GRACE AND EFFORT

The soul that trusts grace depends on it completely. Grace is not achieved without doing anything. There has to be some definite expression in the life of the soul that gives importance to the grace. This soul (Pujya Shree Mota) has taken considerable shelter of the grace in his sadhana. All he was asking was the grace. He was hanging on in his sadhana with the strength of the grace of his guru. There was strength of the grace in his efforts. His heart was always engaged in making sure that his guru was satisfied with his efforts in the sadhana. One who takes the shelter of the grace always has bright and courageous life. Mahatma Gandhiji always depended on the grace of God. He also wrote, whatever happens is due to His grace. Grace is always first but it does not mean there is no effort involved in the life of the soul that believes in grace. He continually takes the support of the grace in all his efforts. There is nothing by itself. Effort is not alone and grace is also not by itself. It still possible to have grace present by itself but efforts by itself may not bear any fruits. When the soul takes the support of the grace it always encourages him to make efforts. The souls that sincerely believe in grace will never live like little worms passing their lives without any purpose. He will never be like the bullock refusing to get up in spite of being whipped and pricked with sharp cane. He will definitely get up and not get engrossed in the inappropriate actions in his life and especially not swept away in his mental attitude and be stressed by it. The soul that takes the support of the grace with heartfelt sincerity will always ask for the grace at every instance and be aware of its presence. The soul that has taken the support of the grace should be like the mother whose heart and attention is always in her little child effortless and with ease. The belief of the soul that he takes the support of the grace in sadhana is false if he believes that nothing needs to be done or he does not need to be fit for the grace or he does not need to keep wish, intent and mental attitude of the entity that he is seeking grace from alive and expressive in his sadhana.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sopan
Edition 3; pages 281 - 282.