On the day of Fagan Vad 11th, Bapashri showing his favour, talked. He said, “A saint who dines the food got from begging is said to be observing fast, and he dines from the wooden bowl after mixing all varieties and adding water is said to be have eaten flour balls and he who eats all varieties separately is said to be fond of tasty food. He may get delicious dishes but should eat only that much which is necessary and dishes which are offered to Shriji Maharaj should be to please Him but not for his own taste. If he is addict to tasty food and if some one feeds him delicious dishes, he will praise him and if some one gives him dry loaf, he will criticize him. Therefore he should not become addict too. If this principle is thoroughly grasped, he will be glad in whatever he gets and if good sense objects are given to him, he will become indifferent to them. When thoughts originate in mind and if they are subsided, he is called a saint, and if thoughts do not originate at all, he is said to be as God. One has to become pure- there is no alternative to it. If one knows Maharaj as He is, he would feel that it is Maharaj’s will, when there is strong wind or heavy rain or it does not rain. He will not support anything, which is contrary to religion, and whatever he does, he would do it keeping Maharaj with him. Unless Maharaj is kept together not a single work will be completed. Therefore Maharaj should be kept together and no importance should be given to honour, adoration; we should not care for what others say. Honour is like sin and adoration is like a snake. Because of honour, one becomes the servant of greed, passion and nature. He considers all these faults as guru. If one who is proud is asked to observe fast for repentance, he will not agree; on the other hand he may observe a number of fasts on his own. For that he will not feel bad. If he wants to get up in the assembly he will get up many times but if, saint and devotee ask him to get up he would not. He will take the side of the person who has been asked to repent by saying that he would not do it. He should be known as averse and immoral (Godless). If he gets up by some one’s wish or repents, the whole assembly and Shriji Maharaj will be pleased. If one knows Maharaj as supreme being, it will not be difficult for him to do- therefore everything requires to be analysed. Ranchhodlalbhai of Siddhpur got the temple built by spending his own money. Someone told that to Acharya Shri Ayodhyaprasadji Maharaj. He was told that Ranchhodlalbhai spent much and spoiled the structure of the temple by constructing terrace so Maharajshri insulted him much. Then Ranchhodlalbhai said, “Maharaj, my saviour! It was Thakorji’s money and I made the construction spending that much money. Then some saint said that Ranchhodlalbhai has got the temple constructed with his own money. Then Maharajshri said, “I did not know that the temple was built with your money and scolded you thinking that it was money of the temple. Ranchhodlalbhai said, “Maharaj you have said nothing. If you beat me with shoes and I return them after cleaning, then only I will be your real Ranchhodio servant.” He said thus but did not mind Maharajshri’s words. (but he did not feel that it was Maharajshri’s ingratitude). If Maharaj is kept together one can become devotee like Ranchhodlalbhai and if Maharaj is kept aside thoughts of anger, honour, passion, greed will arise. Just see! How Muktanand Swami respected even ordinary saint! Such feelings of service should be kept. Shri Sadanand Swami was beaten in bavali by a renunciant named Bhandas. His stick was broken. Swami grieved for the stick but said nothing about his injury. One should keep such humbleness. One should always be pleased by getting defect at the hands of devotee of God. Then only we can get his devotion and if we are pleased by winning our devotion will go to him (devotee) but this path can be had by a few. Some persons are pleased if a person bows to them and feel that how he was made to bow. But he will not know that he has lost something. The one who gets defeat is the gainer. It is the grace and might of Swaminarayan by which one’s own fault is identified in this satsang. The one who knows his fault is said to have come back home after forgetting the path. This talk is meant to make the soul worthy. If mind is attached to Muktas, one’s own fault will be identified and will become worthy and the soul will get strength. Unless one becomes worthy, Maharaj cannot live in him. Just as God will not live without a temple, therefore bliss of Maharaj will come if one becomes worthy. One should get attached to Maharaj’s Murti by becoming introvert and should not become the doer of action. If he becomes so, Maharaj will remain aside. Building factories and making donation should be done by keeping Maharaj together and should be done for his pleasure but not for honour, fame, praise. If Maharaj’s memory is forgotten in doing activity, it will be a great loss. If people praise and say that particular saint went to this region and made reforms or built a good temple, has good skill, it should be known that everything is on account of Shriji Maharaj and service devotion, etc everything is of Maharaj. The temple has been built by householders and we were only kept with them. Understanding thus Maharaj should be kept as master but we should not become master then only we become happy. If we become the master of honour, fame, activity, we will be miserable. When Maharaj is forgotten one is called childless. Just as parents make money by hard work and give it to the son, the son says that he has done it. Similarly if one becomes doer, he will not have feelings of a servant. If the administrator of a king does not have the feeling of a servant towards the king, he will not be allowed to continue even for a moment. Similarly after joining Swaminarayan sect and if he does not keep the Swaminarayan’s Murti, he will not get happiness. Objects of illusion should be considered as packets of ashes, and senses and conscience should be turned back and should be attached to Maharaj’s Murti and a guide should be there for guidance. If there is no guide, Jiva will become void and if there is a guide one can remain happy and knowledge will increase. Therefore one should continue effort with a feeling of a servant. Then only one can remain happy. A devotee named Jadavjibhai of Narayanpur was a practical man and kept Maharaj together and was very happy. Unless there is determination in senses, thoughts will arise and when there is determination for Maharaj in the soul, thoughts will not arise. Therefore one should immediately become grown up from the state of childhood and get attached to Murti and should believe the life as only Murti and Muktas. Just as water is believed to be life for fishes so they are not drawn in the water whereas the big alligator and elephants are drawn in the water, similarly one gets strength in taking the bliss of Maharaj. If Muktas forcibly push, all coverings will be overcome and they would take us in the bliss of Maharaj’s Murti. Therefore one should remain engrossed in Maharaj and Muktas. If Jiva is attached to Mukta and if there is accidental death, even then we will get ultimate liberation. If there is death in the presence of Muktas, he will get the same type of salvation and if there occur any difference, we take the responsibility. The talks ended with jai ghosh of Sahajanand Swami Maharaj and with the boon of destruction of illusion of this assembly.
On the next day all saints went to Dahisara, Khakhar, Rampara, etc for a stroll with Acharya Maharaj and came to Bhuj on Vaishakh Sud 6th and on the next day the installation of idols (Murti) of Shri Harikrushna Maharaj and Shri Radhakrushna took place there. Then all came to Gujarat. || 98 ||