|
We must never be disappointed of the Divine Grace
(Silence Speaks, Second Edition, pg 313)
Sri. K.C.Srihari
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The above sentence from the book Silence Speaks is
taken from the chapter Role of Abhyasi under the
section Constant Remembrance.
The section talks about how one has to be
determined and steadfast in the pursuit of our goal
not minding the disturbances and be grateful for the
grace of the Divine that comes to us.
Master continues in the next sentence of the section
by saying “God is the supreme Master and His will
must be carried out in every respect. We should
think ourselves to be bankrupt and remain ever busy
with worship and devotion, not minding the
interruptions and disturbances that happen to come
in our way.”
In the message “Master who leads to Realisation” he
says “Truly speaking, we give wrong suggestions to
the mind. People can object to it. How do we give
such suggestions? The environment creates the
circumstances to have such ideas. We move in that
sort of environment.
The rishis of yore used to recommend people
to go into the forest or the hills, where the
environments are natural. The place recommended was
to be far from human habitation. If one goes to a
high peak of a mountain, he will only find a sort of
echo and not any thought. Purity
starts from being and impurities are the result of
the wrong suggestions and improper utilization of
the inner environment.”1
It is very clear that our inner enviroment has to be
purified for the Divine Grace to be had.
Master in this context says “The only way for that
would be to raise ourselves up to the level where
they may also begin to take the effect of our inner
state of mind. That means spiritual elevation up to
the level at which even animals may begin to take in
the effect. This is the actual purpose served in the
long run by the practice of meditation.”2
The impure mind cannot appreciate the grace of the
Divine.
It has to be made pure by repeated cleaning through
self effort and Pranahuti.
Imperience says that Pranahuti has played a
more significant role in purging these impurities
than the self effort.
The self effort is only to make ourselves
deserving of the Divine Grace.
In this
context Master says “The abhyasi has only to prepare
himself to receive it (Divine Grace), or in other
words to make himself capable and deserving of it.
In this way all that which previously
required ages of persistent labour and hardship can
now be achieved very easily in a much shorter time
with little labour.
But it is all practical and cannot in any way
be put in words.
Only practical experience can reveal its
merits.”3.
The Japa and Tapa that are needed to be done
as shown in the game of life can be overcome by
sincere service to the Master.
Master later compares these interruptions and
disturbances to the barking of the dogs. Master says
had we trained our senses, thoughts would not have
bothered us in the first place.
This also happens naturally along with our
meditational practices and the assistance of the
trainer
Giving the steps that we can take towards this end,
Master says “When we have got the right path we must
stick to it firmly and not be away from it at any
cost. All sorts of grosser means and mechanical
practices should be given up. When we find ourselves
growing lighter and lighter day by day we must
conclude that we are proceeding right towards that
which is the lightest and the subtlest.”4
All of us gathered here on this most auspicous day
enjoying the grace of the Master are sure that this
is right path.
The lightness that we feel growing each day
is also undeniable.
It has been observed that many seem to think
that this lightness is something that is not
significant.
As one proceeds in this lightness, we
understand how much gross one was in his worship and
methods.
We say that peace and calm are the first things one
feels.
One needs to realize that these are not easy things
to get.
It is due to the influx of the Pranahuti that this
is possible and a certain amount of gratitude needs
to be shown in this regard.
A most common excuse is the ‘I’m not worthy of such
a great system’.
Ducking under this carpet one goes on giving
reasons for not doing sadhana.
Be it physical or mental trouble.
Master says in this context “Physical
or mental troubles do not tell upon spirituality.”5
Why is it that we are not happy with what is given?
It is because we impose conditions on the
Divine.
We want a certain feeling (of which we have no idea)
and expect that feeling or condition (of which we
have no idea again) to be given to us by Divine.
If we change our attitude during meditations
to be ‘whatever is given is good for me’ and accept
it as a Prasad the self is reduced and certain
amount of humility develops.
It has also been clarified in the book Three
truths and trillion doubts that "Higher conditions
and your deservancy cannot and should not be ideas
entertained during individual sittings or for that
matter during any meditation. We should place
ourselves in the hands of the Master and accept
whatever condition is bestowed. Expectancy can be
very detrimental to progress"6
The story of the two sages comes to mind where the
first sage is upset that he has to wait 3 more lives
and the second one is jubiliant hearing that he has
to wait till all the leaves fall of the tree.
The optimism and positive outlook of the
second sage are what are required.
The devotion here is not the petitioning that goes
on in its name.
Neither is it the self pity where one goes on
lamenting about their problems.
The law of cause and effect is forgotten and
we seek relief from problems. The attitude that one
needs to develop in this context can best be said by
remembering the words of Rev. Dr. K.C.Varadachari .
"The lessons in life are taught by the Lord very
systematically. As my trainer and father put it "He
loves us so much that every opportunity is provided
for us to grow. When we ask for strength, He
provides us difficulties to make us strong; when we
ask for prosperity, He gives us the brain and brawn
to work; when we ask for courage, He causes danger
to overcome; when we ask for love, He sends us
troubled people to help; when we ask for wisdom, He
gives problems to solve. The way of instruction of
the Lord is difficult to understand but when we
understand the joy of awareness of His love has no
bounds. The lesson of truth that we learn is very
great and what a loving teacher we have! "7
Divinity gives what is appropriate for us and not
what we like.
The doctor gives the medicine to the patient
as he deems fit for him.
The commandments in this context teach this
to us very thoroughly.
We are required to mould ourselves to
external circumstances and not the other way around.
Loving Him who loves All is a wonderful
message that should always ring in our ears whenever
we face demanding situations.
Solutions are found at higher planes and one
needs to accept them irrespective of their personal
preferences (ego).
By divine Grace we gain tolerance, fortitude,
forbearance, patience and forgiveness to effectively
adhere to the commandments
It is by Divine Grace that we are all in the
Satyapad Marg.
There are so many other systems that we could
have been part of, still we came to this system.
It can be attributed only to the Divine
Grace.
Only we have to realize it as such.
If we realize the progress made by leaps and
bounds in this system for the very minimal effort we
put in, there can be no complaining of the Divine
Grace we receive constantly. Comparing with the
monks and their so called achievements and expecting
the same here is another reason why people are
disappointed of the Divine Grace.
Master asks that “We should think ourselves to be
bankrupt and remain ever busy with worship and
devotion”.
As long as we are full of ourselves, nothing
can be taken in.
The more we empty ourselves, the more the
Grace of Divine keeps pouring in.
To think that we are bankrupt can only come
by repentance.
Repentance for the wrongs committed,
repentance for doing actions without acknowledging
the presence of Divine in us, and repentance for
coming away from our homeland to start with.
Repentance done thus brings about a state of
vaccum that gets filled with joy of contentment due
to Grace of the Divine.
We are equally aware of the Grace of the
Divne and painfully aware of the flaws in us.
Master has compared himself to be an owl that
removes all the belongings and takes over the place.
We must be ready to give up our belongings if
we want to taste the Grace of the Divine to the
fullest.
“Rivers flow to the ocean but rivers flow to the
ocean only when there is the rainfall of Grace or
from having their source in some perennial source”8
Even as the gopikas whose belongings were taken by
the Lord, let us all give our belongings to our
Lord, the eternally present special personality
SriRamchandraji Maharaj and enjoy the showers of
Divine Grace pouring on us incessantly during these
celebrations
Pranams
References
1.
Showers of Divine Grace – pp 30-31
2.
Silence Speaks – p 314
3.
Silence Speaks – p 34
4.
Silence Speaks – p 312
5.
Showers of Divine Grace – p 163
6.
Three Truths – Trillion Doubts – p 58
7.
Imperience Beckons – pp 109-110
8.
Completed works of Dr. K.C.Varadachari Vol. 5 – p
222
|
