57.1 In the Samvat year 1876, on Fãgan sud 2 [15th February, 1820], Shreeji Mahãrãj was sitting in the residential hall of the sãdhus in Dãdã Khãchar’s darbãr in Gadhadã. He was dressed entirely in white clothes. A sabhã of sãdhus, as well as haribhaktas from various places, had gathered before Him.
57.2 Then, Shreeji Mahãrãj said, “Those of you who know how to engage in a question-answer discussion, may ask one question each.”
57.3 Muktãnand Swãmi then asked, “Mahãrãj, what is the most extraordinary means of attaining moksh?”
57.4 Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “The knowledge of Bhagvãn’s svarup and the knowledge of Bhagvãn’s greatness are the two most extraordinary means to attain moksh.”
57.5 Muktãnand Swãmi then asked another question, “What is the nature of love towards Bhagvãn?”
57.6 Shreeji Mahãrãj answered, “The nature of true love is that it should not be developed by logical thinking. However, if a person develops love by logically thinking of Bhagvãn’s gun, then perceiving avgun in Bhagvãn will cause his love to be broken. Therefore, it is best to leave such love as it was originally, rather than repeatedly establishing it and then raising doubts about it. Instead, a person should develop love towards Bhagvãn with blind faith. After all, love developed by logically thinking of Bhagvãn’s gun cannot be trusted. Therefore, a person should develop the same type of love towards Bhagvãn as he has for his bodily relations. This love is known as love due to blind faith. However, having said this, love developed by realising Bhagvãn’s greatness is of a totally different nature altogether.”
57.7 Shivãnand Swãmi then asked, “Although a person has an intense yearning to stay in the satsang, why is it that some inappropriate svabhãvs are still not eradicated?”
57.8 Shreeji Mahãrãj explained, “If a person has not developed a dislike for the svabhãv that is holding him back in satsang, how can he be said to have an intense yearning for satsang? And how can he be said to have realised that svabhãv to be his enemy? For example, if a friend of yours were to kill your brother, your friendship with him would no longer remain. Instead, you would be prepared to cut off his head. This is because the relationship with a brother is closer than that with a friend. Likewise, a person may have a svabhãv that causes him to break his vartmãns and fall from satsang. Despite this, if he still does not have any feeling of hatred towards it and does not develop bitterness towards it, then he does not have total love for satsang. On the other hand, if his love for satsang is like the love he has for his brother, then he would shun that negative svabhãv immediately. After all, the jeev is extremely powerful. The mind and indriyas are all merely the kshetra, whereas the jeev is their kshetragna; the jeev can achieve whatever it attempts.”
End of Vachanãmrut Gadhadã I || 57 || 57 ||