Narayani Amma's messages - The Path of Light

Full Moon Puja – Discourse 23.05.2005

There are thousands of living beings in the world. Of all the living begins, the Human form is different and blessed. Humans are different, as only they can feel things with the heart, think and make decisions, good or bad.

Man learns good and bad from his religion. There are different religions in the world depending on the climatic conditions and the geographical structure. All religions teach man what is good and bad.

Every religion has a book to guide them. These religious books have laid down certain paths and principles which one has to follow to live one’s life. Most of these religions have one head or prophet to lead, teach and tell the people the rules of the religion.

For the Hindus, the Vedas is their book. These Vedas were not written but formed from the vibrations heard during deep penance by the yogis and rishis. The vibrations that created the Vedas came from the breath of the Parasakthi (Durga).

In the modern age the decline in charity and the incorrect chanting of the mantras have caused a lot of damage to the human world. There were no devastating natural disasters 1000’s of years ago, because the people in those days followed the path of Vedas and performed the rituals in the correct manner.

In Vedic Mantras the vibrations are very important even more than their meaning. The vibrations are so powerful that man gets the grace and blessings from the divine. There are vibrations even when one does charity.

Kumbabishekam or Kalasam abhishekam is performed in most temples. The Kalasam is God’s form. The kumbam or kalasam is the body, the coconut is the head, the mango leaves are the hair, the threads around the kalasam are the nerves and the theertam inside the kalasam is the blood.

When the theertam is poured and the abhishekam is performed with the chanting of the Vedas the holy water inside the kalasam absorbs the powerful vibrations and becomes sacred. The Vedas say attending one Kumbabhishekam is equal to going and visiting 1000 temples.

There is always a meaning behind every act in Hinduism. There is wind and vibrations everywhere but humans cannot hear these vibrations. They can experience the vibrations when they participate in the rituals, visit temples and attend prayer functions for the well being of mankind.

Like the copper or silver kalasam, the body has the ability to absorb the vibrations and energy from these places. So man should not wait for this opportunity, instead he should go to the temples and get the best of everything, thinking good and doing good.

Amma blesses all

Guru

In Sanskrit language there are many golden words and sentences. One such sentence which is apt in this age is "DAIVAM- MANISHA- ROOPANAE" Meaning "God in Human Form".

God manifests himself from time to time to destroy evil and bring about righteousness. In this kaliyuga, God has manifested himself in human form. Siddhars, Yogis and Rishis can realize God only through self realization and so continue to pray and do penance for years and years. Human beings are blessed to see God in human form.

To realize this, understand and receive maximum benefit in seeing God in human form, one should have a Guru (spiritual teacher & guide). This Guru will increase the maturity of mind to understand, realize and attain complete joy in seeing God.

When we have found a Guru, it is like having found God. Human beings are blessed because they can choose a Guru who can lead them on a path to God realization You generally see God in a form of a Guru, but those who seek 'AMMA's’ blessings are very fortunate to see God taking the form of a Guru!

In Lalitha Sahasranamam there are several names for Divine Mother - Om Matre Namah - Salutations to the Divine Mother, Om Maha Rajnyai Namah -Salutations to the Great Empress of the whole Universe, Om Parameshvaryai Namah - Salutations to Sovereign Supreme.

There is so much power in these words when you chant them and the same power exists when you say- Om Gurumurtayae Namah - Salutations to one who assumes the form of Guru.

“Amma blesses you to follow the path of your Guru and to realize God”.

Spirituality – The Guru

Spirituality is important for everyone, however to avoid confusion, a person must genuinely appreciate the path he or she follows. Take the food in any given country, different produce may be native to different cities, depending on their environments. Regardless of the types of food available in different cities in any country, everywhere the people have the same goal: To acquire food for survival, to feed their stomachs. Similarly, spirituality may take different paths, but the end goal of every spiritual seeker is the same: To reach God.

Some people like prayer (Pujas), some like hymns (Bhajans) some prefer Yoga and others, Meditation. One might ask which one path is right or which one is wrong among all these paths. All paths are right. Choose what your heart desires and then follow it. Sometimes, people go to a teacher (Guru) and follow his path.

However when another Guru comes along, they go to him, leaving the first Guru. By changing Gurus frequently, confusion arises and people fail to progress on any path. The mind is very fickle. We should not jump from Guru to Guru and we should not compare Gurus. If another Guru comes along, go and get his blessings. Listen to his teachings as if it is coming from your Guru. See your Guru in him. In this way, there will be no confusion. If you see your Guru in other Gurus, you will hear the message in the right way and you will stay on the spiritual path.

In this world, all Gurus are good, no method is wrong. All Gurus are Kalki Avatars (a divine being that descends from heaven to earth in human form and lives as a human being), who have come to teach about principles and truth. Different Gurus show different paths, but all lead to one goal – “God”.
In spirituality, stay on the path and don’t misuse devotion.

Don’t say nasty things about other Gurus. Each Guru is special. Guru is God. God is Guru. The God to whom we pray comes in the form of a Guru. If we bad-mouth Gurus, we are bad-mouthing God. We travel the spiritual path for peace and enjoyment. We should look at Gurus as different forms of God, leading us on different paths toward the same goal. There are different bulbs with different watts, but the electric current that flows through all of them is the same.

So, choose the path and teachings of the Guru to your liking and interest. Follow the path you can appreciate and stay on it till the end. Don’t do what your friends tell you, listen to your heart and follow the path of your Guru till the end. Only then will you progress on the divine path (Sadhana).

“Amma blesses everyone to follow the spiritual path of your liking and to stay on it until you reach your goal”.

Bhakti

What is Bhakti? Bhakti is Devotion. There are many ways of showing devotion to God i.e. Pujas (Prayers), Yagams (Offerings to the Fire), Bhajans (Singing praises to God) etc. What is the purpose of Bhakti? This is for our satisfaction and peace of mind to remove to worry and stress. There are always worry and stress and everyone has his share. The mind is always asking for something or needing something. Only when we get rid of these thoughts can we experience peace.

A new car nowadays is old in two years. Today we may own a small home. Soon we desire more children and when they come, we need a bigger home and our desires become more and more. There is no permanent peace. An unsteady mind leads to unending desires and we seek to accumulate more and more.

We have to look at people who are less fortunate than us and see how satisfied they are. We always want something the other person has, either because it is bigger or prettier. This unsteady mind makes us shift focus to several things, creating desires. If we don’t get what we want we may hate the other person who has it.

Prayer is a method of calming the mind. When praying, we turn our mind to good and more peaceful things. Sins first start as thoughts then become physical actions. We have to unwind the rope of sins and set ourselves free. When we pray we focus on God and doing Good deeds.

People go to Durga temple on Fridays. At least on that day they want to control and discipline their minds and focus on the Goddess. All rituals we do are for our self-satisfaction only and satisfaction brings peace to our minds. We don’t do prayers for God; we do it for our own benefit.

God always gives selflessly. In communist countries where worshiping God is not encouraged people still get everything like in any other part of the world. For our own self-discipline and attaining peace of mind we pray.

A vehicle stops with one depression of the brake. Similarly, we can instantly put an end to our flow of negative thoughts and begin to prayer. Bhakti has to come from deep down in us. Anything we do, we must do it with sincerity; especially prayers, which is effective only when it is done from the bottom of the heart.

It is very important that our prayers come from our inner depths. There is no big or small prayer. There is only one prayer, which has to be done with sincerity. The form that impresses each individual is the form he/she would choose to worship.

"Amma blesses you to pray, simply concentrating on the form of the image that is dear to you. May everyone be happy and blissful”.

Dharma

Once upon a time there was a good businessman who conducted business by the rules of Dharma, truthfully and sincerely. He was regular in doing prayers to attain God’s grace. He had a flourishing business. One day, he contemplated a change in business. He wanted to market salt in the neighbouring villages by buying salt from the manufacturers. He planned for this and decided to do Vinayaka prayer by breaking 108 coconuts.

The designated day came and after appropriate prayers, he started the business. Many other businessmen dealing with other items like steel, utensils etc. were travelling with him. Suddenly, there was a downpour of rain. Alas! All the salt he procured got destroyed and dissolved in the rainwaters.

This event disillusioned the trader and made him very angry with God. He stayed in the forest highly discouraged; cried and angrily shouted that God does not exist. Evening came and his friends urged him to return home with them. He refused. Darkness descended, night came and robbers arrived at the scene.

Looking at the salt trader, they shouted, “It seems that you sold all your salt! Where is your money? Let us have it”! He had nothing to offer them. The robbers angrily threatened him and one among them was ordered to shoot the trader.

When the robber attempted to fire the pistol, it would not work because the gunpowder was wet due to the rain. One after the other, they attempted without success, and finally they receded back into the thick of the forest. If the trader had sold the stock of salt and if there was no rain, surely he would have been a victim in the scene. God saved his life.

We all plan for different things. If we do not achieve what we want we have a tendency to get very angry. Patience is the rule. We must have patience. For every incident there is a reason. We should never get flustered with small difficulties. Difficulties and happiness are all repetitions. They alternate in the game of life.

For each flower there is always a stem. Life’s difficulties teach us humility, the impermanence of us and everything seemingly stands stolid around us. Every difficulty should be entertained positively and gotten rid of with patience. We have to experience the actions of Karma.

Difficulties reduce our Karma. We all should be glad and delighted to wash off our Karmas. Our souls are never bound; therefore we should not allow ourselves to be bound by anything. God has given difficulties only to make us good and perfect. Every experience in life should be welcomed. All of us have difficulties in varied degrees.

“Amma blesses everyone to have peace of mind without any difficulties”.

Categories of Life

Hinduism is a very ancient religion. As per Hindu beliefs, God created three categories of life in the universe. They are:

1. Deva Ganam --Angelic
2. Manitha Ganam -- Human
3. Bootha Ganam -- Other lower forms

Men have knowledge (6th sense or intellect). Animals have instincts. All of the qualities inherent in other forms of life are fully represented by the Devas. What is the duty of the Devas? The Devas are the administrators of the set Rules on behaviour and resulting repercussions as ordained by God. They make sure that the Dharmic life and conduct is maintained in the universe.

The Devas’ nourishment comes from the oblations we offer in the Holy fire in the Yagnas. Where there is regularity in prayer we will see regularity of seasons, rain, crops etc. Where there is disrespect to nature and indifference toward worship or where Dharmic life is not followed Adharma prevails and the basic necessities for human existance are restricted by the Devas, resulting in rampant drought, famine, disease etc.

You may ask how the offerings in the fire reach the Devas. Only a portion of the offering goes to the Devas. For example, a Mayor’s salary is not determined or directly paid by us as citizens, but we do pay taxes to the government that determines and pays the Mayor’s salary.

Subtle vibrations of the consummated offerings made in the fire, goes to God and a portion goes to the Devas. We have to keep Devas happy in order to get salvation or Moksha. In order to see a government officer or a Minister, we must first make an appointment through the secretaries. A proper dignified approach is a must to the lower officers in order for us to meet their superiors early. Similarly, we have to do Yagnas in a sincere and thorough fashion, following every rule set meticulously.

All the essence of our offerings (rice, ghee etc.) in the Holy fire is taken by the Devas. This pleases them. We have several Homas to invoke the rain God, the wealth God, health God etc. If Lakshmi Homa is performed (for wealth and prosperity) properly with devotion and discipline, the Devas start giving even before the Goddess of wealth decides to bless.

The Devas function on behalf of God. Hence, man has the greatest privilege of offering oblations in the Holy fire, which go towards the sustenance of the Devas. They lay the road or show us the right path to Mukthi. They require us to understand and perform. They act subtly. All the rituals laid out in the Hindu Dharma if followed thoroughly lead us to Mukthi.

Bad thoughts vanish. Good intentions and thoughts manifest in us. Thus whatever we do, we should do it with happiness and faith. The Devas are our Guide. We should seek their blessings.

“With the Devas happiness, Amma also blesses everyone with an abundance of health and happiness”.

Thazham Poo – Rare Flower

Among many flower plants in the world, there is in India an extremely and pleasantly fragrant flower and its plant called Thazham Poo. These plants grow naturally in the slushy and mucky areas. They have severe thorns as well; its fragrance attracts poisonous cobras, which sit coiled around the flower pod.

Irrespective of all the danger, the people in the area get the flowers, clean them and string them in garlands to adorn the Lords images in the temples and at home. The fragrance is celestial and anything extraordinary we always have the tendency to obtain and offer for prayer to the Lord Almighty.

However bad a person is considered to be and however many bad habits he may have, just one good quality in him could slowly but surely help him to leave all the negative qualities behind.

Though the flower is surrounded by so much risky obstacles, its unmatched fragrance make it the most desirable among all flowers and compels us to get it, for honouring and adorning the Lord Almighty.

Same as no matter how bad a person is, if he has Bhakti, this good quality will help him grow out of all his misconceptions and ignorance with glory. Sincere Bhakti will take away all unwanted beliefs, like Kama, Krodha, Mada, Mathsarya etc. and make us pure with time, paving for us the grand highway for Mukthi or merging with the Lord.

It is difficult for everyone to assume that he or she is born perfect. We as human beings have several bad qualities. These qualities are visible only to those who move close with that person. We do not know whether we are good or not. Only Bhakti will take us away from all the bad and negative qualities.

The fragrant flower growing in the wild lost all its bad qualities and adores the Lord, forming a part of the garland around the neck of his image. Only the beautiful fragrance of that flower remains. Bhakti will eradicate all our bad qualities and give us Mukthi. Bhakti will eliminate mistakes we do knowingly or unknowingly. Mukthi is permanent happiness.

“Amma blesses everyone to keep the instrument of Bhakti in their hearts to attain peace”.

Surrender

Among the scriptures in the Hindu Religion, the Epic “Mahabharatha” is considered very important. The following were the main characters on which the whole Mahabharatha revolved around: Sri Krishna, Arjuna and Duryodhana.

Krishna was very helpful to Arjuna by doing several favours for him. Krishna as the Charioteer and mentor offered advice on anything and everything to Arjuna. This made Duryodhana very unhappy.

Duryodhana said to Krishna, that he is also related to Krishna yet Krishna always ignores him and takes Arjuna’s side only. Further he asked, “Why are you fighting a war against me, joining Arjuna”? He also claimed that he was the first to seek help from Krishna.

Krishna replied to Duryodhana, “Where there is absolute faith I am more there”. Krishna asked Duryodhana to come to the forest the following day to test his faith. Duryodhana agreed. The next morning, both Arjuna and Duryodhana meet Sri Krishna in the forest.

Krishna started asking Arjuna questions. There was a crow perched on top of a tree close by. Krishna tells Arjuna, “How beautiful is the parrot perched above”! Arjuna is looking at Krishna and answers instantly, “Yes my lord it is really beautiful, the parrot is really pretty”.

Next Krishna spots a monkey but tells Arjuna, “Look how beautiful the tiger is”! Arjuna replied, “Yes Lord, it is really majestic and beautiful”. Thereafter, Krishna spots a wild forest buffalo and tells Arjuna, “How big and beautiful the elephant is at a distance”. Arjuna agrees with him absolutely.

These replies from Arjuna confuses and angers Duryodhana. He asks Krishna: “How foolish a person could be? You are pointing to a crow, secondly to a monkey and finally to a wild Buffalo, but you are telling Arjuna how beautiful is the parrot instead of the crow and how majestic the monkey instead of the tiger. And, you are calling a Buffalo a beautiful elephant and Arjuna without any hesitation or effort agrees with you. Why is this?

Krishna turns towards Arjuna and asked, “Why would you give such answers”? Arjuna with great reverence replied, “I know you would change anything to something different at your own will, Oh! Lord in an instance. Also, I have no ability or strength to disagree with you.”

Krishna addresses Duryodhana explaining to him that this is the faith that Arjuna has for Krishna. Krishna further explained that anger and a big ego couldn't be appreciated by Krishna.

When we offer food and other things to the Lord as ‘Naivedhya’, we ask ourselves, would God really partake in our offering? We are doubtful. Such questions doubt faith. Faith with doubt is no faith at all. Temples have stone images that we pray to. We do not pray to the stone but to the God in the image. All the blessings are granted by God.

We look at a cow. One says, “Gho-Matha”, in a worshipful manner. Someone else sees the same cow and chases it. In the first instance, Gho-Matha, as the Holy Mother blesses and grants boons as asked. In the second instance, the cow runs away. Gho-Matha goes away!

In order to get anything from God, we must surrender ourselves and pray with total faith. We have to take hold of God with absolute and complete faith. The image of God can be of copper, silver or stone but only faith propels God. Prayer with faith to any form of God will grant us our wishes.

“Amma blesses you all to have complete faith in God”.

Faith

Once upon a time, there was a king ruling a small kingdom. He was very pious and ruled his subjects honestly and truthfully. However, his neighboring kingdom’s hostile manner disturbed him. He cared for his subjects sincerely and was worried for their safety. Both his state and his army were very small. This made him consult a Mahatma. He paid his due respects and placed before the Mahatma his dilemma.

The Mahatma gave him a talisman advising him to wear it always around his wrist whenever he is forced to confront the invading army from the neighboring kingdoms. He further blessed him with strength and victory.

Soon enough his state was attacked and the king valiantly defended himself with his small army and successfully destroyed half of the intruding army. On the following day he went back to the battlefield and further damaged and crippled the opponents’ army. The intruding army was decimated and reduced to a very insignificant size.

Before the third day of the war, his curiosity compelled him to rip open the talisman and find out what it had in it. Hence, he opened it and found within ‘Om Namo Narayana’ inscribed. He said to himself, “Is that all, a small mantra which I hear and recite so often!". So he came to the conclusion that whatever had transpired in the war so far was due to his strategies and valor, and it had nothing to do with the mantra.

His strong success bloated his ego to the extent that he went to war the third day without the talisman. Within no time, his army was defeated and conquered. The king returned to the Mahatma distressed, and sadly reported what had happened. Mahatma told him that it was unwise of him to rip open the talisman. This amounted to lack of respect for the Guru and loss of faith. Hence he was made to face the humiliating defeat.

In material as well as spiritual life we have to have faith in whatever we do. Only then only we can achieve our goals. Science is by experiment first and experience later; whereas in ‘Gyana’ belief comes first and experience after. With absolute faith in God we will certainly achieve everything we need.

“Amma blesses one and all to have lots of faith, peace of mind and success”.

Ganesha

In the Hindu Sampradaya (Tradition) whether it be a new job, business, school, yagnas or marriage we always do prayers to Ganapathi first. Lord Ganapathi is also called Ganesha, Vinayaka, Vigneshwara, Gajamuka, Pilliar and many other names.

Why the name Ganapathi? Ganesha is gana’s adhipati -ganadhipati- Ganapati. Ganas’ are celestial beings. Why should we worship him first? Why this first respect to him? Why we make his representation in turmeric, mud, sugar, dough etc.?

Ganesha is a very simple and easily satiable God. Whichever way we make his representation and worship him, he gets easily invoked and showers his blessings. Pilliar, his other name denotes that he is the son of Shiva.

Soldiers used to carry big shields in order to protect themselves from the oncoming spears and arrows in the event of a war. Similarly, Sri Ganesha acts as a shield for the devotees. In image representation he is very big. He has the head of an elephant. The big elephant when worshipped as Ganesha first, stays in front and protects the devotees who are behind.

Ganesha is big in size as well as very big at heart. He is dayalu. He is also very heavy. However, his vehicle is very small, in fact, a little mouse is his vahana. How big he is but how light he has to make himself to ride a mouse!!

He is a personification of humility and love. Sri Ganesha blesses devotees easily and profusely. Lord Ganapathi’s heart is full of tyaga (renunciation). He broke his own ivory tusk to kill a demon and used the same as a pen to write the Mahabharata.

In any puja, whether it is Lakshmi Puja or Saraswathi Puja, we always perform prayers to Lord Ganesha first and our prayers to him; is to remove all obstructions so that we may complete our puja without blemishes or interruption.

He is offered very simple things as Naivaidya - like puffed rice, peanuts, grass, etc. Very simple is his prayer. Ganesha made with jaggery (unrefined sugar - direct from the sugarcane) is worshipped and if we have nothing to offer we can break a piece of jaggery from his image and offer him. Thus, he is very easily pleased and blesses abundantly.

Ganesha stands ahead with his big body and stops obstructions to our prayers irrespective of the fact whether they are Karmic (reaction to our past actions) or not, enabling us to complete the prayer.

Lord Ganapathi is very easily invoked. His only requirement is Bhakti from a pure and sincere heart. Vinayaka thus worshipped becomes Vigneshwara (Lord blocking obstructions towards good deeds) and blesses each and everyone.

“Amma showers her blessings on everyone”.

Jyothi

In our society, whatever is the crime, murder, robbery etc., they happen mainly at night. Darkness of the night favours these types of activities. It is easier to move unnoticed and commit crimes in the black hours of the night. Darkness blinds our vision and favours wrongful activities. Due to darkness, we are unable to find the good things that may be right in front of us.

In life, real darkness is the lack of knowledqe (Agyana). Very easy and simple things for our normal ethical conduct are blocked from us due to this inner darkness. We light the lamp to remove darkness. In our heart as well, we have to light the lamp of Gyana. We should also get involved in Bhakti (Devotion) activities.

No one does wrong knowingly. We do it unknowingly since we are unable to discriminate between good and the bad. When we are blessed with Gyana we have the power to understand what is good and what is bad.

Some of us light a Holy lamp before our altar in our prayer room everyday. To remove Agyana (lack of knowledge) and get Gyana (knowledge) we should light the Holy lamp everyday. Amma as Jyothi Swaroopini blesses us with Jyothi (light).

It is very easy to see the Goddess in the Jyothi form. Hence, we light the lamp in the morning and evening to invoke the Goddess, who removes inner darkness and ushers in wisdom. Our homes get purified and cleansed by the Jyothi. Jyothi removes darkness and evil disappears.

To have peace of mind, our living quarters should be clean. Darkness favours evil that hinder our thinking process. Light in the Jyothi form removes evil energies from our homes and also removes physical and inner darkness surrounding the Atma.

Interruptions and sickness occur preventing us from doing good activities. The Jyothi removes such hindrances. Jyothi makes our Atma shine brighter. As you notice, the lamp is in three tiers, i.e., the base (represents Brahma), the middle stem (represents Vishnu) and the upper hold (represents Shiva) where we put oil and wick. Furthermore, the Jyothi or flame is Amma or Jyothi Swaroopini.

Without Peace, being homeless or lack of education many of us are not able to differentiate right from wrong and unknowingly get involved in activities which makes our lives more difficult.

Jyothi if lit regularly helps us in gaining Gyana (knowledge). Vallallar, a Mahan (Self realized) said that, Jyothi is enough to achieve everything good in life. Therefore it is important that we light the lamp everyday around 6 p.m. at least for 6 minutes. If we light the lamp with ghee, Mahalakshmi is invoked and blesses us abundantly with all everyday requirements.

Always recite a mantra you know, after lighting the lamp. Maybe, OM NAMO NARAYANI at least 21 times, staying in front of the lamp. This will take away darkness and give us a bright and satisfied existence. We will receive Gyana Prakasha (blessed with the light of knowledge).

“Amma blesses everyone with prosperity and peace”.

Remembering God

When a baby is born in a person’s life, one of the very first ritual is choosing a name for the baby. Friends and relatives are invited and there is a celebration in which the child is given a good name. Why the name is given, especially the name of God? A name of God is given so whenever we call the person’s name, we remember God. Hence the names Rama, Krishna, Lakshmi etc. are given to our children.

Once upon a time there was a good businessman who had two children by the name of Rama and Krishna. This man did not believe in God. He would never remember God, and would tease and insult people who prayed to God. His family cautioned him not to hurt people this way, especially those who keep God dear in their hearts.

He never listened to anyone. He would always preach that there should be no prayers and no temples built for God. In his village, the people worshipped often and this businessman was not popular among them. People disliked him for his attitude and said when he dies; he will surely go to Naraka (hell).

His time to go arrived. He suffered a heart attack. His plea for water was ignored. He called his sons desperately, “Rama”, Krishna, please bring me some water”? No help arrived and he collapsed and died. Just before he died, he imagined going to hell, due to his attitude towards people and God.

When his soul separated from his mortal body, he could see a chariot and the Devas waiting to receive him and take him to Heaven. Then he realized that there is really Heaven and Hell, and he asked the Devas, “How come I am being so lovingly received with pomp and taken to Heaven”? He further stated that, “I also committed a lot of sins”.

Thereafter, the Devas replied with a lot of love that, “You called upon God numerous times everyday, by calling your children Rama and Krishna. Indirectly, you were remembering God several times a day. Therefore we are pleased and welcomed you to Heaven”.

Many people are of the opinion that they have no time to pray. In order not to forget the Lord we give the Lord’s name to children and by calling kids by their name, we remember God indirectly. Today the fashion is to give nick names such as Jimmy, Andy etc. to kids, but God’s names are Vatsala, Nirmala, Saraswathi etc.

When a girl is given a name Lakshmi and is called, she will come. At the same time when that pleasing name is called, Gopala also comes to bless. Thus the practice of giving deities’ names to children is to constantly remember God. When calling them, we gather Punya (merits) for our upliftment.

Nowadays, unfortunately, even older persons when leaving the homeland change their names as well, imagining a better acceptance in the new land. Original names were given with a purpose. Our elders have followed the age old method of remembering God by giving their siblings the many names of God. To be accepted, we should not shy away form our Dharmic beliefs. We will greatly benefit in our lives if we follow our Dharma wherever we are.

“Amma blesses you to follow the path of Dharma”.

Self-Realization

Each and everyone’s happiness and sorrow is directly attributed to the respective individual’s merits and demerits (past and present actions -- Karma). Whatever you do in this life will determine the good or bad you will reap in the life to follow.

Human beings have the highest privilege offered by the Lord among his creations to attain self-realization. If we live a Dharmic life, we will dissipate our karma rapidly and attain God Realization.

Bhakthi, Sadhana, Puja, Japam, Yagna, Bhajans, Meditation are all different methods of purifying our mind. We can do any kind of simple ritual or one of the above to discipline and purify our minds. Purification of mind can be achieved by good actions and love for everyone.

“Amma blesses and encourages everyone to do Dharma for their own upliftment”.

Importance of a Guru

In our lives, at every stage, each and every one of us requires assistance or help.
For the little baby, its mother nourishes and helps child through infancy. As the child grows older, the school teacher helps the child. As Grahastha (householder), the wife is the help. Aged, the individual relies on his/her children for comfort and assistance.

In this Kaliyuga (age of darkness), each and every one requires a lot of help. A little, tender child neither knows how to declare hunger nor how to feed itself. Therefore, the mother is required. As the child grows older, the respective path the child chooses to educate his/her self, will be assessed and guided by the teacher. Similarly, in the maturity of our lives, for peace of mind and emancipation from bondage, we all need a Guru as a guide.

We can argue that we can pray to God ourselves. Why do we need a Guru? In every field of life, by listening and by training from experienced people we learn. For example, a mother who is an experienced cook will teach her child to cook. An experienced engineer will guide a junior engineer in executing a project. In the same way, to acquire Gyana (knowledge), a Guru is very essential.

If one wants to go to the Ganga and Kashi (river Ganges and Benares city - places of pilgrimage in India) that person needs to seek directions from a person who already visited those places. Similarly, a person who has attained Gyana (self-realization), if sought, will gladly part with his knowledge and explain in simple terms the path to Gyana. Such a person is called a Guru.

For mankind, a Guru is important. Kaliyuga (the present time) is full of difficulties. Since we do not know how to live well, we have problems. A Guru always gives good advice and the right directions to us to help us on the spiritual path and live a good life. When we live a good life, then we can have a happy existence.

Even Lord Rama and Lord Krishna had Gurus. They really did not require one, but all the same, to set an example to the general population they had Gurus. In order to stress the importance of having a Guru, and the definite need of advice and guidance from a Guru, they submitted to the tradition and stayed with their respective Gurus for a certain period in their childhood.

With a Guru’s advice, we can correct ourselves. How can we attain a good and qualified Guru? Such doubts should not spring up in our minds. If your heart accepts a person as a Guru, then submit to him. If he has to be tested and certified, then we do not require a Guru. Faith and belief should propel us in accepting a Guru. We will certainly reap the benefits.

All the unlimited desires we have are the cause for our unhappiness and difficulties. What is contentment? Guru has the answer. Accept any guru of any religion and follow his teaching and personal advice. This will allow you a life of symmetry, decency and happiness.

“Amma blesses you all”

Religions

There are several ways to attain God. All religions in the world aim at only attaining God. Allah, Jesus, Krishna, Hanuman and Budha - are they all different Gods? No. God is only one. God is omnipresent. God is the grand nature. God is the attributeless Sakthi (energy) in the nature. Sakthi is fire, air, water, space and earth combined. Sakthi is God.

What is the difference between religions? ln the middle of a large field there is a fruit tree laden with fruits ripe and ready. Several people want the fruits but everyone cannot just go to the tree at once. There are several paths in the field leading to the fruit tree, so each one can choose his own path to the tree to obtain the fruit.

The fruit tree is the example of God. It is easy to attain God even if you tread a different path. Come through any path or believe in any one religion and attain the fruit - attain God.

Following your own chosen path, you will attain God and will easily attain the ULTIMATE. Some paths are straight and some winding. Still the destination is the same. All these paths lead to the same goal - God.

We chant different mantras (prayer) before different idols and get the satisfaction and peace of witnessing God through those forms. In ancient times Seers while meditating and chanting different mantras got these forms and names in their imaginations.

We travel by bus to distant places. The driver halts the bus for certain periods of time to allow the passengers to relax and have tea, lunch and supper. There are different restaurants at the stop. Passengers go to the different restaurants and have their lunch. When the passengers return to the bus the driver asks the passengers if they all had a good lunch and they all said yes. It does not matter to him where they ate. It is the satisfaction of the passengers he cared about not which restaurant they ate at.

Similar, is the experience with God. There are numerous methods to worship God - satisfaction is achieved when God is attained. Some religions favor image worship and some do not. However when we worship, we are all striving for only one penultimate Goal - GOD. You will definitely attain realization whichever way you choose to pray.

“May everyone attain the Lord and his blessings”.

Accumulation of Wealth

Once upon a time there lived in a city two brothers. They were very good brothers maintaining great love and respect for each other. Both of them were in different trades altogether. They were both very different when it came to likes and dislikes. The older brother was content with whatever he had whereas the younger one wanted to make more and more money. The older boy would contribute towards charity and the other liked to keep his wealth.

One day, there were very heavy rains an inundation occurred, sending flood waters everywhere. A MAHATMA (saintly person) who was living in the area wanted a place to stay. Due to this unprecedented rain and chose the dwelling of the brothers. They welcomed the Mahatma very graciously and with reverence made his stay very comfortable. Irrespective of their nature, both of them served the Mahatma with Bhakthi and respect.

The Mahatma, very happy, thanked and blessed the boys for their hospitality and gave two seeds as his gift to them. He explained that the seeds were very unique in that when sowed would sprout into fruit bearing trees within a day. He informed them that one of the trees will give the required number of Golden Mangoes and the other when asked will give a continuous supply of Golden Mangoes with a condition that whosoever owns it should collect them and put them away nonstop. Failing to do so will result in his demise.

The older brother chose the first tree and as expected the younger one chose the second tree. They chose an auspicious day and planted the seeds in the adjacent fields behind their homes. As ordained, the trees were ready within a day.

The older boy had some money in reserve and he waited to ask the tree for the required number of golden mangoes. Thus he reserved the tree for a day when he really needed it.

Younger one quickly asked for the golden mangoes and soon the fruits arrived requiring him to collect immediately without pause. The supply was unending and due to the characteristics of the chosen tree he had no choice but to collect and collect no matter how tired he was.

The older boy needed money and asked for only five mangoes from his tree which he easily disposed of for a reasonable price, making use of the money to obtain his needs.

The younger one collected and collected without respite, due to fear of loosing his life and has no chance of using the golden mangoes for his enjoyment. After a while as he was busy collecting the fruits his sons and family members took away the golden mangoes sold them for lots of money and enjoyed a lavish living.

The Mahatma came back to find out how the brothers were doing. Surprisingly he could see only one house and where the second house was he could see only a heap of golden mangoes. As soon as the younger brother caught the sight of the Mahatma he pleaded to him to stop the supply immediately.

The Mahatma fulfilled his wishes and stopped the tree from giving any more mangoes and stated that whatever was the boy’s wish was, it was only getting fulfilled.

What we learn from this story is that when wealth exceeds our needs it becomes a nuisance and causes harm to our peaceful existence. Don’t we all appreciate the shade of a tree when it is very hot on a sunny day? None of us can eat money or satisfy our hunger for food with gold as the diet. It is never wise to collect and hoard wealth.

Every one of us needs just enough money to satisfy our reasonable necessities in life. When we hide our excessive income it becomes black money. Moreover, a peaceful life can be taken over by constant worrying about how to protect the wealth.

If we do not have money then we have problems too. Just enough will do. If we have too much we have a tendency to hide it from our relatives and also from income tax officers. We get sick with high blood pressure, stress, diabetes and all the possible physical ailments set in due to constant worrying.

When one cannot have and enjoy regular food and is restricted to a tasteless, diet just to survive, where is the joy of living? When one has wealth more than his needs then that person should be glad to part with the excessive wealth for charities.

When a person earns only one thousand dollars he can pay his debt if he receives ten thousand dollars. When a person earns a million dollars then he needs ten million to solve his dilemmas. Money is clearly not useful beyond a certain amount. We have to retain sufficient wealth and the rest we should spend on good and charitable causes.

“Amma Blesses you with Joy and Contentment”.

Path of Prayer

For us human beings peace of mind is essential in order to function and to conduct our day to day activities normally and effectively. To attain peace we resort to different exercises like Yoga, Bhakthi, Dhyana (Meditation) etc. For the sake of our heart, for peace in our soul, we resort to different methods to consistently discipline our lives. Every method is good but which is the easiest way.

In the present day life, it is really difficult to allocate two hours for Sadhana. Bhakthi Marga (prayer path) is the best, easiest and the most convenient method. The only requirement is our heart and total faith. Amma might be doing four hours of prayers, but four minutes of prayer from the bottom of the heart is enough. What we do in our prayer and how many people we feed are not important. Our devotion is what’s important.

Yoga method requires strenuous discipline and one has to go from stage to stage. Only in the last stage does one realize the ultimate - God. Bhakthi Marga gives you results immediately. Dhyana Marga is like climbing a steep mountain as absolute concentration is a must in Meditation. One year, two years, it is difficult to estimate the required time. Set timings and set place to practice meditation is a must. A small irregularity will make us tumble backwards and will force us to start from the beginning all over again. Lots of patience, time, and discipline are absolutely necessary.

Since none of us have acquired peace in our minds we should practice at least one of these ancient methods. Of all the methods, Bhakthi (devotion) is the easiest. There are two types of Bhakthi, Para Bhakthi and Apara Bhakthi.

Para Bhakthi is always remembering God. This is easier said than done. A farmer cannot cultivate if he continuously worries about praying neither an Engineer. Activities like cultivation and engineering require meticulous attention to attain efficiency and optimum production.

Apara Bhakthi is deciding to pray and it is the first step towards praying. One can choose small and easy methods. Light a lamp in the morning before the altar or at a place assigned for prayer at your home.

Bhakthi leads to Gyana (knowledge). Gyana leads to the light of knowledge. By praying you remove Agyana (ignorance). Girls should light lamps everyday in their homes. Light or fire cleans and illumines everything.

Thus Amma as Jyothi Swaroopini (Amma as light) can be easily seen. Therefore the light should be lit consistently in our lives everyday without fail. Blessings from the Goddess of wealth (Lakshmi Kataksha) will be received along with strength and knowledge. One should recite at least a short prayer after the lamp is lit.

Siva Purana, Mahabaratha, Ramayana (epics from the Hindu faith) or any other holy book out of which at least a chapter should be read attentively assimilating the Dharma (righteousness) stated in them. A prayer should be said for the well being of all the living forms in nature’s creation. Before we retire in the night every one of us should think of the Lord and thank Him for the day. Therefore in Bhakthi, Amma should be held dear and close to everyone.

There are two ways of doing Bhakthi, one is cat like and the other monkey like. A mother cat worries for her kittens and keeps shifting them from place to place by grabbing them at the neck, concerned for their safety and feeds them regularly. Here kittens leave themselves at the mercy of the mother cat. Total surrender to God and he will look after us and grant us what we need and not necessarily everything we may desire.

The baby monkey puts a strangle hold on the mother monkey’s belly till such time it becomes strong and can cut loose. The Mother monkey cannot release the grip of its baby monkey. In a similar manner, we should hold on to God and trust whatever he puts us through in our existence.

“AMMA blesses each and everyone with peace of mind and happiness”.

Mantras

Whenever we pray we recite mantras (prayers in the Sanskrit language) either inwardly, outwardly by yourself or in a group. This stream of words from the mantras when overlapped with similar vibrations of sound already existing in the universe, gives way to different forms (Rupas) which naturally manifest themselves.

The sound of mantras and the already existing sound in the nature of similar wavelength with the gravitational force of the earth, uniting in the form of positive and negative forces permit different forms to emanate (due to different intonations of the mantras).

How do we know that Mahalakshmi portrayed in the pictures with four hands, sitting in a lotus is surely Mahalakshmi. All the forms of God are manifested by the different sounds of different mantras. When we are by ourselves in a quiet room, we sometimes hear sound emanating from within us like a little hum (so-hum). This is because of the movement of the air (Prana) within us.

Adi Shankara (incarnation of Lord Shiva) in Soundarya Lahari (a collection of verses) has described the beautiful form of the Devi. He attained the form and visualized it by reciting Beejakshara Mantras. Through mantras and their sounds, we experience, see and bring Daiva Sakthi (Divine energy) here on this level.

What does Sakthi have to do with a stone idol? When we bathe any idol with the water fortified with the chanting of different mantras, the Sakthi (energy) absorbed by the water, gets transferred to the idol.

“Amma blesses everyone”.

Four Stages of Life

Discourse given after Kalyani or mass weddings

Four Stages in Human Life (discourse given after Kalyani – mass weddings)

In the human life there are four stages:

(1) GURUKULAM from birth to 25years
(2) GRIHASTASHRAM from 25-40 years
(3) VANARAPRASTHA from 40-60 years
(4) SANYASI from 60 years onwards

In the first stage a child undergoes education and learns values that help him to develop into an individual. In the second stage he is busy getting married and having family and settling down. In the third stage he is completing his responsibilities of his family. In the fourth stage he learns to detach himself from the materialistic world and turns his mind and thoughts on God.

Among all the stages, the most important one is the first stage, the stage of Gurukulam. This is because the education, the values, the situations, all develop him and pave way for the next three stages. In this Gurukulam stage, a child has no problems. Parents take care of everything, minor or major. A child must learn to follow the path shown by parents and he will be happy. This is the foundation stone and it has to be strong.

In stage two, Grihastashram, responsibilities set in. A man has to take on the responsibilities and complete them. All seem like problems. This leads to anger and to committing sins, and so on. It is his duty to complete these responsibilities without doing wrong things. If in the first stage, a child is taught God fearing and Bhakthi (devotion). In stage two, he will be able to bear these responsibilities with ease as the fear of God and the devotion will give him the strength and faith to face everything. Without this devotion and faith a man commits sin and when a sin is committed once, it is easy to do it again. So, stage one is very important and bhakthi is the foundation.

For each one of you gathered here today, Bhakthi is necessary. If one feels that there are no problems right now therefore no need for Bhakthi, then that is the wrong thought. Having Bhakthi and learning right and wrong is very important and this will pave the way for all the other three stages. You can face and bear all that arises in other three stages.

Everyday prayers are necessary. Light a lamp in the morning and evening and see God in that light. There are many names for Amma and Jyothi Swaroopini is one of them. Amma loves that name. We have given a lamp to all the newly married couples. Light the lamp everyday and start the day with prayers. Each one should say prayers and have Bhakthi. This will bring light into your house in the form of love, happiness and comfort. Having Bhakthi and offering prayers will also teach you to serve others.

"With this light, Amma blesses each and everyone to pray and have Bhakthi and to serve mankind".

Faith and Devotion

Hundreds of years ago there were hardly any temples, but people would make an attempt to go to those few temples with great devotion and would be contended and happy. Nowadays we have temples everywhere, almost one for a street, but people hardly go and they are also not experiencing peace and happiness. So what is the reason for this?

Earlier people believed that God existed everywhere. Some would believe that Amma existed in a “Neem” tree and would offer prayers to that tree, while some would believe that Amma exists in a particular “Stone” in their lands or fields and would pray to that Stone. Such was the extent of their devotion and this gave them happiness. Nowadays people hardly go to the temples saying that they have no time and they also lack faith and devotion and this leads to lack of peace and happiness. This shows that Amma is where faith is.

Faith is a form of God. In the present day there are temples according to caste and religion, but count how many actually go there. People go to temples only on occasions and other times ignore it. Those who believed that God existed everywhere and in everything experienced tremendous amount of peace and happiness. All this is due to their faith.

The belief that Amma exists only in big temples is false. Amma exists wherever there is faith. Stone or Tree worship, it doesn’t matter. Worshipping with faith and devotion is what matters and it is important to carry on this at all times. If you believe that Amma exists where you think Amma does, then Amma will definitely be there, be it a tree, stone or anything else for that matter. Amma can move from a big temple to a person praying to a tree depending on his faith and devotion. Prestige or grandeur is not important. It is faith and devotion that are of utmost importance.

The question is to how many items should I offer for abhishekam, what mantra should I recite, how many times should I recite are of no value at all if you have no faith and are doing it for the sake of doing it.

Offer what you can but only if you are offering it with faith and devotion. Each and everyone has a heart .So develop faith in it. Even offering mere turmeric water combined with faith is more important than those things offered without faith. Many would then ask why are so many huge yagas being performed here at the peedam. These yagas and homas are being performed for the benefit of mankind.

Amma has so many names and forms. So any form of devotion to any name and form is accepted when offered with faith and devotion. Many of you have some time to spare. Don’t waste it. Cultivate it to develop a habit or service that will be useful for survival the Mother in turn will serve the world. eg. Plant a tree, take care of it and when it flowers, offer the flowers to the temple. This itself, is sufficient and this paves way for other services which will benefit mankind at large.

“Amma blesses all to develop faith and devotion and pave the way for the service to mankind”.

Amma's Words of Wisdom

At a discussion about digging deeper bore wells (1200 ft vs 400ft) on peedam lands in order to address the acute water shortage situation.

Below is Amma’s words of wisdom…..to us.

“How sad ….1000 ft and below why does one want the hurt and pain the earth so much ….it is very sad”. It is not that there is a shortage of water. This earth is millions of years old and so is the air and water.
It is this very same earth that has supported so many billion forms of lives on this earth over this period of time. When so much was supported over so many millions of years …does the earth not know how to take care of the present day life forms too??!

It’s not that there is shortage of water. The only reason is that water has moved back closer to where it comes from.! It is getting further away from the reach of man. It is this and nothing else. The pure element ‘water’ has been created for man for two purposes.

1) To wash and cleanse the physical body.

2) It was also created so that man may drink it and cleanse the inside. So that one’s thoughts remain pure and good actions follow.

However, in this age this is not so. There is impurity in thought and action, the agitations in the mind creates a negative energy and nature responds accordingly. There has been great misuse of this pure element in the form of wastage and pollution and that people now never really respect this nature’s divine gift to mankind.

When respect is lost and man’s thoughts and actions are not pure, nature has responded by moving the water element further away from man’s reach. There is no shortage it is just not within easy reach. Only when there is harmony, purity in thought, action and respect for natures gift that water will resurface and be within very easy reach of man. This world is like a giant mirror reflecting and reacting to all of man’s thoughts.’

“Amma blesses you to create harmony, purity in thoughts and actions and to respect nature’s Gifts.”

Wisdom Can Win Over Destiny

What is destiny? It is very often said that based on the wrong past actions of man, man will have to endure pain and suffering as a result of these actions. This is termed as Destiny. There are many people who lead a normal and prosperous life and when they encounter a difficult situation or a mishap occurs; when asked they will say, it is so because of their destiny.

If destiny always has a powerful influence and governs one’s life, why then should man pray and worship God? If they were to worship God then, that act too would be under the control of destiny, is it not? So what then is the benefit in worship when every thing is shaped by destiny? What then is the use of going to places of worship?

‘Wisdom can win over destiny’. Wisdom is knowledge and devotion. When these two are present in man, it is possible to win over destiny. Take for example a person - a businessman, because of the nature of his business, he sails across the ocean often. It is destined that on a particular date the boat in which he sails will sink into the sea.

The sinking of the boat is destined to happen. If he were a person who says everything is determined by destiny hence there is no need to worship or pray, with such a mindset he embarks on the trip on that particular day as destiny has it -- the boat does sink.

Where does the boat sink? It happens far from the shore from where a drowning person will not be able swim back and save himself, nor can the collective efforts of people save him because the mishap has taken place mid sea. This then is destiny. How can this be changed with devotion and wisdom?

If that very same individual had faith in God and there is prayer in his mind and he has carried out righteous work in his life he will for sure earn God’s grace. Now, how does God’s grace help or protect him? As destined on that particular date the boat does sink but in this case it will happen at a place close to the shore where it's possible for him to save himself or could be easily rescued by people near the shore.

When there is no devotion and wisdom, destiny rules. But with devotion and wisdom it is possible to alter the impact of destiny. The Grace of God has that power to alter destiny. Every human being is bound to face difficulties and problems in life. There is no human being who is free from encountering these difficulties and problems for they arise as a result of one’s wrong actions in their past life.

One may ponder - how is it that even though I now do a lot of good deeds. I still encounter difficulties? This is a concern in every individual’s mind. Do not be disappointed; all the good actions will do you good in the future. With devotion one will gain the strength and enthusiasm to face the situations.

If one does not have faith in god they would be moving around getting their future forecasted, horoscope checked, palms being read etc: More than all this, it’s essential to have faith in God for it is the greatest power. Destiny can impact man in many ways, difficulties and problems, mental disquiet and so on.

Just as in the case when one has problems with health they visit a hospital to see a doctor.
So to, when man encounters difficulties, anxiety, depression it is very essential that man turn the mind towards God, for it is this, which will yield greatest benefit. It will help man win over destiny. If a person is destined to suffer let’s say for twenty days, God has the power to alter this to be limited to two days or even erase the suffering that this person has to endure.

On this auspicious day take that small step, develop faith in God and let you mind indulge in prayer, for God can give you the strength to face hardships and has the power to shape and alter your destiny.

Amma blesses all life forms on this earth with peace and happiness.

Human Life is a Great Life

Human life is a great life. Why? There are many other forms of life, why is the human life so great? The reason is that while all other life forms can have happiness, only humans can experience joy.

Animals only know how to get things for themselves. They are able to get food only for themselves and to find shelter only for themselves. On the other hand, humans have the ability to share. Because we know how to share things that brings us joy. That is why it is only possible for humans to know joy. Animals don’t have the urge or the desire to share.

What is the goal in our life? Our only goal is to go back to God. We can achieve this through kindness, love and generosity to other humans. We should share. That we should share is an easy thing to say; it is a difficult thing to do. How can we share? We can start by sharing our devotion, our love of God. When we share that, we will have the desire to share.

Most people think that devotion is to sit in a place of worship and ask God for things. This is not devotion. Devotion is to think about God. Thinking about God, even for a few minutes a day, will help us learn to share everything we acquire and this will bring us back to God.

Amma blesses you all.

Prayer and Surrender

Devotion is important and essential for every being. It can be approached from two paths: through prayer or through surrender. What is the difference between prayer and surrender? Prayer is what we say or offer to God when we want something from God. Surrender is when we offer love to God, without expecting anything in return. A person should follow the second path and surrender to God.

If you take the first path, and pray daily, there will be no end to your prayers. You will never be able to pray for all the things you need in life because nothing is permanent. Even when one problem is solved or one desire fulfilled, new ones will appear.

In order to have peace and happiness one must surrender. To surrender is to hand over everything to God: your thoughts, words, deeds, everything you own. In this way, everything becomes and belongs to God. People have limited abilities in facing life and its challenges. Imagine how much easier it would be if we surrendered everything to God. The Divine Mother’s knowledge is unlimited. If you think everything you have is yours, then every aspect of life becomes a huge burden. On the other hand, if everything you have belongs to the Divine Mother, then you have absolutely no problems.

What is the benefit of prayer? It lasts as long as we have faith. We might get what we ask for when we pray, but will we get happiness? It all depends, at times we might and at times we might not. We might ask for something that we might not get; then, we are not happy. We are disappointed and every thing seems difficult. We do not have peace.

If we surrender, then whether we get what we want (or even whether we are happy or not) doesn’t matter because we are always at peace. This is because we accept that everything that happens, happens for the good. We don’t need to ask for anything. Everything we need is satisfied. In surrendering we get all we need, not necessarily all that we want. There is more peace and joy through surrendering.

In times of difficulty we pray to God and expect solutions to our problems. In contrast, when we surrender we offer love and, in return, we receive unlimited love and peace which in turn brings us joy. To experience this love and peace we must always surrender. Through prayers, you expect that all your desires will be satisfied. If they are not, then you are disappointed. When you surrender, the Divine Mother will take care of everything.

Amma blesses you to follow the path of devotion through surrender.

Tsunami & Other Natural Disasters

When people deviate from dharma (righteousness; path of good thoughts, good words and good deeds) its opposite, adharma, increases. (As with light and darkness; when there is less light there is more darkness). At this time, there are already a lot of bad energies in the human world. That is why this time is called the Kaliyuga,(the Age when sin is at its peak). It is a time when negative forces dominate this world. You need more dharma - righteousness - if you want to lessen the negative forces and if you want protection from these negative forces. .

Dharma can protect people from these negative forces. When people leave this dharmic path; for example, if they just lead their lives the way they want - with materialism and greed, it is like opening the door for the negative forces to come in. Because of these things, once this negative influence comes in, then their thoughts, words, actions, everything will be negative. This creates bad karmas and bad energies in the world. This leads to the creation of things like natural disasters. So, is there is any solution to stop the disasters like the tsunami? Yes~ How? Dharma.

The more good deeds that you do, the more good energies and joy will be created. So once you are filled with joy and love, you will be the representative of the good forces and the positive energies. What is God? God is love, unconditional love. Once you have created the unconditional love by doing good deeds, you can absorb Divine energy because your physical body will then be suitable to do that. It will be able to absorb the Divine in you. When there are more Divine forms, more love beings in the world; you yourself can create good energy for the world. So good energy to the world means people, your neighbours and friends will feel the energy from you. It will help them change their lifestyle. As the world changes onto the path of spirituality and dharma, it can control the disasters. This is because human sin and bad deeds are creating them in the first place.


The solution is this: today is the day. You cannot do anything about yesterday and you cannot do anything about tomorrow. Yesterday is like a broken pot: you can’t do anything with it. It is finished. Tomorrow is like a cat on a fence: you are not sure where it will jump. A cat may jump off to one side or to the other side. Like the future, you don’t know whether it will be one way (good) or the other way (bad). So, what you know is this; today is the day. Today you have the chance and the opportunity: only do good things, so that your future is good.

When you start to worry about the future, it brings fear and it uses up your time. Instead of thinking about good things and good deeds, when you start to worry about yourself, then there is no time to think about the world or to do service. To remove your fears and worries, just do good deeds. Whatever your problems are, whatever your worries are, whatever your sufferings are, just do good deeds. It will change today’s life and it will bring you a good life in the future. So, the future is in your hands. You do not need to worry about the future. The things you do now will determine your future, so just have good thoughts and just do good deeds.

Amma blesses you all.

Self Control

One must pray and be one with God in order to experience peace and joy. If one probes into this question, and searches within for the answers, one soon realizes the following: in life, one can experience moments of happiness from worldly things, but not inner peace, which is what the soul desires.

A person who desires inner peace must get rid of all bad thoughts and feelings. What bad thoughts and feelings? Anger, jealousy and greed in the material world; these kind of thoughts and feelings cause the mind to fret. So, redirect your mind to God and start to pray, you should also surrender to God. This, in itself, will get rid of all the bad feelings and thoughts. Hence, a person must devote him or herself to a greater being, an external source. The best external source is God.

Take a bull, f or example. You won’t be able to make a bull do anything you want if you allow it to roam about freely; it could cause a great deal of damage. Whereas, if you were to properly harness and restrain it, you could put the bull to good use. In the same manner, the harness of prayer must be used to regulate our thoughts and feelings.

In essence, a controlled bull will do a lot of good things compared to a bull that is left free to roam about doing damage. In a similar manner, every self-controlled human being is very important. If your life is out of control, you could harm yourself and the people around you; consequently, your community could also suffer.

When you harness a bull in order to control it, you can train it to do constructive work. In a similar manner, prayer can act as a harness for human beings, with ensuing positive results. In order for each and every one of us to attain peace and joy, self-control is essential. The control you seek now is prayer.

It’s only through prayer that you will find out how to do good things and how to improve your life. If we do not have any self- control, the mind will roam freely and it will determine all actions to be right. If one embarks on the path of prayer, one will realize what is right and what is wrong from within. One will not need to depend on another person to point this out.

So each and everyone here should adopt the path of prayer and surrender. Let God’s prayer flow through us. Let prayer control our actions and help grant us wisdom. Let prayer bring us a good life with joy and peace.

Amma blesses us all to allow prayer to control our actions and grant us wisdom, joy and peace.

Deepavali

Deepavali cleanses the body and mind. Out of the several billions of life forms that call Mother Earth 'home', the human life form is considered far more precious and blessed. The reason for this is, humans have a purpose and a definite goal in their existence while other life forms do not. The goal of every human is to attain salvation. Humans invest their time and effort heavily on Dharma, which would ultimately lead them to God and liberate them from the cycle of life.

Religious festivals like Deepavali help to keep humans on their spiritual path allowing them to continue performing Dharma. Celebrating a festival does not mean that we should spend lots of money; it means that we should learn the truths and the meaning behind its celebration. Generally, most functions teach us the need to live harmoniously with nature and the importance of being devotional.

Deepavali is celebrated as a very happy occasion where we rejoice in the death of a demon called Narahasuran. Why should we still be rejoicing in the destruction of a demon that happened millions of years ago? We should, because, millions of years ago (when the yugas were called dhuwara and thretha), people lived with pure hearts and dharmic convictions while evil lurked on the outside as demons.

However, in this Kali Yuga period, most people live with little or no faith in divinity thus giving way to evil thoughts like lust, greed, jealousy, anger, etc. to grow within their hearts. In the past, when people lived with pure hearts, demons existed solely on the outside and bothered from the outside. Whereas now, evil thoughts are dwelling within peoples' minds and steer them on paths that are detrimental to their spiritual growth.

Celebrating Deepavali helps to reinforce the conviction that everyone should cleanse their minds of impure thoughts and work towards attaining the human goal of salvation. Early in the morning on Deepavali day, everyone should take a cleansing bath after anointing their bodies with oil. Rubbing oil on our skins signifies purification; purification of the body as well as the mind. With a thoroughly cleansed body and a pure mind one should conduct himself/herself on the righteous path.

Every year, we celebrate it rejoicing in the death of a demon. These annual celebrations keep the Hindu culture alive. Whenever the culture is alive, good habits are undisputed and followed. And, when the society dwells in good habits, it lives happily, harmoniously and peacefully.

Amma blesses everyone so that all will happily celebrate Deepavali in its proper fashion by rubbing the skin with oil and taking a bath to purify the body and the mind, by praying at a temple and by receiving blessings from respected elders.

Annual Celebrations

Tamil New Year's Day Discourse - April 14th, 2001

In this world, the greatest number of festivals is celebrated in India. Many look at it as expenditure but fail to look at the reason behind why they are celebrated. For example, Deepavali, the festival of lights, is celebrated because of the slaying of a demon. Many might ask if the demon was killed ages ago why we still celebrate it. It is not just a celebration of the demon’s end, but the destruction of evil in all of us. It is the essence of “good over evil” where we celebrate the destruction of evil and welcome good into our lives.

Pongal (Harvest Festival) is another celebration, which is not just cleaning inside and outside of your home or cleaning outside the physical body, it is the cleansing of one’s inner self, getting rid of the negativity within us. Don’t look at these festivals as expenditure but a way of teaching our young ones the reason for celebrating them. They would learn good moral lessons if they were taught the reasons why these festivals are celebrated.

Many ask why celebrate the New Year every year. The reason is to encourage new, good thoughts to come into each one of us and for us to practice them. It is important to teach the children what good there are in these festivals so that they learn at a young age. Life is not a bed of roses. It is a mixture of various emotions and moods. The children must be taught to face life with all these moods; so it is necessary to learn the moral values of our festivals. When the children learn this at a young age they will also learn to live and work for a peaceful society.

In fact our Hindu religion preaches, LOKA SAMASTHA SUKHINO BHAVANTHU (may the whole world be filled with peace and happiness). For world peace, each and everyone has a part to play. It is not the duty of a few good Samaritans or leaders; everyone has a part to play.

When a good person prays sincerely God answers his prayers. If God should appear before this individual and ask what he wants, the individual will definitely ask for the welfare of the society. Likewise each and everyone should pray for the welfare of the society. Taking part in Yagams and mere listening to the mantras will cleanse you and good thoughts, words, and actions will take its place.

Animals think of themselves but humans have the ability and capacity to pray for the welfare of the world. You should have faith and bhakthi in your religion. I am asking you to have good thoughts words and deeds in your daily life.

“AMMA blesses each and everyone to have many more New Years with new, good thoughts and actions for the welfare of the society.”

Utilize Your Capabilities

Amma's discourse at a temple in Vellore

Among all living beings, human beings are the most gifted. It is because they have the intellect and are able to set goals and work towards them. But only a few are able to reach their goals, like, for e.g. Mother Teresa, who grew up with a positive attitude and had set her heart, mind and soul to serve mankind.

All of us have the capabilities and skills to reach our goals but, the situations, circumstances and environment we live in, have tremendous influence on us and prevent us from fully utilizing these skills for the benefit of mankind. A well-read person will have a vast vocabulary and will be able to speak and communicate effectively and if this individual grows up in a positive atmosphere - i.e. always exposed to good people and things, taught to distinguish between right and wrong and taught moral values, - then he will grow up to speak good words and think good thoughts for the welfare of society.

On the other hand if the individual, be it a writer or speaker grows up in a negative atmosphere, with bad company and influences, then he will always say or write negative things which may aggravate society. So to avoid these negative influences man should choose the spiritual path with devotion as the highest quality.

Then all his words, actions and deeds will be of a high order in serving mankind. Individuals on this path will be able to distinguish between right and wrong and will make the change to move forward in serving mankind. All of us have the capabilities and skills but how we utilize them for the benefit of mankind is most important.

A thief misuses his skills to break the law and get what he desires. The police use their skills to protect the society. A knife by itself is not harmful or dangerous. But a knife in the hands of a butcher is dangerous because he ends life, whereas, a knife in the hands of a doctor is a welcome sign because he saves life.

On similar lines there is nothing wrong with this world but the people and circumstances are to be blamed when things go wrong. The world is a beautiful place to live in and how we utilize our stay in this world is most important.

AMMA blesses each and everyone to fully utilize their capabilities in following the spiritual path with devotion and for the welfare of mankind and society.

God is in All and God is One

Once again the pious divine soul, popularly known as Amma, from South India has graced the Canadian soil. Last year, when Amma visited Toronto, many people marveled at Amma’s miraculous powers. Hundreds flocked to the homes and other places where Amma visited to get blessings and possibly a private interview with Amma. Amma is also known as the Goddess Sri Narayani Amma.

Amma says this form of Goddess is considered as Mother Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswathi all combined in one as Sri Narayani Amma, the Mother of Kaliyuga. Those who received gifts such as murtis, vibhuthi, kum kum, etc. expressed great sentiments of joy and temporary bliss, and as each individual shares their experience upon their encounter with Amma, some people's realization is that they have met with God. Time and time again many Hindu priests have confirmed to devotees from the scriptures that "one never knows what form God will take and when God will come."

A Publisher conducted an interview with Amma and on an audio recording asked many questions.

Publisher:- "Amma, why are you called Amma?

Amma:- "I do not address myself as Amma, but I would like to ask you, 'why do you call me Amma?'"

Publisher:- "In a previous article that I've read, you were addressed in this manner, and whenever I associate myself with your followers they, too, call you Amma. (Amma laughs very happily)"

Amma:- "It is my mission in life to take care of everyone. I see and love them as a Mother. Therefore, it is for this reason everyone calls me 'Amma'."

Publisher:- "Why have you taken this Mother form and as Sri Narayani Amma in this Kaliyuga age?"

Amma:- "To promote peace and love. It is a must at this time. Everyone needs it that is why I have taken this form."

Publisher:- "Who is Sri Narayani Amma and where did Amma originate? We have Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswathi and other Goddesses, tell us about Sri Narayani Amma?”

Amma:- "What is the difference between naan, chapathi, pouri, roti, bread and cakes?"

Publisher:- "They are all made with the same ingredients."

Amma:- "Haa! The basic is one--wheat! Likewise, there is only one power and that is the Supreme Power who is called Brahman. For that power there is no form. To satisfy us, God takes many forms but all are the same. There is no limit to the Supreme Power. Can you find the limit of air? Can you find the limit of sun? Absolutely not! Likewise, we cannot find the limit of God. He is everywhere and therefore forms will always come. We cannot give the age of nature. Without form it is called Brahman. With form it is called Sakthi."

Publisher:- "But, there are no murtis of Goddess Narayani? All the other deities have representations except Goddess Narayani, what is the reason for that?"

Amma:- "It is the first incarnation of Goddess Narayani in the world, therefore Goddess Narayani is special. When we look at Maha-Lakshmi She has the four hands. Two hands have the lotus flowers and one hand has the Abaya Hara. She also carries the Conch and the Chakra. Goddess Narayani adds a special sign to this Kaliyuga that is why there are no idols of her."

Publisher:- "What can be done in this Kaliyuga age for all the people to get upliftment in their lives. Why are people suffering? What causes suffering?"

Amma:- "They must follow their culture and practice good habits so that they can follow the right path. There are many ways humans can obtain this. Suffering is common to all; it is the nature of man to suffer. We all suffer because of our karma, but we should not worry about that.

Everyone in the world has some suffering. Even a doctor, lawyer, mason and even the prime minister must learn to adjust our lives so that they can find peace and ask themselves “why are we suffering?” When we are not satisfied, we always crave for material things, even if it is not a need. It is just the feeling of desire, therefore this causes problems."

Publisher:- "Is it because of greed?"

Amma:- "Haa! Amma says greed maybe! We are never satisfied with the things that we have. For example, if we have 10 rupees, we want to make it 100 rupees, then 1000. Greed causes sins. Therefore, we create bad karma. It continues so sins become a constant in our lives."

Publisher:- "Are you saying we should only indulge in constant prayer to the Lord at all times and be content, so that we will not become greedy and commit sins?"

Amma:- "Yes! Everyone must pray in whatever form he or she so desires. Prayer will lead you to the right path in life. Even though there are various forms of manifestations they all are one and same. It is very important to help poor people; this gives good thoughts and real joy to the soul.

One can only realize real joy when they do good to others. You can buy a car for your self-happiness, but it is only temporary. We need the real permanent joy in our souls. This means we must give something to someone, only then can we realize the real joy. That is called dharma."

Publisher: - "But there are four types of Dharma?"

Amma:- "Yes. Haa! See, in all the dharmas, there are some limits. Our Hindu Religion tells us that there are basically four Dharmas.

Gurukulum... Time for studying.
Grihastasram... Time to marry and fulfill one's wishes.
Vanaprastham... Time to settle the children.
Sanyas... Time to renounce and prepare oneself for mukti.

Gurukulum is the most important stage. This is the time to concentrate on setting the stage for one's entire life. However, we still need continuous guidance in the other stages."

Publisher:- "Where and how can a person find the true guru one that will teach the children and give the right information. It is rather difficult to obtain a true guru in this age?"

Amma:- "There are many gurus, but one should not worry about the Guru, but place your faith in the Almighty God. We get results only from our true faith, even if the guru is not there to exercise his duties as a guru. Don't worry about that. If one has real faith, he gets real results. Faith is the main concern."

Publisher: - "Are you saying that if one has no faith he or she will not gain anything?"

Amma: - "Absolutely true."

Publisher: - "How can one obtain faith, especially the young children?"

Amma: - "Faith is a built feature that nature has provided. It is automatically there. Without faith we cannot live. For example, suppose a mother says to her child, 'This man is your father.' Immediately the child looks up at the man and acknowledges him as the father based upon what the mother said--no questions asked. Likewise, faith resides in every heart."

Publisher: - "Amma, What are your final comments? What message can you convey to the people here in Canada and the rest of the worl