The Kripā Myth: Why most acts of “grace” are actually subtle exchanges
Very few people understand the true meaning of the word 'kripā' (grace). Kripā means to make someone complete without expecting anything in return. Any action performed with the expectation of receiving something in return is not kripā; it is a business transaction.
Everyone in the world engages in so-called kripā - shopkeepers with customers, mothers with their children, neighbours with one another, and so on. Parents appear to show kripā towards their children by nurturing and raising them. But even there, some self-interest remains. Whether that self-interest is fulfilled or not is a different matter, but the expectation exists.
This means that all souls bound by maya are incomplete. Therefore, they are incapable of bestowing true grace.
What does incomplete mean?
We need three things:
- Sat - Eternal life, infinite life; no one wants to wander through eighty-four lakh species of life.
- Chit - Omniscience, the ultimate limit of knowledge.
- Anand - Eternal, infinite, transcendental, divine bliss.
These three together are described as Sacchidānanda.
One who attains all three for eternity becomes complete. Such a being no longer needs anything from anyone. Only the one who is complete can bestow grace - write this down in golden letters. Everything else is a deception.
There are only two personalities who are truly complete:
- God, and
- The saints - those upon whom God bestowed His grace, freeing them from maya and granting them His divine power.
Thus, God and the saints alone are forever satisfied and complete - sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ - they have received sat, chit, and anand forever. They now require nothing.
Therefore, only God and the Saints can bestow grace. In fact, they can do nothing but bestow grace. Their grace is beyond human comprehension.
Apart from God and the saints, no one else can bestow true grace, even if they wish to do so, because:
- The souls bound by maya always expect something in return. Even if they do not seek material gain, they desire prestige or a better afterlife. Since they are incomplete, they naturally seek completeness. Because they are incomplete, they naturally seek fulfilment. Such people are covertly selfish, possessing hidden self-interest.
- Even if a being bound by maya tries to bestow grace, they can only give worldly things, which can never satisfy the divine soul. For instance, if someone offers a blanket to someone in charity, it will eventually tear or be stolen. If someone is fed, hunger will recur after six hours. No matter how great a worldly possession may be, it provides only fleeting happiness, which disappears upon encountering something greater.
God and saints do not need to do anything, as they have become the embodiments of bliss. In fact, they need not perform any action. Yet, they descend on earth and perform various actions solely for the welfare of souls. In other words, everything they do is an act of grace - whether it is Shri Krishna, Arjun, or any other saint. Grace takes many forms - some are easily understood, while others are beyond the grasp of the material intellect. Embracing someone is an act of grace, and wielding the Sudarshan Chakra is also an act of grace. Giving something is grace, and taking something away is grace as well. Par upakāra vacana mana kāyā - every action of theirs is an act of grace, performed selflessly for the welfare of others, through thoughts, words, and actions. The material intellect cannot comprehend this.
To receive this grace, you must have complete faith. Only when you possess 100% unwavering faith that 'God and the saints only bestow grace' will you genuinely ask grace from the depths of your heart, not merely through words. At present, each of you has a different degree of faith - some have 1%, some 10%, and others 99.9%. When faith reaches 100%, grace will manifest instantly, without the need for any action. Dhanna Jaat was illiterate, yet through firm faith, he attained his goal. However, because of the sins accumulated across countless births, you struggle to develop complete faith.
Everyone believes inwardly that God neither eats nor will ever partake of offerings. People close their eyes, place food before Him, recite mantras, and then eat it themselves without waiting to see whether He has accepted it. The recitation of Sanskrit mantras does not matter; what matters is the intention and love within the heart.
God is attained only through firm faith.
To develop such complete faith, you must remove every trace of doubt and disbelief. For this, you must consistently endeavour to attach your mind to God. Practices such as bhajan and kirtan are merely means of establishing faith.
You must understand that the mind does everything - faith and disbelief alike. Therefore, devotion through the senses alone is insufficient; the mind must be fully engaged.
By God's grace, you now know what must be done, yet you become careless. Either you say, "I will do it later,” and never do it, or you make only minimal effort. However, through consistent and sincere practice, when complete faith is established, the heart becomes purified. This is called antahkaran-shuddhi. When the mind is purified, the mental impressions of sins and virtues accumulated over countless births, known as sanchit karma, are erased. Then, by the Guru's grace, the senses, mind, and intellect are infused with divine power. At that stage, complete faith arises naturally, and grace manifests instantly. The bliss of divine love is the greatest achievement.
In this spirit, a devotee prays to Radharani, saying:
"O Kishori Ju! I have faith that You will bestow grace. How much faith I possess is for You to judge. I do not have a scale to measure it, but I know it is there."
You must also learn to speak in this manner. By expressing yourself sincerely and meditating deeply, your faith will gradually grow stronger. As faith becomes firmer, the mind becomes increasingly purified. As that faith becomes closer to maturity, you will move even closer to receiving the grace. Then you will attain the full benefit of grace.
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