Those seeking to lead a spiritual life will naturally ask themselves how to progress in spirituality, and how to live spiritual values. Must one somehow transcend good and bad, right and wrong? When does one's spiritual development truly begin?
By enlightened definition, the foundation of a spiritual life is a faultless worldview; and to achieve such vision, Self realization is required.
In the book "The Flawless Vision", Gnani Purush (embodiment of Self knowledge) Dada Bhagwan states:
"When a person does not have Self-realization (spiritual enlightenment), he always sees faults in others and can never see his own mistake."
Dadashri explains how to attain the Self - describing that the knowledge of Self is the beginning of true spirituality. An automatic outcome and one of the most prominent signs of spiritual awakening, is faultless vision of the entire world.
Among the many spiritual books available from spiritual teachers today, "The Flawless Vision" is unique and precious.
Excerpt:
The Flawless Vision (Nijdosh darshan thi nirdosh)
Innocence through recognition of one's own faults
"One binds karma by seeing faults in others and becomes free from his karma by seeing his own faults" is the principle of karma.
"I am a vessel of countless faults, O compassionate one!" -Shrimad Rajchandra
A human being has made countless mistakes in countless lives. The root cause of these mistakes is just one mistake. There is only one mistake, which supports the bondage of countless mistakes. Which mistake is this?
It is the "Ignorance of one's real Self" that is the biggest mistake of all. It is merely the lack of understanding of "Who am I?" that has given rise to all kinds of wrong beliefs and in these very wrong beliefs does he remain immersed for countless rebirths. Once he meets a Gnani Purush, 'this' mistake is destroyed and as a result all other mistakes begin to do the same. This is because the 'Observer' is awakened and that is why the mistakes become evident. Once they become evident, they will without doubt, be destroyed. That is why Krupadu Dev has also said:
"If these mistakes of mine are not acknowledged, what other solution is there?"
If a person is not able to see his own fault, how can he progress? Progress can only occur if the 'Observer' becomes aware.
People do not have the understanding of the reality of this world, and because of this they become entangled in the wrong beliefs, which are intrinsically contradictory in nature. For the one who constantly feels a burden in this worldly life, does not like its bondage, who is desirous of liberation, it is important for him to know the realities of this world; such as who runs this world? How does it world run? What is bondage? What is liberation? What is karma? Etc.
There is no superior above you in this world. You, yourself are Parmatma (The Supreme), then who else can be higher than this. The root cause of all miseries of this worldly life that you have to endure is your own 'blunders' and 'mistakes'. By not knowing your Real Self, and by believing that you are Chandubhai, just because others have said so, you have made the one fundamental mistake upon which a series of mistakes continue to take place.
There is no independent 'doer' in this world. Everyone is a naimitic(instrument) doer. When several nimits come together, a single event takes place. People instead only blame the nimit that they can see. They see the nimit through their 'glasses of raag and dwesh (attachment and abhorrence) and consequently they increase their visual 'prescription' of raag and dwesh.
No one can harm or harass anyone else in this world. The harassments you experience in your life is a result of your own harassment from your past life. When, at the root of everything is your own fault, does the entire world not become nirdosh (without faults)? Who can bother you if you destroy your own mistakes?
These people that harass you are 'visitors' that you have invited yourself. They come with as much force as you had initially exerted.
Those people who are without any faults can even walk through a town full of bandits and decoys and no one would harass them. Such is the power of a pure person (sheel-morally upright).
If you hurt someone, you are the culprit. The Gnanis can never hurt anyone; on the contrary they make everyone happy. The Gnanis have destroyed all their mistakes. The one who can destroy even a single mistake of his own can become Parmatma (Supreme Soul).
On what basis do these mistakes survive? It is because you support them by protecting them. You can increase the longevity of anger by twenty years when you make statements such as 'He would not shape up if I did not get angry with him'. Your mistakes will go away if you do not side with them. If however, you 'feed' them, they will make themselves at home and never move.
How can you destroy your mistakes? You can do so by doing pratikraman(apology coupled with remorse of any wrong doing) and by repentance.
The darkness of kashays (your internal anger, pride, attachment and greed) will not allow you to see your mistakes.
The world sleeps comfortably in bhaavnindra (delusion resulting in attachment and abhorrence), oblivious of the harm (spiritual regression) it causes. When one acquires Self-Realization, the bhaavnindra goes away and one becomes spiritually aware
Those who show us our mistakes are very beneficial to us. What is better than having someone show you your mistakes, which otherwise you would have to make an effort to see?
Gnani Purush is open to the sky. He is like a child. Even a child can show the Gnani his mistakes, without any hesitation and the Gnani would accept.
How can a person get rid of his bad habits? By constantly keeping in mind that his habits are bad, and also openly declaring the same. He should repent a lot for his habits and never defend them. Then he will become free of them. This is Dadashree's personal discovery of how to get rid of bad habits.
When one does aalochana (heart-felt confession of one's guilt) of his faults in front of a Vitraag, that fault will immediately leave.
It is worth learning the principle of Param Pujya Dadashri, such as:
"Sooja (deeper understanding and comprehension) increases as the mistakes are destroyed."
"He who complains is the one at fault. Why did he see faults in someone else? Why did he have to complain?"
To criticize someone is the same as squandering away your wealth. Your spiritual energies become dispersed and you incur a (spiritual) loss. When you see faults in others, it is indicative of your own unworthiness. Whatever faults you see in others are the faults that remain within you. Only bad intentions make you see faults in others. Who makes you the 'judge'? Everyone acts according to their prakruti (inherent nature, characteristics, personality). Even Dadashri used to say "I too do things according to my prakruti. But I tell my prakruti that I can see its mistakes and that it should accept that mistake if it wants, otherwise leave it aside." When you see everyone as nirdosh, primarily those within your home and then others outside, then you can be assured that you have climbed the ladder of liberation.
When you begin to see only your faults and not anyone else's, know then that you have acquired the blessed state of Self-Realization and equanimity. Whatever faults you see within you will leave forever.
You should see neither one's virtues nor one's vices, because in the final outcome, they are both attributes of the prakruti and will come to an end. You only have to see the pure Soul within everyone.
Param Pujya Dadashree says, "Whether a person is a pick pocket or immoral, I see him as nirdosh. I only look at the Real thing (Sat-eternal Pure Soul) and that is the pure vision. I do not look at the 'packing' (the external appearnce)." This is the 'Master key' to look at the world as nirdosh.
When can you recognize your own mistakes? It is when the Gnani shows them to you. If you do not follow the guidance of a Gnani, then everything else that you do is considered svachhand (to proceed in spiritual matters at one's own whim/without accepting guidance from an enlightened one).
You may find a solution for your obvious mistakes (Dadashree referred to them as 'mistakes of light'), but the 'mistakes of darkness' can never be destroyed. 'Mistakes of darkness', are those where you say 'I know or I am aware of that'.
After acquiring Akram Gnan (after Self-Realization acquired through the method of Akram Vignan), when one looks only within oneself, then it is considered that he is within the boundaries of 'Keval Gnan' (the absolute perfect knowledge). He can acquire partial Keval Gnan, not absolute Keval Gnan. All one has to do is to observe the mind, the intellect, the chit and the ego within him. To simply observe the different phases of these inner components that are not under his control.
"It is pramat when a 'thing' (vastu) deviates from its attributes. When a 'thing' remains within it's natural attributes, it is apramat"
"You will achieve liberation when your knowledge and your understanding become flawless (without any mistakes)". It is only obstructed by mistakes. There is no need for any penance or austerities. You need to become free from mistakes. Which is the main mistake? It is the ignorance of your real identity. Who is able to destroy this mistake? It is the Gnani Purush.
How can you get rid of a mistake? By knowing how the mistake came into existence, you will find a way to get rid of it. Faith and conviction give rise to mistakes, and faith and conviction will destroy it also. When you become convinced that you yourself are one hundred percent responsible for the mistake and provided you do not defend that mistake even in the slightest degree, then that mistake will go.
Those who have become God, did so by destroying only their own mistakes. Dadashree used to ask, "Who can see his own mistakes? It is the one who has the absolute vision of flawless conduct, even though his conduct is not. That person is considered liberated.' I am able to see my subtle and subtle most mistakes.
You will not be punished for your mistakes, but you will be rewarded for being aware of the mistake. Your reward being the departure of the mistake you acknowledged. After acquiring Self-Realization, a person becomes impartial towards himself and that is why he is able to see all his faults.
No mistakes can touch the one who is in his pure state of awareness.
The intellect always looks for a settlement. It wants to be pacified. When can you pacify the intellect? You can do so by looking at the faults of the intellect itself, or by seeing faults in others.
When a person does not have Self-Realization, he always sees faults in others and can never see his own. The intellect becomes agitated within, and consequently will disrupt the inner components of the mind, the ego and the chit. It will create an insurgence. The intellect will then point out faults in others, thereby claiming its own veracity and then becomes pacified. The riot then calms down. Otherwise the thoughts will take over one by one and never stop. This is how confusion and chaos proliferate in the world.
Where will you find such subtle and minute facts in the scriptures? No scriptures can give you the understanding of this world. Only the Gnani can shed light on this.
The entire worldly is engrossed in seeing faults in others. That is the fundamental activity of this world. The person on the path of liberation will see only his own faults and those who see faults in others will wander around endless in this worldly life.
By harboring opinions, your vision becomes flawed. You break your opinion through pratikraman and thereby stop the procreation of a new mind.