domingo, 21 de marzo de 2010

AMMA TALKS TO LINDA JOHNSEN FOR YOGA JOURNAL

AMMA TALKS TO LINDA JOHNSEN FOR YOGA JOURNAL



Question: Westerners are usually attracted to the path of pure logic. Many of us wonder at times whether the doctrine in Sanatana Dharma of reincarnation is true.

Amma: Our past does not consist of the events of this life alone; it includes all our previous lives. Just as the waves of the ocean appear in various forms and aspects, so also the jiva (individual soul) takes up new bodies in accordance with the vasanas (latent tendencies) it has acquired. When we start thinking about reincarnation and previous lives, we arrive at the doctrine of karma.


We find many who are unmistakable wrongdoers living happily, while decent people who have done many virtuous deeds are suffering without any apparent reason. When we think about this against the backdrop of this life, it seems to contradict the law of karma. If we are to understand the correlation of cause and effect behind this occurrence, we have to approach the law of karma with deeper insight.


The individual soul is born many times in accordance with the actions (karma) it has performed, both knowingly and unknowingly, in its previous lives. Each individual experiences pain and pleasure as a result of the actions done in previous lives. As the wheel of life spins on, one's previous karma ripens into the fruits of experience. It isn't possible to say what type of karmic fruit one will experience, at what time this will happen or in what way it will come to us. This is a mystery known only to the Creator. Whether you believe in it or not, the laws of karma will to work in their own way. Only actions done with the notion "I am the doer" will bear the fruit of those actions. And only actions of the ego can be known as karma in the real sense.


It is not easy to trace the beginning of karma, but it does have an end. When, having effaced the ego, the individual soul realises its original nature, all its karma evaporates. But it isn't easy to eradicate the sense of doership in oneself. It is possible only when detachment to pleasure and pain arises after one has gone through many lives. God is fashioning us toward that end by putting us through pleasure and pain. It is a painstaking, long-drawn-out transformation. A lot of chipping, sculpting and reshaping are required. Still, one cannot comprehend in full the divine power that works silently behind these mysteries. One can only have faith. When the mind becomes pure and subtle through spiritual practice, we will be able to remember our previous lives.


It is useless to grieve about past deeds. That is a bygone chapter; whatever has happened has happened. We cannot do anything about it. Only the present moment is relevant, because our entire future depends on the actions that we do now.


Let the presence of the Supreme Spirit reveal its radiance in each moment of our lives. Then nothing will be able to bind us. Let us live this moment in God, in our true nature. This will free us of the influence the cycle of karma wields over us, and we will be freed from the fear of death.


Nothing in this universe, let alone Creation, is accidental -- for if that were so, there would only be chaos. The order and the incredible beauty found throughout creation are evidence that an expansive heart and an intelligence incomprehensible to the human mind is behind all this.


When we realise God, we transcend all laws of karma. The Mahatmas (Great Souls) have left their bodies with smiling faces, even when they were ill and suffering intensely. They accepted life with a full smile. Be it pleasure or pain, they accepted all situations in life alike. This is why they were able to accept even death with a smile. Those who accept whatever comes to them with gratitude receive even death with that same attitude -- they know that death is not the end of anything. Death is not the enemy of our true Self; it is just the beginning of another existence.


Question: Many of the students who practice yoga and other spiritual disciplines are householders. Their families and friends are important to them. Will this be an obstacle on their spiritual path?


Amma: A householder can definitely attain Self-realisation. But for this to happen, they have to perform their actions selflessly, without attachment and with an attitude of surrender at God's feet. A true householder has the attitude, "Everything that is mine belongs to God; nothing belongs to me." They have the strong conviction that God alone is their mother, father, relative and friend. But this attitude of surrender and self-sacrifice is difficult to cultivate. Continuous effort is needed.


Amma never asks householders to run away from the world for the sake of the spiritual quest, for to do so is cowardice. We should try to perform our duties in the world as diligently as possible. Those who run away from their worldly responsibilities aren't really fit for spiritual life. That is why, in the Mahabharata, Sri Krishna did not allow Arjuna to run away from the battlefield and become a sannyasi.


Life is a battlefield. We cannot run away from it. We may go to the Himalayas or to a forest or an ashram, but the problems in life will continue to chase us even there. An intelligent person goes through life using their discrimination, performing their duties with great attention. To truly live is to build one's life on a strong spiritual foundation.


We should not forget that compassion towards the poor and the suffering is our duty to God. Our quest for the Self starts with our selfless service in the world. If all we do is sit in meditation with our eyes closed, anticipating the third eye to open, we will be disappointed. We cannot escape from the world by keeping our eyes closed. Spiritual practice is the effort we make to see the oneness of all beings in creation, with open eyes. When that vision becomes spontaneous, that is Self-realisation.


Death can come to us at any moment. It will snatch everything away from us, even our own body. That is why Amma stresses that through our spiritual practice we should develop the attitude of detachment towards everything in the world. Only with this attitude will we be able to face death fearlessly. By absorbing the highest spiritual ideals, we are preparing ourselves for this transformation to take place: the transformation of attachment into detachment.


The state of sannyas or relinquishing the world has not gained that much prominence in the West. The life of a sannyasi is a life of surrender, both externally and internally, for the good of the world. A true householder leads the life of a householder externally, and the life of a sannyasi internally. To renounce everything may not be easy for everyone. But we should try to cultivate the inner attitude of renunciation. A householder may be facing many problems in life, but he can still be absolutely calm within. This is not impossible. If we read the Puranas, we will find that most of the ancient Rishis (Self-realised Seers) were householders. They were ordinary people. If they could still attain the Truth, surely you will also be able to do so. You have that inner strength.


A householder should be like a bird sitting on the dry twig of a tree. While perching on the twig, the bird may be eating something or it may fall asleep, but it is always alert and wide awake within -- always ready to fly. It knows that if there is a strong breeze, the branch could suddenly give way. Similarly, a householder should be aware that all relationships in the world are just temporary and can end at any moment.


We should look upon our duties in the world as being assigned to us by God. If we have that strong faith, we will be able to perform all our duties as God's servants, without any sense of doership. We have to perform the duties that have been assigned to us. We should think of those actions as being part of our spiritual practice. We should perform each action as a form of worship. We shouldn't be attached to what we do. We should never let our focus stray from our awareness of the Self. This is the centre of our existence. We are now living as if we were locked up in a jail, the jail of our likes and dislikes. But that is not our real abode. We shouldn't see the objects of our desires and attachments as ornaments adorning us -- they are chains that bind us. Until we realise the Self, we will never know what true freedom is.


Question: What is real freedom?


Amma: The life of a person who has realised the Self is like a crystal clear stream flowing from a lake in the mountain terrain. We may see water continuously gushing forth from the lake into the valley as waterfalls. But the bottom of the lake is still and peaceful. This lake never dries. It will always be full. Anybody can drink water from it and quench their thirst. In the same way, it is the nature of those who are established in the Self to constantly give of themselves. They never ask for anything in return. A real sannyasi aspires to be like an incense stick, spreading fragrance all around while burning himself or herself out. That is motto of the sannyasi's life.


When the ego is eliminated we become that Supreme Consciousness. In the life of a Mahatma, there is something new in every moment. A Mahatma is the Supreme Consciousness residing in everything, illuminating everything. When we transcend the ego, we become everything. Then our minds can never be enslaved by anger or lust. We become the whole of creation. We experience the state of a jnani (one who has attained supreme knowledge and wisdom). That is real transformation. Such beings who experience the Truth have always existed. They exist even today. Let us make every effort to reach that state. Let us surrender to the beauty of the infinite Self. Let us becomes perfect examples for the whole world.


Question: Many Western yoga students are disappointed, having observed the lives of so-called Indian gurus, who teach one thing but live another. At the same time, all the Indian scriptures stress the importance of the Guru. How is it possible to have faith in such Gurus?


Amma: The Satgurus (Self-realised Gurus) do not try to force their rules or ideals on anyone, nor do they claim that they have attained Self-realisation. Real Satgurus never claim anything. They do not need anyone's recognition. It makes no difference to them if we recognise them or not. Those who make claims, on the other hand, tend to be false most of the time.


A Satguru will always set an ideal example for the disciples to follow. The disciples are being mislead if the Guru says: "I'm above everything, so I can do whatever I like. Nothing will affect me. You just obey me and do whatever I tell you to do!" A Satguru doesn't speak or act in that way. Even though the Guru is beyond body-consciousness, the disciples are not. They are still fastened to their body-consciousness and ego. So they need a true, perfect example. A Satguru, who is the embodiment of divine qualities, is needed for the sake of their upliftment. This is why a true Master places the utmost importance on sound moral principles and a life based on ethical codes of conduct.


Competence, incompetence, virtue and vice can be observed in all areas of life. There are highly skilled doctors as well as incompetent ones. If one doctor isn't very capable, it doesn't mean that all doctors are incompetent. If you have had a bad experience with one doctor, it wouldn't be wise for you to declare that you will never see a doctor again if you get sick.


True Masters exist even today. It isn't possible to recognise them by their external appearance. However, their greatness can be seen radiantly manifesting in their lives. You can recognise them by such qualities as self-sacrifice, compassion, humility, detachment and broad-mindedness. It is not by the beauty of his or her speech or by all the miracles he or she performs that a Mahatma (Great Soul) can be measured.


The faith of many sincere spiritual seekers has been lost because they have been cheated by others. Only a Satguru, who is permanently established in the Self, can heal the wounds of those seekers. For this healing to take place, it doesn't matter if you trust or distrust the Master; it is enough to just be in the Master's presence, and all the wounds of the psyche will heal by themselves. Such Mahatmas have existed throughout the ages, and they will continue to appear in the future. Their true nature is like the expansive, limitless sky. They have no obligations whatsoever to anyone. We can make use of a Satguru's presence to attain our highest goal, the attainment of the Self. If we do not take such an opportunity when it comes to us, the Satguru will not stand to lose anything. We alone will be the losers.


Question: The spiritual leaders of India claim that India has the most exalted spiritual culture. Yet, some of us who have visited India have seen how badly women and those of the lower castes are treated by many people. As spiritual seekers, shouldn't we join the front in fighting against poverty, abuse of women, sectarianism and the like?

Amma: What you say about the status of women in India today doesn't relate to the standards of ancient Indian culture. All these problems have arisen out of the erosion of moral and spiritual values. In ancient India, women were given a very high status. Women didn't have to go out and look for work. They stayed at home and took care of the family. Today this is being deliberately misinterpreted as mistreatment of women, but that was not its intention. Indian women never thought of it as hindering their freedom. It is true that in modern society women are compelled to seek work outside the home. But the fundamental motherhood within them shouldn't be disregarded. Qualities such as love, patience, kindness and tolerance shouldn't be overlooked or neglected.


Changing the external circumstances alone will not effect any significant achievements. The real change has to occur within ourselves; and for this to happen, women have to bring out the masculinity that lies dormant within them. This masculinity consists of such noble qualities as courage, freedom from attachment, persistence in one's undertakings and establishment in one's true Self. (Here, Amma is referring to a archetypal "masculine" qualities which are rare in both men and women, but exist within both.) Fostering these qualities will open up an entirely new world for women and lead to Self-realisation.


Question: Is it not inconsiderate to seek one's own personal spiritual progress, ignoring the hardships of other beings?


Amma: Those who have the proper perspective will never turn their backs on the victims of hardship. They will never say that it is those people's karma to go through what they are going through, or that it is all just maya (illusion). Instead they will do all that is possible within their means to help the downtrodden. The selfish ones always see everything from the viewpoint of their own possible gain. But a spiritual seeker is filled with love and compassion for the poor and the suffering, and that love is reflected in his or her words and actions. That is also the goal of our spiritual practice. We shouldn't waste any chance we get to help others; we should make the most of such opportunities.


It should be remembered that spiritual aspirants have human limitations. Because they are still struggling with their own personal situations and with their own minds, their scope of contribution may be very limited. But, nevertheless, their spiritual practice and selfless prayers will definitely benefit society. They will inspire and thus transform others.


1999


Mukesh K Agrawal
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Mukesh K Agrawal (Facebook)
Mukesh K Agrawal - (blogger)
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Shri Vraj Dham Darshan Part- 1
Shri Vraj Dham Darshan Part- 2 - may 05

terminado 12 Mayo 2010

Radhakunda
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Sri Vraja-Mandala Parikrama
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