Only on your own can you meditate; only on your own can you realize the divine nature of your soul; and only on your own can you follow the path of spiritual development.
In the Mahabharata and Ramayana, most of the acting heroes are kings and princes, but even for great kings, the process of inner realization can only occur as a result of independent spiritual work.
41. The Paradox of the Divine Plan and Free Choice
Sathya Sai Baba said that every person who comes to his ashram can come only because there is a divine will. Everyone who came to the ashram could come there only at the personal invitation of Sathya Sai Baba himself.
When I heard such words for the first time, I was extremely surprised. Millions of people came to the ashram; how could this be? I came to the ashram every year and it seemed this happened completely according to my desire. It seemed easy and simple. The thought never arose that in fact every time I came to the ashram was actually because it was part of the higher, subtle, divine plan.
What could be easier than buying a ticket to India, flying for a period of time, and staying at the ashram as my circumstances allowed. It seemed like it was my own choice.
There were many people who very much wanted to come to the ashram, but many obstacles prevented them from doing so. At the same time, there were people who could hardly imagine who Sathya Sai Baba was and ended up in the ashram, as if quite by accident.
One woman I know of was invited by a group of friends to go to India, to which she gladly agreed. On the plane she was informed that the group was going to see Sathya Sai Baba. The woman did not know who he was, and so her friends showed her a small photograph of Sathya Sai Baba and briefly explained where she was flying to. Sometimes, people got to the ashram in strange ways.
One of the most important paradoxes of human life is the interconnection of an omnipotent divine plan on the one hand and free human will on the other. The omnipotent Divine plan does not cancel the free will of a person, and as a result, the responsibility for decisions made and actions taken fall on the shoulders of each man.
Some of my acquaintances had the opportunity to go to India and see Sathya Sai Baba, but sometimes people thought there were more important things to do and so put off going to the ashram. As you know, what can be done today can only be done today, and then the next day comes and the opportunity is gone. It seemed to some they could easily go to Sathya Sai Baba in a couple of years, but life circumstances changed and the possibility of taking the trip disappeared.
