GRACE & self-effort.
“Without divine eyes, we notice only worldly things, never glimpsing the permanent and “real” aspects of life, like the existence of the soul, the interconnectedness of all beings, the workings of karma, the true nature of someone like Dhyanyogiji, and the true nature of ourselves. When we do spiritual practices, we gradually free ourselves from the temporary attachments that divert us from recognizing these truths. That, Dhyanyogiji explained, was the importance of putting forth self effort. But ultimately, he said, its is only through grace that we acquire the capacity to see beyond maya.”
– This House is on Fire, page 232
Another one of my favorite excerpts from This House is on Fire: The Life of Shri Dhyanyogi, As told by Shri Anandi Ma. I often find myself thinking, “I need to try harder” and in the next breath my mind is saying “but I’m not the doer…I need to surrender “….but the truth is both are connected. Our effort is just as important to our ability to stay open so that grace can flow in and hopefully in one of these lifetimes we’ll be able to see past all the maya…through the grace of “divine eyes”.
For more information on This House is on Fire, just click on the book cover below…if you’ve read the book, what’s your favorite passage?