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.
"Physical action [paudgalik kriya] will give only worldly fruits; it will not go in vain. If you plant sugar cane, you will eat sweet food and if you plant bitter gourd, you will eat bitter food. Plant whichever taste appeals to you and if you want liberation [Moksha], then don't plant anything. Stop sowing seeds altogether."
"What does religion say? It says that if you care for others then you will meet others who will care for you and if you hit others, you will meet others who will hit you. This is what all relative religions say."
"If you take an objection in the 'relative', it is intellectual rationalism. 'We' don't have intellectual rationalism. 'We' are abuddha (do not have intellect) in the 'relative', and we are a Gnani [the enlightened one] in the 'real'."
"I am unable to tolerate', to say this is the lack of ability to tolerate and 'I am able to tolerate' is itself the ability to tolerate."
"The worldly life means something superficial. When people speak during their interactions, they put a 'full stop' there, but no, there should be a 'comma' there. People have put a full stop there. 'I am Chandubhai' - there should be a comma there and 'I am Pure Soul' " there should be a full stop there."
"It is Vitaraag vignan [the Spiritual Science of the Enlightened Ones] to look at gain, and to see losses is the knowledge of worldly wanderings."
"When attachment does not occur when someone gives flowers and no abhorrence occurs when someone throws stones, that is considered equanimity."
"The one who blesses the winner, after having lost himself, will attain liberation (moksha); he will become "complete."
"The by-product that is created while following the religion of the Self [Soul] is the worldly life. It is gained free of cost."
"Union with [True] Knowledge is 'Principle' [Established Truth] and union with the three [mind, speech and body] is 'non principle' [absence of principle]."
"One becomes all encompassing (sarvasva, the work is completed), when one can see the world as completely faultless (nirdosh)."
"Who is doing this? Who am I? What is all this? Who is the doer? Who is the nimit (instrumental doer) of this? If all these remain present 'at a time' exactly the way it is, then that is considered shuddha upayog (pure focused applied awareness of the Self, the Soul)."
"The one who does not have the control for even a minute, he does not have the control forever."
"Why should one ever get pain? One is the Absolute Supreme Self (parmatma), how can one have any pain? It is the egoism that causes pain and it is also the egoism that suffers the pain! The absolute Supreme Self doesn't have any suffering!"
"This whole world is running solely on the foundation of 'wrong belief'. Why is there suffering in the world? It is because one has acquired the 'wrong belief'. With the 'right belief', there is no suffering at all."
"In the time before Gnan (time before 1958 when Dada Bhagwan got manifested) there was obstinacy within me. 'I' discovered that obstinacy does not let the light of Gnan (Eternal Knowledge) to come through. Then I saw all that obstinacy, and it was destroyed. Thereafter the Gnan (Eternal Knowledge) manifested. One has to observe one's own self that where lies the obstinacies. The Self is an observatory itself."
"Vitarags [the enlightened one] do not have a desire for giving or receiving charity. They are in the state of 'shuddh upyog' [pure awareness of pure soul]."
"The Soul that sits within is ready to give everything, but not even for a moment has one had the faith 'I won't ever have any problems'. If this faith is ever established, there will be no problems. All this is like the priest saying, 'God is asleep'. Would God ever sleep? But then one loses all confidence. God is constantly aware and resides within. It is possible to attain whatever energies you want by asking for them."
"As long as there is the egoism of 'I-ness' (hoonpanu) and the partiality towards 'my-ness' (marapanu), how can there be liberation till then?"
"Mantras are to be recited together. Mantras are an instrument to please the celestial deities."
"When unity of the mind, speech and body occurs, God has called that the 'foremost' religion. If they do not remain in unison, you should maintain the intent of 'I want to keep them in unison'; then some day it will come into fruition if this resolve is there."
"All which is regarded as 'my', belongs to the non-Self. 'I' is the Self and 'my' is of the non-Self; it is pudgal, the body-complex. There is nothing wrong with saying 'this is mine' in the worldly interactions, but the 'I', 'who am I?', must be decided from within."
"Even if you insult him, he gives you his blessings; such a one only is the Gnani Purush [The enlightened one]!"
"Religion of the Self [Soul] is that where no difficulty or trouble arises for anyone or any living being of 'our' own accord."