In the Samvat year 1876, on the eleventh day of the dark half of the month of Magh. Shreeji Maharaj was seated in the veranda in front of the hall facing the east in His own residence in the Durbar of Dada Khachar in Gadhada. He had put on all white garments. Saints and devotees from various places had gathered before Him in an assembly.
Then Shreeji Maharaj asked the assembly to start questions and answers. Thereupon Muktanand Swami asked, ‘Why the soul is not firm in his worship and in remembering God. and in his observance of his sacred vows?”
Shreeji Maharaj replied, “It is the evil influence of desh [place]. Kal [times], Kriya [actions] and sang [association] that disturbs the firmness of the soul. Firmness also can be of three kinds : strong, medium and weak.
When all the four i.e. place, times, actions and association are evil, even the strongest firmness will be shaken. what to talk of the medium and the weak ? But in spite of all the four being evil if firmness is not shaken. then it must be taken to be the result of the force of some past good deeds. and one’s own virtuous behavior. On the other hand, if in spite of all the four being auspicious one’s mind becomes polluted, then it must be taken to be the result of some great sin committed by him during this life or the past life. Or it must be the result of some sin committed against a great devotee of God. Such a sin
causes one’s heart to be vicious in spite of all the four being auspicious. Therefore one should remain alert in the service of great saints so that his sins are burned to ashes. If one comes into contact with a great sinner, his own sins get multiplied, and whatever good deeds one may have done, they are destroyed.
If one puts his arms round the necks of prostitutes who are in the habit of drinking wine and then if he blames God as to why his mind was not kept in control, he must be
considered a great fool.”
