Enlightenment, Surrender & Living in the Present.

[Guest guest]

Namah Shivaya.

 

As my reply of surrender referred to the book "From Amma's heart"

and it has generated a bit of interest (from the people who posted a

reply and my intuitively perceived greater number of non-posters who

appreciated it), I decided to print the entire chapter here verbatim.

 

Hopefully many folks will buy this book after this whetting primer;

a small seva for Amma, I would think! . Glad to be able to do so.

 

Jai Ma!

 

====================================================================

 

Q(uestioner): Is it impossible for enlightenment to occur without

the attitude of surrender, no matter how intense one's sadhana may

be?

A(mma): Tell Amma, what do you mean by intense sadhana? To do

intense sadhana means to perform it with sincerity and love. For

this, you need to be in the present. To be in the present, you have

to SURRENDER THE PAST AND THE FUTURE (Emphasis mine). Whether you

call it surrender, present moment, here and now, moment-to-moment

living or another term, they are all one and the same. The terms may

differ, but what happens inside is the same. Any form of spiritual

practice we do is to help us learn from the great lesson of letting

go. True meditation is not an action; it is an intense longing of

the heart to be one with the Self (how beautiful - manoj), or God.

In that process, the deeper we go, the less ego we have and the

lighter we feel. So, you see, the very purpose of sadhana is to

gradually remove the feeling of "I" and "mine". The process is

described in different ways, using different terms, that's all.

 

Q: All material achievements and success in the world basically

depend on how aggressive you are and how competent you are. Unless

you keep charpening your mind and intellect, you cannot win. A

little dullness will push to the back row, and you will be

sidelined. It seems there is a big difference between the principles

of spiritual life and those of worldly life.

A: Daughter, as you rightly said, it only seems (italicized; the

primitive Groups editor does not allow to change font/pattern -

manoj) different.

 

Q: How?

A: Becuse irrespective of how they are and what they are doing, MOST

PEOPLE DO LIVE IN THE PRESENT, JUST NOT FULLY. (emphasis mine -

Guys! what a bold statement from Amma; we are just a few moments of

attention away from enlightenment! manoj - smiles). When they are

engaged in an action or thought, they are SURRENDERED (you know who

is emphasizing from now on) to that moment. Otherwise, things won't

happen. Look at a carpenter, for example. While using a tool, if

the carpenter's mind is not focused in the present, some serious

injury may occur. So, PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN THE PRESENT. THE ONLY

DIFFERENCE IS THAT MOST PEOPLE HAVE LITTLE OR NO AWARENESS, and

therefore they are only PARTIALLY PRESENT or not at all present.

Spritiaul science teaches us to be FULLY IN THE PRESENT MOMENT,

irrespective of time and place. People are either in the mind or the

intellect - never in the heart.

 

Q: But to be fully present doesn't one have to transcend the ego?

A: Yes, but transcending the ego doesn't mean you become

functionless or useless. On the contrary, you will go beyond all

weaknesses. You will be completely transformed and your inner

capcities will express themselves to the fullest. As a perfect human

being, you will be ready to serve the world, seeing no differences

whatsoever.

 

Q: So, Amma, what You are saying is that basically there is no

difference between surrender and living in the present?

A: Yes, they are one and the same

 

===================================================================

[Guest guest]

Namah Shivaya Manoj and all,

 

"From Mother's Heart" is wonderful. This child also recommends it.

 

prasadini

 

manoj_menon wrote:

 

>

> Namah Shivaya.

>

> As my reply of surrender referred to the book "From Amma's heart"

> and it has generated a bit of interest (from the people who posted a

> reply and my intuitively perceived greater number of non-posters who

> appreciated it), I decided to print the entire chapter here verbatim.

>

> Hopefully many folks will buy this book after this whetting primer;

> a small seva for Amma, I would think! . Glad to be able to do so.

>

> Jai Ma!

>

[Guest guest]

In light of this post, those who are not averse to reading books by other

teachers should read "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle. Also, "Loving What

Is" by Byron Katie is very helpful for doing just what its title says.

 

 

on 12/4/04 10:09 AM, manoj_menon at ammasmon wrote:

 

>

>

> Namah Shivaya.

>

> As my reply of surrender referred to the book "From Amma's heart"

> and it has generated a bit of interest (from the people who posted a

> reply and my intuitively perceived greater number of non-posters who

> appreciated it), I decided to print the entire chapter here verbatim.

>

> Hopefully many folks will buy this book after this whetting primer;

> a small seva for Amma, I would think! . Glad to be able to do so.

>

> Jai Ma!

>

> ====================================================================

>

> Q(uestioner): Is it impossible for enlightenment to occur without

> the attitude of surrender, no matter how intense one's sadhana may

> be?

> A(mma): Tell Amma, what do you mean by intense sadhana? To do

> intense sadhana means to perform it with sincerity and love. For

> this, you need to be in the present. To be in the present, you have

> to SURRENDER THE PAST AND THE FUTURE (Emphasis mine). Whether you

> call it surrender, present moment, here and now, moment-to-moment

> living or another term, they are all one and the same. The terms may

> differ, but what happens inside is the same. Any form of spiritual

> practice we do is to help us learn from the great lesson of letting

> go. True meditation is not an action; it is an intense longing of

> the heart to be one with the Self (how beautiful - manoj), or God.

> In that process, the deeper we go, the less ego we have and the

> lighter we feel. So, you see, the very purpose of sadhana is to

> gradually remove the feeling of "I" and "mine". The process is

> described in different ways, using different terms, that's all.

>

> Q: All material achievements and success in the world basically

> depend on how aggressive you are and how competent you are. Unless

> you keep charpening your mind and intellect, you cannot win. A

> little dullness will push to the back row, and you will be

> sidelined. It seems there is a big difference between the principles

> of spiritual life and those of worldly life.

> A: Daughter, as you rightly said, it only seems (italicized; the

> primitive Groups editor does not allow to change font/pattern -

> manoj) different.

>

> Q: How?

> A: Becuse irrespective of how they are and what they are doing, MOST

> PEOPLE DO LIVE IN THE PRESENT, JUST NOT FULLY. (emphasis mine -

> Guys! what a bold statement from Amma; we are just a few moments of

> attention away from enlightenment! manoj - smiles). When they are

> engaged in an action or thought, they are SURRENDERED (you know who

> is emphasizing from now on) to that moment. Otherwise, things won't

> happen. Look at a carpenter, for example. While using a tool, if

> the carpenter's mind is not focused in the present, some serious

> injury may occur. So, PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN THE PRESENT. THE ONLY

> DIFFERENCE IS THAT MOST PEOPLE HAVE LITTLE OR NO AWARENESS, and

> therefore they are only PARTIALLY PRESENT or not at all present.

> Spritiaul science teaches us to be FULLY IN THE PRESENT MOMENT,

> irrespective of time and place. People are either in the mind or the

> intellect - never in the heart.

>

> Q: But to be fully present doesn't one have to transcend the ego?

> A: Yes, but transcending the ego doesn't mean you become

> functionless or useless. On the contrary, you will go beyond all

> weaknesses. You will be completely transformed and your inner

> capcities will express themselves to the fullest. As a perfect human

> being, you will be ready to serve the world, seeing no differences

> whatsoever.

>

> Q: So, Amma, what You are saying is that basically there is no

> difference between surrender and living in the present?

> A: Yes, they are one and the same

>

> ===================================================================

Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha!

> Links

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

 

--

 

Rick Archer

SearchSummit

1108 South B Street

Fairfield, IA 52556

Phone: 641-472-9336

 

http://searchsummit.com

rick

[Guest guest]

Ammachi, Rick Archer <rick@s...> wrote:

> In light of this post, those who are not averse to reading books by other

> teachers should read "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle.

 

It's funny that you should say this. I'd been hearing of this book for several

years...but

didn't end up actually looking at it, until I came across it in the airport on

my way back

from the retreat in Michigan, last week-end. It seems quite relevant to what

Amma has

been talking about, and definitely to my own recent experience. I remember

flipping

through it in the airport bookstore, and being really struck by some of the

dialogues,

especially where he's asked something like, "How do you know when you've truly

surrendered," and his answer is "Because you no longer need to ask this

question!"

 

One day... =)

 

Namah Shivaya,

Iswari