Amma and fearlessness!

465. Om kanti-matyai namah: I bow down to Amma who is radiant

Here's something I read and I know echoes Amma's thoughts beautifully. It's also about an old, familiar enemy: fear. It's time to let the familiar leave. Amma would want it that way.

The Cave of the Blue Dragon

By John Daido Loori, Roshi

There’s a koan I’m particularly fond of called “The National Teacher’s Stone Lion.” The national teacher and the emperor of China were entering the palace grounds when the national teacher pointed to a stone lion and said, “Your majesty, would you please say a word of Zen, something profound, about this lion?” And the emperor said, “I can’t say anything. Would you please say something?” And the national teacher said, “It’s my fault.”

What the national teacher was doing was taking responsibility for what Zorba the Greek called “the full catastrophe.” Our tendency, by contrast, is to make ourselves the victim, which means there is nothing we can do. I think, “He made me angry. It’s his fault. There is nothing I can do.” But when I realize that only I can make myself angry, then I’ve empowered myself to do something about my anger. The same goes for fear.

The koan’s prologue says:

Confined in a cage up against the wall, pressed against the barriers, if you linger in thought holding back your potential, you will remain mired in fear and frozen in inaction. If, on the other hand, you advance fearlessly and without hesitation, you manifest your power as a competent adept of the way, passing through entanglements and barriers without hindrance to time and season. A great peace is attained. How do you advance fearlessly and without hesitation?

Fear arises the moment you ask yourself, what is this all about? Inevitably, it has nothing to do with right now. It has to do with the future, but the future doesn’t exist. It hasn’t happened yet. The past doesn’t exist. It has already happened. The only thing you’ve got is what’s right here, right now. And coming home to the moment makes all the difference in the world in how you deal with fear.

There are all kinds of fearlessness. Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche used to talk about “idiot compassion.” Well, there’s idiot fearlessness too, which is just being dull-witted. If you remain calm when everyone else panics, perhaps you don’t understand the problem. When we talk about “advancing fearlessly,” it’s not that.

There’s also the fearlessness that comes out of anger, out of converting your fear into anger in the face of danger, but that’s not a lasting solution. There’s the fearlessness of young people, the kind of people the military likes to send off to war. When you’re seventeen or eighteen, you can feel invulnerable, but false invulnerability is not a wise form of fearlessness. Fearlessness is empowered by fear. You can’t develop fearlessness—real compassionate, generous fearlessness—without fear. Fearlessness is born of fear.

“…if you linger in thought holding back your potential, you will remain mired in fear and frozen in inaction.”

That’s where we freeze in the presence of fear. We may have all the potential of a lion, a Buddha, but the moment we start analyzing and projecting, we give rise not to freedom but to more things to analyze. We come up with all kinds of rationalizations for our fear, but somehow they don’t seem to help. We define it, categorize it, analyze it, judge it, understand it, but still fear persists.

“If, on the other hand, you advance fearlessly without hesitation, you manifest your power as a competent adept of the way.”

This power comes directly out of meditation. In zazen, each time you acknowledge a thought, let it go, and come back to the moment, you build joriki, the power of concentration. The more you sit, the deeper you sit, the more joriki you build, and the closer you come to the falling away of body and mind. Meditation means going to where you already are, what you already have. It’s a direct pointing to the human mind, constantly pointing back to ourselves.

“…passing through entanglements and barriers without hindrance to time and season. A great peace is attained.”

This is what we call the endless spring, the endless spring of enlightenment. Always present and perfect, whether we realize it or not.

“How do you advance fearlessly and without hesitation?”

For this, I will refer to the koan’s capping verse, its poetic expression:

The cave of the blue dragon is ominous.
Only the fearless dare to enter.
It is here that the forest of patterns is clearly revealed.
It is here that the one ripe pearl is hidden.

The cave of the blue dragon is where we store all of our stuff—our psychological bilge, so to speak—and it’s very difficult to go there. It takes a certain degree of fearlessness to do that. The process of zazen engages that. It engages the fear, in order to empower fearlessness. When stuff comes up, we don’t use zazen as another vehicle for suppression. When something keeps coming up in meditation, that’s a signal that you need to deal with it. You need to process it. You need to process it thoroughly and fearlessly, to feel it and experience it, then let it go and come back to the moment."

Happiness with Amma!

464. Om kalakanthyai namah: I bow down to Amma who is the wife of dark throated Shiva

The following is from Amma's teachings at www.amma.org. It's about happiness. Something we can only have when we trust implicitly in Amma.

Some years ago, a psychologist published a study on human happiness. His research showed that we have no idea what will really make us happy. We often believe that a certain thing will give us bliss, only to find that when we get it, we are not moved. And things we thought would not give us much happiness give us deeper satisfaction.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna says as much to Arjuna:"What tastes at first like nectar is usually poison, and what tastes like poison is usually nectar." We believe that to be truly happy, we need to spend as much time fulfilling our own personal desires as possible. But it is only when we forget ourselves in the service of others that we begin to experience real fulfillment and happiness.

There are many spiritual teachers who will tell us, "It's all good -- do whatever you feel like doing. Your only job is to express yourself, to manifest whatever is inside you." But this is not Amma's message. There are problems in the world, and Amma wants us to be part of the solution. That is why she encourages us to reduce our unnecessary spending, and to work an extra half hour a day to raise money for the poor. That is why she says that wasting food is a form of violence. When we are watching TV and we see people suffering in the world, our first instinct may be to change the channel. But Amma says we shouldn't turn a blind eye to the problems in the world. Instead, we should try to do something to solve them. This is not only the right thing to do, it is also the secret to a happy and fulfilling life.

Once, while talking to a reporter, Amma commented that she came to this world to fulfill certain goals that are beneficial to society, and that she has complete faith that she will achieve them. This gives me tremendous hope for the world. But recently, it occurred to me that maybe I should not feel quite so comforted. Amma said she would accomplish what she came for, but didn't say the same thing about us. Whether or not we will accomplish what we came for remains, for most of us, an open question."

Om Amriteswariye namah!

The perfect God!

463. Om suranayikayai namah: I bow down to Amma who is the leader of the gods

I have often heard this whole debate of 'human god' versus a God up there in the heavens somewhere. Most often, people look down upon those who worship a human God. For me, Amma is a Mother who is always watching over me. And I'm lucky in that She represents all the virtues of the universe. I'm fortunate that one day Amma decided that I would be Her devotee. I am happy that my Guru is beautiful, kind, compassionate, caring and totally non judgmental. She also has the superhuman ability to give darshan continuously for more than a day. She's the very reflection of love. She has no ego: just purity of form. She is ever ready to take me in Her arms and assure me that She loves me. She is always there to listen to me when I call out to Her. And I do, ever so often. I am lucky to be part of a growing population of devotees who want to lead a spiritually richer life only because they are now Amma's children. She has touched the lives of millions and made us more spiritually aware. She makes us want to be better people.
If She isn't God, then who is? If I shouldn't follow and pray to this 'human' God, who should I pray to? She is the answer to every prayer of ours. She is my Goddess, my Guru, my Mother!
Om Amriteswariye namah!

A diwali thought to light up our lives!

462. Om sobhanayai namah: I bow down to Amma who is always radiant

Put forth the necessary efforts and then wait patiently. — Amma

The message of Deepavali
The traditional name of India is Bharata and Indians are Bharatias – or ‘those who revel in light’. During the night of Deepavali the myriad little clay lamps (diyas) seem to silently send forth message of Deepavali: “Come, let us remove darkness from the face of the earth.”

The dharma of fire is the same wherever it is: in a poor man’s house, in a rich man’s house, in America, in Antarctica, or in the Himalayas. It gives light and heat. The flame always points upwards. Even if we keep the lamp upside down, the flame will burn upwards. The message is that our mind should be focused on the Atman, the Self wherever we are. The lamps remind us of our dharma to realise our divine nature.

“The Self is pure consicousness which is self-luminous. The cognition of all objects arises from the light of pure Consciousness.” -says Bhrihadaranyaka Upanishad

One lamp can light several others. You can even light another 1000 lamps, and still the flame and the light of the first lamp will remain as it is. By becoming manifold, the light looses nothing. The lights of Deepavali represent Brahman and creation. It conveys the message of the mantra:

“Purnamada Purnamidam Purnaat Purnamudachyate
Purnasya Purnamadaya Purnamevasishyate”
The rows of lamps teach yet another important lesson of unity. The light that shines forth from the Sun, the moon, the stars, and fire is all the same. To see and recognise that one light, the light of consciousness, which is manifesting and pulsating in and through all of creation is the goal of life. Thus, recognising all of creation to be an expression of your true Self, spread the light of love and compassion.

The lights of Deepavali are displayed at the entrance doors, by the walls of houses, in the streets and lanes. This means that the inner spiritual light of the individual must be reflected outside. It should benefit society. Passers-by may thereby be prevented from stumbling on their way to reach their destination.

Feeding empty stomachs, lighting blown-out diyas and bringing light to those whose lives are in darkness is the true spirit of Deepavali. This is true prayer."

(from www.amritapuri.org)

Om Amriteswariye namah! 

Being with Amma!

461. Om subhruve namah: I bow down to Amma who has beautiful eyebrows

Amma is to visit London tomorrow. I envy all the London devotees. I was looking through some of the pictures of Amma's Europe visit and I felt that longing to see Her again; to be a part of a programme. The anticipation, the sheer joy of knowing that in a few hours we will be facing Amma, the world's greatest spiritual leader and happily, our Mother and Guru. Some of the pictures are of Amma saying goodbye to the devotees. That is such a bittersweet moment. You've had absolutely the best days of your life and then suddenly, just like that, She smiles, waves, gets into a car and leaves. You're still enjoying Amma's grace and yet when you see Amma leave, the pain is so severe. You want Her to come back and stay with you forever. But that's just being selfish. And we know it. Sometimes during meditation I find it difficult to even keep my eyes closed. How possibly can I when the Goddess Herself is sitting in front of me? Why would I waste such a precious moment with my eyes closed? Though I capture those moments so that when I'm in deep solitude or in a space of anguish, it's the memory I bring up for solace. Amma's gorgeously peaceful face. And then, all's right with the world.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Those precious hands!

460. Om nalinyai namah: I bow down to Amma whose body is soft and beautiful like lotus petals

Her hands. The most loving hands I have ever seen. The softest. The most precious hands that weave magic. They have reached out and comforted millions of aching hearts. They have gently held on to many a broken soul. They have quietly given strength to many a weakened spirit. They have bravely wiped away many a fallen tear. Amma does absolutely everything She can to mend a damaged being. How many of us have taken our own problems and worries to Her and how many times Amma has reached out to us! How many times Amma has taken our anguish for Her own. How many times Amma has snatched away our dysphoria only to replace it with a deep sense of happiness. How many times, Amma, how absolutely many times have You saved me from the brink of unhappiness?! You will always extend those warm hands and do everything You can to make my life easier, better, cleaner and more virtuous. Thank You for being my guiding light. Yesterday, Today and Always.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Amma's unadulterated beauty!

459. Om sumukhyai namah: I bow down to Amma who has a beautiful face

I've said it before on this blog. Amma is truly the most beautiful person ever. Her face combines the innocence of a baby and the beauty of a whatever anyone considers beautiful. She is simply gorgeous. I would never tire of looking at her. Her face radiates the brilliance of the sun, moon and stars. She is the absolute and splendid truth that the universe has in its core. She is the very essence of what it means to be truthful, honest, non judgmental and loving. Her true nature is to love. There is no ego in Amma, which is why She never has any anger in Her. If She does show anger towards Her disciples, it is purely as a lesson. Because Amma has identified with Her true nature, there is only unadulterated beauty in and around Amma. Meeting and getting a hug from Amma is the equivalent of cleansing our soul in the river of ever flowing love.

Dear beautiful Amma, May we always have Your grace in our lives for ever and ever.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Where are You, Amma?

458. Om malayacala-vasinyai namah: I bow down to Amma to resides in the Malaya mountain

So many mantras have gone by and now penning these every night has become a habit. I just wouldn't want this habit to be affiliated to any negative emotion ever. Like fear that I forgot to write it. Or worry that I may stray from the topic. The mind is a wandering minstrel and it takes all our super powers to keep our mind grounded in one place. As Amma says, we could reach America in 5 seconds on the wings of our mind. So I asked myself where I would like to go. Definitely to an Amma programme. Somewhere where Amma is, giving a satsang or hugging all Her children. Where better to feel secure, safe, happy? Where better to unburden all the baggage I've been walking with and leave feeling light and fresh? Where else can we totally let go of every fear and worry and just bask in the sweetness of Amma? Where are You Amma? Couldn't I get but one glimpse of You? That should help me get through a few months! On this festive occasion, please light the lamp of our hearts and minds so we can bask in the full glory of Your love. Please touch our lives with a hint of magic so that we know You haven't forgotten us. Please take our hands and lead us from the depths of darkness to the heights of light.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

My splendid Mother!

457. Om matre namah: I bow down to Amma who is the Mother of the universe

Her love knows no boundaries. It doesn't take into account color, bank balance, happiness index. She only knows how to make Her children secure and happy. She has forgotten every physical need in order to lead us onto the correct spiritual path. She will always keep Her hand of grace over our heads just so we can lead lives that are spiritually richer and more moralistic. Amma is recognized all over the universe as the Darling Mother who hugs us in order to alleviate our suffering. How many stories abound about Amma healing lives and making a difference to so many people! Almost every devotee I have met has a story to tell. These stories are so personal and real that very few find their way onto the internet. They're just too precious and personal to put out there. But Amma's magic touches everyone on a deep and personal level. She truly is the Universal Mother. She is the Universe's messiah, the Guru and Guide who will take us onto the path of salvation and deliver us from everything immoral.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

The faith flag!

456. Om hamsinyai namah: I bow down to Amma who is not separate from hamsas (accomplished yogins)

Sometimes when we go to Amma, we go looking for a specific answer or an outcome. We are hoping to steer Amma towards what we want to hear. And when we don't, we wonder about Amma's powers. Into the wind goes all the countless times Amma has actually touched up spiritually. Gone is the realization that it is Amma who has put us on the path to God. We forget so many things and then concentrate only on the negative. As Amma says, we allow all these thoughts to live rent free in our heads. And Amma works Her magic in the quietest way possible. She'll do it quietly, silently. It'll so happen that one day we will relies it. But till then we need to keep the faith flag flying high. Let it be a radar that attracts even more goodness sin our life. For faith that is expressed is nothing but gratitude to the universe. May we always find the strength to keep our faith unwavering.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Amma's message of goodness!

455. Om malinyai namah: I bow down to Amma who is wearing garlands

"If your attitude is positive and accepting, you live with God even while busy in the world." -Amma

"In today’s world, life has become very mechanical. Two people living under the same roof often live devoid of love and happiness, unable to understand or truly acknowledge the other. In the olden days, it was different. While there were no mobile phones back then, the communication that happened through love was perfect and transgressed all barriers of time and space.

We need to enjoy every moment of our life, aware of how precious it is. Life does not become meaningful by chasing after sense pleasures like an animal. It only becomes meaningful when we spread happiness to others. It is this understanding that makes a human being truly human. No one knows how long he will live. Therefore, as soon as possible, we should complete all the good actions we are supposed to. Let’s not postpone anything for tomorrow.

Devotion and compassion towards the poor and the needy go hand in hand. They are like two sides of a coin. We should look around us and reach out to people who need our help. If we are able to help even just one person, we can bring about a big change in their life. If my children can become ready to share their lives with the poor and the needy, that would be the best birthday present Amma could ever receive.": AMMA

Om Amriteswariye namah! 

Beautiful thoughts by Amma!

454. Om lolaksi-kama-rupinyai namah: I bow down to Amma who is in the form of love in women

Some beautiful thoughts by Amma on Facebook:
"Anyone—woman or man—who has the courage to overcome the limitations of the mind can attain the state of universal motherhood. The love of awakened motherhood is a love and compassion felt not only towards one’s own children, but towards all people, animals and plants, rocks and rivers—a love extended to all of Nature, all beings. Indeed, to a woman (or man) in whom the state of true motherhood has awakened, all creatures are her children. This love, this motherhood, is Divine Love—and that is God."
My erosional favorite is the following one because Amma sums up the constant battle I have with my mind, so precisely!
"The mind is naturally one-pointed and pure, but up until now we have allowed it to be occupied by many negative emotions. For this reason, it has become difficult to make the mind concentrated during meditation. These thoughts and emotions are like bad tenants. We have given them a small piece of our land on which to build a hut. Now, not only do they pay no attention when we ask them to leave, they rush forward to pick a fight with us. We have to work hard to kick them out. We might have to even take them to court. Likewise, to kick out the tenants of the mind, we have to file a case in God’s court. It is a constant fight. We must continue fighting until we become victorious." 

"You can understand the secret of bliss when you think of the nature of the Self. The waves of the mind will subside. Everything is there in you already. If there is faith, you can find it. The happiness that we get from the objects of the world is only an infinitesimal fraction of the bliss that we get from within."
Once again, Amma, how fortunate we are to be Your children!
Om Amriteswariye namah!

Amma's message of understanding!

453. Om tri-nayanayai namah: I bow down to Amma who has the sun, moon, and fire as Her three eyes.

An extract from www.amritapuri.org:

On Friday, a devotee visiting the ashram from Berlin told Amma that when she is around Amma, she is aware of the spiritual truth that God is pervading everything. She said she draws a lot of strength from this understanding, but when she returns home, she gets overwhelmed by all the war, violence and disease she sees happening in the world. She asked Amma to tell her how to remain aware of God’s love and all-pervasiveness in these war-torn times. The following is extracted from Amma’s answer:

Amma: There is nothing new about war. It has been happening since the beginning of creation. But we must realize war is man’s creation, not God’s. God is patience, love and compassion. In God, there is no dvaita bhava [no feeling of something other than one's self]. There is only love for all beings. It is because people lack the proper  understanding about God that there is war. We cannot blame God for something we created.

Once a drunk-driver caused a horrible accident. The police started to haul him away. The man protested, “Hey, why are you arresting me? I didn’t do anything. It was because of the petrol that my car lost control.” We shouldn’t be like this, blaming God for our actions.

As we take what we need in our daily life, we should remember all the innocent people suffering from the violence of war and terrorism–the children who have lost their parents, the parents who have lost their children, the maimed and injured… The pictures we see on the news of mothers crying over the dead bodies of the children are too much to bear. But we cannot bring back the dead. We can only pray that their souls find peace. The ones who really need our prayers are those left behind. Let us pray that they gain the peace and mental strength to move forward in life.

We cannot say what change we will be able to bring about, but we should try. Spiritual understanding is what is needed: Take only what you need, give the rest to help others and understand the nature of the world. Amma is trying to bring about this understanding in people. If you plant 100 seeds, maybe only two will sprout. If you plant 1,000, maybe 10. But that itself is a change–isn’t it?"

Om Amriteswariye namah! 

Amma's brilliance lights up our lives!

452. Om tejovatyai namah: I bow down to Amma who is effulgent

A very dear friend was listening to me when I was telling her about certain things that have happened to me and which I have felt have been totally unjust. I was wondering aloud what possible karmic debt I was fulfilling and why would something like this happen to me. She asked me if I ever questioned God like this when so many wonderful things happened in my life.
Obviously the answer was no. So today when something wonderful did happen, I questioned Amma. Why me, Amma? Why me?
The tone was of course one of pleasant surprise and acceptance. And the answer was very quick too. Because I deserved it. So did that mean that I deserved all the bad things that have happened to me? My answer changed very rapidly to: Amma knows what's best for me and therefore I must look at every event and happening with acceptance. Whatever the event, whether good or bad, I need to know that my dear darling Amma whose brilliance outshines even that of the sun, is always looking out for me. She cares enough to shield me throughout my life. She cares enough to set me on the right path. Only Her brilliance, her effulgence can light up our lives. Only this can bring os much wonderful positive light to our lives. Thank You Amma, for just being.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Amma, the remover of obstacles!

451. Om vighna-nasinyai namah: I bow down to Amma who destroys all obstacles

This right here is the crux of spirituality. "Dear God, please remove all the obstacles in our path. Please take away all those unexpected boulders that come tumbling down our path." This is pretty much the prayer each of us mouths virtually every day. The fear of the unexpected; the unknown. And our fervent prayer to God to remove it all so that everything goes smoothly. We are also taught that obstacles come for a reason. Sometimes, that reason is obvious. Sometimes, we have to look very deeply to make some sense out of all this. What can the possible motive be? Why are we going through such a testing period? Why would God, whose children we are, put us through such trying times? Maybe it is God's way of allowing us an insight into our own faith. Because faith is a feeling that cannot be measured and yet it has the capacity to move mountains. Obstacles are probably faith's richter scale to measure the immeasurable. Please Amma, give us ample amounts of faith and when You test us, do it gently. We don't have the strength to go through much. Allow us to break through these obstacles very, very gently. And as we walk, whatever happens, make us realise that You are always holding our hands.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

My delightful Amma!

450. Om nandinyai namah: I bow down to Amma who gives delight

In my over 24 years of being Amma's child, I am yet to see one person who isn't delighted on seeing Amma; on even talking about Her. How does one capture the one emotion one feels on being in Amma's presence?
Happiness? Joy? Delight? Safety?
All of the above?
How does one capture in mere words that feeling of deep satisfaction, of having finally arrived at home? Of meeting your mother? Of just being able to finally, finally let go? That release of sorrow and every possible burden? Those 2-3 days when we carry the burden only as something we know we are gearing to let go and once we have, the feeling of utter freedom is something divine. How is it that one little lady from Kerala can make the entire universe think like this? That irrespective of religion, color, caste, creed, profession, we are able to feel that same heady mix of happy emotions? That we are able to forgive ourselves and allow us to bask in Her brilliance and divinity. My only wish is that we would feel like this at all times. The day we understand that physical proximity really means nothing when it comes to Amma, this truth will set us free!

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Amma's sheer brilliance!

449. Om kantyai namah: I bow down to Amma who is effulgence

Amma's radiance reaches all of us and protects us every second of our life. Our security blanket, Amma   is always there to guide us and help us along as we falter through life. We could never have missed the beauty and radiance of Amma as She sits on the stage giving darshan. We could walk into a large hall and yet spot Amma with Her divine brilliance right away. It's like the entire room is electrified with it. It touches everyone. The wonderful part is that this is not just Amma's halo. It's Amma reflecting the universe's brilliance. There is only one universal truth and that is Amma. There is absolutely nothing else of significance that we need to occupy our minds with. Amma, please always be our guiding force for ever and ever. We are standing on the verge of a medical catastrophe. Please prevent it from happening and bathe us in Your protection and love!

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Amma, the ultimate truth!

448. Om svasti-matyai namah: I bow down to Amma who is the ultimate truth

For me, Amma is the full stop to every sentence. As times passes, I find it easier to pray to Amma. The fear is slowly giving way to a beautiful friendship. I find it relatively easier to tell Her my thoughts. The world has proved it isn't capable of listening patiently to other's thoughts without passing nasty or unrequited judgement. With Amma, there is no judgement. She listens with the patience and compassion that no human is capable of. For Her, each of us, Her children, are extremely precious beings. She will never, ever gossip about our problems or belittle us. She will never make fun of us or think Herself superior to us. Amma's humility is what makes Her so divine. Her compassion is what takes Her to the realm of Godliness. There will never be a better listening ear than Amma, who is the universe's ultimate truth. All we need to believe is in Her. And take our problems to Her. While others will laugh and gossip, Amma will actually take our problems and solve it. She will find a way. And that's the only path we need to walk on.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Amma, the one who protects!

447. Om santyai namah: I bow down to Amma who is tranquility itself

I had a most interesting conversation with a dear friend. Very spiritually inclined and a Krishna devotee, I asked her why we go through things despite never having any intention of harming anyone. Why do bad things happen to us? I know Amma has given us the answer of "coming into this world with a debit account" but I wanted a lay person's view point. She asked me how come I had never questioned Amma when so many wonderful things happened in my life? Why was I raising questions about certain bad things that had happened? Why was I not questioning Amma about the creativity present in my life? She made me think. Amma's emissary, I'm guessing! It's incredible that we actually never question Amma about all the positives or the sattvic moments in our life, if I may use the word, as my friend had so aptly done. We take such positive moments for granted and carry on with our lives. But the minute something bad happens, we so easily forget God, forget our Guru. We forget that we are wearing their 'suraksha-kavachch'. We toss aside all thoughts of our Guru and we focus wholeheartedly on the bad happening to us. How unfair it is on our Guru! How unfair we are being to the Guru, to Amma who is the very model of tranquility, who cares and who knows exactly what is required for our spiritual growth. I pray to You Amma, to give me the clarity of thought to realise this. And as my friend suggested, to develop patience, empathy and acceptance in all situations!

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Yet another road of faith!

446. Om dhrtyai namah: I bow down to Amma who is fortitude.

A beautiful talk by Swami Paramatmananda on Amma and the spiritual quest and the journey to remain strong. Please listen to it here!

"Self realization isn't realizing the self. Instead, it is losing the small self and realizing the true self." In this talk, Swamiji says Amma doesn't want spiritual aspirants to crumble under their own pressures but instead to always remain strong. Strength, to me, is synonymous with faith. We can only be strong when we cloak ourselves in unshakeable faith in Amma. When Amma is always besides us, why fear ??? Who possibly can ever harm us when Amma is definitely walking besides us? If we falter, it isn't because Amma has deserted us but purely because we feel the absence of Amma because we have strayed away from Her. May we always have the strength to stay by Amma's side because even this, despite all our deep love for Her, is no mean feat. It takes a lot for us to stay true Amma devotees. Let it happen Amma! Please accept this as our humble prayer and request!

Om Amriteswariye namah!

The supreme listener!

445. Om matyai namah: I bow down to Amma who manifests as intelligence

There are days when I am consumed by a certain loneliness. Caught up with work and other cares, I wonder if I have true friends out there but then when the dust settles, I remember the famous story about Lord Shiva. He kept leaving his seat and disappearing but reappeared very quickly. When asked about this, Lord Shiva replied that every time a devotee called his name, He left. But when the devotee decided to tell others his problems, the Lord came back. For the devotee obviously did not really need the Lord. So also, I would or rather should share my cares and worries with Amma who will listen and care. Why dilute it with the negativities of others who wouldn't? My Amma cares for me. She will always look out for me. She knows of my dreams and aspirations; my fears and follies. She will ensure that I am well looked after and that I march ahead towards my destiny under Her infinite grace.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Amma, the cobble stone of spirituality!

444. Om pustyai namah: I bow down to Amma who is the power of nourishment

Amma is my protector, my guide, my Guru. She is the shade I walk into when I am tired. Hers is the lap I sleep on when I need to rest and think. Hers is the shoulder I cry on. And She is the Mother I go to when I need to renew my faith in the universe. She is the reason we are able to accept the 'now' and have faith in what awaits us. She is the reason we are able to let go of all that is hurting us. She is the reason we are able to look at the world with renewed enthusiasm and belief. Amma is absolutely everything to us. She is the sum total of everything right with this world. She is a lesson in humility and innocence. She is the very meaning of love and compassion and the definition of acceptance. In all, Amma is the very cobble stone of spirituality. May we always have the grace to walk along this path. Every day. For ever and ever.
Happiness is within everyone, but we are not able to experience it because of our ego’s likes and dislikes. — Amma
Om Amriteswariye namah!

My ever content Amma!

443. Om tustyai namah: I bow down to Amma who is ever content

I have never, ever seen Amma requiring anything from us except our faith. She is ever content with everything around Her. At any given point in time, Amma is giving darshan, being asked questions by worried devotees and attending to ashram matters. She has willingly given up all material comforts and possibly sleeps an hour a day. There is nothing normal in Amma''s life. How can it be? Amma is divinity Herself. I remember something Amma has been saying to us repeatedly. Amma advices us to watch the events of our life as a witness. When we do this over time, we will learn to detach ourselves from the event and then, witness like, learn to distance our emotions. When we do this, we will become a lot more content with our lives. We will distance ourselves from our emotions, we will live in the moment. In the NOW. That is the only way to live life fully. The way Amma does. Living and enjoying every moment of the time granted to us!

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Being the change!

442. Om kumara-gananathambayai namah: I bow down to Amma who is the mother of Subrahmania and Ganesha

Amma is everyone's Mother. There is absolutely no one Amma will ever turn away be they sinners in the eyes of the world. Once a devotee has accepted Amma as their Mother, Amma will fulfill every duty as Guru and Mother towards that person. Therein lies the greatness of Amma. She accepts each of us exactly the way we are. We run about in our lives pumped up by ego and pretending to be better and more virtuous than others. There's such a lovely story about it at www.amritapuri.org:

There was once an old man who was looking back on his life. He sat in a tea shop with his friends, telling them his story. ‘When I was a young man, I was arrogant and thought I knew it all. I felt I could do anything, and wanted to change everyone. I would pray to God to give me the strength to change the world. When I reached middle age, I awoke one morning and realised that my life was half over. I had done nothing, and I hadn’t changed anyone. So, I prayed to God to give me the strength to change those who were close to me since they needed it so much. But now I am old and my prayer is very simple: ‘God, please give me the strength to change at least myself.’ ”

“Children, don’t try to change the world or other people before you are able to change yourself. If you try to change others without changing your own attitudes, it will not have any effect. Change yourself, the world around you will change.”

Please let us move forward each day with the primary thought of bringing change for the better in our own lives.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

A blinding faith!

441. Om kaula-marga-tatpara-sevitayai namah: I bow down to Amma who is worshipped by those devoted to the kaula tradition

I saw a picture of Amma initiating my daughter into writing and learning. Amma had held on firmly to her hands and was guiding her through writing a mantra on rice. I remember the entire event so clearly. I had stayed up making a garland at the Tokyo programme and everyone was so respectful and mindful of Amma's divinity - even in the back rooms. When our turn had eventually come at the end of Devi bhava, it was something I had waited years for! Isn't it exactly what Amma does with us even in life? She holds our hands so firmly and guides us through the many paths ensuring that we are cared for and looked after. We literally just need to move ahead with the absolute faith that Amma is there. She is there when we wake up and She is there when we go to sleep. She is there at all times guiding us quite firmly through it all. Through the many ups and downs we face. It is ONLY when we forget of Amma's presence that we really, really suffer. That we feel abandoned and alone. That we feel the need to find solace elsewhere. Imagine Amma waiting patiently by our side, hoping that we will look up and finally see Her. But we just continue, blinded by ego and the laughable thought that we are actually orchestrating every event. Even when we know it is Amma, we then tend to give up our faith in the thought that She has actually abandoned us for She would never let something so terrible happen to us. Those are the worst times but that's also when we need to display a virtually blinding amount of faith. Come what may, Amma is there for us. She will never hurt us; She will never let any harm befall us. Let us, each one of us, move forward with only this blinding faith.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Your teachings are timeless!

440. Om kula-kundalayayai namah: I bow down to Amma who abides in kulakunda (the centre of Muladhara chakra)

You answer all our questions in the most wonderful way possible. Every day You show us that the only way to live our lives is by being helpful to others. You ensure that the lessons we learn are gentle and effective. You keep us on such a beautiful path of learning. You allow us to make mistakes and when we feel like we are about to shrivel and die, You will weave such beautiful magic to ensure that we never give up hope. Some days You teach us some harsh lessons. But maybe we need the harshness in order to learn the lesson effectively. You are accepting of everyone. You are totally non judgmental. You view the world with the kindest, the most loving and the most compassionate heart. We can only hope that Your legacy will never be diluted by the dogmas of religion but instead everyone decades from now will stay true to the essence of Your teaching: acceptance of everyone and love towards all of mankind. Your teachings are timeless, Amma and someday hopefully even we will be able to imbibe this successfully and lead happy lives.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

In Amma's shadow!

439. Om kulesvaryai namah: I bow down to Amma who is the ruler of kula (triad of the knower, the known, and knowledge)

We lost a dear member of the family today. Someone who made sure he prayed for all of us. Who gave us as all the spiritual advice he could. Who always checked on our horoscope, peered into our future, found remedies  and conveyed the findings back to us. There's always someone like this in every family who reaches out in every way known. I would like to think Prabhakareatan was taken away because his knowledge was required up there. Or wherever it is the God's dwell. Amma says God dwells in our hearts, in which case my uncle spoke to God many times. Amma, please bless his soul for he was a good man. Kind, compassionate and caring. He painted Amma once! And he was definitely Amma's child. So Amma will be helping him cross the rainbow to the bright side. Much as She guides us step by side in this life itself. Death is always such a great leveler. We think we have it all in control and yet absolutely nothing is in our hands. As Amma says, even the next breath isn't in our hands. Keeping this in mind, we need to lose our ego for whatever happens to us isn't of our doing. The divine grace must always shine in our lives. May we all always walk in Amma's shadow and always feel the bright light of hope.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

We only need to Believe!

438. Om kurukullayai namah: I bow down to Amma who is the shakti kurukulla

For me, Amma is the highest form of Shakti. I had a conversation with a friend about high frequency children and the soul. Pulsating at the back of all these conversations and thoughts is the fact that Amma in Herself is a high frequency vibration energizing the entire world. Why do we feel so attracted to Amma? She's the bright light shining up our lives. She's the feel good factor in our lives. She's the much needed torch in the darkness. Amidst fear and hatred, the beacon of hope is Amma. She's the ultimate light house ensuring that little boats like ours, bobbing up and down on the stormy waters of samsara, do not crash into the treacherous ego rocks. Instead, She steers us slowly onto the spiritually rich shores wherein we can then wash away all our vices. All we need to do is BELIEVE. Believe in Amma and that Amma will always help us cross every stormy sea. She is there purely because we want Her to be there. When we fail to believe, we fail to see Amma. She is always there for us. May we be blessed to have the faculty to recognize this incredible fact.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

In the Mother's grace!

437. Om komalakarayai namah: I bow down to Amma who is graceful in form

One of Amma's stories to ponder over: "Before the Mahabharata battle began, Lord Krishna gave Arjuna and Duryodhana a choice. Krishna told them, ‘I can give My entire army to one of you but I will not come. Or, I can come without any weapons as your charioteer and My army will help your foe. Which do you choose, Me or My army?’ Without hesitation Arjuna said, ‘I want you, Lord. You alone are enough. I do not need the army.’

Now within the battle itself, Arjuna had a fight with Karna who was a far superior archer. Intending to severe Arjuna’s head, Karna shot a divine missile. Lord Krishna, Arjuna’s charioteer, foresaw this great karmic danger coming towards Arjuna. Immediately, the compassionate Lord made the five horses kneel down and pushed the chariot wheels a few inches down into the earth by pressing hard with his big toe. This made the arrow take away Arjuna’s crown without injuring any part of his body.

There are a few points to remember regarding this story. First, the Lord was Arjuna’s charioteer. This means that Arjuna chose the Lord to be the one to hold the reins of his life’s chariot. Arjuna knew how to discriminate. He chose the Divine Lord alone to help him. That makes a big difference. The Grace of the Lord lets the karmic arrow pass over your head, maybe destroying an insignificant crown or something similar, but saving you from a fatal mishap.

Second, Duryodhana and the Kauravas were a much bigger and better army than Arjuna and the Pandavas. They had many great warriors and were stronger in every way. Duryodhana and his army represent human power and strength without the aspect of Grace. Thus, as a result of their arrogance, wickedness, and egotism, the Kauravas were ruined. However, Arjuna and the Pandavas were able to win the battle through effort coupled with the Grace of the Lord."

May we win all our battles small and big with Amma's grace always! 

Om Amriteswariye namah! 

Our spiritual growth!

436. Om kusalayai namah: I bow down to Amma who is skillful

We're each on a long spiritual journey, trying to make some sense of what we are wading through. As many events and situations come to us like snowballs from a blind side, it's easy to fall by the side. Some of us find the strength to pick ourselves up and walk on. Some, just decide to fold up. When Amma is the guiding light in our lives, the first thing we must surrender is that false sense of security aka ego. And then walk with faith. Such a strong faith that even the thickest and wildest of snowballs will never find its mark. And we will walk unscathed through it all. We must walk with the faith that the juncture Amma has got us to is exactly where we are supposed to be. If we are going through a patch of immense fortune, there is no point wondering when all of it will leave us. It's better to realise that we are exactly where Amma wants us to be at and go through the moment. Amma is a skillful navigator. She will take us on the absolute right path that is much required for our spiritual growth. Once we traverse all these paths, spiritual enlightenment is but one warm Amma-hug away!

Om Amriteswariye namah!