WHO AM I ?
The Book that begins the journey of Liberation
Of spiritual Question & Answers by
Who
Presents Akram Vignan to the World
EDITORIAL
Dr. Niruben Amin
There is more to life than just living. There has to be more to life than to just live. There should be a higher purpose in life. The purpose of life is to come to the real answer of ‘Who am I?’ This is the unanswered question of infinite previous lives. The missing links of the search for ‘Who am I?’ are now being provided through the words of the Gnani Purush (the enlightened One ). These words have been edited for the purpose of comprehension.
Who am I? What am I not? Who is the Self? What is mine? What is not mine? What is bondage? What is moksha (liberation)? Is there a God? What is God? Who is the ‘doer’ in the world? Is God the ‘doer’ or not? What is the real nature of God? What is the nature of the real ‘doer’ in this world? Who runs the world? How does it function? What is the real nature of illusion? Whatever one knows, is it real or is it an illusion? Will one become free or remain bound with the knowledge one has?
This book will give the precise understanding of the truth behind these questions. In addition, the reader of these pages is introduced to the essence of Akram Vignan (the direct step less path to liberation).
Dr. Niruben Amin
1986
NOTE ABOUT THIS TRANSLATION
Ambalal M. Patel , Gnani Purush, also commonly known as Dadashri or Dada always used to say that it is not possible to exactly translate his satsang about the Science of Self- realization and the art of worldly interaction in English. Some of the depth of meaning would be lost. He stressed the importance of learning Gujarati to understand all his teachings exactly.
Dadashri did grant his blessings to convey his teachings to the world through translations in English and other languages.
This is an humble attempt to present to the world the essence of the teachings of The Gnani Purush Dadashri. To preserve the tone and message of the satsang, much care has been excercised. This is not a literal translation of his words. Many persons have worked diligently for this work and we thank them all.
This is an elementary introduction to the vast treasure of his teachings. Please note that any errors encountered in the translation are entirely those of the translators.
INTRODUCTION OF THE GNANI
On a June evening in 1958 at around six o'clock, Ambalal Muljibhai Patel, a family man, contractor by profession, was sitting on a bench of a busy platform number three at Surat 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, his ego melted totally and completely. From that time, onwards he became completely detached from all thoughts, speech and acts of Ambalal and he became a living instrument of The Lord for salvation of the world through the path of knowledge. He called this Lord, Dada Bhagwan. ‘, This Lord is fully manifest within me,’ he told, to all he met. Furthermore he added that, ‘ the same Lord, Dada Bhagwan exists in all living beings. The difference between you and me is that in me, The Lord has expressed fully in me and in you he is 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 anaswered. Thus, nature offered absolute vision to the world through the medium of Shri Ambalal Muljibhai Patel.
Ambalal was born in Tarasali a suburb of the city of Baroda and raised in Bhadran, Central Gujarat. Although a contractor by profession, and married to Hiraba, his life at home and with the world was exemplary prior to his Self Realisation. After attaining Self realization and attaining the state of a Gnani, (The Awakened One, Jnani in Hindi) his body became a public charitable trust.
Throughout his life he lived by the principle that there should not be any commerce in religion, and in all commerce there must be religion. Also he never took any money from anyone for his own use. He used the profits from his business to take his devotees for pilgrimage in various parts of India.
His words became the foundation for the new direct step less path to 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. He called it Akram Vignan (Step less Science, elevator path). Akram means without steps and kram means to rise step by step. Akram means without any steps. Kram here means orderly, step-by-step spiritual progress. Akram Vignan is now recognized as a direct shortcut to the bliss of the Self.
When he explained 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 manifest within, is 'Dada Bhagwan'. He is the Lord within. He is within you and everyone else. He has not yet manifest within you, whereas within me he is manifest. I myself am not a Bhagwan. I bow down to the Dada Bhagwan within me.’
‘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, won’t they?’
~Dadashri
Greatly Revered 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. In his final days in fall of 1987, he graced Dr. Niruben Amin, and gave her the siddhis to continue his Work.
After Dadashri left his mortal body on January 2, 1988. Dr. Niruben has continued his Work, traveling within India to cities and villages; and abroad in the USA, Canada, UK and Africa. She is Dadashri’s representative of Akram Vignan. She has been instrumental in expanding the key role of Akram Vignan as the simple and direct path to Self Realization for modern times. Thousands of spiritual seekers have taken advantage of this opportunity and they are established in the experience of pure Soul while carrying out their worldly duties. They experience freedom, here and now, while living their daily life.
Powerful words in scriptures help the seeker in increasing the desire for liberation and thus they represent the path. The knowledge of the Self is the final goal of all seeking. Without the knowledge of the Self there is no liberation. This knowledge of the Self (Atmagnan) 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 the 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 (knowledge of The Self). Only a lit candle can light another candle.
GEMS OF WISDOM
which investigates, ‘Who am I?’ and ‘Who is the doer?’ is the final religion. This is the absolute religion. Absolute religion imparts liberation.
Once the wrong belief that ‘I am the doer’ is destroyed and the nature of the real doer is known, all our puzzles are solved.
Gnan is knowing ‘Who am I’ and ‘Who I am not’.
‘I’ and ‘My’ are always separate. There is not a single characteristic of ‘I’ in ‘My’, and ‘My’ in ‘’I’.
‘My’ can only be understood exactly once ‘I’ is realized.
The slightest element of ‘My’ is an illusion.
Knowing ‘Who am I?’ results in loss of ego. Otherwise it is not possible.
It is impossible to know the Self through one’s own efforts. This is because ego is required to make any effort.
It is not important to make one realize that ‘I am not the doer’. It is important to realize that ‘I am pure Self’.
For Self-realization, a Gnani Purush is needed. The Gnani Purush is able to dissolve your ego because he is completely devoid of ego.
WHO AM I ?
Dadashri: What is your name?
Questioner: My name is Chandulal.
Dadashri: Are you really Chandulal?
Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri: Chandulal is your name. Is Chandulal not your name? Are you yourself Chandulal or is your name Chandulal?
Questioner: It is my name.
Dadashri: Then who are you? If Chandulal is your name then who are you? Are you and your name not separate? If you are separate from your name, then who are you? Do you understand what I am trying to say? If you say, "These are my eye-glasses," then you and the glasses are separate, right? Similarly, do you not feel that you are separate from your name?
In the same token there is nothing wrong with naming a shop ‘General Traders’. If we were to call out to the shop owner, "Hey! General Traders ...come here!” he would reply, "My name is Jayantilal, General Traders is the name of my shop". The owner, the shop and the merchandise inside the shop, are all separate entities. What do you think?
Questioner: That makes sense.
Dadashri: People insist, “No, I am Chandulal”. That means, ‘I am the owner of the shop and I am also the sign on the shop.’ ‘Chandulal’ is just a means for identification.
From your very childhood, people kept calling you ‘Chandu’ and you have come to believe, ‘I am Chandu’. You believe this name to be you. In reality you are not that, but you insist that you are Chandulal because everyone tells you so. Since you do not know who you really are, you believe yourself to be the name that you have been given. This has had a very powerful psychological effect on you. This effect which is deeply ingrained within you, that you believe that you are Chandulal. This belief is wrong. Because of this wrong belief, you have experienced countless lives ‘sleeping with your eyes open’.
Dadashri: Will you not have to investigate who you really are? How long can you go on being in the dark unaware of your Self? Do you not think it is ignorance to not investigate your true identity?
Until you realize who you really are, everything proves to be wrong and incorrect.
Even before you purchased this watch, did you not inquire about its make, quality, price, warranty, etc.? Then, is it not ironic that you have not made inquires about your own Self yet? Who are you? You have no knowledge about your real identity, where you come from and where you are. You know none of these things and even without knowing the answer to this one vital question, Who am I?; you complicate your life further by actively participating in this relative world. In this state of ignorance you further complicate your life by getting married, having a family, etc, etc. This is how confusion and puzzles arise in the relative world.
Even when you fall asleep at night, you do so as Chandulal. All night long, this wrong belief reinforces itself, becoming stronger and stronger. Only when you realize the answer to ‘Who am I?’ does your wrong belief stop. It is because of this wrong belief; that you have been wandering from one life to another. You do not know your true identity and furthermore you impress upon yourself the belief of that which you are not. You have imposed this wrong belief on your Real Self. Not only this, but you have accepted that 'I am Chandulal' and have behaved accordingly. This false accusation is a blunder. This blunder is the root cause of all suffering. This suffering is in the form of inner restlessness, misery and discontent. Now, you have so many worries because of your belief that ‘I am Chandulal’. This false imposition on the Self, is ignorance and brings forth suffering.
(2) BELIEFS: WRONG AND RIGHT
Dadashri: The belief ,‘I am Chandulal’, does not leave, even in your sleep. And when you get married, people tell you, “You are this woman's husband.” So, you accept the role of a husband, and act like one. After that, through repetition, you keep reinforcing the belief of being a husband. Is anyone a husband forever? If you get a divorce will you still be her husband? All these wrong beliefs are deeply ingrained within you.
The first wrong belief is that 'I am Chandulal'. ‘I am this woman's husband’, is the second wrong belief. ‘I am a Hindu’, is the third wrong belief. ‘I am a lawyer’, is the fourth wrong belief. ‘I am this boy's father’, is the fifth wrong belief. ‘I am an uncle’, is the sixth wrong belief. ‘I am fair-skinned’, is the seventh wrong belief. ‘I am forty-five years old’, is the eighth wrong belief. ‘I am a businessman’, is also a wrong belief. If you say that “I am a taxpayer”, then that is yet, another wrong belief. How many such wrong beliefs do you have?
Questioner: Too many wrong beliefs.
Dadashri: Wherever you super-impose ‘I’, where ‘I’ does not belong, that is a wrong belief. You have to get rid of all these wrong beliefs. How can you be happy with so many wrong beliefs? Now tell me. What kinds of beliefs make a man happy?
Questioner: The person without belief, is happy.
Dadashri: No, one cannot live without beliefs. What you need is the right belief.
Questioner: Is it possible to be without any beliefs?
Dadashri: Suppose we want to go from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Instead, we take the road going to San Diego. Then do we not have to back track from San Diego to Los Angeles (our original place)? Likewise, it is important to keep this right belief in order to come back to our original place. Once you get rid of the wrong beliefs and keep the right belief for a while, you will arrive at your original place, after which there will no longer be a need to keep any beliefs. Then your work is accomplished.
Now, how will you get rid of all these wrong beliefs?
Questioner: I don't know. I need your guidance for that.
Dadashri: Yes, it is because a person does not have the knowledge of how to get rid of this wrong belief that he has been wandering aimlessly in the world life after life. Even if he comes to know that this belief is wrong, he does not know how to get rid of it? Infinite lives have passed without getting rid of even a single wrong belief.
‘I’ IN THE WRONG LOCATION.
Dadashri: This belief, ‘I am Chandulal’ is ahamkar(ego). To impose ‘I’ where ‘I’ does not belong is ahamkar (ego).
Questioner: How can there be ego in saying I am Chandulal? If I say, “I am great” or “I am the smartest man in the world”, then it would be a different matter. But if I naturally say, “I am Chandulal”, then where is the ego in that?
Dadashri: Even if you say so naturally, does the ego go away? Even if you say, “My name is Chandulal”, naturally and simply, it is still called ego. Ego is when you do not know who you are and you identify with what you are not.
‘I am Chandulal’ is for a dramatic (for playing your role in the worldly interactions) purpose only. There is no harm in saying, “I am Chandulal”, but the belief that ‘I am Chandulal’ should not be ingrained within you. It should be for dramatic and identification purpose only.
Questioner: Yes, otherwise I am Chandulal will take hold.
Dadashri: If the ‘I’ is in its real ‘I’ location, then it is not ego. If you believe ‘I am Chandulal’, then the superimposition of the ‘I’ on Chandulal is ego. When you identify ‘I’ with your real Self (its proper place), then it is not ego. If the ‘I’ comes out of its incorrectly positioned place (Chandulal) and assumes its real place, then the ego is gone. Therefore, you do not have to get rid of the ‘I’, but you just need to put the ‘I’ in its correct location.
People use the word mithyatva—wrong belief freely, but no one has ever explained to them what it really means. That is why the world continues to be in such state of turmoil. These wrong beliefs are mithyatva. It is not mithyatva to wear fashionable clothes or get married. The wrong beliefs are the only mithyatva and when one acquires the right belief, it is called samyak darshan or samyaktva (enlightened world-view, true understanding). The belief, through which one ‘sees’ as the Soul, is samyak darshan.
There is a need to acquire the enlightened view. The enlightened view occurs when all these wrong beliefs are destroyed and the right belief is established. This is when one can see the world exactly as it is.
Until now, you were not even aware that all your beliefs are wrong. Until now, your belief was that ‘I am Chandulal’. But all these are mere adjustments, temporary adjustments only. All these relatives are temporary adjustments and ‘You’ are permanent. However, you do not have the awareness of the permanent yet.
This is an effort on one’s part to remain hidden from one's own Self for endless lives. Is it not strange that for infinite lives one has remained hidden from his Real Self and yet he knows everything that is related to the non-self? How long do you think he will remain hidden from his Real Self? This life is meant for the realization of one’s Real Self. The human life is expressly meant for the investigation of one’s true identity. Otherwise, one will wander aimlessly. Do you not think it is imperative that you will need to know the answer to ‘Who am I?’ Will you not need to enquire about who you really are?
(3) EXPERIMENT TO SEPARATE ‘MY’ AND ‘I’
Questioner: Dada what technique or method is there by which I can come to know my Real Self?
Dadashri: ‘I’ is the elemental form and ‘My’ is a circumstantial form. The circumstantial form and the elemental form are always separate. ‘I’ is the natural elemental form.
‘I’ is God and ‘My’ is maya (illusion). Everything that falls under ‘My’ is illusion. ‘My’ is all maya. ‘My’ is filled with all varieties of maya. The moment you say ‘My’, you are under the influence of maaya. Whenever you say ‘My’, you become attached to whatever you refer to as ‘My’. ‘I’ thus attaches to ‘My’. ‘My’ cannot attach to ‘I’. ‘My’ is relative to ‘I’.
‘I’ is the only independent form. Everything that falls under ‘My' is alien and not related to the Self. The body (cosmic flux of input and output) also falls under ‘My’. In the relative world you have to say “my’” or “this is mine”, but from within, your internal understanding should be that ‘it is not really mine’. When a person achieves this understanding, nothing bothers him. There is nothing wrong in speaking this way but from within one should decide what really belongs to him. If a police officer makes an inquiry at your house and asks whose house it is, you will have to say, “It is my house”, but from within you should have an understanding that it is not yours. It is the inner understanding that makes the difference. The real ‘I’ has no possessions.
‘My’ is the ‘relative department’ and it is a temporary state, while ‘I’ is the ‘Real department’ and it is the permanent state. ‘I’ can never be temporary. Therefore, of the two, you need to pursue ‘I’.
If I tell you to separate ‘I’ and ‘My’ with a ‘separator’, would you be able to do so? Do you not think it is important to separate the ‘I’ and ‘My’? Eventually you will have to know this. Separate ‘I’ and ‘My’. Just as there is a method to separate curd and whey, there is a way to separate the ‘My’ and the ‘I’.
Now, do you identify with the ‘My’? Is the ‘I’ alone, or is it with ‘My’?
Questioner: ‘My’ is always there.
Dadashri: What all things fall under ‘My’?
Questioner: My home and all the things inside my home.
Dadashri: Are all of those things yours? To whom does the wife belong?
Questioner: She is also mine.
Dadashri: And these children?
Questioner: They are also mine.
Dadashri: And this watch?
Questioner: That is also mine.
Dadashri: And these hands, whose hands are these?
Questioner: They are also mine.
Dadashri: Then you will say “My head, my body, my feet, my ears, my eyes.” All these parts of your body fall under ‘My’. But then who is the person that is saying this word “My”? Who is the one that says all these things are “mine”? Have you ever thought about that? When you say “My name is Chandulal” and then you turn around and say, “I am Chandulal” do you not think there is a contradiction in this?
Questioner: Yes, I think so.
Dadashri: You are Chandulal right now. In this Chandulal there is both ‘I’ and ‘My’. They are like the two railway lines of ‘I’ and ‘My’; they always run together yet they are always separate. They are always parallel and never become one. Despite this you believe them to be one. This is due to the ignorance or unawareness of your true identity. Having understood this, separate the ‘My’. Keep all that comes under ‘My’ to one side. For example, ‘My heart,’ keep your heart on one side. What other things do we need to separate from this body?
Questioner: The feet and all the sense organs.
Dadashri: Yes the five organs of perception (gnanendriyas) and five organs of action (karmendriyas)) and everything else. Furthermore do you say “My mind” or “ I am mind?”
Questioner: We say, “My mind”.
Dadashri: Do you not also say, “My intelligence”?
Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri: And “My chit (citta, the inner organ that sees from previous experience)”?
Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri: Then do you say, “My egoism” or do you say, “I am egoism?”
Questioner: My egoism.
Dadashri: So even egoism is not a part of you. By saying “My egoism”, you will be able to separate that too, but you are not aware of other components that fall under ‘my’. That is why you are not able to do a complete separation. Your awareness has limitations. You are aware of only the gross (sthoola) components, beyond which there are subtle (sookshma) components. The subtle components also need to be separated, after which there are two more levels of subtlety, subtler (sookshmattar) and subtlest (sookshmattam), which also need to be taken away. Only a Gnani Purush is able to achieve a separation at these intangible levels. Is it not possible to separate the two? If you keep on deducting ‘My’ from ‘I’, at every step and level and put all the things that fall under ‘My’ on one side, then what will remain?
Questioner: The ‘I’.
Dadashri: That ‘I’, is precisely what you are. That is the ‘I’ that you need to realize.
Questioner: After such a separation am I to understand that whatever is left over, is who I really am? Is that the Real I?
Dadashri: Yes, after separation whatever is left, is your Real Self. ‘I’, is the Real You. Should you not inquire into this? Is this method of separating the ‘I’ from ‘My’ not simple?
Questioner: It appears to be simple but how are we going to make the separation at the sookshmatar and sookshmatam levels? Without a Gnani, this is not possible.
Dadashri: Yes. That is what the Gnani Purush does for you. That is why I say separate ‘I’ and ‘My’ with the ‘Gnani's separator’. What do all the teachers of our scriptures call this separator?
They call it bheda Gnan. It is the Science of separation. How are you going to take away the ‘My’ without this Science? You do not have the precise knowledge of what comes under ‘I’ and what comes under ‘My’. Bhed Gnan means ‘I’ am totally separate from everything that is mine. It is only through meeting a Gnani Purush that one acquires this science of separation.
Is it not simple once this separation between the ‘I’ and the ‘My’ is made? Does not the Science of Self-Realization become simple this way? The method I have shown makes further progress in Atmagnan easy. Otherwise in this day and age, one can go on reading the scriptures to the point of exhaustion and still not attain Self-Realization.
Questioner: We need someone like you to help us understand all this, do we not?
Dadashri: Yes, it is absolutely necessary. Unfortunately meeting a Gnani Purush is very rare. In fact, it is indeed an extremely rare occasion when a Gnani Purush comes into existence. At such a time, you need to seize the opportunity and acquire Self-Realization from him. There is no charge for this. It does not cost you anything. Furthermore, the Gnani can give you this separation within one hour. Once you have acquired the knowledge of the Real 'I', everything is accomplished. This is the total essence of all scriptures.
If you want material things then you will have to keep the ‘My’ but if you want to become liberated then you will need to relinquish ownership or surrender (surrender by means of understanding only) everything that falls under the category of ‘My’. Surrender all that is ‘mine’ or ‘My’ to the Gnani Purush and you will be left with only the ‘I’. The realization of ‘Who am I?’ is associated with the loss of ‘My’. If ‘My’ becomes separate, then everything becomes separate. The belief‘I am, and all this is mine’ is the state of the worldly being (jivatamadasha). This is the belief of the worldly unenlightened person. A person with this belief is a jivatma. The belief “I Am” and all of this is not mine’ (an inherent understanding that comes about as a result of Self- Realization) is the sate of the Supreme Being (paramatmadasha). Everything associated with ‘My’ are obstacles on the path of liberation. Once ‘My’ becomes detached from the ‘I’, everything becomes clear. The realization of ‘Who Am I?’ is spontaneously associated with the loss or detachment of ‘My’.
(4) WHO IS THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE?
ONLY THE GNANI SHOWS YOU THE REAL ‘I’
Questioner: How is it possible to understand and realize the Real ‘I’ when we are living in this worldly life?
Dadashri: Where else are you going to realize the Real ‘I’? Is there any other place besides this world where one can live? Everyone in this world must live in it. It is here in this world that you can know your Real Self. This is the science of understanding ‘Who am I?’ Come to me and I will make you realize your true Self.
In the process of this realization, I am not asking you to do anything, because it is not within your capacity. That is why I am telling you that I will do everything for you. You do not have to worry about anything. The first thing we need to know is who we really are and that which is worth knowing. What is the real Truth? What is this whole world about? What is all this? What or who is God?
Is there a God? Yes, indeed there is God and that God is with you. Why are you searching for him on the outside? When someone opens the door for you, can we get His darshan (see him). The door has been shut so tightly, that it is impossible to open it on your own. Only a person who is Self-Realized (a Gnani Purush) can show you the path and open this door for you.
The Absolute ‘I’ within you is God. Beyond this, there is no other God or a superior above you. There is no almighty power to rule over you. You are completely independent. There is no one that can hurt or hinder you. The only thing that can hurt or hinder you, are your own mistakes.
Not only do you not have a boss, but also no one can bother you or interfere with you. There are innumerable life forms but none of them ever interferes with you. In addition, those that do, do so because of your own mistakes. You, yourself had previously caused interferences and therefore, are now facing the consequences of your past actions. I see this in my Gnan vision. I am telling you this as I see it.
In the following two sentences, I guarantee a man his liberation. These are:
“You do not have any boss in this world. Your boss is your blunders and your mistakes. In the absence of these two, you are the Supreme Lord”
And…
“No one can ever interfere with you. This world is such that no one living being is in a position where it can ever interfere with another.”
These two sentences will resolve all your conflicts and bring peace and harmony to you.
(5) WHO IS THE DOER IN THE WORLD?
Ignorance of reality has resulted in all this obscurity and confusion. Therefore, do you now wish to know about things that are known or do you wish to know that which is not known?
What is this world all about? How did it come into existence? Who is the Creator? What is our role and relationship with everybody in this world? How should we deal with our relatives? How does business occur? Am I the 'doer' of anything or is there another ‘doer’? Is it not important to know all these answers?
Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri: Let us talk about what needs to be known first. Who do you think created this world? Who do you think made such a complex, entangled world? What is your opinion?
Questioner: Only God must have made it.
Dadashri: Then why is the entire world filled with worries? Everyone has worries. There is no being free from worries.
Questioner: That is because everyone worries.
Dadashri: Yes, but if God made this world, then why did he make it full of worries? If he is guilty of creating such miseries then we should have him arrested. In reality, God is not guilty. The people of the world have made him the culprit by calling him the creator of this world.
In reality, God is not the creator of this world at all. All of this is only Scientific Circumstantial Evidence. Therefore, all of this is a natural creation. In Gujarati, I call it Vyavasthit Shakti (Scientific Circumstantial Evidence). This is a very subtle fact.
THIS CANNOT BE CALLED LIBERATION
A child will say, “God made this.” Even a renowned holy man will say, “God made this.” This is a worldly viewpoint. It is not the Real viewpoint.
If God was the creator, then he would perpetually become our boss and there would be no such thing as liberation. However, there is liberation. God is not the creator of this world. People who understand liberation will never accept God as a creator. Liberation and God as a ‘creator’ are two contradictory statements. Creator means someone who does you a permanent favor and if God is such an entity, then you will always be indebted to him. As your creator, God will always be your boss and you will always be his subordinate. Even when you attain liberation, he will be your superior, will he not?
Questioner: Yes, he will be our superior permanently.
Dadashri: Yes, he becomes our permanent ‘boss’ and therefore there is no liberation. Then liberation is not liberation. Instead, the ‘liberation’ with one’s wife would be