Devotees Vaishnavas: UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF THE WORLD Part 1 and 2

viernes, 19 de marzo de 2010

UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF THE WORLD Part 1 and 2

UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF THE WORLD - Part 1

sábado, 20 de marzo de 2010 a las 7:28

Amma Speaks...

My children, you have reached here after travelling long distances and undergoing many hardships. You must be tired, and most of you have not had proper sleep. And now there are not enough seats for everyone to sit properly. Please bear with it a little longer. Please be patient.

Children, try to calm your mind by observing silence for two minutes.

This is the age of speeches and discourses everywhere. Religious discourses, cultural discourses, political speeches, discourses against religions -- speeches galore -- in fact everyone has to talk, to speak on so many topics. Everyone feels that he/she has the right to talk on any topic under the sun. This reminds me of a child who said, "We have a professor and he is very great." When she was asked why he was considered so great, she replied, "He can talk for hours fluently on any topic. He can talk for five hours and more even if he's given a small, insignificant topic."

On hearing this, another child said, "So what? Your professor can talk for five hours only if you give him a topic. We have a neighbour and you need not give him any subject, he can talk for days even without any topic."

Today this is what most of the talks have degenerated into. What we really need is action, not mere speeches. We need to practice and show others through our actions what we want to convey through words.

Today, however, many things are confined to words alone. They are not reflected in life. Nevertheless, a good word and a good deed both merit rewards. They never go in vain. This reminds me of a certain incident in the Mahabharata.

It was the time when Dronacharya used to teach the Kaurava and Pandava princes. The first lesson was on 'Patience'. One day, the Guru called all his disciples and asked them to recite all the lessons that they had learnt. Each one of them could repeat their lessons by heart. Finally, it was Yudhishtira's turn. Surprisingly, Yudhishtira could recite only one line. "Have you studied only this much?" thundered the Guru. Yudhishtira replied in a very faltering tone, "Forgive me, O Guru. I have somehow succeeded in learning the first lesson. But I have not been successful in mastering the second lesson."

Dronacharya was beside himself with rage, for in academic matters he had pinned all his hopes on Yudhishtira. All the others had memorised entire lessons, whereas Yudhishtira could quote only two lines! Dronacharya could not control his anger and beat Yudhishtira mercilessly till the stick broke. Even then, the smile and the pleasantness on Yudhishtira's face did not fade away. He remained the same. On seeing this, Dronacharya calmed down. Very lovingly he told Yudhishtira, "Son, you are a prince. You can get me imprisoned if you so desire. You can punish me. Yet you have not resorted to any of these things. You did not get angry at all. Is there anyone as patient as you in this world? You are truly great, my child." All this time, the palm leaf on which the lesson was written was lying there. Dronacharya saw that what was written on it was, 'Never give up patience' and the second line was, 'Always speak the truth'.

When Dronacharya looked at Yudhishtira's face again, he saw the lines from the palm leaf reflected in Yudhishtira's eyes. He clasped both his hands and broke down. He said, "Yudhishtira, when I was teaching all of you, I was merely repeating the words. The other students also just repeated the same words, parrot-like! Whereas, in reality, you alone have mastered it in the true sense. You are really remarkable! Child, even after teaching for all these years I could not imbibe even one line. I could not control my anger, I could not be patient, I could not forgive." When Yudhishtira heard Dronacharya speak thus with tears in his eyes he confessed, "Forgive me Guru, but I was angry with you." Dronacharya realised that his disciple had mastered the second lesson as well. For, there are very few people who don't get carried away when they hear their own praise. Even if they are seething inside, they won't reveal their anger. Whereas Yudhishtira did not hesitate to speak the truth. That means that Yudhishtira had learnt the second lesson as well. Learning becomes perfect only when the lessons are translated into life. The true disciple is one who endeavours to do this.

Patience is essential in our lives as well. The very foundation of life is patience. If you try to open a bud by stretching it or pulling it open, you cannot know and enjoy its beauty and fragrance. You can do so only if you allow the bud to unfold itself naturally. Likewise, you need to have patience to enjoy the beauty of life. The prime requisite for all those who wish to make their lives happy and pleasant is also patience.

In a certain village all the people lived in unity and harmony. This was possible for them because of a certain model family that lived in that village. If there was a quarrel anywhere, someone would say, "Look at that lady. See how peacefully and harmoniously she stays with her husband. Can you hear any sound or noise from their house? What love! Learn from them!" When they heard this, whoever was quarreling would calm down and there would be peace. So the entire village lived in peace and contentment. Soon, it was time to celebrate the thirtieth wedding anniversary of that couple. Everyone gathered for the elaborate and grand celebrations. Members of the press also gathered there, for they also had heard a lot about this special couple. They asked the couple, "What is the secret of your happy married life? You have never quarreled even once with your husband, who is reported to have been a short-tempered fellow. There is no one here in this village who does not praise you. You are the inspiration, the role model for the entire village. What is the secret? Please tell us."

The wife replied, "There is no great secret or formula. On the third day after our marriage we went for a picnic. We had taken a donkey along with us to carry our bags and food. On route, the donkey missed its footing and slipped and fell. My husband did not like it at all. He twisted the donkey's ear and said, "This is the first warning. Be careful. OK …"

We reloaded the bags and the packets on the donkey's back and resumed our journey. After some distance, the donkey slipped and fell down again having hit a stone. My husband was very angry. He caught hold of both the ears of the donkey in a very rough manner and shouted, "This is the second warning. You be very careful. Beware. OK …"

He helped the donkey to get up. Our journey continued. We had to cross three hills to reach our destination. The first two hills we managed without any problem. As we were halfway through the third hill, the donkey collapsed. My husband could not control his anger. He took out his gun and shot the donkey. I could not bear it. I was quite upset at the death of the donkey. I said, "What have you done! It is only a dumb animal. Have you done the right thing? Oh God ..." On hearing this, my husband turned to me, caught hold of my ears and thundered, "Be very careful. This is the first warning. OK …" Immediately I remembered the fate of the donkey. This is the secret of our success."

Even though the patience in the above story is born out of fear, it is nevertheless significant. We will pick up a diamond even if it is found in dung. We don't reject it because of that. Its value is priceless - so also patience - its value also is priceless.

These days when we speak, what issues forth is fire and smoke. Knowledge and light are not to be found. Agni is the presiding deity for words, whose properties are heat, light and smoke. Just as Agni gives heat and light, each of our words should inspire and enlighten others -- not pollute them, like smoke.

Even one word from us should be capable of transforming and gladdening others. We should be role models and each word should be potent. That will be possible only if our words reflect humility and sweetness. Sadly, even if we sieve through the words, searching them minutely, we cannot find even an iota of humility. They are full of ego, characterized by the attitude, "I should be greater than others." We never heed the truth; that a person's greatness lies in his humility. All our efforts are concentrated on being "Great" or "Big" in front of others -- whereas, we are just making fools of ourselves.

We have to be very careful about another thing in life -- controlling our anger. Anger is like a double-ended knife. It harms both the person who is holding it as well as the person on whom it is being used. How tainted our minds are when we nurture anger towards someone! The mind is so perturbed that one can neither sit peacefully nor sleep peacefully. It makes the blood boil and generates all kinds of non-existent diseases; but because of the heat we are unaware of the changes wrought in us.

Many people stop and consider before they smile at someone! They think, "If I smile, he will become close. Due to the closeness he may take advantage of me and ask a favour. Is he a person who needs monetary help?" They are very careful before they smile. But this is not the case with anger. We completely forget ourselves when we are angry. Yet, there are situations where we try to control ourselves. You never vent your anger on your boss for fear of some punishment: a transfer, affecting your chances of promotion, or worse, even losing your job! So in such circumstances, people try to exercise restraint. Those who could not, had to suffer their bitter experiences served as a lesson for others. However, we don't see such restraint in the treatment of subordinates. It is actually here that restraint has to be exercised, for these people cannot answer back, they cannot retaliate because they are dependent on us. They may not explicitly show any reaction. Even then, they are disheartened and in their heart of hearts they will say, "O, Lord, I am being penalised for a mistake that I have not done. Are you not watching? Are you not aware of the truth?" Even the vibrations of such thoughts act as a curse on us. It is not easy to escape them.

However brilliant some people may be, however hard they work, they do not succeed in examinations. They do not get the job even after going to so many interviews. This happens because they may have hurt someone, and the heartfelt prayers of the latter become an obstacle in their progress, obstructing the flow of God's mercy. This does not in any way mean that you should not scold anyone. You have to correct wrong deeds. Love and patience may not work with everyone. Sometimes you have to scold or reprimand. But it should be directed at the mistake, the wrong action, not at the individual. Don't be angry without any reason. We should take care not to hurt the feelings of others with our words and actions.

In some families, you observe that people die in quick succession. In others, you see a long chain of accidents. For some, no matter how hard they try, none of the marriage proposals click, and some couples are not blessed with children. In some families people die young and in others, ladies become widows between the ages of 30-40 years. We can say that all this is the effect of karma.

That is why Amma says again and again that each of our actions, each word, each look, even each thought should be done with sraddha, with a lot of care. Each action, word, look and thought has its own effects. Each of our bad deeds and each of our good deeds influence and affect so many others. This reminds Amma of a story:

(To be continued, Excerpted from Amma's Speech, September, 2000)

Actualizado hace aproximadamente 2 semanas

Haripriya Devi Dasi

♥ Awesome ♥ Jai Ma ♥ Thank you Krsna Devi, nice lecture. Thanks for sharing ♥ I love AmmaJi Too ♥

20 de marzo a las 7:42 · Denunciar

Julian Cosmo Kemp

The light in your heart, reaches far over the oceans, to turn the page of my book, revealing another story of love....Thankyou Krishna**

20 de marzo a las 10:33

Baappusaaheb S Bhosale

Thanks Dear Krishna ...its something wounderfull be a part of this Note :) always with you

20 de marzo a las 12:20

Shyam Sundar Mishra

One may try to pick up virtues like this : patience, humility, kindness etc etc : and even after many lifetimes one cannot be perfected in even one of those virtues.
It is much easier to connect to the Supreme Being Krsna: one who is so connected automatically has all the qualities of the demigods whereas those who are not connected , even if they be as great as Ravana , have no qualities in them.
Ravana had great qualities like patience, humility, dedication, intelligence, honesty : he was a great Emperor and had his subjects lead a life of peace and prosperity. Yet , what was missing ?
Krsna consciousness was missing. So all those qualities were useless.
Similarly, instead of picking up virtues peace-meal, one only needs to surrender to a sad- Guru and follow the process authorized by the sastras. By following such a process one will automatically become purified and also realize one's relationship with the Supreme Being.... Ver más

What is sraddha ? Care for material things is not sraddha. Sraddha means faith , faith in the Supreme One.

20 de marzo a las 14:51

Krishna Devi

Anek bhalo tomar vicharo..

20 de marzo a las 15:20 ·

Julian Cosmo Kemp

The path is different for all of us....to work without love is activity...to love krishna without loving and working for others is a waste of time....its just an absract idea....get your hands dirty and work for your brothers ans sisters, krishna will open your eyes and heart wider with every effort made to bring peace and prosperity to others lives....all is One*

20 de marzo a las 16:33

Krishna Devi

Thank you Julian for your beautiful thoughts...There is nothing separate from Him...He is everywhere, within and without....that all pervading Consciousness which illumines everything within and without is working within us all...Love and pranams

20 de marzo a las 16:47

Shyam Sundar Mishra

"bahunam janmanam ante..." thank you.

20 de marzo a las 18:25

Bishwa Nath Singh

Let me pay my humble obeisance to the lotus feet of Guru Amma and seek Her bliss for well-being of al living in this universe!

20 de marzo a las 18:47

UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF THE WORLD - PART 2

Domingo, 21 de marzo de 2010 a las 7:51

( Amma’s talks are directed towards devotees of all faiths, sects and religious organizations. She focuses on the essence of spirituality.)

(Continued from Part 1)
That is why Amma says again and again that each of our actions, each word, each look, even each thought should be done with sraddha, with a lot of care. Each action, word, look and thought has its own effects. Each of our bad deeds and each of our good deeds influence and affect so many others. This reminds Amma of a story:

It was in the days of the court jesters, who used to entertain the kings with jokes and stories. On this occasion, the king did not understand a story the jester told. The king thought that the jester was making fun of him and laughing at his expense. The king, in great anger, gave the jester a severe blow. The jester writhed in pain, but he was helpless. He did not utter a single word but gnashed his teeth in anger. As he was beaten without any reason, the jester could not control himself, and he gave a blow to a person who was standing nearby. This person asked the jester, "What are you doing? I did not do anything to you. Why are you beating me?" The jester replied, "Well, if someone beats you, then you give a beating to the person standing next to you. Life is a giant wheel. Every time it rotates and halts, each and every one gets what he or she rightly deserves. So don't hesitate; go ahead, beat someone else."

This is what we see around us in society today. We vent our anger and frustrations on our neighbours (people nearby), who are totally unaware of the reason. But there is no doubt whatsoever that whatever we give today will come back to us sooner or later. In foreign countries, if the husband hits the wife, the wife will certainly retaliate. Whereas in India, we have been taught otherwise by our ancestors. The husband is a veritable God to the wife, but what is the wife to the husband? Many husbands see their wives as the object on which they can vent their anger. Their child, bubbling with joy and energy, may enter the house at a time when the wife has suppressed all her anger due to the beating and battering she has received from her husband. The child is in ecstasy, imagining all the games he will be playing in the evening with all his friends and companions. The mother's anger is whetted when she sees this. She, in turn, starts beating the child, shouting at him for prancing about in joy, for spoiling his clothes. She goes on beating him until all her anger is released. Poor child! What harm did he do? His world is full of joy and laughter. His mother is totally ignorant of it. A society full of selfishness, anger and egoism crushes the innocent world of the little ones; a world that is filled only with play and joy and happiness.

Life should be like wholehearted, natural laughter. That is religion. That is spirituality. That is true prayer. God is the innocent and sincere smile that issues forth from inside. And that is the greatest gift that we can give the world. The present world is a total stranger to such laughter, such smiles. The world is familiar only with the artificial laughter that exudes selfishness and anger. This is not a true smile. It is only a parting of the lips; there is no heart on conscience there, only sin, violence, hypocrisy and self-deception. We should regain the innocent world of the child, filled with laughter and sunshine. Each one of us should awaken the child that is lying dormant within. We can never grow otherwise.

Today, our body has grown horizontally and vertically, but our minds have not grown at all. If our minds are to grow and expand like the universe, we should become little children. For only a child can grow. We should have the innocence and humility of a child. It is only humility that allows a person to grow, to expand. That is why it is said that you can become a "hero" only if you become a "zero."

Most of us complain that if we try to do good for the world, we cannot develop, we cannot progress. Each moment of our life is a golden opportunity to do good deeds. For those who are desirous of doing good, every moment is precious and useful, while those who procrastinate without even trying, are actually deceiving themselves.

No husband tells his wife, "I shall love you at 10:00 tomorrow morning" or, "I shall love you at 5:00." If someone does declare so, it is evident from the words themselves that the person is hollow, that no love is there. Love is not something that comes later or can be joined and attached afterwards. Love is HERE and NOW. Love and faith are life's beauty, life's adornment.

Sadly, it is human nature to throw stones, to destroy love and faith wherever it is present. But it should not be so, for love is the rose that fills the society with fragrance. Nobody should throw stones and defile it. Modern people say that love and faith are blind. They believe in logic and intelligence. But, Amma says logic is blind, for life will wither away if it is filled only with rationalism. Therefore, we should have eyes only for love and faith. Imagine a society based only on logic and intelligence. We would only see some handsome machines, moving and talking robots. That is why Amma says that life exists on love and faith. Cow dung and other manure should be put at the base of the rose plant. Please don't destroy the plant that fills the atmosphere with fragrance by adding the manure at the top-please don't kill its beauty and fragrance. Use rationalism and intelligence in the proper place. Don't let them destroy the love and faith that adds fragrance and beauty to life. Please don't let this happen. This is what Amma has to say.

Sabarimala bears an eloquent testimony to the fact that thousands have been reformed through love and faith. During the 41-day period of penance during the Mandala Season prior to the pilgrimage, people give up drinking, abandon bad company, renounce ego, resort to abstinence and brahmacharya, all this within the purview of dharma, taking refuge in the mantra "Swamiye Saranam." During this time at least the family members and society get a respite from drinks and drugs. Yet, even then, there are those that shower a volley of criticisms. They argue, "All this is a mere eye-wash to exploit the faith of man." They don't realize the usefulness of this practice. We have to be careful about one thing, criticism is necessary, but it should not be blind. It must not be destructive. For through love and faith we ultimately attain the Self.

Nowadays, the main theme of hundreds of films, novels and songs is love. The writers' and authors' favourite topic is love. But there can be no love just by reading and writing about it. It is very difficult to find true love in the modern world. Even the husband-wife relationship has been reduced to a mechanical one. Life itself has become dreary. Amma remembers a story:

A wife and a husband were sleeping on a cot in the courtyard in front of their house. A sudden whirlwind came up. The wind swept away the couple along with the cot and placed them at a place hundreds of kilometres away. Fortunately, both were unharmed. The wife started crying piteously. The husband asked, "Why are you weeping? We have reached here without any harm. We haven't received even the slightest injury." The wife replied, "I am not crying because I am upset. I am crying because of joy." "Why are you so happy?" he asked. The wife replied, "Oh, we are travelling together for the first time after all these years of marriage. Realizing this, I am shedding tears of joy." Such is family life these days.

Love is the union of hearts. "My life and myself are for the beloved," that should be the attitude. Love is total surrender. However, total surrender and eternal love cannot be felt for ephemeral things. Such love can be felt and experienced only for the Ever Non-Changing Paramatman.

True love is the feeling for the Paramatman. It is the ardent desire for the Lord. We can attain this love, this selflessness, this ecstasy only by complete surrender to God. Therefore, we should be able to surrender ourselves totally unto Him. That is our sole refuge. Without that we cannot enjoy pure bliss.

People may know many things in the world, but they do not know the nature of the world. When we become aware of the nature of the world and live accordingly, we will attain peace of mind. We have all the resources available to increase our material comforts, but though we can change the external conditions, it will not give us any real happiness or satisfaction.

We have so many choices to consider in each and every aspect of our lives. Amma is reminded of a story. An Indian man, visiting America for the first time, was invited to a friend's house. The friend and his wife welcomed their guest and provided him with everything he needed.

"Would you like a cup of tea or coffee?" the wife asked.

"Ah, yes! A cup of tea would be nice, thank you," he replied. And the woman hurried into the kitchen. A few minutes later she came back and said, "I forgot to ask you what kind of tea you wanted! Would you like tea with caffeine? We have English Breakfast tea and Earl Grey. Or would you prefer herbal tea?How about Lemon Zinger, Misty Mango, Raspberry Ice or Apple Cinnamon? Or perhaps you'd care for a cup of green tea?"

The man, of course, had never heard of all these different types of tea. He didn't understand what the woman was talking about. Completely bewildered, he replied, "Uh, I think I'll just have a cup of normal, ordinary tea."

"Fine," said the woman. "I'll get it for you in a jiffy." And she returned to the kitchen. But she soon returned without the tea. "How foolish of me!" she said. "I forgot to ask if you take sugar in your tea!"

Do you want refined, white sugar, brown sugar, honey or artificial sweetener? We have two different types of artificial sweeteners for you to choose from." The poor man was beginning to lose his patience.

He said, "I just want a cup of ordinary tea with a little sugar!"

"Yes, of course!" she replied. "But do you want it black or with milk? We have milk powder, cream, half-and-half and low-fat milk. Then, of course, there's lactose-free soymilk and 'Rice Dream.' Please tell me, which do you prefer?"

At this point, the man completely lost his patience. He said to his hostess, "All I wanted was a simple cup of tea! I never imagined it would entail so many questions! How ridiculous! Please do me a favour.

Forget the tea, and just bring me a glass of water!"

The woman replied, "Okay, but will that be tap water, filtered water or bottled water? Or would you prefer sparkling mineral water?"

The man stormed into the kitchen and helped himself to a glass of water from the tap.

There are many ways to satisfy a small desire, and the choices we have are increasing day by day. But when sorrows and difficulties arise in life, there is no choice, no escape and we have to bear them. It is in these situations that we are shown the importance of spirituality. If we have the right understanding, we can overcome all suffering. Why did this suffering come to us? What is its source? Try to discover the root cause of all suffering. As long as we do not understand the cause of our suffering, we have no choice but to suffer.

A man will say to his girlfriend, "I love you so much. I can't bear to be without you even for a second!" This will make her very happy. But then, within a few days or months, he will say to her, "I cannot bear to live with you for even a second!" And then she will be shattered. That is the nature of the world, and that ever-changing nature inflicts great suffering.

Life is like the swinging of a clock's pendulum. The pendulum is constantly swinging from side to side; it is never still. Similarly, our lives are constantly swinging back and forth, from pain to pleasure, and from pleasure to pain. When the pendulum swings to one side, it doesn't remain there for long; it simply gains enough momentum to swing back to the other side. In the same way, when we experience happiness and pleasure, we should realize that it is only momentary. It won't be long before the pendulum of life will swing back from pleasure to pain.

We need to bring the pendulum to a standstill, to a point of perfect equilibrium. To achieve this, we have to meditate and do other spiritual practices -- this is the only way to attain peace of mind. If we live with the right understanding of the nature of the world, then whatever our situation may be in life, and whatever experiences come our way, we will be prepared to face them and accept them with mental equipoise.

If we don't know that someone is about to set off a firecracker nearby, we will be shocked by the sound of the explosion. But if we are aware of the firecracker in advance, we won't get scared or startled when it explodes. Similarly, when we understand the nature of the world, we won't get unnecessarily upset when a disappointment comes our way; we will have anticipated it, and thus be mentally prepared to cope with it.

What is the nature of the world? It is always selfish. People value a cow and keep it only because of its milk. The day the cow stops giving milk, the owner won't hesitate to sell it to the butcher. As long as we rely on the world for our support, we will continue to experience sorrow and suffering, because that support will not always be there.

But if we try to analyse our suffering, find out what is really causing it and live accordingly, it won't be difficult to succeed in life. A swimmer who puts a lot of effort into trying to cross a river may even be able to cross the ocean if he is totally dedicated and persistent with his training.

The different obstacles we face in life are really situations created by God to make us strong. If you prick your foot on a thorn while walking, it may actually be a blessing in disguise, because from then on you will pay more attention to the path, and thus avoid falling into a deep pit that lies ahead on the road. So we can choose to look upon the obstacles in life as relatively minor ones, which enable us to avoid bigger ones in the future. Hence, whenever we are faced with suffering, we should try to hold on to God even more tightly.

A person who just lifts the same small weights every day can never be a weightlifting champion. The weights should increase as his training proceeds. He first lifts 20 kilos, then 30, then 40 and so on. Only with wholehearted effort can we be truly successful in any area. If you just keep lifting small weights and are then suddenly faced with a much heavier weight, you will collapse under that weight.

Most people do not know how to rely on themselves. They depend on others for their support. If their so-called support gives way, they are sure to collapse. Spirituality teaches us to rely on ourselves, to rely on the Self, and not on any external support.

Amma remembers a story. There was once a clay ball and a leaf that were great friends. They were playing with each other one day when a strong wind began to blow. The clay ball immediately jumped on top of its friend, the leaf, in order to save it from being blown away. When the wind died down they resumed their play. A little while later there was a heavy downpour. The leaf covered the clay ball so that it wouldn't be destroyed in the rain. But then, suddenly, there came a great storm with both wind and rain. Now, neither the clay ball nor the dry leaf could be saved. The leaf was blown away and the clay ball disintegrated.

This story conveys a great teaching about the nature of the world. Our lives can be compared to the game of the clay ball and the leaf. When faced with a minor trial in life, we may be able to get help and comfort from others. But when faced with great difficulties, there is no one there to rescue us. God alone is always there for us, offering us refuge and true comfort. So let us surrender everything at God's feet and seek refuge in Him.

My children, people usually think, "It happened because I thought it would happen, because I wished it." But do things actually happen according to a person's desires? Someone calls out from the next room, "I am coming right now!" But then, before he has taken 10 steps, he has a heart attack and collapses. If it really were in a person's power to make his or her will manifest, then that person would have come as he said he would. We should understand the profound truth of this and surrender everything to God's will. Amma is reminded of a story about Radha and the gopis.

This story took place when Bhagavan Sri Krishna had left Vrindavan and went to live in Mathura. The gopis were heartbroken because they were separated from him. They had gathered together on the banks of the Yamuna River, and were pouring out their hearts to one another.

"Oh, why didn't the Lord take us with him!" lamented one of the gopis. "If he comes again, we should refuse to leave him."

"When the Lord returns, I will ask for a boon," said another gopi.

"What will you ask for?" said the others.

"That I should be allowed to play the rasalila (Lord Krishna's divine dance with the gopis) with him every day. This is the boon I will ask for."

The other gopis joined in: "I will also ask for a boon -- that the Lord will accept butter from my hands every day."

"I will ask the Lord to take me with him to Mathura."

"I want to fan the Lord every day."

Radha, who was listening to the conversation, didn't say a word. The gopis noticed this. They turned to her and said, "Radha, why are you so quiet? Tell us what boon you would ask for."

At first, Radha didn't want to say anything, but when the gopis insisted she finally spoke: "If I have a desire, I will offer that desire at the feet of my Lord. Whatever is His will, that is my will. His happiness is my happiness."

My children, let us surrender everything to God. Let us offer everything to His will. We cannot be certain of our next breath; even that is not under our control. Only God's will prevails. All we can do is to make the best effort we can in life, with the help of the strength that is given to us. We should never be idle, but always do our best. Our effort is essential.

How are we supposed to live this life that has been given to us by God? There is said to be prakriti (normal nature), vikriti (debased nature), and samskriti (refined nature). Four people were each given a piece of bread. The first person devoured his bread the moment he got it. The second person not only ate his own share, he also snatched the third person's share and ate that too. The third person shared his bread with the one who had lost his share.

The behaviour of the first person could be termed ordinary nature. He is concerned only about his own welfare. He doesn't harm anyone, but he doesn't help anyone either. The second fellow's behaviour can be classified as debased nature. He takes care of his own selfish needs to the extent of harming others. The behaviour of the third person, on the other hand, is noble. He strives for the welfare of the world, even at the cost of his own well being, by sharing whatever he has with those who don't have anything. We, too, should share what we have, and strive to utilise this life of ours for the sake of the welfare of others. This is samskriti.

It is said: "Whatever I have earned and spent for myself is lost, but whatever I have given away is still with me." What does this mean? It means that if we give something to others, it will definitely come back to us either today or tomorrow, whereas whatever we selfishly acquire will be lost in due course. However much we have, we cannot take it with us when we die. When we give to others, not only do we make them happy, we also gladden our own hearts.

Amma remembers a story. There was a little boy who had to walk past an orphanage every day on his way to school. He felt very upset when he saw the pathetic condition of those children. Just before Divali, the yearly festival of lights, his father gave him some extra pocket money. The boy thought, "My parents give me toys and new clothes, but who is taking care of those orphans? They don't have any parents, no one to call their own. They must be so sad!" He suddenly had an idea. He approached his friends and suggested, "Let us collect all our pocket money and buy some masks. We can sell them at the bazaar. We can buy things with the money we earn and resell them at a higher price. And let us then use the money we get from that to buy crackers, sweets, toys and masks, and distribute them among the children at the orphanage!" But, except for one of his friends, none of the children wanted to help. They wanted to buy toys for themselves with their money.

So the two boys pooled their pocket money and bought a collection of funny-looking masks. They put masks on their faces and stood at the market square where they amused everyone with their strange "faces" and their games. People gathered around them and everyone heartily enjoyed their show. The boys said to the people, "Please buy these masks from us and give them to your children. It will make them happy and they will laugh. And when you see their joy, it will make you happy too. You enjoyed yourselves when you saw what we were doing. Sadly, there are so many others who are never given the opportunity to laugh or to enjoy themselves. If you buy these masks, a few such unfortunate children will also be made happy. So, please, for their sake, for the sake of their happiness, buy these things from us!" The people were deeply moved by what the boys were doing and by what they said. In no time, all the masks were sold. With the money, the two boys bought more things, which they also sold in this way.

They then bought a lot of sweets, toys, masks and other things, which they brought to the orphanage on the day of Divali. The two boys called all the children and helped them to put on the masks. They lit sparklers and handed them to the children. A great change came over the orphans as their sad faces suddenly broke into jubilant smiles. The children were overwhelmed with joy. They laughed and played and sang and danced. The boy who had organised all this forgot to put a mask on his own face, and he forgot to light a sparkler for himself. His eyes were brimming with tears because he felt so happy. He was even happier than the orphans! He had given away what he had, but he was now receiving so much more in return. This is the greatness of kindness and compassion.

Whatever we give is exactly what we get: if we give love, we ourselves will be given love; if we give anger, we will be given anger in return.

If we look at the world, we can see that countless people are suffering. Millions of people don't even get a single meal a day. People are forced to endure excruciating pain because they cannot afford to buy a single painkiller. But there are also many who squander away their money on cigarettes, alcohol and fancy clothes. If only 10 percent of the wealthy people in India were prepared to help, that would be enough to improve the living conditions of the poor in this country. If they so wished, those 10 percent could eradicate poverty in India. Those who are actually poor are those who, having more than they need, have also grabbed what is the rightful share of others. Unfortunately, they are not aware of their own poverty.

The purpose of this precious human life we have been given is to look within and to realise the spiritual Self. Those who understand this are in truth the wealthy ones in this world; they are the owners of the real riches. They have no worries in life. Henceforth, they are content. Even those who meet them partake of their wealth and are enriched.

Ninety percent of people's physical and mental problems stem from the wounds of the past. Most people go through life carrying their wounds with them. The only way we can heal those wounds is by opening up our hearts and loving one another wholeheartedly.

Just as food is necessary for the growth of the body, love is necessary for nurturing the soul. Love alone can give us the strength and courage that even breast milk cannot provide for a baby. Let us love one another and become as one. Let this be our pledge.

Escrito hace aproximadamente 2 semanas

Bishwa Nath Singh

It is very well said by Our Respected Amma that love is essential for nurturing soul.Let us pay our humble obeisance to your lotus feet and seek your blessings fr grand success of 'Global Peace & Universal Brotherhood" to attain its theme a over the globe with malice to none!

21 de marzo a las 8:28 · Denunciar

Krishna Devi

We must all pray for Global Peace and Universal Brotherhood. There is too much conflict in this world, and only Pure Love can unite us all. May you always be successful in your mission...Pranams

21 de marzo a las 8:34 · Denunciar

Bishwa Nath Singh

Thanks Amma!We count on your blessings-very valuable & meaningful to us.Kibndly accept our humble obeisance.

21 de marzo a las 8:51 · Denunciar

Dhyanatma Saraswati

Hari Om Krishna Devi , I am so grateful that you have sent this note to me. I have glanced over the notes part 1&2 and look forward to study and reflect on the teachings.Amma is coming to Australia ! Regards Dhyanatma

21 de marzo a las 11:56 · Denunciar

J Neal Cassady Carr

Amma is AMAZING! Thanks didi for sharing this ~*~

21 de marzo a las 12:33 · Denunciar

Shanti Devi Dasi

very very beautiful...!!!

21 de marzo a las 23:04 · Denunciar

Krishna Devi

Yes, Neal Prabhu, a Sadguru is recognised spontaneously by our hearts as He or She is non-different from our eternal nature.

22 de marzo a las 7:39

Krishna Devi

INDICE de sus ARTICULOS Krishna Devi

13 de mayo	DEATH AND DYING IN KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS
05 de mayo	AN ARDENT PRAYER TO THE MIND
04 de mayo	HA HA MORA GAURA KISORA
03 de mayo	KRSNA BAMSI GITA SUNI
24 de marzo	RAMASTAKAM
24 de marzo	GLORY TO SHRI RAMA
21 de marzo	UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF THE WORLD - PART 2
20 de marzo	UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF THE WORLD - Part 1
06 de marzo	MEDITATING ON SRI SRI RADHA KRSNA: `Radha Krsna Koro Dhyana'
04 de marzo	SVAPNA VILASAMRTA : Nectar Pastimes in a Dream
03 de marzo	THE GURU BRINGS OUT THE DIVINE ESSENCE IN THE DISCIPLE
25 de febrero	GURU AND SASTRAS
23 de febrero	LORD CAITANYA – THE MOON OF GODRUMA
20 de febrero	MOTHER SPEAKS: CULTIVATING A COMPASSIONATE HEART
19 de febrero	TAKE AWAY MY WILL KRSNA
16 de febrero	NON-SECTARIAN VAISNAVA-DHARMA
14 de febrero	REASON AND LOVE
12 de febrero	Siva, Krsna, Guru, and Sisya
12 de febrero	Sant Jnaneshwar of Alandi, Maharashtra (India)
10 de febrero	AMMA TALKS TO LINDA JOHNSEN FOR YOGA JOURNAL
08 de febrero	Sri Radha-Bhajana Mahima (Glorification of worship to Sri Radha)
03 de febrero	VIRAHASTAKAM: PRAYERS OF SEPARATION FROM SRILA BHAKTISIDDHANTA SARASVATI THAKURA
30 de enero	THE MOONRAYS OF LOVING DEVOTION
28 de enero	NITAI-PADA-KAMALA
27 de enero	TRUTH AND BEAUTY
06 de enero	NO SONG WITHOUT KRISHNA:IN GLORIFICATION OF KAVIRAJ JAYADEVA GOSWAMI -
05 de enero	AMMA ON COMPASSION AND PREMA BHAKTI
03 de enero	O HARI - NAMA
2009
30 de diciembre	Jaya Radhe Jaya Krsna
28 de diciembre	Adore Adore Ye All
24 de diciembre	THE NECTAR OF THE HOLY NAME
20 de diciembre	GLORIFYING THE LOTUS FEET OF SRI RADHIKA
18 de diciembre	PREMA BHAKTI: LOVE GOD WITH ALL THY HEART
06 de diciembre	RADHIKA SARADA INDU NINDIMUKHA
04 de diciembre	THE PRINCIPLE REASON FOR THE DESCENT OF SRI CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU
03 de diciembre	RADHA RAKA SASADDHARA MURALI KARA
01 de diciembre	KRISHNA IS THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH
20 de noviembre	SRI SRI RADHIKA ASTOTTARA SATA NAMA STOTRAM by Srila Raghunatha Dasa Goswami
19 de noviembre	LOVE FOR THE LORD IS THE ETERNAL RELIGION
17 de noviembre	SRI RUPA-CINTAMANI
16 de noviembre	RADHIKA STUTI
13 de noviembre	SRI KRSNA'S SIXTY- FOUR DIVINE QUALITIES
12 de noviembre	QUALITIES OF SRIMATI RADHARANI
12 de noviembre	SPIRITUAL NEED, PAIN AND CARE: RECOGNITION AND RESPONSE IN ISKCON
07 de noviembre	YAMUNASHTAKAM
05 de noviembre	PRAYERS TO THE QUEEN OF VRNDAVAN- SRILA RUPA GOSWAMI
04 de noviembre	SRIMATIJI IS THE EPITOME OF TRANSCENDENTAL MELLOWS
03 de noviembre	SELFLESS LOVE AND DEVOTION TO GOD