Pratikraman: Freedom Through Apology & Repentance (Abr.) (In English) Pratikraman: Freedom Through Apology & Repentence | Page 15

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Pratikraman
Questioner: In life, karma is inevitable. What should one
do when he incurs a negative karma either knowingly or
unknowingly?
Dadashri: If that happens, there is a remedy for it. Once
a misdeed has been committed, repentance should follow
immediately. You must repent wholeheartedly and with sincerity.
Even after repentance, should you repeat the mistake, there is
no need to worry: just repent again. You are not aware of the
science behind all this, so you may feel that despite your
repentance, the negative deeds do not stop. Why they do not
stop, is also a science in itself. You must simply carry on repenting.
If you repent for your misdeeds wholeheartedly, all your bad
karma will be washed away. If you hurt someone, then you
absolutely must repent.
Questioner: When we carry out our normal daily activities
of the body, do we have to repent for it?
Dadashri: Yes of course! Until you become Self-
Realized, if you fail to repent, you will continue to bind more
karmas. The tangled knots of karmas will loosen through
repentance with a view to undoing wrong deeds. If not, the
result of the sins you bind will be so horrendous that you may
even forfeit human birth in your next life. However, if you manage
to attain human life again, it will be full of suffering and misery.
You will be deprived of food and respect, and you will suffer
constant insults. That is why repentance along with other rituals
becomes necessary. This is called ‘indirect devotion’ (not directed
to wards the Self). Until you attain Self-Realization, such acts
are necessary.
Now, who should be a witness to your repentance? It
must be done in the presence of the God you believe in, whether
it is Lord Krishna, Dada Bhagwan, or any other God. There is
a cure for everything in this world. First the cure is born, and