Sri Maharaj's Samadhi Mandir
Gondavale.
Divine Grace
Nothing, indeed, counts but divine grace. A girl marries and goes to live in her husband's family. There, she may get on excellently with everybody except her husband; in that case, she will fail to receive the expected happiness and contentment. Compare her with another who enjoys her husband's affection in full measure but not that of the others in the family; such a girl will be able to face the situation cheerfully, in the confidence and contentment of her husband's support. So, too, say in an illness, money, medical help, nursing, everything is at call; and yet, but for His grace, nothing can cure the illness or alleviate the suffering. On the other hand, where He wills it, neither want of money nor of medication will prevent cure. Experience shows that divine grace is required for success in anything; and this grace can only be acquired by constant nama-smarana, no matter how meritorious or sinful the person has been in the past.
Actually, divine grace is all-pervading, ever-present. So it protects us, too; but we realize it only when we firmly believe in it; it is only another aspect of becoming one with God. The calf knows no other source of milk but the mother-cow; we should similarly look on God as our sheet-anchor, ask for nothing but His name. He cannot then hold His grace back. We should not expect the grace in the form of acquiescence to our desire; true grace is a feeling of contentedness with whatever it pleases Him to grant.
If we go to a mountain and shout, we get an echo of the same shout; similarly, if we pray earnestly to God, we get the echo in the form of His grace. Even the nama we utter is a form of His grace. We should always say and believe that we are under the shelter of His grace. The grace is always acting, only we have to ensure that it is not overshadowed by doubt; for doubt often nullifies a lot of achievement. A decision never to quit nama will set all doubt at rest. Those who have real faith in nama will always chant it selflessly, desirelessly.
Nama is the only sadhana that can be practised in any times, any circumstances, any state of the mind or body. To pursue prapancha is generally taken as self-interest; real self-interest, however, is to belong to God.
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Gondavale.
Divine Grace
Nothing, indeed, counts but divine grace. A girl marries and goes to live in her husband's family. There, she may get on excellently with everybody except her husband; in that case, she will fail to receive the expected happiness and contentment. Compare her with another who enjoys her husband's affection in full measure but not that of the others in the family; such a girl will be able to face the situation cheerfully, in the confidence and contentment of her husband's support. So, too, say in an illness, money, medical help, nursing, everything is at call; and yet, but for His grace, nothing can cure the illness or alleviate the suffering. On the other hand, where He wills it, neither want of money nor of medication will prevent cure. Experience shows that divine grace is required for success in anything; and this grace can only be acquired by constant nama-smarana, no matter how meritorious or sinful the person has been in the past.
Actually, divine grace is all-pervading, ever-present. So it protects us, too; but we realize it only when we firmly believe in it; it is only another aspect of becoming one with God. The calf knows no other source of milk but the mother-cow; we should similarly look on God as our sheet-anchor, ask for nothing but His name. He cannot then hold His grace back. We should not expect the grace in the form of acquiescence to our desire; true grace is a feeling of contentedness with whatever it pleases Him to grant.
If we go to a mountain and shout, we get an echo of the same shout; similarly, if we pray earnestly to God, we get the echo in the form of His grace. Even the nama we utter is a form of His grace. We should always say and believe that we are under the shelter of His grace. The grace is always acting, only we have to ensure that it is not overshadowed by doubt; for doubt often nullifies a lot of achievement. A decision never to quit nama will set all doubt at rest. Those who have real faith in nama will always chant it selflessly, desirelessly.
Nama is the only sadhana that can be practised in any times, any circumstances, any state of the mind or body. To pursue prapancha is generally taken as self-interest; real self-interest, however, is to belong to God.
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