Divine Grace and Free Will

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Divine Grace and Free Will

Introduction

In spiritual quest an aspirant often faces a peculiar dilemma or

question of 'Divine Grace' vs. 'Free Will'. However, there is no easy

and satisfactory answer to this problem. On the one hand, the

Scriptures maintain that no amount of self-effort can be enough to

realize Divine Consciousness, and on the other, it proclaims that

Divine Grace cannot come without sincere efforts and spiritual

practice! How to resolve these two contradictory statements? Sadhaka (Spiritual Aspirant)

The purpose of spiritual life is to seek God or to experience Divinity

of Self. For this it is necessary to somehow develop longing or

yearning for God; it is necessary to feel love for God. Then only it is

possible to realize Him, interact with Him. To develop such longing,

spiritual disciplines are prescribed in all the religions and sects.

Superficially such practices might appear different, but in essence

they all help the sadhaka to turn away from the world of duality: of

pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, good and evil, and life and death.

Spiritual practices help the sadhaka to transcend the realm of

intellectual reason and enter the arena of intuition where all

dualities end or are resolved. There only Light of Brahman shines.

Upanishads highlight some of the spiritual disciplines as

contemplation and meditation, discrimination and dispassion,

non-attachment and selfless service, and prayer and worship. In the

Gita Sri Krishna has added two more paths 1) Karma Yoga, the path of

selfless service and 2) Bhakti Yoga, the path of devotion to already

prevalent Jnana Yoga (path of knowledge) and Raja Yoga (path of mental

control). All these methods and means are basically meant to purify the

mind so that the aspirant may become fit to receive Divine Grace. In

fact, God is Grace itself. His Grace is continuously blowing everywhere

for everyone to make use of. However, just as for a boat to move

forward the sails must be raised, similarly we should make ourselves

fit to receive the 'wind of His Grace' by undertaking spiritual

practices.

Practice and Grace

We do not feel or we are not aware of Divine Grace because of Primal

Ignorance - Avidya - the power that superimposes non-self on Self. The

ignorance superimposes 'illusory snake on the rope', and this

superimposition creates an illusion of a real snake when in fact there

is/was/will be none. This creates a panicky reaction and we either run

away to seek safety or try to destroy the 'snake'. Similarly, 'Vidya'

is also one form of ignorance that creates the illusion of gold

ornament in place of rope and we rush to procure the same. In both the

instances - either evil or good - we act with fear or attachment, thus

forgetting the real nature of reality as rope. Such is the condition of

this world; this world of joy and sorrow, happiness and suffering is

superimposed upon the ever-Blissful, pure, unchanging, and beautiful

'Rope of Brahman'. The Problem of Ignorance

Spiritual disciplines are meant to remove, even if temporarily, the

scum accumulated over underlying pure expanse of Ocean Of Brahman. Then

we see the real; then we experience the Truth of our Divinity. We don't

have to become Divine, we are already that; we have to just remove the

scum of worldliness superimposed on that Divinity.

Grace is Divinity Itself; it is ever existent, the only one Existence.

Therefore, by practice (Free Will) we have to remove the dirt

accumulated over the needle of our mind, which does not allow the

magnet of God to attract us to Him. This is Divine Grace. Removing the

dirt, tackling the primal Avidya or Ignorance is our problem; that we

can overcome by spiritual disciplines. Then what remains? What is

achieved? That all is Grace. Graceful union of the needle and the

magnet, graceful reflection of our self in the peaceful and blissful

ocean of Brahman is possible thus by self-effort.

Conclusion

As the mind becomes purer, it can understand the Graceful

nature of Supreme Reality. Then the sadhaka does not pray to or worship

some anthropomorphic God to bestow His Grace on him/her, but the

aspirant realizes that the Grace he/she was praying for was in fact the

God he was trying to seek. Grace and God become one. To a Jnani God

comes as Universal Knowledge, to a yogi it comes as transcendental

Consciousness, to a Bhakta God appears as his/her Chosen Deity, and to

a yearning sadhaka He comes as Grace. The same Brahman, although having

no name or form, or attributes, appears as having many attributes as

per the aspirant's desire and approach towards Him.

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c s shah