The Doctrine of Grace
You can notice Lord’s grace in
every inch of His Creation. In a hot summer you enjoy the delicious sweet juice
of grapes, cucumber, oranges and pomegranates and cool Ganga water of Rishikesh
and Haridwar. This is Lord’s grace. When you suffer from any serious ailment,
you get immediate relief and cure from herbs. This is Lord’s grace. When you
walk in a dark night, the stars twinkle and throw light on your path. This is
Lord’s grace. When you are unable to bear extreme pain you become unconscious.
This is Lord’s grace. When the weather is sultry, a gentle breeze blows and
refreshes you. This is Lord’s grace.
Lord’s grace will descend in
proportion to the degree of surrender. The more the surrender, the more the
grace.
Kathopanishad says in a
thundering voice: "Not by study or discourses, not by argument, not by
intelligence is the Self attained. He whom the Lord chooses attains
Self-realisation. He reveals Himself to such a chosen person."
The subtle forms of lust,
anger, egoism, pride, etc., can only be totally destroyed through the grace of
the Lord. However hard you may strive and do Sadhana, these subtle forms cannot
be eradicated through your Sadhana alone. The Lord’s grace completely purifies
your heart.
It is the Lord only who stirs
the aspirants to do Purushartha or right exertion.
You should not sit idle and
say "Lord’s grace will do everything for me. Why should I do any
Sadhana?" This is wrong philosophy. God helps those who help themselves.
God’s grace will descend on those persons only who exert. You cannot expect the
Lord to do self-surrender for you. Be up and doing. Strive. Plod. Persevere.
The Lord will shower His grace upon you.
Mira abandoned everything. She
renounced kingdom, husband, relatives, friends and property. She remembered her
Lord Krishna, whole day and night. She shed tears of Prem. She sang His praise
with single-minded devotion. She gave up food. Her body got emaciated. Her mind
was ever absorbed in Lord Krishna. Only then, did Lord Krishna shower His grace
upon her.
The Lord has five duties. He
is Karta (actor), Akarta (non-actor), Anyatha Karta. He veils the Jiva
(Tirodhana, Tirobhava). He removes the veil through His grace (Anugraha).
People will become idle and
say "The Lord will do everything for me. Why should I do any Sadhana? I
depend upon His grace alone." In order to remove the inertia, Sri
Vasishtha and others have preached the "Purushartha Vada." In reality
it is all Lord’s grace only. Even a leaf or an atom will not move without the
sanction of the Lord.
May you all obtain Lord’s
grace through faith and devotion! May Lord shower His grace upon you all.
Glory to the Lord and His
grace (Kripa, Anugraha, Prasad).
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