Dada Bhagwan, born as Ambalal Muljibhai Patel in 1908 in India, was a revered spiritual leader and the founder of the Akram Vignan movement, a spiritual science focused on self-realization through grace rather than traditional practices. A humble and devout man, he experienced a profound spiritual awakening in 1958, which led him to share his insight into the nature of the Self and the path to liberation. Emphasizing non-violence, equanimity, and inner purity, his teachings have inspired thousands. He passed away in 1988, leaving behind a legacy of peace and practical spirituality.
"Don't calculate the world." This world is untruthful. Don't stop to do calculation, just keep on moving."
"One is said to be enlightened with the Right Knowledge when his conduct is appropriate in any situation."
"Keep on doing whatever it is that you have been doing; but, do no attachment-abhorrence. If 'You' stay in 'Your [Pure Soul] state'; attachment-abhorrence will not occur."
"When the 'right belief' occurs, the world will appear quite different. 'Right belief' will take one towards the Eternal (Self), and the 'wrong belief' will take one towards the worldly life."
"Until ignorance, of one's own Self (the Soul), is removed, illusory attachment (moha) will not go away."
"Worshipping 'Gnani Purush' [the enlightened one] is equal to worshiping the Pure Soul and it is indeed same as the worship of absolute supreme Self (Parmatma). And it is the main cause for moksha [final liberation]."
"By doing actions, one will not attain Liberation [Moksha]; through understanding leads one to Liberation. The fruit (effect) of action is the worldly life [sansaar]."
"Merit karma is a credit amount and demerit karma is a debit amount [owe the amount to repay]. One is free to spend his accumulated amount wherever he wants."
"This 'Knowledge' manifested in 1958! That day I became a 'Gnani' (the enlightened one)! The day before that, 'I' too was agnani (ignorant of the Self), wasn't I?"
"There is no pleasure in Jalebi (dessert), the pleasure is in your imagination."
"Circumstances can change through worldly knowledge (ignorance of the self, the Soul) and also through (true) knowledge (realization of the self). With ignorance, circumstances will bring entanglements and with (true) knowledge, circumstances will bring solutions. (True) Knowledge itself changes circumstances. Is God likely to come down and do so?"
"A person who has the slightest fear of insult cannot be called a "Gnani [the enlightened one] and a person who desires self-recognition [maan] is not a Gnani [the enlightened one]."
"To know 'who I am and who I am not' is called Absolute knowledge (Gnan)."
"Any good thing will be ruined by talking negatively about it, similarly bad thing will improve by speaking positive about it."
"What is the science of Vitraag (the enlightened ones free of attachment)? [It is that where] If one understands a single word of the Vitarag, there will be no pain. But one has not understood a single word of 'Vir', the Vitaraag Lord Mahavir [The 24th Tirthankar]."
"There aren't any 'relative' (worldly) things that is worth inviting. So what is worth inviting? The 'place' where we have to go is worth knowing."
"Right knowledge (samkit) means right vision. What does the wrong vision do? It will make one say, 'this person caused me a loss. This person profited me. That person insulted me. That person hurt me. This person made me happy.' There is no one out there giving you pain or pleasure! Indeed, it is all within you."
"Gnan is that which does not let kashays arise when one's pocket is picked."
"The one who becomes free from all kinds of beggary is bestowed the state of a 'Gnani' [the enlightened one]."
"When you walk around with a long face in the house, that is called conflict."
"No human being really has any misery. It is your own mistake if you complain of the misery."
"Whatever the world does, is indeed all a natural discharge [disposal of karma]. You may chant God's name, you may do penance; it is all nature's discharge. If someone garlands you, how is he obliging you? And if someone picks your pocket, how is he hurting you? One is instrumental in the charging (creation of new karma), but in the discharge, it is only nature's doing. This is the ultimate vision of the Vitraags, the Enlightened ones free of attachment."
"Pure love' means that it never increases or decreases. If it does not decrease when you curse him and it does not increase when you give him garlands of flowers, it is 'Pure Love'. 'Pure love' is considered Paramatma prem (Love of God). That is indeed true religion."
"When the mind and the Self (Soul) become engrossed (tanmayakar) only then it is called artadhyan (mournful contemplation that hurts the self), and also one does not become aware that artadhyan has occurred. And if one realizes that artadhyan has occurred, then it is not called artadhyan; then it is the mind."
"If a person were to get stuck in attachment induced entrancement for any worldly thing for just one hour, then it will last for a hundred years! Because of pleasure resulting effects and intents of engrossment, an indulging bad habit will last one day of Brahma (many many years), therefore it is not worth focusing our awareness anywhere (other than our true self, pure soul)."
"In this life, you only need to do this much: You must know that the other person is instrument (nimit, in bringing you the results of your own karmas) so you must remain silent. Do not let the mind spoil in the slightest. If it does, then ask for forgiveness: 'Dear Instrument! You are simply an instrument. I ask for forgiveness for spoiling my mind.' You have to do only this much! That is the effort [purusharth]!"
"Where there is asakti [infatuation], there accusations cannot refrain from happening. That is indeed the nature of asakti [infatuation]."
"As many opinions you bound about a person, if you let go of them, you will attain a natural state. For whomever and for whatever matter, you have bound opinions, those opinions will continue to sting you and when you let go of those opinions, you can become natural."
"Shuddha upayog (applied awareness of the Self, The Soul) means to be able to see the Soul and the Body of the other person as separate. The constant contemplation of 'I am pure Soul (Shuddhatma)' is shukladhyan (pure contemplation as the Self)."
"What is the benefit of egoism? It is only through the benefit of egoism that people get their daughters married, get their sons married, walk around as a father and say 'mine, mine'! The entire world is enjoying the benefit of egoism. The Gnanis (Self-realized) enjoy the benefit of the Self."
"As long as your mind has the contemplation 'the tiger is a violent animal', it will remain violent. And if your contemplation is, 'the tiger is a pure soul', then it will not remain violent. Everything is possible."
"You cannot indeed say anything to anyone in this world. Whatever we 'say', it is 'egoism'. The whole world is in order [in control]."