Guest guest Posted November 5, 2003 Report Share Posted November 5, 2003 Happiness and Suffering: I have heard Amma speak highly of both of these, and I fail to see how this is not contradictory. In one place, recently quoted, She said that if you are happy, then you can receive Love or Shakti much more readily. Yet, in other places, She has said that suffering, and not happiness, is the best teacher. How do these go together? extra points for good grammar and spelling ;-) Avram Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 6, 2003 Report Share Posted November 6, 2003 Dear Avram, All I can say is, for myself, when I am happy, truly happy, it is when I feel filled with Mother, and I feel Her very much with me. Then, of course I can turn on a dime and become immersed in Maya. I can be happily immersed in Maya, but my heart isn't happy. I am happy with worldly "things" - things are as I want them, etc., but I don't consider worldly happiness to be true happiness. It does not make me feel good all over, and I am always worried that it will go away. When I am suffering, truly suffering, I call out to Her, sometimes ranting and raving to Her to alleviate my suffering. The other day I was in extreme physical pain, and I was yelling at Her and cursing Her. After several minutes of this I walked into the kitchen and closed the window. Suddenly the pain and mental anguish stopped. Go figure. In any event, the intense suffering caused me to pull my senses inward and in desperation I turned to the only One who could help - even though I was really angry that She was making me go through the suffering - or it was my karma. Like many others on the list have expressed, I feel that I am floundering and separate from Mother these days. A friend of mine says that that is when Mother is working on us. Namah Shivaya Prasadini sprose1 wrote: > Happiness and Suffering: I have heard Amma speak highly of both of > these, > and I fail to see how this is not contradictory. In one place, > recently quoted, > She said that if you are happy, then you can receive Love or Shakti > much more > readily. Yet, in other places, She has said that suffering, and not > happiness, is the best teacher. How do these go together? extra > points for good > grammar and spelling ;-) Avram > > > > > > Sponsor > > Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha! > > Ammachi > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 6, 2003 Report Share Posted November 6, 2003 Ammachi, sprose1@a... wrote: > Happiness and Suffering: I have heard Amma speak highly of both of these, > and I fail to see how this is not contradictory. In one place, recently quoted, > She said that if you are happy, then you can receive Love or Shakti much more > readily. Yet, in other places, She has said that suffering, and not > happiness, is the best teacher. How do these go together? extra points for good > grammar and spelling ;-) Avram I was just reading a talk from Sw. Vivekananda the other day where he says that both pleasure is not what we should seek from life, as it is just the cousin of pain. It was a very dynamic talk re: renunciation and self-realization. Really, his collected talks are like dynamite...very well worth reading. I think the idea is to go beyond the duality of the pairs of opposites in order to remain in witness consciousness. I also think that what Amma is asking us to do is to remain content...even in adverse situations, (and contentment is one of the niyamas I think, right?) so that grace can flow. If we are always unhappy and depressed, it is difficult for the divine energy to find residence in our beings. You can't just become ecstatic in a depressed state of mind...you must find a sense of peace, contentment and surrender, methinks! Then grace follows. And yet suffering, as Amma says, I think is a great teacher in this world. It is through suffering that we mature, develop compassion for our brothers and sisters, and eventually return to God. Just some more thoughts. I usually don't talk so much on this list, but somehow I'm on a roll today. Hope I'm not boring all of you. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 6, 2003 Report Share Posted November 6, 2003 I'm taking the spelling comment very personally Avram. Ammachi, sprose1@a... wrote: extra points for good > grammar and spelling ;-) Avram > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 7, 2003 Report Share Posted November 7, 2003 --- lbrachlin <lalita120 wrote: > Ammachi, sprose1@a... wrote: > > Happiness and Suffering: I have heard Amma speak > highly of both of > these, > > and I fail to see how this is not contradictory. > In one place, > recently quoted, > > She said that if you are happy, then you can > receive Love or Shakti > much more > > readily. Yet, in other places, She has said that > suffering, and not > > happiness, is the best teacher. How do these go > together? extra > points for good > > grammar and spelling ;-) Avram > > I was just reading a talk from Sw. Vivekananda the > other day where he > says that both pleasure is not what we should seek > from life, as it > is just the cousin of pain. It was a very dynamic > talk re: > renunciation and self-realization. Really, his > collected talks are > like dynamite...very well worth reading. Is it any wonder that Sw. Vivekanada's birthday is celebrated as National Youth Day in India. Offcourse he died on July 4th which is a coincidence . > idea is to go > beyond the duality of the pairs of opposites in > order to remain in > witness consciousness. I also think that what Amma > is asking us to do > is to remain content...even in adverse situations, > (and contentment > is one of the niyamas I think, right?) so that grace > can flow. If we > are always unhappy and depressed, it is difficult > for the divine > energy to find residence in our beings. You can't > just become > ecstatic in a depressed state of mind...you must > find a sense of > peace, contentment and surrender, methinks! Then > grace follows. And > yet suffering, as Amma says, I think is a great > teacher in this > world. It is through suffering that we mature, > develop compassion for > our brothers and sisters, and eventually return to > God. Just some > more thoughts. I usually don't talk so much on this > list, but > somehow I'm on a roll today. Hope I'm not boring all > of you. > > Lisa > > Protect your identity with Mail AddressGuard http://antispam./whatsnewfree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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