The Current Living Tirthankara    Shree Simandhar Swami

Namo Arihantanum

Gnani Purush Dadashri Establishes A Direct Connection With The Current Living Tirthankara

For Thousands of Generations With Unprecedented Clarity & Compassion

Cuurent Living Tirthankara

Shri Simandhar Swami

Preface

The way to liberation in the current times

Who doesn’t have a desire to be liberated? Who does not have the wish to attain ultimate aim of human life, liberation moksha? How many of us understand the true nature of moksha and proceed on the way to attain it? Moreover, isn’t there a need for a guide who can show us the right path and help us proceed on it?

  It is described in the scriptures that in Kaliyug - this fifth period of the descending half of the time-cycle, there is no possibility for final liberation from Bharat Khshetra (planet Earth). This is because there is no Tirthanakara now on the Earth. Just because there is no living Tirthankara* (*Tirthankara – A living fully enlightened being whose presence turns every place He goes to into a place of pilgrimage and whose darshan grants final liberation to  the one who has attained Self-realization), is there no way possible for anyone on earth to attain salvation? In the past, there were Tirthankaras and Gnanis (*Gnani – Enlightened beings free from all worldly attachment and who have the siddhi spiritual energy to grace people with Self-realization) who were instrumental in securing salvation of multitudes of people. But now, they are all in the Siddha-Kheshtra* (*Siddha Kshetra - the final location of all liberated souls), so where is the link for salvation at the present time, for us? For those intensely desirous of moksha and whose merit karma come into effect, a Gnani Purush arises and through Him the path of moksha opens up, even in the current time of Kaliyug. In the present day, as a result of the fruition of the highest merit karma of souls destined for moksha in a few life times, a short-cut path has opened up through the Gnani Purush Shri Ambalal Muljibhai Patel. This path is now known as Akram Marg (The path without steps). Shri Ambalal Muljibhai Patel is the originator of the Akram Path; in Him manifested the fully enlightened Lord known as Dada Bhagwan. Through Dada Bhagwan, Self-realization is attained within only two hours.  Self-Realization is enlightenment, experience of the Self. Dada Bhagwan has placed contless people on the path of liberation and these people are living in moksha. Even now, this process is continuing.

  The Gnani Purush, who constantly is in the state of the Self, is constantly in the bliss of the Self. He has attained the solutions to all the secrets of the universe, and points out to those desirous of liberation; that the only path to attain final enlightenment and moksha is to recognize the currently living Tirthankara Lord and establish an unbroken connection with Him. This can be done through unparalleled devotion for Him, and surrender to Him. This will lead eventually to his darshan, and final liberation. This is the only solution.

   However, if final Liberation is not available from this location and if a livingTirthankara is not present here, what is the way to achieve this goal?

   The one and the only way available for us all on Earth, is to attain a connection with the currently living Tirthankar Shri Simandhar Swami, and this is available.

Who is benevolent then?

Currently, Tirthankara Lord Shri Simandhar Swami is present. He is not present in this planet but He is present in another world Mahavideha Kshetra and yet, He is extremely benevolent for our planet Earth (Bharat Khshetra). It is heart wrenching to see that so many people are not acquainted with Him. Yes, some people in the Jain religion know of Shri Simandhar Swami, but their knowledge is limited to only a reference to Him in the ritual of samayik that they do.  Shri Simandhar Swami is the present Arihant* (Arihant – a living fully enlightened being who has destroyed all the inner enemies of pride, anger, deceit and greed). He is benevolent and instrumental for the liberation of all beings on Earth. Since complete familiarity with Him is not there, there is no unparalleled devotion towards Him either. It is possible to attain liberation through Simandhar Swami even in this present time of Kaliyug, but sadly that opportunity and benefit is not being taken.

 The Jains greatly revere and recite the Navkar Mantra* (Navkar mantra - mantra paying obeisance to  all beings of the universe in various stages of Self-realization), but they do not get the full benefit of this mantra.  Is it because there is a fault inherent in the mantra or in the one who recites it? If one were to recite it with the proper understanding, will it not give better results? Dadashri, the Gnani Purush clarified this by stating that the Navkar Mantra is not being done with the proper understanding of its correct meaning. Surely a letter addressed incorrectly is bound to end up in the dead-letter box! So what mistake is being made here? The Gnani Purush explains that the first line of obeisance in the Navkar Mantra, ‘Namo Arihantanam - I bow to the Arihant Lord’, is not directed to the past Chovisi* (Chovisi – a unit of twenty-four Tirthankaras who live in a certain period of one half time-cycle on Earth); it does not refer to the past twenty-four Tirthankaras.  An Arihant is a living Tirthankara and so this obeisance is directed to the current living Tirthankara Lord Shri Simandhar Swami. The Tirthankaras of the past Chovisi are addressed in the second obeisance, ‘Namo Siddhanam – I bow to the Siddha Lords’, because they are presently residing in the Siddha Khshetra where all liberated Souls reside for eternity. Thus, by saying ‘Namo Arihantanam’, the living Shri Simandhar Swami is to be worshipped.

  Currently, there are twenty Tirthankaras residing in Mahavideh Khshetra, so why should one worship only Shri Simandhar Swami? Dadashri clarified this by explaining that Lord Simandhar has a special connection with this planet of ours. At some time in the past, his birth may have occurred on this planet, therefore even now, He will not forget this planet! Who but the experienced Gnani can give such a thorough explanation?

   Extremely benevolent Shri Simandhar Swami has been a Tirthankara since the presence of the eighteenth Tirthankara Lord Arahanath on Bharat-Kshetra - this planet of ours! All the Tirthankaras accept Him. So if we accept Him, we too can achieve the fruit that is otherwise unattainable!

Introduction to Lord Simandhar Swami

As if he is seeing before his very eyes, Gnani Purush Dadashri, disclosing the minutest detail, gives the description that Simandhar Swami is currently one hundred seventy five thousand years old and shall remain alive for one hundred twenty five thousand years more. His body size is very very large. His eating and drinking is different from ours. His speech is in the form of deshna* (deshna - ego-less speech that liberates the listener). He is totally and completely free of ego. His speech is without ownership, His speech is without attachment and every living being understands it in his language. He always has compassion for all living beings and  has a constant desire for the benefit of all living beings. He is instrumental for our salvation as He remains  the Self in  absolute knowledge kevalgnan. He establishes a tirtha place of pilgrimage every place He walks. His body’s paramanus (parmanu - infinitesimal sub-atomic particles of matter) are completely pure. He has thirty four such atishayas  extraordinary spiritual energies evident to all. He is endowed with so much merit karma that is not excelled by any other living being. His body is the last one before final liberation charam sharira and endowed with perfect beauty. Upon seeing Him, one gets filled with feelings of unparalleled devotion. For those who have attained Self-realization, Keval Gnan (absolute  knowledge) is attained by just His darshan. When the Lord’s sight is cast upon you, the ‘seal of liberation’ gets stamped on you. He is Enlightened without a guru swayambuddha and is born with three types of knowledge, (mati, shruti and avadhi) and after accepting diksha renouncing the world, He attained the fourth knowledge called manahparyaya gnan which is knowledge of all the phases of the mind, and ultimately the state of kevalgnan absolute enlightenment. His remaining discharge karma are currently being exhausted like water flowing in the river; whereas He remains in the state of absolute knowledge. He has become the instrument for the final liberation of countless people. We heartily bow down million times over to such a perfect, benevolent, living, Arihant Lord and make our life worthwhile with the constant desire to see Him in person.

 Instrumental in the mission of liberation of millions by Shri Simandhar Swami, are sixty-four ganadhars (key associates of the Lord, who are Self-realized beings leading multitude of seekers on the path of liberation), one million great kings with absolute knowledge, one billion male ascetics, one billion female ascetics, nine billion male householder devotees and nine billion female householder devotees; as well as the protecting deities of His reign that include Shri Chandrayan Yakshadev and Shri Panchanguli Yakshinidevi.

  We can read the description of Shri Simandhar Swami in the scriptures, but where else can we see and hear the facts about the Lord as it resides in the heart of the Gnani? The description not found in scriptures, the facts about the secrets of what is in the Tirthankara’s heart is easily understood and experienced in the Gnani Purush’s words. Attaining Tirthankara state is not the result of just one lifetime’s purushartha highest inner effort but it is the result of an ardent benevolence for people’s salvation over many a lifetimes that the Tirthankara lineage is assured. Never to think about one’s own happiness, not to care about eating-drinking, sleeping or anything else, to be spirited for only people’s salvation are the very causes that result in a Tirthankara incarnation. The “codes” of liberating speech of a Tirthankara are charged in such a way that the speech hurts no one, nor does it offend the basis of anyone’s beliefs. From this we can see how high a state one can achieve when one makes a strong decision to not hurt anyone to the slightest extent, and aspire for salvation of all! Mere darshan (devotional viewing) of such a Lord who grants salvation –can secure one’s seal of final moksha.  Nevertheless, the Gnani Purush points out that we will need to have the right vision and understanding in order to identify this Tirthankara Lord, who has the supreme energy to liberate anyone who does His darshan. Only then will we succeed in doing darshan of His exact vitragata (state absolutely free of attachment or abhorrence), and thus attain one-ness with Him and accomplish our goal of moksha.  

The world of Mahavideha Kshetra

What is Mahavideh Khshetra like, where the illuminator of the whole universe, the Lord Shri Simandhar Swami currently lives? The description of Mahavideh Kshetra’s geography is in the scriptures, but when we hear Dadashri’s description, we are awed and convinced that it is not possible to get such an accurate and reliable description without the first-hand experience of being there; His description is beyond the information contained in the scriptures. Gnanis have familiarity of this location through the medium of their subtle body. Its secret cannot be known with our current physical science. We cannot reach there with our physical senses. The Gnani explains that there are cold zones between the Earth and Mahavideh Khshetra and due to these zones it is not possible to go there.

   According to the scriptures, to the north of our Bharat Khshetra (our world), at the distance of 193,150,000 kilometers starts the world of Mahavideh Khshetra of Jambudwip. In this universe, there are fifteen worlds (five Mahavideh Khshetra, five Bharat Khshetra and five Airavat Khshetra) in all where there are human beings and other life forms.  They too have virtuous people and wicked people, kings and such.  They have houses and domestic things. But there is a noticeable difference in the peoples’ physical attributes; their height, breadth and age. Out of these fifteen worlda, a living Tirthankara is not to be found in the five Bharat Kshetras and five Airavat Kshetras during the fifth era of the time-cycle. But in the five Mahavideh Kshetras, currently there is presence of a total of twenty Tirthankaras, who are helping millions of beings attain final moksha from the trap of terrible wanderings in the world of life and death.

  The uniqueness of Mahavideh Khshetra is that there is an eternal presence of the fourth period of the time-cycle. There is a permanent presence of Tirthankara Lord and there is one-ness ekata in people’s mind-speech-body. For this reason, the path to Liberation is permanently open from that world. Whereas, here in Bharat Khshetra, due to the reign of the fifth period of time-cycle; there is no unity of people’s mind-speech-body, therefore, the path to Liberation is not open, however one can definitely attain liberation via Mahavideh Khshetra.

Laws governing changes of location from world to world

  Explaining the law that governs the migration from Bharat Khshetra to Mahavideh Kshetra, Dadashri says that when one’s innate nature becomes compatible to a particular time cycle; one is automatically attracted to the location where that time cycle reigns. Those residing in Bharat Kshetra with merit karma may encounter circumstances to meet with a Gnani Purush, circumstances to abate all their inner enemies - anger, pride, deceit, and greed (kashays) and bring about a change in his or her innate nature.  Then by disposing all their pending karma with equanimity, acquiring a state free from any attachment-abhorrence (raag-dwesh), free from enmity towards anyone, a constant prevailing intention of not wanting to hurt anyone; doing instant pratikraman (repentance and asking for forgiveness) for any inadvertent acts of transgression; such a human being is qualified to live in the fourth period of the time-cycle. If a person feels a tremendous attraction for Simandhar Swami, and has unparalleled devotion towards Him day and night; then he will bind an account with the Lord from this world and in the next life, go near Him.  All this occurs according to law.

For all who are Self-realized and those desirous of liberation

 To those who have attained Self-realization (mahatmas) from Dadashri, He tells them, ‘I am but an instrument nimit only. Simandhar Swami is the real benevolent one. I, too, am to go to Him and I am telling you to worship Him and go near Him.’ After attaining Self-realization, all worship of past Tirthankaras is a discharging karma, but the worship of the current living Thirthankara is a charging karma which falls in the category of punyai anubandhi-punyai, meaning the outward action is due to discharging merit karma, but simultaneously causes for new merit karma are also created. This type of merit karma takes one closer to Simandhar Swami; they facilitate the achievement of all means needed for the ultimate Liberation moksha and thus are helpful in arranging all the needed links to achieving the ultimate goal.

   Mahatmas (those who have attained the Self through Akram Vignan) are convinced with confidence that after attaining Self-realization from Dadashri, by following His five Agnas (His sentences that maintain the state of the Self), and through prashashtha raag  (attachment which liberates) with Shri Simandhar Swami, their next birth which is to take place in Mahavideh Kshetra, is already in the process of being created as per this natural law. In abiding by Dadashri’s five Agnas, there is a charging of merit karma for one or two more lives, which brings one under the protection of Lord Simandhar Swami. For this, one does not need to perform any worldly rituals; one only needs to follow Dadashri’s Agnas. The energy arising from flowing the Agnas  will do all the work.

  The science behind this is, after attaing the knowledge of the Self, one disposes off all past karma, while remaining the Self (Shuddhatma). Thus, there will be no binding of new karma, except those from abiding by Dadashri’s five Agnas, but those karma will lead to moksha. In doing this, no adverse internal meditation (arta dhyana or raudra dhyana) will occur and old karma get disposed off with equanimity. One’s faults are cleared out by doing Pratikraman. There is freedom from karma bondage and from their tubers (collection of karmic atoms of the mind), and by law, one becomes worthy of another world.  Thus one can no longer live here in Bharat Kshetra, so he migrates to Mahavideh Khshetra where the fourth period of time-cycle is constant.

    Revered Dadashri says, “I have relations with Simandhar Swami. For those who follow my Agnas, I am taking the responsibility to take them to moksha.” Just look at Dadashri’s compassion; He says, “I am in liberation. I am in no hurry to reach the state of final liberation moksha. I shall attain moksha after all of you have attained it!” Where else can one see such compassion? Gnani purush who has the only constant desire for people’s salvation is the manifest form of the supreme Self paramatma and we naturally bow to Him with infinite obeisance.

    As a result of the glory of merit karma over millions of lifetimes, one meets such an unattainable Enlightened Gnani; so now we must make a strong decision that by exactly following His Agnas, as explained by Him, by uniting our mind-speech-body, taking the unique shelter of Lord Simandhar Swami, we make progress on the path of Liberation.

Gnani Purush Dadashri – Expounder of the path of liberation

A tremendous amount of worship and devotion is going on in the world, however it is imperative that it be done with the purpose of achieving the goal and the objective. Therefore, it is very essential to become familiar with the Gnani Purush who imparts to us the experience of liberation here and now and also helps us make proper connection with the current living Tirthankara Lord, so that under His guidance our efforts succeed in attaining the ultimate goal of liberation. The Gnani is  the representative of the Tirthankara Lord. The Tirthankara’s extraordinary grace is upon the Gnani Purush and the Gnani Purush does His work of world’s salvation with the inner vision as that of a nimit evidentiary instrument only, in this process. The Gnani Purush has proper connection with Lord Simandhar Swami and is capable of going to Him through the medium of His subtle body to get clarification of questions.

     In spite of such extraordinary capabilities, the Gnani Purush keeps the  Tirthankara Lord as his superior and never falters in the utmost humility towards the Lord. He remains as the smallest of all beings and gives all respect for supremacy to Simandhar Swami. He gives correct explanation to people about the Lord and connects them to Him with an extraordinary technique. As a result, living beings, through devotion for the Lord, attain bliss and that is the exclusive aim of the Gnani Purush. In having no desire for praise and respect for Himself, He establishes Simandhar Swami as the one to worship; the Gnani becomes an ideal example for people of the world to follow.

Worship of celestial Gods and Goddesses

  The Gnani Purush Dadashri gives importance to the worship of all celestial Gods and Goddesses, without partiality. He accepts Gods-Goddesses of all religions with utmost humility and advises us to worship them and do their arati (ritual with sacred lamps). When their worship is performed, all previously committed opposition or offences against them are cleared, thus no claims from anyone of them may remain.  Also these Gods and Goddesses are helpful in removing obstacles that fall on the pathway of our liberation. Moreover, by bowing to them all with the vision towards the eternal, as the pure Self Shuddhatma, the question of being misled or on the wrong path mithyatva, does not arise.

     Since the worship of all Gods-Goddesses who are helpful on the  path of liberation is beneficial to us, we should bow down to all with deep devotion and get their blessings.

Worship of the living idol in the Trimandir

Behind the establishment of temples and idols, there is a great Indian science. Temples are not for gaining pride and fame for one’s self, but they are for the achievement of liberation through proper understanding. If temples are present, then people will do some worship and get some benefit and will stop going in the wrong direction.

 It was Dadashri’s genuine  deep seated desire that Indian people come to learn and know and worship Simandhar Swami, attain His shelter and His grace. Explaining the science behind the temples, he says, ‘These temples are meant for removing separation due to differences of opinions matabheda and for  freedom from  divisiveness in religious factions and sects.’ But in reality, today, just the opposite is taking place. Dadashri used to say, “I cannot bear to see peoples’ pain and suffering. It is my desire that somehow people come out of this divisiveness offaction and sects and become impartial and make progress on the path of liberation! It is Simandhar Swami’s subtle message to create the Trimandir (three separate temples on one platform for the Shaivites, Vaishnavs and Jains ), to make people impartial and to inspire them to move towards the path of liberation. Lord Simandhar Swami is presently living and if His temple is constructed, people will come to know the currently living Lord; they will worship Him and only then will attain liberation. The day Simandhar Swami is worshipped in every home, the day when His temples are built everywhere, the map of India will be quite unique!”

  Worship of idol in the temple is a form of indirect worship (paroksha bhakti) but because Simandhar Swami is currently living, His worship gives the same result as worshipping Him in His presence. There are already temples of Simandhar Swami in some places, but they have not been able to remain free from divisive restrictions of sects and factions. For liberation of the Indian people, it is extremely beneficial to create temples of the living Lord Simandhar Swami that are free from any divisiveness of factions, sects, race or creed.  And for this reason only, did Dadashri promote strongly the construction of the Trimandir. He advocated building such a temple wherein people of all sects might enter without any prejudice regarding their class or caste and be free to worship the Lord. In touching the Lord’s feet with reverence, they will feel blessed and graced. Everyone coming to the temple should feel, ‘this certainly is my Lord.’

   In the Trimandir, the idol of Lord Simandhar Swami is the living image of the Lord of Mahavideha. The Lord is presently manifest, so His paramanus are also very helpful and the Gods and Goddesses who protect Him also give a lot of help to the worshippers and grace them.

   In this Trimandir, everyone desirous of liberation wishing to view the Lord with reverence may easily enter without any objections and without any restrictive and meaningless rules. And it is undeniable that this has become possible today as a result of Dadashri’s strong desire for peoples’ bliss. And we are seeing that people with merit karma who come to the Trimandir and do darshan of the Lord, are getting this true message of impartiality and the total satisfaction of doing real darshan.

Worthy of worship despite having no desire to be worshipped

 A natural sentiment may occur in those who have a deep reverence for the Gnani Purush Dadashri to place his idol in the temple so that the world may learn and know about Him after He is gone, but He has clearly refused this and has said, “Keep the idol of the Lord that is there.  Do not install my idol. I do not want this idol-custom! And for what reason should my idol be installed? I have become content from being worshipped over infinite lifetimes. I have no ambition to be worshipped at all. If you must, then install my idol praying to Lord Simandhar Swami and that too as a symbol that I am yearning to worship and not be worshipped!” What humility! What a gesture of being the smallest! What compassion!!

Even today, the link that liberates continues

  Revered Dadshri’s intense and compassionate desire was that this path of Akram Vignan that has come into existence after one million years should not stop. It must go on. All living begins who are qualified must reach Mahavideh Kshetra after attaining Self-realization here.  For this reason, He has said, “I am going to grant siddhis special energies to some, through my own hands, because later on too, people will need the path, will they not?”

  Even today, through this current link of Atma Gnanis, countless people are attaing Self-realization within only two hours and progressing on the path of liberation.

  We should all make a strong inner intent bhavna that all living beings attain salvation…may all attain moksha.

Such unparallel devotion! Such sacrifice!!

  In 1976, I had the opportunity to serve our revered Dadashri at the time of His sickness at His residence in Mamani Pole in Vadodara. At half past twelve in the afternoon, after lunch, as usual He was sitting on a bench. I was sitting across from Him on a sofa. Right in front of me, Shri Simandhar Swami’s photo was hanging on the wall. While talking, as if some inspiration may have come to Dadashri - or may be it was time to shower His infinite grace upon me - he connected me with Shri Simandhar Swami in an extraordinary manner. I have no words to describe the ultimate blissful state of that time! Since then, until today, as soon as my chit becomes free, it becomes engrossed in Shri Simandhar Swami. On that day there awakened within me, the highest affection for Lord Simandhar Swami as a result of which, the Vitarag Lord’s arati came to be written. The mystery of that phenomenal connection is to be found in this arati.

  Thus, the most graceful Dadashri explained the mystery surrounding the vitarag Lord and made my connection with Him. After this incident, I experienced such wonderful bliss and in the heart grew a strong desire that Shri Simandhar Swami’s devotional singing, worship and arati should be done and His portrait should be placed in every home in India.

   There is a constant flow of desire in the heart that people of this era get connection with Shri Simandhar Swami and attain a place at His holy feet. Or else, this mission of world’s salvation will be impossible. This earth is to remain without a Tirthankara for a very long time. So, if a person gets an early ‘transfer’ to Mahavideh Khshetra, then he can get darshan of Shri Simandhar Swami and move on to attaining final liberation. This whim has taken over the mind that, people in every home should sing Simandhar Swami’s praises and devotional songs and do His arati and place Him in their hearts. And I have a strong conviction and faith that this will happen because the ruling protecting deities of Lord Simandhar Swami; Shri Chandrayan Yakhshadev and Shri Panchanguli Yakhshinidevi are there to protect this mission! The world must attain salvation - why should it not? Helping us is the living Tirthankara Shri Simandhar Swami and moving about here in Bharat Khshetra is the expounder of the Akram path, Gnani Purush Dadashri. Therefore, it is only proper that this will happen and it has happened! Today, Lord Simandhar Swami has reached countless homes and hundreds of thousands of people have attained connection with the Lord and are experiencing bliss.

Dr. Niruben Amin

Current Living Tirthankara 

Shree Simandhar Swami

(1)             The Arihant Lord is Living and Present

Worship with right understanding

Dadashri:  Do you want moksha-liberation?  Do you think about liberation?

Questioner: Of course I want liberation!

Dadashri: So then why are you not seeking it with fervor?  Why not use some influence and connections?

Questioner: Taking the name of God is my way of using some influence and connection. 

Dadashri: Which God do you pray to?

Questioner:  I recite the Navkar Mantra (traditional mantra of the Jains) the whole daylong.

Dadashri: That is fine.  The Navkar Mantra will give peace.  But do you recite the mantra with the understanding of its meaning or without it? 

Questioner:  I have read the book about it, but I do not remember it.

Dadashri: What is the meaning of “Namo Arihantanam”?

Questioner:  I do not know that, sir.  I know that the obeisance is directed towards all the celestial beings.  I do not know anything else.  I have faith in the Navkar Mantra.  I keep reciting it but I have not delved deeper into it.

Dadashri:  Just look at this!  He is reciting the great mantra without understanding its meaning.’ Knowing the underlying meaning can give so many benefits! 

Questioner:  Arihant means Tirthankar.

Dadashri:  Yes, but who?  What is the name of that Tirthankar?

Questioner:  It includes all the twenty-four Tirthankars.

Dadashri:  But now those twenty-four Tirthankars have become ‘Siddha Lords’.  So if you address them as ‘Namo Arihantanam’, it is a mistake.  They feel offended.  It is very harmful; it creates a liability for you. In reality they do not feel offended but the offence reverts back to you and you become liable for the wrong doing, because they have now become siddha (Siddha - absolute state of emancipation from transmigration and reincarnations) but you are addressing them as ‘Arihant’.  If someone, who used to be a member of the parliament becomes the Prime Minister you address him as a member of the parliament, would that not be inappropriate and offensive?

Questioner:  Yes, definitely.

Dadashri:  In the same token if you believe the Siddha as being Arihant, it is very detrimental.  It is appropriate to address them according to their correct status.

Whom can you call an ‘Arihant’?  It is one who has not become a Siddha, he is present as a human being and has absolute knowledge (kevalgnan); only such a one can be called an Arihant.  Such a one has destroyed all the inner enemies of anger, pride, deceit and greed.  So do you not pay obeisance to an Arihant?  Which Arihant do you pay obeisance to?  Do you understand your mistake?

Generally people refer to the twenty-four tirthankars as Arihants but if you think about it, they have now become Siddhas.  So when we give the obeisance “Namo Siddhanum”, they are automatically included in it. So only the part of ‘Arihant’ remains unaddressed. Therefore the entire Navakar Mantra remains incomplete. Because it is recited with incomplete understanding, one does not get its result.  Therefore there must be a current living tirthankara, an Arihant.   

I asked an Acharaya Maharaj (Jain preceptor of a high order), “Do you recite the Navkar Mantra?” and he replied, “Absolutely, I recite it everyday”.  I asked him, “What benefit do you gain?” and he replied, “I do not get the benefit I want”.  I asked him, “Do you know what mistake you are making?”

Is it likely that there is a mistake in the Navkar Mantra?  What do you think?

Questioner: There cannot be any mistake in the Navkar Mantra.

Dadashri:  There cannot be a mistake in the mantra. However, can there  not be mistakes in the one who recites it?  Actually, the mistake lies in the understanding of the mantra. 

Tirthankaras of the past are presently the Siddhas

‘Namo Arihantanum’ is addressed to the benefactor that is presently living, but there is no such Arihant on this planet earth and yet people keep reciting this obeisance all the same. Whom do they address in this obeisance?  Whom does this ‘mail’ reach?  Is just one person making this mistake?  Can everyone make the same mistake? “Is this the way?”  Do you understand my point?

Questioner:  Yes, I do understand now.

Dadashri:  People had the right to address a Tirthankar as ‘Arihant’ when Lord Mahavir was present here on this earth.  When that chovisi (the knowledge and influence of the twenty-four Tirthankaras) was continuing; so were all the phases attributed to them.  Now Lord Mahavir ended that chovisi, and He has moved on.  One can say ‘Namo Arihantanum’ if such beings were to arrive here on earth shortly…then that chovisi can be said to be continuing….but at the moment that chovisi has ended and so no such being is likely to come.  The tirthankars have also said, ‘now this chovisi is coming to an end.   There will no longer be any more Tirthankars (on planet earth) therefore pay obeisance to the Tirthankars that are in Mahavideh Kshetra.  There are currently living Tirthankars in Mahavideh Kshetra so pay your obeisance to them.’  But people have completely forgotten about this and everyone addresses the Tirthankaras of this past chovisi as ‘Arihants’. Lord Mahavir has clarified everything but what can anyone do when people misunderstand?  That is precisely why people do not get any benefits from reciting the Navkar mantra!

Surely the mistake needs to be corrected!

Questioner:  This has been going for a very long time and that is why people continue to follow suite.  No one has even thought about the fact that an Arihant means that he must be presently living as a human being. 

Dadashri:  Yes, just look at this huge mistake that continues to be perpetuated!  What do you think?  Should there not be a correction of this?  Should people not correct their mistake after understanding the fact? 

Questioner:  Yes and yet they also believe that there currently a living Tirthankar in Mahavideh Kshetra. 

Dadashri:  Yes they believe it and yet they do not pay obeisance to the Lord; they do not worship him as the ‘Arihant’.  They pay the obeisance of ‘Namo Arihantanum’ only to the Tirthankaras of the past chovisi.

Liberation only through the worship of the current living Tirthankara

There are three types of tirthankaras: tirthankaras of the past, tirthankaras of the present and tirthankaras of the future. The Tirthankaras of the past are gone. Worship of these

tirthankaras binds merit karma. In addition to this, adherence to the instructions (agna) of the one whose reign prevails will give rise to religion leading to the Self (dharma). This is beneficial in guiding the follower towards moksha.

However, it is entirely a different matter when you invoke the current living Tirthankara. The one who is currently present has the supreme value. It is like money in the form of cash; cash is more useful. Money that is yet to come is called future income. And that, which is gone, is gone. So what we need is cash. That is why I am introducing you to the One who is presently living. This is the cash bank of Divine Solution! You need to have cash on hand, not in form of credit. And we still continue to pay obeisance to the twenty-four Tirthankaras of the past, do we not?

The Enlightened Ones have said that the twenty-four Tirthankaras are Tirthankaras of the past. They had become Tirthankaras in the past and are no longer here. Therefore one should look for a living Tirthankara. One makes progress in the worldly life by worshipping the Tirthankaras of the past, but one does not gain any benefit towards liberation. Liberation is only attained through the ones who are living and present.

Introduction of the Arihant Lord

When people ask, ‘where is the Arihant at the moment?’ I tell them, “Do namaskar (pay obeisance) to this Simandhar Swami."

Simandhar Swami is present in this universe (brahmand); today He is the Arihant, therefore pay obeisance to Him.  At the moment He is still present.  We must have a present Arihant, only then can we benefit.  Therefore, when you give your obeisance with an understanding, ‘I pay obeisance to the Arihant wherever he maybe in this universe’, then you will reap wonderful benefits.  If at the moment Lord Mahavir were present in Delhi, if you were to pay obeisance to Him here, it would reach Him.  In the same token, this too reaches the Arihants; your ‘phone’ may be late in reaching by half a minute or so, nevertheless it does reach them.

The Tirthankar Shri Simandhar Swami

Questioner: Who is Simandhar Swami? Would you please grace us by giving this understanding?

Dadashri: Simandhar Swami is a tirthankara Lord. Just like Lord Rushabhdev and Lord Mahavir who were here. Lord Simandhar is like them. He is currently in another location called Mahavideh Kshetra.

In awareness only Shri Simandhar Swami

People ask me why I make everyone recite Simandhar Swami’s name and not the twenty-four tirthankars.  I tell them, ‘We do recite obeisance to the twenty-four tirthankars too, but we do it methodically and precisely.  We pay emphasis to Simandhar Swami. He is the present living Tirthankar and the obeisance of ‘Namo Arihantanum’ reaches only him. 

When you recite the Navkar mantra, Simandhar Swami must be in your awareness, then your mantra is regarded as being correct and pure.

             Questioner: Are there not twenty tirthankaras moving about at the present time?

Dadashri:  Yes. Only if you understand that the twenty who are currently present are the arihants, then your recital of the Navkar Mantra will bring results.

Today, there must be a living presence of a Tirthankar, only then can you reap benefits.  There are twenty Tirthankars in all, but are we likely to remember their names?   Instead, Simandhar Swami is of tremendous importance for our planet earth; so address your obeisance to Him and your mantra will give benefits. There are many people who do not know about the existence of these twenty tirthankaras. Many have the opinion: ‘What do we have to do with them?’ and believe that the twenty-four tirthankaras of the past are the only arihants. Because of such mistakes there is so much confusion and harm in the spiritual world. 

One becomes impartial through darshan

From now on recite the Navkar Mantra with the understanding that Simandhar Swami is the ‘Arihant’, and there are other mantras; all the three mantras - recite them too.  Recite the three together.  Have you gone to do darshan at His derasar-temple? 

Questioner: No, we are Sthanakvasi (Jain sect who do not believe in idol worship).

Dadashri: Even if you are a Sthanakvasi, you should do His darshan (visualization, with varying levels of understanding).  Sthanakvasi is a sect.  We want to come of out sectarianism; how long are we going to remain in a sect?  Do you want liberation or not?

The method of correct darshan

If you have the real desire to do the darshan of the Lord in the temple or derasar, then I will teach you how to darshan of the Lord, in the correct way. Do you have such a desire?

Questioner: Yes Dada, teach us and starting tomorrow we will do the darshan the way you show us.

Dadashri: Go to the temple of the Lord and say, “Dear Vitarag Lord, You reside within me, but because I have not yet become acquainted with You, I am doing Your darshan here. The Gnani Purush, Dada Bhagwan has taught me this method and I am doing Your darshan according to his instructions. Please bestow Your grace upon me so that I may realize my true Self.” Do your darshan in this way wherever you go, whichever temple you visit. From the relative perspective, all the Gods have been given different

names, but in reality they are all one.

When people go to temples, they are not thinking about religion, they are thinking about their business!  Many people have a habit of going to temples everyday.  Hey you! This has become a habit, is that why you are doing darshan of God?  Everyday when you do the Lord’s darshan, you should find it a novelty, moreover when you are on your way to do darshan, you should be filled with  fresh joy. 

There is a difference in worshipping the one who has direct presence and the one who has indirect presence

Questioner: What is the difference between praying and reciting praise of the attributes of the Lord Mahavir and  the Lord Simandhar Swami?  What is the difference in the benefits from the two?

Dadashri: Lord Mahavir would not listen to your prayers or praise for Him. Nevertheless it is good to pray to Lord Mahavir if one does not pray to Simandhar Swami. But who would listen to any prayers for Lord Mahavir? He has nothing to do with us anymore. He is now a siddha, totally liberated and without a body. It is we who continue to make images of Him and insist on keeping these images. He cannot be called a tirthankara now, just as you cannot call a past president a president. He can only be called a siddha. It is only Simandhar  Swami who will benefit you.

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Questioner:   So then what benefit do we get from saying, ‘Namo Arihantanum’? And what benefit is there in saying ‘Namo Siddhanum’ – what is the difference in the benefits between the two?

Dadashri: If you do not say ‘Namo Siddhanum’, it will do but you do have to say ‘Namo Arihantanum’, if you want liberation, you have to say it.  

Questioner: So that means benefits are gained by saying only ‘Namo Arihantanum’, is that correct?  Is there no benefit in saying ‘Namo Siddhanum’?

Dadashri:  No other benefits besides deciding it is the destination we want to go.  If someone asks ‘which station do you want to go to?’ you tell them ‘I want to go to London’; then London will remain in your awareness. So it will remain in your awareness that you want to go to moksha; the Siddha location. That is why you have recite , ‘Namo Siddhanum.’

Otherwise the utmost benefactor for us is the Arihant Lord.   Whom can we call an Arihant?  It is the one who is present and not the one who is absent.  He must be present as a human being; therefore address everything to Lord Simandhar Swami.  Now surrender your life to Him.    

Is there a difference in worshipping the two?

Questioner:  We worship Simandhar Swami – that is fine, but if we worship any one of the past twenty-four tirthankars, do we not gain any benefits from it?

Dadashri:  It is better (to worship the past twenty-four Tirthankaras) than doing nothing. But you do not get the true benefit that you will get from worshiping a Tirthankar.  You may worship them believing them to be a Tirthankar, but really they are not, they are Siddha Lords.  Do you understand that they have become Siddha?

Questioner:  Yes.

Dadashri:  Only if they are present here.  Lord Mahavir when He was here, He was a Tirthankar.  Now that time is over and He has become Siddha.  All the twenty-four tirthankars have become Siddha.  Whereas here, Lord Simandhar Swami will remain as a Tirthankar a long time after we pass away.  

Currently there are Twenty Living Tirthankaras 

Questioner: Simandhar Swami is currently living in Mahavideh Kshetra.  There are also other tirthankars there, so do we have to say obeisance to them too?

Dadashri: Yes, there twenty other tirthankars like Him.  They are there for sure and then we have Simandhar Swami. There are nineteen other tirthankars but their idol-representation (murti) has not been established, because Simandhar Swami has special connections with our planet earth. 

Out of the twenty tirthankars, we give special importance and obeisance to Simandhar Swami because He is the closest to our Bharat kshetra- planet Earth, and He has special connections with our world. 

If one Tirthankar is happy with us, that is more than enough.  Is it not enough to have a place in one home?  Why should we roam from one home to another?  If we say our obeisance to one, it reaches all of them, and those who want their obeisance to reach all the tirthankaras, get left behind.  For us one is enough.  Simandhar Swami is able to reach everywhere.  Here are the names of all twenty of them:

Questioner:  That is more than enough.  I just asked because I was curious.

Dadashri:   All the same, let’s take a look. Just hear their names once.  Since you mentioned them, why not do darshan of their names!

1.                 I pay obeisance to Shri Simandhar Swami

2.                 I pay obeisance to Shri Yughmandhar Swami

3.                 I pay obeisance to Shri Bahu Swami

4.                 I pay obeisance to  Shri Subahu Swami

5.                 I pay obeisance to Shri Sujat Swami

6.                 I pay obeisance to Shri Swayamprabha Swami

7.                 I pay obeisance to Shri Rhushabbhanan Swami

8.                 I pay obeisance to Shri Anantavirya Swami

9.                 I pay obeisance to Shri Soorprabha Swami

10.             I pay obeisance to Shri Vishalprabha Swami

11.             I pay obeisance to Shri Vajadhar Swami

12.             I pay obeisance to  Shri Chandranan Swami

13.             I pay obeisance to Shri Chandrabahu Swami

14.             I pay obeisance to Shri Bhuyoung Swami

15.             I pay obeisance to Shri Ishwar Swami

16.             I pay obeisance to Shri Namiprabha Swami

17.             I pay obeisance to Shri Virsen Swami

18.             I pay obeisance to Shri Mahabhadra Swami

19.             I pay obeisance to  Shri Devyash Swami

20.             I pay obeisance to  Shri Abhivirya Swami.

The name ‘Simandhar Swami’ or ‘Yugmandhar Swami’ are not words that have originated from our language.  These are the words from that world; and the words ‘I pay obeisance…’ are the words of our language.  Currently there are twenty tirthankars out of which Simandhar Swami has connection with our planet earth.  Tirthankars too have accounts. Simandhar Swami is presently living.

So whom should you consider an Arihant now?  Simandhar Swami is the Arihant and there is no need for you to keep any connection with the remaining nineteen tirthankars; if you keep it with just one, it automatically includes the rest.  So do darshan of Simandhar Swami.  ‘Oh Arihant Lord, at the moment you are the true Arihant!’ Pay obeisance in this manner.

What is the connection of the Lord with the Earth?

Questioner:  What connection does Simandhar Swami have with Planet Earth Bharat Kshetra? 

Dadashri:  When some highly elevated people take birth in some place, they have compassion for that place.  Therefore there is compassion for this location; they do not forget.  

Simandhar Swami has been around since the time of the eighteenth tirthankara on the planet earth.  All the tirthankaras have praised Him.  Thus his grace continues to flow due to this encouragement; everything here is working out as if it is His own mission.  Although there are twenty  current tirthankaras, everyone is accepting Simandhar Swami more; it must be due to some previous life connection.  There must be previous life connection that is unfolding. A vitarag does not have any new account. What is happening now is the unfolding of a previous life account. Just as the eight different kinds of dravya karma unfold, this is unfolding in the same manner; along with that any connections are also being released. All other tirthankars accept Him too and if we do the same, we will benefit from it.  

Questioner: The one who is currently moving about?

Dadashri: Yes the one currently living.  He will continue to live for a very long period of time; if you make connections with him, your work; salvation will be accomplished. 

Questioner:  I experience the living presence of Simandhar Swami.

Dadashri: That is possible.  He is currently present for sure.  In His present final body he is an absolute vitraag (completely free from all attachments), he is verily a Tirthankara. Currently it is His karma to have the title of a Tirthankara.  Simahdhar Swami is like ‘cash’, it does not matter that He is on another planet, but He is present never the same.  ‘We-the Gnani purush and the fully enlightened Self within’ have a continuous link with Him, and this is for the definite salvation for the entire world.  ‘We’ are just the evidentiary instrument in this. That is why I make you do darshan through the medium of Dada Bhagwan- the fully enlightened Lord within, and therefore it reaches Him there. That is why ‘we’ have said that there is one more life before final liberation; from here you will go to Mahavideh Kshetra  and sit near the Lord. Then you will attain liberation.  That is why today I am introducing Him to you and making you do namaskar (obeisance) through ‘Dada Bhagwan’.

The Absolute state is attained through darshan of the Absolute One

Questioner:  After attaining Atma Gnan Self-Realization through you, those who have learnt to see the Self separate from the body complex, and have learnt how to ‘see’ the pure Soul in all; where will they go from here?

Dadashri:  From here they will go to another world of human beings, called Mahavideh Kshetra.  There a Tirthankara is present. There  after His worship happens, there will be one or two more lives and they will attain final liberation. 

Questioner: You have stopped our new karma causes and when all the discharge karma are expended, we will go to moksha. So why is there a need to meet Simandhar Swami in between?

Dadashri: But what ‘we’ are saying is that ‘our’ Gnan is at 356º; ‘I’ too have to go there in order to gain four more degrees.  ‘We’ are able to give you all that ‘we’ have.  There is no more Gnan for you to attain; ‘we’ have given you complete Gnan for sure.  But by merely doing direct darshan of the Lord, we will become like Him, that is all. Therefore only His darshan remains.  You cannot attain final moksha without doing the Tirthankara’s darshan. 

Obeisance to Simandhar Swami with the real viewpoint 

Questioner:  Here when we do darshan of Simandhar Swami, is it done from a relative viewpoint or the real viewpoint?

Dadashri:  It is through the real viewpoint.  We render obeisance to Simandhar Swami through the real viewpoint.  And obeisance to Mahavir Swami and the twenty-four tirthankaras is done with the relative viewpoint. 

(2)            The introduction of Simandhar Swami

The Lord of the entire universe

 Questioner:  Please describe to us the darshan of Simandhar Swami.

Dadashri:  Simandhar Swami currently is 175,000 years old.  He will live for another 125,000 years more.  He too is like Lord Rushabdev.  Rushabdev is considered the Lord of the entire universe.  Gnanis have the ability to send their energy to Him, ask questions and return with answers. One cannot go there with his physical body, but it is possible to be born there.

Questioner: Is He the all-knowing God?  Does he know what is in our hearts?

Dadashri: He can see us. He can see the whole world but we cannot see Him.

Simandhar Swami is at another location in the universe. All this is beyond your intellect (buddhi) and is incomprehensible through intellect. This fact is exact and clear in my Gnan. People will not be able to understand this but ‘we’ understand it exactly. His will bring forth salvation for people.

What does he look like?

Questioner: What does Simandhar Swami living in Mahavideh Kshetra look like?  Does he have a physical body or is He pure formlessness? 

Dadashri:  He has a physical body.

Questioner: What kind of a body?

Dadashri:  You can see the body and ‘we’ can see the Soul.  You cannot see the Atma but ‘we’ can.

Questioner:  What is his body like? Is it like humans?  Is it like ours?

Dadashri:  His body is just like ours.  His body is like a human body.

Questioner: What is the size of His body?

Dadashri:  His size is very big indeed.  He is very tall.  Everything about him is different.  His lifespan is different.  His food and liquid intake is very different; everything is different. A lot of the work is carried out by only the body.  The energies that feed and nourish him are different; the entity that makes everything work within is different altogether. Even the energies that takes Him to moksha is different. 

There too people have the same feelings as we do.  There are people in Mahavideh Kshetra just like us; they too have bodies. 

Questioner: Why can we not see Him even though He has a body?  Why can we not see Him directly in front of us?

Dadashri: The room next door has a bed in it; can you see it?

Questioner: I have knowledge that the bed is there. 

Dadashri: Yes, but you cannot see it.  Why can you not see it?  For that you need to have kevalgnan – absolute knowledge.

What does He do?

Questioner: What does Simandhar Swami do in Mahavideh Kshetra?

Dadashri: He does not have to do anything!  It is all simply according to the discharging karma.  He does whatever His discharging karma dictate.  His ego about His own self is completely gone and the whole daylong He remains in absolute knowledge, just as Lord Mahavir used to.  He has many followers.  People come to do His darshan and He speaks with total detachment vitarag bhaav. 

The speech with and without ego

Questioner: Does Simandhar Swami give pravachan (sermons or discourse)?

Dadashri:  He does not give pravachan; he has deshna. He does not give lectures and discourses; people with ego do that. Anyone who surpasses the sixth gunasthanak (spiritual level) can give spiritual discourses.

Questioner: So how do people listen to Simandhar Swami’s deshna?

Dadashri:  He does not give updesh; he does not do lectures. He has deshna. When deshna emanates from him, people will listen.  Deshna means he does not have to speak himself; the taped record within will play as the speech comes forth.  ‘Ours’ too is deshna, which flows forth like a taped record.  The Lord is not an owner of His speech; ‘we’ too have no ownership.  Those who give updesh or lectures have ownership that ‘this is my speech’; they will claim ‘this is my speech’.  There is no such thing as ‘my speech.’ This too is not my speech.  This speech is the taped record.  What the Lord has is called deshna. Updesh is applicable to those who have crossed the sixth gunasthanak; a little egoism remains so when they speak, they beleive ‘I am speaking’ - there is ego in their speech.

Questioner: When the Lord gives deshna, what kind of karma is that?

Dadashri: The entire taped record is flowing and it keeps playing. It is not related to any specific topic – it is not like that.

Questioner: So the speech flows on its own?

Dadashri: It flows on its own.  There one only listens. Deshna is that which you simply listen.

‘Ours’ is deshna, but our deshna has rare traces of updesh-adesh (adesh – directives, order, command).  In His deshna , there is no trace of insistence.  People of all race, cast and sects listen. Everyone  understands it in his or her own language.  The animals too will understand it in their own language.  ‘We’ too have had the experience that the animals understand ‘our’ speech, but they understand it to a lesser degree whereas they completely understand the speech of the Tirthankara.

The speech of the Kevalis and the speech of the Tirthankaras

Questioner: What is the difference between the speech of a kevali the absolutely enlightened one, and that of a tirthankara?

Dadashri: A tremendous difference.  The speech of the Tirthankara is associated with atishaya extraordinary spiritual energies evident to all around, and the speech of the kevalis is just like mine.  Whatever I speak, their speech is four degree superior to it.  When I attain 360º instead of 356º that I am at, then I too will speak like the kevalis.  However, the kevalis do not help in the salvation of others. They work towards their own salvation but will not enlighten others.  No one except Tirthankaras and the bhed-vignani – the one established in the science of the separation of the Self from the non-Self, will help another person attain salvation.

The flow of compassion from the Vitarag

Questioner: Simandhar Swami must feel compassion right?

Dadashri: We cannot even begin to talk of the compassion that flows from the vitarag Lords. Behold the punyai merit karma of those who worship this Lord. His compassion for all is equal whether people know about Him or not; whether people have endeavored to merit this or not, His compassion is for all. Everyone should attain this Gnan – that is the intent.   We all on this planet benefit because we make the connection with understanding and devotion. Simandhar Swami cannot come here down to this planet.

When you invoke Him in prayers you will get the benefit.  You do not get any benefit from invoking the Siddhas.

Questioner:  When you go to do darshan of Simandhar Swami, does He look the way He does in this picture here?

Dadashri:  There is a difference between this picture and the actual appearance there.  But you are not to regard the difference in the picture; we are only concerned with the real element. Pictures always vary. Besides ‘my’ darshan is not in the form of a photo, ‘my’ darshan happened through His real state swabhavik bhaav.  We want to do the darshan of the Tirthankara, and the One who dwells within Him.  In the picture we understand that the God within is Keval Gnani – Absolute enlightened One.  What is within?  ‘Keval Gnani’ – in short we only need to understand this much. 

An absolute state of non-doership

Questioner: What does the symbolic representation-idol of Simandhar Swami suggest?

Dadashri: It tells us to sit like Him in padmasana posture and do nothing.  There is nothing worth doing in this world; just sit with content.  Why are you running around like a workhorse all day long?  The world is natural. If you are not able to sit in the padmasana position, then simply sit cross-legged, with one palm over the other like this and sit peacefully.  All the work is done!

Questioner: Is it a symbol of awakened awareness jagruti?

Dadashri: There is no symbol pratik for that.

Questioner:  Simandhar Swami means the one who is the upholder of the ultimate boundary. Why is it written so?

Dadashri:  Someone must have written that but He does not uphold any boundaries.

One cannot expound on the current living One.  Hey you! We cannot say anything about Him.  We just have to do His darshan.  He is present.  One cannot expound on Him.  We cannot even look at Him in this manner.  Just as we do not delve deeply into the face and images of our parents; here too we have to do the same.  We cannot even make any kind of interpretations about Him.  We cannot even use our intellect for this.   Intellect is not something to be used here.  If someone becomes over-wise, he will abuse it. Such use of intellect is not to be done for ‘us’ too.

The word symbol (pratik) does not apply here. Say your father is very tall, so what is symbolic about him?  If you keeps staring at him, your father will say, ‘Why are you are staring? Have you lost your brains that you keep staring?’ There is no symbolic representation of the living one. That which represents anything else is essentially the non-Self jada. And this here is the living Lord!  The intellect can become mad in such things.

This person (sitting here) will never think in this way. To have such thoughts is madness.

Who is infinite?

Questioner: You have said that Simandhar Swami has a life span of three hundred thousand years. After that, will He be born again?

Dadashri: No.  How can someone like him be subject to birth? He is the Tirthankar Lord.  He has come for the salvation of the world.

Questioner:  But He is infinite, is He not?  There are no restrictions or limitations as far as He is concerned, are there?

Dadashri:  No, He is present and that is why He is in a physical form.  Lord Rama has attained final moksha and that is why He is endless-eternal anant. He does not have a body.  As long as He is in the physical form, the body will last so many years; that is what we are saying.  But otherwise, He is eternal for sure.  You as the Self are immortal; He too is immortal and all these people – so many people have become immortal along with ‘me’.  They will never die but the body is bound to die.  The body will fade just like clothes. 

Questioner:  If I see with that vision, then the Soul within every body is eternal.  Only the body perishes.

Dadashri: Yes, but He does not have the belief, ‘I am the body’, whereas people everywhere believe that they are the body.  The one who ceases to have any connection with the body becomes immortal. 

The world remains in darkness

Questioner:  Rama, Krishna, Allah, Christ etc. there have been many such great Ones. But why is there so much ignorance about Simandhar Swami when He has been around for a hundred seventy five thousand years?

Dadashri:  There is ignorance not just about Him but also about so many others.  There is nothing but ignorance everywhere!  This world is in darkness. Whatever they are able to see, that much light has been shed but otherwise there is nothing but darkness.  This universe is very vast and there are others like Simandhar Swami also.  Because of a short vision things appear the way they do in this darkness. There are enormous Indra Kings with life spans of over two hundred thousand years.  There are beings in hell (narak); they too have life spans of two hundred thousand years. There is no shortage of life span there!  Here in the human form there is a shortage of lifespan.  Here only there is a problem. 

Who is His guru?

Questioner: Shri Simandhar Swami is in a physical form.  When He attained Self-knowledge, did He have a guru?  Only a true guru, can show us the final way.

Dadashri:  This topic is not worth discussing. This is a Tirthankara lineage! He does not need to have a guru in this life.  So many lives have been spent in making gurus.  What He has attained today is due to the status of being a guru in the past lives.  But He does not need to have a guru in this life. 

Questioner:  But there must have been a guru in the beginning stage, no?  He may not have one today, but He must have had one in the past?

Dadashri: Simandhar Swami is approximately 175,000 years old now and He has not had a guru in this life. He did not have one in His previous life either.  He may have had one in his third life before the current one.  All that has been attained today is as an effect of that.

Questioner:  Is Simandhar Swami there in the clothes of a sadhu (ascetic)?

Dadashri: We cannot call him a sadhu.  He is pure and free from all tubers of the mind nirgrantha. 

How can we do His darshan from here?

Questioner: Can we do darshan of Simandhar Swami from here?

Dadashri:  You cannot do it.  You need to have a medium for His darshan!  Dada Bhagwan can be that medium.  Or else if a derasar temple of Simandhar Swami is built, then you can do His darshan because He is a living Tirthankara; He is the current Tirthankara of our time and if we build his derasar people can do His darshan.  Do you want to build one?  You probably don’t have a billion rupees to do so, do you?  How can we build His derasar? 

Questioner:  We can do that after we earn enough money.

Dadashri: It is good if people do so.  Even if you cannot pay for the entire derasar, even if you pledge for building one step, it is good.

This is my very propaganda that you learn about the Tirthankara Lord.  ‘Who is the Arihant?’ If you know this then your sorrows can decrease.  Only the Arihant can alleviate suffering in this world, not the Siddhas.

Do not think of Him as being indirectly accessible

This country will prosper tremendously if Simandhar Swami’s temples are built. 

Questioner:  How will it prosper from that?

Dadashri:  Because He is the current living Tirthankara.  The subatomic particles parmanus of a living Tirthankara roam around everywhere.  There is tremendous benefit to be gained from a living Tirthankara.

One worships Simandhar Swami, the current Tirthankara, through His idol.  For example, say if we were around at the time of Lord Mahavir but he could not come to us and we could not go to him, we still invoke him, sitting here – will we not benefit just as much?  There is benefit in there, is there not?

Questioner: There is. Is there a difference between worshipping Lord Simandhar Swami in my home and worshipping Him in the temple?

Dadashri: There is a difference.

Questioner:  Is it because pratishtha (ceremony instilling life-energy in an idol, ideally done by a Gnani Purush) has been done?

Dadashri: The idol has been made alive; life force has been instilled through a specific ceremony. And there is also the protection from the celestial deities over there. So there is a certain atmosphere and the effect is greater there. There is a difference in contemplating Dada in your mind as opposed to being here with me, is there not?

Questioner:  But Dada, you are living.

Dadashri: There is equal life in that idol too! Just as this body of mine is living so is the idol of Lord Simamdhar. Those who are not enlightened and Self-realized consider only this body as living. To the Gnani, the other too, the idol is equally alive. This is because all that is visible and with form; whether it is the idol or the physical body, both are forms only. All that is visible and experienced through the five senses is only that which has form; nothing formless can be ascertained through the medium of the five senses. There is therefore no external difference between the two.  (The pratishtha of this idol of Simandhar Swami is done by the Gnani and it is the idol of a living Lord).

Questioner: But the formless One amurta dwells within You, and the idol does not have the amurta formless; only the form, is that right?

Dadashri: There is no presence of the formless in an idol, but pratishtha of the formless has been done in it. The Gnani brings life to the idol. It all depends upon the strength of the instillation of life force. Pratishtha done by the Gnani is a completely different matter altogether!  The living manifest Gnani is a different matter altogether! In the absence of a living Gnani, you never know what types of negative things may happen.

Questioner: And for many an era, there is no manifest living Gnani.

Dadashri: And if there is no manifest one then at least we have the twenty-four Tirthankaras of the past.

Binding new karma of the highest order

Questioner:  When we worship the Tirthankaras or the Vitarag Lords, are we discharging our karma or are we binding merit karma?

Dadashri: After taking Gnan (after Self-realization) it is all a discharge of karma.  Whatever you do for the Tirthankaras of the past is all discharge karma. If you do the same for the current living Tirthankaras, then there is a little charging of new karma . It all counts towards the charging of one or two more lives that we talk about; whatever is left over, worship of the current Living Tirthankaras will go towards that.  Anything done for the past Tirthankaras is discharge of karma only.

Questioner:  Can we discharge karma in that?

Dadashri: All karma come in order to discharge.

Questioner:  There is discharge in both the situations, but worship of the current living Tirthankara leads to charging of merit karma punyai.

Dadashri:  Karma that comes for the worship of current Tirthankaras comes for binding new karma; karma that bind for one or two more lives; therefore they are not discharging but charging.  That is why we say we want to go to the current Living Thirthankara Lord Simandhar Swami, so even if that creates new karma, so be it but we want to go there.

Questioner:  The karma we bind, are they punyai-anubandhi-punyai (new merit karma being bound out of discharging old merit karma)?

Dadashri:  Yes – punyai-anubandhi-punyai and that too with the right connection.  So it is the best!

(3)             The foundation of Tirthankara lineage

This is how one becomes a Tirthankara.

Questioner: How does one become a Tirthankaraa?

Dadashri:  It happens when one has the bhavna deep inner intent in effect, for the salvation of the world only and nothing else.   He who is not concerned with his own salvation; he does not care about his own pain or suffering but worries only about people’s suffering and cannot bear their misery - such a one gradually becomes a Tirthankara.  A person who worries about only his happiness can never be anything.  The one who cannot bear to see people suffer, has a desire to bring salvation to the world, can become a Tirthankaraa.

Regardless of what his situation maybe, whether he gets food to eat or not, whether he gets a place to sleep – even if he has to sleep on the ground he is not bothered and is concerned only with people’s salvation.  Who can have such a bhavna? The one who has attained his own salvation will have this bhavna.  How can anyone who has not attained salvation for himself attain salvation for others?  One has to have this bhavna.

Questioner: But I feel why should one have bhavna after becoming a vitarag.  Such beings are completely free from all wishes and desires, are they not?

Dadashri:  They no longer have the bhavna to do salvation, but they did have the bhavna in their past life and are now reaping the fruit of that bhavna. They are enjoying the status of a Tirthankara.  I do have the bhavna for the world’s salvation and so I am regarded as a ‘meddling vitarag’, whereas Simandhar Swami is considered a true vitarag.

This is similar to when a person gives an examination but then never goes back to school; the result is inevitable. The result will come; will it not?

Questioner: It will.

Dadashri:  Similarly, this is and effect for Lord Simandhar, whereas here I am giving the exam (creating causes).  So I do have the bhaav that people attain salvation.  I do have the bhaav that just as I have attained salvation, people attain the same.  The Lord does not have any bhaav intent or cause.  He did have that in His previous life and because of that He automatically became bound in the Tirthankara lineage and currently He is simply discharging that lineage gotra. It continues to only discharge.  Therefore He has absolute compassion (karuna).  

As far as the Tirthankaras are concerned, whatever actions we see them carrying out, they are not in the action itself.  Whereas I am involved in the action - I am involved in the cause whereas for Him, it is all an effect. Effect means He has become absolute.  Our (mahatmas from planet Earth or Dadashri) effect is completed only when He speaks.  These talks are of a very subtle nature.

Places of pilgrimage arise wherever they walk

The one who creates a tirtha a place for pilgrimage is Tirthankara.    Tirthankara means wherever they walk, that place becomes sacred; it becomes a place of pilgrimage.  Wherever their feet fall, that ground becomes sanctified. They create places of pilgrimage.

Questioner:  The Gnani is called a moving place of pilgrimage jangam tirtha.

Dadashri: The Gnanis too are like them.  But the Tirthankara leave a tirtha behind wherever they go; it is not the same with ‘us’.  They are considered Purush of the full stage-absolute enlightenment.  Currently no such a being is expected to come on Earth and so the Gnani becomes invaluable.  Otherwise the Gnanis are not considered as valuable as the Tirthankara.  Because we are not likely to have anyone with absolute enlightenment, the Gnani is regarded as the enlightened One. A subordinate takes a secondary position in the presence of his head. When the head is absent, the subordinate becomes the chief.

This is what the Lord grants you

In reality, having attained Tirthankara attributes, since two prior lives, the Lord had the bhavna for the world’s salvation and making people happy.  His bhav was that whatever Gnan He attained, whatever happiness He attained, may the entire world attain the same.  The effect of that bhav has materialized in this life.  That bhav has become fruitful and therefore whatever He speaks becomes a deshna.  His speech is  sweet and soothing like sweet nectar; it brings about changes within people, the moment they hear it.  Tirthankara is someone that liberates you forever the moment you see Him.   

Questioner:  We are awe struck when we look at you Dada! We feel so moved with your love.  So what can we say about the Tirthankara! How much more intense it must be in Mahavideha Kshetra!

Dadashri:  That love is not like this love.  This love is a ‘meddlesome-love’. That love is not meddlesome.

Tirthankara status means complete effect only

Questioner: Is a Tirthankara a God at birth or does he have to do purushartha highest inner effort, to become one?

Dadashri:  No, no! At His very birth, He is endowed with three types of knowledge-gnan.

Questioner:  They have the three types of  knowledge but they still have to attain the remaining two do they not?

Dadashri:  They do not have to do anything for that.  The revelation and clarification for that will come automatically.  Do we wait for the dawn to come at night?  Do we have to make an effort for the dawn to arrive or does it come on its own?  Moskha will come on it’s own but one must come on the correct path.  The paths of the worldly people are different, those paths are of the non-Self; they are on the wrong path. 

This is how Tirthankara lineage is bound

Questioner: What does one have to do in order to become a Tirthankara?

Dadashri: One has to do everything.  There is no meaning in asking this question.

The one who turns around the flow of people from the wrong direction to the right one will bind Tirthankara lineage gotra.

The lineage of Tirthankara is not such that anyone can make the bhav for it and attain it.  The bhavna in effect, for salvation of others must be constant; its uninterrupted continuity must become the reality. Such a   One is unaffected by any othe bhaav. When one’s bhaav for the salvation of the world becomes such that it is not obstructed by any other bhaav, then one can become a Tirthankara.

This lineage of Tirthankara is no ordinary phenomenon; it becomes fruitful for a rare one, it is not for everyone.

Tirthankaras have sixteen causal bhavs (inner intents) for the world’s salvation and it is due to these sixteen bhavs that He becomes a Tirthankara. The essence of those bhavs, must become integrated in his conduct-effect. This is because the work gets accomplished through the effect as a Tirthankara.

His inclination and conduct must be such that he does not inflict suffering to any living being whatsoever.  If someone hurts him, he accepts it as his own mistake.  Just this very point incorporates the Tirthankara’s sixteen bhavna.  Understand everything in just this short sentence.

Who attains that state?

Questioner: I keep thinking over and over again as to why I cannot become a Tirthankara?  Or else go straight to moksha?  Then I learnt from you that one can become a Tirthankara only if one binds a karma for the Tirthankara lineage.  So how can I bind  karma for the Tirthankara lineage gotra?

Dadashri:  If you want to take births for another one hundred thousand years, then you can bind it.  Then I will do it for you; you will also have to go to the seventh hell many times over.  One has to go to hell many times then one will attain a worthy status like this.

Questioner:  But what is wrong with going to hell in order to attain a worthy status like that?

Dadashri: aside your wisdom!  Wise up!  You will realize what it is all about when you will have to endure the severe penance of hell. And for the Tirthankara lineage you will have to endure untold penance.  If I were to describe the intense suffering a life in hell entails, a person can die from it!  People of today can die from just hearing about it!  It will take the breath of life out of them! So don’t speak in this manner other wise it will create a niyanu.  *(niyanu is an unflinching decision that no matter what, let all my merit karma attain this predetermined goal).

Every Tirthankara is a Kshatriya

Becoming a Tirthankara is a task for the Kshatriya  warrior-protector caste.  Anyone of any caste can go to moksha, the Brahmin the priest  and educating community; the Banias the traders etc., people of all caste can go to moksha.

Questioner: Does that have anything to do with the samskara (innate attributes)? Is one born with certain samskara and to only certain families? Is it like that?

Dadashri: Only Tirthankaras are required to have the attributes of a Kshatriya, for any other role, it is not necessary. Kshatriyas have such a prowess that if they think they want to do something, they will do just that and nothing else. For them a promise is a promise. A Kshatriya’s mind will not be indecisive; that is an attribute of a Kshatriya. Kshatriyas are hot-blooded. They cannot see anyone suffering; that is how their blood is. All the work can be done only when one has such a trait, can it not? Your ‘pot’ is beginning to fill up with such traits and my ‘pot’ is full. It is a Kshatriya’s nature that if he believes something to be true, the moment he hears it, he will get down to work, whereas all others vacillate back and forth.  If a strong person is taking advantage of a weak one and a Kshatriya happens to be passing by, you can easily recognize him because he will stop and take the side of the weak person. He will even take a beating from the strong person. This is the path to moksha, if you stick to it, your work will be done.

Adulteration in the current time cycle of Kaliyug

Questioner: Up until now many Gods, saints, have taken birth mostly in either a Kshatriya or a Brahmin family, what is your opinion about that?

Dadashri: That is true, but in this Kaliyug, saints are born in every kind of family. This is Kaliyug therefore everything has become deformed. There has been a birth of a saint even in the so-called Sudra serving community and the Vaishya the trading caste. What you are saying was true in the past. Today, many times you see great Kshatriya attributes in a Vaishya, because it is a Kshatriya who is reborn as a Vaishya. Therefore, everything has become adulterated. This too has become adulterated just like we get adulterated ghee (clarified butter), and so saints are born there. That was not the case in the past. As long as there was no adulteration, saints were born mostly in Kshatriya or Brahmin families.

This (people of the current time cycle) is the residue of all sieves; this is the stained residue obtained through the sifting from all the past four time cycles down to the fifth one. Whatever little ‘mud’ happens to be stuck on it, it will fall off with a little heat.

Divine union of distinguishing qualities and effects

Questioner: Dada, please shed some light on other distinguishing qualities of the Tirthankaras.

Dadashri: They have thirty-four kinds of atishaya special qualities and effects; as compared to any human being - they standout. They do not eat the regular kind of food; their food is subtle. If they ate a regular diet, it would smell.

Questioner: Is that so ?

Dadashri: Yes. The Lord’s food is subtle; we cannot see it. His is very different! There is not a single living being in this world that has the punyai (merit karma) as He does. His every parmanu (subatomic particle) is of the highest quality and that is why people will drink the water that falls down from His prakshal (the ceremony of bathing the Tirthankara), do they not?

Tirthankara Lord’s final physical body is absolutely beautiful and attractive lavanya. The Kevalis (fully enlightned but not in the role of liberating others like a Tirthankara) too have a final physical body charam sharira but it not absolutely beautiful and attractive, whereas the Tirthankara’s body is absolutely beautiful, it is considered a wonder in this world. One cannot talk about or even describe His beauty; it is indescribable! We have all seen it but you have forgotten, whereas I remember it!

We cannot call Tirthankara Lord ‘dehadhari’ - as having a body. Despite having a body, He is not in the body. He remains absolutely and continuously aware of who He is. This is in his Gnan. This is His experience too. He is there in all the three. Whom do we call as having a body? If one has even the slightest sense of ‘I am the body’, then he is called to be with a body dahadhari. And the one who does not have any, ‘I am the body’ sense then he is not dehadhari holding a body, despite of having a body.

Spontaneous enlightenment

Questioner: Are these Tirthankaras considered swayambuddha ( attain Enlightenment without a guru) are they not?

Dadashri: Yes, all the Tirthankaras are swayambuddha, but in their previous lives they attained the Tirthankara gotra  lineage from their guru. Therefore, they are considered  swayambuddha  in relation to that; they are considered swayambuddha  because they did not have a guru in this life. It is a relative thing. And those who became swayambuddha today, they had asked around in their past lives. The world verily operates through asking around. Only rarely does one automatically becomes a swayambuddha; that is an exception. Otherwise there is no Gnan without a guru.

The liberating speech of the Tirthankara: Deshna

Questioner:  Tirthankaras give deshna* (deshna  speech free of egoism and ownership, speech that liberates the listener) only once, do they not? They do not repeat it, do they? Note change in definition

Dadashri: However many times it comes out, the taped record plays, then it will stop. It is dependent upon however long the ‘tape record’ plays; then it will stop.

Questioner: But it stops after five days, or seven days; does it not?

Dadashri: It will continue to play on and off.  When a samovasaran *(samovasaran - a very specific congregation of people, animals, birds etc., gathered in order to listen to the Lord’s deshna) is arranged by celestial beings. His speech automatically comes out in the form of deshna and without any effort and ownership on His part.

Questioner: Tirthankaras speak when someone asks a question, do they not?

Dadashri: Yes, when someone asks questions.

Questioner: So then He speaks only when He is made to do so, is that so?

Dadashri: No, He does not speak even when He is made to. He acts according to udaya* (udayai – unfolding karma effect.) As the ‘top’* turns, He simply observes it, that is all! Even His deshna is dependent upon the fruition of karma.

(*top – Dadashri uses the analogy of the toy that dissipates previously charged energy as it spins. Similarly the karmic charging of the complex of the mind-speech-body is done in the previous life and it discharges  in this life.) note changes

Questioner: The speech of Tirthankara that comes out is in accordance with the karmic account of the one before him, His speech otherwise will not come out.  This proves that it is karma in effect (udaya).

Dadashri: It is like this; the Arihants - the Tirthankaras never have their own speech. The bhav of salvation of the world has come to fruition as deshna. Tirthankaras do not have to say anything. In all this, if a person is meant to be liberated, then it will happen and if he is not meant to be liberated, then it will not happen.  The visible form of the Lord  remains just the way it is. He will give deshna but that deshna will come out only if the unfolding karma of the listener warrants it, otherwise it will not come out. The celestial Gods and Goddesses will make all the preparation and the Lord will automatically arrive there. To come or to go is not in the hands of the Lord.  He moves around according to how the karma unfolds. I too, move about as dictated by the unfolding karma.

Speech of Tirthankaras

Questioner: Tirthankara’s deshna is considered maun – silence. Please explain this supreme attribute. 

Dadashri: The Lord did not speak His deshna; it is the ‘taped record’ speaking. And because the taped record was doing the talking, He does not have to say anything, did He? Therefore it is considered silence - maun.

What was the sound of the Vitarag Lords like? It was like a sweet melodious instrument playing constantly. It was better than the nectar in the flowers!  Sweeter than all the sweetness, higher than the highest, is the Lord’s spoken word!

Questions: How are the ‘codes’ behind the Tirthankara’s speech?

Dadashri: The code behind His speech has His decision of not wanting to hurt any living being to the slightest extent.  Not only that but to not hurt even the foundation of belief and existence of any living being.  Not even the foundation of a tree should be hurt. Such ‘codes’ are charged only within the Tirthankaras.

Vidhi versus darshan

Questioner: Do Tirthankaras have people do vidhis special silent ausipicious blessing for the devotee; or only darshan internal and external visual connection of the Self?

Dadashri: All vidhis etc. are done only to the point where they attain Keval Gnan – absolute enlightenment; not afterwards. Until He attains Keval Gnan, you have to do vidhis. After Keval Gnan you only have to do His darshan.  This darshan in itself will give you fruits because it is complete darshan; it is not darshan associated with any meddling. Just look how much meddling there is on ‘our’ part! Still, there is no sense that ‘I am doing it’ in the mind; there is not even such an inner intent bhav.  I do not have the inner intent of ‘I want to do this’ and yet the meddling is there.

Darshan of the Lord liberates

Questioner: The Tirthankaras do not have charitra moha (illusion which is only a discharge) after they attain Keval Gnan, do they? They only have charitra moha before Keval Gnan, is that correct?

Dadashri: Only before that. They have it only up to point of the twelfth gunasthanak* (*Gunsthanak -  In all there are fourteen spiritual levels.) and the thirteenth gunasthanak means Keval Gnan has been attained. Thereafter the Tirthankara’s speech becomes deshna. Then if someone comes and stands in front of the Lord and bows down to the Him, and even if that person is headed for a life in hell, the Lord will not say anything to him.  This is because He does not meddle in anything. He does not have attachment towards one or abhorrence towards another.

Questioner: That is fine, but if a person who has sinned, hurts others tremendously; were to come and bow down to a Tirthankara, would his sins not become lighter, so that he would suffer less consequences?

Dadashri: Many of them will be burnt and destroyed.

Questioner: Then do Tirthankaras not help such people attain the Self?

Dadashri: They do not have the authority to speak! They do not meddle! The taped record will play only as much as it is meant to.

Questioner: Is it possible that a person will attain Self-realization merely by listening to taped record deshna of the Tirthankara?

Dadashri: Automatically! The Lord is just a nimit - instrumental in the process. Once a person receives the ‘final stamp’, he will go to Moksha; many people go to moksha. The entire stock is ready and waiting, pending only the Lords’ final signature.

Questioner: So does one go to moksha only after he receives the Tirthankara’s stamp?

Dadashri: What does going to moksha mean? It means that one can go to moksha only if he has done darshan of the Tirthankara.

Questioner: So that means that doing darshan of a Tirthankara destroys most demerit karma paap.

Dadashri: One should attain such a energised inner confidence  (khumari). When you do ‘our’ darshan, you will have one or two more lives; you will have such khumari, then once you do His darshan, you are on the final path to the Siddha state – complete Liberation.

Questioner: That we have already experienced; this energised inner confidence  (khumari). .

Dadashri: Those other people will attain complete khumari when they do darshan of Simandhar Swami. What tremendous form and aura!  What speech and everything else about Him! Anything about the Lord is completely different altogether.

Questioner: Of course, Dada!

Dadashri: You cannot attain final moksha through this Dada’s darshan. Therefore that much still remains; after one or two more lives, after having done the darshan of the Lord Simandhar Swami, one then goes on to moksha.

The right vision is the visa

Questioner: You have said that one will attain Keval Gnan absolute knowledge, by doing darshan of a Tirthankara.

Dadashri: Not solely by doing darshan because many people have done darshan of the Tirthankara. We all did but at that time our readiness was not there, our vision had not changed. We still had the wrong vision (mithya drashti). What can the Tirthankara do with mithya drashti? The grace of the Tirthankara will flow only to those who have the right vision - samyak drashti.

Questioner: So when our readiness is there we will be able to do His darshan and attain moksha.

Dadashri: That is why you have to be ready and get this ‘visa’. Thereafter, wherever you go, you will meet one Tirthankara or another and your work will be done.

Questioner: That is exactly what you had said, that one needs the inner vision to ‘see’ (recognize and understand) the Tirthankara.

Dadashri: The vision to see is what works.

Questioner: So one needs to do darshan with such a vision and he will attain salvation.

Dadashri: A separation will occur within. Otherwise the Lord is perfect with the full enlightenment of three hundred and sixty degrees, but the one before Him has to have the right vision samyak drashti.

Lord Mahavir reveals all about Simandhar Swami

Questioner: Many times we are told and it has also been written that Lord Mahavir became a Tirthankara in the thrird life after He attained right vision samyak darshan; what is the true account of this? Who has written all this?

Dadashri:  It is something that was disclosed by the Tirthankaras. They disclosed after ‘seeing’ with their vision and Lord Mahavir has disclosed who is going to become the Tirthankaras in the next chovisi - the next succession of twenty-four Tirthankaras in the coming time-cycle. Generally the last Tirthankara in a chovisi will disclose information about the Tirthankaras of the next chovisi before they attain salvation.

Lord Mahavir disclosed everything; even about Lord Simandhar Swami. Lord Mahavir knew that there was not going to be a presence of an Arihant on the Earth after His departure for a very long time. Whom would people worship? So He disclosed that there are twenty Tirthankaras and Lord Simandhar Swami is one of them. All this, the current worship of Simandhar Swami has started after He disclosed this. Lord Mahavir showed the path and later Kundkundacharya picked up on it. 

His inner state while giving deshna

Questioner: While giving the final deshna, did Lord Mahavir have thoughts ?

Dadashri: Lord Mahavir had thoughts until the end but his thoughts were such that they come and go with each samaya* (samaya – the smallest unit of time). You can call that a nirvichara state – a state free of thoughts. Just like in a wedding when guests come to greet us - they come one after another and move on.  As one goes the next one comes.  A thought will spring up as the karma for it unfolds; then one will have that thought, it will pass, and the karma ends.  Then the next karma will arise to give its effect. This is how karma arises and sets. The one in nirvichara state will not get stuck with any thought. The Lord does not have tubers of the mind; they are all gone. Therefore thoughts do not bother Him. I too am not bothered by thoughts.

Parmanus of Tirthankaras

Questioner: Is it true that Lord Mahavir’s body exuded exquisite fragrance? I have heard that but I do not actually know that.

Dadashri:  That fragrance does not mean that it smelt like jasmine or the night lily; nothing like that! Fragrance means that when you sit with Him, the parmanus (subatomic particles) released by his body gives you an experience of fragrance within, very easily. That is what you experience. He is not a rose that He has a scent!

[4] Mahavideh Kshetra

Where is Mahavideh Kshetra? What is it like?

Questioner: Where is Mahavideh kshetra where Simandhar Swami currently moves about?

Dadashri: It is completely separate from our planet. The two planets are separate. It is not possible to go there physically.

It is in this universe but it is too cold for aeronautics to go there. Man cannot go there. That is why all galaxies are separate. The areas in between are too cold for anyone to go there.

Questioner: Is Mahavideh Kshetra within or outside the solar system of our universe?

Dadashri: It is within the universe, nothing is outside of that.

Questioner: Where in the universe is Mahavideha Kshetra?

Dadashri: It is in the north northeast ishaan direction.

Questioner: Where in the north northeast? Is  the north northeast a relative thing?

Dadashri: This whole universe itself is relative. Whatever you experience through these senses is not real at all.

Whatever town you live in, it has north south; there is no such thing as north south in the world. For you when it is sunrise in the east, for others it is setting in the west. Therefore it is not absolutely correct. Whatever you see with your eyes is not absolutely correct.

Questioner:  What is Mahavideh Kshetra like?

Dadashri: It is like this place, populated with humans; whatever you see here is what you see there too. There are fifteen other places in the universe like this, which are suitable for humans to live in. It is not possible to go from one world to the other due to the atmosphere in between. The atmosphere around every kshetra location ends near it and therefore one cannot go across. The Gnanis can see all that.

People in Mahavideha

Questioner: Have you had any experience with Mahavideh Kshetra? If so, what is there?

Dadashri: The humans beings there are like the humans who were here during the fourth Ara (One of six divisions of one half of a Time Cycle) during the time of Lord Mahavir. There are shops, farming, businesses etc. just like we have here. There are human beings there just like us and their activities are like ours too. Just like us, they have daughter-in-law and mother-in-law, king, guards and their heads.

Questioner: They must have gatherings like this over there too, right?

Dadashri: You know! There the gatherings are much larger. What is this gathering compared to the ones over there? You cannot even begin talk about the gatherings there.

Questioner: Dada, isn’t the life span long there?

Dadashri: Yes, they have a very long life span; otherwise they are just like us. Their day-to-day conduct is just like ours used to be during the fourth time cycle. People of this fifth time cycle have learnt to steal from others and gossip amongst their relatives. Such interactions are not to be found there.

There the Fourth Ara reins eternally

Questioner: Is there always a third and the fourth Ara there?

Dadashri: There is always the fourth Ara there, no third Ara, only the fourth.

Questioner: Is worldly interaction sansar there similar to ours here?

Dadashri: Yes, people bind karma there too. They also have the awareness of, ‘I am the ‘doer’. They also have ego, anger, pride, deceit and greed. There is a presence of Tirthankaras there right now because of the fourth time cycle; otherwise everything there is just like it is here. Was Lord Ramchandraji not here on earth during the fourth Ara? 

Questioner: Why does the fourth Ara exist there forever?

Dadashri: Just as we have  continuous six month long nights and continuous six month long days in some places here, in the same token, there the fourth Ara reigns forever. That is the nature of that place. This whole universe is round. Within that round is its location. In certain locations, this is how it is forever. It is easy to understand this, is it not?

Questioner: In what other way this Mahavideh Kshetra can be considered different from our Bharat Kshetra?

Dadashri: Yes, completely separate. Tirthankaras continue to be born in Mahavideh Kshetra, whereas here, in our Bharat Kshetra, Tirthankaras are born only during a certain period of the time cycle. During certain time periods, there are no Tirthankaras here. But at the moment, Simandhar Swami is present for us. He is going to live for a very long time. He was born at the time of the eighteenth Tirthankara on this Bharat Kshetra.

Geography of Mahavideh Kshetra

Questioner: Can you give us more details about Mahavideh Kshetra? Is it true what is written in our scriptures about Mount Meru being so many jojans (a measurement of distance equal to eight miles) high?

Dadashri: It is true. It is exact. It is all measured and calculated, even the life span. Yes, everything is according to calculations. In the middle of the universe is this world of ours. There are a total of fifteen such worlds. The middle world/plane is round. People are not able to understand anything more about this. The atmosphere between the different planes is such that it is not possible for one to go from one plane to another. There are fifteen worlds where human beings can take birth and live. Ours is one of them. Besides the Earth, there are fourteen other locations where there are human beings just like us.  People of  Bharat Kshetra are of Kaliyug (the current Ara of lack of unity in thoughts, speech and acts) and those of Mahavideha Kshetra are of Satyug (fourth Ara where people have unity in thoughts, speech and acts). In some places (five Bharat Kshetras and five Airavat Kshetras) there is Kaliyug and in some places there is Satyug. That is how humans are and there in Mahavideh Kshetra, Lord Simandhar Swami currently lives.

Questioner: Mahavideh Kshetra that you are talking about, has science progressed there too as it has here? Do they have planes and cars as we do here?

Dadashri: There are no such mechanical planes there; there they have mantric (they can travel through the energy of mind) planes. Here we have yantric (mechanical), there they have mantric; therefore they do not need engine-oil etc. to run them. Whereas the mechanical ones will not fly without oil or will stop altogether. That is why we have four engines, do we not? If all four stop working, the plane will not fly.

Language in Mahavideh Kshetra

Questioner: Do they speak the Sanskrit language in Mahavideha Kshetra?

Dadashri: It may be Sanskrit-language of the learned, or it may be prakrit common language but it is more likely to be Sanskrit. So we do not know whether it is prakrit or some other. But here we are using Gujarati language to invoke Him and it reaches Him. The importance is not in the name but in our bhav.  We have bhav towards him.  Besides, we definitely have the name, do we not? People ask, ‘do they have similar names as we do? Yes, the names there are like those here; the very same names.

Questioner: Did you ‘see’ those names in Gnan?

Dadashri: I do not know all the names. I have talked about all the names I do know, other names are not known. Some others have been acquired.

Questioner: So are you giving other names based on the scriptures?

Dadashri: Wherever they may have come from, they have been acquired. I have come to know about some of the things, but not in much detail. The rest has been acquired knowledge, but I looked into that information and verified it. We know and understand things that concern us, but don’t we have to call and find out about things that do not concern us?  Nevertheless, all these are facts.

Main aim is to accomplish the goal of Liberation

Questioner: Our Bharat Kshetra lies in Jambudweep, there must be many other such kshetras, are there not?

Dadashri: No, there are no others like this. These fifteen worlds are all there is; there are no others. Even the fifteen we are talking about are very vast. Also the universe is very vast. When we talk about them, people assume that they are like our states, such as Gujarat state, etc. No, it is not like that. It is very vast. They do not even have any connection with each other. There is no connection between this Bharat Kshetra and other Bharat Kshetras, either.

Questioner: Then how many Kshetras like this are there?

Dadashri: These are the only fifteen Kshetras there are. And what is the point of knowing all of them? All we have to realize and understand is that Mahavideh Kshetra is there, and it is of benefit to us. The rest of the universe is vast. If someone asks us, ‘How many hairs do you have?’ What is the point of knowing that? However many there are, they will grow back when you cut them. Just discuss what is of benefit to you, why bother about things that do not concern us? When you do business is it to earn money or to show that your wheat grain is better than others? It is to earn money; therefore the aim is to get something out of it.

It is more than enough just to pay obeisance to the Tirthankaras and the Panch Parmeshti (enlightened beings  in the five categories mentioned in the Navkar Mantra). Our concern is to gain something out of it.

Now the Tirthankaras are in Mahavideh only 

Questioner: There are fifteen kshetras habitable worlds and there are twenty Tirthankaras in the universe, how can that be?

Dadashri: Do not get into mathematics! There are twenty and there are even seventy sometimes. It has not been decided that there should be only twenty.

Questioner: Is it because there is one kshetra within another kshetra?

Dadashri: They are never to be found in certain kshetras. There are absolutely none in ten of the other kshetras. They are currently only in five kshetras. Do not try to figure out all this otherwise you will go crazy.

 He is definitely in Mahavideha Kshetra

Questioner: In the Namaskar Vidhi, one of the obeisances says, ‘I pay obeisance to the living Tirthankaras currently in the Mahavideh Kshetra and other kshetras.’ So in the current time, besides the Mahavideha Kshetra, are there Tirthankaras present in any other kshetras?

Dadashri: Yes, they are in other kshetra. In the five Mahavideh means others kshetras. Others means that there this one Mahavideha Kshetra and there are also four other Mahavideha Kshetras, are there not?

Questioner: Yes, that is true. That is true as other kshetras. So then was there a need to put the word ‘other’ in the Vidhi?

Dadashri: No. There again there is no need to delve deeper into this; it is better to remain superficial in it. You will attain moksha quicker if you remain simple and straightforward and get your work done. There is no gain in losing your naivety. Some naivety is good.

Questioner: Therefore the words ‘other kshetra’, can people think of Bharat kshetra if they want to?

Dadashri: People do not have that much understanding. If we do not write ‘other kshetras’, it will mean that He is in only one kshetra. But only certain people will feel that, not all. And the other four Mahavideha Kshetras can be called ‘others’, can they not? Besides one, the rest are considered others, are they not?

What is the proof of Mahavideh Kshetra?

Questioner: We talk about Mahavideh Kshetra, but we have never seen it and we do not know much about it. So then what is the proof that there is a Mahavideha Kshetra? Is there any proof of that?

Dadashri: There definitely is a proof. Every word I speak is a precise and scrutinized word. I am not a simple and gullible person that I would not scrutinize the tiniest thing. I have more energies and capacity to scrutinize than you do. Whatever is said very precisely scrutinized by ‘me’. Dada Bhagwan has manifested within me and that too, one hundred percent! This phenomenon has never occurred before in this world.

Questioner: Then how will we know that we have arrived at Mahavideha Kshetra; something that we have never seen before? How will we know whether what we see is real or an illusion?

Dadashri: Your karmic account itself will take you there. You do not need to go there or need to think about going to Mahavideh Kshetra. Whatever standard you are worthy of, that standard will pull you there; it will not let you stay here. The Gnan that I have given you will make you worthy of that standard.

Special Nature of Mahavideha Kshetra

Questioner: Can a ‘down fall’ occur in Mahavideha Kshetra? Can a person decline?

Dadashri: There is no such thing as ‘up’ over there. There is no such thing as one can go to a higher or a lower station there, for the ones who are Self-realized.

Questioner: They do not bind karma there, do they?

Dadashri: Everyone (except an Atma Gnani – one with Self-realization) binds karma; no one can escape karma, can he?

Questioner: Once having gone there, one’s progress is only towards moksha, is it not?

Dadashri: No, there is no such rule. There are many who did not get anywhere. Many over there are part of a wandering crowd. If anyone becomes ready with Atmagnan and goes to Mahavideha Kshetra from here, his work will be done. But people there keep wandering around.

What is Mahavideha Kshetra like? It is just like what we had here during the fourth Ara. Only certain people have gone to moksha in the fourth Ara, the rest have not. No one graduates out of this, do they? They do not find the path to moksha, do they? One is not hungry for moksha in the fourth Ara, and in the fifth Ara when one is hungry; there is no path to moksha available. There in the fourth Ara, the work goes on slowly as a routine.

Unity of the Mind-Body-Speech Exists Over There!

Now what is the difference between the fourth and the fifth Ara? The only difference between the two is that in the former, there is unity of mind, speech and body, whereas in the fifth Ara, this unity is broken. People in the fifth Ara do not say what they think and they do not do what they say, while in the fourth Ara, people say and do exactly what is in their mind. If a person living in the fourth Ara says he feels like burning down the whole village, you can be assured that he will do so. Whereas today, there is no substance in what people say or think. When a person tells you he is going to burn your house down, you know that he is still thinking about it. When is he likely to come face to face with you?  Even though he has said it, there is no substance to it.  He may tell you he is going to kill you, but what is he basing it on?  There is no basis.  There is no unity of mind, speech and body, then how can he do what he says he is going to do? It will not happen. This was not the case three thousand years ago. The way things were here three thousand years ago is exactly what it is like over there in Mahavideh Kshetra. Today here the mind is different, the speech is different and the conduct is different – have you seen this in people? Everyone has had this experience firsthand.

What is it like there now? A person will speak and act exactly as what is on his mind.  Whereas here, in his mind he wants to hurt you but he speaks with you very nicely telling you, ‘I am ready to do whatever you tell me.’ That is how much things have changed. Therefore from here, everyone goes to a lower life form (adhogati) and from there, they move on to a higher life form (urdhvagati). Over there, when a person tells you, ‘I will abduct your daughter’, realize that he will do so for sure. Whereas here a person may say that he will kill you and then do nothing. They get angry, that is all. They just say things but they do not carry them out. There, they will definitely kill you if they say they are going to! Here, the fifth Ara, means dusham kaal which means that even when you want to maintain equanimity, you will be able to do so only through great difficulty otherwise you will not at all. And in Mahavideha Kshetra the time is called susham kaal where equanimity is easily maintained.

Questioner: You had once said that jealousy, aversion and love exist even in Mahavideha Kshetra, does it not?

Dadashri: Exactly what you have here; there is no difference.

Questioner: Are they all not considered kashayas (anger, pride, deceit and greed)?

Dadashri: They are definitely kashayas.

Questioner:  Then why should that be so in Mahavideha Kshetra? Should it not be different over there?

Dadashri: No, it is not like that. Kashayas were present even in the fourth Ara here.  Lord Rama’s wife was abducted even when Rama was the King. This will go on like this.

Continuous fourth Ara in Mahavideh

Questioner: Is there a rule that if a person is born in Mahavideha Kshetra, he will go to moksha?

Dadashri: No, there is nothing like that. There are pickpockets and kidnappers there too, but there the fourth Ara prevails continuously and so there is always a presence of a Tirthankara Lord there. Also people there have oneness of mind, body and speech, whereas that is not the case here. Otherwise there too are people who are liars, cheaters, and cunning as we do here. In Mahavideha Kshetra it is like here too; it is exactly like this, they too pick pockets. Even the people and their names are like ours. Now, when people here attain a unity of mind, body and speech, they will be automatically pulled up there due to the nature of that location. And those who have lost such unity over there will be pulled here due to the nature of this location.

Questioner: We know that we do not have the unity of our mind, body and speech. Do they know that they speak what is in their minds? Do they have such power of observation?

Dadashri: Yes, of course! They have all the energy and also great awareness. Where is the awareness in the people here?

Questioner: Then people there do not have any interference and its effects dakhodakhal?

Dadashri: There is a lot of interference.

Questioner: Then how can they maintain the unity of mind, body and speech with so much interference?

Dadashri: No that unity will remain but interference still goes on.

The purpose of going to Mahavideha Kshetra

Questioner: When a person says something and does exactly what he said he was going to do and when everything happens accordingly, how will his doer-ship in it go away? He attains nothing but agnan (ignorance), does he not?

Dadashri: It will strengthen it-doership.

Questioner: But people here wish to go to Mahavideha Kshetra.

Dadashri: The reason to go to Mahavideha Kshetra is that the one, whose doer-ship is gone, goes to moksha. He will attain moksha if he meets a Tirthankara there. That is all. All he needs is darshan of the Tirthankara. There is a Tirthankara there and yet people do not do His darshan, they do not care. Only a few people care for moksha, not everyone.

Questioner: Many people have inner intent of going to Mahavideha Kshetra from here.

Dadashri: Yes, but they have to go to Mahavideha Kshetra to go to moksha! They will find the ultimate instrument to go to moksha.

Questioner: Is it not possible to go to moksha directly from here?

Dadashri: No, not directly from here. Direct route to moksha from here is closed because of the lack of unity in mind, speech and body.

One has to go through one more life before he can go to moksha from here. When one life is left one has to go to Mahavideha Kshetra. We will meet a Tirthankara there, will we not? Just His mere darshan will give you liberation. There is no need to learn anything else there.

Questioner: When the people there who despite having unity of the mind, speech and body cannot do darshan, then how will those who do not have such unity here, do the darshan?

Dadashri:  But these people who have attained Self-realization can do it because their inner intent is to attain moksha. That is why they have attained this Akram science, have they not? This lack of unity that prevails is due to this current era of the time cycle. Over there, the era is good and thus the unity prevails.

How can one go there?

Questioner: Under what conditions can one go there, if one wants to?

Dadashri: One has to become like those who live over there. If he attains the qualities of the people living in the fourth time cycle, if he loses the negative characteristics, which prevail during the fifth time cycle, he can go there. For example, if someone were to insult you and you have no bad feelings or thoughts towards that person whatsoever, and then you will go there.

So in this life you should come to a final solution which will bring about a change in location for you. Become such that you will be free from  expectations from others.  As you deal with each account with equanimity, you will become worthy of that location of Mahavideha.

One goes to Mahavideha Kshetra as his attributes change. Currently the fifth Ara is operating here. Therefore, attributes of humans of the fifth Ara have become worse than the attributes of the people of the fourth Ara. Now, if the Gnan that I give them improves their attributes; if they do not interfere, if they do not hurt others, then the nature of location is such that they will be automatically pulled away from here to where the fourth Ara prevails.  The fourth Ara prevails forever in Mahavideha Kshetra and in only the fourth Ara do you find a Tirthankara. You will not find a Tirthankara in any place in the fifth Ara. Therefore, from here when a person’s nature swabhav changes, he will find a Tirthankara in the Mahavideha Kshetra.

One’s nature changes due to the energy of this Gnan and so he becomes incompatible with people here. People with nature like ours have moved on and we no longer have compatibility with those who remain here. So what good is it for us to stay here? Our crowd has gone away so whom can we interact with here? Therefore, after attaining our Gnan, many of our mahatmas are going to be pulled away to Mahavideh Kshetra. But we cannot say that it happens right away, one may have to spend one more life here before going to Mahavideha Kshetra.

Moksha through His darshan

Why are we going to Mahavideha Kshetra? It is because we can constantly do darshan of the Tirthankara Lord; that is the only benefit in going there. The embodied soul that goes there - goes only for the Tirthankara; there is no other intent. So whosoever goes from here is going to run only after the Lord, is he not? He will get his work done in one or two life times.

Those who receive this Gnan will have one or two more lives only. They have to go to Simandhar Swami and do His darshan. That is all that remains for them. His very darshan gives moksha. This darshan is higher than the darshan of Dada. Once this darshan is done, moksha occurs. 

Does one come back here?

Questioner: Can one who has gone to Mahavideha Kshetra come back here?

Dadashri: It is possible, but our mahatmas do not have to come back here. Many others do come back, do they not?

Questioner: But is there not a presence of Lord Simandhar Swami there? Then why does that happen? Will there not be influence of the Lord?

Dadashri: There are people who will not obey the Lord. You know, they use to curse even Lord Mahavir! ‘You are Mahavir but we are not ordinary either.’ They will say that; there are all kinds of people! In Mahavideha Kshetra, it is just like what we have here. You have all kinds, black and white. There is no difference. The only difference is that there are Tirthankaras there.

Whatever one’s marks, examination results are; so are his attributes and based on that, a jiva (living being) worthy of Mahavideha Kshetra will not last here very long. He cannot survive here and therefore he will go there. And in Mahavideha Kshetra, any being that are like the ones we have here in dusham kaal, will have to come here. Therefore one’s inner attributes are what determines his location.

The kind of stock that exists in this dusham kaal (time where equanimity is maintained with great difficulty); you will not find that in Mahavideha Kshetra. The stock that was here in the fourth Ara, is what is there right now. The rotten stock that is here will get cleansed here. It will go through the fifth and the sixth Ara. The same thing continues over and over again. From here, some will go away to Mahavideha Kshetra.

Questioner:  So one life in a hundred thousand must be coming back here from Mahavideha Kshetra, is that so?

Dadashri: No, few more, hundred in a hundred thousand come back because that stock keeps getting bad. That bad stock, tainted stock comes here but how can the bad stock from here go up there? Yet some beings are such that they do. After Lord Mahavir, some have gone to Mahavideha Kshetra, but only very few.

Only worthy for Mahavideha Kshetra

Therefore, our mahatmas are going to be worthy. When you do not have a negative thought towards someone doing wrong to you, it means that you have become worthy. Do you think negatively about someone who curses you or insults you?

Questioner: No.

Dadashri: Therefore you have become worthy. Is it easy to deal with someone with equanimity?

Questioner: Do people become unworthy there too?

Dadashri: They are going to be like that everywhere. The attributes within cannot refrain from manifesting their nature, can they? The inherent nature of an embodied soul is not likely to change, is it? We have attained the Self and therefore that yoga union (with the Lord) will occur automatically. If you say, ‘I do not want to come’, it will say, ‘No, but where else can we put you? You are not worthy of any other place but Mahavideh Kshetra.

[5] Solution to mahatma’s puzzle

Visas for Mahavideha

Questioner: Dada, can one go to Lord Simandhar Swami for sure, by remembering him?

Dadashri:  The decision to go there is already made. There is nothing new about it, but constant rememberance of the Lord, nothing else or new will creep in.

Maya – illusionary attachment will not creep in when  Dada or Simandhar Swami is constant with you in your mind. Maya would not come here right now.

Having taken this Gnan, you are in the process of being prepared for Mahavideh kshetra! I do not have to do anything. This is the natural law.

Questioner: How can one go to Mahavideh kshetra? Is it through merit karma punyai?

Dadashri: When you follow my Agnas (Instructions from The Gnani after Gnan) you are binding merit karma that will take you to Mahavideh Kshetra. By following the Agnas, you are in dharmadhyana (meditation devoid of anger, pride, greed or deceit), and that will give rewards. As long as you remain within my Agnas, you are binding that much merit karma, the fruits of which, you will enjoy in the presence of the Tirthankara Lord.

Questioner: We want to take birth in Mahavideha Kshetra, is it possible to attain that?

Dadashri: Yes, why not? Surely, only those who are in the fourth standard can be placed into the fifth standard, after they pass the examination. In this manner the nature of the kshetra takes one lifetime to take one over there. Therefore, those whose nature becomes worthy of the fourth Ara, the kshetra where the fourth Ara prevails, will pull them there. And those in the fourth Ara who are worthy of the fifth Ara, this fifth Ara will pull them here from over there. There you have to sit near Lord Simandhar Swami and you will attain moksha. You can do final darshan there. That darshan is higher than the darshan you do of ‘me’. I am at three hundred and fifty six degrees and the Lord is at three hundred and sixty degrees. Therefore such a darshan will occur there. Now you need that kind of darshan. That includes everything. You attain moksha when you have that darshan.

Questioner: Will Simandhar Swami agree to keep us near Him know our impure and unbecoming conduct?

Dadashri: At that time, your conduct will no longer be like this. By abiding in my Agnas in this life, you will receive benefits in your next life. These benefits will be realized in Mahavideh kshetra. Your present conduct, however inappropriate it may be, is something you have brought with you from your past life. You did not consult me when you created those causes.

Questioner: We will just show Dada’s visas.

Dadashri: Your work will be done the moment you show the visa. You will experience endless bliss at the mere sight of the Tirthankara. The entire world will fall into oblivion. You will not feel like eating or drinking anything. Everything would have come to an end by then. You will attain the niralamb (that which has no dependence) Self; completely free and independent! Then there will be no dependency on anything.

Where will the mahatmas go?

Questioner: All the mahatmas will be going straight to Mahavideha Kshetra, will they not?

Dadashri: Some may have to come here for one more life and then go there. One will have to settle all karmic accounts that lie pending, will he not? All accounts that has been bound, will have to be settled. He may have a ten to fifteen years worth of karmic stock that will have to be dealt with; he has no choice but deal with it and only then will he be able to proceed.  Will one not have to settle up all accounts? Prior to attaining this Gnan, if you have bound a bad karma for which a penalty has been assessed, you have no choice but face that penalty, do you?  But you are free after paying off the penalty, which may take one more life. 

Questioner: So does anyone slip and toally lose out; after taking Gnan?

Dadashri: No one does not.

Questioner: After attaining this Gnan can one ever lose it all, forever?

Dadashri: No, but if a person does not attain this Gnan, then he goes off on the wrong path, speaks ill of others; then there is no telling what will become of him.

Questioner: Do all those who do Simandhar Swami’s darshan attain moksha?

Dadashri: Merely doing His darshan  will not lead to liberation. One has to receive His grace. One’s heart should become pure. As one’s heart becomes pure, His graces flows in naturally. People go to listen to Him and what they hear sounds wonderful to their ears but they do not make any progress. This is because they still have a desire to enjoy trivial worldly things. It is like having a platter full of delicious food but because the pickle is missing, a person does not eat. People forget their moksha in pursuit of insignificant things.

Questioner: So if we go to Mahavideha Kshetra and do Simandhar Swami’s darshan, will we attain moksha or not?

Dadashri: That will happen, because you have taken Gnan. Therefore when you go to Mahavideha Kshetra and when appropriate circumstances come together, then it will happen. The two to three lives that remain for you are the result of following the Agnas which I have given you. This yields tremendous punyai (merit karma) so when you go there from here you will not have to build a bungalow, it will be ready for you even before you are born. Those with such merit karma do not have to work at all. It is the parents who will have to do all the work.

On Earth His idol will lead to liberation

You can also go there after one lifetime and you will also be able to actually touch Him.

Questioner: Yes Dada! We will get that chance, won’t we?

Dadashri: You will have all the opportunities, why not? You are in deep praise of His name and you pay obeisance to Him. We have to go there, and that is why we say to the Lord, “Dear Lord, although You are there and we cannot see You, but through the worship of the idol in your image we are doing your darshan”. We do the darshan near the twelve feet idol of Simandhar Swami, then we recite and talk of Him. This is beneficial if the idol is of a living One (Arihant). The signature of the one has departed does not work. This one works for us. He is the Arihant.

Questioner: In Mahavideha Kshetra will we be on the kramik path or Akram path?

Dadashri: Only Akram will be there for you. The ego will not arise at all.

After Gnan and  following Agnas  comes Mahavideh Kshetra

Questioner: What else should the one who has taken Gnan and wants moksha, do if he wants to go there for the darsahn of  Simahdhar Swami?

Dadashri: You do not have to do anything. Abide by my agnas. These agnas themselves will take you to moksha. Nothing else is worth doing.  The fact that you abide by the Agnas is the circumstance; this circumstance that I am; will bring you to ‘me’. You will not have to look for it.

Those who have attained the awareness of their pure Self  (Self-Realization) here, will no longer be able to remain in Bharat Kshetra. It is a principle that those who have the awareness of the Soul will go to Mahavideh Kshetra. They will not be able to remain in this dusham kaal. Having the awareness  laksha of the pure Soul, they will spend one or two more lives at Mahavideh Kshetra, there they will do darshan of the Tirthankara and then attain moksha. That is how easy and simple  this path of Akram Vignan is.

Remain in my agnas. The Agnas itself is dharma (religion); the Agnas itself is tapa (penance). Everything has to be settled with equanimity. From all the Agnas that you have been given, abide by as many as you can. If you abide by them completely, you can experience the bliss similar to that of Lord Mahavir! Go on ‘seeing’ the real and the relative,  so your chit will not go anywhere else.

If you abide by ‘our’ five Agnas after attaining Gnan, then it is possible to remain in a state like that of Lord Mahavir. I myself stay like that! I have shown you the same path that I have taken and the gunasthanak (spiritual level) that has manifested in me is the same gunasthanaka that you have attained.

Questioner: Dada being in the direct presence of your pure consciousness and being touched by your speech, which is the manifest Goddess Saraswati, when we bow down to Lord Simandhar Swami, does our obeisance reach Him?  

Dadashri: When I give you Gnan, I ‘sit-take a permanent place’ within you. Therefore your obeisance definitely reaches Him.  He who has attained Gnan and remains in ‘our’ Agnas, his obeisance will definitely reach Him. Whether you are able to remain in ‘our’ Agnas in whole or partially is a different matter altogether; but at least you are abiding by them! Some people may do to a lesser extent.

Karma can no longer bind you after you take this Gnan. The one who was doing the karma, is no longer the doer, therefore he does not bind new karma. Therefore, now the state of samvar (prevention of new karma inflow) will prevail constantly. Karma is being discharged without new one being charged.  You will bind karma for only one or two more life times, because you are abiding by the Agnas. And for that you will have to go to Lord Simandhar Swami. Mahavideha Kshetra itself will pull you up there because he whose artadhyana (adverse meditation that hurts the self) and raudradhyan (adverse meditation that hurts the self and others) have ceased, cannot remain in this kshetra. Mahavideha Kshetra itself will pull him up there. No one is there to take him there.

Questioner: You are going to take us there, are you not?

Dadashri: Where?

Questioner: To Lord Simandhar Swami.

Dadashri: Yes. I will definitely take you there.  That is why I am sitting here - to take all of you there. What am I going to do by going there alone? And the Lord is pleased with us. He is pleased with our mahatmas and with our Akram Vignan. You see Him happy, do you not?

Questioner: Absolutely.

Questioner: Our mahatmas who go there, will they be coming back?

Dadashri: They will not. They will never come back. They have progressed through this science and therefore they will never fall.

The Gnani Purush’s connection with Simandhar Swami

Questioner: Simandhar Swami is there. You go there everyday to do His darshan, how is that possible? Can you explain that please?

Dadashri: I go there but I cannot go there everyday for darshan. From my left shoulder springs forth a light form and this goes where Simandhar Swami is and returns with solutions to all the questions. Whenever any clarification is needed, the light goes there and returns with the answers. Otherwise Mahavideh Kshetra is not such that I can physically go back and forth!

The Gnani Purush has the direct  link with Simandhar Swami

Questioner: That sharira body of Yours, that goes to Lord Simandhar Swami, is there any component of the Self Atma in it?

Dadashri: That is the pratisthit atma (the relative self). What would happen to this body if the main Self were to go there? Nevertheless the part that goes there is a part of the Self-the enlightened Self.  What goes there is in the form of the light prakash, knowledge energy, of the Self. So if ever ‘I’ want to ask something, then all solutions will come, although for the most part, ‘I’ do not have to ask much. Rarely there is something that is not quite clear, which needs to be unentangled, and it gets resolved.

Questioner: So does the kshetra (location) of the Self stretch for that much space?

Dadashri: It leaves as a physical body; it is a pudgalic bhav component of the non-Self complex with a purpose and intent. It is mishra chetan (the mixture of the Self and the non-Self) which goes there and comes back with solutions to all the questions. And only a Gnani has that special energy, others do not.

I have a direct connection with Simandhar Swami. I ask all the questions to Him and they are all answered. To date hundreds of thousands of questions have been asked and the answers have been given to the world by me. I do not answer them independently. I cannot answer all the questions. Is it easy to answer questions? A person cannot answer even five questions without creating an argument. Here the answers are very precise. That is why we worship Simandhar Swami!

That is the special prowess of the Gnani only

Questioner: Could the Yogi Purushes (those who had attained special spiritual energies through sadhana self effort) of the past go to another world kshetra with their subtle body?

Dadashri: No one can go like that. Only the Gnanis can do that; a ‘body’ leaves from the shoulder here, and it goes there.

Questioner: What body is that?

Dadashri: It is a kind of a body. It is in the form of a light prakash, which leaves and returns with solutions. There is no need for anything else there, is there? It is not going there for dinner. It goes there to ask the Keval Gnani – the fully enlighted One, and returns with the answers.

Questioner: But does it adjust with the body when it returns?

Dadashri: It becomes absorbed with it; it is a different kind of a body.

Questioner: But Dada, is such a thing possible?

Dadashri: Yes, it is possible and it is scientific. It can be proven through science. It is not a fabrication.  People call that as going sadehe (with the body).  But they interpret it according to their own understanding, which is going with the visible body, but it is not like that.

Worthiness of doing darshan

Questioner:  I want to do darshan of Lord Simandhar Swami, on tis day, and am willing to remain in satsang with you as long as it takes. Promise me that this goal of mine will get accomplished today, because I have come here after a lot of thinking, and firm resolution. I am making this one special request, am begging you, togive me the vision of this path, that You have.

Dadashri: What will you do with the darshan?

Questioner: What is left after I do darshan?

Dadashri: If a drunk wants to do darshan of a king, if you take him to the king, what darshan is the drunk going to do? He may say something wrong and abusive. So you cannot have a drunk do darshan of a king. Similarly, these humans who live through their moha (illusionary behavior), who have drunk the ‘liquor of moha’, you cannot have them do darshan of the Lord, because he may invite a lower life form for himself by speaking ill of the Lord. The darshan is to be facilitated when he has become free from the intoxication from worldly pleasures and thus becomes worthy. If you take him to darshan before he is worthy, he may say something negative like, ‘Simandhar Swami - he is so huge, he does not wear any clothes etc.’ This darshan is of use only after one becomes worthy. For now, just do namaskar to ‘Dada Bhagwan’.

[6] Gnani, the Representative of Tirthankara

Being molded for moksha through Gnani Puursh

When do you see a big smile on the face of the Tirthankara? It is when He sees Gnanis. He sees them as the supreme group of people, who prepare everyone and send them to Him. The Gnani will prepare all of them and send them there.  The Gnanis do all the work. The Tirthankaras do not have to do anything. The ‘prepared stock’ (people ready for liberation) come to Him. The molding and the preparation has to be done by us – the Gnanis and in return He is very happy with ‘us’, very happy indeed! That is why we all do namaskar (bow down) through this Dada Bhagwan and it reaches all the way to the Lord. Otherwise, not a single namaskar of anyone reaches correctly. What will He do with the one that is not through the medium of Dada Bhagwan- the Self?

‘We’ have a relation-connection with Lord Simandhar Swami. ‘We’ have taken on responsibility of moksha of all the mahatmas. ‘We’ take responsibility for anyone that abides by ‘our’ agnas.

Where will the next birth of Dada be?

Questioner: You are working for the salvation of the world right now, but surely eventually that desire will subside in time? When that desire comes to an end, where will You take birth?

Dadashri: It will never end. The result of the desire for world’s salvation will be realized when the body departs. Then whatever desire for salavation is left at that time when that comes into effect and finishes, then moksha will occur. The current desire is the final desire. ‘I – the  Self’ have nothing to do with it nevertheless, it is still a desire in effect. There is no freedom from the worldly life as long as there is even a single desire. However this is the desire of intent in past life; it is not a new desire of today. Desires which have been accumulated as causes in the past life will materialize and will eventually discharge.

Questioner: This desire of yours – is it a charge for an effect later?

Dadashri: No, this desire is in the form of a discharge, it is not in the form of a charge. Now it will come to an end, when all karma of this body comes to an end; the deires will all come to an end. The discharge will come to an end. What was previously charged is now being discharged. Whether I like it or not – discharge is inevitable.

Questioner: When these desires come to an end, will this body remain forever?

Dadashri: No, a new body will arise. That body will go through Mahavideha Kshetra, before going to moksha. It will spend its  punyai (merit karma) in one or two life times and then go on to moksha. Punyai will be bound, for doing salvation of the world here. Also Tirthankara naam karma (lineage of Tirthankara) is also a possibility! The actual effect of becoming a Tirthankara may also happen and that too will have to be accepted.

Obeisance reaches through Dada Bhagwan

Questioner: When we do namaskar to Lord Simandhar Swami, we say, ‘Pratyaksh Dada Bhagwan ni shakshi ye…in the presence of Dada Bhagwan’. What is the difference between saying ‘in the presence of Dada Bhagwan’ and saying it directly i.e. ‘I bow down to Lord Simandhar Swami’?

Dadashri: The fruit is better after doing darshan here of Dada Bhagwan.

Questioner: I used to say, ‘I bow down to Lord Simandhar Swami’ even before I met Dada and I say the same after meeting Dada. What is the difference between the two?

Dadashri: There a tremendous difference. 

Questioner: Please explain in detail.

Dadashri: Say you have never seen the king but you salute him everyday.  The king’s minister is always with the king, is he not?  So would it not make a difference if you pay your salutations in the presence of the minister? Will he not notify the king that you pay homage to him everyday?

Questioner: But Lord Simandhar Swami is currently living and moving about, so if we go to any derasar and do namaskar to Him, is that not a direct line to Him?

Dadashri: No. Who will make the connection?

Questioner: Can it not happen through the soul-Atma within; the supreme soul - parmatma?

Dadashri: No, nothing will happen. It will when you become Self realised. How can it happen when you yourself have not become the Self? It will reach Him if you become the Self. The one in whom all dehadhyas ‘I am this body’ goes away, His namaskar will reach the Lord.

Questioner: So then, we have to do namaskaar obeisance by saying ‘in the direct presence of Dada Bhagwan’?

Dadashri: It has to be done through Dada Bhagwan-the Self otherwise there is no meaning to it, it does not reach Him.

It is beyond the intellect

Questioner: Dada must be worshipping Lord Simandhar Swami.  The connection Dada has with the Lord, what kind of connection is it? How does Dada do the bhakti (worship)?

Dadashri: There is no method to it.

Questioner: What kind of darshan is that?

Dadashri: Darshan is something that is beyond the intellect - buddhi. So what is there to talk about? There is no point in talking about it, is there?

Questioner: But what is it? We can at least understand a bit….

Dadashri: No, it is beyond the intellect, so you will not be able to understand it. It is pointless talking about it! If you do it the way I have shown you,  do it through Dada Bhagwan, then it will work.

Questioner: No. if there is some clarification, then it will help.

Dadashri: There cannot be any more explanation to it. When it is beyond the intellect, any clarification or explanation is of no use. There is no meaning in deciphering that which is adrashya cannot be ‘seen’ and is agneya cannot be ‘known.’

The difference between Dada and Simandhar Swami

Questioner: When you reach three hundred and fifty nine degrees (of spiritual development), when the ego has been completely eradicated, it is completely gone; then what is the difference between You and Simandhar Swami?

Dadashri: There is a great difference. One degree can do a lot. There are so many atishayas – extraordinary energy attributes, in the speech of the Tirthankara.  I do not have such atishayas. All the atishayas are in His speech.

Questioner:  So the difference is like the one between moon of 14^th day moon and the full moon (chaudas vs. punam)? Is there that much of a difference? Is that so?

Dadashri: Great difference. ‘We’ may look like the full moon but there is a great difference! What do I have! Whereas the Lord has everything! What do I have? Yet I am content, just like a full moon. My energies work so much for ‘me’ that I feel like I am at a full moon stage.

The only significant intent

After my stamp of Gnan Vidhi, all there is left for you, is to see the Tirthankara! And when you see Him, there is liberation for you. Liberation is when you do darshan of the Vitarag Lord - the one who is in the final state absolutely enlightened and yet enlightening millions. Everything else has been prepared here by the Gnani Purush. Lord Simandhar Swami is there to put the icing on the cake.  Who bakes the cake and who puts the icing on it?

Dadashri at 356 degrees, Dada Bhagwan at 360 degrees

Questioner: Is it a fact that when I say, “In the direct presence Dada Bhagwan as my witness, I offer my infinite obeisance to the current living Tirthankara Shri Simandhar Swami, who at present is moving about at Mahavideh Kshetra,” He is able to receive and see that I am sending this obeisance?

Dadashri: He sees in a general and total perspective, not specifically. These Tirthankaras do not see specifics. It reaches Him because it is said through the medium of ‘Dada Bhagwan’. It is not possible without a medium.

Now how much difference is there between Dadashri and the Tirthankara Lord?  There is a difference of only four degrees; not more than that. And I do not even say that, ‘I am Dada Bhagwan’ I am Patel.

Questioner: I am not talking about you, I am talking about Dada Bhagwan.

Dadashri: Yes, that is true. Dada Bhagwan is different and I call myself ‘A. M. Patel.’ When can I say, ‘I am Bhagwan’? It is when I attain the three hundred and sixty degrees.

Questioner: Four degrees. What is the significance of the four degrees?  What do the four degrees signify?

Dadashri: I am at 356 degrees. First, it is due to this era of the current time cycle. I still have these clothes. These clothes, these garbs and all the outer appearances are there. In this current era of the time cycle, it is not possible to progress beyond the tenth gunsthanak with reference to vyavahar the relative world, but in nischaya the real state–I am at the twelveth gunsthanak.

Questioner: Tenth or the twelfth, is it at the state of upsham (a state where kashaya are latent) or at the state of ksahyik (complete annihilation of  kashaya)?

Dadashri: It is only in the ksahyik state. There is not an iota of the upsham; there is no such thing here.

‘Dada Bhagwan’ and Dadashri are separate

As mentioned in the books, the person you see in front of you is ‘A. M. Patel’. I am a Gnani Purush and the One who is manifest within me is ‘Dada Bhagwan’. He is the Lord of the fourteen worlds. No one has ever heard of such a manifestation before.

A man told me, “Sitting near you has brough immediate and total peace shanti.” I replied, “I am sitting with the Lord of the fourteen worlds, and you are sitting next to me. Here leave aside shanti peace, but in fact anand bliss prevailes.”

So ‘we’ will never say, “ I am Bhagwan (God).” That is madness. The people of the world may say so, but ‘we’ would not say that. “We’ would say it exactly as it is. 

‘We’ continue to assert that’we’ are simply a nimit evidence in this. ‘We’ have no desire at all for anything. ‘We’ have infinite bliss prevailing within.  For the one who is not experiencing this bliss, there is this pleasure of compliments from others. What is the use of such transient pleasures, for the one who is absolutely free from any expectation?

Therefore Dada Bhagwan is separate. I am separate. I do namaskaar obeisance to Dada Bhagwan, because  I have to complete 360 degrees.

Most people would not understand this subtle distinction, which is why I have to say that, ‘Dada Bhagwan’ is manifest within me. Ask Him for whatever you want and get your work done. Very rarely does the Lord of the fourteen worlds manifest. I am seeing this myself and that is why I am telling you to get your work done!

[7] Worship of the celestial Gods and Goddesses on this path of liberation

Questioner: The path to moksha is a path of liberation, there cannot be any expectations there, so what is the point of pleasing the devas celestial gods and the devis celestial goddesses?

Dadashri: The reason you have to please these shasan devas-devis* (Sashan deva-devis - celestial Gods and Goddesses who protect the  path to the fully enlightened Lords), who give protection is because human beings of today are purvaviradhak (acted with  disrespect  and opposition in the past life). Purvaviradhak means in the past they have instigated other people against the path of Liberation. As a result of this they are still here in this world. They have been wandering around aimlessly till now. We have to worship the devas and the devis so that we can nullify any claims they may have against us; and that they do not throw any obstacles on our path to moksha and help us on that path. If you have a quarrel with people of this town and you maintain an inner intent of respect towards them aradhana, then that conflict will go away and your work will turn out to be even better. I respect the whole world, not just devas and devis. You attain good out of every human being through respect.

The protecting devas-devis constantly help whenever difficulties arise in the path of religion. This Akram path is instrumental, in what they do. I have become a nimit – instrumental - in this path. Don’t we need a groom to head the wedding procession? And this path to moksha is such that you cannot go directly from here. One or two lifetimes still remain on this path. There is no direct moksha from here in this era of the current time cycle.

Therefore there is no form of opposition (virodha) on ‘our’ part. People who oppose become trapped one way or other. We would never become trapped, would we? The whole world being on the kramic path, will not pay due respect to anyone below (inferior) them, they only pay respect to those who are above (superior) them. Whereas, in the Akram path, one bows to all.  There is not single living being (jiva) a person in our Akram will not do darshan of. What does the kramic path say? It says that you cannot bow to those beings in hell, beings in the animal life form, to bhuvanvasi and vyantar devas –celestial beings in certain locations. They regard all these beings in their relative form; they look upon them through a relative perspective only.

Questioner: Yes.

Dadashri: And we say that we bow down to Tirthankaras, bhuvanvasi, vyantar devas, everyone. We see them through the real vision drashti.

Questioner: Through the real vision?

Dadashri: Yes, real vision. ‘We’ do not have any problems with any living being. And that is why this Gnan that has manifested. The reason this Gnan has manifested completely is because of ‘our’ bhaav of not wanting to hurt any living being, even in the slightest degree.  Whereas, what do people in the kramic path do? They look in the upward direction. ‘This is worth worshipping and this is not’. They have attraction towards those worthy of worship and aversion towards those unworthy of worship. They say that you have become a mithyatvi – taken the wrong path because you bow down to a celestial Goddess. You fool! Why do you interfere in all that? Do not say anything if you do not understand. All these celestial beings, the Devas, devis, bhoota, vyantar beings, are for real. It is not a fabrication. They are all appropriate in their right places. Why are you instigating them negatively, when they do not bother you at all? Why are you so egotistic? Everyone is acceptable to us. No one will say ‘no’ to us.

Arati of Simandhar Swami

Questioner: What is the meaning and purpose of doing arati in  our temple?

Dadashri: These mahatmas of Dada do the arati* (arati - ritual of devotional singing waving lamps or incense sticks in front of the idol being worshipped) of Simandhar Swami who is currently present in this universe, through the medium of Dada Bhagwan. I also do His aarti. I send this arati to Him, our Lord who has been living for the last one hundred and seventy five thousand years.

During His arati all the Devas (celestial Gods) are present. The arati of the Gnani Purush reaches all the way to Simandhar Swami. The celestial Gods and Goddesses say that they will grace their presence wherever there is a gathering of Self-realized beings. In whichever temple, whenever you sing our arati, the Lord will have to be present there.

Namaskar Vidhi

Questioner: Why do we do Namaskar Vidhi ?

Dadashri: In our Namaskar Vidhi, when we say we bow down to the devas-devis, all the beings in animal life, and beings in hell etc., the pure Soul (shuddhatma) is not the one bowing; the relative self that is saying the namaskar is bowing down. We, the pure Soul, simply are the ‘knower’ of the one doing the Namaskar Vidhi . Now when a person does namaskar to the devas-devis, the animal life forms, the hell location forms etc., they in turn will say, ‘we are forgiving you – we are letting you go even though you were denying or doubting our existence. But we do exist, do we not?’  And we in turn say, ‘Yes, you are, we were not aware of that you do exist and that is why we were saying that you did not. It was due to our association with saints and the ascetics that we used to believe that by doing your darshan, we will become mithyatvi (one living with the wrong beleif). But when were we ever samkiti (enlightened; one with right vision) in the first place that we would become mithyatvi?’

So recite this Namaskar Vidhi. All those addressed in the Namaskar Vidhi are not on this planet, but they are definitely present on other planets and these are the names of those who have attained the Absolute. I have seen them. Therefore through Dada Bhagwan, when you say, ‘In presence of Dada Bhagwan’ all your darshan reaches them. So say this namaskar.

This path of Akram Vignan is ‘cash’ – it gives instant results! That is because this is the path of the science of Akram. Kramic path means you have to climb steps, one by one as you progress, whereas Akram means a lift! Which is better; a lift or the stairs?

Questioner: If the lift takes one straight up to the goal then the lift is better.

Dadashri: You still have to climb the final two steps in this. The last two steps still remain, and that too for only one life time.

You cannot go to moksha directly from here in this life. Therefore, the lift leaves you short of one or two more life times. It takes you up to where Lord Simandhar Swami is, in Mahavideh Kshetra.

It would be wonderful when every home in Hindustan has a photograph of Simandhar Swami. Then everything will be accomplished, because He is present and living. It is not important to have my picture, but there should at least be a picture of Simandhar Swami. A  person of any faith, who does His darshan , even if he is unfamiliar with the Lord will benefit.

The presence of chit is critical

Questioner: You have instructed us to do namaskar of Simandhar Swami, forty times in the morning. At that time it is morning here but there it may be evening. So what about  the time difference there?

Dadashri: You do not have to worry about all that. The reason for me telling you to do it in the morning is so that you do it before you start your other daily routine, before you go off to work. If you don’t have to go to work, then you can do it at ten, o’clock or do it at noon! Whenever you do it, do it with the presence of the chit.

That darshan reaches immediately

The time between 4:30 to 6:30 in the morning is the most auspicious time for prayers (brahma-muhurta). When you remember or invoke a Tirthankara, the Gnani Purush, or the Gods and Goddess who protect the path of liberation, during this time, your prayers will be among the first to be accepted. This is because later on it gets very crowded! It starts to get crowded from 7 o’clock onwards. Then at 12 noon it is extremely crowded. So the first person that goes there would be able to do his darshan right away. As soon as he says, “With Dada Bhagwan as my witness, I offer my obeisance to Lord Simandhar” it will reach Simandhar Swami because there is no crowd at the time. So the time between 4:30 am and 6:30 am is the most auspicious. Those who are young should not miss this opportunity.

Dada and Simandhar Swami are very close

Questioner: How many times do I have to bow down to Dada Bhagwan in order to make a daily connection with You?

Dadashri: Counting will take away too much of your time. If I say a hundred times, then you will keep counting.

Questioner: Then Dadaji, we have to count forty times for Lord Simandhar Swami.

Dadashri: Count for Him. Dada should remain constantly with You as the Self.

Questioner: That is true, He resides constantly within.

Dadashri: For Lord Simandhar, if you want to count forty times, then do so.

Questioner: When we recite Namaskar Vidhi to the Panch Parameshti Bhagwans, the Om Parameshti Bhagwans, the Tirthankara Lords and the shashan reigning Devas and Devis, what should be in front of our inner vision?

Dadashri: Dada’s murti facial features should be in front of your eyes.

Questioner: A photo?

Dadashri: A photo.

Questioner: All the raag (attachment) we all are building up towards Dada, will it discharge in our next life?

Dadashri: All the raag for me reaches Lord Simandhar Swami for sure.

Mahatmas: Jai Sat Chit Anand (Response from a very appreciative and happy audience)!

Questioner: But Dada too is going to be like Lord Simandhar Swami, is he not?

Dadashri: Why would I want to be like that when He is there? What is the point in that?

Questioner: Dada, you are as good as having become like Him, no?

Dadashri: My intent is that all these people attain salvation; that is all.

[8] Emergence of Trimandir for the salvation of the world

One becomes impartial when his partiality and opinions depart

Questioner: It is in today’s newspaper that you are panning the construction of a combined temple of Lord Simandhar Swami, Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva. I do not understand that, will you please explain that?

Dadashri: It is to get rid of people’s matartha (entrenched in opinons, here with reference to religion and sects). Three temples are being built as one. One of Lord Simandhar Swami who is currently living, one of Lord Krishna who is also living and the third of ‘Shiva’ meaning Kalyan Swaroop Gnani – the Gnani that brings salvation; He too is living. So these three temples are being built, not all together under one dome and flag; all three are separate. But people will come here to do darshan.  In doing this their prejudices will go away. I will do such a pratishtha - instillation of life in idols - that each murti (idol) will speak and talk to you! Only the one who is void of ego or whose ego has subsided significanly can do such a pratishtha.

There should be no matartha (entrenched in opinons, here with reference to religion and sects) in religion in Hindustan. The one who worships Lord Krishna should also worship Lord Simandhar Swami and Lord Shiva. The location of the temple will be the same, but the three temples will be separate. That is how it is being built. This current impartial religion is to get rid of all matartha (entrenched in opinons, here with reference to religion and sects) in this world.   The entire avsarpini kaad (the downward half the time cycle) has gone. Everyone has walked with matartha until now. Religion (dharma) is going to be there only as long as the reign of Lord Mahavir lasts. Thereafter there will be no sign of dharma. No temples or books will remain. Therefore if people became aware for the next eighteen thousand years and come out of their biases and prejudices, then they will flow towards the impartial religion as mentioned by Lord Rushabhadev.

Everyone can keep their temples separate if they wish but they should recite the same mantra . There should not be any animosity towards each other. When you recite the 3 mantras of the three Lords together, everything becomes fruitful. If there is no separation with anyone in your mind, then nothing is separate from you. Therefore, if these three temples come together, all bias and prejudice in religion will disappear and there will be peace in Hindustan.  If you put a potato in the oven, how many sides will it roast from? It will roast from all the sides. Similarly, people are being roasted from all the sides.  Just look at what is going on in Mumbai and Ahmedabad! Here in Vadodara, the ‘roasting’ is to a lesser degree because the power of moha (illusionary attraction and attachment) is less! But look at the power over there! Despite having millions of rupees, people are in agony like fish out of water. For this problem, this Trimandir is the solution. Do you see anything wrong in this? You will also give your support to this will you not?

Questioner: Yes. Now Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva have been placed along side Lord Simandhar Swami.  Lord Simandhar Swami is considered a vitarag!

Dadashri: Yes, He is indeed a vitarag and the others are shalaka purush (the best among all human beings, toalling 63 in every half of the time cycle).  Lord Krishna is a Vasudeva Narayan (God). He had become God (narayan) from a man (nar). He is one of the sixty three salaka purushs and he is going to be a Tirthankara in the next chovisi (there are 24 Tirthankara in each half of the time cycle on this planet). The Tirthankaras have accepted Lord Krishna as a future Tirthankara. They also accept Shiva as a Gnani. Whoever becomes a Gnani is considered Shiva; so all these have been accepted. All differences, in devotees’mind will go away here in the Trimandir.

You will see their grandeur when you see the three idols in the temples.

This is ‘my’ desire

I want to reduce the level of matabheda separation due to differences of opinion, in this world. Especially in religious matters. A person can only understand what I say when his matabheda leaves. There is so much prejudice due to separation related to differences in opinions today that people have segregated their temples according to their religion and also have divided the mantras. The temples may be kept separate. This is in accordance  with their beliefs.  Do not place Lord  Krishna on the temple (inner sanctum of worship area) of Lord Shiva.The mind needs to become still and therefore I have combined the mantras and put them together. I will perform such a pratishtha that these matabheda will slowly be forgotten. This is my desire; I do not have any other desire!

Why construct temples?

Questioner: There are so many temples of so many Gods in Hindustan and many new ones are being built, so…

Dadashri: But, how can we say no to those that have already been built? How can we say no to what has already hapeened?

And the temples ‘we’ are going to construct, have become mandatory, we have to build them. This is the mission Lord Simandhar Swami. The temple we build should be of those who are still living. Lord Simandhar Swami is a Tirthankara. This temple is being built for people’s salvation; to get rid of their matabheda separation due to differences of opinion.

Questioner: I am not talking about this temple of Lord Simandhar Swami that is being built. I am talking about the temples built by other people.

Dadashri: That is fine. We cannot meddle in the building of other temples, can we? We cannot encourage or object to what others do. But we cannot create any obstruction in what they are doing, can we? However what you are saying is true. There are so many temples, now one needs to darshan them.

Questioner: If people consider this as religion, will they not miss out on the real religion (the religion of the Self)?

Dadashri: The fact is that it is better than having people get on the wrong path. If you tell them that what they are doing is wrong, then they are likely to get on the wrong path. If you make him leave that religion, he will take off in the wrong path. It will not take long for him to do so. There is no merit in making them leave what they are currently doing. You just take care of your own self. It is not for you to worry about others. This world is a one big hurricane!

Importance of temples

Questioner: If there were no derasars or temples, then just as Dada manifested for us all, the same would happen for others too, someone would manifest for them too, right?

Dadashri: That is true. It is kind of a vikalp (projection, supposition), that if this had not hapened, there would have been some other solutions.One would have found something else.

 This solution for total worldly good, through these temples is a very good one.  Temple is the greatest science of Hindustan. It is best form  indirect worship paroksha bhakti, but only if one understands its subtle meaning.  You can invite the Lord to reside only when you have a temple  Otherwise where will the Lord take residence? A ‘floating’ or ‘temporary’ place is of no use; only when you have a fixed place can you invite the Lord.

Why has an idol been placed? What is the intent bhavna behind it. It is, ‘Lord You are the abode of eternal bliss and I have temporary happiness. I want eternal bliss.’ The Lord is eternally blissful. Behold! Just look at him, he looks more beautiful than any one of us despite being made out of marble. You feel as if you do not want to leave Him, or look away from Him.

What does the idol of the Lord say when you offer anything or prayers it? It says, ‘All this is not mine, it belongs to Your Self only. So the idol returns all your prayers and offering to your own pure Soul. This is called indirect worship (paroksha bhakti).

The one with the right vision is free to enter any house of worship

Questioner: What should someone like me who has taken Gnan, do when he goes to temples?

Dadashri: Now you should tell ‘Chandulal” (reader should substitute his or her name for Chandulal) to worship if a desire arises within, and to not worry if it does not. But you should not have a dislike towards it. It is a relative interaction. There is no problem with the relative. In the relative, you can worship even when you go to a mosque.

Impartiality in the relative vyavahar  and in the Self only in the  real nischaya  is all that there is. There is only one worship for the Self.

Worship Simandhar Swami

The purpose of these temples is to acquaint people with Shri Simandhar Swami. When the image of Lord Simandhar is worship every home, when His aratis  are performed all ove, when His telple is constructed all over the world, then there will be a alltogether different state of peace in the world.

There is still more work that will be accomplished. There is going to be a lot work done through ‘me’!

People can only be blessed if we build temples with His living idol. You need a medium to reach people, which is why this inner message received by me from Him is of critical importance. This will bring results. Even those who have not taken Gnan will benefit by doing darshan of Simandhar Swami. That is why we have to build all this; otherwise I would not get involved in it and nor would I involve anyone of you. I am telling you this because He is the living Tirthankara. There is no point in talking about the Tirthankaras of the past. We have enough of other temples. They too are needed because people worship the idols there, and it is worship of none other than the Tirthankaras of the past. We are not negating their importance.

This temple of Lord Simandhar Swami that is being built, is vyvahaar worldly interaction. This is to protect the future generation. And for you, even my picture is helpful is it not?

Questioner: It is a great help.

Dadashri: That is because Dada himself is here. That is how Lord Simandhar Swami himself is there and He will be helpful as long as He is present. Whatever we ‘do’ is simply happening. Changes can come about in Hindustan if we worship Lord Simandhar Swami, otherwise how can changes happen?

Questioner: Dada, if we look at Hindustan now, we see the effects of scorching Kaliyug everywhere.

Dadashri: Let it be scorching. As long as Lord Simandhar Swami is happy, where all the devas (celestial beings) are happy, what is likely to happen?

Not a temple but a place of salvation

This temple came to be built because all the signals from the subtle associations with higher beings (sangyna) for the temples were there. This is ‘our’ sangnya for the salvation of the world. 

It will be good if Simandhar Swami’s temple is built; it will be of tremendous benefit for people. The one who does more darshan of Lord Simandhar Swami, will receive more blessings, because Simandhar Swami is a living Tirthankara. He is very helpful to us. 

Questioner: There is also another temple of Lord Simandhar Swami somewhere else, is there not? Then what is the point of building another one?

Dadashri: Other temples of Lord Simandhar Swami that are out there, are not accepted by all. Vitarags should be accepted by everyone. There should be no partiality. Therefore, this temple of Lord Simandhar Swami that is being built, will have idols of the other four Tirthankaras also; there will be idols of the first and the second Tirthankara of the past chovisi Lord Rushabhdev and Lord Ajitnatha respectively, and the twenty-third and the twenty-fourth Tirthankara, Lord Parshvanath and Lord Mahavir respectively. And there will be a twelve feet idol of Lord Simandhar Swami, just like the one in Mehsana; along with it there will be a temple of Lord Krishna Vasudeva and on the other side a Shiv linga. Therefore, a collection of all the religions has been established here; this temple will become the greatest place of pilgrimage, which therefore will bring about salvation of the people.

This is a temple of the the formless One

Here, His idol is not an idol; he is present; Lord Simandhar Swami is present himself. His idol signifies that His representative is here. Just as Dada is here, people worship His idol-bodily form. Therefore the idol Simandhar Swami is considered His representative.

For how long is a person to do darshan of the murti - idol or one with a form? One has to do darshan of the murti until one attains the amurta – the one that is formless – the Self.  Until one attains the amurta the formless, he has to take the support of the murta form. Thereafter, does one have to let go of the idol? The Lord has said no. Do not let go of the idol otherwise others will also do the same. Therefore it is a worldly duty  vyavahar; even I go there. Even I have to go there two to three times a year so that people in the streets would realize that Dada goes there. Worldly duty-interactive vyavahar should be carried out.

Questioner: Right now everyone is deeply engrossed in worldly life and for those in the society who are devotion, this idol is indirect and distant, so will they continue to worship it?

Dadashri: No, this idol is not indirect paroksha.

Questioner: But will it not become indirect for the people in the future?

Dadashri: Not only for them, first of all it is for us. What is it for us? Lord Simandhar Swami is present for us today. He is present for us for another hundred twenty five thousand years. A governor is useful to us only as long as he is holding the position as a governor, is He not?

Questioner: He is.

Dadashri: If a governor would not do your work, you will get your work done even if you sit and do his pratikraman in front of his picture sitting at home. It will do if you continue to do pratikraman in front of his picture. Now if you have seen and known the governor, you do not need his picture. Here however, you do need the picture, and it is for the future generation and for the salvation of the world.  Separation due to differences of opinions matabheda will go away and it will give people the result.  

Lord Simandhar Swami seats in glory in Mahavideha Kshetra. It is His idol murti that will be placed here; it has to be an idol of the living! How much fruit it can give? Simandhar Swami’s temple is not a temple of the murta (idol); it is a temple of the amurta – the  living formless One. 

Even His picture or an idol will do all the work. Therefore our mahatmas have to continue doing darshan there. Sit as long as you can, just as you would gain if you were to sit next to the Lord.

I too sit there, even though I am in moksha. Otherwise why else would I need Him? It is because He is still above me. When we do His darshan, whose darshan are we doing? It is the darshan of the One who is the embodiment of moksha. The Liberted One is present with the body. Moksha is attained only through His darshan.

Only the current Ttirthankara is beneficial

Questioner: Dada, this temple and all that is being built, does the bhaav – the inner intent-  is for the attainment of the Soul, is it not? In reality, that is the only thing we have to look for, is it not?

Dadashri: We have to attain final moksha from there. For moksha, first you will need enough merit karma to enable you to go to Mahavideh Kshetra.You have to overcome the losses you have incurred from infinite past lives in just one lifetime. To accomplish this it is necessary for you to  follow me relentlessly, but you do not have the capacity to do so. Therefore I am making this connection for you with Him, because ultimately we all have to go there and do His darshan. Direct moksha is not possible from here. You still have one more life time. This Lord will be instrumental in the salvation of the entire world.

Everything that you do here for Simandhar Swami will be taken into account. You should go ahead and do any charitable work or give contributions that you have decided to do for Lord Simandhar. That is more than enough. Beyond that you need not do anything more. The deep inner intent is the key. What you do for Simandhar Swami will bind the highest merit karma. This is because it is meant for liberation of all mankind. As far as charitable work is concerned, if you build hospitals for the poor or any other such deeds, it will earn you merit karma but it will keep you in the worldly life.

Turn the flow of donations for the mission of Simandhar Swami

Giving money for the temple is as good as Gnan, because it is for Simandhar Swami. It is even higher than donating for the Gnan books. Anything done for Lord Simandhar Swami is a different matter all together. No value can be placed on it. Idols of the twenty four Tirthankaras are of the Tirthankaras who are already gone, and this idol is of Simandhar Swami who is present. Tradition was such that we did not make idols or temples of a Tirthankara who was alive.  In India, a temple of Lord Paraswanath was built even when he was alive.

Questioner: Therefore, does He help as long as He is in his body and moves around?

Dadashri: Yes but for how long will He be in his body?

Questioner: As long as His life span of one hundred and twenty five thousand years.

Dadashri: People will benefit as long as He lives and ‘we’ too will do such a  pratishtha so that many people will attain salvation.

Questioner: What do you mean by benefit? Will they attain awareness jagruti?

Dadashri: They will get on the path of religion. The real religion which liberates; they will find the path to moksha.

Awareness and everything else will increase. You will keep receiving the highest reward but my inner intent is that Hindustan does not remain in the current predicament. People here should not remain in this current state.

Representative of Simandhar Swami

Questioner: We pray to Lord Simandhar Swami everyday to have Him send one Deva (celestial being) who will take us there.

Dadashri: That prayer will materialize. That is why I have been sent here.

Questioner: Jai Sat Chit Anand!

Dadashri: And I am going to give siddhis - special spiritual powers  to some. You will need someone after me, will you not? People will need guidance after I am gone, will they not?

Desire to worship and not be worshipped

People in Hindustan have told me that they want to keep my idol in the temple. I told them, ‘No, you should not do that. If I allow that, then it will send the wrong message to all who follow. They will then have their own idols placed there!

Therefore, I put an end to this right from here, then there will be no problems later, will there?  There will be no such intense desire for that later. How can anyone else have his idol placed there?

Questioner: The main goal then gets bypassed.

Dadashri:  Therefore, there is no need to put my idol in it. I am in the  live form indeed,  whenever you ‘see’ me. All these idols are of the ones who have been in the past. There are two kinds of people whose idols have been placed. Of the saints, and the original purush whose idols people have placed.

 What will happen after mine has been placed? Then it will start a tradition. Then the one after me will put mine in it. Therefore, I told them that if they want to put my idol, make that idol such that it is praying kneeling down in front of Lord Simandhar Swami. 

Questioner:  If it is necessary to place the idol, then is it acceptable to have one made like that which are describing?

Dadashri:  Then there is no problem. That is why people feel that Dada has no desire to be worshipped. He want to worship Simandhar Swami only and the idol represents that.

 I have been worshipped a lot. I have become content in countless past lives from being worshipped! I have no desire; no beggary is left within. The need to be worshipped is beggary of pride. Only when all forms of beggary are banished, can the real solution be attained!

Jai Sat Chit Anand

The Awareness of The Eternal is Bliss

Prayer To The Current Tirthankara Shri Simandhar Swami

O detached Lord of this universe! You are free from all attachments and passions. You are the embodiment of pure eternal awareness. You are the natural eternal bliss. You are infinite knowledge, infinite vision, and illuminator of the past, present and the future world. With the live presence of ‘Dada Bhagwan’ as my witness I hereby offer my obeisance filled with infinite devotion and accept your most exclusive protection. Dear Lord, by granting me a place at your divine feet, grace me by ending the horrendous wanderings of infinite lives. Please grace me, grace me, grace me!

O universally revered fully enlightened Lord! Your real Self is my real Self. But because of ignorance I do not understand this full Self that I am. So let me see this real Self of mine continuously, as I behold you. Grant me this energy, grant me this energy, grant me this energy !

O liberator of liberators, the Lord of all celestial lords! Since the beginning of worldly interactions until this moment, infinite faults have been committed towards the mind, speech and body of living beings, knowingly or unknowingly. Grant me the energy to see each one of these faults and to do pratikraman. For all these faults I ask for your forgiveness. I am recalling them, repenting for all of them, and avowing that I will never do them again. Grant me the awareness to see these faults. For this grant me  energy. Grant me energy. Grant me energy !

A pure world of pilgrimage is established with each footstep of thine  O Tirthankara Shri Simandhar Swami ! Let there be no intent of any kind towards all the living beings of this world and let there be total acceptance and devotion towards all the Self-realized beings of this world in my heart. My obeisance to all Gnanis of the past, present and future.

Dear Lord ! Please shower me with such grace that I encounter here in this world,  a  Gnani Purush representative of yours, or a  Self- realized being, and after satsang with him, become deserving of  his grace, whereby I become worthy of reaching thy supreme divine feet.

O celestial Gods and Godesses who are the protectors of the reign of Lord Simandhar! O Panchanguli Yakshini Devi ! O Chandrayan Yaksha Dev ! O Padmavati Devi ! Please grant us the exclusive protection that ensures that no obstacles shall arise in our path towards the feet of Lord Simandhar. Grant us the absolute energy to remain as the Self.

‘Simandhar Swami Na Aseem Jai Jai Kar Ho’

Eternal Glory to Lord Simandhar

     Arati of the Lord Simandhar Swami

Jai Simandhar Swami…. Prabhu Tirthankara Vartmaan…

Salutations to Simandhar Swami….The Current Living Tirthankara…

Mahavideh kshetre vicharataa (2)….Bharat roonanu bandh…  Jai Simandhar Swami

Moving about at Mahavideh World (2)…..with karmic connection to this world…Jai Simandhar Swami

Dada Bhagwan saakshiye…. pahonchaadu namaskaar… Swami pahonchadoon namaskaar… 

With Dada Bhagwan as my witness…. I am sending my salutations… Swami …I  am sending my salutations….

Pratyaksha fada paamu hun (2), maadhyam Gnan avataar… Jai Simandhar Swami…

I receive the direct benefit (2)…..through the medium of Dadashri, the embodiment of Gnan…Jai Simandhar Swami

Paheli arati Swami ni, Om parameshti paamey… Swami Om  Parameshti paamey

The first arati of the Swami…. lets one attain the state of the Om Parameshti (the ones who have gained the entry on the path to liberation)…Swami   Om Parameshti…

Oodaasin vrutti vahey (2), kaaran moksha sevey… Jai Simandhar Swami

Where there is no worldly interest (2)…and their  intent is moksha…Jai Simandhar Swami

Biji arati Swami ni ,Panch parameshti paamey… Swami Pancha Parameshti paamey

The second arati of the Swami….lets one attain the state of the Pancha Parameshti ( the enlightened sadhu, teacher, principle, arihant and siddha)…Swami Pancha Parameshti ...

Paramhans pada paami (2), gnan-agnan lańey… Jai Simandhar Swami…

They have attained the enlightened State (2) ….which separates Knowledge and Ignorance…Jai Simandhar Swami

Triji arati Swami ni, ganadhar pada paamey… Swami ganadhar pada paamey 

The third arati of the Swami….lets one attain the state of the leaders of the Vitarag Path of the Living Tirthankara

Nirashrit bandhan chhoote (2), aashrit gnaani thaye… Jai Simandhar

The bondage of having no one to take care me of is broken (2)….now the Gnani has become my sole support….Jai Simandhar Swami

Chauthi  arati Swami ni, tirthankar bhaavi… Swami tirthankara bhaavi

The fourth arati of the Swami, lets one attain the state of a  future tirthankara…Swami tirthankara bhaavi

Swami satta Dada Kane (2), bharat kalyaań kare… Jai Simandhar Swami

Dadashri holds the powers from the Swami (2)…and the whole world  benefits from  the knowledge of ultimate salvation….Jai Simandhar Swami

Panchami arati Swami ni, kevada moksha lahe… Swami kevada moksha lahe...

The fifth arati of the Swami, makes one attain the final liberation...only the final liberation...

Param jyoti bhagavant hoon (2), ayogi Siddhapadey… Jai Simandhar Swami