THORNS DENIED PRICK NO LESS KEENLY

ONCE, finding it difficult to reconcile the
contradictory doctrines of man's free will and
God's grace two disciples of the Master went to
him for a solution of the same. The Master said,
"Why do you talk, of free will? Everything is
dependent upon the Lord's will. Our will is tied to
the Lord's, like the cow to its tether. No doubt we
have a certain amount of freedom even as the cow
has, within a prescribed circle. So man thinks that
his will is free. But know that his will is dependent
on the Lord's."
Disciples: "Is there then no necessity of practising
penance, meditation and the rest? For one can as
well sit quiet and say, "It is all God's will; whatever
is done, is done at His will."
Sri Ramakrishna: Oh! To what effect, if you simply
say that in so many words? Any amount of your
verbal denial of thorns can never save you from
their painful prick when you place your hand on
them. Had it been entirely with man to do spiritual
practices according to his will, everybody would

have done so. But no; everyone can't do it, and
why? But there is one thing: If you don't utilise
properly the amount of strength He has given you,
He never gives more. That is why self-exertion is
necessary. And so everyone has to struggle hard
even to become fit for the grace of God. By such
endeavour, and through His grace, the sufferings
of many lives can be worked out in one life. But
some self-effort is absolutely necessary. Let me tell
you a story.
Once, Vishnu, the Lord of Goloka, cursed Narada,
saying that he would be thrown into hell. At this
Narada was greatly disturbed in mind; and he
prayed to the Lord, singing songs of devotion, and
begging Him to show where hell is and how one
can go there. Vishnu then drew the map of the
universe on the ground with a piece of chalk,
representing the exact position of heaven and hell.
Then Narada said, pointing to the part marked
'hell', "Is it like this? This is hell then!" So saying he
rolled himself on the spot and exclaimed he had
undergone all the sufferings of hell. Vishnu
smilingly asked, "How is that?" and Narada replied:
"Why, Lord, are not heaven and hell Thy creation?

When Thou didst draw the map of the universe
Thyself and point out to me the hell in the plan,
then that place became a real hell; and as I rolled
myself there, my sufferings were intense. So I do
say that I have undergone the punishments of hell.
"Narada said all this sincerely and so Vishnu was
satisfied with the explanation.