Grace and devotion

Why do a few human beings shine brightly, and why so many other aimless millions of people, just come and go? But why is it that somebody seems to have come with enormous capability? Why is it that somebody else has to struggle with every little thing in their lives? People always say, ‘one's gifted.' Nobody is gifted; there is really no gift about anything -  you have to earn everything. Either you earn joyfully, or you earn miserably - that is the choice.

There are a variety of sadhana through which one earns. But the simplest way, and the easiest way, and it is also the most self-destructive way, is devotion. If you look at yourself as a machine; you have brains, you have body, you have everything. But what you call as 'Grace' is the lubrication. Without the lubrication you have a great engine but you get stuck at every point. Any number of people like this are there on the planet - they are intelligent, they are capable, but at every corner in their life they get stuck, because there is no lubrication. Whatever is considered as 'Grace', seems to pervade some people's lives, and for somebody else, everything is a struggle.

To become receptive to this Grace, so that the process of life becomes graceful, the easiest way would be devotion. But, this is a very cunning mind; it cannot devote itself to anybody or anything. You can sing songs of devotion, but you have your own calculation. Calculating minds cannot be devout. Trying to be devout will be just a waste of time, and life. I hear any amount of so-called devotional songs and music, and everything. This is too calculated; there is no devotion in it.

A devotee is not somebody's devotee; devotion is a quality. Devotion means a certain single-pointedness - you are constantly focused towards one thing. Once a person has become like this than his thought, emotion, and everything has become in one direction; now Grace will naturally happen to that person; he becomes receptive. What you are devoted to; whom you are devoted to is not the issue.

So the power of devotion is such that it can create the Creator. The depth of what we refer to as devotion is such that it can bring it into existence. Thinking minds always have an allergy to devotion, because devotees have made such fools of themselves. This is simply because, fear is passing off as devotion.

Just knowing devotion as an emotional experience is one thing. Knowing devotion as an overpowering dimension of life is a different thing. Knowing devotion just as an emotion, maybe makes your life a little sweet; but devotion is not intended to make your life sweet; devotion is intended to completely demolish you the way you are. If you just become a little better - that is not the intention of the devotion; devotion means dissolution. The root word for 'devotion' is 'dissolve'. Only one who is willing to dissolve himself can be a true devotee.