Conversations with Sai - 23

H: Does God forgive even present karma?

Sai: There are three types of karma: past, present and future.  Present karma must continue.  It is like the carriage behind which is a trail of dust.  If the carriage stops the dust will settle on it.  A doubt might be that the carriage cannot forever continue so as to be ahead of its dust.  But the carriage need not always travel on a dusty road.  It can get on the surfaced highway where there is no dust.  The highway is equivalent to the grace of God.  There is a difference between the benefit of grace and the benefit of bhakthi, of devotion.  A patient with a pain is given a sedative which dulls the pain.  But grace is an operation that does entirely away with pain.  Make no mistake; grace does entirely away with karma.  Like a medicine which was labelled "good until 1968".  If used in 1973, the medicine is entirely ineffective.  The body is the bottle, the karma in the body is the medicine.  God puts a date on the "medicine" so it is not effective. 

H: But Swami, grace is a rare prescription!

Sai: It might be thought that grace is difficult to secure.  Such is not the case.  Grace is the easiest thing to secure if the method is known and used.  In the Githa, the method is given.  As in driving a car, so confusing at first, but with practice so easy to do all the necessary tasks all at the same time and also carry on a conversation without strain.  There is nothing  that cannot be accomplished with practice.  Even ants in a single file crossing a stone will leave a mark.  The Name it is that will guard you and guide you throughout life.  It is such a small thing!  But to cross the ocean, an immense steamship is not needed.  Even a small raft will do.  

The Name of God is the smallest of the small, and the largest of the large.  The mouth is the principle gateway of the body and the tongue must always carry the Name.  Like a small lantern, the Name must go when and where you go, and then you can travel easily through the whole forest of life.

(From "Conversations with Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba" by Dr. John S. Hislop)