1998 Letter from Amma on the importance of hospitals as selfless service

February 21, 2010

Om Namah Shivaya,

Just passing on something I found today.

Jai Ma,

Pranada

---------------

Letter from Amma....

Darling children,

Some of Amma's children may doubt, " What need does an ashram have to run

hospitals? " Children, didn't the Lord incarnate as Dhanvantara Moorthi?

Thus, He showed through His own example that medicine and treatment are very

relevant. The shastras also tell that it is important to sustain the body.

This seems to be correct if we also examine the history of Mahatmas who have

lived until now. Sri Ramakrishna, Ramana Maharshi and Swami Vivekananda all

underwent treatment when they fell ill. They did not refrain from treatment,

saying, " I am Brahman, not the body. "

Since it is the nature of the body to become sick, it's important to

preserve the body by undergoing the required treatment. We can make fire

only if there is firewood. Likewise, in order to know the Atma, it is

necessary to preserve the instrument. Therefore hospitals and treatment are

not contradictory to or incompatible with spirituality. All those are

helpful in maintaining the body, which is a means to know the Self.

There are a lot of children who stay in the ashram who were inspired by

meeting Amma. They are both Western and Indian. Among them, there are those

that have been doctors. They want to stay with Amma. And Amma wanted to give

them an opportunity to engage in selfless service to the world. How many

people are there who can meditate 24 hours a day? Very few. That being so,

what will the remaining majority do after their initial meditation hours? If

one sits idle, a lot of unwanted thoughts will crop up in the mind. These

thoughts are also a form of action. In such a situation, if they do some

service with their hands and feet it will benefit them as well as the world.

There may be people who say, " We desire only liberation, we do not need any

treatment. If we die out of sickness, let it be. " Amma would say that to

attain liberation, it requires the grace of the Lord. In order to receive

grace one should have mental purity, there is need for desireless service.

One becomes deserving for grace only through selfless, unmotivated actions.

To do such selfless actions, one needs to have a body. To maintain the body,

it is necessary to take treatment at the time of illness.

Jnana (knowledge) and bhakti (devotion) are two sides of a coin. But

nishkama karma (desireless action) is the seal on that coin. A coin becomes

valuable only if there is a seal on it. Devotion and action are the two

wings of a bird and knowledge is its tail. Only if these three are there,

can it soar up to the heights.

In the olden days, disciples used to engage in service activities while

living in gurukulas. They did not look upon it merely as action, but as a

service to their Guru. In fact, action performed in dedication to the Guru

is not action. It is real meditation. It is usually said that a disciple

should serve the ashram considering it as the body of the Guru. Thereafter,

he should be able to love and serve the whole world looking upon it as the

body of the Guru. That is true meditation. The unbroken remembrance of that

principle itself is meditation.

Everyone knows the story of the disciple who laid himself down in the Guru's

paddy field in order to prevent the water from entering the field through a

fissure in the ridge. The disciple did not consider the field as just a

field. He was ready to sacrifice his own life to protect the harvest. Such

an action cannot be called just an action. It is a moment when one forgets

oneself. It is the peak of meditation. In the olden days, it was the

disciples who did all the work in the gurukulas. They used to bring firewood

from the forest; they used to tend to the cows. For them, each action was a

sadhana, not mere action. For them it was meditation and service to the

Guru.

There are hundreds of educated and experienced children who have come to

join the ashram. How will it be possible for all of them to sit and meditate

for the whole time? It is far better to engage in some activities beneficial

to the world rather than sitting idle and polluting the mind with

unnecessary thoughts. Each one can do service to his or her capability while

continuing mantra japa. That will benefit oneself as well as the world. That

brings mental purity and through this one progresses towards the goal.

Nobody can attain the goal without putting forth effort. Whether it is

spirituality or materialism, effort is unavoidable. What fulfils the effort

and makes it sweet is the grace of God. And it is the selfless attitude that

makes one deserving to receive the grace of God.

While engaged in selfless service, some of my children may fear, " Oh, I

don't get even a moment to think about the Lord because of all this work.

All my time is lost on these activities. Will my life be wasted? " and so on.

Children, one who does desireless service need not wander anywhere in search

of God. The real temple of God is in the heart of one who is engaged in

unmotivated service.

That is how so many institutions have come up in this ashram. A few children

who were experienced in the education field joined here. They started

educational institutions. Those who have studied computer science started

computer institutes. The children with engineering degrees began

constructing buildings for the ashram. And when children who were doctors

joined here, the ashram began to run hospitals. These activities are not

just work for them, but part of their sadhana. It is meditation and service

to the Guru. Amma would say that even the breath of one who serves the

world, forgetting oneself, is beneficial in every way.

A few Vedantins would say that action, through service to the world, will

lead to new vasanas (tendencies). It is just an argument of the lazy. The

Lord says in the Gita, " O Arjuna, in the three worlds, I do not have any

necessity to engage in action. Yet I continue to engage in action. "

Performing action without attachment, with the attitude of " He, not I, is

the doer, and I am merely an instrument " does not bind one. It leads only to

liberation. Everywhere in the Gita, self-effort is given utmost importance.

Even the Vedantins who say, " I am Brahman, what need is there for me to

engage in action? " seek treatment when they become sick. They want their

meals ready exactly by 12 o'clock. They want their mattresses ready by 10 in

the evening. If such services are required by them, why don't they think

that such service is needed for the world also? If one has the attitude that

everything is the non-dual Self, then one has nothing to reject but accepts

everything. Disrelessness is the true measure of spiritual greatness.

Some others say, " Sannyasins should retire to the Himalayas. " Children,

selfless service to the world is the beginning of Self-inquiry. That is also

the culmination of it. Our duty towards God is our compassion to the poor

and suffering. Our greatest obligation in this world is to serve our fellow

beings. God does not require anything from us. He is ever full. The sun

doesn't require the light of a candle. God is the sustainer of the whole

world. He is the embodiment of love and compassion. We can grow only if we

imbibe that love and compassion. A sannyasi strives to love without

attachment and to serve without expectation. He gives up the burden of

selfishness and accepts the burden of serving the world.

Only if we love and serve the entire creation can we become a fit vessel for

His grace. Engaging in meditation without purifying the mind through

desireless service is fruitless, like pouring milk into an unclean vessel.

But we often forget this truth. We forget our obligation to serve the

suffering people. We go to temples, circumambulate the temple, repeating the

names of the Lord; however, we drive away invalids stretching out their hand

for a morsel of food. Children, real worship of the Lord is the compassion

we extend towards the suffering.

Once a man wandered everywhere in search of God. Nowhere could he see the

Lord. Finally, exhausted he sat beneath a tree. He happened to see a husband

and wife pass by him in total joy. Seeing the joy in their faces, he wanted

to know where they were going. He followed them and reached a colony of

lepers. This couple cleansed the wounds of the lepers and applied medicine

to them. They served the food they had brought. They consoled them with

loving words. Seeing all this the man in search of God could not contain his

joy. He cried out, " I have seen God! I have seen God! " Hearing him, others

thought that he was mad. " Where is the God that you have seen? " they asked

him. The man replied, " Where there is compassion, God is there. God dwells

in the hearts of the compassionate. Children, consoling the sorrowful is a

sadhana greater than meditation. Meditation is as invaluable as gold.

However, if one has compassion for his fellow beings, it is like gold with

fragrance. Its value and greatness is beyond all words. Therefore, my

children, enter into the midst of the suffering and sorrowful.

However, even as you serve them, try to give them good samskaras also. It is

not enough to give good food to the hungry. Even when the hunger is

appeased, after sometime, one will again feel hungry. Therefore, you should

teach them spiritual principles. Make them understand the nature of the

world and the purpose of human life. If so, in all circumstances they will

learn to lead their lives in happiness and contentment. Only then will your

service become complete.

Today, everyone is interested in looking at those who are higher than them.

Yet they are unconcerned about the plight of these who are less fortunate

than them. Amma remembers a story: There was a woman who worked as a maid in

a rich man's house. She was a widow and her only daughter was handicapped.

The woman would bring her daughter along when she went to work. The rich man

also had a daughter. This girl loved the maid's daughter very much. She

would shower her with love, telling stories and giving her delicious

edibles. The father didn't like this at all. Everyday, he would scold his

daughter, " Daughter, you should not play with that handicapped, dirty girl.

Why do you spend so much time with her? " His daughter wouldn't answer. The

father thought it was because she didn't have a playmate that she mixed with

the servant's daughter. He brought the daughter of his friend to the house.

His daughter greeted the new child and was friendly with her. However, she

continued to spend a lot of time with the servant's daughter, showering her

with love as before. Then the father asked, " Daughter, don't you like the

friend who I've brought for you? " The daughter said, " I liker the girl you

brought for me, but may I tell you one thing? Even if I don't love the girl

you brought, there are many others who are ready to love her. On the other

hand, if I don't love this girl, who else will love her? She has no other

relative. "

Children, this should be the attitude that we have. We should love the poor

and suffering whole-heartedly. We should uplift them, going down to their

level. That is our obligation to God.

Some of you may ask, " If selfless service is so great, what is the need for

meditation and tapas (austerities)? " Children, if an ordinary man is like an

electrical post, a tapasvi is like a transformer. One can acquire immense

power through tapas. It is like conserving energy, constructing a dam over a

river with nine tributaries. However, one should be ready to dedicate even

the power acquired through tapas for the good of the world. One should be

prepared to sacrifice everything, like an incense stick which spreads out

its fragrance around the world while burning itself out. God's grace will

definitely flow to such an expansive heart.

Children, we should cultivate a heart filled with compassion. We should

thirst to serve the suffering people. In any circumstance, we should have

the readiness to engage in service for the good of the world.

Many people meditate in order that the third eye will open after the two

eyes that see the world go blind. Such a thing will never happen. We can

never close our eyes to the world in the name of spirituality.

Self-Realization is the ability to see ourselves in all beings, even while

our two eyes are wide open. We should be able to love and serve others,

seeing ourselves in them. That is the fulfillment of spiritual practice.

Originally published in the souvenir " Amritakripa '98, " brought out to

commemorate the inauguration of AIMS, Amma's super specialty hospital in

Kochi, Kerala.

February 21, 2010

It is interesting to read about service through many traditions. I am in the

process now of considering becoming a Chaplain. But one must become ordained as

a Minister in a certain faith to even consider taking on a ministry to serve the

suffering in prisons, hospice, hospitals and nursing homes it is a long journey

as is any that is worthwhile. I have studied many religions over the past 20

years, mainly to learn that there is a commonality in each one, a point of

unity. I remember over the years feeling so very excited to find the point of

unity in each religion. I have a Masters degree in Interfaith studies as well as

Social Justice, Community Building and Sustainable Communities. I have just

spoken to a Chaplaincy Program that offers Interfaith ministerial training,

which sounds so very appropriate after all these years, and I stand at a

crossroads on a personal level of actually converting religions after 43 years

of growing up through the eyes

of a certain faith.

The one thing that I will have to do if I become a Chaplain is to be prepared to

walk into a hospital room, a prison, or a nursing home and sit with a person who

may be dying or may have had a tragic accident, or any number of incidents and

find the common faith within our two lives...it will be beyond religion, it will

be beyond words. It scares the living daylights out of me, but inspires me to

consider such a very intimate and vulnerable service for others.

I have experienced this first-hand, while in the hospital and have met a woman

who has taken the same path that I am considering now.

What I have learnd about Love and about God is that God is with us in every

moment, we need not difine it by any term, there is not enough time in the day

or in this world as it is, to use strong defining terms when there truly is so

much suffering around us. I will say that we are all called to serve in every

thought, in every action and in every breath. God is with us in each of these

moments I have learned. God is with us in each situation we encounter and in

every person we meet. All we need to do is Love and Serve one another in Peace

and we are free.......we are free.......there are no appropriate terms for this

or people that represent that opportunity for liberation other than our own

hearts and minds and our love and devotion and discipline to God. I have learned

that every vocation and action is a (possible) service to God. We are perfectly

fine wherever we are, we do not need to go far to serve as service is offered in

every moment and is

needed exactly where we are. We must be interested and willing to take our

brothers and sisters with us on this journey of liberation. It is a new day and

age and we are in a time of extreme change, it has been spoken of in many

traditions. You hear all the great masters say that we must reach now, beyond

all boundaries of age, faith, sex and race. The Love that we are searching for

is indeed the Love of all of humankind as our own, our sister, our brother, our

friend.

This is a challenge, especially in the world as it is, as everyone is living a

separate life as it appears on the outside, and many that we come into contact

with in the world may not know yet of God or even care about becoming united yet

as one humanity. The real boot camp of grace and spiritual freedom is the world

as it is, in this moment in its natural chaos and disorder......but I will tell

you something......I am beginning to see Love all around me.....people are

starting to wake up, people are truly wanting to connect with each other. I live

in a big city and I survive on public transit and I see random acts of kindness

and love everyday. I also see people more willing to serve and more appreciative

of their jobs in the world as so many are others are losing their

jobs....something truly miraculous is happening.....

Has anyone else felt this or seen it...the mainstream world really is trying to

love each other? I am noticing this everywhere....everyone is starting to look

at one another as friend, in whatever way they are working or living. This has

been my amazing experience, I hope others are seeing this and experiencing this.

S

________________________________

Pranada Devi <daughterpranada

Ammachi

Sat, February 20, 2010 6:17:29 PM

1998 Letter from Amma on the importance of hospitals as

selfless service