Question: How does the manifested Guru help the devotee receive Divine Grace in our lives, which we feel to be associated with a real person, helping to make real things happen. How does that work?
Babaji:
Actually, your mind is connected to the Divine, just like the sun's rays come out of the sun and are part of the sun only. In the same way, the mind has come out of the actual Divine, so it is part of the Divine. But, because the mind's consciousness is in the universe, it is unable to touch the Divine. That's why prayers are taught and also meditation is taught. If you pray, your mind gets concentrated. If you can pray with all your concentration, your mind can go introvert. When it touches the Divine, the mind's original source, then the Divine's Grace starts flowing automatically. It is called “Automatic Divine Activity”. If your previous or past mental resolutions, called “sankalpas”, were very, very strong and devotional, gradually, with devotional practice and surrender to the Guru, that concentration becomes stronger and stronger. Then it goes introvert and it touches the Divine, the Divine Guru, the manifested Guru. Then the Guru manifests, when the time is ripe.
When the ego has been sacrificed and the mind has receded, considerably, then the prayers do touch the Divine. Then that Divine, the real Guru manifests in that form on which your mind had already resolved. For a long time like that, become devoted and surrendered with all faith. So the Divine manifests in that form and will help the devotee. This is how the things work. That is why you must constantly pray and meditate. In due course of time, the inner Guru can manifest and help, if you have a mission. Otherwise also, the Divine will always help. The Divine will manifest physically, if you have a mission. The Divine has to guide in that form, if your mental resolutions are like that.
My mental resolutions were always on Swamiji, Shri Shivabalayogi, as I have told you earlier. I met Swamiji in February, 1971. The first moment I saw him, I fell in love with him. My mind was instantly and totally drawn to him. Until this day, it is unwavering, even when Swamiji, Himself wanted to test this devotion, when Swamiji was physically with us. This faith was unwavering. I could see and monitor this. If the faith becomes unwavering, then the Divine has to appear one day. Constantly I used to pray also, with total concentration, until the time was ripe and the detachment was total. I think this certainly takes time. You have to keep on doing sadhana, put in your efforts and pray for the grace of the Divine. When the time is right, one day, that does happen. It's an automatic Divine activity.
