Volition and Grace

[Cameron Reilly]

At 13:20 06-04-97 -0500, Srinivas Sista wrote:

>Can we postulate volition as separate from grace?

I do not see them as separate. The only difference is in how we interpret
the actions.

>Does or does not volition have its origin in grace?

There is no volition to have an origin. Only the CONCEPT of origin.

>Where do we draw the line between grace and non-grace?

There is no line. All is 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?

I think it is the Grace which makes us turn in whatever direction we turn
in. Perhaps we should define 'Grace'.

To my way of thinking, this 'Grace' is consciousness - the very life force
which makes our heart beat, which digests our food, which keeps our lungs
expanding and contracting... how much volition is involved in these processes?


Respects,


Cameron Reilly
The Robert Adamson Centre for Non-Duality/Advaita Studies
Direct Lineage of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
Melbourne, Australia
Email: cjreilly at ozemail.com.au
>From ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU Mon Apr  7 06:59:52 1997
Message-Id: <MON.7.APR.1997.065952.0400.ADVAITAL at TAMU.EDU>
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 1997 06:59:52 -0400
Reply-To: "Advaita (non-duality) with reverence" <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
To: "Advaita (non-duality) with reverence" <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
From: Michael Cohen <MC1 at AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Volition and Grace
Comments: To: ADVAITA-L at tamu.edu

just a thought - my feeble two cents. . .

Isn't dream a good metaphor for the issue of will? To the dreamer, he is
responsible for his actions -- he simply can't run fast enough to escape the
tiger -- he's scared and frustrated. Relieved upon waking up, we realize
running only seemed to be in the power of the dreamer and that it might have
been kind of interesting to experience being devoured by the man-eater. God
knows, we might have had a healthy belch after the experience!

As for grace, would it have been grace to run like an olympian or trip on our
shoelaces and enjoy a good meal?

Doesn't Advaita argue to carry this image into waking? The real question
might be where does this relief come from when we do wake up?