How to get out of competition induced superiority (gurutam)? Why be humble or be in utmost humility (laghuttam)?

With the yoga of gurutam one becomes heavy; he becomes gurutam. Guru means heavy and when something is heavy; it will sink. As he sinks, he also takes down everyone around with him. When does a guru not sink? He will not sink when he has the gurukilli– the key that helps him float. Laghu means light and guru means heavy. Those who want to be big and famous have grabbed on to the gurutam yoga. Everyone wants to be big and they have all taken a beating in the process, they have died in such beatings, life after life. No one succeeds because how many can take the first prize in a horse race? How many horses win the trophy? If five million ‘horses’ run a race, how many come first? The first prize goes only to the winning horse, does it not? The rest die huffing and puffing. Therefore, practice laghutam yoga.

Questioner: Yes, but what is the vidhi- special process - for it?

Dadashri: The vidhi is to become a disciple of everyone in this world. If someone calls you unworthy then become his disciple by saying, ‘You are my guru because you made me aware that I am unworthy.’

Reference: Book Excerpt: Aptavani 9 (Page #361 - Paragraph #2 to #4)

And we are not anyone’s superior; are we? On the contrary we are below him and that is why he behaves well; he remains straightforward otherwise he would not. He will oppose you if you try to be his superior. If you say, ‘I am your disciple’, he will be straight with you.’ Everyone enjoys being a guru and thus showing superiority in the relative world. There is also competition with one another. One guru will claim ‘I have one hundred sixty disciples’ and other will say, ‘I have one hundred twenty disciples.’ All this is superiority (guruta). One needs to be laghutam in the relative. Then he will not fall; there is no suffering or misery in laghutam.

Otherwise, one will have to become a cow or a buffalo from here. When a person dies, he will take anger-pride-deceit-greed along with him. Separation due to differences of opinions (matbhed) is not going to go away easily in this life! They will go automatically when one’s life form changes but not otherwise. There are no such straight men around, are there? On the contrary, one claims, ‘I am something.’ You fool! What do you think you are?’

Now, who would want to be laghutam in the relative? Does anyone seek this state? If you were to look for such a person, are you likely to find one in this car, train or anywhere else; can you find such a person? Will you find one amongst the ascetics? Every ascetic keeps saying, ‘hum, hum, hum, I know this many scriptures…I know this…I know that etc.’

Reference: Book Excerpt: Aptavani 9 (Page #358 - Paragraph #4, Page #359 - Paragraph #1 to #3)

There is no racecourse in laghuttam

Up until now, all efforts have been towards becoming guruttam, have they not? ‘I want to be greater than him; I want to be greater than him.’ See, the competition has begun, has it not? Who wins the prize? The prize goes only to the horse that comes first. What about the rest? There is no prize for them even after running so hard.

Questioner: Dada, is there a racecourse in a laghuttam state?

Dadashri: No there cannot be any racecourse in the state of laghuttam. The racecourse is in the guruttam state. So I have no intellect (abuddha) and I am in a laghuttam state and therefore I do not have a relationship of exchange of kashaya with anyone. There is not an iota of intellect in me.

Reference: Book Excerpt: Aptavani 9 (Page #377 - Paragraph #2 to #4)

Liberation with the laghuttam ego

Questioner: How do you define laghuttam? Is bringing our ego to a zero level considered being laghuttam?

Dadashri: No. The ego remains the same but it is also an ego to say ‘I am smaller than everyone.’ Laghu means ‘I am small’, laghuttar means ‘I am even smaller than small’ and laghuttam means ‘everyone is bigger than me.’ That too is a kind of an ego (ahamkar).

Now the world is based on the ego of guruttam, which is the intent to be bigger than everyone; it is the belief of ‘I am greater than everyone’; this verily is the cause of the worldly life (sansaar), whereas with a laghuttam ego, one goes towards attaining liberation (moksha). Laghuttam ego means to conduct interactions of worldly life with the intent, ‘I am smaller than everyone.’ That will take him towards liberation. By believing, ‘I am greater than everyone’, one enters into a ‘race course’ (competition) and on to the wrong path through unawareness. With laghuttam ego one gradually becomes smaller and smaller until he becomes completely laghuttam; therefore one becomes Paramatma, the absolute Self.

Reference: Dadavani Magazine April 1999 (Page #18)