742. Om bhava-dava-sudha-vrstyai namah: I bow down to Amma who is the rain of nectar falling on the forest fire of worldly existence.
It isn't Amma's birthday but a brilliant article about ego:
"Every year, when Amma’s birthday comes round, many of Her children may wonder what birthday gift they could buy Her. For such is the custom, is it not? Before we actually do any birthday shopping, let us not forget the fact that Amma has no birthday. What we call Amma’s birthday is just the day She incarnated in this particular form. The all-pervading, eternal reality assumed a form and accepted a name out of extreme compassion. We commemorate that auspicious occasion of Her incarnation as Her birthday.
Usually, before buying a birthday present for our dear ones, we will take a few factors into consideration:
One may wonder, "In fact, everything is within Amma. So how
could we choose a gift for Her that She doesn’t already possess?"
Well, there are a few things that Amma does not have. She does not
have any of the negative qualities such as ego, anger and hatred.
Can we offer Amma the topper in this list — our ego —
on Her birthday? For one thing, it certainly fulfils all the above-mentioned
conditions. For another, Amma is actually waiting to receive this
"gift" from us.
Surrendering our ego is easier said than done. For most, it is a life-long labour. The parasite that is our ego has clung so much to our sense of self that we cannot easily distinguish between it and the Self. Also, it is a multi-faceted personality, like 10-headed Ravana. Identifying the ego is the first positive step we can take towards offering the ego to Amma.
Some of us may feel, "I am a good child of Amma. I don’t have much of an ego. I am fine." But the Guru will not allow this false perception to linger for long. Consider an analogy: a child with an infection on its back may not know about it; he or she will only complain if there is some pain. To clear the infection, the doctor may have to perform a surgery, whether or not the child likes the idea. Similarly, Amma has to "operate" on us to remove the infection of our ego. When doing so, She may not choose to administer anaesthesia....
In one of the major Upanishads, it is said that a seeker who desires to be a disciple must approach the Guru with humility, and offer him or her a bundle of samhit (twigs offered in the sacrificial fire). This gesture symbolises the disciple’s resolute determination to offer himself or herself to the Guru, in much the same way as the samhit burns itself up in the sacrificial fire.
The ego is the gift that a Satguru wants us to offer. Offering anything else would be like taking a glass of water from the ocean and pouring it back into the ocean. If we are not ready to offer our ego to Amma, She will not let us hold on to it for long. Rather than letting Her prise it away from us, would it not be better to surrender our ego to Amma?"
Om Amriteswariye namah!
It isn't Amma's birthday but a brilliant article about ego:
"Every year, when Amma’s birthday comes round, many of Her children may wonder what birthday gift they could buy Her. For such is the custom, is it not? Before we actually do any birthday shopping, let us not forget the fact that Amma has no birthday. What we call Amma’s birthday is just the day She incarnated in this particular form. The all-pervading, eternal reality assumed a form and accepted a name out of extreme compassion. We commemorate that auspicious occasion of Her incarnation as Her birthday.
Usually, before buying a birthday present for our dear ones, we will take a few factors into consideration:
|
1. We must choose a gift that he/she does not possess. 2. Our offering must be unique. 3. The one to whom we are offering the gift must be reminded of us whenever he or she looks at it. |
Surrendering our ego is easier said than done. For most, it is a life-long labour. The parasite that is our ego has clung so much to our sense of self that we cannot easily distinguish between it and the Self. Also, it is a multi-faceted personality, like 10-headed Ravana. Identifying the ego is the first positive step we can take towards offering the ego to Amma.
Some of us may feel, "I am a good child of Amma. I don’t have much of an ego. I am fine." But the Guru will not allow this false perception to linger for long. Consider an analogy: a child with an infection on its back may not know about it; he or she will only complain if there is some pain. To clear the infection, the doctor may have to perform a surgery, whether or not the child likes the idea. Similarly, Amma has to "operate" on us to remove the infection of our ego. When doing so, She may not choose to administer anaesthesia....
In one of the major Upanishads, it is said that a seeker who desires to be a disciple must approach the Guru with humility, and offer him or her a bundle of samhit (twigs offered in the sacrificial fire). This gesture symbolises the disciple’s resolute determination to offer himself or herself to the Guru, in much the same way as the samhit burns itself up in the sacrificial fire.
The ego is the gift that a Satguru wants us to offer. Offering anything else would be like taking a glass of water from the ocean and pouring it back into the ocean. If we are not ready to offer our ego to Amma, She will not let us hold on to it for long. Rather than letting Her prise it away from us, would it not be better to surrender our ego to Amma?"
Om Amriteswariye namah!
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