Dadashri: There are two kinds of saar (the essence or substance) in the world — Dharmasaar (the essence of religion) and samaysaar (the essence of the smallest fraction of time or the Self). What do we call religion (dharma)? If one attains the essence of religion (dharmasaar), then one is said to have attained religion. What is the essence of religion (dharmasaar)? It is when one does not have any artadhyan (adverse internal meditation that hurts the self) or raudradhyan (adverse internal meditation that hurts the self and the others). A person can eat, drink, go out, make money or do anything else, but as long as he has no artadhyan or raudradhyan, it is considered dharmasaar and marmasaar (the essence of the meaning of religion) which would also be liberation. The essence (saar) derived from the meaning of religion (dharma) is called marmasaar or liberation (mukti).

What is the essence of all the religions? It is to see whether or not artadhyan and raudradhyan are dispelled. If they have not gone, then one is not in religion. Have they decreased? To which a person would respond ‘yes’. If they have decreased, then maybe we can say that he is in religion (dharma). However, if they have not decreased but occur with increasing frequency, it would not be right to say that he is in religion.

What is the essence of religion (dharmasaar)? It is that if you are provoked, you do not see fault in the other person. What is the essence of the world (jagatsaar)? It is the pleasures of the senses (vishay sukh). What is the essence of religion (dharmasaar)? It is where artadhyan and raudradhyan do not occur. Dharmasaar is the principal essence of the world. When swa-parinati (the natural state of the Self) arises, it means that samaysaar (the essence of time) has arisen.

What Is Religion? What Is Science?
There is a difference between religion and science. Science has siddhant (irrefutable principles), and religions are all ‘relative’; their fruits are ‘relative’, and even their actions are ‘relative’. Anything that you do with the underlying belief of ‘I am Chandubhai*’ is religion. But to know something precisely ‘as it is’ is called science. When you have become nihshank (free from doubt), having realised your own Self, and you see things ‘as they are’, it is called science (vignan). Science is always non-contradictory. It will show everything ‘as it is’, as it will only show the facts. It is like this: Say, ‘You are Chandubhai*’. If you insult someone, then it will be adharma (irreligion), and if you give someone something good to eat and drink and put his mind at ease, then it will be called religion (dharma). And if you hurt someone, or make someone feel bad or uneasy, it will be called adharma. ‘Relative’ (non-Self) things give rise to the ‘relative’, and the ‘real’ (the Self) never gives rise to the ‘relative’. The ‘real’ only arises from the ‘real’. The only thing that remains is the realisation of the ‘real’ (the Self). At the moment, you have the illusory beliefs: ‘All things run because of my power (Shakti); God did this; my horoscope (stars) is not in my favour...’ In fact, the real ‘doer’ is some other entity.

The entire world exists in the form of science, but because it has not known this, it is in the pursuit of religion. If only people would understand the science that this is all it is and how it works, they would be set free. It is this very incomprehension that is extremely puzzling!

*The reader should read his name in place of Chandubhai.

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