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Source: thThe Hindu

(http://www.hinduonnet.com/2002/05/07/stories/2002050700710800.htm)

 

Miscellaneous

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Religion

 

 

God can be realised only by His grace

 

 

 

 

CHENNAI

MAY 7.

 

A person who develops inclination for spiritual life must seek guidance from the

scriptures and from saints who have realised God to evolve towards the goal of

liberation. The lives of saints as documented by their disciples and devotees

provide insight into the subtleties of spirituality, which are at once profound

and laced with their personal experiences. For instance, the Bhagavad Gita says

that a seeker develops desire for liberation and spiritual practices like

penance and meditation only by the grace of God.

 

Once when Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was meditating his devotees entered his

room. He abandoned his meditation and started conversing with them. He told them

that it just occurred to him that meditation after all was trying to visualise a

form of God and if He graced His devotee even once then there was no necessity

to make an effort. The saint after all had experienced both the formless aspect

of God and also His various forms. He was underscoring the fact that man is only

an instrument in the hands of God. As soon as the ego is dissolved the seeker

becomes aware of the operation of divine grace by which he can realise Him.

 

In his discourse, Swami Gautamananda said the saint used to convey such profound

truths explained in the scriptures while conversing with devotees in a very easy

manner they could grasp. Often he would say, "not I, not I", thereby reiterating

that the ego and the feeling of "mine" must be totally obliterated. Man's ego is

so strong that it colours all his actions. When he faces problems he doubts

God's grace but when successful takes the credit for it; such an attitude

strengthens the ego. The saint said to root out the ego a spiritual seeker must

constantly remind himself that he was a servant of God and be devoted to Him. It

is due to the Lord's power of Maya that man is deluded by ego and Lord Krishna

has reiterated in the Gita that it is very difficult to overcome it. Only a

person who is constantly devoted to Him can get over it by His grace.

 

Another important aspect of spiritual life Sri Ramakrishna used to stress was

the rarity of human birth. As there is no guarantee that one will be born again

as a human being, it becomes imperative that this life is not frittered away in

materialistic pursuits without utilising it to get over rebirth. One must never

lose sight of the spiritual goal while engaged in worldly life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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