Questioner: Is it possible to be without any beliefs?

Gnani: Suppose we want to go from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Instead, we take the road going to San Diego. Then do we not have to back track from San Diego to Los Angeles (our original place)? Likewise, it is important to keep this right belief in order to come back to our original place. Once you get rid of the wrong beliefs and keep the right belief for a while, you will arrive at your original place, after which there will no longer be a need to keep any beliefs. Then your work is accomplished.

Now, how will you get rid of all these wrong beliefs?

Questioner: I do not know. I need your guidance for that.

Gnani: Yes, it is because a person does not have the knowledge of how to get rid of this wrong belief that he has been wandering aimlessly in the world life after life. Even if he comes to know that this belief is wrong, he does not know how to get rid of it? Infinite lives have passed without getting rid of even a single wrong belief.

Gnani: This belief ‘I am Chandulal’ is ahamkar (ego). To impose ‘I’ where ‘I’ does not belong is ahamkar (ego).

Questioner: How can there be ego in saying I am Chandulal? If I say “I am great” or “I am the smartest man in the world”, then it would be a different matter. But if I naturally say “I am Chandulal”, then where is the ego in that?

Gnani: Even if you say so naturally, does the ego go away? Even if you say “My name is Chandulal”, naturally and simply, it is still called ego. Ego is when you do not know who you are and you identify with what you are not.

‘I am Chandulal’ is for a dramatic (for playing your role in the worldly interactions) purpose only. There is no harm in saying “I am Chandulal”, but the belief that ‘I am Chandulal’ should not be ingrained within you. It should be for dramatic and identification purpose only.

Questioner: Yes, otherwise I am Chandulal will take hold.

…to be continued in next part…

–from the book shivoham

–Shikha Punjani