Pratikraman: Freedom Through Apology & Repentance (Abr.) (In English) Pratikraman: Freedom Through Apology & Repentence | Page 14

Pratikraman
The master key that resolves all conflicts
1. The True Nature of Pratikraman
Questioner: What is the most important thing a human
being should do in this life?
Dadashri: To speak and act exactly according to the
thoughts in his mind. If you utter pleasant words, but harbor
negative thoughts in your mind, then you must do pratikraman
(ask for forgiveness). You should do pratikraman with Dada
Bhagwan as your witness. This body that you see in front of
you is not Dada Bhagwan. This body is called, ‘A.M. Patel of
Bhadaran (a town in Gujarat, India)’. Dada Bhagwan is the
omniscient one, the Lord of the universe, manifested within this
body. Pratikraman should be done in his name, as follows:
“Dear Dada Bhagwan, this mind has had negative thoughts,
for which I ask for your forgiveness. Please forgive me!”
I too do pratikraman recalling his name.
To do good deeds, is dharma, and to do bad deeds is
adharma. Atma dharma (religion of the Self) is to go beyond
both. If you do good karmas, you will earn merits (punya) in
your karmic account, of which the benefits you will have to
experience in the next life. For your bad karmas (paap) you will
incur debt, which you will have to suffer in the next life. A
person can attain the Self, when he has cleared all debits and
credits from his karmic account.