In the arena of spirituality, there are unique and remarkable spiritual people who have achieved the highest levels of spiritual development. Some remain in seclusion, while others become spiritual teachers who support the spiritual transformation of humanity.
But to meet a Gnani Purush (embodiment of Self knowledge), and to access their spiritual power to achieve spiritual enlightenment, is extremely rare. One such Gnani Purush of recent time is Dada Bhagwan. The book “Autobiography Of Gnani Purush A.M.Patel”, compiled from transcribed satsangs, describes his own process of instant enlightenment in his own words. Before achieving sudden enlightenment, Dadashri had led a spiritual life of tremendous spiritual awareness.
Whether on a spiritual quest to discover what is spiritual enlightenment, or to learn about great spiritual people of recent history, this book is certain to inspire any spiritual seeker.
PREFACE
It was around six, one evening in June 1958, a well-dressed gentleman with a black topi hat was sitting on a bench on platform number three of Surat railway station in Gujarat. The platform was bustling with people and trains on other lines. He had just finished supper before sunset and was waiting for another train to take him to Vadodara. His name was Ambalal Muljibhai Patel. His assistant stepped away to clean the tiffin. This is when nature unfolded a phenomenal spiritual world within Ambalal. At the end of this spontaneous internal enlightenment, which took about forty-eight minutes, Ambalal came to be known to the world as Gnani Purush Dadashri. Dada Bhagwan the fully enlightened Self had manifested within him.
This Lord ‘Dada Bhagwan’ expressed naturally within the temple of Ambalal Muljibhai by a natural event. This was the culmination of his spiritual seeking and efforts of many previous lives. The expression of the spiritual knowledge was complete and spontaneous and this science has now come to be known as Akram Vignan. The vision of the universe was attained in an hour. The answers to all questions of spirituality were seen in this vision and all questions were dissolved completely. What is this world? How is it governed and run? Who am I? Who are we all? What is karma? What is bondage? What is liberation? What is the secret of liberation? How can moksha be attained? Countless such answers and explanations unfolded in this process. Thus nature laid to the feet of the world a supreme and unparalleled spiritual vision through the medium of Shri A.M. Patel, a respected member of the community of Bhadaran, a married man conducting a business of construction contracts. Despite being a worldly person, this was no ordinary human being in whom the supreme desire to understand, know and experience the eternal existed ever since childhood. In such a human being the extraordinary new science of ‘Akram Vignan’ had manifested this day in June 1958.
The creation of and existence of a natural miracle within Ambalal Patel is a phenomenal event. Even more miraculous and phenomenal is the wonder that what happened within him, the vision with which he saw, knew and experienced, is the vision that was associated with the power and energy within that enabled him to transfer and give the same to all seekers who came to him! And the miracle of all miracles is that this process has now continued through the medium of those whom he graced and gave special blessing to continue the unfolding of the process of Akram Vignan within future recipients after his leaving his mortal body in January 1988. To attain total liberation and leave this world quietly may be many, but to liberate hundreds of thousands of other human beings along with one’s own liberation are only called tirthankaras or one exclusive Gnani amongst innumerable Gnanis. This amazing human being who opened up the new extraordinary path of liberation within the current difficult age of Kaliyug, of instant Self-realization with ease, deserves nothing less than a title of the Super Gnani, the Gnani of all Gnanis. This path of instant moksha has come to be known to the world as Akram Vignan. ‘Akram’ means the path of full stop of the ego, and ‘Kramik or Kram’ means the path of ‘comma’ of the ego. The ego has yet to be dissolved. Akram means no method. Kram means to rise higher spiritually step by step. Akram means to enter and rise higher in an elevator or a lift, and attain the goal immediately. Kram is the main traditional eternal path. Akram is the new shortcut path and will be available for a limited period in the cycle of time.
How long will the traditional path of kram be effective in letting the spiritual seeker attain the desired goal of liberation? As long as there is unity in mind, speech and bodily acts, meaning whatever arises in ones thoughts, is expressed in words and is followed through in actions of the body. This is impossible in this day and age, and there is no one who will challenge this fact. That is why the bridge of salvation of the kramik path is broken. This new direct diversion path to reach the opposite end and cross the ocean of worldly life is a bypass and a short cut. It has been given to those fortunate human beings who will read these words or hear these words. It is by way of this Akram path. This is the bypass fast path that will not remain forever and one is urged to get across without hesitation and with considered haste.
In the traditional kramik path, the path of kram or steps, one has to purify all inner negativities of anger, false pride, attachment and greed and even after that the ego has to be completely purified wherein not even an atom of anger, pride, or attachment or greed remains. This pure ego is the same as the Self.
In this age, this kramik path is impossible and thus through the understanding attained in ‘Akram Vignan’ the direct purification of the ego happens and thus attainment of the Self happens. The impurities of the mind, speech and acts, which were not even addressed in this direct approach, are addressed with natural ease, as they unfold in front of the one who remains in the Agnas of the Gnani Purush.
In this Kaliyug, the era of the current part of the time cycle, filled with difficulties arising in all aspects of worldly interaction, it is possible to retain the continuous awareness of ‘I am pure Soul’ while fulfilling all worldly responsibilities in an ideal manner. And behold this gift of Akram Vignan! This has never before been heard, or read and yet it is a practical reality of the present time.
Nature chose the one in whom this Akram Vignan was to be expressed and manifest. What were the reasons for this choice? These will become evident as one reads the autobiography and life of Ambalal Patel and later his state as the Gnani Purush. The events themselves tell the full story of both his spiritual attainment before the enlightenment and his supreme vision after enlightenment.
Who has ever escaped being served painful and pleasant events in life? Even the Gnani is not spared these. The vision of the Gnani as he observes the clouds of pains and pleasures pass by is exclusive, far-reaching and supremely beneficial for all mankind. All ordinary routine events of daily life through which ignorant human beings pass every day, gives one the opportunity to rise spiritually for the higher and common good. But alas it is never used for this purpose. And the Gnani Purush has brought with him this vision to transcend above all these, from birth as evidenced by his words, way before his enlightenment. This vision existent from childhood had the potential to enlighten others. On every occasion of life by filtering the vitarag vision of the enlightened ones, he unfolds the path of enlightenment and liberation for others. Thus in the routine mundane worldly problems similarly experienced by thousands, the ‘Gnani’ discovers something totally new and beneficial.
Event like the one in childhood when faced by the proposition of wearing the traditional kanthi necklace of the ‘initiate’ into Vaishnav sect of followers of devotees of Lord Krishna and the words that flowed from the child’s mouth, ‘the one who enlightens me is my guru, and I would rather remain guruless than adopt a guru who is unworthy’, may raise some eyebrows in this book. Instead of expressing prejudice and preconceived opinions the reader would do well to study the deep message of this vision that came forth in a child, and which blossomed into a vehicle for enlightenment for generations to come.
In this tiny booklet, the experiential words of the Gnani Purush have been presented in a very abridged form. The aim is for the world to recognize the phenomenal expression of the State of the Gnani and then attain that. With that prayer…
