VITRAG Dada Bhagvan

Vitrag Dada Bhagvan

“Dada Bhagavan” is the Fully Enlightened Soul that opened within Your Holiness Ambalal Muljibhai Patel, He was born on Nov 8, 1908 as per the Sun calendar and as per the moon calendar, He was born in the month of ‘Kartak’ on waxing 14th day, in village Tarsali near Vadodara in central Gujarat, India. (Original name of India is “Bharat,” in Sanskrit language it means, “Where Light prevails.”) He hailed from village Bhadran near Borsad in Anand district of Gujarat State. He ran a construction company that specialized in building jetties. He had settled in Vadodara. His business partner Mr. Kantibhai Apabhai Patel also from Bhadran, together they made a good company of two. Dadaji’s business policies were very unique! As regards Business Ethics, in His tricky construction business, He followed a very sound ‘Ethical Code of Practice.’ He had made a very clear understanding with His partner as regards to this Ethical Code that in any structures they build, they should never compromise in steel and cement. This was because, He believed that the steel is like bones and cement is like blood for structures. Now, what would happen if someone removed bones and blood from human body? It would obviously collapse! In the same way, structures built with less steel or cement would collapse anytime! So, even in their difficult construction business they worked together with such a great principle.

He strongly believed, life and living as Commerce does essentially need Religion as a Principled Ethical Inner Centre Life Code but Religion with “God Belief” Religious Practices should not involve any sort of Commerce. Later, in His Spiritual Life, He aphorized to his followers as well as to the humanity in general as:
“All Business Activities Requires Religion as Centre.
While Business Aspects ought not be the Basis of Religion!”

They had to travel a lot because of the nature of their business. Similarly, once they happened to go out on a business tour together. Incidentally, Mr. Kantibhai forgot his Daily Prayer Book, which he came to know only after reaching their destination! Knowing that, immediately he told Dada about the mistake and said that he could not break his daily schedule of Prayers and so, that very moment he would go back home to get his Prayer Book! Dada tried telling him it would not matter even if he missed Prayers for a day or two. Anyway, they were going to return home in less than a week time. But Kantibhai insisted that he had to get his book to do his prayers because that was his regular practice. Dadaji was thoroughly impressed and touched by his sincerity. Mr. Kantibhai used to follow and worship Srimad Rajchandraji. Srimadji gave those Prayers for all the aspirants seeking Blissful Living. Dada was very keen in knowing about Srimadji. So, He asked for Srimadji’s books and on reading one of his books… “Vachanamrut,” which has a good collection of letters in the form of answers written against questions put forward to Him. He could easily identify and recognize Him as a fully Enlightened Soul, Gyani Purush. With great enthusiasm He enquired, “Where is He?” Kantibhai answered, “Unfortunately, He isn’t there anymore. He left His mortal body way back in 1901!” Dada responded immediately, “Oh! If He was there, I would have surrendered myself unto His Lotus feet and would have accepted Him as my Spiritual Master, and would have lived all my life solely as per His precepts (Agnas!) But since He isn’t there, I cannot regard Him as my Spiritual Master! The reason being, Master has got to be a living one with whom I could talk for my solutions.” He also noticed that the practices given by Srimadji were very scientific and not merely as rituals. Since then, He had imbibed several practices in His life shown by Srimadji, which also included, strict dietary habits viz. eating before sunset, drinking boiled water, not eating things that grow under the soil etc… everything was scientific!

Your Holiness A. M. Patel was very pure at heart. Looking at His own efforts and wholehearted dedication towards spirituality He was confident that He would be rewarded adequately in life i.e. at least some light would open within Him! As such there are many instances of His life that are worth knowing for us to have a good lesson for our own understanding and progress. His fundamental question in the form of an argument was, “No matter what, if the end result of spirituality is Blissful Living then how come the path leading to Bliss so strenuous, cumbersome and painful?” He wondered that, “There was something principally wrong somewhere!” His partner, Mr. Kantibhai used to tell His children, “Our family association with Mr. A.M. Patel itself is our greatest wealth and wisdom.” He used to manage the worksites single handedly. He used tell Mr. A.M. Patel to visit sites regularly say about once in 15 days only! The reason was the methods and solutions He gave, were very practical, economical, effective and time saving. He sought His advice whenever he was in distress. With His wide range of experience and perspective of life, He used to give very practical solutions to various household problems, business related problems and spiritual problems. He believed that…

Their construction business was going on very well and was fetching them fairly good returns but it involved a lot of traveling from one construction site to another. So, in their efforts to have some steadiness in life, they bought a Sawmill in village Songadh near Vyara (in south Gujarat). It was on the meter-gauge Tapti Railway line from Surat (a city in south Gujarat) to Nandurbar (a city in north Maharashtra state). Mr. A.M. Patel had a good knowledge about wood and with the installation of the Sawmill they started visiting Songadh regularly.

From His very childhood Mr. A.M. Patel was very observant. In His impartial unbiased observation He could see, understand and conclude several facts of life. In fact, that is how He was the Living Example of Absolute Spirituality. Some of the striking examples of His inner Divine state before and after Enlightenment, which He had candidly narrated to us, are:

“PAST never bothered him. However, being impartial and observant he always learnt lessons from his mistakes. FUTURE also never bothered him because it was in the hands of nature based on his own Karmas. The greatest question was of the PRESENT and that he said, “He did have fear!”
In fact, this fear wasn’t hurting him anyway rather, ‘Fear of the PRESENT always kept him very vigilant in each and every moment of his life. And this was a very important Observation.

It was July 1958 and Mr. A.M. Patel was returning from Songadh. Before Sunset, he had finished his dinner in the train to Surat. Mr. Ranchhodbhai Patel of Ankhi village (near Vadodara) had also traveled along with Him and was in his service. On reaching Surat, first of all he made Him sit on a bench on platform no. 2 and then he went to clean the vessels. Here Mr. A.M. Patel had almost two hours of waiting time for the next train to Vadodara. On the platform, there was a massive chaos with people moving around, shouting and screaming. Some people were alighting from the train; some were rushing to board the trains. A few were trying to sell their stuff. However, Mr. A.M. Patel had plunged very deep inside within Him. Outside he was very serene and totally motionless. On returning he saw Mr. A.M. Patel sitting quietly and probably thinking deeply, he kept the vessels aside and he too sat quietly near him on the floor. At this time, the thin veils of ignorance that were blocking his inner ‘Vision’ naturally slipped away and he ‘Saw’ the whole universe bare, as it is! He could precisely ‘See’ it’s functioning! He saw the basic ‘Cause’ of bondage and suffering! How and why one is born as Human, or as Animal/Plant, or as Angel or Hellish? How could one live a Blissful life amidst differences and diversities of life? How could one liberate oneself eternally from the vicious cycle of birth and death etc… So, for Him the mystery of the universe was solved forever! All such long time confusing questions got answered precisely! He became free from egoism! He could experience His inner Absolute Blissful state! This Divine experience lasted for one full hour. After which, when he opened his eyes he saw a totally different world! The whole universe became transparent in front of him! He understood “The Absolute Knowledge” of 360° in that one-hour but due to the dire effects of KALIYUGA, and the incapable body constitution, He could only retain 356° degrees i.e. it settled within Him as “Absolute Vision!” With the experience of the last 4 degrees falling short, He remained for the benefit of the people of the world as “A Fully Enlighten Soul” – A Gyani Purush! He continued doing his business normally. But because of His ego-less state, He couldn’t reveal Himself to anybody. However, to his business partner, He told him very casually, “Kantibhai, I have acquired the “Vision” of My Self.” That was all, and nothing more!!!

Even before the Surat experience, because of His obliging, observant nature and farsighted vision, people knew that they would always get right solutions from Him. So, many people used to visit Him regularly. However, after the Surat experience He attempted giving the traditional path of self-denial and penance to the people who came to Him. Initially, they all showed lot of enthusiasm and worked very hard. They even started coming regularly. He further observed that they did like to sit with Him and listen to His enlightening experienced speech but probably something was bothering them and at times they appeared as if they were lost somewhere. On enquiring, He found that they had problems at home that were immensely bothering them. At certain times, He even noticed that their attention would be lost as if something was dragging them away. So, He found that they had worries and burning problems at home, which dragged their attention every now and then. In fact, many did not show up after a while. In today’s time of KALIYUGA, He found that there was no unity of mind, speech and body activities and due to that the traditional path, somehow failed to work. The unity of mind, speech and body was a very basic merit and a mandatory condition for the effectiveness of the traditional path. Rather, without this merit it was practically impossible even to get admitted in the school of the Absolutes! (Vitragas!)

In 1962, His nephew’s son, Mr. Chandrakanbhai Ranchhodbhai Patel, while he was reading Srimad Rajchandraji’s book for his ailing father, his uncle Mr. Arvindbhai had visited to see his father. His uncle asked him what he was doing. He said he was reading a book of a fully Enlightened Soul, Srimad Rajchandraji for his father. The book had a collection of letters written by Him to His disciples. He talked a lot about the nature of the “Soul!” And that he was trying to know and understand things about “Soul” from the book. The uncle responded forcefully, “Why don’t you go to your Dada (grandfather), He is a Gyani Purush!” Having read so much about Gyani Purush, he now wanted to see his Dada desperately at the earliest. So, finally he went to see his Dada. Immediately, on seeing Him, as a token of his profound respect for a Gyani Purush, he sat at His feet and asked Him whether He was a Gyani? Dada responded very sharply, “Who told you that I am a Gyani?” He said, “Arvind Uncle told me.” Dada explained, “Gyani means a person whom we surrender unconditionally! And if you surrender someone who is not a Gyani, what would happen to you, and your valuable human life? So, at least let me give you a sure test to be performed on someone to prove his State as a true Gyani! Now, being a big businessman, one of these days you invite all your close friends for an evening tea at your place. I would also attend the party and reach your home before you come. Immediately, on entering the house, straight away come to me and command me to get up! When I getup, scold me, and yelling at me, insult me in front of all those big people of the society by saying, “Dada you are cheater, you betrayed me; you did this, you did that and so on…” But you keep watching me, straight into my eyes, and check if there is any change, any effect in my eyes? If you don’t see any effect, i.e. there is no change in my eyes, and I remain as cool as ever, you can definitely say for sure that, your Dada is a Gyani!” For a while he was terribly dazed, but then he said confidently, “Dada, how can I ever do that to you? What would happen to me if I did that to you? I would definitely fall. And if someone offers such a difficult test for his own self, He got to be a Gyani himself!” Dada responded assertively, “A good doctor would, might as well give deadliest poison to get rid of some disease but because he knows its antidote, he would immediately remove all the ill effects of the poison!” He said very firmly, “Dada, I am thoroughly convinced that you are a Gyani! And now, you may beat me, scold me, or do whatever you want to, but please make me exactly one like You!” Dada remained very calm for a while and then said, “Never mind, what brings you here?” He said, “Dada, someone forecasted an early death for me at the age of 30! And since I am already 29, I was really worried, having known so much about Gyani, human life, and salvation, I wondered… whether I would die without even knowing my Self, my Soul? And this really keeps me worrying and thinking all the time!” Dada patted him and with full assurance said, “You don’t worry at all. We can see it clearly that you are going to live very long and that you would also know your Self. Not only that but you would also be instrumental in doing the “Real” welfare for many worthy people. It’s my Blessings!”

Subsequently, there came the vital question of how to offer the path of Liberation and Blissful Living to these ardent seekers! In fact, Dada saw that the level of these seekers was not up to the mark where He could even offer them anything. Because, He had already tried giving them the traditional path of abstinence (asceticism) in 1959, after the Surat experience but it did not work. None of them fulfilled even the minimum requirements i.e. the minimum passing marks were 40% and 45%, which was there during Lord Rushabhdeva’s time! Even his nephew’s son, who showed so much of inclinations, had just 3% marks! But then, that was the best available.

So, Dada called Chandrakantbhai, and Kanubhai (son of Kantibhai, His business partner) and told them that they need to go to see Lord Rushabhdeva, because it was He only who could resolve their problem. They went together to Vadva, an outskirt of Khambhat (Cambay) village on the coastal part of North Gujarat. It has a huge temple of Lord Rushabhdeva. Here Dada explained the whole scenario to the Lord and asked Him what He should do. Dada genuinely told the Lord that if He intended the Real well being of the people of the world, the traditional path wouldn’t work today. Further, He requested the Lord to give Him something unusual but effective. The reason was, all those worrying people went back to their homes and never returned. They left behind everything that was given to them (i.e. shovels, buckets etc… the equipment of construction). Ultimately, Dada meditated for one hour and then asked the Lord to give Him something, which would take away their worries first, and make them enjoy Bliss! Then those seekers would at least listen to Him and follow whatever He said. Lord Rushabhdeva said, “The Akram Vignan (Step-less path), which I had with me, let that also be with You!” At least, through this request the problem was resolved. Essentially, Dada did have the complete path of Liberation with Him but He was looking for an opportunity like this. He always wanted to do with humility. On the other hand, personally even He never wanted to get into the path of abstinence. So, with the advent of Akram Vignan as the step-less path of same perpetual Vitrag Vignan, it would directly construct the third and the final floor of Liberation, making the seeker sit in the Bliss first, without worrying about the foundation! Subsequently, enjoying the Bliss of primary Independence, sitting on the third floor, the seeker would merrily finish building the foundation and the missing floors underneath!!!

Naturally, Chandrakantbhai became the first person to receive this Knowledge, merely by the Divine Grace of Dada. It was the same Divine Knowledge, which Dada experienced on the Surat railway station. And this ultimately opened the narrow, yet exceptional diversion path of the same “Vitrag Vignan” as “Akram Vignan” – the step-less path of Liberation and Blissful Living. This is because the seeker gets Enlightened and elevated spiritually without considering his credentials but it is solely through the Divine Grace of the Fully Enlightened Soul, the Living Gyani!

Chandrakantbhai, having overwhelmed with the Bliss of “Vitrag Vignan” through “Akram Vignan,” initially called Him as “Dada” i.e. grandfather because that was how he was related to Him. But then he felt He was much more than a mere grandfather to him. If he called Him as God! Then which God should he refer to? On the other hand, He wasn’t a Guru because He never made him His disciple! So, eventually, He called Him as “Dada Bhagavan!”

Even when people asked Dada to introduce himself, He said, “What you see outside is Ambalal Muljibhai Patel, merely a contractor by profession. But the Soul within is fully Enlightened, so outside I am a Gyani Purush! The Fully Enlightened Soul is “Dada Bhagavan!” Although, looking at my sincere efforts I was confident of achieving some elementary milestones of spirituality. But to my greatest surprise, the Absolute light of Vitrag Dada Bhagavan that opened within me illumined each and every fault of mine. In return, I kept correcting those mistakes. Until now, I reached 356°. The inner fully Enlightened Soul - “Dada Bhagavan” is of complete 360°. And to accomplish the remaining 4° even I worship the inner God by chanting …
“Dada Bhagavan Na Aseem Jai Jaikar Ho!”
Within you also the same Dada Bhagavan, the Pure Soul is there, but today He is covered in the clouds of Karma. So, if you want to clear these clouds and experience the Bliss of God, the inner Pure Soul, you too worship and chant like Me, “Dada Bhagavan Na Aseem Jai Jaikar Ho!” Actually, during their times, Arjuna attained similar inner spiritual heights through Lord Krishna; Hanumanji attained through Lord Rama; Gautam Swamiji attained inner Absolute state through Lord Mahavira. In today’s time the same could be attained through “Dada Bhagavan!” During their times none of these great figures ever claimed! Rather nobody can claim this! But, everyone could definitely experience and attain remarkable results as achieved by them through today’s Vitrag, the Living Gyani Purush, the Fully Enlightened Soul, “Dada Bhagavan!”

Gradually, as the time passed, the process of imparting “Divine Vision” i.e. Self-realization formally got evolved as an elaborate “Spiritual Initiation Ceremony,” which got known as “Gyan Vidhi!”

Progressively, as time passed many people came to Dada and were Blessed with “Vitrag Vignan” through “Akram Vignan” – The inner Science of Blissful Living, through the same “Gyan Vidhi.” During the period from 1962 to 1988, DADA BHAGAVAN visited several countries all around the world many times and conducted Satsangs-Spiritual discourses followed by Question–Answer Sessions. He has also visited and conducted Satsangs in various temples in these countries. During His visits, He was instrumental in enlightening more than 60,000 aspirants all around the globe, of various religious followings. Recipients of this knowledge are subsequently known as “MAHATMAS!”

Since the transformation i.e. the change of Inner Divine Vision takes place instantaneously merely by the divine grace of the Spiritual Master – The Fully Enlighten Soul, subsequent interactions with Him are specifically arranged and becomes necessary to understand precisely the underlying Science of “Vitrag Vignan,” which is so subtle and so effective that a seeker of any faith or following immediately gets awakened spiritually after the Initiation Ceremony and he starts seeing Himself in everybody around, though others could be of any belief. In fact, he starts seeing Himself in every living being! Eventually, He learns to communicate amicably with everybody he comes across by virtue of this Immaculate Vision. This extends very actively in all our worldly dealings, especially at home, at work and in our neighborhoods. So, our life naturally becomes very cheerful, purposeful, and Blissful with the final goal of Ultimate Liberation!

Dada visited USA, Canada, UK, and Africa especially for those fortunate ones, worthy for Gyan. However, this happened mainly due to the repeated requests of Mr. Vasantbhai and Mrs. Tarulataben Patel of Oak Ridge, Tennessee to visit and bless their home and their relatives in US and UK. Presently, Mr. Vasantbhai is the President – International of the non-profitable charitable organization, JAI SACHCHIDANAND SANGH, Inc, USA as the International branch of JAI SACHCHIDANAND SANGH, Mumbai, India.

Dada had repeatedly said that there are innumerable temples in the world today. He wanted to build live temples so that wherever they go, people would get benefited. On the other hand, He had no interest in starting another religion. He said Gyani never build temples or missions [ashrams]. Gyani, through His inner experienced State, naturally opens the same Divine Light as in Him, to those desiring ones who could be of any religious belief, which ultimately opens the recipient’s inner Blissful nature. He had no interest whatsoever to temper or hurt any religious belief or following. He used to say that He has also come from a [Vaishnov] family believing in Lord Krishna. Actually, this is just a diversion path and only those few lucky ones would get benefited and would get liberated in a matter of few lives, best being just one! Others would at least earn enough credentials for good present and future human lives, eventually leading them to Liberation! Dada had said, “The Principle of “Vitrag Vignan” is ‘Discrimination-free Vision and Ultimate Humility!” Whoever who desires attaining such inner Blissful state could easily achieve today through this Vitrag Vignan!

Dada used to say this is “Vitrag Vignan as it is!” But because you acquire merely through the divine grace of a Fully Enlightened Soul – a Gyani Purush, it is considered as step-less and that is why it is stated as “A-kram Vignan” – meaning Step-less! Being self-acting it is free from all kind of doer-ships. So, there is no burden of doing any ritual or ceremony. Had it been anything in your hands independently, you would have done long back. You would never have to come to me. But one who is bound, in bondage one cannot free oneself. He has to look for someone free, who could unleash him from bondage. Most of the time people worry, hey what’s going to happen to me? In such conditions, due to lack of understanding and foresight, they feel hurt. In scriptures, such a state is called “Aartadhyan.” The result of such an inner state of turmoil in human life is dangerous because in the next life one gets born as Animal or Plant. There are some who, for their happiness would even hurt others! Such a state of hurting others is called “Raudradhyan.” The result of Raudradhyan is, in your next life you are born in hell! And today, in our Immaculate Vision, We see that in the whole world people are either in Aartadhyan or Raudradhyan. There are only, a very few percentage of them, merely out of exception, who are free from these two weaknesses. And it is only a Gyani, who could really free us from these weaknesses. In fact, a Gyani makes us free from all kind of opinions! So, to remain opinion-wise is nothing but bondage and to become opinion-free is true Independence!

Srimad Rajchandraji was also a Gyani Purush. He has said, “A Gyani is one who has uninterrupted experience of Pure Soul; He is free from pride; He doesn’t have even the slightest ownership of mind, speech and body; He never relish the comforts of perishable worldly happiness; He remains in total balance and is never affected by success or failures in worldly matters; He remains totally indifferent, without any inclination of any kind towards anybody’s worldly achievements or failures however, He has full concern for everybody’s Soul i.e. for their Real welfare, for their Liberation. His speech is exceptionally unique. It could never be found in any scriptures yet it could easily make us experience the un-fathomable, never achievable ‘Pure Soul State’ such is the incredible, miraculous stature of a Fully Enlightened Soul, Gyani Purush!”

In fact, all through in His Satsangs, Dada spoke solely from His own unbiased observation based on experiments He conducted on His own self! Rather, His inner experienced state of a Fully Enlightened Soul was only based on this direct Observation! He never had to read anything regarding spirituality! Whatever He spoke naturally became a scripture! In this regards, scriptures are nothing but “Words of the Experienced” and that is how He is considered as …
“The World Observatory!”
“A Fully Enlightened Soul - A Gyani Purush!”
His most Enlightening Experienced speech, which is in the form of Satsang as answers to the questions put forward to Him are available as APTAVANI in nine volumes of books; in Audio/Video CDs. The concise form of the Satsang is available as APTASUTRAS – Principles and aphorism of Vitrag Dada Bhagavan. The main language of communication was most of the time in Gujarati and sometimes in Hindi.