Notes from Talk by Sw. Amritatmananda 4/7 Kyneton

[Guest guest]

Great masters are a purifying force in the world. They make the

world liveable.

 

The scriptures tell us that the noble way of living is the happy way

of life. Everyone wants to be joyful. But no one asks the question

how to attain this happiness. The end will be sweet, but the means

will be hard. We all want the end but not the means.

 

Discipline can only come from culture. The word culture doesn't

mean music or art, or what it's generally thought of. The real

meaning, Amma says, is control. We can't be happy until we

control ourselves.

 

A man was always very controlling of his diet. Someone asked

why. He said he knew that if we want to be happy we have to

control the tongue in two ways: 1. Speech 2. Taste

If he could not always control his speech, at least he could

control his diet.

 

The satguru diagnoses our inner disease. At some point we

have to surrender to the doctor in the operating theater. We

have to go through a process to cure our inner disease.

Most of us don't like this process. It is harrowing and not

comfortable. There's a saying that if we don't turn to God

of our own free will, nature (as in the case of hurricanes,

tsunamis, etc.) will turn us to God. Do we want to wait for

that?

 

Years ago on the North India Tour, the buses had stopped

and Amma was sitting alone near a waterfall. He asked

Amma, "What is the real meaning of spirituality?" She

became serious. Pointing to the waterfall, she asked,

"Can you reverse this waterfall to its source?" (He felt

a little annoyed inwardly, but didn't let on!) "My son,

that is spirituality; that is Atman, even though it is a

Herculean task--controlling the senses." Let us make

use of this opportunity and try to transform ourselves.

 

Last year in Trivandrum, Swami was talking to a seven

year old boy. He asked the boy what he wanted to be

when he grew up. The boy responded, "I want to be

president of India!" Taken aback, Swami asked why.

The boy said that Amma said they should help others,

so he felt that if he became president, he could do the

most to help others. Swami said he felt jealous of that

sweet boy.

 

Take advantage of this opportunity. The Lord allowed us

to take incarnation at this time.

 

Inner cleansing goes on. All of us have defects, problems.

We have come to this yogic hospital. The dr. has diagnosed

our disease and the next step is treatment. Swamiji shared

his "surgery" on his ego the first time he gave a public satsang

in front of Amma. Not only did she not praise his talk (as

others were doing), but she made a point of praising the talks

of others to him. He decided never to give a public talk again.

Then later Amma asked him why he wasn't giving a talk and

he told her. Amma said, "My dear son, I know you gave a

very good satsang. But even doing good activities will boost

your subtle ego. Punishments will only make the disciple

humble.

 

Amritatmananda talked about Amma being in guru bhava, and

Amma interrupted to say that if she were in guru bhava, no

disciples would be there. Amma said, "Only love is there."

 

Swami told a story he's told before about waking up late and

Amma in her "guru bhava" telling him that if he wanted to be

lazy he could get married. Amma interrupted again to say

that she scares the bhahmacharis by threatening them with

marriage! Swami said that she could threaten them with

the fires of hell and they wouldn't be moved, but marriage

was a threat that really scared them! He said that even now

some mornings he vividly recalls those words and her tone

of voice and leaps out of bed!

 

We need the guru's grace to come out of darkness and lead

a noble life. Kirshna said to Arjuna, "You are but an

instrument." That is what we should be.

 

Aum Amriteshwariyea Namah