Touching Amma to Bless Ourselves

November 1, 2013 Kamala Uncategorized

 

I remember one summer, Amma was gone from the ashram, and many were pining inwardly. Br. Shubhamrita gave a satsang to westerners, and in it discussed that our Holy Mother Amma had said that She had given each person, each child of Hers, precious memories of interactions with Her, and that these should be reflected and contemplated deeply upon, they are the gifts from the Divine Grace, for our growth. And that these gifts were from Her, to us, for the upliftment of not only ourselves, but, the world as well.

 

I was in awe to hear this, and realize that Amma was giving EVERYONE these priceless building blocks. We cannot even intellectually grasp the selfless mystery of the Guru! Don’t go to the place where your mind whines, “But how come I only saw Her for 5 minutes in my life, or once, and that from a distance, and others have had years with Her as seeming intimates?”

 

Physical proximity and length of time around Amma’s form is meaningless in the face of the Omni-Omni-Omni – Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient. It all has to do with one’s open-ness. She has so many times given the analogy: the mosquito and the milkmaid both touch the cows udder. One takes blood, the other milk. She has given the analogy of the landlord who had two workers. One stayed near the landlord, fussing about him or this or that. The most the landlord could do with him was send him to fetch tea. The other went and took care of the landlords property. Amma asked, “Which one do you think the landlord valued more?”

 

I remember once, Holy Mother Amma coming into the prayer hall for satsang. Her enthusiasm to come and be with everyone, is always a joy to behold. For reasons known only to themselves, people line up on either side of the narrow path that She will walk to Her chair. I have at different times been part of this tunnel, but, somehow, perhaps because of some sociological and anthropological education and perspective, soon began to observe the human grouping and behaviour, the purposes behind it, and began to distance myself from it. I explained what I was seeing to my children, and they likewise gained their own understanding and perspective. Not that this was always the case, Amma is the Heart within All. Everyone deeply longs to experience that Heart, that fullness of pure love in whatever way possible.

 

To our absolution, She has said that to a certain extent, we cannot help ourselves. It is a driven response of the heart, that sees and recognises even briefly, its own soul, shining so beautifully in Amma, for, as She has said repeatedly, She is not the body, She is consciousness.

 

As it is, Amma has literally to move through a human tunnel, of grinning teeth, many times desperate eyes, and hands with fingers and nails reaching out to touch her. This tunnel is often 3-4 people deep. In their desperation to touch Amma in the split second that She will pass them, many reach out and grab at Her, some even try to touch her cheek, seeking to caress her, as they would a beloved. I have seen people in these times, miss, and inadvertently, touch her eyeball, and scratch Her face accidentally, and unknowingly. Walking with Her hands up in front of Herself as a form of blessing, at those times, Amma is unable to even comfort Her eye with Her own hand. I have seen people lunging over those infront of them, to touch Her, knocking them off balance, and in that lunge giving Amma a touch that is very hard.

 

For nearly a year, Holy Mother Amma had been asking people not to touch her when She was coming and going. She told us that the touches were hurting Her body. That it was like needles. Then knives. In many ways, She sought to awaken compassion and thinking, and reformed action. To no avail. This day, She gave up. When She got to Her chair, She sat down and said, “Amma will take your blows if that is what it takes for you to bless yourselves!”

 

Since then, the tunnel has grown closer, thicker, and now for some years, ropes are often used to keep the devotees at bay even inside the ashram. I love Amma’s devotees, my Guru brothers and sisters!  I love to see the expressions of devotion to Amma. It is sad to see the devotees behind ropes like animals, to see the increasing security. Everyone only loves Her. But there is no reflection.

 

I was thinking on what She said, “Amma will take your blows if that is what it takes for you to bless yourselves!”

 

Amma has said that God’s Grace is ever flowing to us. It never stops. Pondering always on the “what it takes for you to bless yourselves!” part, I was happy this morning to find a satsang from a Swami named Chidanand, of the Anandashram in northern Kerala. It addressed so perfectly this point, I wanted to share it with you all. I wish myself also to deeply absorb it. Wherever we put the light of the mind, there we see what is waiting for us.

 

Here it is:

 

No One Can Give You Salvation

 

Radiant Atman! This morning I share something with you that came to me from across the Ganga. Yesterday afternoon a holy man was admonishing gathered seekers and devotees at Swarg Ashram, and as it was otherwise quiet, I could hear what he was saying over the loudspeaker. Hew was telling them that all individual souls who are striving to attain the good life, striving for self-realization, which is the purpose of human birth, it is better, early or late, that they should know one truth, very, very clearly, and it is this: “No one can give salvation to any individual except that individual himself or herself.”

 

He was saying: “You have to work for liberation form sorrow and the attainment of bliss; no one can give it to you; you obtain it by your own effort. In spite of all that has been said about Guru’s grace and divine kripa and miracles, nevertheless, the truth is that supreme state of blessedness is something you can give to yourself; no one else can give it to you.”

 

He went on to elaborate: ~What is it hat makes it so very specific that it is the seeking soul that must ultimately grant to itself whatever it wishes to attain? Abundant divine grace of the Lord Almights is always available; it is never denied, it is every available. But it will enter into your being and transform you only if you open yourself to it. If you do not open yourself to it, then there is no means by which grace can force itself into you, try to do something against your wish, will and co-operation.”

 

Coming to the practical aspect in the life of the seeker, he went on: “What is it that enables the seeker to attain grace, and what is it that prevents one from attaining grace? You will attain grace if you always place yourself in from of the Lord. If you want grace you must face the Divine.

 

You must place yourself in the presence of the Divine, and you must lift up your face and look at the Divine. As long as your attention is diverted to other things, to that extent, it is you yourself who deprive yourself of His grace, no He. His grace is abundantly present at all times, to all biengs.”

 

He then gave two examples. One is, a number of earthen pots are left outside during the rainy season. Some face upwards towards the sky, some are on their side, some are upside down.

 

Whe the rain falls, only those pots that are upright, open to the skies, will be fully filled. In the self-same open space and rain, those on their side will be partially filled and those that are upside down will receive nothing.

 

He gave another analogy: “On a day when the sun is shining brightly, if you open all the doors and shutters, your house will be brilliantly lit up, illumined. But if you close the doors and shutters, sunlight may be everywhere else, but the inside of your house will be in darkness.”

 

“In this way,” he said, “it is only you who can give liberation to yourself, not anyone else, because it depends upon whether or not you recognize this truth. If we expose ourselves to God, God pours into us, and blesses us and makes our life divine. If we are not ever in a state of being exposed to Divinity, then naturally, our life to that extent, will be denied divinity, peace, bliss, light.

 

He said, “The onus, the main responsibility, is on the seeking soul and not upon God. God did not want to lay the responsibility of granting liberation upon God. Therefore, you must face the fact that it is you who can give liberation to yourself, for God’s grace, that grants liberation, is always available; it is never denied, never withheld.”

 

This is the truth. I am thankful I have been able to share this with your for your sincere reflection.

 

- Swami Chidanand, Anandashram

 

And we all know that this is the truth.  But, this world has never seen Amma.  Amma is our Mother.  Somehow, in the face of that truth….

loving you,

Aunty Kamala