Temples
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”.
Full Moon July 2005
There was a man who was a great devotee, who did all the rituals and payers to God. He did not stop doing his pujas even if he did not have money for food. One day in praise of his prayer and devotion, God appeared in front of him, blessed him for his sincere prayers and told him from now on everything that happens to him will be good. The man was speechless with happiness on seeing the almighty.
When God was about to disappear from in front of him, he remembered a wish he always wanted to ask God if God ever appeared in front of him. The wish was that everything he asked for should come true. However, he could not ask God for this and instead God granted him a boon (gift) that whenever he wished to see God, God would appear in front of him. After the boon was granted, God disappeared.
The man was very happy and from that day onwards everything that happened in his life was good. If he wanted one hundred, thousand rupees he got ten thousand rupees which was sufficient for him. All that he wished for was not fully granted; but what was good and necessary was happening. Nothing bad happened to him at all. For many years the man had a happy and a peaceful life.
In spite of this, the man is also a human being and he was getting frustrated that everything he wished for was not happening the way he wanted, even though he had a peaceful and happy life. So, thinking about his boon given by God, he decided to ask God for his desire.
On an auspicious day he did his prayers to see God. As per the boon given by God, God appeared in front of him and asked him what he wanted. The man asked God to bless him so that anything he wished for would come true. God asked him if he had any problems in his present life and whether he was sure of what he was asking. The man asked God why God was hesitating to bless him and told God that he was clever too. God told the man that he was hesitating to bless him because after all he was only a human being. However, God blessed the man’s wish to be fulfilled.
As soon as he received the blessing, the man wanted to experiment with it. He was living in a small house and wished that it would turn into a palace. It happened immediately. Then he wished that in such a big palace there should be 50 people to work and the palace to be fully decorated. This also happened. He wanted 100 varieties of food. The food appeared and he ate. He was tired after eating so many varieties of food; he wanted to relax and wished to have a cozy cot. Then he wished for a few maids to massage him.
This all happened and the man was very happy that God granted his long time wish. Suddenly the man thought; what if all the 10 maids strangled him. The very moment he thought this the 10 women strangled him and he was unable to think or wish for anything. He saw his body lying on the floor and did not understand what had happened. God came to him and told him that he was dead and his soul needs to go. The man was shocked and he asked God why this happened to him.
God told him this happened because he was only a human being. Humans can think and know what they need only for the a few days or the next week, year or probably for a particular period; but cannot analyze what they require for their entire lives. Moreover since man’s mind is not steady he cannot think through everything well in advance. It is God who created us; will know man’s needs and gives us what is required for our existence.
So humans can pray and ask God for all that he wants, but God will analyze and bless him with what he requires. God only will know what is good or bad for him. Man should pray to God sincerely and with complete faith. He can ask God for everything; but should not worry or get angry with God if his wishes are not fully granted.
When man worries he loses his faith in God and in turn he loses his happiness and peace of mind. If he is happy with what God has blessed him with; then his faith in God increases and in turn happiness and peace will fill his life. We should do our sincere prayers and express our wishes to God. God will know which is good or bad and bless everyone with what is required.
Amma blesses everyone!
Mothers Day Message May 8th 2005
Man enters this world and gets into a web of relationships and emotions. He goes through various phases and paths experiencing many different emotions; the most common being the joy of receiving. At times the act of receiving becomes an expectation which sometimes lead to disappointment.
The only one who derives true joy in giving is The Mother. Her giving is unconditional and her joy in doing so is boundless. Today on Mother's Day we shall pause for a moment to realize the value of our Mothers. Let us thank and respect them for all that they have done over the years.
If natural Mothers are such a gift to families, then imagine what the Divine Mother is to the Universe. The Divine Mother (Narayani Amma) derives great joy in giving unconditionally for the upliftment of the needy and for leading us on the spiritual path.
Man enters this world and gets into a web of relationships and emotions. He goes through various phases and paths experiencing many different emotions; the most common being the joy of receiving. At times the act of receiving becomes an expectation which sometimes lead to disappointment.
The only one who derives true joy in giving is The Mother. Her giving is unconditional and her joy in doing so is boundless. Today on Mother's Day we shall pause for a moment to realize the value of our Mothers. Let us thank and respect them for all that they have done over the years.
If natural Mothers are such a gift to families, then imagine what the Divine Mother is to the Universe. The Divine Mother (Narayani Amma) derives great joy in giving unconditionally for the upliftment of the needy and for leading us on the spiritual path.
A Test for Amma
In this world, there are a lot of creations. Of all those creations, the human birth is blessed in many ways. For example, if you take a dog or a donkey, if it gets hurt it has to suffer. There is no other way for those animals. Even if their lives are threatened, they cannot go to anyone for help and protection. Except for humans, all other creations have to face whatever trouble and problems alone. They cannot get rid of them and there is no way for them to solve them. Only for humans, if they have a problem, there is a solution. It is devotion.
For all other creations there are no solutions. If they have problems, they have to face them and bear them. There is no other way for them. They have to cry, they suffer, they worry. Only humans can pray and receive blessings. That is their solution for problems. But even so, how many humans are blessed in this way? How many humans are aware of the Divine? Very few. So, people — those who are already on the spiritual path should feel that blessed because first of all, having the human birth is a big gift, and then, knowing the Divine is another big gift.
There are still a lot of people who are not aware of the Divine. There are still a lot of people who don’t want to listen to spiritual things. So, first of all, the human birth is a big gift. Within that, having the opportunities to do good deeds is one of the greatest blessings.
You should realize that you have a treasure because the spiritual path is not possible for everyone. If anyone wants to, they can make money. If anyone wants to, they can find trouble. But it’s not possible, even if someone wants to, to find peace. This is only possible for those people who are on a spiritual path. So being on a spiritual path, you have a great opportunity and you should feel blessed.
Once you know that you are blessed, you should be a good model for Amma. Generally, the world thinks that only children have exams. But really, the children’s exams are also the teacher’s exam. They are not just for the teacher. To illustrate: In a class of fifty students, if thirty students fail their exam, you can say either, “Oh, these kids are not studying well” or you can wonder, “What is with this teacher? Does the teacher not know how to teach”?
The fulfillment that you are experiencing now, the joy that you are having now, the happiness that you are having now, it is not just for this moment. All these things should be used to make you a model student for this world. That is what will bring Amma real joy. So for you the joy of doing the good deeds, means joy for Amma. Amma experiences joy by seeing how the devotees are doing, what they are doing in the world, and how they are changing the world. Remember, it is not only a test for you; it is also a test for Amma. Like the student and the teacher, it is up to you, to ensure that Amma gets good marks.
Devotee : It is very easy to sit here in this beautiful place, but we’ve been traveling around India and have seen thousands of people living in such terrible circumstances. It’s very hard to understand.
Amma : Sometimes while sitting on a bus, you might see a person riding a bicycle and think, oh poor guy, why don’t you come on the bus with me? You know what he will probably say? No thanks I enjoy riding my bicycle. It’s true. Even if we think they are suffering, they don’t think they are.
Many of these same people regularly buy lottery tickets. Sometimes they win. But, if anyone asks, “What are you going to do with the money”, they will say “I just want to change roads”, they don’t want to sell their bicycle. So maybe we feel sorry for them and pity them, but for them, they are comfortable and very happy and don’t want to change their lives, it happens in all kinds of ways.
Other people win the lottery and they don’t think of building new homes. They want to continue with their life the way it is because even though they might suffer, even though they work hard, they find joy and happiness with their situation. For them, life is comfortable. Of course, some might want change their lives, even if they are happy. In these cases, as Amma already explained, sometimes there is karma in the way.
Here is another story: there are two devotees, very staunch devotees. One is the president of a nation and the other one is a beggar. They are both very devoted to God and they pray and they pray. One day, God decides to grant their prayers. God appears before them and asks what each one wants. They both felt that their prayers to be very confidential matters, so they privately whispered their wish to God. First the president told God what he wanted, then the beggar. God thought about their wishes for a minute and finally said, “Okay, I’ll grant your wishes by allowing you to continue to live just the way you do”.
The president and the beggar were very confused as to why God would respond in this way. “We are asking for big changes in our lives, and God agrees to hear our prayer and then changes nothing. God tells us to stay as we are.” Thoroughly confused, they finally they go back to God and ask for an explanation. “We were both expecting a big change since You said that You’d grant our wishes, but nothing has happened. You said that the president will remain the president and the beggar will remain the beggar. We prayed and prayed. So what’s going on”?
God replied, “You want to know why I did this? Okay, whenever the beggar sees the president’s car go by, the beggar thinks, Oh, the president is such a lucky man. He has such a luxurious life. He has a nice car, security, everything”. At the same time, whenever the president drives by the beggar’s home and sees the beggar, the president thinks, “Oh, what a lucky man the beggar is, he gets eight hours of sleep every night, he can come and go where ever he wants, he can do whatever he likes, he can do all the things I can’t do. It seemed to Me as though you just wanted to change your problems, not your joy. So, it is better for you stay as you are. While you think the other one has a better life, that other one wants your life. While we think someone is suffering, but if we were in their place, then we would feel their joy.
Devotee : For young devotees, the kids... how are we to carry Amma’s message that we want to change the world.
Amma : If you read, you can learn something; if you listen, you can learn something else, but the real learning is when you walk the walk. When you really accept the lesson and make changes in your life. So, to carry Amma’s message, you just have to do what you’ve learned. This will change you and others will want to change too. Just spreading the message is one way, but that is not your duty. It’s good to want to spread the message though you need to practice what you preach.
It’s like the discussion earlier about the people who are suffering. It is good to have mercy on them. It’s good to have mercy and love it shows a good heart. It is better than saying, “This is their karma, forget about them”; even where that is the reason. So, what your heart is feeling is good. It is your duty wherever you find people that need service to help. But it is not necessary for you to change everything. You just do your best. This is good for you, it will open the door of love and joy. It is good.
Devotee : Coming from America where so much of our country is promoting war, how do we reconcile that?
Amma : Once you have created the divine sanctity in you and once you have the divine sanctity in you, it will create the good energy in and around where you are. So, it will change peoples’ minds.
Devotee : One of the great wonders of being here every year is to watch the transformations in individuals and in all of us. And, as a human being, it is really almost impossible to describe why the Divine Grace does to an individual. Is there any way that Amma can address what happens to us when we meet You? What is the yearning that Amma reaches in us?
Amma : It is the joy of what you are experiencing now. You are feeling blessed. That is why you feel happiness. Definitely, you get this with Amma’s blessings.
Amma continues the story of the beggar and the president:
If the beggar wants to be the president and if the president wants to be the beggar because it appears to him that the beggar has lots of free time and can do whatever he wants. So, God says, “Okay, but before I grant you a permanent birth as the president and as the beggar, first you can trade places for a day. What happens?
The beggar can’t wait for the next day to come so he can go anywhere and whenever he wants. He discovers that when you are the president, you have to wait for everything. You have to wait for security, even to go to next door, you have to wait for your secretary, you have to wait for someone to finalize your schedule. You even have to wait for security if you want to take a shower or use the bathroom. They will tell you, “Just give us another three minutes to clear the security for you”.
Similarly, when the president becomes a beggar; for him, he used to think, “Oh, this will be the good life, sleeping a full eight hours”, but when he is the beggar for a day, he misses the royal life. So, even though he can’t sleep in the president’s chair, he still likes to be in the president’s chair. So, both were used to their lives and would miss them if things were otherwise. That is why God granted their prayers by doing nothing.
More Questions and Answers
Devotee : Amma, with all the good energy that there is at Peedam, does it attract evil or does it push evil away? When we go back to our lives outside of Peedam, does it mean bad energy will attract us or will the good energy in us push the bad energy away?
Amma : The Divine, is like Mother. For a Mother, all the kids are good kids. So even if it is something is bad, the Divine will try to change it -its thoughts, its aspects. If there is no way to do that, only then do you need to push it away. Before that, it may also try to change you. It will attract you and it will try to change you, suggesting that you join them on their path. If it is not able to change to the good path, then you need to push it back.
All those in the presence of Amma, all those who are doing good deeds, all those following Amma’ s messages will have a circle of power around them. Once you start to do these things, the circle of power will be created around you and it will protect you from all those evil things. Sometimes, if the being has good karma, it will change. But, if not, you will be protected. So, there is always, there will always be a circle created around all Amma’s devotees. It protects you against the bad forces entering you.
Devotee #1 : So when I watch you Amma doing lamp puja or Abishekam, I see Amma doing the puja and Narayani, doing it. What is the difference between Amma and Narayani
Devotee #2 : No difference, they are the same.
Amma : As Amma already told, the reason Amma is doing puja is on behalf of the whole world. Before Amma starts the puja, whatever puja, there is one ritual. It is called the ‘Sangkalpam”. It is to think about why you are doing this puja. So, when Amma starts any puja, Amma will bring the whole world into this physical body. Then, the whole world is doing puja. So, the puja is not for Amma, but for the world.
Sometimes, as a devotee suggested, the negative forces control the energy. In Peedam, good energy is very concentrated, so the negative forces can’t come in. But if that energy goes to places that are fully influenced by negative forces, then, good energy will be disturbed. The bad forces won’t like the good energy. They will try to disturb it. Still, devotion and prayers will protect the good energy. If your prayers and pujas continue, more and more good energy will be created and eventually it will control the energy from the negatives forces.
Devotee : So if the negative forces somehow have influence, is that because devotion has fallen?
Amma : Sometimes. It is not just because of devotion, but because of karma also. That’s what Amma has already mentioned. Now you have the opportunity to create more good energy, so just do it. In this way, you can create more and more good energy, so the good energy level won’t come down. But, if you say, oh, I’ll just wait for tomorrow to do good deeds, you may not have this opportunity tomorrow. Amma just said, consider your spiritual path a treasure. Start now, start this second to do good deeds. From the moment you create good deeds, your good karma will stay with you. If you wait, and say let me do it when the time comes, then you’ll lose even the good karma you already have.
Devotee : Mother is it all right for a devotee to feel when Mother is doing puja on Indrani or on Narayani, that Mother is also doing puja on the devotee?
Amma : As the song goes: “We’re all in this together”.
Devotee : Whenever we pray, we don’t know whether our prayers have been received or what the results will be.
Amma : It is better to pray for blessings. You need not ask for this or for that because you do not know whether you are going to need it. Sometimes you may feel everything will be better if you get this or that. But, if you do get it, it might create another problem for you. So, let’s say someone prays like this, “If I win a million, then I will pay off all my problems. I’ll be very free.
Then, once he wins the million, he will have new problems: like, how to save his million, where to invest that million, what to buy with that million. So, the human mind cannot tell you what to do. It is better for you to surrender and ask for blessings. In asking for blessings, you know that blessings will bring everything. Everything that you need will come. Everything that is not necessary won’t come. So, you should pray just like that.
Devotee : Is it also true that when Amma says, “Amma take care”, that means that Amma will take care in the way in which that we need and not in the way that we might be thinking?
Amma : Yes.
Devotee : Is faith, the same as free will?
Amma : Once you enter into the spiritual path, once you feel that you are filled with joy and unconditional love; then, having the freewill is good. Before that, if you try to exercise free will, you are not sure what you really want. So you need to know where you are. Only then can you decide whether you need to take that free will or not.
Devotee : Do you ever feel like dancing?
Amma: Everyday. You know, once you see joy, it’s a dance. That’s why Shiva is always dancing. Even the name of that dance is the “Dance of Joy.”
Devotee : What do the names “Vaishnavi” and “Indrani” mean?
Amma : Vaishanavi comes from Krishna, Vishnu, Rama. So it is the male form. The power of the male form is Vaishnavi.
Indrani, is from the name of the king of the angels, Indran. So his power, in the female form, is Indrani.
Amma : You know to change the world into a better place what you need to do as devotees, you just need to spread the message. But to just spread the message in words is not enough. The world will look to see what you are doing, how you are changing. So, in addition to spreading the message, you need to follow the message in what you are doing. It’s too easy also, to say, hey do this, don’t do this, better to just do it also.
Amma blesses you all.
No Need to Worry
If the divine decides to give, no one can stop it. If our wish is not in the divine’s plan, no one can change it. So, you need not to worry about the things which are not in the materialized form.
Lots of people have plans, that they need this or they need that. If it does not happen, most people get upset. Everyone will find a reason for why it isn’t happening such as, “This is the reason. He is the reason. She is the reason.” When you think like that, it creates unwanted results like jealousy and anger. It disturbs you. It is best if you can put in the efforts for your wishes and your needs but not worry about the results.
If it is in the divine’s plan, if Amma wants to give something to you, no one can stop it. It is not possible to stop it, even if someone tries to. It will not stop. It will come in front of your door. If it is not good for you, the divine does not want to give it to you. Therefore, you cannot have it. When things that you wish for do not materialize for you, don’t worry about it. Just understand it as the divine’s wish for you. That way you will have more peace.
If you start to try and find a reason for these outcomes it will disturb your soul and it will create things in you like jealousy and anger. With these types of emotions you may then find the need to take revenge in some way. That is why it is better to accept what is happening. Know it is because of your karma. All the things that come are from the divine so there is no need to worry about anything.
The problems that humans face are not really coming to the humans by way of nature’s will. It is created by the human. If there is something small that is encountered, just by worrying about it, it grows into something very big. If you keep worrying about this thing, just the worry itself will create another problem. When you say, “I am surrendered,” just live by it. This is a quality of surrender. You should not worry about anything no matter what the result.
At first, this might seem hard but when you are closer to the divine, more and more you will feel that it is very easy and very comfortable. You will have peace and you will not lose any joy in your life. So, accept whatever may come and at the same time put in the effort for your needs without worrying about the result. Sometimes, by searching for why something is not happening, the exercise of searching may help you to reconnect on the path of doing good. Just don’t worry about anything in the process.
Amma blesses you all.
Patience for the Grace of God
This enlightening discourse was delivered from the Divinity - Arul Thiru Sakthi Amma.
“There are millions of flowers on this earth but all of them do not have the honour and uniqueness to be offered to the Almighty. Some flowers are presented as bouquet at parties and functions. Some flowers are exchanged between lovers as a token of their love to each other. Other flowers are used for decorating coffins. Only a few varieties of flowers are used for offering to the Sacred Divinity.
All flowers are not accepted with readiness. For example, if someone offers a flower taken from a coffin, the receiver will not feel comfortable to accept it as he would feel that something bad may happen to him. But everyone will accept a flower, which is taken from a bunch offered to the Divine. Likewise, only those lives which are blessed by Amma, reach the heavenly abode with completeness.
People expect that God will grant whatever they pray for immediately. We cannot fix a time span for God. God plans perfectly and lets things happen at the most appropriate time. For example, with a case of milk, it takes one day to turn into curd. It takes two days to extract butter from the curd and four days to finally convert the butter into ghee. Therefore, in the same way, people should have the patience to wait for the grace of the Supreme Power.”
Amma blesses you all.
Pournami day Full Moon MAY 12, 2006
“Sarva Mangala Mangalye Shive Sarvatha Sathike
Sharanye Thrayambage Gowri
Narayani Namosthuthe”
Every one of us expects only happiness in life without having to worry about any thing. The wish of the poor, the rich, the executives and every one without exception to caste creed or religion, is happiness. Is it possible to be happy all the time in this world? No, it is impossible. Every human being born will definitely have some problem or the other according to the misdeeds of his/her previous births. It is a rare and a remote possibility for any one to be without problem or difficulty.
A life without any problems or difficulties is a rare reality. Every person has his/her own share of problems and hardships. Knowing this, do we to live only with difficulties throughout our lives? Is there a remedy for all our difficulties? Yes, there is. Worry is caused by problems. In order to overcome the worries, one has to forget the problem which causes it. How do we forget the problem which causes the worry? Think of something else which brings and gives us a pleasant feeling. There is faith, prayer etc. to keep us out of problems and difficulties. Instead of always thinking of the problem which causes worry, we must try to think of something pleasant.
During difficult times what could give a person some peace? Let us take a family. Will the thought of mother-in-law give happiness to the daughter-in-law? Or, will the mother-in-law be too happy to think about her daughter-in-law? Or will the thought of the children cause happiness? Whoever you may think of is sure to cause one problem or the other. If you think of your child, you start worrying whether he/she is good at studies. If you think of the head of the family, your worries will be about his deteriorating health or about his business which is not doing well. If you think of your relatives, there too, you end up with some worries. The thought of one’s father and mother causes certain worries. Thus, the feeling of hardship is always there if you think of any one of your choice.
Only the thought which does not cause any problem or difficulty, will be the best alternative to gain happiness and peace of mind. Is there such thing, where the mere thought of it gives happiness? Yes, there is; and the name of Ambal (Godess Narayani). Whatever else you could think of, will certainly end up with some problem or hardship. There will be chain of problems or difficulties if you think of anything else other than the name of Ambal. Ambal is the power which provides peace and happiness.
Constant worry about a problem or difficulty will result in other problems. One has to forget the reason for the problem one faces and think of something else, something pleasant. A mind cannot think about two things at a time. If the mind is diverted to think of something new, the old thought will be forgotten.
Now, that you are sitting here, you could think of Amma, or you may think that what an amount of food that was thrown into the fire, which could have very well, be given to you, or you may think of the problem at home. But only one thought is possible at a time. If there is problem, certainly there will be worries. At such times, instead of thinking about the problem over and over again, one should think of Ambal, which is beneficial in two ways. First, when we remember and think about Amma, we forget all the problems that cause difficulty. Second, the thought of Amma will bring all the virtues. The sin, which is the cause of sufferings, will be taken away. So, only when we think of Amma, our difficulties will vanish and at the same time virtues will be gained.
Whenever a man faces any difficulty he should immediately think of Amma. Whenever anyone experiences difficulty, what does he immediately cry out? Most of us will say ‘AIO’(during pain everyone will shout like this in Tamil language). Who is this ‘AIO’? ‘AIO’ is the wife of YEMEN, the god of death and miseries. By saying “AIO” we invite more trouble. Mrs. AIO may think that the amount of trouble given to that particular person is not enough and may plan to give your more.
So, when we call Amma at the time of distress, the amount of distress will be reduced and a downpour of good virtues will be increased and enhanced at the same time. Happiness and distress will be coming alternately. We must seek Amma not only during the times of trouble but at all times. The only way to be happy and at peace is always to remember Amma.
What does remembering Amma mean? Except during the times when we are busy, we must pronounce from within ‘Om Namo Narayani’ continuously. In order to get relief from trouble one has to get relieved of sin, which is the cause of all troubles. There are many ways to get such a relief, like pujas acts of charity and so on. But in an emergency situation where you don’t have enough time to do puja or acts of charity, calling out Amma’s name will bring all that for you instantly. This is the unique opportunity bestowed on human beings. There are other life beings that also have sufferings. They cannot pray or perform puja to remove their sufferings.
Only human beings are blessed to do so.
We have to spend as much time as possible in prayer and meditation. Avoid keeping all unnecessary thoughts and always think of good thoughts. In families if a puja is performed once, the virtue gained will be 10 times. Taking part in the Yagam like this at the Peedam will shower upon you 1000 times the virtues. This is a great blessing. Hence without missing a single opportunity always cherish Amma’s name in your souls. It is not that you should remember Amma only in difficult times. Sure, during such times you should seek more of Amma’s blessings; but when you always remember Amma, all your sins, which cause all kinds of difficulties, will be removed and a life full of joy, peace and contentment will always prevail.
On this auspicious day Amma blesses that all the life beings in all the worlds may live happily, peacefully and harmoniously.
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”.
Sanithyam, Full Moon Discourse 12/02/06
In every town, village or city there are lots of temples and places of worship. We can almost say that there is hardly a place without a temple. It can be Lord Ganesh, Lord Vishnu or a Devi temple, but all the temples do not get the same number of devotees or the recognition. There are some temples that have a lot of devotees and grand rituals. These temples may not even have time to do their regular rituals like Nivedyam (Feeding of God) as there are always large crowds waiting for the deity’s dharshan (blessings).
At the same time there are temples without any devotees or even without the basic rituals being performed. It is only the temple and the deity. When all the Gods are the same, why is it that a few temples get a lot of recognition, become famous and get crowds of devotees and the others don’t? The reason for this difference is those temples where the devotee’s prayers are answered attract a larger number of devotees. People like to go to the temple where they get solutions to their problems and relief from their sufferings. Apart from that these temples have divine power and energy which increases the number of devotees and makes the temple become more recognized, grand and decorated.
In Sanskrit, this divine power and energy is called Sanithyam. A temple gets this Sanithyam when the temple follows all the rituals and procedures as per the Vedas (sacred Hindu, Sanskrit texts). The temple is cleaned everyday, Abhishekams (sacred baths of the Gods) and Nivedyams are performed regularly. The Vedas are chanted in a timely fashion and the yagams (fire prayers) are performed as per the vedic specification.
When this divine Sanithyam is present in the temple, there is Akarshanam (divine power to attract) in the temple. That is why the devotees come to the temple where there is this divine Akarshanam. The devotees are happy that their prayers are answered. They get relief from their suffering and a solution to their problems. They feel blessed as they enjoy the peace and happiness for having come to the temple and had dharshan from the deity. This in turn makes the temple crowded, famous and grand.
The divine energy is not restricted to temples only; the divine Sanithyam can also be present in our homes. In a temple, Sanithyam is present because of the regular cleaning, vedic chanting, abhishekams etc. In the same way this divine Sanithyam can be present in our homes too. Those homes where the ladies get up early in morning, clean the house, light a ghee or oil lamp in their puja room or on their altar, ring the divine bell, chant the Vedas or God’s name, sing songs or bhajans in praise of God and use good words; the divine power and energy fills that home. In other words the home is filled with the divine Sanithyam.
When we go to a temple we have peace of mind and a sense of happiness; in the same way a home with the divine power and energy; will have peace, happiness, good health, wealth and prosperity. It is not necessary for only the women of the home to do everything to bring Sanithyam. Any one or all the family members together can bring the divine power and energy and if done as a family it brings more benefits. Apart from the cleaning, chanting, etc. one must also do service and give donations to the needy to get further benefits.
There is a saying “Every action is the reflection of your thoughts”. If man has good thoughts, then those good thoughts by themselves will make him do good deeds and actions. There will be sakthi (divine energy) around him and every thing that happens to him will also be good. Nothing bad will happen to him.
If in any family or home, if there are some health problems or financial troubles or decline in business, delay in marriage or hindrance in good things happening, we say that there is some thing wrong in that family or in that home. This is because the home is filled with the energy of Jheshta Devi. Jheshta Devi is a form of Moodevi, which is the opposite form of Mahalakshmi.
A home is filled with the negative energy of Jheshta Devi, if the house is not cleaned daily or if there are unwashed clothes or where there is use of bad words in the family and where people have bad thoughts. When Jheshta Devi’s energy fills the home one will always want to sleep and be lazy or one will not like to do one’s duty, job or work.
To fill a home with peace, happiness and joy we should have the blessings of Mahalakshmi in our homes. To bring this blessing to our homes one must do regular puja and keep the homes clean. The homes should have auspicious sounds like the chants and songs of God. The homes should have good smell like flowers, incense etc. Our thoughts must be good and we must also go to the places where good deeds are performed; for example attend yagams.
If a yagam is performed in our homes it gives ten times the benefit. The same when performed in the puja room it gives one hundred times the benefit and if performed in a temple gives one thousand times the benefit. The temple gives us more benefits because the Sanithyam power and energy is greater there. This gives more blessings and strength to those attending the yagam.
A person must have all the three good aspects like good thoughts, good actions and good deeds. When he has the three, everything that happens around him will be good and all the negativity will be removed from around him. To have the good aspects he should have Amma’s divine blessings. To get divine blessings he should have the divine’s grace. And to get the divine’s grace he should do regular pujas, keep his place clean, chant God’s name and the place to start getting these blessings is from the home.
An individual’s thoughts will depend on the place where he is. For example if in the kitchen he thinks of food he wants to eat. In a bedroom he wants to sleep. When he attends a yagam he wants blessings and prasadam (sacred offerings) from God. In the same way if the home has good energy it makes the family members in that home think good and clear thoughts. So the place where we live is very important. If our homes are clean, have auspicious sounds and smell, good thoughts; then our homes will get good divine power and energy. This energy will bring peace, happiness and joy.
Amma blesses you all; that you increase your faith in God, do good deeds and share all your peace and joy with others.
Sripuram
Why is Amma creating Sri Puram? What is its purpose? There are a lot of needs in the world, so why is Amma creating this Sri Puram? What is the reason?
As Amma has already mentioned, the human birth is the only birth in which beings are blessed to do good things for others and to make others happy. So that is the purpose of the human birth and it is possible only in that birth. You know, you cannot do these things in any other form of creation. Only in the human form can you do good things and make others happy. So this is the secret of this human life. But, how many people in the world understand this? Very few; very, very few, very few.
So, will the world change? There are some good people in the world who are saying that they want to change the world, to make it a better place for everyone to live. Is it possible to do that now with the present energies? No, it is impossible because the world is on a materialistic path. How can you make this world better when everyone is worried only about themselves and living only for themselves? You need to change the perception of the world and you need to change the human mindset. How can you do this? The world is so materialistic — it is stuck in materialism - things like power, wealth, important people, and other things like that.
In this context, how can you bring wisdom to the world? Just by talking about the idea that we are here to do good things and not just live to survive? In fact, that is the reality: the purpose of the human birth is not just to survive. All other creations can live just to survive. But the gift of being born as a human being, is that you have the ability not just to survive in the world, but to do good things, to create good things. Yet, 90% of the people in the world are unaware of any of this. They think that they are here for themselves - the head of the family thinks he is to care only for his family. When people live their lives according to these morals, you cannot change the world even with a lot of churches, temples and mosques.
If you want to change the world, you need to change human nature. You need to change people’s minds. How can you do this? It is not just people in Vellore, in Chennai, or in India who need this wisdom — people all. over the world need to know the purpose of human birth. If you want to spread this message, it must reach every human being in the world. You need to do something for everyone; something which will either take the message to the people, or which will bring the people to the message.
Given that people are stuck in materialism, that something must also be materialistic. Any other approach, like talking to people about why you are doing good deeds or why the money we have is meant to be spent on other people by doing good things or by giving it to them, won’t work. Today, people in this world won’t listen. They think that what they have belongs to them. This is how they think. In this environment, if you want to bring a big message to the whole world, how can you do it? You need to find a path to convey this message to the world and that is why Amma is creating the Sri Puram.
The core of the Sri Puram will be the Mahalakshmi temple. It will be the centre of attraction for the world. As explained, the world is stuck in materialism. So, if you have something which appears to be materialistic, the world will want it. People will go to see it. That is why Amma is building the Mahalakshmi Temple in gold. It will be the only Golden Temple in the world. There is nothing like it anywhere else in the world. There are other things, but not built entirely of gold. People - thousands of people - from all over the world, will come to see such a creation, with its art work and fine detail. Most of these people will come to Sri Puram just to see it. Their curiosity and excitement will bring them only to see the temple and the gold. They will not be coming for blessings or guidance. So where is the message that we want to give the world? Where is the wisdom for the world?
Okay, now there is a bit of a trick, it is as if you have a sick child. If you try to give the child a pill, the child will not take it because the child is not aware that he needs to get better. Even though the child suffers from an illness, because he is not aware that the pills are necessary for him to regain his health, he won’t want to take the pill. However, because it is the mother’s prime duty to take care of the child, she sugarcoats the pill. Now if you give the pill to the child, the child will take it, as soon as he sees it. You don’t even have to ask him to take it; the child will just take it because it is sugar coated. So for the child, he can’t see the bitter pill anymore — he sees only a sweet. In this way, both people are satisfied: the mother is happy because the child has taken the pill and the child is happy because he got a sweet.
In that story, the pill is inside and the sugarcoating is on the outside. It is like this with the Sri Puram and the Mahalakshmi temple except, in this case, the sweet is on the inside of the pill. Since mankind is stuck in the material world, the sweet is the Golden temple and the everyone will come for this attraction. However, it will be coated on the outside with what we need, the medicine.
How is this done? Amma explains: when people come to Sri Puram in order to see the golden temple — the Mahalakshmi temple, they won’t be able to just walk directly from the road to the temple. They will have to follow a pathway which is laid out in the shape of a star. Why did Amma choose tile shape of a star for the path? As Amma already explained with sounds, for example chanting, create good energy and good vibrations. In the same way, certain lines absorb good energy from nature — like the shape of a star. Star shapes absorb good energy from nature. That is the reason why the pathways through Sri Puram will be in the form of a star.
The width of the pathway won’t be very wide (between nine to twelve feet) to prevent people from running. So people will have to walk slowly. While they are walking they will notice Amma’s messages on both sides of the pathways. These messages are the medicine on the outside of the pill. So as the people go for the sweet, they will be given the medicine.
There will be many messages posted. For example, messages about the purpose of human birth and human life; the things humans should do and should not do; the meaning of Dharma and of Righteousness; why people need devotion; and other basic information. So, even though the world comes to see the temple, before they reach the temple, they will see Amma’s messages. There may be a few hundred messages; even if someone grasps only two messages, it will be enough to change his heart. It will bring changes to his life.
If they learn more, it will help them even more. Even if they learn only one message, it will help. In fact it will change their lives. If a person understands the purpose of their birth, why they are here, or what they need to do, their life will be better. If people understand things like that only then will they be able to change things. Those who have, up until now, been thinking that they are here only for their families, will realize that they are here for the world. Now they will be able to change things.
The world is not a group of people. Each individual is a world. You know, if there is a change in you, it changes the world. If you want to change the world, first you have to change yourself. Once you know this, it can change the world. You need not change the world; first you change yourself. Just change your heart. It will change the world.
So, while people are walking on this pathway to the Mahalakshmi temple, they will see and read these messages. There will also be an audio system which will repeat the message in multi-languages. In this way, people from all over the world can hear Amma’s messages even if they can’t read them. When they enter Sri Puram, their focus is just on seeing the magnificent golden temple, but when they leave, there is no way they can leave without taking some wisdom, some message. This is the concept behind Sri Puram.
There may be doubts and questions such as why do we have to spend so much money on this? Why can’t we build a hospital or an educational institution? Yes, we could do that. However, by creating a hospital, you can treat maybe one thousand people in and around the area. By creating the place which will bring wisdom to the world, it is equal to creating several thousand hospitals. Until a person enters Sri Puram, he may live thinking that he wants everything that the wealthy have. But after he has been through Sri Puram, if he absorbs some of the messages and wisdom, he will realize that what we have is not just for us — it provides us with an opportunity to do something for others.
If he gets this wisdom, when he goes back to his home, whether to another country or another town and if he starts to do good things, the message will spread. If one person gets the wisdom and builds one small hospital, this means that when the whole world gets this wisdom through understanding these messages, then everyone will want to change their lives. Everyone will start to do good deeds. This means that this one place, Sri Puram, will create several million hospitals. So that is the purpose of Sri Puram. It is unique and nothing like it exists in the world, so far.
To create this, what do you need? Just money? No. If that were the case, India’s wealthy kings would have come up with the idea. No one has ever created anything like this. You need the Divine Blessings: you can’t do these things with just money, you need more than that. The world, the present world, needs Divine guidance more than it needs dollars. It is the duty of Amma to give the Divine guidance in the way people can understand.
Amma can’t sit and say, “Okay sit and learn”. If Amma said this, ten or twenty devotees would do so, but that would not be enough to change the world. The world is huge, the world is big. So, if you want to change the world, you need to give guidance in a way people can accept. So that’s why Amma planned to create this Sri Puram. Amma started it four years ago. Amma hopes to finish it by 2006. So, it is a very rare opportunity for everyone — for all those who are here, to be here and to participate in these things. Maybe it will be finished this year. Then, it will be for the whole world. But still, you all are special. So this is the concept of the Sri Puram. This is the reason and why Amma has created it.
Devotee: How can we help?
Amma: Anyway, anyway at all; Service. As Amma already said, help means doing things for other people who can’t do things for themselves. Service is doing what needs to be done. Service is not just wealth; if you are wealthy, you can contribute that way. Or, if you have talent, you can share it. Anything like that is service.
Devotee: Will the world get better?
Amma: Yes, that is why Amma is doing this. It needs to change, it needs to be changed. Why are there things like natural disasters? There is one word in the Vedas: which means “if you live a truth, that truth triumphs, truth and righteousness come from you; nothing else exists”. For example, the sun just stays where it is. Does anyone hold the sun? No, it just stays because of righteousness. If it fell, it would not be good. Imagine what would happen if it fell - the whole world would end in a second.
So, sometimes a disaster happens when Mother Nature gets upset with the world and the way in which the world is going. Sometimes it happens to teach the world. It is not necessary to think of it as a punishment, sometimes, it is just a lesson. You need to understand by such things the true value of your wealth. What is the value for your material things in such cases? Nothing.
Devotee: You’ve explained how you convey messages to people in the way they want. How can we convey and give people guidance in the way they want?
Amma: Just convey Amma’s message to the world. That is enough. Just share the peace you have with the world and that is enough.
Devotee: How can we get the leaders of the world to come?
Amma: When every individual comes, then the leaders will come because they can’t be leaders without people. So, they need to come; but if you know people in positions of leadership, then if you convey this message, it will help them to have that wisdom as soon as possible. Otherwise if it goes through one person to another person — it takes more time. But if you know someone, you can just convey the message.
Amma has said it is not a park. A park is a place just to relax and to be relaxed. But this is the place you can relax and get the wisdom that will heal you spiritually and physically in every way. It is like a Divine School. You know, if you go to school you will learn a lot of things; so it is not really a park, it is more than that.
Devotee: As we start to love the world unconditionally and have more compassion and see the oneness, how do we not feel the pain when disasters and tragedies happen to the rest of the world?
Amma: In the family, if anyone passes, let’s say a grandfather, or anyone. You will cry but you will not stop all your actions. You need to do things for others. So the past is past. Will anything change by talking about it and crying about it for a week? No. You still need to have the love and prayers for the person who has died, but you have responsibilities for the rest of the world. There are still lots of people who have needs, so focus on them.
Devotee: Can the Divine stop disasters, like the tidal wave?
Amma: It is the Divine who is doing them in the first place! As Amma said, it is not a punishment. You know, sometimes it is a warning. Sometimes it looks very harsh but you know, sometimes if you have ten children and if you sacrifice one son, you can make things better for the nine others. Sometimes you have to do it. Because comparing one to nine, still you have to save the nine. It is not what the Mother wants, no way. It is because of karma and energy that is created that causes things like that to happen. It is not that Amma wants that to happen. It is the situation — to warn the rest of the world. It brings peace to some and wisdom to some. Still, sometimes in cases like this, when it happens, sometimes some souls find peace. Sometimes it is very hard. Still, as Amma has said, ignorance is not an excuse. So even if you did some deed without knowing it, it will have its consequences. Actions will follow. What happens yesterday or today is because of the world’s actions.
So if mistakes are made, the responses will be bad. It does not mean that you should turn your back on the situation. No mother will ever say that her son did something wrong or that he made a mistake. She will try to protect him by insisting that he won’t do it again. Like that, the Divine tries Her best, but there is no way to prevent disasters. In the case of the recent tsunami, only the very minimum disaster occurred. Today, Amma sent holy water... theertum with a devotee to pour into the ocean... it will help.
Amma blesses you all.
Temples
Amma begins this discourse with a question:
What is the purpose of temples?
Devotees respond that a temple is where we go to think about God and to find peace.
Amma agrees and describes a temple as the place that will collect energy from nature and from chanting. This energy brings peace and wisdom. It creates strength and energy. A place that can do all this is a temple.
How it works is best explained by example. Today, when we wash our clothes we put them into a dryer to dry. In the past, we used to hang clothes outside to dry. The sun dried the clothes and then we’d fold them and put them away. But, what if, the next day, we took a magnifying glass outside and held it over the clothes. What would happen? The cloth would burn. Why? It’s the same sun that dried the clothes the day before. . .why did they burn this time? The magnifying lens was the instrument that caused the clothes to burn. It collected the sun’s rays and concentrated the energy though the lens onto one small point of the cloth. This concentration of energy caused the clothes to burn.
In a similar way to the lens, black stone statues used in temples absorb energy. Certain materials are able to collect energy and retain power. For example, the black stone is able to absorb the vibrations from the chanting and from pujas. Once collected, the energy is retained for a long time. When Amma does pujas, the vibrations are multiplied several thousand times and million types of rays are collected. The statues collect all the vibrations and then concentrate them in a way that people can feel them.
First the statues collect the vibrations from the chanting and the pujas and this energy is then distributed to the world. This energy mingles with nature and goes out to the world so that even people who do not come to the temples will benefit.
There is a tradition when a new temple is consecrated: the consecration is done in the presence of swamis, sages and saints. These holy beings carry vibrations that will be transferred into the statues. This is what humans must do. Amma’s divine presence is enough to do the same thing. However, as Amma has taken form as a human being Amma has to follow their rules. Human time is short and after Amma leaves this world, it will need energy for a long time. That is why Amma performs rituals to energize the world. When a human performs the daily rituals in puja, energy is still collected in the statues. When Amma is present the energy collected in the statues is the equivalent of 10,000 human pujas.
Amma’s rituals give energy that is absorbed and retained in statues for several hundred and thousands of years. Like a battery; Amma is charging the battery to run for several thousands of years. This energy will bring peace and joy. It will guide the world on the path of dharma by collecting divine energy in the statues through doing puja rituals and chanting.
Chanting itself comes from nature. First, it was in the form of air and water. The sages heard these sounds in nature and collected the sounds. These sounds became the mantras, the Vedas. So, the Vedas were not created but where discovered in nature. At the human level, we can sometimes hear sounds in nature. We can even distinguish between different sounds. Only the sages through deep focus and concentration could feel and hear chanting.
Amma asked: Any scientists here’? The scientists look at the relationship between movement and vibration. When air moves as a breeze this creates a vibration. The vibration creates sound and humans hear something. Sages hear chants and collect them and use them in pujas. The vibration from these chants are then collected and absorbed in the black stone statues. This concludes the spiritual purpose of pujas.
Now, there are other benefits associated with temples. Temples create unity in society. When people go to the temple, they have the opportunity to meet their neighbours. Events are held which require people to do service. In doing service, everyone works together regardless of status. Rich and poor people work side by side, without protocols and without social barriers. In this way, the temple creates unity. Through its rituals, the temples maintain cultural practices and values. Hinduism and other religions act to maintain culture and tradition, While the cultures and traditions are different, the purpose is the same: to bring peace, strength and energy to us all.
Amma blesses you all.
The Rusty Iron
27th Dec '05
There are people who are doing bad things. Why are they doing bad things even though they know it is bad? You can’t say that everyone is doing bad things out of ignorance. Few do this out of ignorance but many people do bad things even though they know it is bad. What is the reason? Why are they doing that? Even when they know it is bad why are they doing bad things? The bad things they are doing, they feel, are for others. They feel that it is not hurting or bringing harm to them so they don’t feel any hurt or harm from their deeds.
What they feel is that if they have done something bad to others, the other people are the ones who are getting hurt and feeling the pain. Because of this, they don’t feel any pain. They think, “What’s wrong with doing bad? It is not creating anything bad for me. It’s not creating any pain for me. If I am bad, someone else is going to suffer.” Because of this concept, people are continue to do bad things.
Is this way of thinking correct when you have bad habits or when you do bad things? Does it really hurt only others? No. This is not true. Take for example, rust which is created from iron. It is bad. Gradually when you leave the rust as it is, the rust itself will eat away the iron. It is created from the iron. When you are not taking care and you find that there is rust, the same rust will eat the rest of the iron. Likewise, when you have bad qualities, these characteristics will create a path of action that, if you do not change, will not only hurt or harm others but, like the rust, will destroy the iron from where it started. The same bad qualities will destroy the person who was the creator of them.
There is a saying in Tamil; if someone takes a knife in his hand, he will have a stake in that knife itself or be tempted to use it. Bad qualities will create a bad path for that person also. It is not just bad for others. It is also bad for the person. When you have good qualities it works in reverse; it is good for you. When you have bad actions, it is bad for others and it is bad for you. This is the nature of bad qualities. Whether it is bad or good, if you throw a ball on the wall it will bounce back. Whatever you are creating, it will come back to you.
Many people are not aware of this. They think that if they do something bad they will remain happy and only others will get hurt and experience pain. What is the problem with that? It will come back in another way, in another form.
Keep the mind filled with good qualities, good thoughts. This is very important to human life. A spiritual life is the best way. Do good. Be good.
Amma blesses you all.
Two Types of People
17th Dec '05
Generally when we talk about people, we split them into two categories. First, we say they are good people, otherwise, we say they are bad people. What are the cues we see that give recognition of good or bad?
First, what does it mean to be a good person? When someone creates happiness for others, it is good. Then what is bad? When someone hurts others for their happiness, then it is bad. So this is how the world sees people and gives people the name of good or bad. What about the person who is in the middle? These people are saying that they don’t want to do good things and at the same time they don’t want to do bad things. So what does this mean?
The present world is full of negative forces so when you are not trying to be good, even if you don’t have the intention to do something bad, the negative energy will welcome you to its spot. There isn’t any option to be good without doing good. You should have the intention that you want to be good. Only then can you be good.
Why is it necessary that every human should be a good person? Why is there that condition? Why can’t we live how we want? Like humans, there are so many creations in the world; animals, birds and many creations, yet when we talk about animals we are not saying that this is a good animal or this is a bad animal. It is just an animal. That is it. There aren’t any qualities of good and bad attributed to it. So, to be an animal means to be an animal. It has the same character and will continue to have the same character always. It can’t think about being gentle or being merciful or being pious.
There is no ability or possibility of being good. The nature of the creation itself is like this. All of those creations in the world are just for survival. There isn’t any goal for those things. They are here just for survival. Because we are not expecting any good qualities from those creations and they can’t do anything different from what they are, they don’t have the ability to do something good because they cannot think about good. They don’t have such wisdom. Animals are animals, whatever the creation.
When you talk about humans there is the expectation that he be good or bad. Why is there that expectation? Why can’t we live like other creations? Why does the world expect that everyone should be good? This is because humans alone are blessed to be good. Humans alone are blessed to create happiness for others. Out of that you can have joy. For example, if we have a cow then definitely we have the expectation to have milk because we know that the cow gives milk.
Like this, out of all creations, humans can be good. That is why there is the expectation that he should be good. Not only that, it is the blessings of the human birth. Because of these expectations, on and off there will be an incarnation into the world to lead the people on the path of peace and joy and to show them how to be good. When you say you are good, it means that you should have the capacity to create happiness for someone.
So, what are the qualifications to know ourselves? How do you come to know that you are doing good or bad? Good is the happiness that you have created for others. That is the good. You need to do this because it is only possible for you. It is not possible for any other creation. It is only possible in the human life. If we want to be good, why is it not possible to just live as a good person? Why does everyone need a spiritual path? What is the necessity of that?
Is it not possible to be good without a spiritual life? Sometimes, when you have lots of good karma, it is possible. Generally, it is very hard to be good because you will then become the middle man. You are not in the ‘good’ you are not in the ‘bad’. You are in the middle. This means that you will then definitely be in the bad because of the energy around you. The world is full of the negative and it wants you there. It will divert you.
So, the necessity of the spiritual path is to engage oneself in good thoughts and out of that to create good actions, and out of that to feel joy which is divine love. Then it is easiest to be good. Lots of people think spirituality is full of strict laws which will not allow us to enjoy the world. It’s not true. Spirituality is something which will teach about real life, real joy and real happiness. That is the blessing. That is the gift.
If someone is on the spiritual path it is the gift of their life. Once you are there you can forget about everything. When you surrender, the force of what you have surrendered in itself leads your life onto the path of peace and joy. The spiritual life will create a commitment between you and the divine. Spirituality is about having good thoughts. Once you say you are on the spiritual path it means that the first thing you are doing is starting to think about the divine. The moment you start to think about the divine is the moment you are leaving the bad thoughts behind. Thought is the main cause for all actions.
If you have good thoughts then you will have good actions. If you have bad thoughts then you will have bad actions. Thoughts are the main thing. Gaining wisdom about life, learning about the divine, knowing about the purpose of this life… the mixture of all of these things is having a spiritual life. Just by entering into that, your life will have more meaning. Having a spiritual life has the most worth. It is a blessing.
So, there are three main things. One is; what is good? When you create happiness for others that is good and when you hurt others for your happiness that is bad. Second thing is; why do you want to be good? Why is it necessary to be good? The answer is because only you (humans) can be good. For other creations, even if it thinks that it wants to be good, it is not possible. For the tiger for example, with the face and the structure of the physical body, even if the tiger thinks, “From today onwards I want to be gentle with everyone“, who will be ready to be with the gentle tiger? No one will be ready.
It’s possible only for humans to be good so that is why there is the expectation. Once you have said you are a human you must be good. The third thing is that; it is really important to be on a spiritual path to be a good person. It is guidance for you. The spiritual path will lead you to the divine. It will teach you things. You will know about reality. When people are not on a spiritual path the things they think are reality, are not really reality.
When you say ‘reality’ it means it should follow you wherever you go. It should follow you forever. Then it is reality. For example if you take the person who is not on the spiritual path, for him, what is reality? What will be his reality? His power and wealth will be the reality for him. Will it follow him wherever he goes? No. Either he will leave it one day or it will leave him. What is the point of that reality? What is the point of thinking, ‘That is mine.’ If it’s yours, it should be with you forever. It should follow you wherever you go. Either it’s sending to you or you are losing it. So what is the reality here?
It is the joy that you will have and the happiness that you are making. All the things you will learn from a spiritual life will make life more worthwhile. Many people think that if they enter into a spiritual life that they will not be a good boss. They will not be strict enough. It is not true. You will know the righteousness of the business, the righteousness of the duty. It will create more purpose in your life. Your life will have more worth. So, it is a blessing to do good things and it is possible only in the human life.
So there are three main things:
• First, you need to be good so you know what goodness is
• Second, you need to be good because only you (human) alone can be good.
• Third, to be good you need some process.
Let’s take for example, some wheat flour. With wheat flour, the thing that you are creating with it depends on the person who is working with the wheat flour. For example, if she has the wheat flour, she can make a nice pizza. For the same flour, if he has the flour, he can make a doll out of it. If the purpose of the wheat flour is to make something to satisfy their need to fill their stomach; then when it reaches to the person who doesn’t know how to handle that flour; the whole thing becomes a mess. If it goes to the right person then he will know how to utilize the wheat flour and he will creates things to fill the need.
Humans are like wheat flour or clay. It depends upon where you are. If it is with nice artists’ hands, the clay will be made into a beautiful form. The same clay if sent to a factory, would make a brick; just one brick among a million bricks. You need to hand yourself over to the one who which will create more worth and purpose to your life. This should be the divine because the divine is the most talented one. The divine is the biggest artist.
So when you give this clay or this flour to the divine it will create more joy, peace and happiness to the world. That is the purpose of why one should lead a spiritual life. You will have more meaning to your life. Without it you will live but you won’t know how to live. That is not the purpose of the human life. It should be different from other creations. It should create joy. This is possible when you are in the right place to the right person.
So in that way you are all blessed. Amma thinks that you are all with the right artist! Enjoy yourself. Think about the blessings that you have. Know that there are other people searching for their reality, fighting for the things which are not true. Still, there are other people who are searching for the quench their thirst and fulfill their hunger for wisdom. They will be there when the karma comes. You are all blessed. From 6 to 60 are here. Enjoy the moment. Enjoy yourself. Not just by listening but by trying to follow.
Listening to things creates knowledge so that when you do the implementation; the experience of the implementation becomes wisdom. Just knowledge alone is not enough. Wisdom is the practical experience. If someone said something is like a sweet you can just imagine the sweet but you’re really not sure that you have had the sweet. You try to have the sweet by practically experiencing it. This is what you do with all of the messages that you learn from Amma. It is not just to hear but to follow. Then you will feel the next step which is the joy in doing. Just listening is a blessing but don’t stop there. Go further. Try to find more joy; try to find the real purpose of this life.
Amma blesses you all.
Two Types of Wishes
12th Dec '05
There are people with two types of wishes. Number one, there are people who wish to satisfy the divine and number two, there are people who expect that the divine should satisfy them. So what are these two types? Even though both have good wishes, of the two types, number one is better. If you think that the divine should satisfy all of your desires and needs, and only then you would be able to attain peace and joy, it is impossible. It is impossible because your mind will never say ENOUGH, even if the divine starts to give.
For example, if you wish for something and you buy it, your wish has been granted by the divine because your wish is that the divine should satisfy your needs and grant all of your wishes. Then, you pray for something else. It too gets granted. Again, your mind will wish for another thing and again it will be granted and again your mind will wish for another thing and again it is granted. The mind will never say enough. It will never feel it has enough because it is a human mind. Even though divine grace is with you, your wish, which is based on desire and greed, will not allow you to ever have peace or joy because it will never allow you to say enough.
There is another type of wish which is that you want to satisfy the divine. The second type of wish is significant of greed and desire, and the first type of wish is surrender; you want to satisfy the divine. This means that whatever the divine grants, you will just accept it. You will not worry about anything, you will just accept it. Once you want to fulfill the divine and once you want to satisfy the divine you are on a path of surrender. You will accept everything that is granted by the divine. In this way if you have a wish and it comes true you will be happy.
If it does not come, you will still be happy because your only wish was to satisfy the divine. Whatever comes from the divine, you will just accept. In this first type of devotion, there aren’t any upsets or sadness. You are ready to accept anything. You have surrendered your life to the divine and the divine is guiding your life. There will not be any self-wishes such as, “I need this or I need that” You may have wishes but you will not worry about the result. In this type of devotion you will always be happy, free from worry, and you will have peace and joy.
In the second type, if you expect that the divine should satisfy your wishes you are putting the divine behind in your mind, which is running; your mind is guiding, your mind is leading. When your mind leads, where is the limit? Where is the end point when it says stop? It will never say stop. It will keep running, “More. More. More”. So, on one path, even though you are receiving things, you are not satisfied. Greed is leading and desire is leading. You cannot find joy in this.
In the first path you are giving your whole life to the divine and you are putting the divine in front of you. Now the divine is leading your life. When the divine leads, you will have great joy because you are experiencing the blessings of satisfaction. This is one of the biggest blessings in the world. If someone is satisfied with what they have they then can start to give things to others. If there is a person without satisfaction, even if he has many things, he is still poor. He still needs something from someone. So satisfaction is very important in this. That is the blessing.
So in these two ways, you need to decide if you want the divine to satisfy your wish or you want to live as the divine wishes. Both happen, both are possible, but when you want the divine to satisfy your wish you will not feel satisfaction, real satisfaction, because your heart and your mind will never say enough. For this reason it is best to live as the divine wishes. This is SURRENDER. With the other type, you are leading by your desire. With this type, you are leading by the divine. In this you will have more peace and more joy. It is possible only in the human life.
Other creations have to live only with the thought of, “What way?” They can’t give their life to the divine. They don’t have those abilities. They can’t realize the divine. Those creations can’t live for their satisfaction. They may have the wish that the divine should fulfill their wishes but humans are blessed to have the capacity of realizing the divine in their life. So it is a blessing just to know that it is possible to have joy just by having the divine. You need to choose the path to wish that whatever the divine wishes is good; it’s the best. Then you will have great joy and peace.
Amma blesses you all.
The Devas
A person, however intelligent he may be, how ever knowledgeable he may be, how ever big he may be, if he does not possess physical strength along with his knowledge and size, he will not be able to perform any activity in this world. If a person wants to work, even to do a small job, he will need strength or energy. Having a lot of intelligence and knowledge will be of little help if there is no energy in the human frame. This fact is not confined to just people.
There is a life form above humans known as “Devas” (angels); even they need their strength. Deva or angel is the form that is between the Divine and Humans~ Humans have a form and a physical body and, in the case of the Devas, they have a form but they do not have a physical body like that of a person.
Who are these Devas and why do they exist? Their duty is to carry out the instructions of the Divine. For this purpose, they have been bestowed with certain powers. They have the power to grant nature’s gifts to humans in order for us to lead a good life. They provide rain, sunlight and air. When the Devas are pleased, their blessings come as rainfall and sunlight, resulting in good crops and blessing people with a comfortable life. So when the Devas are pleased, then the world will be happy.
As Amma mentioned earlier, however knowledgeable a person may be, he will need to have the energy to carry out any physical activity. Take a healthy person - if he does not have food for say 10 days, he cannot do anything with just his knowledge. He will need energy to carry out physical activity. In a similar manner, though the Devas have more power than humans, they too require strength or energy. In the world today, when a person is hungry, they prepare and partake in food. In a similar manner, the Devas also need food.
How do the Devas get their food and energy? Humans in their physical frame consist of blood, flesh, bone and water. They require food in physical form: rice, vegetables, fruits, lentils, etc. In the case of Devas, they have form, but no physical frame. How do they get their food? In this creation, from an ant to an elephant, the Divine has provided for a wide variety of foods. Is it possible that the same Creator who created both humans with their life form and Devas with their life form would provide food only for the physical frame? Is this possible?
There is way for the Devas to get food and energy as well. Whenever and wherever a yagam (fire offering) is conducted, offerings - consisting of fruit, vegetables, other food items and ghee - are made to the Divine. Where is all that food going? Is it merely charred and turned into ash? No, no. This is all going as food to the Devas. That is why it is said that when you conduct a yagam you will see rain. Why should you see rain when a yagam is conducted? When you conduct a yagam, the Devas receive food - from which they get energy and so they express their gratitude by providing us with rain. They bestow many times more than what they have received. They will gift this back to us. In what way will this gift come? It will take the form of rainfall and good crops. This is the way that they express gratitude.
At the present moment, water is very important. Great shortages are being experienced. When there is rain, there will be a good supply of crops. Humans and other animals will be happy. Many aspects of happiness come from rain alone. Nowadays, many people are suffering due to water shortages. What is the reason for this? In the past, many yagams were conducted whereas nowadays this does not happen. Many say that this was something done in the past. They feel that they can’t be bothered to do them now.
This is a mistake. Whatever is offered into the yagam yields and benefits humans much more. There is another name for a yagam; it can also be called a “Kama-dhenu”. This means “one who bestows”, someone who grants you what you need.
It is often said that life is a struggle. But a person must realize that only he is capable of providing for the Devas. When there is no yagam, it simply means that there is no food for Devas. When they do not have this food, they do not have the energy to carry out the work that they are supposed to do. Hence, you will see that there is little rain. But, whenever and wherever a yagam takes place, the Devas will converge at that place and accept the offerings. This makes them happy and they bless men with nature’s gifts. This is the sole purpose of a yagam. It is not just a small ritual or a custom. This is an eternal truth. Hence it should be performed with great care.
In the past, during functions such as marriages, housewarmings, etc. yagams were important events and were conducted with great enthusiasm. Today, yagams consists of a small prayer and are all done in a great hurry. It should not be done like this. Whenever you have an opportunity and you know a yagam is being conducted, you should go and participate. Temples and communities of people can organize yagams as it may not be possible for individuals to arrange them.
Still, each and everyone should conduct a small prayer at home in their own way. For whom are these prayers? Are they to benefit the Divine? Prayer is for humans... for their benefit, for their happiness. Take for example a 10 year old girl. When she is taken to a shop, she buys the clothes and chooses the colours she likes. But if you take a six month old baby, she will not be able to make any selections. Hence, the mother buys the clothes and chooses the colours she likes. She dresses the baby and experiences the happiness and joy in seeing her infant dressed up so nicely.
In a similar manner, when prayer is conducted, it will bring joy and peace of mind to humans. Many people have many problems. Some find relief by sharing their difficulties with friends. By conducting prayers in your home, you will feel that the Divine resides in your home. By sharing your thoughts, you will experience less stress. You will feel relief and peace of mind. In this way, prayer is not meant to benefit the Divine - it is for your benefit.
Just spend a small amount of time, say 10 minutes a day. In a 24 hour period, 10 minutes is a small amount of time considering that many minutes of a day are simply wasted away. Just 10 minutes per day. Set it aside for prayer to a picture or to a statue. Offer a small flower from you garden and a small prayer. Make this a habit. It will give you plenty of comfort, it will dispel fears and it will bring you confidence.
Some people pray on one day of the week. Would it be acceptable if the sun were to rise one day a week? We need the sun and stars daily, don’t we?! In the same manner, we need the Divine’s grace and blessings each day. Everyday - say a small, prayer, light a small candle, offer a small flower, do this everyday. You do not need to know elaborate chanting or prayers. The food that you cook for yourselves will suffice as Prasad (blessed food). Use it to make a small offering to the Divine before you eat it. By doing this, you will gain the strong feeling that the Divine resides in your home. This thought will dispel fear and give you confidence. It will bring happiness and joy.
On this auspicious day, Amma blesses all living beings on this earth to live a peaceful and happy life.
The Diamond & the Mustard seed
12/25/05
The diamond is very famous. Everyone knows about diamonds. They are very precious and very rare. Imagine for example, if you were given a diamond the size of a brick. Imagine how you would feel? Imagine that everyone had a brick of diamond in their hands. The joy and happiness of that moment would be immense! To have even the tiniest piece of diamond itself, is a great thing because everyone knows and is aware that the diamond is very precious and you cannot get it very easily. Because of this, the value of the diamond always stays very high.
If a tiny diamond can give so much happiness and joy, imagine what a diamond the size of a brick could give. Everyone would be ecstatic! You would feel like you were in heaven because you would know the worth of the diamond, the importance of the diamond, and you would also know how rare and precious it is. This is for the person who is aware of the precious value of the diamond.
If you have a person who is not aware of diamonds, who doesn’t know anything about diamonds and who has never seen a diamond or heard about diamonds and by some chance he finds a big piece of diamond, how would he feel? For him it would feel like a heavy weight. He would wonder why he needed this and why he is burdened to carry this weight. He would be very anxious to get rid of the diamond because he doesn’t know how precious it is or the importance of it.
It wouldn’t bring any happiness or joy to him. For him it would be a burden. “Why should I carry this? Let me see if anyone can hold this.” Why can’t he have peace, happiness and joy like the first person? The first person is elated; he is so joyful to have the diamond. The second person, who also has the same piece of diamond, which is the same size and everything, is not experiencing any happiness. What is the reason for that?
The reason why the first person is experiencing joy is because he realizes the worth of the diamond. The second person does not realize the worth of the diamond. When you realize what you have, and you know its worth, it brings so much peace and joy, no matter what it may be. For example, if a carpenter finds a big piece of wood, it brings him great joy because he knows that through the piece of wood he can create many things. If a sculptor finds a big piece of rock which has a beautiful colour, it brings him much joy because he knows he can make beautiful statues with it. If a goldsmith finds gold, he will be very happy because he knows how to utilize the gold.
When it is reversed, however, and the carpenter finds a rock, to him it’s just a rock and he doesn’t care about it. For the sculptor who finds a piece of wood, it won’t matter, because he isn’t aware of the wood’s value. To experience happiness, it is necessary to realize the value of things. Only then will it bring happiness and joy.
So, the first person experiences great happiness yet it is not the same for the second person because he does not realize the worth of the diamond he holds. His place of awareness tells him it’s a weight because of his ignorance. The first person knows that there is great value in a tiny piece of diamond. He knows how many dollars a diamond is worth. He has already calculated the value of the diamond the size of a brick, and he is ecstatic just imagining that it will make him a billionaire! Whether it materializes or not, doesn’t matter. Just knowing the value and being aware of it, he is able to realize and experience so much happiness and joy.
What is the lesson in this? If you know and understand the necessity and worth of what you have, that alone will give joy. What is joy? What is peace? What is the way to happiness that everyone can have? It is being born a human. Once you know the purpose of your human birth you will be like the first person who had the diamond. He knew that the diamond was not an easy thing to find and he was aware of its value. He knew that if he had it, it meant that he was blessed.
It is the same when you realize the blessings of this human birth. When you feel that you are blessed it brings so much happiness and joy to your life. When you understand the real purpose of your life and when you understand the energy and the ability of what you can do for this world, when you understand all of these things, it brings great peace and happiness. If you don’t understand these things, your life will seem like a rock. For the second person, even though he had such a valuable gift, for him it seemed like a weight because of his ignorance.
If you don’t understand human birth, and you don’t understand this is the gift, then your own life will seem to be filled with many problems and struggles and you may wonder why you need to carry the weight of all of the struggles. When you understand the real purpose of human birth, it brings great joy and happiness to your life.
On this auspicious day, make sure you realize that you are all blessed. Having human birth in itself is a great blessing. It is not possible for angels to be like humans. Many people think that angels are the superior stage to the humans. Yes, this is true. However, the angels cannot have salvation. They cannot have mukti or moksha (salvation). This is possible only for humans. In the angel world there isn’t any chance or possibility of sharing their things because in their world, everyone is a billionaire! No one needs anything from anyone so there is no way of serving. Because there is no way of sharing, it is not possible to feel and realize joy. It is possible only in human life, only in this world, to share things.
When you talk about the other planets, there are many planets with many beings, but the human’s world is very blessed to have the divine in the form of an incarnation to provide direct guidance to the path of peace and joy. Make sure you all realize that you are blessed. When you see yourself in a big form you will get big energy and big strength. When you see yourself as just one who is there for your family, or for your two children, you will become very small. When you feel that you are small, your energy will also seem very small. You will not be able to do anything for others. Try to see yourself as “I am the world. I am big”; then you will have that much energy and that much strength.
Look at the people who have succeeded in the world and those who have done great deeds for the world. Each and every one is human. They were not born with something special. They had a normal human birth. What allows them achieve those things? What allows them do something great for the world? Is there anything special? There is karma, but in general, it’s what is in their hearts. If you think, “I am for my home,” then you will get that much energy and strength. If you think, “I am for the world. I am for the country,” then you will get that much energy and strength. You are the creator of this. You have everything you need.
There are words in the Vedas, “Ahum Brahmasmi.” It means, “I am that.” It is possible only for you. Other creations cannot realize this. Only humans can say, “Ahum Brahmasmi” which means “I am that, the formless divine”. So try to feel that you are not here just to take care of one family or to take care of three people. You have the strength and ability to do great things. For the normal human then, how is it possible for them to achieve great accomplishments? Is it just because of what’s in their hearts? How big they think, they can accomplish that much. Make sure you are all aware that the problems which you have at this moment are all because you think that you are all for your family or for yourself. Because of that, the problems that you have seem to be big problems.
It is better for you to think and grow to the size of the world, then you will see that the problems you have now aren’t problems anymore. Right now, your problems may seem like a huge stone the size of a mountain. When you think and grow as big as the mountain, the problems you have will become like a small mustard seed.
You are blessed. Human birth is a blessing but many still wonder, because of ignorance, why they need to carry the huge diamond. You are blessed to have the wisdom of your birth, which allows you to feel peace, happiness and joy. Enjoy life. Think that you are for the world. Try to do great things. Don’t worry about the four walls; just see the world as a family so you can create this energy from within you. You are the creator. Each and every creation has a soul and the divine is the soul. When you experience the divine; that in itself is a great quality that allows you to see yourself as divine. You don’t need anything more beyond that. You are all blessed.
It is possible for everyone to do good things, not just small things, but great things. Take a pledge. “I am here, not for me.” You will always need to do certain things as a duty for the family, but don’t just tuck into the family. Every creation can do that. All other creations are here just for that. You alone are blessed to do something different. You alone are blessed to think something different. Try to think that way. Try to understand that your life is for the world.
You are here to give, not just take. When you feel you can give, the very moment you have that feeling, you will feel that you are rich. If you feel that you need something, it doesn’t matter how much you have, you are always poor. Try to make sure that you can give. That is possible only for you.
Amma blesses you all on this good day, to be like that.
The Fruit of Knowledge & Wisdom
Discourse at the Saraswathi Yagam Gathering
In a village there was an old businessman. The businessman would start his day only after he does his pujas and the rituals to God. He was a very devoted and sincere man. This old man had three sons who helped their father in his business. The old man had a lot of good habits. One of those was that he would invite to his house, any new person or sadhu who came into the village. He will do all the necessary seva (selfless service) to that person. He will invite him to his house, make him comfortable, treat him to a grand meal and make him happy.
One day a Mahan (great man) came to his village and the old man invited the Mahan to his house. Having heard about the old businessman and how well he treats his guests, the Mahan accepted the invitation and came to the old man’s house. The old man made the Mahan very comfortable and treated him to a great meal and did all the required seva to get his blessings. The Mahan was pleased with what the old man did and blessed him too.
When the Mahan was about to leave the old man’s house, he called the old man and told him that he treated him very well, which made him happy and for this he would like to bless him with three wonderful fruits which were made out of his power. The auspiciousness of the fruits were such that one fruit gives wealth and prosperity, one gives energy and strength and the third gives knowledge and wisdom. The Mahan said that each fruit has to be eaten after performing a puja. The Mahan also said that he would visit them after one year.
Soon after the Mahan left his house, the old man called his sons and told them about the blessed fruits and the importance of each auspicious fruit. One fine day after performing the puja, the old businessman asked his sons to take one fruit each. The first one took the fruit for wealth and prosperity. The second took the fruit for energy and strength and the last one took the fruit for knowledge and wisdom and each one ate his fruit.
Not too long after eating the fruits, the sons started realizing some power coming to them. The first son, who ate the fruit for wealth, saw success and profit in every business he had. All his business ventures, turned out profitable and he started to accumulate a lot of wealth. The second son who ate the fruit for strength got enormous power in him, as much as one hundred elephants. The third son who had the fruit of knowledge started to think cleverly, his thoughts were good and with the wisdom he started to distinguish between the good and bad. The first son became extremely wealthy, the second became extremely strong and the third son extremely wise.
The days went by and there was an immense difference in the life style of the three sons. The first son who now had an abundance of wealth did not have any work to do. He had enough time to waste and fell into bad company who wanted to have fun with his money and wealth. When someone has a lot of wealth but does not have the knowledge to use it right he will attract bad company which in turn will lead to bad habits. The bad habits will ruin his health and strength. Finally the first son who had the blessings of wealth, got associated with a lot of bad company, lost his wealth, health and happiness because he did not know how to use his blessings wisely.
The second son was extremely strong but since he did not have knowledge as to when and on whom to use his strength. He got into unnecessary fights and quarrels with the villagers. One day the villagers lost their patience and got together and thrashed him. He became helpless and lost all his strength too.
The last son who gained knowledge and wisdom became very clever. His thoughts and actions were good. He did a lot of good service to the people around him. He grew in all walks of life. He became wealthier and got a lot of strength. When someone is blessed with knowledge and wisdom he thinks and does good deeds; which automatically bring all the essential wealth and strength.
If a person wants to be a successful professional in the society, he must have very high educational knowledge. He must score high grades in his academics. If he proves that he is knowledgeable and wise he will get a high position in the society which would immediately be accompanied by wealth and strength. In an office, an office boy has to do his duty in the office and all the work in his house. He cannot afford a helper, as his pay is less. He will not be paid more as he is not qualified. The office manager of the same office has a lot of assistants to help him in both the office and his house because he is academically qualified and makes more money.
When a person has knowledge and wisdom, he gets tremendous power (Balam). With this Balam he gets all his work done. He gets recognition in the society, becomes wealthy and strong. So wealth and strength without wisdom will lead man to destruction. Nowadays, students have a good opportunity to get knowledge and to plan their lives unlike their parents. Our parents have lost all the chances in their life so they cannot change their path of living. However, students can plan and change the lifestyle of their parents with their knowledge and hard work.
A farmer cannot change his life but the farmer’s son when he is well educated can get all the comforts for his father. When a person has good knowledge, education, wealth and strength he gets very high position in his life and is called a successful person. So knowledge and wisdom is very important in our lives. The future of your lives is in your hands only (i.e. the students). If one wants a happy tomorrow he has put in all his efforts and hard work today. But if one wants to be happy today with no hard work, then he will suffer in the later days.
In other words if a person lives for 70 years and he puts all his efforts and hard work to get a good education and knowledge in the first 20 years he will enjoy the other 50 years and live happily. If he wants to enjoy the first 20 years with no effort and hard work then he will suffer during the remaining 50 years. For the students the only concern in life should be to acquire education and nothing else. As students you do not have any responsibilities in life.
Today Amma has performed this Saraswathi Yagam for you students so that you are showered with the blessings of Goddess Saraswathi. You will have the ability to study hard and do well in your exams to get very high grades leading to a successful position in life.
Why is this Saraswathi Yagam performed? It is performed to bring the energy from nature and the five elements of the world through the Vedic chants to the yaga gundam (Havaan pit). The prasadam is offered to the energy and the energy and blessings of Goddess Saraswathi from the yaga gundam is transferred to the Kalasam – the form of Saraswathi. The coconut is the face, the Kodam (pot) is the body, the thread around is the nerves and the mango leaves is the hair. Then the sanctified water from the kalasam is poured (Abhisekham) on the pens.
Everyone here is going to be given one of the blessed pens. This pen now is not the usual pens available in the market but a pen with the divine blessings and the energy of Goddess Saraswathi. We cannot buy God with our money. Only when God wishes we can get God’s blessings. It is only with the divine blessings of Amma that today we are getting the pen with the Arul of Saraswathi.
Even though there are so many thousands of students who have to write their exams everyone is not as blessed as the few thousands of you who are going to get a blessed pen. This pen is not only a pen but has a concealed energy called the Sanithyam. So when you use the pen, all the required balam, wisdom, good memory and strength will come to you.
Our education is not limited for our family alone. It must also be of use to our society. Parents send their children to school not only for learning and eventually earning their living but also to know more good things and be useful to all. Goddess Saraswathi has a Vahanam (vehicle) – Annam (bird). This bird has a unique feature that when milk and water is mixed and given to it, the bird can separate and drink the milk leaving the water behind. Goddess Saraswathi likes the bird only because it takes the good and leaves the bad. In the same way if Saraswathi has to shower her blessings on us, we should do good deeds and leave the bad ones, as our society is filled with equal proportion of good and bad.
So on this auspicious day, the students gathered here have a wonderful opportunity to acquire the desired knowledge and wisdom by participating in this Saraswathi Yagam and receiving the blessings from Amma and the blessed pen with the grace of Goddess Saraswathi to give you the energy and power to write your exams and be successful.
”Your words and deeds must be the expressions of your good heart. Amma blesses everyone!”
Today is the Solution for the Future
There are a lot of people in the world who are worried about the future. Oh, they ask, what is my future? Will it be pleasant or will it be unpleasant? But, these mere thoughts are the reason for the problems. How? When you start to worry about the future, the uncertainty causes worry and then the worry may actually causes something bad to happen, like depression. So, having the worry creates the problems. For example, when you’re worried about things which haven’t even happened yet, it means that you are creating problems for yourself. Lots of people do this. What’s the way to get rid of this? How can one live without fear of the future?
Before answering that question, you should understand the reason for the problems you are experiencing today. If you understand that, then it will help. Today’s problems come from yesterday’s karma. What you have done in the past creates the deed and the deed follows you. If it was a good deed, then today will be good for you. And if we did something bad yesterday, then today, you will have to accept a bad situation. All the things you are experiencing today are due to yesterday.
In the same way, all the things that you are going experience tomorrow will come out of what you do today. So, does worrying prevent anything from happening? No. You can’t prevent, anything and you can’t stop anything. So, now you can ask, “What is the way to stop those worries, to stop those fears?” Just do good deeds today. Because what you experience today, is from yesterday and what you are going to experience tomorrow, is from today. So the deeds, whatever you do today, will bring the returns for tomorrow. So now you understand that the future is in your hands. You don’t need to worry about the future.
You don’t need to seek out fortune tellers to tell you your future. Now you have the seeds, you can choose which you want to sow: good or bad. If you do good deeds, then your future will be good, if you do bad things, then you’ll have to explain. When you do the good things today, it will bring two returns: one is for the future and one is for the past. By doing the good deed now, it creates the good karma for the future and it will balance the past bad karma.
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.
As Amma already mentioned, 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.
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.