Question: There must be some connection between love and speech. Could you please explain?
Amma: “Son, you are not wrong, but the real connection is not between love and speech. The real connection is between love and silence. When there is real love, there is silence. There cannot be any words – there is only stillness. Just like a perfectly calm lake, there cannot be ripples or waves when real love is experienced. Ripples and waves are a distortion, a distraction, a disturbance in the mental lake. Love ensues from stillness of mind. In that stillness one can experience silence. The talking of the mind stops completely. Real love is felt in that silence. Silence is the only language of pure love.
“Real love exists in the heart. The love that exists in the heart cannot be spoken; it cannot be put into words. The heart is not the place for words. Words are part of the intellect. The intellect can speak, but it is nothing more than a tape recorder; it records and spits out words and words and words – words that don’t contain any feelings. The intellect cannot feel compassion; it cannot feel love or kindness. It can only reason. It will even try to reason out love and compassion. Son, where there is too much talking, there is no love. One who really loves is constantly in a meditative mood. Thoughts cease to exist in the presence of such love. The true lover only meditates; he never thinks. All his thoughts are about his beloved, so there are not numerous thought waves in his mind. Only one thought prevails and that singular thought is about his beloved. When there is only one thought, there is no mind. The lover’s constant single-minded focus on the beloved touches the innermost recesses of his heart, where words and speech cannot reach. All explanations stop. No more elaboration is possible then. The lover gets drawn into a constant state of meditation. At that point the two become one.
“Meditation prevails in real love. You become silent and remain at rest in your own Real Self. One cannot speak when one is at rest in one’s own Self. That is why Lord Dakshinamurti, the first Guru, always remained in silence. It is said that Lord Dakshinamurthi taught his disciples through silence. He did not speak, and his disciples did not speak either. But the Lord taught and the disciples understood him.
“But now nobody will understand the silence of a real lover or a mediator. They may consider him strange or call him crazy because the silence of meditation is unknown to them. They are familiar only with words, and the so-called love that they have experienced cannot exist without words. They feel it is impossible to express love without words. However, in that experience of oneness with the beloved, there is no speech. You become silent and still. This state is known as Samadhi, a state where you are in constant meditation.
A person who always thinks intellectually cannot understand the feelings of the heart. He cannot understand the meaning of meditation and love. He knows nothing but talking. What's the use of such an intellect?
"Children, Mother is not trying to say that the intellect is entirely useless. It is needed; it is absolutely necessary. But it has an appropriate place of its own. Put it where it belongs. Do not us it inappropriately. To place inordinate emphasis on the intellect is dangerous. That will spoil the beauty of life. Too much intellect and not enough heart will cause conflict, disappointment and frustration. There should be a balance between the heart and the intellect. If we penetrate deeply into all aspects of life, we will find that love is hidden behind everything. We will discover that love is the force, the power and inspiration behind every word and action. This applies to all people, irrespective of race, caste, religion, or profession.
"To an outsider, a scientist making experiments in the laboratory appears to be doing solely intellectual work. Most people say that his work takes brains, and therefore it is intellectual work and not something that involves the heart. But look carefully into the process. What will be revealed is that there is love in his work, that his heart is engaged in the work. In fact, if you can really see, you will understand that without love one cannot do that kind of work. In reality, the more you observe, the more you will realize that love is the force behind all scientific experimentation and inventions; it is behind all work.
“Love sharpens the intellect. The more love you have, the more sharpness and clarity you will have. You may call it a sharp or subtle intellect, but is love that is working behind the sharpness or subtlety. It is just a question of realizing this. Some realize it, some don’t.
"Son, no work can be performed without concentration. Whatever the work is, mental or physical, and whether it is easy or difficult, exciting or mundane, concentration is required. Now, what is concentration? Concentration is nothing but stillness of mind. Concentration stops the flow of thoughts. When thoughts stop, the restless mind ceases in its activity and stillness is possible. That stillness of mind comes only as a result of love. For a scientist it is the love to be inventive and to experiment which helps him dive deeply into his work. He loves to work hard. The common terms used in relation to this are `interest' or `sincerity' or `intense desire'. These terms are synonymous with love. Without love there is no interest, no sincerity or intense desire. Isn't that correct?"
Question: Amma, in that case, why this differentiation between heart and intellect? They're almost the same thing, aren't they?"
Amma: "In the ultimate sense there is no difference at all. But in your present mental state, there is a difference which you yourself impose due to your ignorance. You have not yet reached the Supreme State. You are still in the world of duality. You are still in the world of words and phrases - the world of differentiation - hence, this explanation. Once the limitations are surpassed, then there is only love, nothing but Divine Love. In fact, all these explanations and different terms are only to make you understand that experience alone can reveal Truth, and that words and explanations will not do much good.
"When thinking and reasoning predominate in a person we call him an intellectual. And when there is more love and compassion, we call it heart. Both heart and intellect are needed. In fact, as far as the intellect is concerned, what we really need is not just thinking, but discriminative thinking, a discriminative intellect. We need to be able to think properly and discriminate between good and bad, and we also need a good heart in order to feel and express love. Heart and intellect are necessary for both a sadhak and person who leads a regular life. Usually, this balance between the heart and the intellect is hard to find.
"Children, love is our real nature. We are of the nature of Divine Love. That love is shining in each and every one of us. As love is our innate nature, there cannot be any manifestation of any kind without this power of love behind it.
“Certainly the scientist who is inventive and who experiments has love in him. But that love is limited to a narrow channel. It is directed only to the scientific field in which he works. It doesn't embrace all creation. He is more or less bound to the laboratory where he sits, or the scientific equipment which he uses. He does not think of real life. He is more interested in finding out whether there is life on the moon or on Mars. He is more interested in inventing nuclear armaments.
"A scientist may claim that he is trying to find the truth of the empirical world through an analytic approach. He dissects things to analyze how they function. If he is given a kitten, he is more interested in using the animal for research than in loving it as a pet. He will measure its rate of breathing, its pulse and blood pressure. In the name of science and the search for truths, he will dissect the animal and examine its organs. Once the kitten has been cut open, it is dead. Life disappears and any possibility for love is gone. Only if there is life is there love. In his search for the truth of life, the scientist unwittingly destroys life itself. Strange!
" Life is love. To see and feel life in everything is love. Life is not on the moon or in the sun. On the contrary, the moon is life, and the sun is life. Life is here. Life is there. Life is everywhere. There is nothing but life. It is the same with love. Wherever there is life, there is love and vice versa. Life and love are not two, they are one. But ignorance about their oneness will prevail until Realisation comes. Until Realisation comes, the difference between the intellect and the heart will continue.
" A scientist is more concerned about the outside than the inside. He is more interested in the parts than in the whole. He is so engrossed in the world he perceives, that he is totally unaware of the inner universe. He has many great ideas. He is endowed with a sharp intellect, but his love is limited to the scientific field only. It does not embrace everything. Mother would say that a real scientist should be a real lover - a lover of mankind, a lover of all creation and a lover of life.
"A rishi is a real lover because he has dived into his own Self, the very core of life and love. He experiences life and love everywhere - above, below, front, back - in all directions. Even in hell, even in the nether world, he sees nothing but life and love. For him there is nothing but life and love shining forth with splendour and glory from all directions. Therefore, Mother would say that he is a `real scientist'. He experiments in the inner laboratory of his own being. He never creates division in life. For him life is one whole. He always dwells in the undivided state of love and life.
"The real scientist, the sage, lovingly embraces life and becomes one with it. He never tries to fight with life. While the scientist tries to fight and conquer life, the sage simply surrenders to life and lets it carry him wherever it may."
Rabbi Leah Novick
Pathfinder of the Jewish Renewal Movement
The Rabbi's Amritavarsham50 Women's Initiative speech
“hachneeseyni tachat knafeich
va't' hee lee l aim v achot
v'y'hee chee kaich miklat roshi
kach tefilatai ha nidachot
“‘Shelter me under your wings (and)
Be my Mother, my Sister
May your bosom be a nest for my head (and)
The place for receiving my prayers.’
“This is a poem from Chaim Nachman Bialik who lived in the late 18th century and wrote in Hebrew. And it’s evidence I believe that no matter how patriarchal a tradition seems, we never forget God the Mother.
“For centuries, Jews have been praying to come under the protection of the Shekhinah, the Divine Mother. Our ancestors, Abraham and Sarah, also the ancestors of Islam, welcomed new souls into her winged protection; and our traditional prayer for the dead, the kadish, asks that the compassionate deity shelter the departed one under the Shekhinah's wings.
“Shekhinah is defined by our commentators as "she who dwells within, within the heart." In the Torah, God says to us: ta asu lee mikdash v shachanti b tocham. ‘If you will make a sanctuary for me, I will come and dwell within you.’ So, Shekhinah, according to our sages, is God's immanence; the ‘Divine Presence’ that we can feel and experience in the body, relate to here on earth, and find in Nature, because She rests also on the rocks, on the plants and flowers and, of course, on the animals as well as us.
“When the ancient Israelites were nomadic, that experience of Shekhinah in Nature was very dramatic. She appeared first as the Oceanic Birth Mother when they went through the Red Sea. Not in the Cecil B. DeMille version but hopefully in their hearts. She then guided them through the desert with ‘Seven Clouds of Glory,’ probably what rests over Mount Shasta. She then warmed them at night with ‘Pillars of Fire,’ and She feed them magical food referred to as manna, a kind of spiritual tofu.
“When we became more sophisticated, instead of carrying her everywhere in an arc, we had to build a huge Temple in Jerusalem. The Talmud says that when the temple was completed, the Shekhinah lived there, and all of its walls were lined with love—very much our experience when we go somewhere where Amma stays for awhile. But our temples were destroyed, we were dispersed and our Prophets, particularly the Prophet Jeremiah, saw the Divine Mother garbed in a heavy black robe, sitting at the Western Wall and weeping for Her children. With unconditional love, She left Her usual dwelling place. Although, of course, She is ubiquitous and lives everywhere, but the foundation myth is that She followed us into exile, particularly in Persia. And that She became available to us and to all human beings everywhere in the world.
“And I would like to emphasize that even though our Shekhinah is sort of ethno-particular or particular to our civilization, just as Lakshmi, Saraswati, Durga and so on are particular to the Vedic tradition, they are available to all.
“Our Sages taught in the Talmud that the Shekhinah rests on whoever comes together to study and pray. In our tradition it’s the menyon of 10 but even in the Talmud, the rabbis say any place the people gather to study and pray, the Shekhinah will rest on them. She comes to all those who give charity, even the person who gives one coin to a beggar and She lives with those who extend hospitality, especially to strangers.
“Conversely—and remember this was written between the 5th and the 7th century—the Talmud says, ‘Violence, rape and incest forced the Shekhinah to leave the earth and ascend to the seven heavens,’ for She always has that option. Just as Amma makes the sacrifice of being here on earth with us, our rabbis taught that we have to pray for the Shekhinah to want to be with us on earth.
“Despite all these beautiful teachings, Jewish women remained second-class citizens who were not allowed to sign contracts, initiate divorce proceedings or serve as witnesses in religious courts. They had few ritual obligations, mostly those connected with home ritual, and they were excluded from religious leadership. There were a few of them that got to study formally, but the formal study tended to be male and, over the years, the Shekhinah became the province of elite scholars; and in that process, became increasingly abstract and philosophical.
“The Kabbalistic mystics saw visions of a beautiful, young Shekhinah in full glory with lots of emeralds and diamonds and rubies and they re-opened the gateway to the Divine Mother. Mostly in the 17th and 18th century, they began to speak of her as the ‘Sabbath Queen,’ which is a tradition maintained all over the world by Jews and they described her specific places on the ‘Tree of Life’ with both literature and poetry.
“At the same time, their wives and daughters who they were considered the Shekhinah’s representatives, were not allowed to raise their voices in sacred song. The sound of a woman’s voice in Judaism was considered lascivious. Women provided the labour for important ceremonial life, but were not counted in the public prayer quorums or called to the Torah until recently. They had an intimate relationship with the divine; but their wisdom as healers, herbalists, midwives and nurturers was not taught formally and, unfortunately, most of their teachings were not published.
“Great Masters, like the Chasidic Masters, the miracle workers of Eastern Europe, had great respect for women’s insights and also taught their congregations, their followers, their devotees, that the most important thing we can do is to pray to bring the Shekhinah back to earth. However that devotional path was lost for the last few hundred years with the advent of modernity, and the impact of the European holocaust. Twentieth-century women like myself, despite a very elaborate Jewish education, came to adulthood with no awareness of the Cosmic Jewish Mother. We may have had jokes about the dysfunctional Jewish mother but we didn’t have much insight about the submerged and un-taught Great Mother.
“With the resurgence of feminism in the 1970s, and the influence of the larger Goddess Movement, many of us went looking for the feminine face of God. Many had visions and dreams, and we turned inward as other groups of women did to rediscover the Goddess in ourselves. Women’s New Moon groups emerged, and the struggle for the ordination of women rabbis and cantors. We’ve been getting ordained in the liberal movement since the ’70s and in the conservative movement since the mid-’80s.
And the influx of women, mostly very young women, brought a great deal of energy and artistic creativity. Women now can become bat mitzvah [Jewish ceremony wherein a girl is accepted as a woman and a responsible member of the religious community] at 12 years old, and women can be prayer leaders and so on. The feminine voice of God, what we call the bat kol in Hebrew, was heard again and began to permeate Jewish culture, opening people’s hearts.
“And the thing that has been the most encouraging for me in all of this history is seeing in a period less than 30 years, how the North American and British Jewish community, have truly opened their hearts to the women leaders and that process has begun in Israel and in Europe as well. The ’70s brought a lot of political action within Jewish life. And much of that in the secular political area.
“Amma has reminded us, particularly in the UN speech, of how much remains to be done, and that is true in all of the religious traditions.
“In general, religious leaders that incorporate the divine feminine in their services and in their public discourse remain the minority. Male liturgical language and old images are still the norm. And the possibilities for teaching children and youth about the divine feminine are still in their infancy. And we have been very blessed, and continue to be blessed, that Mother has emerged during this later part of the 20th century and travels around the world, showering us with Her unconditional love, as She continues to do here.
“Our presence is a testimonial to the universal and eternal nature of that love and the divine presence that Amma embodies. I am especially grateful that Amma has given me the gift of direct experience of the Divine Mother. For myself, it has been 13 blissful years, and this June in San Ramon I celebrated my bat-mitzvah with Amma. Thirteen amazing and miraculous years. And I am so grateful that I have been helped to go beyond the texts. For me, it was very important to rediscover the Shekhinah in the traditional texts, in the traditional commentaries. I write about Jewish women who are like bodhisattvas [a Buddhist term indicating one who has achieved enlightenment], and there was a desperate search to be able to bring this reality through the text. But Amma has taken me to the next stage which is to experience Shekhinah in the heart and through the heart. So I thank Her from the bottom of my heart, and I thank you.”
24 - 27 September 2003, KOCHI, Kerala, India
Copyright © Mata Amritanandamayi Math, Amritapuri PO. Kollam, Kerala, S.India, 690525
Excerpted from Sage Thayumanavar’s Tejomayanandam, verse 8.
To tame a rutting elephant, who has snapped his tethering-post,
and to walk him under our control – that is possible.
To muzzle a bear, or a fierce tiger – that is possible.
To ride upon the back of the incomparable lion – that is possible.
To charm snakes, and make them dance – that is possible.
To put mercury into a furnace, transform the five base metals,
sell them, and live from the proceeds – that is possible.
To wander the earth, invisible to everyone else – that is possible.
To command the celestials in our own service – that is possible.
To remain forever young – that is possible.
To transmigrate into another physical body – that is possible.
To walk on water, or to sit amidst flames – that is possible.
To attain supernatural powers, that know no equal - that is possible.
But the ability to control the mind, and remain still, is very difficult indeed.
God, whose nature is consciousness,
who as the reality, impossible to seek,
took up his abode within my understanding!
Refulgent light of bliss!
Excerpted from Sage Thayumanavar’s , Kallalin, Verse 25
The doctrines of all religions contradict each other. They wage war, collide with each other, and finally die.
On this battlefield all the religions retreat defeated when they stand before mauna, which abides beneficently, sustaining them all.
The rare and wonderful power of mauna is that it remains without enmity towards any of the religions.
The many different religions are appropriate to the maturity of each individual, and all of them are acceptable to reality.
Abandoning vain disputation, which only deludes and torments the mind, accept the doctrine of the mauna religion, which always remains undisturbed.
Shining Supreme!
If we scrutinise all the religions
that look so different,
we find no contradiction in their purpose.
They are all your sport.
Just as all rivers discharge into the sea,
they all end in the ocean of mauna.
(The Silent Sage Thayumanavar was a distinguished Tamil poet-saint who lived in the first half of the eighteenth century, from 1705 to 1742 AD.)
"Do you know what kind of detachment is needed to attain God-realization? Imagine that you are sleeping soundly at home. Suddenly you wake up feeling very hot. You find that there is a fire raging all around you. Wouldn't you get into a frenzy at that moment, trying to escape from the fire? Think of the urgency with which you would cry for help, seeing death in front of you. You have to cry with that same urgency to get the vision of God. Think of how someone who falls into deep water and cannot swim, would struggle for breath. That's how much you have to struggle to merge in the Supreme Absolute. You should constantly feel the grief of not having attained the vision of God. At every moment, your heart should ache for it."
"Remembrance of God is like avettuchembu (the root of a kind of tuber plant). Do you know what is unique about the vettuchembu? In most plants once the seedling decays in the root it won't sprout again; whereas, this is not the case with the vettuchembu. Not matter how much it decays, if there is even a little bit of green somewhere, the shoot will come from there. Similar is the case with the remembrance of God. Suppose that the remembrance of God has entered into our mind at some time or other. It doesn't matter how much the mind is spoiled or how long it has remained under evil influences. When spiritual awareness dawns, that former thought of God will spring up and sprout. This is the special feature of Godly thoughts. So, we don't have to be afraid now, do we?" AMMA
Excerpted from Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi.4.238-48
Krsnera vicara eka achaye antare purananda purna rasa rupa kahe more
Once Lord Krsna considered within His heart: " Everyone says that I am complete bliss, full of rasas.
ama ha-ite anandita haya tribhuvana amake ananda dibe, aiche kon jana
“All the world derives pleasure from Me. Is there anyone who can give Me pleasure?
ama haite yara haya sata sata gunas sei jana ahladite pare mora mana
“One who has a hundred times more qualities than Me could give pleasure to My mind.
ama haite guni bada jagate asambhava ekali Radhate taha kari anubhava
“One more qualified than Me is impossible to find in the world. But in Radha alone I feel the presence of one who can give me pleasure.
mora rupe apyayita haya tribhuvana Radhara darsane mora judaya nayana
“Although my beauty defeats the beauty of ten million Cupids, although it is unequaled and unsurpassed and although it gives pleasure to the three worlds, seeing Radharani gives pleasure to My eyes.
mora vamsi gite akarsaye tribhuvana Radhara vacane hare amara sravana
“The vibration of My transcendental flute attracts the three worlds, but My ears are enchanted by the sweet words of Radharani
yadyapi amara sparsa kotindu sitala Radhikara sparse ama kare susitala
“And although My touch is cooler than ten million moons, I am refreshed by the touch of Radharani.
ei mata jagatera sukhe ami hetu Radhikara rupa guna amara jivatu
“Thus although I am the source for the happiness of the entire world, the beauty and qualities of Radhika are My life and soul”.
Excerpted from Srila Prabhupada's Lecture on Bhagavad-gita — London, August 25, 1973
Bhagavad-gita 2.19-20
ya enam vetti hantaram
yas cainam manyate hatam
ubhau tau na vijanito
nayam hanti na hanyate
[Bg. 2.19]
“He who thinks that the living entity is the slayer or that he is slain does not understand. One who is in knowledge knows that the self slays not nor is slain.”
na jayate mriyate va kadacin
nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah
ajo nityah sasvato ‘yam purano
na hanyate hanyamane sarire
[Bg. 2.20]
“For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.”
So, in different ways, Krsna is trying to convince us how the soul is immortal. Different ways. Ya enam vetti hantaram [Bg. 2.19]. When there is fight, so if one is killed or… So Krsna says that if one thinks that “This man has killed this man,” so, or “This man can kill this man,” this kind of knowledge is not perfect. Nobody kills nobody. Then the butchers, they may say that “Then why do you complain that we are killing?” They’re killing the body, but you cannot kill when there is injunction “Thou shall not kill.”
That means you cannot kill the body even without sanction. You cannot kill. Although the soul is not killed, the body is killed, still you cannot kill the body without sanction. That is sinful. For example, that a man is living in some apartment. So some way or other you drive him away from that, illegally, you drive him away. So the man will go out and will take shelter somewhere. That’s a fact. But because you have driven him away from his bona fide position, you are criminal. You cannot say, “Although I have driven away, he’ll get some place.” No. That’s all right, but you have no power to drive him away. He was in his legal position to live in that apartment, and because you have forcibly driven him away you are criminal, you should be punished.
So this argument the butchers or the animal killers or any kind of killer, they cannot put argument. That “Here, Bhagavad-gita says that soul is never killed, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20], even after destroying the body. So why you are complaining that we are killing?” So this is the argument, that you cannot even kill the body. That is not allowed. That is sinful. Ubhau tau na vijanito nayam hanti na hanyate. So nobody kills anybody, neither anybody is killed by others. This is one thing. Again, in a different way, Krsna says, na jayate: the living entity never takes birth. The birth is of the body or the death is of the body. Living entity, the spiritual spark, then that being Krsna’s part and parcel, as Krsna does not take birth, does not die… Ajo ‘pi sann avyayatma. You’ll find in the Fourth Chapter. Ajo ‘pi. Krsna is aja. Aja means who never takes birth. Similarly, we being part and parcel of Krsna, we also never take birth. The birth and death is of this body, and we are so absorbed in the bodily concept of life that when there is birth or death of the body we feel the pains and pleasures. There is no pleasure of course. Birth and death, it is very painful. Because… That is already explained. The consciousness of the soul is spread all over the body. Therefore, the pains and pleasures felt on account of this body. So Krsna has already advised that such kinds of pains and pleasure, matra-sparsas tu kaunteya [Bg. 2.14], touching the skin only, one should not be very much bothered. Tams titiksasva bharata. In this way if we think about our position, self-realization, how we are different from the body… Actually, this is meditation. If we think very seriously about ourselves and about the body, that is self-realization. Self-realization means I am not this body, I am aham brahmasmi, I am spirit soul. That is self-realization.
So na jayate na mriyate va kadacit. Kadacit means at anytime, past, present, and future, kadacit. In the past, it is already explained, in the past we existed, maybe in a different body. At present, we are existing, and in the future also, we shall exist, continue to exist, maybe in a different body. Maybe, not. Actually. Tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13], because after giving us this body, we have to accept another body. So this is going on. And ignorance, without knowledge of self, we are being kept in ignorance. The so-called educational system, all over the world, there is no such education. They are kept in darkness and ignorance and still so much money is being spent, especially in the Western countries. They have got money, big, big high schools, but what is the production? All fools and rascals. That’s all. Because they do not know. They have no idea what is self. And without this knowledge… Knowledge means self-realization, that “I am not this body; I am spirit soul.” That is knowledge. And knowledge how to eat, how to sleep, how to defend, how to enjoy sex life, and volumes of books on this subject matter, these are not knowledge. They are known even by the cats and dogs. The cats and dogs never read Freud’s philosophy, but they know how to enjoy sex life.
Question: Amma, in Your ashram, do You accord the greatest importance to devotion? When I watch the prayers and bhajans, it appears like a show to me.
Amma: Son, imagine that you have a sweetheart. If you were talking to her, would it seem like a show to you? You can never feel so, if you really love someone, even though it may seem like a show to others. Whether the lover speaks to his sweetheart or she speaks to him, it makes them both blissful -- they never feel dissatisfied.
No matter how many hours they may go on talking, they are never bored by it. It is the same with the experience we derive from prayer. For us it could never be a show. Our prayers are an expression of our relationship with God and our closeness to Him, they are the conversations we have with our Sweetheart who dwells within us.
You are the Atman (Self). Your true nature is bliss. You don't ever deserve sorrow. You are not the jivatman (individual soul), you are the Paramatman (the Supreme Self). That is the inner meaning of prayer. Prayers are not empty words.
Prayers and other devotional practices can be found in every religion. In Islam, for example, prayer is very important; and namaz (prostrations) is also a part of their practices. In Christianity prayer is vitally important. They pray before the form of Christ and before lighted candles. Prayer also has a significant place in Buddhism and Hinduism. In all of these religions the Guru-disciple relationship exists as well. Furthermore, we see prophets and Gurus appearing in our midst from time to time who are revered almost as much as God. Aren't these different expressions of devotion? Those who have assimilated the scriptures contemplate Vedantic truths, and thus move forward on the spiritual path. However, even this is possible only because they have pure devotion towards the scriptures and their masters.
Son, real devotion is to behold God in everyone and to love and respect everyone. You should cultivate such an attitude. We should elevate our minds so that we may see the Divine in everything.
We do not think of God as someone dwelling in the heavens. God is the all-pervading Consciousness. To know Him and to experience Him is the purpose of our lives. The aim of shravana (hearing the scriptural truths), manana (contemplating on those truths), and nididhyasans (total assimilation of those truths) is to understand the nature of the Supreme Self or God. Devotion is a form of spiritual practice that leads to that experience.
It is not easy to turn the mind, which has been wandering hither and thither for a long time, inward. Those who have studied the scriptures may prefer the path of "neti, neti" (not this, not this), rejecting everything except the Self. A lot of people, however, are unable to learn the scriptures, yet also have the right to realise the true nature of the Self. For them, devotion to God is the means. Some patients can take injections, but there are others who are allergic to them. In a similar way, Amma prescribes different spiritual practices to different people depending on their samskaras (their nature inherited from this and previous lives). We cannot say that one particular path is given prominence in this ashram. All we can say is that everything is aimed towards the good of the people.
The two banks of a river appear to be separate only because the river is filled with water. When the water dries up only a single continuous stretch of sand remains -- everything is one. So, too, it is because of our individuality, our individual consciousness, that there appears to be you and me. Once the individuality is gone, everything is one and the same -- whole and perfect. Through both the "neti, neti" path and the path of devotion, we reach the same experience of the Self.
The "neti, neti" path can be explained with an illustration: A child is bringing medicine to his father who is bedridden. When he reaches the door to his father's room, the power supply fails. He is in the dark and he cannot see a thing. The boy fumbles along the wall and touches the door. "Not this," he murmurs and enters the room. He stumbles against the table and says, "Not this." He touches his father's bed and says, "Not this." Then finally his hand reaches his father. "Oh, yes!" he exclaims. "It's my father." In this way, by rejecting everything that is not his father, he reaches his father. The path of devotion is also similar to this. A true devotees attention is only on God. God is all he cares about. He doesn't accept anything other than his Beloved. His only thought is, "My God, my God..." Finally through, his single-pointed devotion, he attains his beloved God.
Some people contemplate, "I am not the body; I am not the mind; I am not the intellect -- I am the pure Self." Constantly seeking the Self, they reject the body, mind, etc., as the cause of all sorrows. Others hold that they belong to God and want only Him; they perceive that God is everything, and they seek that God alone. They, too, attain the same experience of this Self. This is the only difference between the two paths.
Whichever spiritual path we are on, our aim is to cultivate an eye that sees everything as the form of God. This should become our very existence. We should be able to know and experience that everything is God alone. That is true devotion. When we see only God in everything, we forget our individual self. Our individuality dissolves and vanishes.
Through devotion we are not seeking a God who sits somewhere beyond the sky. Instead we learn to perceive God in everything. A true devotee doesn't wander about in search of God. God shines within his own heart, for he doesn't behold anything as being separate from God. The purpose of his prayer is only to realise that oneness. Through our prayers we are glorifying the Supreme Truth. What is needed is to uplift the mind from the plane of the body to the plane of the Self. A hundred-watt bulb in a smoky kitchen doesn't give the radiance of even a zero-watt bulb because it has been covered by soot over a long period of time. If we wipe the soot away, the bulb will once again shine with its full brilliance.
Likewise, sadhana is the process of removing the impurities within us. By removing the covering that is blocking our innate divinity, the infinite divine power will become our direct experience; we will realize that we are not born to grieve or to suffer, but that we are the very embodiment of bliss. However, it doesn't benefit us to merely prattle about it. Sadhana is imperative. Everyone has the innate capacity to swim, we have to enter the water and practice relentlessly. In the same way, devotion and prayer are the means by which we awaken the latent divinity within us.
Question: Amma, some say that a master must abide by certain moral and ethical values in his own life. Others disagree about this. What is your opinion?
Amma: “ A true master will always set an example for his disciples to follow. He is the embodiment of our noblest values. Amma would say that a satguru, even though he is beyond all laws and limitations, must strictly adhere to moral and ethical values. As long as a master remains in his body, serving society, he has to abide by certain fundamental moral and ethical values, for only then can he be an example to others. If the guru say, `Look, I am beyond everything, and therefore I can do whatever I please! Just obey me and do as I tell you,’ it can only harm the disciple. It could even cause the disintegration of society. An authentic master would never make such declarations, because it would be a sign of arrogance. Such a statement in itself implies that the sense of `I’, the ego, is still very much present. A true master is exceptionally humble. He has the attitude of bowing down before everything, allowing pure existence to flow into him and take complete possession of him. The great masters have no sense of ego at all.
“A genuine master is the embodiment of humility. In him you can observe true surrender and acceptance, and thus you are given a real example that you can relate to. Only in the presence of a fully surrendered soul can the disciple spontaneously and effortlessly surrender, without the slightest feeling of there being any force involved.
“To force the disciple in any way would be harmful and would, if anything, impede the disciple’s development. Real surrender is something that happens naturally within the disciple. A change takes place inwardly. There is a change in his perception and understanding, and in the attitude behind his actions. The whole focus of his life changes.
“Also, a master wouldn’t be setting a good example if he were to proudly declare, `I am Self-realized’, or, `I am beyond everything.’ If there is any sense of `I’ present, the person is not realized. Self-realization is the total absence of `I’ and `mine’. It can be compared to being the boundless sky or open space. Does space have any sense of `I’? No, it just is. It is simply present. Does a rain cloud or a flower have any sense of `I’? No, not at all. Each exists as an offering to the world. Similarly, a true master, who is established in the Self, offers himself to the world. All the great masters of the past, the ancient saints and sages, were perfect living examples of our highest and noblest values.
“There are people who say, “Why quote or follow the ancients? After all, they lived eons ago.’ They say, `Spirituality and the spiritual masters have to change and become more flexible, because the world we are living in today is completely different.’ Those who say this should understand that there is only one Truth. People may talk about the Truth in different ways, but the experience is one and the same. The Truth has already been explained. There is no new Truth. Asking for a new Truth would be childish; it could be compared to a child at school saying to his teacher, `All the teachers keep telling us that three plus three is six. I’m bored hearing the same old answer again and again. Why can’t you give a new answer, and make three plus three equal something else for a change?’
“No, that isn’t possible. Someone may present it in a different way, but you can’t invent a new Truth for your convenience. Even if the guru is beyond the body and devoid of all human weaknesses, the disciples are not. They are still identified with the body and the ego. So they need a living example, an embodiment of all the divine qualities, as a reference to hold on to. The disciples draw their inspiration from the master. A true master, therefore, places great importance on morality and ethics, and he himself strictly adheres to those values, to set an example and to inspire his disciples.
“Of course, the customs, ethics, and morality of different nations may differ. There are, however, certain principles that are universal, that have been shared by people throughout the centuries. For example, the principle of truthfulness has always been applicable to every individual, society and nation. Truth, peace, love, selflessness, self-sacrifice, and humility are all universally applicable values.”
Question: Amma, what is a true spiritual master, and how does one recognize such a master?
Amma : “A certain intellectual understanding of spirituality is necessary for a seeker to be able to recognize a true master. Of course, one of the criteria is the spontaneous love and attraction one feels towards the master. A satguru is irresistible; people are drawn to him like iron filings to a powerful magnet. The relationship between a real master and disciple is incomparable---- there is nothing like it. It has a permanent effect on the disciple. In that relationship the disciple can never come to any harm.
“However, when you feel drawn to someone whom you believe to be a true master, it is very important that you use your power of discrimination. You may feel spontaneously drawn to that person, but as you are not yet established in the state of real wisdom, your feelings are not necessarily to be trusted. You may simply be mesmerized by that person’s power, believing that he can fulfill your needs and desires. As long as your intuition is not a real, integral part of your nature, your feelings are not always to be trusted.
“Think of how many painful psychological blows you have received in your life. Eventually, you become a big walking wound. Why? Because of your wrong judgment. You have failed to use your power of discrimination. An aspect of karma is certainly involved here, but remember that however powerful your past may be, how you deal with the present moment is more important because that is what determines your future.
“If a person boasts of being a guru, without being established in God-consciousness, he will only hurt people through his thoughts and actions. He may talk, walk, and look like a realized master---but see if he loves everything in creation equally and unconditionally and is truly compassionate. If not, be alert, for he is undoubtedly still identified with the ego. Just to catch disciples he may conceal his ego and act innocently. But once he has caught you, he will begin to exploit you and hurt you, creating deep wounds within you.
“Don’t get excited if you meet somebody who claims to be a Self-realized master, because people who make such claims can be dangerous. First of all, when one attains the state of supreme realization, one loses oneself in the ocean of sat-chit-ananda. You lose your limited, individual self and there is no one to claim or declare anything. You simply merge into the infinite ocean of bliss and, instead of speaking about it, you prefer to be silent. However, a realized soul sometimes does speak out of love and compassion for the people. But he would never announce, ‘I am Self-realized! I’ll take you to God, on the condition that you surrender to me'.
“An authentic master won’t do anything in particular to attract anyone’s attention, but people will nevertheless be drawn to him. His love, compassion, and serenity spontaneously flow from him, just as rain pours out of a cloud, or water flows forth in a gushing river. Those who are thirsty will be drawn to the water.
“If you are sincere, dedicated, and have enough yearning, you will find the perfect master and he will heal your wounds. Your genuine longing to realize God will lead you to a satguru, or rather, the satguru will appear in your life. However be careful when you enter spiritual life. There are people out there who are good at using flowery, persuasive words, who won’t hesitate to make all sorts of claims. Examine such a person and see if he radiates divine love and peace.
“This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t listen to any spiritual talks given by scholars. It’s all right to do so, but always remember to be cautious and alert. Watch your mind and emotions. Don’t allow yourself to be deluded by false claims and promises. That is why Amma says you should have a basic understanding about spirituality, what it really is, and what to look for in a true master.
“If you see someone who constantly radiates divine love and compassion, and deep immeasurable peace, someone with an attitude of humility and profound reverence towards every aspect of creation ---that is where you need to go. Divine love cannot be imitated. A person who hasn’t yet reached the goal may talk like one who is realized, but he cannot possibly love or be as compassionate as a Self-realized being.
“Only a lighted oil-lamp can light another lamp. An unlit lamp cannot light anything. The lighted lamp can continue to light any number of lamps, and yet its flame will remain as full and as bright as ever, without losing the slightest fraction of its power. In the same way, only a jivan mukta, a Self-realized master, can awaken the Divinity within you. He is a blazing lamp that can kindle as many unlit lamps as he wants, and yet he remains ever perfect and complete.
Once you have attained that state of God-consciousness, peace and compassion will inevitably follow, because peace and compassion are as inseparable from God-consciousness as the light from a lamp, or the fragrance from a flower. Once the lamp is lit, it has to shine, and once the flower opens up, it will inevitably spread its fragrance. Likewise, when your heart blossoms into Divinity, peace and compassion become part of you like a shadow, and you cannot avoid your own shadow. So look for a master who constantly radiates divine love, compassion, and peace towards everyone equally ---towards all of creation. For that is what a true master is like.”
(Source: Awaken, Children, Vol IX)
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