“The only question is whether there is something behind all the anomalies of life which can respond to the call and open itself with whatever difficulty till it is ready for the illumination of the divine grace-and that something must be not a mental and vital movement but an inner somewhat which can well be seen by the inner eye. If it is there and when it becomes active in front, then the compassion can act, though the full action of the grace may still wait attending the decisive decision or change; for this may be postponed to a future hour, because some portion or element of the being may still come between, something that is not yet ready to receive.”
This something within that Sri Aurobindo is referring to are those deeper parts in us that are under the psychic being’s influence. It is this that brings in the intervention of Grace. There is of course a general action of the Grace working from behind through all the apparent challenges and difficulties, the apparent anomalies of life (for example sudden unexpected death which was the actual context of this letter). It means that though these individuals have to go through the Law of Destiny yet, the presence of Grace turns the suffering into an opportunity for progress, brings the secret good hidden behind the mask of evil and pain.
But if there is something that is open within to the Divine Grace then the action of the Grace takes the form of Compassion that acts upon the events and circumstances, mitigating their effects and softening the blow.
However if the individual is fully open to the Divine Grace, it doesn’t resist the Divine action through doubts and fears, or when the soul has stepped forward and nature is receptive then the Grace can completely cancel the Law, override Karma, annul the consequences, change the workings of destiny and carry us swiftly and smoothly towards the one true goal.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
