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

‘Dear Dada Bhagwan, this mind has had negative thoughts for which I ask your forgiveness. Please forgive me!’

I too do pratikraman with Him as the witness.

Seeker: So then what is our duty in this worldly life (sansar)?

Dadashri: You have to see how this worldly life is unfolding by being a witness (sakshi bhaav). And if the ego arises, you have to ask for forgiveness from the Lord. Any place where the ego of ‘I am the doer’ arises, you have to ask for forgiveness. Do you ask for forgiveness?

Questioner: Yes.

Dadashri: Whose forgiveness do you ask? Do you ask for God’s forgiveness?

Questioner: Yes.

Dadashri: You should ask for God’s forgiveness. That is the only solution, because if you ask for forgiveness, you will be forgiven.

If you make a mistake, then you should say, ‘Dear Lord! I have no desire to make a mistake, and yet it occurs, so please forgive me.’

Questioner: Many times I used to have this question as to why we worship the Lord, and why are we asking for forgiveness from Him.

Dadashri: We are asking for forgiveness for the mistakes that were committed to the world. The one who has not committed a mistake, why does he have to ask for forgiveness?

The Absolute Self is Beyond Karma

Seeker: In order to reach Parmatma (fully enlightened One), if we put aside religion and carry out only good actions, can we reach Him?

Dadashri: No, attaining the state of the absolute Self and karma have nothing to do with each other. If you do good deeds, you are doing dharma, nothing else. When you do bad deeds, you are doing adharma. If you do good deeds, people will say that you are a good person.

Doing good deeds is called dharma and doing bad deeds is called adharma and to transcend dharma and adharma (good deeds and bad deeds) is called Atma-dharma – the religion of the Self. If you do good deeds, you get credit and so you have to come back to enjoy that credit. When you do bad deeds, you create a debit and for that you have to suffer the debit in the next life. Where there is neither credit nor debit, the Self is attained. Where there is not even a dollar’s worth of credit or a debit, there the Self is attained.

Purity Through Repentance

Seeker: Having come into the worldly life, karma is inevitable. What should we do if we knowingly or unknowingly create wrong karma?

Dadashri: If that occurs, there is a remedy for it. Once a wrong karma – anything that hurts others through thoughts, speech or action – occurs, repentance should follow immediately. Repentance should be done wholeheartedly and with sincerity. Even after repentance, should it occur again there is no need to worry; just repent again. You are not aware of the science behind all this, so you may feel that despite your repentance, the wrong karma does not stop. Why it does not stop is also a science in itself. You should simply carry on repenting. If you repent for the wrong karma wholeheartedly, all of it will be washed away. If you hurt someone, then you should absolutely repent.

Seeker: When we carry out our normal daily activities of the body, do we have to repent for it?

Dadashri: Yes of course! Until you become Self-realized, if you fail to repent, you will continue to bind more karma.

Repentance will loosen the entangled knots of karma. If not, the result of the wrongful action you bind will be so horrendous that you may even forfeit human birth in your next life. And if you manage to attain human life again, it will be full of suffering and misery. You will be deprived of food and respect, and you will suffer constant insults. That is why repentance along with other rituals becomes necessary. This is called paroksha bhakti – indirect worship. Indirect worship is necessary until one attains Self-realization.

Now who should be a witness to your repentance? It should be done in the presence of the God you believe in, whether it is Lord Krishna, Dada Bhagwan or any other God. There is a cure for everything in this world. First the cure is born, and then the problem or affliction arises.

Today, the cure for all the diseases that have emerged in the world has already arisen. There is already a medicinal plant growing, and then later the disease arises. Therefore, the world is very exact. You have to go for the cure and solution. The cure is already there!

Kraman, Atikraman, Pratikraman

Why has the world come into existence? It is due to atikraman (aggression towards other living beings through thoughts, speech and action). Kraman (neutral actions; actions that do not have any good or bad implications) alone does not cause any problems. For example, if you go to a restaurant and break two dishes, and leave after paying for them, then it is not considered atikraman and, therefore, pratikraman is not necessary. But if you tell the manager that his waiter has broken them, then that is atikraman. Pratikraman has to be done for the atikraman that was done. Everything else is just kraman anyway. Natural and spontaneous talk is kraman, and there is no problem with that. However, atikraman occurs in this inevitably. Therefore, do pratikraman for it. (Gujarati Book Page-4)

Seeker: How does one know that atikraman has occurred?

Dadashri: You will know and so will the other person. You will know it from the expression on his face and you will be affected too. It will affect you both. That is why pratikraman should be done.

If a policeman tries to stop you and you do not stop; that is considered atikraman and for that you have to do pratikraman. Otherwise, you will have to go to court.

When we eat, it is not considered atikraman. Is having your hair cut considered atikraman?

Questioner: No.

Dadashri: Is shaving atikraman?

Questioner: No.

Dadashri: When you brush your teeth in the morning, is that atikraman?

Questioner: No, not even that.

Dadashri: Anger, pride, deceit and greed are all considered atikraman, so if you do pratikraman, they will leave. If you do pratikraman immediately after atikraman, the anger, pride, deceit and greed will disappear.

Endless Projections Due to Jolts of Ignorance

Every living being (jiva) is ‘projecting’ (planning, intention, bhaav), not due to its natural disposition but due to external forces. And we should continue doing pratikraman. This occurs due to the force of ignorance (agnan – ignorance of the Self) due to circumstances. We should keep doing pratikraman.

There is not only one type of projection; there are endless kinds. Whenever one encounters anything, he will not refrain

from projecting (doing bhaav). If one is on a bridge he will say, ‘Why did they construct this bridge so high?’ He will question that. Hey! What concern is it of yours? Are you married to the bridge? The moment he embarks upon the bridge, he starts this foolishness. The bridge is meant for getting across. There is no other concern with it and yet what does he do? ‘Why did they have to build this bridge so high?’ Do people say such things or not?

Seeker: Yes, they do, and in just five minutes, five thousand phases arise.

Dadashri: You say five thousand, but five minutes means three hundred seconds. Then there are endless samaya (the smallest indivisible time unit) in that second. Therefore, so many phases can arise in a second. This is how one continues to do endless atikraman.

The worldly life has arisen by atikraman and is destroyed by pratikraman.

The Real Meaning of Pratikraman

Questioner: If something unpleasant is occurring, and if I tolerate it, is that what you call pratikraman? (6)

Dadashri: No, you should not ‘tolerate’ but you should do pratikraman.

Questioner: So what is pratikraman?

Dadashri: If a person insults you, you should understand who the real culprit is behind the insult. Is it the one who insults or is it the one who feels insulted? This should be determined first. You should understand that the person who insults you is not at fault, not even to the slightest degree. He is merely a nimit (someone instrumental in the process) and it is due to the unfolding of your very own karma that the two of you are brought together. The fault is your own and you should do pratikraman if any negative feelings arise towards him. If you feel that he is worthless or deceitful, you have to do pratikraman. You do not have to do pratikraman if you have no ill feelings towards him or if you feel obligated to him for being instrumental in the discharge of your karma.

If anyone insults you, it is due to your very own karmic account and you should see the other person as a nimit. Even when your pocket gets picked, the pickpocket is a nimit who is settling your own karmic account. Generally, people blame the nimit and that is the cause of all conflicts.

Walking in the Wrong Direction is Atikraman

In your daily worldly interactions when you do something, you will know that you did something wrong against such and such a person, won’t you? The worldly interactions you carry out are kraman. Kraman means worldly interactions (vyavahar). Now if you have a misunderstanding with someone, you will realize that you used harsh words towards the other person or that you behaved wrongly towards him. Will you not know that? All that is called atikraman.

Atikraman is to walk in the wrong direction, and to walk back the same distance in the right direction is pratikraman.

It is Erased Immediately in This Way

Where there is conflict, there is no pratikraman and where there is pratikraman, there is no conflict.

Give to others what you would like to receive yourself and for that, you will bind merit karma (punya). A person cannot take one word of insult and yet he hurls five insults towards others. It is a grave liability to give to others what you do not like yourself. It should not be so. And if someone uses curse words towards you, it is in accordance with natural justice. Do not ask him why he is doing so. You should accept it as a credit in your karmic account.

Seeker: What occurs if we go to collect money that is owed to us?

Dadashri: He will give you two more insults. And if you ask him why he gave you only two insults, why not three, four or even one, he will tell you, ‘You think I have nothing better to do?’ Therefore, everything is in accordance to the natural justice. So deposit it in your karmic account. You should not retaliate in return, but if you do, then