If It Were Not for Pride, Liberation Would Be Attained Right Here
Since infinite lifetimes, in the process of making attempts to attain moksha (final liberation), a living being has progressed countless times and he has also descended countless times, yet has been unable to get the desired result. What must be the factors behind this? While progressing on the path to moksha, there are some obstructing causes which make the spiritual aspirant slip up. As much importance there is of the path of progress, there is much more importance of knowing the obstructions that cause one to slip up. Through the grace of the Gnani (One who has realized the Self and is able to do the same for others) via Akram Vignan (the step-less Science of Selfrealization), we have all attained the path of progress, but we will study, in brief, Dadashri’s speech about one cause that obstructs us on the path of moksha, the inner enemy ( kashay) of pride.
While explaining the nature of pride, Dadashri says, “The extensive form of the ego is pride.” The characteristics of a person with pride are that: [One is preoccupied with] From where can I get respect? How can I avoid getting insulted? There is the constant fear of being insulted, and if someone insults him, then he gets angry with that person. From where does the tuber of pride originate? One gets a ‘taste’ of respect, he gets a ‘taste’ of the sweetness of it, then the attachment towards getting respect, greed for getting respect, desire for getting respect, beggary for getting respect enters, and eventually, it becomes distorted. This means that deceit is carried out for the sake of getting respect. Pride can be cleared, but it is difficult [to clear] the hunger for getting respect and the beggary for getting respect, which make the jagruti (awakened awareness) dim. Pride is such a sticky fault that if someone gives a person respect, then the person develops a sweet spot for the one who gives him respect, which can eventually even make the person slip in the fault of sexuality. Therefore, it is crucial to be cautious towards pride. Krupaludev [a Self-realized Gnani] has also said, “If there were no pride, then one would attain moksha right here!” Pride itself is the main cause of worldly life.
Why does this pride persist? It is because of believing the other person to be inferior, by contemptuously rejecting others. Simply the intent ‘I am something’ is what hurts the other person. While giving on-the-mark solutions to dissolve the tuber of pride, Dadashri says, “There is no problem if you like getting respect, but at the same time, the jagruti should remain that, ‘This pride is wrong, there should be no desire for getting respect.’ When the one who insults a person is regarded as a benefactor, then one’s pride will get eradicated. In addition, there are solutions through applying the Agnas (five directives that preserve the awareness as the Self in Akram Vignan), such as the jagruti that respect and insult apply to the pudgal (the non-Self complex), they do not affect Me, the pure Soul, as well as the special key to dissolve the tuber of pride: For the one who does not want anything, all his [spiritual] work gets accomplished.
Dadashri says that there is enmity between pride and moksha. Just for a small amount of respect, a person undoes this invaluable Gnan. The Akram (step-less) path is the path of purity! The ardent prayer is that mahatmas receive and apply these practical keys which they may currently be missing out on, in order to recognize the nature of the inner enemy of pride, which obstructs the attainment of the goal of moksha, and to carry out the Purusharth (progress as the Self) of purity against pride.
~ Jai Sat Chit Anand