07/01/2021
Jai Ramakrishna
(Teachings of Sri Sarada Devi The Holy Mother)
SELF-EFFORT AND DIVINE GRACE
Disciple: “There are devotees who surrender themselves to God but do not practise austerities. Will they attain to this state (of realization)?”
Mother: “That they surrender themselves to God, that they live placing implicit trust in Him, is their spiritual discipline. Naren said, ‘Let me have millions of births, what do I fear?’ It is true. Does a man of knowledge gets ever fear rebirth? He does not commit any sin. It is the ignorant person who is always seized with fear. He alone gets entangled. He becomes polluted by sin. For millions of births he suffers from endless miseries, he undergoes infinite pains, and at last he craves for God.
“People suffer endless miseries on account of their egoism and at last they say, ‘Not I, not I; it is Thou, O God! It is Thou!’
Devotee: “Man cannot do anything by his individual effort. God is doing everything through him.
Mother: “Yes, that is true. But is one conscious of this always? Blinded by egoism, people think themselves to be independent agents in regard to action. They do not depend on God. He protects one who relies on Him.
“As you pray and meditate you will find the Master actually speaking to you, fulfilling all your desires immediately, and your mind will be filled with such deep peace. You will realize that He who is in me, is in you too and in the humblest of men only then humility will be born in your mind.
Is it ever possible for a man to free himself unaided from the clutches of Maya? It was for this that the Master performed spiritual austerities to the utmost extent and gave the results thereof for the redemption of mankind.
“The Master used to say, ‘The way is extremely difficult, like the sharp edges of a razor.’ “Just surrender yourself to Him; you will then feel His grace.
