Niruma: Were you ever stubborn?
Aptaputra: Niruma, I have been stubborn many times. In today’s samayik I saw that when I was a kid, before Dada’s Gnan, I used to bully my elder brother. After a few manipulative tantrums, I used to get things done my way. Everyone would get fed up of me and would give in. My mom, my dad and my brother were always helpless against my powerful tantrums. My brother would let go, so mom and dad would think likewise and let me have my way. This way I used to get everything done my way.
Niruma: Once, in the year 1990, you, your brother, and sister-in-law had come to me. Usually your brother does not complain, but that day he told me, “Niruma, my brother never admits to his mistakes. He always points to my mistakes.” When I asked you whether this was true, you said to me, “Niruma, if he is at fault, I will surely show him his mistake. I never make a mistake so why should I admit it? He is the one who makes mistakes, whereas I am very sincere and hard-working. My elder brother is lazy!”
That day, after discussing this topic with you for nearly half an hour, you still did not accept your mistakes and insisted that you never made mistakes.
Then I told you, “There was one Mahavir Bhagwan who was faultless and now you are the second! “Jai Mahavir Bhagwan ki!” (I salute Lord Mahavir)” saying this I bowed down to you. Then for the first time you realized that the fact that you were not Mahavir Bhagwan was 100% true, and therefore, the fact that you did make mistakes, was also 100% true. Then you started thinking of how wrong your tantrums were.
Not accepting one’s mistakes is obstinacy. You go on pointing out other person’s faults and even after you notice your own mistake, you do not accept the fact. That amounts to being obstinate. It is your stubbornness.
When you will get rid of your blunders and mistakes, you will not have any superior.