Amma Anasuya Devi, July l7......Part II

[Guest guest]

Q. What are heaven and hell, if there are no sin and virtue?

 

Amma: Even if they do exist, we do not stop doing bad from fear of

hell, nor do we do good from hope of heaven. We only talke about

them. It is not because we are ignorant of them that we behave as we

do. We know all about them--heaven and hell, good and bad, and the

_dharmas_ (principles of right conduct) we should practise--yet,

although we want to do good, we are unable to do it; although we do

not want to do bad, we are unable to refrain from doing it.

 

Q. Shouldn't man use his mind for good purposes?

 

Amma: I think that it is God that has created man and his -

svabhava_. The mentality which understands "HE is ALL" is itself

Divinity (daivaiitva): to think, "there is something which is mine",

is humanity (manavatva). Both these states must be given by that

_Sakti). There is no problem if we believe that everything depends

on that _Sakti) alone; there is no problem if we believe that

everything depends on man's _sakti_. But consider yourself, for

example--although you had decided to come here, you could not do so

for four days.

 

Q. Such a level of perfection is possible for ones like Amma, but

how is it possible for people like us?

 

Amma: The Decision (nirnaya) applies equally to all, whatever the

level. Suppose we go to a cinema. Seating is provided equally for

all. According to our ability to pay, we go to the seats costing two

rupees or to the seats costing one rupee. He who pays one rupee does

not have to provide his own seat, does he? The manager of the cinema

has arranged for all. According to our means we occupy the various

classes of seats. If the manager did not know of the differing

abilities of men to pay, he would not have made such an arrangement.

WE may say that the cause for his knowledge, and the entire

arrangement, is svabava, Sakti, God or whatever you wish to call IT.

There is nothing wrong if it thought that it is entirely man's

_sakti_ --I am not denying it. There is nothing wrong if it is

thought it is entirely God's _sakti_. But it does not seem correct

to say that some is HI and some man's.

 

Q. How can you say that?

 

Amma: I cannot say why, but I feel it to be true.