Dadashri: What is prarabdha? It is not in our hands (satta). It is under the control of another, and yet if we believe that it is in our control, that is our purusharth. “I did this, I did that”. Although you are not the one doing it, you claim that you are. This is your misconception which is a purusharth. It is called an illusory effort (bhrant purusharth). And from the moment the awareness that ‘I am not the doer’ arises, the illusory effort (bhrant purusharth) stops, and the purusharth towards moksha begins.

Questioner: Will the feeling of “I am not the ‘doer’” occur only if it is in the destiny?

Dadashri: It will only occur if it is in the destiny. However, it will not work just by saying that it is all in the destiny. After attaining the Atma (the Self), the real purusharth begins. If not, there is always the illusory effort! There is the illusory effort of the illusion (that ‘I am Chandubhai*’), and there is the real purusharth of Gnan (that ‘I am pure Soul’). Both continue to occur. The purusharth of Gnan will take you to moksha, and the purusharth of the illusion will make you wander around interminably in the worldly life.

Questioner: Prayatna (effort), prarabdha and purusharth – are all three the same?

Dadashri: Prarabdha and prayatna are the same thing. They are both ‘children’ of the same ‘parents’. And what is considered real purusharth? It is that which is not mixed. It is integral. It does not need anything else. In real purusharth, you are not dependent on anything. It can be done whenever you want to do it; whereas, for the so-called purusharth of this worldly life, you can only get to the station if your legs are in good shape (healthy). You can only function properly, providing you do not have a headache. So you can say that everything is dependent on other factors. It is with expectations (sapeksha), whereas, real purusharth is independent and without expectation. You will find solutions to everything, if you come into real purusharth.

Questioner: I was on the Kramic path, and today my focus (dhyan) has turned towards the Akram path. So should I consider that as my purusharth or the effect of my destiny?

Dadashri: That is considered as fruition of your merit karma (punya). Your destiny (bhagya – unfolding of karma) brought you here. Then ‘we’ gave you Gnan. Which made you a Purush, and now having become a Purush, Your purusharth has begun. As long as there is the belief of ‘I am doing’, it cannot be considered purusharth. After you attained the knowledge of the Self, you have learnt how to ‘See and Know’. After you know that you are the knower (Gnata), and Chandubhai* is gneya (the object to be known), the real purusharth begins. There is only the Self (Atma) and the non-Self (prakruti). The prakruti is dependent on karmic effect (prarabdha). The inner intent (bhaav) naturally arises because of kriya (actions of the prakruti). This inner intent (bhaav) is the purusharth for the next life. But people do not know that it is illusory effort (bhrant purusharth)! That which charges karma for the next life is illusory effort (bhrant purusharth), and all the rest are prarabdha (effect of karma in this life).

*The reader should read his own name.

To be Continued…

For more information on Dadashri's spiritual science, visit dadabhagwan.org