion? This statement is not made with any malice, but with compassion. There should be some way to eliminate our problems. What have the Gnanis and the Tirthankars said about one’s progress from the state of ignorance to the attainment of Absolute Knowledge (Keval Gnan)? How can we be liberated from the bondage of our past karma, and the bondage created through our inherent attachment and abhorrence (raag-dwesh)?

It is said that the path of liberation is for the brave and not for cowards, but where should this valor be used to expedite liberation? Is it possible for a person with a lot of bad karma to attain good karma?

How can you suppress the fires of suffering that torment you throughout your life? How can a man cope with a domineering wife, difficult children and his financial worries that overshadow his peace, day and night?

How can one recover from incessant kashays that exist between a guru and a disciple? When a person expends his mind, speech and body by committing adultery or cheating others out of their wealth, where else but in hell or lower life forms can he expect to take birth in his next life? And if one has done so, how can he become free from the consequences of his actions? How can one remain cautious so as to not fall prey to such acts? What are the answers to such questions that have agonized people for time immemorial?

Every human makes mistakes against his will. People become trapped in their own mistakes and suffer incessantly due to their earnest desire to be free of such mistakes, find inner happiness and progress towards their liberation.

The Tirthankars and the Gnanis have given this world the only weapon to combat such suffering, and that weapon is the spiritual science of alochana (confession of one’s mistakes), pratikraman (asking for forgiveness), and pratyakhyan (firm resolve and determination never to repeat the mistake). Infinite beings have achieved the wealth of liberation with this weapon by destroying the very root from which a vast tree of hatred and abhorrence grows. Gnani Purush, Dada Bhagwan, through his Keval Gnan (Absolute Enlightenment) expounded in his spoken words the science of pratikraman, precisely as it is. His spoken words are to be found in this book, along with many other books; words which will prove invaluable to the aspirant of truth and liberation.

The speech of the Gnani is dependent upon the individual that he is addressing. The answers the Gnani gives are aimed to bring about a solution for a specific problem for an individual in front of him. Therefore, at times these spoken words, when compiled in book form, may appear contradictory. For instance, for the inner satisfaction of one individual the Gnani may say, ‘Pratikraman is awareness and atikraman is discharge (of karma).’ But for the individual with heightened inner awareness, the Gnani may say, ‘Atikraman is discharge, and so is pratikraman. Discharge has to be destroyed by discharge.’ Both the answers are correct as a solution for the particular individual concerned, but they are relatively contradictory because of the difference in predicaments of each individual concerned. In short, the reader is asked to understand the subtleties of the Gnani.

With this in mind, we beseech the reader’s forgiveness for any apparent flaws in this compilation. It is our sincere hope that the reader attains the inner essence of the Gnani’s words.

- Dr. Niruben Amin