Amma-ezine

[Guest guest]

" Vedanta has little to do with reading or giving speeches. Vedanta

is a principle to be adopted in our lives. You may draw a neat,

colourful plan of a house on a piece of paper, but you can't live in

that sketch, can you? Even if you just want a small place to protect

you from the rain and the sun, you have to transport bricks and

lumber to the site and build the shelter. In the same way, you can't

experience the Supreme without doing sadhana. If you haven't gained

control over your mind, it's no use repeating the Brahma Sutras. A

parrot or a tape recorder can do as much. "

 

" It's not enough to read Vedanta and try to absorb it with the mind.

It has to be brought into the heart. Only then can we experience the

principles of Vedanta. Having heard that honey is sweet, you may put

some in your hand, but unless you taste it with your tongue you

cannot experience the sweetness. The knowledge you have accumulated

with your intellect should be brought into your heart, because that

is where the experience lies. A time will come when your heart and

intellect become one. That stage cannot be described in words. It is

a direct experience, a direct perception. Reading every book in

existence won't give you that experience. You have to be convinced

that only God is real, and then remember Him constantly. Purify your

heart. See God in everything and love all beings. You don't have to

do anything else. You will be given everything you need. "

 

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Around Amma Awaken, Children!

 

24 July 2005 — Logan International Airport, Boston, Massachusetts,

USA

 

An elderly lady from Amritapuri was waiting at the gate for her

flight from Boston to Toronto. She was travelling as part of Amma's

U.S. tour. As the night before she had been up all night for Amma's

Devi Bhava darshan, she was quite sleepy. As she waited for her

boarding call, she decided to chant her archana, the Sri Lalita

Sahasranama [The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother]. However,

before she could finish, her eyes closed and she fell into a deep

sleep—the archana book open on her lap.

 

Amma was taking the same flight. After checking in, she and the

swamis made their way to the gate. When Amma saw her daughter from

the Ashram, she immediately walked over to where she was. Standing

over her, Amma gently stroked the top of the lady's head. She then

looked down at the open archana book laying open on the lady's

lap. " There, " Amma said, pointing to a line in the middle of the

open page. " She stopped at this mantra. " It is good that she fell

asleep while chanting. Now, as she is sleeps, her mind and thoughts

are still on the mantra. "

 

Then slowly the woman started to stir. Slowly her eyes opened. As

she was still half asleep, it took a moment, but then she realised

what was happening. " Amma! " was all she could manage to say.