Pratikraman: The Key That Resolves All Conflicts (Full Version) Pratikraman: The Key That Resolves All Conflicts | Page 216

[6] The Thorns Vanish and the Blossoms Remain
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that your ticket for liberation has arrived. Generally, people,
including prominent monks and religious teachers, cannot see
their own mistakes. Inability to see one’s own mistakes is the
greatest of all shortcomings. This Science is such that it gives
you an unbiased judgment by uncovering and disclosing all your
mistakes. It uncovers them after they occur, but it uncovers
them, does it not? Whatever happened has happened. That is
different. If a train is moving at a fast speed, it can cause damage,
can it not? But that is when you become aware, do you not?
No one else can know. None of these monks (sadhus),
recluse (sanyasis), spiritual teachers (acharyas), etc., know
anything. They cannot tell when mistakes occur and they do not
do ‘shoot-on-sight’ pratikraman. At times, they may realize
that a little mistake has occurred.
If the mistake is immense, then they will know that, ‘This
is wrong.’ But then, if someone comes and tells them, ‘Maharaj,
why did you do that to your disciple?’ Then despite knowing
that he has made a mistake, he will speak to the contrary, ‘You
have no idea what that disciple of mine is like. That is exactly
how he needs to be treated!’ That is what he will say. On the
contrary, he will say just the opposite. Where there is a hill, he
will dig a hole. Do people do this in order to protect their ego?
Questioner: Yes.
Dadashri: He will do anything to protect his ego. All
these famous monks or ascetics (sadhus, acharyas), everyone
will do that because the ego has to be protected, right? Otherwise,
who will he sleep with? He may not have a wife, but he likes to
sleep with his ego, does he not? Therefore, that will be the first
thing he will protect.
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