Amma’s Talk on Nov 22, 2003, in Detroit, MI

[Guest guest]

Apologies for any errors.

Jai Ma,

Ravi

 

 

Amma's Talk on Nov 22, 2003, in Detroit, MI

 

 

Amma's Reminders:

 

1. Almost all of us have various problems. These could be physical,

emotional, intellectual or spiritual problems. Because of these

problems, we are burning within ourselves. This leads to tension,

which is the cause of sickness.

 

We cannot improve the situation by brooding over the problem. The

correct attitude is to surrender everything to God's feet (and to

Her will).

 

2. There are numerous uncontrollable factors in every situation. To

succeed, we need God's grace to enable those factors to be in our

favor. If we are humble and bow down to God's feet, Her grace

automatically flows into us.

 

3. Life is like a game of cards. Losers accept defeat from the

beginning, thinking that the outcome was decided, the moment the

cards were distributed. But real winners wisely use the cards they

have been given and play to win. Similarly, when we encounter

difficulties, we need Shraddha, faith and devotion to succeed.

 

4. When we take one step towards God, She takes 100 steps towards us.

But we must make the initial effort. Amma tells us the joke about a

person who prays to God for winning a lottery, without buying a

lottery ticket!

 

 

Q) Many people ask, what is the need for spiritual activity? They

claim: we are Atman, the absolute. We don't need any such activities.

 

A) Amma says we have not yet realized our self as pure consciousness.

We are still in the seed state. Just as a seed needs to go below the

ground (to get nourished) and to grow, so also, we too need to

perform spiritual activities, to realize our self.

 

 

On Karma:

Our present actions determine our fate in the future. Sometimes, it

so happens that a person may not respond to medical treatment

favorably. This is because mistakes made in previous births reflect

in our present. Good actions in this birth greatly reduce the effects

of `prarabdha' karma.

 

Q) Many people ask, why are we suffering so much? What mistakes have

we done to deserve this?

 

A) Amma says that we will receive the fruits of our actions, sooner

or later. Suffering may come to an individual or to an entire

family. This happens because the malefic effects of certain planets

(reflecting our previous karma).

 

 

This is why, Amma advises us to be ever so vigilant in our actions

and to maintain an attitude of surrender to the Paramatman.

 

There are three types of karma:

1. Karma that can be cured by good actions in this birth.

2. Karma that can be cured by certain remedial actions (e.g. pujas,

gemstones, etc.)

3. Karma that is totally incurable. In such cases, we have no option

but to endure it and pray in order to reduce its impact.

 

There are two types of results to each of our actions: the visible

and the invisible. Amma cites two examples:

 

1. Action: Feeding an orphan child.

a. Visible Result: The joy that we get in feeding the hungry child

b. Invisible Result: The punya (positive Karma) that we get.

 

2. Action: Doing an improper/wrong deed.

a. Visible Result: Guilt consciousness because of the wrongdoing.

b. Invisible Result: The impact this has on our future actions.

 

Selfless action always benefits the doer, sooner or later. Our lives

swing from pain to pleasure to pain (like a pendulum). Both states

are momentary. We have to bring life's pendulum to a standstill. This

can be done by meditation and other spiritual practices.

 

Our minds are clouded by pre-conceived notions. The first time we

meet someone, he may be a thief. But he may change with time and

become a good person. Amma cites the example of sage Valmiki, who

wrote the Ramayana. He was a robber before he was awakened to the

divinity within him

 

When we see the good in others, the expansiveness of our mind

increases. If we realize that death can come to us anytime, we will

not spend our time in useless activities.

 

Anger is the biggest obstacle to God's grace. It is like a handle-

less sword, which hurts both the one using it and the one receiving

its impact.

 

Amma talks about flowers. They take the dirty manure as their food

and produce such a good smell. Our bodies on the other hand, only

produce bad smell, which we have to cover up with perfume! Just as a

flower offers itself to the world, so also, we can cause the flower

within us to bloom, by noble thoughts, loving words and smiling faces.

 

Amma cites the example of how these days, both husband and wife

expect (demand) love from each other. She compares them to two

beggars, begging each other for love.

 

 

Amma's Arati (Amma has renamed Her concluding remarks as Arati!)

 

Amma says that all of our problems are unhealed wounds from the past.

The only medicine for these wounds is love. Love is the foundation of

a happy life. The strength and power of love is greater than the

nourishing power of a mother's milk for a baby.

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