Ageing and maturity!

750. Om mahesvaryai namah: I bow down to Amma who is the Supreme Goddess

Amma talks about ageing Vs maturity...and how to make the world a better place in this article:

"Today, there are many paths for entertainment and pleasure. However, heartfelt smiles and kind words have become extremely scarce. Most young people today are unable to differentiate between love and lust. Lust now comes wearing the mask of love. In today’s world, even the smile has become like an expensive ornament to be bought and sold. There are even schools where you can be trained how to smile. But such institutions are unable to provide the peace and solace that naturally comes with a heartfelt soothing word or a smile saturated with true love.

I am reminded of a story. A man was standing in the middle of a bridge, staring down at a swiftly flowing river. He had experienced a lot of bitterness and failure, and had begun to hate life itself. He wondered if he could kill himself by jumping from the bridge. The next moment another thought crossed his mind: “Throughout my entire life, why has no one ever helped me? Is this right? Let’s see the next person. If he smiles at me or gives me an encouraging word, then I will believe there is such a thing as goodness in this world and that things will improve. If not, I will end my life by jumping into the river.”

How this story ends is up to each of us. We should ask ourselves: “If I were the next person to pass him, what would I do?” A smile, a kind word… We never know… such small gestures could literally save someone’s life.

There are people who cannot even afford a single meal a day. Others are crushed by unbearable personal problems. It’s a pity that others do not console these people or provide them with the strength to persevere. Our forefathers were not like this. The heartfelt bond that used to connect human beings is disintegrating. People who’ve lost hope in this way take refuge in suicide. My children must understand that suicide is never a solution. Even if life’s hardships make us feel like this, we must rule out that option. Amma has seen the children left behind by such desperate acts. At least thinking of these children, parents should refrain from taking such a decision. The orphans left behind by suicide wander aimlessly, without education or proper food. Seeing so many children orphaned and left without support in this way, Amma started a program to provide them quality education.

Many children approach Amma and say, “In this life we haven’t done anything wrong, yet we are struggling just to get by. Our neighbours, on the other hand, are constantly doing wrong. They don’t even pray, and yet they are thriving. We have lost faith in God.” Children, you shouldn’t think like this. Some people, in their previous lives, have deposited a large amount of good deeds into the bank of karma. So until their remaining karmic savings are not exhausted, they will experience prosperity and comfort. However, others come into this life like those who have taken a loan. They now have to repay their loans. So, they will have to experience the results of their prarabdha karma [fated experiences coming as a result of past deeds] in this life time till those loans are repaid. So, it is because of all these factors that some experience joy and others difficulties in life. However life doesn’t simply end like that. Karma is cyclic. Even death is not a complete annihilation. It is only like putting a period mark at the end of a sentence. Just as we continue writing, life continues. Understanding this, we shouldn’t succumb to depression. During our life, there will always be a mix of pleasure and pain. Life is like the pendulum of the clock. It swings from pain, only to come to pleasure. Establishing an equilibrium in the midst of life’s swinging pendulum is the purpose of spirituality.

Our mind is like an old clock. In order to keep going, it has to be periodically wound. We regularly need to give our minds satsang [association with spiritually oriented people, books or discourses]. Only then will viveka [discriminative thinking] arise in our mind.

There are two kinds of growth in life: aging and maturity. The former doesn’t require much effort. It happens even to animals. But the second kind of growth is unique to human beings. It is this kind of growth that leads us to immortality. It is an internal transformation. Spiritual knowledge is what illumines this path for us. If we attain growth and maturity through spiritual understanding, we will never think of ending our life. From the strength of spiritual knowledge, we must develop this maturity."

Om Amriteswariye namah!