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Shri Datta Swami

Posted on: 26 May 2009

               

Does Your preaching not contradict the Bible, which says that salvation is not obtained by works but by the grace of God ?

Work for God is karma sanyasa. Dedication of the fruit of work for God is Karmaphala Tyaga. The work indicates the practical sacrifice or service to God. God is pleased to give salvation when your work is devoid of ego. By the word ‘work’, the Bible means ‘work polluted by ego’. When such pollution exists, you demand the salvation just like purchasing an item from the market by paying the money, where the grace of the seller is not required. When your work is devoid of this ego and is purified by total surrender, God is pleased by such work. Shankara praised the divine Mother by beautiful verses composed by Himself under the title ‘Soundarya Lahari’. The verses were beautiful beyond imagination. In the last verse, Shankara said that He is submitting this prayer to the Divine Mother, which were actually composed by the Divine Mother Herself and taken by Him. He said, it is like taking the water from the ocean and pouring it down into the ocean as a drink submitted to the ocean. Therefore, the sacrifice of such pure work without ego alone can please God and salvation is the consequence of His pleasure alone. Salvation is not directly linked to your work like the monthly salary linked to your work. Therefore, there is no contradiction.

 
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