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EDITORIAL

A reader of The Mother, and a disciple in our Order, said something to the following effect, and I paraphrase rather poetically:

Wherever I went, on the riverbanks and in the ashrams on the hill, The mahants and mahatmas said it over and over like a drill "Guru Kripa, Guru Kripa..." as if they were keeping some coded secret in the word 'Guru',

But often one finds that Guru Kripa escapes notice, disciple is clueless of a phenomenal working of Kripa that’s going on in the background. In few events of life, both secular and spiritual, this mysterious thing called grace is experienced and then it apparently vanishes. Where does it go? Why does it obscure itself? Why can it not continue to rain forever?

Those who persistently sing songs of Guru Kripa are envied; others who lag in this department are unable to see why this grace is not visiting them. Does the problem exist in understanding the very nature of Guru Kripa? For how could one tell if Guru Kripa is flowing or not unless one knew exactly what it is? Does the Guru change the course of a disciple’s destiny and makes it smoother? Or does he change nothing but prepares the disciple to accept both the favourable and unfavourable circumstances of life? Or the answer is none of these?

While the scriptures clearly state that there’s nothing beyond the powers of a Guru (his Kripa), no one can say with temerity that destiny is immutably altered by Guru’s grace. This is because Guru Kripa is unequally experienced. What’s more, it is experienced differently by the same person at different points of time.

Why should the Guru Kripa be unevenly experienced though Gurus never discriminate and shower their blessings indiscriminately, generously, and universally upon the host of disciples? Well, the answer lies with the disciple. Just as Guru’s teachings cannot reach the disciple until he or she accepts the Guru and receives the teaching, Guru Kripa too awaits the disciple’s act of receiving. This receiving, this openness and vulnerability caused by dissolving one’s ego and submitting to Guru’s command, is of paramount importance.

Kripa is received by one who follows the commands of the Guru. The disciple makes an offering of himself unto the Guru. Having done that, the whole life becomes the ground of Guru’s working. This is a game changer. The moment the disciple places himself or herself under the commands and instructions of the Guru, assiduously imbibing his teachings and conducting one’s life accordingly, a sharp current, an electrifying new consciousness is created which begins to tear through the appearances and discerns the play of grace of the Guru. Everything becomes the Guru. Gurudeva Sarvam. And this is merely a confirmation of what the Guru Gita says pertaining to Guru’s feet viz. salutations to Guru’s feet which pervades the whole earth like an unbroken sphere (Akhanda Mandal-aakaaram Vyaaptam Yena Characharam). These feet make that Paramatma visible to the disciple. In other words, one finds no place where Guru’s Kripa is not operative, the real challenge for the disciple is to fathom it.

The following poem establishes the importance of witnessing grace.

Grace is important yes,
But awareness of Grace is even more important!
Because the Grace may rain torrentially and wash away
But awareness of Grace channelizes Divine Bounties, waters the field
And of Grace are born blossoms of bliss and contentment.
So remember, it’s crucial that you stay aware of Grace
Stay aware of Grace, yes…
Whither it comes, howsoever it comes, watch it
Little things that come aright in life, be aware of these
Dots that join ever so often, treat them as God’s strokes
Study coincidences… as parts of Grace
Allow yourself to exult in God’s mercies
Stop to see how hurdles were overcome without efforts,
How help came unsought
Wonder how things are normal when they could go awry
Give thanks to just being alive and healthy and merry
Be aware of Grace… be aware of Grace!

This awareness of Grace every day sends a shiver of recognition, it makes the blessing not just a verbal pronouncement, but a feeling of an immensely caring hand placed upon our head. The poet therefore repeats, ‘Be aware of Grace… be aware of Grace!’ May our readers discover the infinite sway and power of Guru’s Kripa!

~ Raj Supe (Kinkar Vishwashreyananda)
Editor, The Mother