Volition and Grace

Srinivas Sista sista at ECN.PURDUE.EDU
Sun Apr 6 13:20:00 CDT 1997


Cameron Reilly wrote:

>
> >The grace is always available: what is needed is to avail oneself of
> it.
>
> Are you suggesting, Charles, that through <bold>volition</bold> we avail
> ourselves of the Grace of God? My understanding of the phrase "By The
> Grace Of God" is that it normally refers to a spontaneous and
> non-volitional happening.
>
> For example, through a fortuitous series of events, I was introduced to
> my guru. And he said something to me that night that struck a major
> chord. I did not choose to be where I was - nor did I choose to become a
> seeker. It simply "happened".
>
>

That is a very good point.
Can we postulate volition as separate from grace?
Does or does not volition have its origin in grace?
Where do we draw the line between grace and non-grace?
There is this example which says that grace is like sunlight which is
always there and that one has to turn towards the sun to see the light.
But, what makes one-in his/her current state-feel the need to turn towards
the light and actually turn?

regards,
Srinivas Sista.



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