The Master's Words

[Guest guest]

During Ammachi's visit to San Ramon in November 2002, many new people

came to see Amma on Thursday, the last day of her public programs

before Devi Bhava the following Sunday. Ammachi gave an impromptu

question and answer session. The question and answer below give

principles for us to use for understanding things people tell us that

Amma has said

 

A young man, who may be an ardent devotee of the late

Yogananda and a practitioner of kriya yoga meditation technique,

asked the question. He said, "Yogananda said that kriya yoga, which

includes certain breathing exercises which stop the heartbeat, was

the `express bus' (to the spiritual goal)." He wondered if Amma

initiated her swamis on kriya yoga, or if he taught others this

spiritual practice.

 

Amma replied that what mattered most was one's

attitude. "Anything can be a meditation. When the whole life is a

meditation, that is the `express bus.' Amma is not saying not to

practice kriya yoga, but you should have the right attitude.

When affiliating with a teacher, study everything the teacher says.

Read all the books before concluding anything.

 

Swami Vivekananda found a lazy fellow doing nothing. `Why don't you

at least steal something?' he asked the man. What Vivekananda meant

was that, if the fellow would do some action, he can overcome the

darkness, the tamas of laziness, and awaken his rajas (passions).

>From there he could progress. However, people who didn't understand

all of Vivekananda's character and teaching, take this remark to mean

that Vivekananda was in favor of stealing.

 

Two women were friends. One was a prostitute. The other attended

satsangs often. When she was at the satsangs, she would think of her

friend, the prostitute. She thought the other woman was always

committing sin and would go to hell but she would go to heaven

because she did so many good things such as going to satsangs.

Meanwhile the prostitute always cried out to God to forgive her. She

would plead with God to be merciful to her because she knew no other

way to support herself and she was sorry for her sin.

 

When the two women died, the prostitute went to heaven because she

was always thinking of God. The other woman went to hell because she

was filled with pride and arrogance. Even though she was present at

satsangs, she did not have a spiritual attitude."

 

Returning to kriya yoga, "If stopping the heartbeat were the `express

bus,' then every open heart surgery patient, every bypass patient,

would have attained the goal!"

 

Then remembering another great master who is often misinterpreted,

Amma added, "See Jesus. He said, `Love one another as I have loved

you.' He said, `Love your neighbor.' He did not say, `Only love

Christians.' Also, even though Jesus made these recommendations, he

also chased the money lenders out of the temple."

 

Ammachi said that to understand a particular thing a mahatma has said

or done, we must consider the circumstances. Also we need to notice

to whom was the master speaking and what is that person's situation.

So, to understand what Ammachi says, we should bear in mind to whom

she is speaking and what is the circumstance.. Also, we must keep in

mind the full body of Amma's teaching, which has been recorded in

various books, in bhajans, articles and pamphlets. The whole body of

teaching is the context for any single statement.

 

 

 

 

Aikya Param