-
'My question for you is regarding
the nature of grace.
-
'Is grace stronger, or more present, or
accessible ,the closer I am physically to you?'
-
For the grace, if you stay near the
teacher physically, or not physically,
-
it doesn't make any difference.
-
And if it is available, the physical
presence of a teacher is available,
-
so that has to be given preference.
-
Because most of the sages and saints
are no more here in this half of this century.
-
So if the presence is available,
make the best use of it.
-
And later if the presence is not available,
then it is rather difficult to believe this person,
-
because many doubts will come up in the mind.
-
But in the presence you can give your
doubt, and they will be answered.
-
And your doubts will be cleared.
-
So make the best use of the physical
presence of a teacher
-
And for grace, it doesn't matter whether
there is a teacher or no teacher,
-
but it is very rare because some
people say, 'I have never seen the Buddha,
-
'I was not there. And if I had been there,
I would have been very much benefitted.'
-
And if the Buddha was there and those people
who were near him, Kashyapa was there,
-
Ananda was there,
and many other were there.
-
And they have enjoyed the
benefit of his presence, you see?
-
And even at the time of his nirvana,
Mahāparinibbāna Day,
-
he was lying, and the death was very near.
And some man came to see him,
-
and somebody asked him,
'The Master is dying in a moment.'
-
But Buddha had seen.
He said, 'Call him here.'
-
So all the doubts which he had, they were
clear and Buddha lost his breath forever.
-
But that presence made instantly 500 people;
those who were near him were enlightened.
-
With his first sermon, you see.
-
But later on, when he passed away, many
more millions are being benefitted by him.
-
As Bodhidharma went to China, to spread the
message of love and freedom and peace.
-
And he has seen the Emperor of China,
who was very impressed.
-
And his age, when he went, crossed over
the Himalayas, his age was 80 years.
-
And for 40 years, he stayed there,
you see?
-
Preaching the Gospel of Love.
-
And whole China, Japan, Cambodia,
and all this, Bhurma, all this Asia,
-
became the followers of the Buddha.
-
And many more are being
benefitted in his absence also.
-
So if you have occasion,
don't miss it, you see?
-
'When I am near you I feel changes
in my body and brain,
-
'and it seems like the closer I am to
you, the stronger these sensations are.
-
'At the same time, I think that if time
and space are illusions,
-
'then your grace should be present,
in all times and places,
-
'and is within me, wherever I might be.'
-
So this is correct, you see.
-
Actually there is no time and no space.
-
This is a concept of the mind.
-
So when you go across, or beyond, the time
and space, then this illusion vanishes.
-
So at that time you must be sure
that you have nothing to do more.
-
Nor to achieve anything.
-
So you have achieved, achieved and
attained, everything that was worth
-
in this human incarnation.
-
'But this is just my thinking. My experience
is that the closer I am to you physically,
-
'the more I feel changes.
So what is the nature of grace?'
-
So nature of grace is to enlighten
a person finally,
-
to not to be re-incarnate,
any time, in next world.
-
So you have to be fully in trust with
this thing, 'I have not to be reborn.'
-
And not only that, even this
present birth is an illusion.
-
Then you were sure
that all this world;
-
universe, sun, moon,
stars, is only an illusion.
-
Because when you think, then only you
can see these forms and names.
-
And when you don't think,
nothing is visible.