AMMA SAYS - STORIES & JOKES

[Guest guest]

OM AMRITESWARYAI NAMAH

 

AMMA SAYS - STORY

 

When the Master speaks

 

"There was a rich man who was suffering from overwork and severe

stress. He completely lost his peace of mind. He went to different

doctors and healers seeking a cure for his ailment. Everyone,

including his friends, urged him to retire from his work and rest,

to stay at home and enjoy a peaceful life. But neither their advice

nor the medicines he was given seemed to help him."

 

"One day, he heard about a great saint who lived far away, in a

remote cave. He was so desperate that he decided to visit the

Master. After a long, arduous journey he finally reached the place.

Although it was freezing cold, the saint was sitting naked in the

cave. He gestured quietly to the visitor to sit down next to him,

and then he closed his eyes and went into a state of samadhi. The

saint remained in that state for three days, while the visitor

continued to sit there patiently in the ice-cold cave, without any

food or sleep - so great was his desire to free himself from the

pain."

 

"On the third day the saint opened his eyes and said to him, 'Retire

from your work and rest. Stay at home and enjoy a peaceful life.'

The man listened to what the saint had to say and went home."

 

"A few days later his friends came to see him. They were surprised

to see how peaceful and contented he seemed. They wondered how such

a transformation could have taken place in such a short time. When

he told them about his visit to the saint, and what he had said to

him, they exclaimed. 'But that's exactly what we have been telling

you all along!' The man smiled and said, 'Perhaps those were the

words you used, but when I heard those same words from the Master, I

suddenly saw their real innermeaning. For when the Master uttered

those words, I had a revelation. It dawned on me that to 'retire

from work and rest' means 'to dwell within the Self, seeing

everything as a manifestation of God. The Master's presence and the

power behind His words removed all my fears and tension. At last, I

am experiencing real peace of mind."

 

"Children, only in the presence of a Self-realized Master can any

real transformation take place. However, in the case of the man in

the story, peace of mind was experienced only after he had made the

necessary effort. But, actually, there is no effort to be made as

such, because there is no force or strain involved. The effort is

effortless and spontaneous - it simply happens: the gates of the

heart open up, letting the Master's grace flow in, bringing new

light and energy into your life."

::

AMMA SHARANAM