Question: Can you touch on Grace and how it works?
Babaji:
The Divine's Grace is always flowing. Shri Ramakrishna used to say, "The Guru's Grace is always flowing; you have to build a dam called 'Faith' to catch it." So be sincere and have faith and ultimately this Grace will descend. So thus prayers are taught - they help to concentrate the mind. When one practices sadhana then the mind becomes concentrated, it touches the Divine and then Grace automatically has to flow.
Ramakrishna told a story - Once there lived a pundit who lectured the people on philosophy and he had a servant lady from a nearby village. At one time there were heavy rains and a flood occurred. When the flood passed, the pundit thought he could get the lady to come when the next flood occurred and explained to her she would still be able to cross the river if she recited the Guru's name. "If you remember the Guru's name you can come safely." Because he spoke so well when lecturing, the lady had great faith in the pundit as Guru. When the next flood occurred, he was surprised to see her arrive to serve him, despite the river being flooded, so he enquired how she had been able to do that.
"You told me that I should recite the name of Guru and then I would be safe. Thus reciting your name I was able to cross the river safely and come here."
The pundit was surprised, and felt, "If she can do it, then so can I." But when he tried to recite the name and cross, because he had no faith, he failed and nearly drowned.
