Whatever Happened Is Justice

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Whatever Happened Is Justice" by Dada Bhagwan, based on the provided pages:

Title: Whatever Happened Is Justice Author: Dada Bhagwan Publisher: Dada Bhagwan Aradhana Trust

Core Message: The central tenet of the book, as expounded by Dada Bhagwan, is that "Whatever happened is justice." This is not a statement of passive resignation but a profound spiritual understanding that everything that occurs in the universe is governed by an unfailing, precise, and absolute natural law of justice. There is no injustice in the universe; what appears as injustice to our limited human intellect is, in fact, a manifestation of this divine natural law.

Key Concepts and Explanations:

• The Nature of Natural Law:

  • Nature is not a person or God, but a scientific, circumstantial phenomenon.
  • Every event requires numerous circumstances to occur.
  • Nature's law is perfect and absolute, unlike man-made laws, which can be flawed.
  • Nature preserves the purity of the good, but it also ultimately destroys the wrongdoer.
  • What is "woven with injustice" will be "unraveled by injustice," and vice versa.

• Understanding Injustice:

  • The book argues that the search for justice in the worldly sense is the root cause of conflicts, wars, and suffering.
  • The apparent injustice in situations like disproportionate inheritance, wrongful imprisonment, or the suffering of the righteous is a result of past karma, not an absence of justice.
  • Human law may err, but natural law is infallible. What we perceive as injustice is often a consequence of our unfulfilled karmic accounts.

• The Role of Karma:

  • "There is no mosquito bite without an unpaid account." Karma is seen as the mechanism of settling accounts.
  • The events of life are the results of our past actions (karma). By observing the results, one can understand the causes.
  • Even seemingly unjust events like a father killing his son are explained as the completion of a karmic account between them.

• The Wisdom of "Whatever Happened Is Justice":

  • This phrase is presented as a spiritual shortcut (Akram Vignan) to peace and inner equanimity, especially during difficult times.
  • Accepting this principle liberates one from the cycle of questioning, blaming, and suffering.
  • The intellect (Buddhi) is identified as the cause of our suffering because it constantly searches for worldly justice. By accepting that "Whatever happened is justice," one can dissolve the intellect's hold.

• Dada Bhagwan's Spiritual Realization and Teachings:

  • The book introduces Dada Bhagwan (Ambalal M. Patel), who attained Self-Realization (Atma-gyan) in 1958.
  • He became a living instrument of God, referred to as "Dada Bhagwan" within him, to impart spiritual knowledge.
  • He taught the path of "Akram Vignan" (the incremental science), which is a direct and easy path to Self-realization, likened to taking a lift rather than climbing stairs.
  • He emphasized that his body was a public charitable trust and that he did not accept money for his personal needs.
  • He conducted a process called "Gnan Vidhi" to impart Self-knowledge to others.
  • His work is continued by Dr. Niruben Amin.

• Practical Application:

  • The teachings are presented through dialogues and explanations, addressing common human dilemmas and perceived injustices.
  • Examples include why some pilgrims die in a snowstorm while others survive, why a thief might steal from an honest person, and how to react when wronged.
  • The advice is to stop searching for justice in the world. Instead, one should observe events with equanimity and accept them as just.
  • When dealing with an injustice, one should act to reclaim what is due (like money owed), but without enmity or anger. The focus should be on the process as a karmic settlement.

• The Role of the Intellect (Buddhi):

  • The intellect is the faculty that questions and searches for justice, leading to suffering.
  • When one understands and accepts that "Whatever happened is justice," the intellect loses its power and dissolves.
  • True wisdom lies in recognizing things as they truly are, not through the filter of one's own desires or worldly notions of justice.

• God's Role:

  • God is neither just nor unjust. His will is that no living being should suffer.
  • Justice and injustice are human concepts. God's world operates purely on the principle of not hurting any living being.

• The Universal System:

  • The universe is a perfectly ordered system, precise to the smallest atom.
  • Every event is a discharge of past karma, managed by this system, which always implements justice.
  • The book encourages acceptance and detachment, as all events are part of a larger karmic unfolding.

In essence, "Whatever Happened Is Justice" guides the reader to shift their perspective from questioning events to understanding them as a perfect, albeit sometimes painful, manifestation of natural and karmic law. This shift in understanding is presented as the key to achieving peace, liberation, and freedom from suffering.