Amma on world and spirituality.

[Guest guest]

Satsang Amma's Words Worldly Life & Spiritual Life

 

Young man: " Does the spiritual culture of India completely negate

worldly life? "

 

Amma: " No, not really. It only says that true happiness is not to be

found in that way. "

 

Young man: " Why can't we reach the Goal while enjoying worldly life

at the same time? "

 

Amma: " Someone who truly yearns for realization doesn't even think

about worldly life or physical pleasures. Those who live a family

life can also reach the Goal, provided they recognize the

limitations of worldly life, and are totally detached, leading a

life of japa, meditation and renunciation. "

 

Young man: " Is it very difficult, then, to attain Self-realization

while living a worldly life? "

 

Amma: " No matter how much you may try, it's not possible to taste

the bliss of the Self while at the same time seeking worldly

happiness. If you eat payasam (sweet rice pudding) from a vessel

used for storing tamarind, how can you get the real taste of

payasam? "

 

" When you partake of physical pleasures, you experience a certain

amount of happiness, don't you? Without controlling this, you cannot

ascend to the plane of spiritual bliss. You can get married and live

with your wife and children—there is no problem with that—as long as

you, at the same time, can keep your mind focused on the Supreme

Self. How can anyone who is looking for happiness in the things of

the world attain the joy that doesn't belong to this world? "

 

Young man: " But aren't worldly pleasures a part of life?

 

Amma: " Amma isn't saying that worldly pleasures should be completely

rejected, but you should understand that true happiness is not to be

found in such pleasures. The sweetness of a fruit lies not in the

skin but in the inner part of the fruit. Knowing this, you don't

give the skin more importance than it deserves. When you understand

that sense pleasures are not the real aim in life, you will feel

attached only to the Paramatman (Supreme Spirit). Yes, it is

possible to reach the Goal while living a family life, provided you

remain completely detached, like a fish* in the mud.

 

" In the olden days, people followed the rules prescribed for

different members of society. They lived according to the tenets of

the scriptures. They didn't want mere sense pleasures; God was the

goal of their lives. After a baby had been born, the husband treated

his wife—who had given birth to his image in the form of the child—

as his own mother. When their son became an adult, they handed all

the responsibilities over to him and went off to live a life of

seclusion in the forest. By that stage, the couple had attained a

certain amount of maturity, having lived as householders. Their

work, the task of raising children, and the struggle of meeting the

various obstacles in life had ripened their characters. In the

vanaprastha (forest-recluse stage), the wife continued to stay with

her husband. But in the end, that tie was broken as well, when they

became Sannyasi—total renunciates. And finally they reached the

Goal. This was the practice in those days. But today it is

different. Because of people's attachment to their wealth and their

families, and because of their selfishness, no one lives like that

anymore. This has to change. We need to become aware of the real

purpose of life and live accordingly. "

 

* In kerala there is a certain fish that lives in the mud. The fish

is like Teflon: the mud doesn't stick to it.

 

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