Amma in all Her simplicity!

162. Om nir-mohayai namah: I bow down to Amma who is free from delusion

Amma's simplicity is Her finest quality. Her egoless form, free from any delusion and filled with an endearing simplicity is what attracts us to Her. Isn't it strange that we posture about and pretend to be what we are not in order to get accepted by everyone? How we project ourselves to be fantastic and wonderful and well loved! We work at our image and in the process, lose sight of the journey. We are constantly trying to look good than just be good. Amma needs no such stances. She was born in serenity and is living Her life in the finest moral and ethical standards. Through Her life, She is creating an example for each of us to follow.

Her simplicity is what attracts all of us to Her. In a world swathed in delusional reality, She stands out as unadulterated love and compassion. Because She has no delusions, She reaches out into Her true nature and loves us with all Her might. And thank goodness for that, for in this love we are able to bask and grow. It is Her beautiful simple nature that allows us to walk up to Her and tell Her about everything happening in our life. This is the reason we stand in a long queue and are able to pour our deepest darkest secrets, unaware of the people thronging around Her. How easily we lose sight of the crowds. How easily She is all that we can concentrate on. And this happens because we are attracted like moths to Her very strong aura. It's an aura of incredible brilliance arising out of pure simplicity. Amma's nature isn't tarnished with anything. Not even a speck of a vice. All Amma is, is a sum total of blinding love. She loves each of us in equal measure. I could sit in a bedroom somewhere and tearfully reach out to Her. And I know Amma is listening. Because when there is so much simplicity and love, there are no layers in between a Mother and Her children!

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Towards an egoless life!

161. Om nir-ahankarayai namah: I bow down to Amma who is without egoism (without the concept of 'I' and 'mine')

This is such a beautiful mantra. In tho smantra lies the essence of how we should ideally lead our lives. No ego. As Michael had told Bindu and me weeks ago, ego stands for: edging God out. The presence of ego is really the cause of every bit of unhappiness in our lives. Someone says something that hurts us - and we wallow for days in sadness and the hurt. Because anything that shatters our peace of mind ruins our happiness. Our peace of mind basically is all about the world staying in the box we have created for it. Within the parameters we believe create peace & happiness for us. Anything that  falls outside of that creates tension, stress and sadness for us. It's all about the 'I', 'me', 'mine'. Then where possibly can there be place for Amma in this whole equation?

When we live our lives surrendering to the Guru, and trusting that our Guru will ONLY do and ONLY create in our lives situations required for our growth, then life will run smoothly. That is the only way we can look events in the eye, understand their significance in our lives and carry on with the joy of living. While there is space for ego in our lives, we will continue to feel angry, jealousy, hurt, stress and every possible negative emotion. Ego is the rope with which we hand over our happiness to every other person. Except our Guru and God. It's like every person in our life is walking with one end of this ego rope. As they pull it in many directions, we, puppet like, respond. When we surrender this rope to Amma, She will only pull it in one direction: the direction of our spiritual growth. And She will do it ensuring our happiness and peace.

Let us vow today to cut this rope off right now. Those holding the ends of it are then purely holding bits that lead nowhere. Hand over the power to a stress free life ONLY to God. To Amma. So She can keep us on the path that leads to ultimate salvation and happiness.

Om Amriteswariye namah!

The choice of an anxiety free, Amma rich life!

160. Om nis-cintayai namah: I bow down to Amma who has no anxiety in anything

Despite my everyday attempt through prayer at conquering fear, I am hugely unsuccessful. Anxiety is like a ten headed monster that chases me through alleyways that take me away from the spiritual path. The first stab of anxiety and I totally forget about Amma or Her teachings. It takes me a few seconds - and mostly at least a minute - to remember Amma. Sometimes the anxiety is so real that I feel a tightness in my chest. There is an actual physical symptom that manifests almost immediately.

Many years back, my biological mother had advised me that I must constantly chant Amma's mantra. Isn't it true that when Gandhiji was assassinated, his last words were "Hey Ram"? Isn't that just beautiful that when death struck, God was remembered? There was no escape, but obviously these words were being chanted. I realise now that my mother was right and how important it is to constantly chant Amma's mantra. When we chant Amma's mantra constantly, the mind gets trained to be on our ishta devata. It's the equivalent of one pointed meditation. And once we learn this, our mind will find it very difficult to stray into murky territory. Anxiety is one such stop our mind should really not be taking. If we have dedicated our lives at the feet of Amma, then why are we looking around and searching for snakes?? We are by Amma's feet!! The feet of the universal Mother. The highest level of divinity there ever can be. And while here, we are actually audacious enough to look around and get scared of the snake?! This is audacious as this is the equivalent of questioning Amma. Of asking Her: Can You really protect me?

Anxiety is a nasty and rude companion. It enters our very core and rips apart any semblance of peace. Peace can ONLY be found at Amma's feet. So the decision is really upto us, isn't it? The worldly life fraught with anxiety...or the spiritual life where we trust implicitly in Amma. There can only be place for Amma..or anxiety in our lives. Waltzing with anxiety can only lead us down the deepest and darkest of alleys. It's the worst thing we can do to Amma. Following Amma however can only give us a deep sense of calm and happiness. Anxiety should never be a choice we ever exercise. When Amma doesn't succumb to anxiety, why should we? So the choice is ours. A life shredded apart by fear. Or the perfect anxiety free and Amma rich life?  

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Amma, the destroyer of Ego!

159. Om mada-nasinyai namah: I bow down to Amma who destroys pride

Pride is a horrible emotion. It has a nasty life of its own. It goads you into thinking that you are self sufficient. That you are better than the best. That you have no need for Amma in your life. And when that fall comes, when loneliness hits, when the most unexpected event unfolds, pride bows down pretentiously and ceremoniously and walks out sniggering, through the door.

How can we take pride in anything? When our next breath isn't a certainty, how possibly can we fill our hearts and heads with pride? Every event that happens in our life is because Amma has willed it to. The house we live in, the clothes we wear, the freedom we assume is our birthright, the food we eat, the health we take for granted: absolutely everything is Amma's gift to us. What is to stop us from having been born in war ravaged countries? Even in abysmal situations, Amma is the one who pulls us out of the void. Each step forward is a gift from Amma. Let us not take pride in anything. Amma is the sum total of all the creative, positive, kinetic energy in the world. And thus, every movement, every moment is Hers to give to us. Let us always pray that we are under Amma's grace. The good is Her gift and the bad is us playing out our karma. Amma is right there helping us through the worst of times and preventing us from facing the full force of our karma.

A few days ago I was lucky to meet Purnaswami. Amma of course is a divine being and loved by all. But I realized why Swamiji is also looked upon with a lot of affection by everyone. He has no pride or ego. Ego, pride's dirty bedfellow. He has managed to completely crush every ounce of ego that we normally ride high on. Pride and ego are prime speed breakers on the spiritual road. These are what crush us completely. They whisper the most dangerous sweet nothings into our ears and goad us into misdirections. Thankfully Amma destroys pride and ego in us. When we go through calamities and difficult periods - when everything seems bleak and nothing seems to be going our way - that is Amma's way of crushing our ego. Our pride. Of destroying every shred of pride so that we can relook at our life and see exactly where we are seeing ourselves being bigger than our creator. Where we are holding on tightly to the reins of our life and refusing to let go. The difficult period is a huge wake up call. And the sooner we realise Amma is the driver of this journey called life, the better it will be for us. For that is when we can sit back and truly enjoy this divine journey!

Om Amriteswariye namah!    

Amma, the divine Mother to all!

158. Om nir-madayai namah: I bow down to Amma who is without pride

She can change the entire world in a heartbeat. She can stand in the paths of our karma and redefine our destiny. She can alter the course of history. She for sure has altered our present. And yet this small lady from Kerala walks without pride.

Even as I write this, thousands have congregated in Amritapuri to spend the festive season with Amma.  The numbers have only grown over the years. It is an ever growing number. Her devotees around the world are connected like a happy family. It's like a country. The currency we deal in, is love and compassion. It's so easy to walk into an unknown environment and instantly connect with at leads one other person, if not more, who know of Amma. Who will reach out to your locket or bracelet because it is a symbol of Amma. Who will say: "I've heard of Amma. I really want to see Her." When was the last time someone was known to a fisherman in Sri Lanka and a governor in America? And yet, Amma has not changed over the years. Amritapuri started off as Amma's extremely humble quarters. Today it's got several buildings including the temples, accommodation quarters, dining hall etc. Amma's footsteps have grown to include several colleges, hospitals, orphanages, centers, soup kitchens. Thousands are benefitted by Amma's numerous humanitarian activities every day. Thousands speak Her name a few times every day. We remember Her ever so often. She's our undisputed spiritual leader and God.

And yet, Amma has no pride in the place She occupies in the world. She does not look down on us, Her devotees. She sees us as nature does: the seat of God. She treats each of us with care and concern. With love and compassion. It's the only language She speaks. She is as much God to Tumban as She is to me. As much to you as to Dattan, the leper. There is no pride in everything Amma has achieved. Only a sense of purpose to do even more for everyone. Amma's always doing something for others. But more importantly She walks the talk. Everything She propagates, She practices. But it would be unfair to even think this task possible for us. Because being able to obliterate pride in oneself requires super human strength. And She for certain, is divine.

Om Amriteswariye namah! 

A selfless world by Amma!

157. Om raga-mathanayai namah: I bow down to Amma who destroys desires (passions)

We live our worldly existence enmeshed in desires that lead us up the path of disappointments. All we keep doing is wanting either material things or we desire the impossible. Each desire creates a air bubble of selfishness around us. We basically set ourselves up for a life of wants.

Christmas is the celebration of the life of Christ and of the selflessness He stood for. On the day of christmas, we should possibly re-look at our lives and our list for Santa! Being under the umbrella of Amma, we need to re-write that list. Less desires for ourselves and more that include the world. Just as Amma teaches us to. Just as Amma would want us to.
1. We want everyone in the world to be happy. There is no ceiling on happiness. We create it as we go along. And the more we include others in this, the bigger the aura of happiness will get.
2. We want no one to be without food. How sad is that? Imagine the pangs of hunger hitting us and not a morsel to eat in front of us. Or worse still, having to worry about how to feed our children. Or worrying about where the next meal will come from. It is unfair to ever have to worry about something like that. And may no one ever have to go through this. Ever.
3. We want everyone to live without fear. The only way out of this horrible maze of fear is to totally, unconditionally surrender to Amma. If I can't be sure if I will be able to even take my next step, how can I possibly worry about tomorrow?? Is it even up to me? Then isn't it just better to leave that next step, that tomorrow to Amma? Because She knows and She cares. And thus She will make it alright.
4. May we all have the opportunity to be under the umbrella of Amma's grace. ALWAYS. It's the only place to be. There are times when the desire to see Amma is so overwhelming. Like now.

Thank you Amma for taking away our worldly desires which only result in pain. Let us learn to look beyond ourselves and do the best we can for the world around us.

Om Amriteswariye namah! 

The state of no-desire!

156. Om niragayai namah: I bow down to Amma who has no desire

Except one, perhaps. To see Her children happy and contented. To see us on the path of spiritual awakening. Amma always wants only the best for us. So these would be Her desires. But Amma has no desire for Herself. She is selfless. The very act of selflessness has been given definition by Her acts. Who else in the world would never want anything for Herself but only for the multitudes who come to see Her?

I once read a rather moving story about Amma, in matruvani. This happened during the early days of the ashram when Amma only had a handful of devotees. It was onam and all Her devotees had gone to celebrate onam with their families. Amma stood by the shore watching and waiting for Her devotees to come and enjoy a sadya with Her. She kept looking out for Her children to join Her. I remember reading this story and feeling sad. To think that Amma had had to wait for Her children to come to Her during such an important festival! My Amma, alone!! Look how time has passed when today Amma can possibly have not even a moment to Herself. And how well Amma has adapted to, if I may use the oft abused word: fame. She remains the same unassuming person She always has been. In fact, these very hands that console and calm us, have shaken hands with heads of state and important decision makers around the world. And yet they see no difference between me and a president of a country. For Amma who desires nothing, there is no difference. We are all surrounded by equal measure of Her love and that is all that matters.

Amma's children are Her life. Everything worldly that Amma deals with, is only because of us. She reaches out to us worldly beings and does everything She can to make our lives as comfortable as possible. Comforts She happily relinquishes for Herself, are handed over to us on a platter. Amma has said that She only desires peace in the world. She only desires happiness for Her children. And amazingly, She achieves this desire through a state of absolute no-desire.

Om Amriteswariye namah!