Pratikraman: Freedom Through Apology & Repentance (Abr.) (In English) Pratikraman: Freedom Through Apology & Repentence | Page 17

4
Pratikraman
own and you must do pratikraman if you harbor any negative
feelings towards him. You do not have to do pratikraman if you
have no ill feelings towards him or if you feel a sense of obligation
to him for being instrumental in the discharge of your karma.
When a person is unpleasant or abusive towards you,
you should look upon the incident as being your own account,
and see him as ‘instrument’. Even a pickpocket would be an
instrument to settle your karmic account. All disputes arise
because people blame the instrument. Atikraman is to walk on
the wrong path and pratikraman is to retrace your footsteps.
Where there is discord, there is no pratikraman and where
there is pratikraman, there is no discord.
You have no right to physically punish your child; you
only have the right to explain things to him. If you spank your
child and fail to do pratikraman, you will bind negative karma.
Pratikraman is necessary here.
It is atikraman even to say, “I am Chandubhai.” But for
the sake of the worldly and social interactions, it is ok. If you
do not hurt anyone it is not called atikraman. If during the
course of your day you hurt someone, it would be atikraman for
which you must do pratikraman.
This is the science of the Vitarag. Atikraman takes you to
a birth in the lower life forms, namely the animal kingdom or
even hell, while pratikraman transports you to a higher life form.
Only pratikraman will help you until you attain final liberation.
Who does not need to do pratikraman? The one who has
not done atikraman.
Questioner: When I see injustice in daily life, it upsets
me. So what should I do if this affects the way I interact with
others? How should I repent if there is any injustice on my part?