Complete reliance on the Divine Grace

Q: What is then meant by complete reliance on the Divine Grace?

It means what it says.

Q: No, no, I am asking a question.

I am also answering. (Laughter) You know what is meant by reliance and what is meant by complete.

Q: Then how does effort come in?

Even if you make effort, you rely on the Grace for the result. (After a pause) If you have to run a race you run the race but the result does not depend on the running. You have to rely on the Grace for the result. The same is the case with medicines. One of my cousins (Krishna Kumar Mitra’s daughter) was on the point of death due to typhoid. Nil Ratan and everybody else gave up hope and said, “The only thing is to pray.” They prayed; after the prayer they found that her consciousness had revived and she was all right. I was at Baroda at that time. They wired to me about her hopeless condition. And then there is what happened to Madhavrao’s son. He was dying; the doctors had given up hope. Madhavrao wired to them to stop medicines all and pray to God. They did it and the son was cured. I know this as a fact. Madhavrao himself showed me the telegram.

– Sri Aurobindo