Some children ask Amma whether God dislikes the wicked and likes the virtuous. In reality, God has no partialities. God sees everyone equally. The sun shines equally on all beings, sentient and insentient. Saying “God doesn’t love me” is like closing the doors and windows of the room and complaining that the sun refuses to give me light. The river gives equal water to both the sandalwood tree and the Indian coral tree growing on its bank. The river is not to blame that the sandal tree is fragrant while the coral tree is thorny. Similarly, God showers grace on everyone equally, but we are able to absorb that grace only according to the nature of our mind.
Most people pray to God because they want a need fulfilled. While the coffin-maker prays, “O God! Make someone die today so that I can sell at least one coffin,” a sick man’s wife and child pray for their husband and father to get well soon. Which of these prayers should God accept? What befalls them is based on the results of their own actions. There is no use blaming God for that. God is the dispenser of the results of one’s karma; He is never partial.
As our actions, so the fruit. If we perform good deeds, we will be able to enjoy happiness. However, if our actions are bad, we will have to experience sorrow. This rule is the same for everyone. However, some people perform actions without the attitude, “I am the doer.” They surrender all their actions to God and perform their karma. Selfishness and ego will be relatively less in them. Such people will be able to receive more of God’s grace.
The sun reflects well in clear water. But it reflects indistinctly in water full of moss. Similarly, a mind that is covered with arrogance, selfishness and other dirt will find it difficult to feel the grace of God. For that, one’s heart should be pure; one should have compassion towards the suffering. Such people do not have to do anything for God’s grace to flow towards them.
Amma remembers an incident. Many people came to a particular ashram to see and obtain the blessings of the mahatma who lived there. One day, when he was meeting visitors, a small child suddenly vomited on the floor. The stench was unbearable and some people covered their noses, while others walked around the mess. Some others commented on how unhygienic the ashram was and left the place. Some others told the Guru, “Guru, a child has vomited there. It smells really bad there. You should tell someone to clean the floor.” Hearing all this, the mahatma got up to clean the floor himself. But when he reached there, he saw a young boy clearing away the vomit. Although the place was filled with people, only the young boy had thought of doing this. All that the others did was to complain. The young boy’s selfless attitude of joyfully doing something good for others attracted the mahatma. He thought, “If there were more people in this world with this boy’s attitude, this world would become a heaven.”
Everyone was equal in the eyes of the mahatma. Nevertheless, he felt a special compassion towards this boy. The boy’s attitude made him a fitting vessel to receive the Guru’s grace. God’s grace is also like this. God showers His grace on everyone all the time. If we dig a hole on the riverbank, water will flow into it. Similarly, God’s grace will flow into a heart that has the qualities of selflessness, compassion and virtue.
God is impartial. He is beyond all differences, has equal vision and is unattached. We should purify our actions and attitude, and have firm faith in God’s will. If we have this, we will certainly receive God’s grace. We will be able to maintain peace and contentment in happiness as well as sorrow, in gain as well as loss, in success as well as failure.
The writer is a world-renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian