Guru's grace in Sadhana - Part 2 of 2

(Continued...)

But when one comes to the stage where he is ready to take sannyAsa and receive the upadesha of the mahA-vAkyas – and certainly beyond that – even if the mind errs slightly that will become a gigantic fault or sin.

At that point if one thinks that one can self-correct it, he is mistaken. Of course self-confidence is a good thing.

But just that confidence in oneself will not take one far in the question of defence against such slips. He needs the strength of Guru’s Grace, in addition to his own strength, particularly at this stage he has to walk on razor’s edge as it were.

That is why the Guru’s Grace is emphasized here. Once the strong adherence to mumukShutvaM is there, the SannyAsa and the receiving of the mahAvakya mantra has been done and so hereafter everything is going to need the Grace of the guru.

Guru's grace in Sadhana - Part 1 of 2

Not only for mumukShutvA, but from A to Z everything in SAdhanA needs the Grace of the Guru.

The Guru views with compassion the effort done with heart-felt intensity and purity by the disciple and blesses him at every step and that is what takes him to the next step.

The first stage is karma-bhakti for the purification of the mind. The next stage is SAdhanA-chatushTayaM, consisting of Viveka (Discrimination), VairAgya (Dispassion), shamAdi-shhaTkaM the sextad beginning with shama,and mumukShutvaM (intense longing for mokSha).

Next comes the third stage of SAdhanA.

In this stage, the Grace of the Guru and surrender to the Guru are very important. So far, even if there is a small slip-up in the control of the senses, it may not be a big fault.

(Continued...)