Talk by AmritaSri

[Guest guest]

Youth Meet-Amritavarsham 50

 

Talk by AmritaSri

 

Aum Amriteshwariyai Namaha

 

Humble pranams at the lotus feet of my beloved Amma. Salutations

brothers and sisters.

 

Your light, oh Sun; permeating, penetrating. Unifying the manifest

and unmanifest in purity, in selflessness. Oh Sun! You are a source

of light for all of humanity. All that you touch are graced with the

strength to extend beyond the limited; to merge with the ultimate

source. Reaching out selflessly, without effort, you attract and

inspire all that experience your warmth, your radiance. Nurturing all

of humanity, you ask for nothing in return, gracing all of existence

You go beyond beyond - beyond mind and intellect. All of life is

touched by the strength and purity of your divinity.

 

Just as the sun casts light from the heavens, Amma touches all of

Humanity with Her selfless grace, requiring nothing in return. She

inspires individuals to deepen their roots and grow towards truth

just as the sun casts light upon a sapling, creating a resilient,

fruitful tree, that with nurturing, will ultimately provide shelter

and fruit for all. Amma's light inspires change and growth within.

Her constant showering of compassion which manifests through Her

numerous charitable projects, Her unconditional love and selfless

service, illustrates the significance of Her words:

 

"Each and every drop of Mother's blood, each and every particle of

Her energy is for Her children But She wants to see you growing, My

children; She wants to see you growing spiritually. May we each be

inspired by Amma's influence, and with faith, be filled with Her

shining light, with strength and courage. May we grow and evolve for

the benefit of all. With the grace of a great light like Amma, we can

grow together, with all palms joined in unity.

 

This growth can manifest in many ways, and Amma's ashram in India,

ever evolving, reflects our changing world. Though we experience

periods of conflict and confusion, with the grace of the Guru, we

unfold, blossom and ripen. Every time I return to Amma's ashram I

notice new buildings, which rise from the sand that once nurtured a

coconut grove. I remember sitting as a young girl with Amma, and can

hardly believe the transformation.

 

Although I miss the old days, I see the changes as positive because

more and more people are now blessed with the possibility of bathing

in Amma's light. Similarly, we are changing and evolving in different

ways, and nurtured by Amma, our growth will benefit humanity. This

growth and change may manifest through the imparting of knowledge,

through innocence, through compassion, through creativity, through

selflessness, but is ultimately a unified expression of the one

reality and truth that shines and enriches the planet.

 

For example, witnessing the selfless service performed all around the

world, it is clear that Amma's light, conveyed through Her teachings,

Her effortless love, and Her example, has touched and inspired so

many.

 

In the western kitchen at Amritapuri ashram, I have had the privilege

Of being in the presence of a small group of devotees who provide

food for the thousands of visitors and residents of the ashram.

Inspired by Amma, these individuals work together and offer their

services for hours on end, to literally serve humanity; they nurture

and provide for so many hungry bellies! Their focus and devotion,

their shraddha, their physical and mental strength and their

patience, have inspired me greatly. In their sincere desire to serve

Amma, and humanity, they often forgo meals themselves, and when asked

how they are able to do so much, they respond that it is Amma's grace

that makes such commitment possible, and that really, they are not

the 'doers' It is all Amma.

 

Inspired by this selflessness, I aim to cultivate such an attitude in

my daily life. I am inspired to focus my attention in the present

moment and with patience and humility, be of service to all, with the

knowledge that in truth, I am not the doer. Coupled with Amma's

grace, the fruits of self-effort enable growth and evolvement to

ripen within, for the betterment of the world. From the highest

rooftop of Amma's ashram it is possible to witness the swaying palms,

the rise and fall of the sea that merges with the horizon, and the

movement of a body of people below. Similarly, I pray to be graced

with the possibility of viewing the rise and fall of emotions and the

movements of my mind, as a witness. To grow, just as the swaying

palms, nurtured by the grace of Amma; with humility, compassion and

selflessness.

 

Maintaining this selflessness as a young person in the West, however,

Where society is so different and where a huge focus is placed on

materialism, is a great challenge for me. It's easy to get caught on

a roller coaster, to forget to breathe, and to lose the ability to

stand back and witness. I have to really make an effort to focus my

attention on the radiance, which permeates all of life - the light

that doesn't disappear when I return to Australia! When the sun pours

forth light unconditionally on all of life, it's light is reflected.

Similarly, with Amma's example, though at times it feels like an

impossibility, I can aim to see Amma in the faces of all: In my

family members, in my teachers, even in exam papers… in my fellow

students, in people I pass in the street whom I may never see again,

in all manner of diversity - to recognize the divinity within, to bow

down and be humble.

 

Having experienced purity and devotion through Amma's bhajans I have

been inspired to incorporate music into my life in the form of

musicianship and sacred song and dance. I have been inspired and

graced by Amma's light to expand and express myself in a way that

would otherwise not be possible as I am naturally a shy person. This

grace and influence has brought about positive change in my life,

enabling me to express devotion, creativity, and one pointedness.

Living in the West, away from Amma's physical presence, I often long

to be closer to Her, yet through music I am brought back to the

breath and the reality, to Her showering of grace, to Her light,

which is constant.

 

I make a strong resolve to my beloved Amma: I humbly offer my Self at

Your Lotus Feet and ask that this life be an offering to You. May

this child be an instrument of Your peace and unconditional love. May

this child merge fully with Your light, together with all beings, for

the upliftment and benefit of humanity. Let every action be a worship

of You. Amma says, "Where there is love there is no effort. Other

people's happiness is my rest. Amma's only wish is that Her hands

should always be on someone's shoulder, consoling and caressing them,

even while breathing Her last." May a merging with this selfless

consciousness transpire. May we all merge with this light that

permeates, penetrates and expands to the vast reaches of the

universe, for the benefit of all beings.

 

Om Amriteswaryai Namah

[Guest guest]

Greatness is always humble. But pettiness

is self-adorned with words of praise.

 

Greatness abides in the absence of arrogance.

Smallness proudly parades its haughtiness.

 

Greatness conceals through silence the weaknesses of others.

But pettiness proclaims such things to all.

 

Amma