Unsent Letter #5: The Guru's Grace

Dear Friend,

Grace is often regarded as something of a mystery and sometimes it is even thought of as a kind of power that God can use at will to favor some and not others. The guru's grace is regarded as absolutely essential to reach the goal. But what is grace, really? Is it some magic power that can be doled out by those who have it to those who don't have it, is it an expression of a natural law, or is it something else?

When he was asked about grace, Maharaj would say something like "Accept what the Master says, that is the grace!" The implication is that an aspirant who has the desire to hear and understand the teaching is already receiving grace. He never suggested that grace is something that the Master gives to the disciple. Instead he explained that it is the power that is already within the disciple and which is never separate from him or her. Maharaj also said "The guru is within you." Can there be any difference between the guru who is guiding you from within and the grace that is the power to accept what he is showing you? There is no difference; guru, God, and grace are the same.

One of the ironies of the spiritual search is that all the time that you imagine that you are seeking the Self, it is in fact the Self that is seeking you. This is a well-known expression but it points to something very significant, which is that grace is always there as the power that is causing the longing for reality that characterises spiritual seeking. Even those who are not consciously seeking are still involved in the pursuit of happiness. They may be looking for fulfillment in the wrong places, but they are still looking. What is that pursuit but the manifestation of the same divine power?

Therefore, there is no shortage of grace. We are immersed in it like fish in the ocean. Everything happens through divine grace. You can also call this the Master's grace or the guru's grace. If I say something like "final understanding occurs through the grace of the Master," I am simply acknowledging the fact that "I" do not do anything. The Self realizes itself through its own power. The same power also removes the obstacles to understanding from the individual mind as well.

That divine power is worthy of all worship and in fact it is the only possible object of worship. Realization occurs when the Self removes the illusion of individual "I" that was covering it like a veil. The whole process is the operation of grace.

Wishing you all the best,

A.