God’s very communication to humanity can be seen as God’s grace. Humans have devised sacraments in Christianity and sacred rituals (samskar) in Hinduism that are purported especially to effect or channel grace. In reality God pervades in the whole of creation, and as such God’s presence itself is grace. God is the life force in the core of every being. God’s grace is easily available for humans’ spirit-life as water is available for the maintenance of plant and animal life on earth.
It requires only our freedom of choice to benefit from God’s grace. God realization can take place through faithfulness to conscience. Discerning God’s will in our daily life and faithfully following it will secure our life in union with God. Various spiritual exercises found in religions are very helpful in going through different stages of God realization. Many sages, seers, and holy men and women have modeled life for humans. Love and truth guided by justice, tolerance, compassion, and non-violence create the right climate for achieving God realization. Despite claims to the contrary, there is no magic formula, person, ritual, or practice is necessary to achieve God realization which is given us at birth and which is our natural destiny. God of freedom, love, mercy, and understanding does not force any human to follow God’s will. As we learn to walk, run, and learn other skills for material and physical well-being, we need to form our conscience and learn a value system and guidelines for living in a society.
What about heaven and earth, mukti or nirvana (liberation from bondages)? For persons failing in the life’s work of attaining heaven or freeing from bondages, no hell or re-births are envisaged. For those who failed in God-realization at the end of their life, they return to God at the level of consciousness or awareness they were able to achieve on earth to continue their purification (purgatory?) to accomplish their goal before they achieve their perfect union or realization with God. Over two millennia things got very complex and confusing and many grievous and fatal errors due to false doctrines and suppression of human freedom have taken place. We need to get back to the original charism, spirit, and teachings found in scriptures of persons who gave rise to various religions. Traditions are important only to the extent they are relevant in changed times.
Next -Healthy Detachment
Previous: -God Experience 2