Amma, on Spiritual Names

[Guest guest]

Bharata Yatra 2006

 

8 February 2006 — Talassery, Kerala

 

At their request, Amma has given many of her devotees "spiritual

names"—typically

Sanskrit or Sanskrit-derived words that indicate divine qualities, spiritual

principles or are

names of gods or saints in themselves. For example, Vinaya (a feminine name

meaning

"humility"), Mahesh (a name for Shiva, meaning "Great Lord") or Chaitanya

("consciousness")… Over the past 35 years or so, Amma has given thousands of

people—

from all countries and of all ages—such names.

 

At the beginning of the 2006 Bharata Yatra, Amma was spending some time with all

the

brahmacharis, brahmacharinis and devotees who would be accompanying her across

India

for the next two months, and Steve, an American devotee in his mid-twenties,

took the

opportunity to ask Amma what a spiritual name is all about.

 

"I was hoping Amma might tell me what the benefit and significance of having a

spiritual

name is?" he asked.

 

"Amma doesn't force you to change your names," Amma said. "You come to Amma and

ask her to give you one. In India it is the tradition for parents to take their

babies to

ashrams and ask the Guru there to name them.

 

"Just by getting a name, you won't change. The change has to happen from within.

At

present we are strangers to our own Self. We need to awaken from that state."

 

Amma then asked Steve, "What would your expectation be in receiving a spiritual

name?"

 

"I would expect that it would be something that would represent my personality

and that it

would be something that would grow within me as people called me that name," he

answered.

 

Smiling at the young man, Amma said, "We are born nameless. Then our mother and

father give us a name and we become very attached to it. Amma is not interested

in

changing your names. Your parents will be hurt if you forsake those names. But

since you

ask, I give them to you. Just by changing our name or taking up new clothes

[i.e. the

clothing of an ashramites], nothing will change. Change must come from within."

 

Amma then said that, on the other hand, if we reflect we will realize that we

have had

many births, many mothers and fathers, and many names. "Think, `What is

eternal?' Maybe

in our past life, we were their parents and it was we who named them. These

names are

not eternal."

 

Amma then said that taking a name from a Guru is like taking a new birth. "This

doesn't

mean that you have to actually die. In truth, death is taking place each and

every moment."

(Amma then said, kind of as an aside, that for her, death is just another

experience, like

taking a bath, changing your clothes or brushing your teeth.) She then

continued, "When

Amma gives you a name, it is like taking a new birth. You become identified with

it and it

reminds you of your True Self. If you are focused on it, the name can really

help you to

realize your true nature."

 

Amma then explained how in the world everyone is attached to his name, fame and

position in society. In the name of freedom, she said, people have no problem

killing or

torturing one another for money or pleasure. Everyone wants to be the boss; no

one wants

to accept anyone else's ideas or opinions, she said. "But in spiritual life we

are trying to go

beyond all this. Taking a new name can be a step in this direction. Now we are

trying to

include others in our prayers. Now we are trying to see others in our own Self

and our Self

in others."

 

Amma then shared the experience of one who has gone beyond and realized his

identity

with the Supreme Self. "A Guru needs nothing from this world. He lives as if in

a glass

case. He can see both the world outside as well as his own Self. He sees the

world in his

Self, and his Self in the world. But he remains totally detached."

 

Amma reiterated, "It is one sun that reflects in a thousands different pots. In

a similar way,

once you realize your identity with the supreme consciousness, you transcend all

names.

But, first, the ahamkara [the notion of "I" and "mine"] must go.

 

"In order to transcend the ego, we must become humble. Only when a seed goes

down

into the soil and breaks open does it merge into the soil and become a tree. As

long as the

ego is there, there is no hope. A spiritual name helps to remind us that we are,

in fact, the

Paramatman [supreme Self]."

 

Amma then explained some other ways in which having a spiritual name can help

one

striving on the spiritual path: "When you hear someone call the name, you will

think of

Amma, because she gave it to you. Also, as you hear the name constantly, it

makes you

constantly inquire to see if you are living up to all it signifies."

 

Such names also help us maintain awareness of our dharma, Amma said: "When you

get

married, you exchange rings. The ring reminds you of your beloved. And if later

you start

becoming attracted to someone else, your ring serves to keep you aware of your

dharma.

A spiritual name can be a similar type of reminder."

 

"You also have a responsibility to live up to your dharma," Amma told her

children. But she

then added that she, of course, will help them to do so.

 

"All names and forms have a purpose in the world. They have a meaning. They have

a

dharma," Amma said. She then gave the example of how someone illegally cutting

down

trees in a forest might not listen if a man approaches him and tells him to

stop. But if that

man returns in a police uniform, surely he will listen.

 

"In the end, we must go beyond all names and forms," Amma said. "But the name is

quite

helpful in getting us to this stage. If a thorn gets stuck in our foot, we take

another thorn

and use it to pick it out. Venom itself is used as an antidote for poison."

[Guest guest]

Thank you so much for posting this!

-

ammasiswari

Ammachi

Friday, April 21, 2006 12:00 PM

Amma, on Spiritual Names

 

 

Bharata Yatra 2006

 

8 February 2006 - Talassery, Kerala

 

At their request, Amma has given many of her devotees "spiritual

names"-typically

Sanskrit or Sanskrit-derived words that indicate divine qualities, spiritual

principles or are

names of gods or saints in themselves. For example, Vinaya (a feminine name

meaning

"humility"), Mahesh (a name for Shiva, meaning "Great Lord") or Chaitanya

("consciousness"). Over the past 35 years or so, Amma has given thousands of

people-

from all countries and of all ages-such names.

 

At the beginning of the 2006 Bharata Yatra, Amma was spending some time with

all the

brahmacharis, brahmacharinis and devotees who would be accompanying her across

India

for the next two months, and Steve, an American devotee in his mid-twenties,

took the

opportunity to ask Amma what a spiritual name is all about.

 

"I was hoping Amma might tell me what the benefit and significance of having a

spiritual

name is?" he asked.

 

"Amma doesn't force you to change your names," Amma said. "You come to Amma

and

ask her to give you one. In India it is the tradition for parents to take

their babies to

ashrams and ask the Guru there to name them.

 

"Just by getting a name, you won't change. The change has to happen from

within. At

present we are strangers to our own Self. We need to awaken from that state."

 

Amma then asked Steve, "What would your expectation be in receiving a

spiritual name?"

 

"I would expect that it would be something that would represent my personality

and that it

would be something that would grow within me as people called me that name,"

he

answered.

 

Smiling at the young man, Amma said, "We are born nameless. Then our mother

and

father give us a name and we become very attached to it. Amma is not

interested in

changing your names. Your parents will be hurt if you forsake those names. But

since you

ask, I give them to you. Just by changing our name or taking up new clothes

[i.e. the

clothing of an ashramites], nothing will change. Change must come from

within."

 

Amma then said that, on the other hand, if we reflect we will realize that we

have had

many births, many mothers and fathers, and many names. "Think, `What is

eternal?' Maybe

in our past life, we were their parents and it was we who named them. These

names are

not eternal."

 

Amma then said that taking a name from a Guru is like taking a new birth.

"This doesn't

mean that you have to actually die. In truth, death is taking place each and

every moment."

(Amma then said, kind of as an aside, that for her, death is just another

experience, like

taking a bath, changing your clothes or brushing your teeth.) She then

continued, "When

Amma gives you a name, it is like taking a new birth. You become identified

with it and it

reminds you of your True Self. If you are focused on it, the name can really

help you to

realize your true nature."

 

Amma then explained how in the world everyone is attached to his name, fame

and

position in society. In the name of freedom, she said, people have no problem

killing or

torturing one another for money or pleasure. Everyone wants to be the boss; no

one wants

to accept anyone else's ideas or opinions, she said. "But in spiritual life we

are trying to go

beyond all this. Taking a new name can be a step in this direction. Now we are

trying to

include others in our prayers. Now we are trying to see others in our own Self

and our Self

in others."

 

Amma then shared the experience of one who has gone beyond and realized his

identity

with the Supreme Self. "A Guru needs nothing from this world. He lives as if

in a glass

case. He can see both the world outside as well as his own Self. He sees the

world in his

Self, and his Self in the world. But he remains totally detached."

 

Amma reiterated, "It is one sun that reflects in a thousands different pots.

In a similar way,

once you realize your identity with the supreme consciousness, you transcend

all names.

But, first, the ahamkara [the notion of "I" and "mine"] must go.

 

"In order to transcend the ego, we must become humble. Only when a seed goes

down

into the soil and breaks open does it merge into the soil and become a tree.

As long as the

ego is there, there is no hope. A spiritual name helps to remind us that we

are, in fact, the

Paramatman [supreme Self]."

 

Amma then explained some other ways in which having a spiritual name can help

one

striving on the spiritual path: "When you hear someone call the name, you will

think of

Amma, because she gave it to you. Also, as you hear the name constantly, it

makes you

constantly inquire to see if you are living up to all it signifies."

 

Such names also help us maintain awareness of our dharma, Amma said: "When you

get

married, you exchange rings. The ring reminds you of your beloved. And if

later you start

becoming attracted to someone else, your ring serves to keep you aware of your

dharma.

A spiritual name can be a similar type of reminder."

 

"You also have a responsibility to live up to your dharma," Amma told her

children. But she

then added that she, of course, will help them to do so.

 

"All names and forms have a purpose in the world. They have a meaning. They

have a

dharma," Amma said. She then gave the example of how someone illegally cutting

down

trees in a forest might not listen if a man approaches him and tells him to

stop. But if that

man returns in a police uniform, surely he will listen.

 

"In the end, we must go beyond all names and forms," Amma said. "But the name

is quite

helpful in getting us to this stage. If a thorn gets stuck in our foot, we

take another thorn

and use it to pick it out. Venom itself is used as an antidote for poison."

 

 

 

 

 

Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha!

 

 

 

 

 

a.. Visit your group "Ammachi" on the web.

 

b..

Ammachi

 

c..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[amrita dasi]

thank you! namah shivaya