Amma Anasuya Devi: _Our Helplessness, Sin and Virtue"

[Guest guest]

The following is taken from "Talks with Amma, Sri Anasuya Devi",

Edited by Rodney Alexander Arms:

 

Questioner A: I am losing my faith in God. If there were a God,

would HE remain indifferent to the present-day injustices and growing

unrest? This is an enigma to me.

 

Amma (Anasuya Devi): It is something unknown to us, inscrutable. We

think some supreme Being, be it God or _Sakti_ (Supreme Energy)

guides our activities, don't we? It is our daily experience that we

are unable to do certain things as we intended, and that we do

certain other things unintentionally. Let us name the Power which

brings all this about, if not 'God' then simply '_Svabhava_' (our

inherent nature). No, if you are losing faith in God, my child, it

is enough if you sustain your faith in yourself.

 

Questioner B: Svabhava? Please explain.

 

Amma: Suppose you are acting with full faith in yourself: even then

you are unable to do all that you wish. On the other hand, when you

decide not to perform certain acts you are sometimes made to do those

very acts. This is due to _Svabhava_. I think that by 'Svabhava'

and "God' we mean the same thing.

 

Questioner C: Do sin and virtue exist?

 

Amma: Even though we may be able to recognize sin we are unable to

desist from it and we are not always able to do what we consider

virtuous. For us to do anything at all, the urge must spring from

the _Sakti_ within us. We behave as that _Sakti_ impels us. Even in

the case of a murderer, the sword in his hand, potent as it was

against four individuals, may fail to rise against a fifth. You may

observe that some sinners prosper naterially, nevertheless you don't

feel like committing their sins. Neither sin nor vitue are in your

hands." (p. l-2)

 

 

 

Kathy