Late Night Chat with Jeff Wolverton: Effort and Grace, June 18, 2023, live on Baba Zoom

We have some informal chat after every arti, the "post-arti party"! But once a week, Jeff Wolverton joins us for some serious mining of the spiritual depths. Join us for conversation, more readings, songs, quotes - you never know what treasures will be uncovered!

Dear folks of Baba,

This Sunday we will again explore Darwin Shaw’s book, Effort and Grace, which is an in-depth inquiry into the inner life with Baba. It describes one of the major approaches to Baba by one who was devoted to Him for over 70 years, which culminated in a glorious intimacy with Him. Darwin was always so encouraging and optimistic in what we can do to open up to Baba’s immediate loving presence. He asserts that many of the blocks to this intimacy can be removed by our efforts and by inviting Baba’s ongoing intervention and grace.

This Sunday we continue with the chapter on “Giving Our All” on page 49. Back in 1970 when I first moved to Schenectady, New York, near Darwin and Jeanne Shaw and began attending their meetings, I had very little concept of what it means to give things to Baba. I was basically going along meeting the various situations in my life as best as I could, trying to remember Baba and tuning into His loving presence. I had little idea of what is meant by doing inner work, especially with what was entailed in actively giving the desires, wants and emotional contents of my heart to Baba and creating, in Darwin’s words, "inner space.” As I made efforts to surrender the bindings of my heart, I began to experience some measure of inner freedom in which I became aware of Baba’s abiding presence within. Darwin introduced the method of withdrawing the “tentacles of consciousness” from being enmeshed in thoughts, desires and emotions—the river of sanskaras (our conditioning)—and climbing up on its banks and observing the raging waters. And then imagining the multitude of my thoughts, desires and emotions flowing energetically to Baba’s ocean and disappearing! How exciting it was to discover and experience this giving to Baba in my youth.

Each session evokes invaluable discussion that does not require having attended the previous sessions; each section stands alone and provides a window into the inner life of the lover/Beloved relationship and is virtually independent, like facets of one diamond—Baba.

For those who do not have a copy of the book, below is an attachment for following along:

https://issuu.com/ompoint/docs/shaw_effort_grace

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