The Charan Vidhi Is for the Worship of the Self

Absolutely revered Dadashri has given the Charan Vidhi (spiritual booklet to sustain awakened awareness) as part of a tool for daily Purusharth (progress as the Self) after attaining the Knowledge of the Self on the Akram path (step-less path to Self-realization). In the beginning and end portions of the Charan Vidhi, we ask for energies, and in the middle portion, there is the worship of the properties of the Self ( Siddha Stuti). As for the history of how the Charan Vidhi began, there was a mahatma (Self-realized One) who was close to Dadashri; he would recite the Nishchay-Vyavahaar Charan Vidhi (The Vidhi for the Real and the Relative) from memory while placing his head on Dada’s feet. Later on, it was transcribed on paper. In the early days, it would be written by hand, and four copies of it would be produced using carbon paper. Down the line, the Charan Vidhi was duplicated using a cyclostyle and then distributed to mahatmas. However, it would easily tear, so from 1974 onwards, the Charan Vidhi booklet was printed and distributed to mahatmas.

Absolutely revered Dadashri told mahatmas that they should read the Charan Vidhi once daily, without fail. This is because it is something that does not allow mahatmas to enter worldly life, and alongside, it increases the awakened awareness ( jagruti) as the Self. For the protection of the ‘seed’ of the pure Soul, which has been ‘sown’ through the grace of the Gnani Purush (the One who has realized the Self and is able to do the same for others), the five Agnas (five directives that preserve the awareness as the Self) is a protective fence, satsang (spiritual discourse) is the equivalent of sprinkling water on it, and the Charan Vidhi is the equivalent of adding fertilizer to it for nourishment. Just as through daily food intake, the body gets nourishment, similarly, the five Agnas, satsang, Charan Vidhi, and reading of Dada’s books gives nourishment for the awakened awareness of the Self.

In the current edition, the fundamental details of the Charan Vidhi have been given, such as, what is the Charan Vidhi? What is the purpose of doing it? When should it be done? How should it be done? Is it done mechanically or with applied awareness? When it is done with applied awareness, who says it, who ‘reads’ it, and who listens to it? While doing the Charan Vidhi, the purification and steadiness of the antahkaran (mind, intellect, chit, and ego) arises, and there is the absence of kashay (anger, pride, deceit, and greed). This and more has been explained in this edition.

Absolutely revered Dadashri has given detailed explanation on how to do the Charan Vidhi with upayog (applied awareness as the Self), whereby it can be ‘read’, with each and every letter, with the eyes closed. Each and every letter can be ‘read’ clearly, for example, ‘ H-e n-i-r-a-a-g-i, n-i-r-v-i-k-a-a-r-i (Oh Lord, who is free from all attachments and passions).’ At that time, the One ‘reading’ is definitely in the Self. Just as one reads from a book, it is ‘read’ like that with the eyes closed! When not even a single thought of worldly life arises and all the letters of the Charan Vidhi are ‘read’, that is referred to as having done it with upayog.

For Purusharth, mahatmas should definitely complete the Charan Vidhi as part of their daily routine. Along with that, they should study it by understanding it in depth, so that the jagruti as the Self increases. In doing so, the experience of the Self continues to increase, until spashta vedan (the clear and distinct experience of the Self) is ultimately experienced. The ardent, heartfelt prayer is that the current edition serves as an aid for mahatmas to reach the absolutely independent ( niralamb) state as the Self.