Aug. 5, 2024
Divine Will and Divine Grace
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, The Hidden Forces of Life, Ch.7 Spiritual Forces of Help and Succour, pp. 170-171 This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2024/07/31/divine-will-and-divine-grace/
Video presentations, interviews and podcast episodes are all available on the YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@santoshkrinsky871
More information about Sri Aurobindo can be found at www.aurobindo.net
The US editions and links to e-book editions of Sri Aurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
1
00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:05,640
What is the will of the divine,
and how can we know it?
2
00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:09,840
The usual answer is some
prescription from one religion
3
00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:13,600
or another, with a doctrine
supported by that religious
4
00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:16,480
persuasion as being the correct
interpretation.
5
00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:21,640
In some cases, the divine will
seems thereby to be in conflict
6
00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:25,880
from one religion to another,
and we thus set up the battles
7
00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:29,760
that have led to more death and
suffering in the world than
8
00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:35,400
virtually any other cause. the
Crusades, the Holy Inquisition
9
00:00:36,160 --> 00:00:40,240
are a few examples of men
interpreting the divine will to
10
00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:45,840
support their own ideology.
When we seek to know the Divine
11
00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:50,320
Will, we need to find a way to
shift out of the limited human
12
00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:55,840
ego based standpoint from which
we normally start and find the
13
00:00:55,840 --> 00:01:00,280
thread that underlies the entire
development of the universal
14
00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:04,560
manifestation and the evolution
of consciousness that appears to
15
00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:09,200
be the secret sense of the
development we see on earth.
16
00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:13,640
Divine Will is a broad
conception that lays out the
17
00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:18,200
trajectory and objectives of the
Divine manifestation in the
18
00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,880
universe.
Divine Grace represents a
19
00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:26,360
supportive action to aid in the
achievement of the Divine Will
20
00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:29,200
by intervening at critical
junctures.
21
00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:34,400
We cannot judge divine grace
from the human standpoint as it
22
00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:39,160
fails to fit into our tidy
little boxes defining how things
23
00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,840
are supposed to work.
It is an expression of divine
24
00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:48,520
will at a detailed level, Sri
Orobindo notes quote.
25
00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:53,360
When I speak of the Divine will,
I mean something different,
26
00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:57,920
Something that has descended
here into an evolutionary world
27
00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:01,200
of ignorance.
Standing at the back of things,
28
00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:05,400
pressing on the darkness with
its light, Leading things
29
00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:08,880
presently towards the best
possible in the conditions of a
30
00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:13,920
world of ignorance, and leading
it eventually towards a descent
31
00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,880
of a greater power of the
Divine, which will be not an
32
00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:21,920
omnipotence held back and
conditioned by the law of the
33
00:02:21,920 --> 00:02:24,960
world as it is, but in full
action.
34
00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:31,000
And therefore bringing the reign
of light, peace, harmony, joy,
35
00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:37,560
love, Beauty, and Ananda.
For these are the Divine nature.
36
00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:43,000
The Divine Grace is there ready
to act at every moment, but it
37
00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,440
manifests as one grows out of
the law of ignorance into the
38
00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:51,840
law of light, And it is meant
not as an arbitrary Caprice,
39
00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:57,520
however miraculous, often its
intervention, but as a help to
40
00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:01,320
that growth and a light that
leads and eventually delivers.
41
00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:06,480
If we take the facts of the
world as they are, and the facts
42
00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:10,920
of spiritual experience as a
whole, neither of which can be
43
00:03:10,920 --> 00:03:15,560
denied or neglected, then I do
not see what other divine there
44
00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:19,120
can be.
This divine may lead us often
45
00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:23,680
through darkness, because the
darkness is there in US and
46
00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:28,120
around us, but it is to the
light he is leading and not to
47
00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:34,160
anything else.
And quote reference Srioro Bindu
48
00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:37,840
and the Mother, The Hidden
Forces of Life, Chapter 7,
49
00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:44,280
Spiritual Forces of Help and
Succor, pages 170 to 171.
00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:05,640
What is the will of the divine,
and how can we know it?
2
00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:09,840
The usual answer is some
prescription from one religion
3
00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:13,600
or another, with a doctrine
supported by that religious
4
00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:16,480
persuasion as being the correct
interpretation.
5
00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:21,640
In some cases, the divine will
seems thereby to be in conflict
6
00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:25,880
from one religion to another,
and we thus set up the battles
7
00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:29,760
that have led to more death and
suffering in the world than
8
00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:35,400
virtually any other cause. the
Crusades, the Holy Inquisition
9
00:00:36,160 --> 00:00:40,240
are a few examples of men
interpreting the divine will to
10
00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:45,840
support their own ideology.
When we seek to know the Divine
11
00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:50,320
Will, we need to find a way to
shift out of the limited human
12
00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:55,840
ego based standpoint from which
we normally start and find the
13
00:00:55,840 --> 00:01:00,280
thread that underlies the entire
development of the universal
14
00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:04,560
manifestation and the evolution
of consciousness that appears to
15
00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:09,200
be the secret sense of the
development we see on earth.
16
00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:13,640
Divine Will is a broad
conception that lays out the
17
00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:18,200
trajectory and objectives of the
Divine manifestation in the
18
00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,880
universe.
Divine Grace represents a
19
00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:26,360
supportive action to aid in the
achievement of the Divine Will
20
00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:29,200
by intervening at critical
junctures.
21
00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:34,400
We cannot judge divine grace
from the human standpoint as it
22
00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:39,160
fails to fit into our tidy
little boxes defining how things
23
00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,840
are supposed to work.
It is an expression of divine
24
00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:48,520
will at a detailed level, Sri
Orobindo notes quote.
25
00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:53,360
When I speak of the Divine will,
I mean something different,
26
00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:57,920
Something that has descended
here into an evolutionary world
27
00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:01,200
of ignorance.
Standing at the back of things,
28
00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:05,400
pressing on the darkness with
its light, Leading things
29
00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:08,880
presently towards the best
possible in the conditions of a
30
00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:13,920
world of ignorance, and leading
it eventually towards a descent
31
00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,880
of a greater power of the
Divine, which will be not an
32
00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:21,920
omnipotence held back and
conditioned by the law of the
33
00:02:21,920 --> 00:02:24,960
world as it is, but in full
action.
34
00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:31,000
And therefore bringing the reign
of light, peace, harmony, joy,
35
00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:37,560
love, Beauty, and Ananda.
For these are the Divine nature.
36
00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:43,000
The Divine Grace is there ready
to act at every moment, but it
37
00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,440
manifests as one grows out of
the law of ignorance into the
38
00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:51,840
law of light, And it is meant
not as an arbitrary Caprice,
39
00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:57,520
however miraculous, often its
intervention, but as a help to
40
00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:01,320
that growth and a light that
leads and eventually delivers.
41
00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:06,480
If we take the facts of the
world as they are, and the facts
42
00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:10,920
of spiritual experience as a
whole, neither of which can be
43
00:03:10,920 --> 00:03:15,560
denied or neglected, then I do
not see what other divine there
44
00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:19,120
can be.
This divine may lead us often
45
00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:23,680
through darkness, because the
darkness is there in US and
46
00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:28,120
around us, but it is to the
light he is leading and not to
47
00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:34,160
anything else.
And quote reference Srioro Bindu
48
00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:37,840
and the Mother, The Hidden
Forces of Life, Chapter 7,
49
00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:44,280
Spiritual Forces of Help and
Succor, pages 170 to 171.