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Divine grace needs preparation

Last Updated 16 December 2009, 18:06 IST

According to Sadguru Murali Krishna: “You should first prepare the ground. Only then will He be able to come to you. If a group of people walk through the forest, a rough walking path is automatically created. Those who come after them can navigate the forest easily by using the track left by others earlier.

All of you have assembled here to form a path to navigate the forest of worldly existence (samsara), so that future generations can follow in your footsteps and cross it more easily.  They will remember you with gratitude.”

While divine grace is absolutely essential for spiritual progress, the effort made by the individual in his or her spiritual practice is the direct manifestation of that Grace: “When you cleanse the glass in the lantern of dirt, light will manifest. Similarly, if we can cleanse our minds of negative tendencies, the soul inside will manifest. Know that this is the ultimate truth! This is jnana or supreme wisdom! Know that such jnana is none other than Subramanya!” Serving others selflessly is the surest way of attracting divine grace: “The light that is lit on the Lamp is not meant for the lamp, but helps others by illuminating the path. Similarly, we must awaken the brahma jnanam (knowledge of Brahman) that resides deep inside us and with the light of this knowledge, help other people across the world from their sorrows.”

It is a good idea to sanctify our daily actions through prayer: “You should secure God’s consent and blessings before engaging yourself in any activity. We usually pray to God by looking upwards and raising our hands in a gesture of worship. But once we commence any activity, we should look down toward the earth and act vigilantly and compassionately. The field of our activity (karma kshetra) is the earth and every activity that we indulge in is going to do some good or harm to other beings.  It is therefore essential that we tread cautiously and act with full awareness of the outcomes of our actions.”

Finally: “Our head is located on top of the body and our feet are placed upon the earth.  All worship is directed at the feet of the deity. The head represents Lord Shiva and our actions represent Devi Parvathi or Shakti. Similarly all your activities in this world should be directed towards the feet of the Lord as an act of service that is offered to his sacred feet. If you are able to perform your actions in such a manner, they directly reach Lord Shiva.  Such selfless service enables the merger of Shiva and Shakti.”

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(Published 16 December 2009, 18:06 IST)

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