Where is the Grace?

Posted on behalf of Vichu Chitappa:

There are these two scenes; one in Mario Puzo's novel/film "the Godfather" and the other from a bollywood blockbuster "Sholay". In the former there is this scene; The Don's son Michael kills a cop, and has to be sent away to Italy where he would be safe. There is a meeting of all the other families, where Corleone tells the others that after 2 yrs Michael will return, and when he does, if anything happens to him, even if it were thru a natural calamity, he would still blame the others and wreck vengeance on every one there.

In the latter, there is a clash between Gabbar's men and the famous duo of Dharmender and Amitabh; during the fight, Dharmender finds himself suddenly without a gun, and finds one lying just under the feet of Sanjeev. Dharmender pleads to him to pass this on but the latter is unable as he has lost both of his arms. Not knowing this Dharmender is furious as what he perceives is absolute absence of "grace".

I am reminded of these and see a huge parallel with my plight (let me use the singular, as going by Uma's views there seem to be others who seem to be comfortable); for even my constipation, I have now started to blame it on the lack of Lord's Grace. Sanjeev's inability to help Dharmender is exactly akin to the seemingly harsh attitude of the Lord, from whom I seek only help in sustaining my jivanam and responsibilities. But He appears to love me so much that perhaps it's His wish that He wants to catapult me to the "most evolved" status in quick time by repeated visits of "kashtams" almost to the point of disgust with everything. I am just confused.

I imagine Uma saying perhaps, that once I have understood so far, what is the problem? Let me attempt to answer.

"Karanam, Kaaranam, Karta" are three names of the Lord in Vishnu sahasranamam. He is the doer, the cause, and also the action, is a simple translation. " Manasam Vachikam Papam Karmana samupaarchitham, Sree Rama smaranena vyapohati na samsayaha". All your sins whether in thought, or in speech, or in action are just washed away by the mere utterence of the Lord Sreerama's name" is another famous vaakyam repeated in every sankalpam. Are these mere vaakyams without any potency? If I am not sincere enough, and to borrow Uma's phrase, take millions of janmas, does it not seem futile?

Corleone's feelings are exactly true as far as the Lord is concerned. " Uske marzi ke bina pattha bhi nahin hilta" is a famous Hindi saying. By not giving any kind of reassurance, at any point, is akin to Dharmendra's agitation on Sanjeev's behaviour. The Lord is not as helpless as Sanjeev in the film, by the way.

The worst is yet to come; it's Kaliyugam, things can only get worse, and it's Lords play, and it has it's own dynamics etc etc. kind of pronouncements are ghostly scary. So even if He gives me some hope occasionally, the thought, that I have to take janma after janma, makes the present itself unlivable. And if "nirvana" can be achieved only with such huge discomforts, will it not be "the grapes are sour" kind of liberation. Where is the Grace? It's almost a disgrace!!!!!!