The Eternal Element That Supports...

The Self is not something that can be seen with the eyes, nor can It be seen through anything else. ‘It’ can actually pass right through a mountain. How subtle must It be?

Questioner: Extremely subtle.

Dadashri: The subtlest of all. ‘It’ can pass right through a mountain, It can pass right through a wall. So, It contracts and goes entirely in the lizard. So if the entire jeev immediately moves into the lizard and remains with it, then why does this tail that has been cut keep moving around? If it is moving around, then why does the moving stop? What is the reason behind it? What are the causes?

It is because it [the cut tail] does not have the Self. The inherent nature (swabhaav) of the Self is such that the moment the front part is separated [from the tail], It contracts into that part. It is the inherent nature of the Self to contract and It can also expand. When It enters the body of an elephant, then It even expands greatly. When It enters the body of an ant, then It contracts. This is all the inherent nature of the Self.

That Is the Eternal Element That Supports Motion

Questioner: There must indeed be some kind of inertia, right? Just as when an engine pushes the train carriages just once and the carriages move for a while, similarly, this one [the cut tail] must simply have a slight push from Chetan, even though Chetan may not be in it?

Dadashri: It is not even a push from Chetan. There is an eternal element named gatisahayak (motion), that is the one that starts to deplete [from the tail]. It is also referred to as dharmastikaya. And later on, when that depletes completely, then the tail will remain still on account of the eternal element that supports inertia (adharmastikaya), it will become still.

Questioner: But Dada, the energy that Chetan had before, the tail moves because of the push of that energy, doesn’t it? Otherwise, it should keep moving forever, shouldn’t it?

Dadashri: It is not because of the push. Rather than the push, it is an entirely different thing. The fact is, there is a filled stock within each and everyone’s body, there is an eternal element named gatisahayak that is filled within, there is an eternal element named aakash (Space) that is filled within. All of these eternal elements, they start to deplete immediately [upon the tail being cut].

Questioner: So, as long as that eternal element [that supports motion] is present, that [tail] continues to move?

Dadashri: The eternal element of Space remains within, but this eternal element that supports motion leaves. So, the tail flails around [for some time], thereafter the eternal element that supports inertia alone remains. That is why the tail becomes still.

Say you throw this ball once from here; two to four people witness you throwing it. And then other people came in from outside; they had not seen you throw the ball. So then when the ball bounces again, those people will say, “Who is making this ball bounce?” So what response will you give them, if it bounces once more?

When you throw a ball from here, then after bouncing to a height of three feet, would it bounce to a height of three and a half feet, the second time around?

Questioner: It would bounce to a height of two and a half feet.

Dadashri: Two and a half feet. The third time, it would be two feet, the fourth time...

Questioner: One and a half feet.

Dadashri: Who makes it bounce again?

Questioner: It is influenced by the eternal element of the Self, that is why it bounces.

Dadashri: When you threw the ball, you assisted it, you gave it the property of motion. Then it remains in motion. So as long as its motion does not come to an end, it does not stop. It will not stop even if you say, “Hey, I was the one who threw you, so stop now!”

Questioner: The lizard that fled entirely alive, taking the Self with it, it also moves on account of the eternal element that supports motion. Does it move because of the presence of the Self, or does it move because of the eternal element that supports motion?

Dadashri: It moves only if the Self is present. This is because, once the Self departs, it cannot move.

Questioner: But does the Self make it move? Is the Self the doer? Is It the doer of the movement?

Dadashri: The Self is not [the doer]. However, it [the body of the lizard] has been charged because of [the presence of] the Self. It is because of the discharging of that which has been charged, that the tail keeps moving.

Questioner: The Self cannot walk, can It? It’s not as if the Self has the energy to walk?

Dadashri: But it [the body of the lizard] has been charged because of the Self. And if the Self were to leave from the lizard today, then it would not walk at all.

Questioner: But the Self is a non-doer (akarta), isn’t It?

Dadashri: Yes, It certainly is a non-doer, but as it [the developing I] was charged, the other self arose, didn’t it?

Questioner: The other self?

Dadashri: The lizard is indeed considered the other self. It has been referred to as the pratishthit atma (the discharging relative self), it is the one that continues moving. And the tail that gets cut off, it does not move methodically. It keeps flailing, it keeps wiggling.

Those Are Not Parmanu

Questioner: So why did the function of the eternal element that supports motion stop only in the tail?

Dadashri: It is because the Self separated from the tail and went into the lizard! As long as the Self remains, all the other eternal elements remain. The moment the Self leaves, all the others leave. The other eternal elements are not such that they can contract or expand. The Self is the only eternal element that can contract and expand.

The two eternal elements, the ones that support motion and inertia come together and then [the body] moves around. When that eternal element [of the Self] leaves from within, that is the end of it! That eternal element exists within the entire body of the lizard.

Questioner: Now, the tail is made of all of these parmanu and the parmanu revolve around the center, those parmanu are still in motion. The tail is dead, but the parmanu are still in motion, aren’t they?

Dadashri: The parmanu do not have anything to do with this! Everything is independent, each one has its own [function].

Questioner: So that tail will decay after a few days.

Dadashri: It will decompose.

Questioner: What will happen to it?