LORD’S GRACE
Lord Kusum Haranath’s grace is always upon us for has He not chosen us and
made us His own? By His grace we received such a birth and golden opportunity
to love and serve Him. He sees our endeavors and efforts to get Him, and how difficult it is for us to eradicate the
Ego, the greatest obstacle in reaching Him. Let us have faith in His
motiveless, infinite grace and take absolute shelter in Him .
As long as the Ego-sense persists spiritual
effort cannot be fruitful. Even the slightest assertion of this sense frustrates
all the made progress. One has to renounce all personal glory and greatness, even if we think that with our efforts and discipline in Sadhana we can overcome difficulties is a mistake. We
have to forget every egoistic pleasure, become simple in mind and heart and
contemplate constantly and joyfully of that abode of abiding joy. All thoughts
must be only on Him. Pray: this body, intelligence, health, money, strength,
everything is Yours. I offer it to You. You are my all in all, my only
possession. See that I don’t forget your Name on any condition. Grant me the
wealth of your Love for without it life is all in vain. Make me Thy servant.”
God
alone is the dispeller of difficulties.The
more we try to eliminate the “I” the more life becomes enjoyable. An egoless mind is full of love. The Lord’s pleasure, not ours, should be always
in the mind. One has to give up all ideas of agency to Him, who alone acts. The
purpose of life is to lose all sense of distinctive personality and to be
dissolved in the Lord like camphor in
the fire. Once work is motiveless we are no longer limited by cause and effect
but work as masters, not as servants, care not for fruits. As soon as we unite
with the Lord the Ego dies. The self in us becomes separated from the body like
a dry coconut from its shell. This is the beginning of real transformation. The outer world loses its
hold, it becomes beautiful and fragrant.
Unpleasant things make, if at all, only a very temporary and light impression
on us. The remaining I-ness becomes then the Lord’s – He is in me and outside
of me. Real Bhaktas never care about
keeping their individuality or giving it up but surrender totally to the Lord’s
will and allow Him to make use of it in any way He likes. Then the Lord
expresses Himself through all their deeds and thoughts. Whoever totally
surrenders comes entirely under the influence and protection of the Lord, Maya
can no longer affect him. Just as a river loses its name and form after it
enters the ocean so a devotee his individuality when he merges himself in the
Lord. Such a devotee does not take any credit on himself, everything he
attributes to Lord’s grace. He lives for the Lord alone, works for Him alone.
The Lord is his only support, only strength, hope. He does not conceive the
existence of any object other than his beloved Lord. The Lord is no longer considered as Lord but looked
upon as the most intimate, as ones own.
Self-surrender must be perfect and unreserved
otherwise the Lord’s grace cannot descend. Even an atom of desire or egoism
should not be there. Lord said that pride and egoism are the poison fruits of life. As long as we work with the attitude
that we are the actors we cannot expect Lord’s grace as the egoism will come in
and the free flow of divine grace becomes blocked. We have to develop perfect indifference to objects
(Nirabhimanata , the Bhava without mineness). His grace will surely descend on
those who are earnestly struggling and are thirsting for realization. Satsang
with great men (Mahat Bhaktas) is highly beneficial, it destroys all worldly
attachments, desires, cravings etc. With thoughts of Anatma things we cannot
have thoughts of God. When self-surrender nears perfection Prema
develops. Prema is of a very subtle feeling that develops in volume and
intensity at every moment. It is free from the three Gunas and desires, sensual
desires cannot live in Prema. The Prema current of love begins to flow only
when it transcends the three Gunas. At first it is a glimpse of the Lord,
gradually one becomes identified with
Him. The devotee grows into His likeness and partakes of His infinite
bliss and joy. He realizes the Atman within and beholds it in every creature.
Lord
Haranath knows our weaknesses and brought down to us the Maha Aushadi, His holy Name, which He invested with immense
powers. He stated Himself “you can never imagine what powers are infused in my Name.” He promised that He will dwell
wherever His Name is sung or repeated as He and His Name are one. His Name is
capable of accomplishing everything and is the means of getting Prema.Once we
have Prema He will allow Himself to be caught, as only Prema and yearning will
win Him over. It is said that Krishna has to be purchased with Name,
manufactured with yearning, extreme restlessness, single-mindedness, piteous
prayer and unfathomable faith with tears and pangs of separation. This ardency
must never be curbed and we should have high expectancy, must ever look forward
to His appearance with full faith that He will show His favour, be kind, reveal
His presence and play with us. By constant Japa with Bhava and concentration
the Mantra Chaitanya (living force) is awakened .The sweetness of the Name
arises from within our hearts as result of its melting. The heart does not
easily come into play. Name is infinitely more fruitful than sacrifices, austerities, penances etc.
Lord Himself teaches us to love Him otherwise it is utterly impossible. Let us
pour the entire heart at His feet. When He is pleased there is nothing that
cannot be achieved.Our Lord’s mercy is unfathomable. He not only cures bodily
diseases but grants salvation too without charging any fee. He merely wants the
yearning of the heart. Let us yearn more and more and on no account give up His
Name, so full of nectar.
Here I end with Thakur Haranath’s own words:
“Love the Name and you will be happy in loving
me. If you go astray I will seek you
out. My nature never allows me to forget anyone, I remember those who never
remember me. I always keep a watchful eye on all especially on those who really love. I shall not weigh your
merits or demerits, with my every breath I remember all of you.”
Before
He enters into the heart intense longing
will fill it causing great pangs. It is an admixture of immense joy and extreme
pain, also termed union of poison and nectar. Inexplicable thoughts will come.
This is a certain sign that He is nearing. If we make any disturbance He will vanish.
18.8.2014
Ruth Baur
THE LORD’S GRACE
continued:
How can we in our daily life get rid of the Ego, which, as
long as it persists, stops the flow of Divine grace?
Be conscious of all the thoughts and feelings, direct them
away from the ego and see that they remain only on the Lord. Try to exclude the
Ego totally in this way:
Eat to Him, drink to
Him, sleep to Him, serve Him, see Him in all, heart and mind should be always
full of love and this Sadhana has to be kept up with great enthusiasm. Dont
forget Him even for a moment , be not disheartened when falling back into old thinking habits.
Gradually , by continuous effort and with great
enthusiasm one has to proceed
with the firm belief that the Lord will be with us. Lord’s grace demands
complete dependence , full submission and total surrender. When the whole soul
pours out in a continuous loving current
to Him then there is no time to seek name, fame, own pleasure. Then the ego
will be effaced and to the heart comes that infinite wonderful love of God. Gradually our will is mixed with
His will. He is guiding and giving impulses which are necessary at the time. The outer world loses its hold
over us. On that day when our activities – mental and physical - are centered
in God and His service it can only be said that we are totally devoted to Him.
The Lord is an ocean of compassion and omniscient. He has
taken upon Himself the entire responsibility for us.Lord Krishna said (Gita
VIII – V.14):”He who constantly thinks of me without any other thought I am
easily reached by Him who is thus ceaselessly attached to Me and “fixing thy
mind on Me thou shalt by my grace overcome all obstacles but if from egoism
thou will not hear thou shall perish (Ch..XVIII-V.58)
Let us firmly believe that He will shower His favour, be kind and
reveal His presence and play with us.This should be the constant mental attitude. If we call
Him from the depth of our heart He will definitely come, be with us and play with us. The yearning
should be as strong as Radha’s for Krishna and Yashoda’s for Krishna. With
intense pangs of longing and a joyous mind
we will get Him in no time.
As soon
as we unite with the Lord the Ego dies and we move about the daily concerns of
lifemechanically. The self in us becomes separated
from the body like a dry coconut from its shell.
Let us
end here by quoting Lord Haranath:
If
anybody wants Shyam He wants him too. He will listen to what you tell Him. He
left Golok to appear
as man in the midst of men only to show His love for them and to teach them how
to love.
Just
imagine the depth of His love. Replace men by Shyam and you will be happy for
life. If you love him He
will never leave your heart. He stays where He gets joy.
When
you fervently love Him, think of Him every moment and yearn for Him with a
heavy heart you will see Him before you in the form of the
Husband that permeates the universe.
18.8.2014
Ruth Baur
