Quite often, the expected may not come true, yet the happening cannot be escaped. Presumably the really happening is the individual’s lot despite his much-vaunted hopes, projections and visualizations. During the life time multiple intents, desires propel and subside.
Here the rift arises between the wished for and the truly happening. At times, the individual could be tossed among the many odds; placed amidst the difficult circumstance that he finds far too difficult to cope with. His path is rarely smooth and even to pass through. He reaches the divine persona, to tide over the difficult straits and take to an even course. There is little exception to this experiential reality. Then takes recourse to faith when the human effort fails.
In this process, quite a few flock to AMMA beseeching her intervention. AMMA’S prescription in all such cases is “Fear sources Courage” (“Adhairyame Dhairyaniki Adharam”). To be precise, courage emanates from fear verily. As always AMMA is very precise. terse and profound. The implication, the given truth is that the individual must pass through his lot with little choice and not seek an escape that is not obtaining. While facing these odds he shall be strong, firm and defiant.
Fortitude is the key, the basic trait that enables him to face these challenges, wade through the vicissitudes. Divine grace is the crutch in such course which enables him to come out triumphantly without seeking an escape or attempting to bypass the same which is hardly possible. Grace only enables the individual does not evade the odd circumstance.
Yet in such indulgence of grace, it mitigates the situation though it does not avert the same. As AMMA pronounced, “Because of Grace, the thorn that shall pierce the eye, shall prick the sole of the feet.” Thereby reducing the intensity, lessening the damage, inflicting lesser pain avoiding the mortal loss of an eye that is basic to see, work and move forward. Such is the benign intervention of grace which is the experience of the devout. Even so, in such experience too, in most cases the subject is hardly aware of the greater harm to befall him which was averted. Yet, he is in the refuge and comfort of the motherly, divine intervening grace whether or not he is aware.
Apparently, when viewed incisively, divine grace has twofold impact. Primarily it enables him to face the odds, pass through the troubles and turmoils that he comes across. Secondly grace is a mitigating factor, the reducing agent of all the grave circumstances in the individual’s lot over which there is little choice ordinarily.
To draw from personal experience, I was far too deep in troubles; all the odds were much against me and to speak proverbially, the chips are down. The only relief being that I happened to be in the presence of gentle, gracious AMMA. While I was with AMMA, whiling away the difficult moments, was making obeisance to AMMA as is done always.
AMMA pronounced the cryptic one liner. “Courage too is riches”. To paraphrase the same in the crisp, terse vernacular of AMMA “Dhairyam Kooda Dravyame”. AMMA added by way of simple clarification that courage alone is not riches, but it is one of the crucial inputs enabling riches, also to beget the other gains in life. Thus, fortitude too is but riches. Grit and itude enable begetting the other riches or for making the life gainful which seems otherwise dismal in a given scenario.
The implied essence, much depends on the response or coping up with a difficult situation rather than the direct impact of a critical scenario. The person who is cool, collected and objective with unwavering grit faces the odds and comes out with success. Such individual is but the victor of circumstance rather than the succumbing victim. Fact is that failures too teach a person and coach, fortify him for future success or successes. As is wisely said failures are but the steppingstone to success. Facing the odds, difficult straits in life squarely, objectively enables the success that follows.
For instance, in a real life scenario, let us say the war zone, the commanding officer, shall know how to overcome fear and strategize the action. The General without fear quite likely tends to be reckless inviting a danger for himself as also places the troops he leads in undue risk. Fear is the natural concomitant in a battle ground to be well coped with and overcome. Total lack of fear makes the person reckless inclined to much of risk and invite disaster.
Likewise, Swamy Vivekananda views that in a crisis, the individual lurks on the edge or the peripheries because of fear and timid hesitation. Instead the wise individual is persuaded to get into the center of the critical issue or the problem area, from where he can objectively view all the angles and facets, thereby come out of the same or resolve the crisis more fruitfully and beget greater success.
Granting these elaborations, true grit and intrinsic courage enables the success for the individual. Such courage is sourced or prompted by fear alone in the real sense. In a way, fear and courage are the dualities of life, which follow, chase each other in varied modes. Truly as AMMA pronounced, “Fear sources Courage”. Equally true as AMMA pronounced, “Courage too is one of the riches” for the individual in the given difficult odds of life.
Pray AMMA grant us such courage always.