Amma on Good/Bad, Discrimination, Judging

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Om Sant to All,

 

GOOD AND BAD ~ You see the bad in others because there is bad in you ~

0245."If you are good, if there is goodness in you, you should be

able to see goodness in everything. You see the bad in others

because there is bad in you. Children, try to realize this truth.

Do not point at the faults and errors of others. Realize your own

mistakes and try to correct them. Let your own errors, your own ego,

become a burden to yourself, not to other people." - Ammachi, Awaken

Children, Vol.4 p264

 

0246."Only when we become aware of the burden of our own ego will we

be able to remove our faults. At present, we cannot bear someone

else's ego or mistakes, but ours is all right. `My ego is beautiful,

but his is ugly.' This is our present attitude, and this attitude

should go." - Ammachi, Awaken Children, Vol.4 p264

 

0247."Children, try to be humble. We are here to see God in others,

not the evil or ignorance in them. That is what our practice should

be. - Ammachi, Awaken Children, Vol.4 p264

 

DISCRIMINATION ~ balance between the heart and the intellect is hard

to find ~

0343."A person who always thinks intellectually cannot understand the

feelings of the heart. He cannot understand the meaning of

meditation and love. He knows nothing but talking. What's the use

of such intellect?" - Ammachi, Awaken Children, Vol.5, p10

 

0344."Love gives sharpness to the intellect. The more love you have,

the more sharpness and clarity you will have. You may call it a

sharp or subtle intellect, but it is love that is working behind that

sharpness or subtlety. It is just a question of realizing this.

Some realize it; some don't." - Ammachi, Awaken Children, Vol.5, p11

 

0345."Both heart and intellect are needed. In fact, as far as

intellect is concerned, what we really need is not just thinking but

discriminative thinking, or a discriminative intellect. We need to

be able to think properly and discriminate between good and bad, and

we also need a good heart in order to feel and express love. Heart

and intellect are necessary for both a sadhak and a person who leads

a regular life. Usually, this balance between the heart and the

intellect is hard to find." - Ammachi, Awaken Children, Vol.5, p13

 

0346."Children, love is our real nature. We are of the nature of

Divine Love. That love is shining in each and every one of us. As

love is our innate nature, there cannot be any manifestation of any

kind without this power of love behind it." - Ammachi, Awaken

Children, Vol.5, p13

 

JUDGING ~ judgments are wrong most of the time ~

0001."People judge things according to their mental dispositions and

tendencies which are limited. Due to this limitation their judgments

are wrong most of the time and they miss the essence of things." -

Ammachi, Awaken Children, Vol.4, p3

 

my own humble opinion ~

Discrimination (which Amma says is definitely needed) is something

that is very personal and perhaps should not be easily shared with

others. When it is shared with a large group it will arouse many

different reactions/responses and when proclaimed as based on facts,

one gets on very shaky ground and it's best to re-read Amma's words

above. IMHO, discrimination is something that we need to practice

internally from moment to moment as we learn to observe our thoughts

and when we decide to express our inner thoughts externally ~ it is

good to see if there is the balance between intellect and heart that

Amma says is needed. Good luck to all of us.

 

In advaita, the ultimate discrimination is simply this ~ every

thought is "not-reality", silence( silent awareness ) is "reality".

 

Love to All,

amarnath

Om God Silence Love Humility Compassion Selfless-Service Forgiveness

Acceptance Peace Namaha

 

PS ~ on the back cover of "Ammachi - A Biography of Mata

Amritanandamayi"

published by the M.A. Center one of the testimonials is this :

"Ammachi's Darshan nourishes a deep hunger of the heart for 'bhakti

yoga' in the West." --RAM DASS, author of "Be Here Now"