Individual Strength, the Power of Sincerity and the Action of the Divine Grace

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Particularly in the West
historically, but more and more

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a worldwide phenomenon in the
modern era, there is a strong

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bias toward the idea that one
needs to be a self-made man,

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implying that it is through
individual strength and

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accomplishment that one can
accomplish anything.

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This bias is something of an
illusion even in the external

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world and its results, as much
of the success we see in the

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world may be the result of
family or school connections or

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just being in the right place at
the right time.

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There is no doubt that in some
cases a particular individual

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exhibits some high capacity in
some direction or another and

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receives the positive fruits of
his efforts.

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Great inventors, athletes,
artists, musicians all provide

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testimony to the value of
individual strength and

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capacity.
Yet if we examine closely, we

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find that success in the world
and individual strength are not

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necessarily linked to one
another all that closely, and

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that other powers are at play.
When we turn our focus to the

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inner life, to spiritual
development, we find that there

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can be a similar bias with a
similar element of illusion

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involved.
We observe individuals who are

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able to undertake extreme
austerities, practice advanced

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techniques of hatha yoga, or
enter into states of deep

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meditation, and we believe that
these must be highly advanced

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spiritual beings as well they
might be.

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However, there is no absolute
certainty of reaching the

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objective based on these
manifested powers.

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It must also be noted that some
of these individuals have

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exercised A discipline and a
spiritual focus over a number of

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lifetimes so that they may
indeed be advanced by virtue of

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the focus and dedication they
have exhibited in their

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spiritual endeavours.
This raises up the need for the

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power of sincerity.
Sincerity is an indication of

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the long term and focused
efforts that avoid being

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dissipated or distracted.
The power of sincerity overcomes

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many limitations that individual
strength alone in a particular

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individual or situation cannot
resolve.

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Reliance of self accomplishment
also can tend to create a sense

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of superiority and egoistic
vanity in the person who relies

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on strength alone and does not
credit other powers as having

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their due.
Thus there is an ego trap that

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can set back the spiritual
progress with particular

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relation to those who believe
one way or the other in the

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self-made illusion of
accomplishment.

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What this viewpoint tends to
overlook is the reality that

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each and every individual is
part of the vast process of

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manifestation of nature, and it
is not an individual's power,

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but the power of the Divine
manifestation that creates the

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strength, the opportunity and
the result.

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Thus we come to the power behind
all success, which may we may

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call the Divine Will or Divine
Grace.

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In His book the Mother
Sriorbindo states quote, in all

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that is done in the universe,
the Divine through His Shakti is

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behind all action, but He is
veiled by His yoga Maya and

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works through the ego of the
Jiva in the lower nature.

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In Yoga also it is the Divine
who is the Sadak and the

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Sadhana.
It is His Shakti with Her light,

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power, knowledge, consciousness,
Ananda, acting upon the Adhara

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and when it is open to Her,
pouring into it with these

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divine forces, that makes the
sadhana possible.

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End Quote.
Thus we see that when we see

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strength, we are actually
observing the working of the

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Divine grace through the
individual Nexus of the ego

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personality.
Sri Orobindo writes quote.

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There is nothing unintelligible
in what I say about strength and

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grace.
Strength has a value for

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spiritual realization, but to
say that it can be done by

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strength only and by no other
means is a violent exaggeration.

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Grace is not an invention, it is
a fact of spiritual experience.

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Many who would be considered as
mere nothings by the wise and

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strong, have attained by grace.
Illiterate, without mental power

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or training, without strength of
character or will, they have yet

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aspired and suddenly or rapidly
grown into spiritual realization

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because they had faith or
because they were sincere.

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These facts are facts of
spiritual history and of quite

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ordinary spiritual experience.
Strength, if it is spiritual, is

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a power for spiritual
realization.

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A greater power is sincerity.
The greatest power of all is

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grace.
I have said many times without

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number, that if a man is sincere
he will go through in spite of

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long delay and overwhelming
difficulties.

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I have repeatedly spoken of the
divine grace.

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I have referred any number of
times to the line in the Gita.

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I will deliver thee from all sin
and evil.

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Do not grieve.
End Quote.

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Reference.
Shrioro Bindu and the Mother

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looking from within.
Chapter 5.

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Attitudes on the Path, pages 124
to 125.