2 thoughts to think on

Only on formal occassions are Amma’s words recorded – but many a times what comes in informal settings is so beautiful and provides food for thought.

A devotee working in AIMS came up for darshan. Even earlier he has evinced a strong interest in staying in the ashram itself, close to Amma and not getting involved in institutional work. But as Amma has assigned him work in AIMS, out of his love for Amma, he happily does his seva there. This time when he came for darshan – after having a very loving darshan of Amma and when he was leaving he said, “I have not had enough, I want more of Amma’s hug!” Amma asked, “Not enough?”

“When you go to a temple you do not drink the thirtha(sacred water) to quench your thirst. You get only a sip of the tirtha. The appeasement of yout thirst needs to come from within – only then will your thirst be quenched.”

The next day – it was evening, towards the end of darshan. Amma gestured to a brahmachari who is generally in one of the ashram branches. Towards the end of Amma’s American tour, this brahmachari, being in India, would go for a few days to a forest and meditate there. When Amma saw him, She called him and when he came close, Amma said, “Heard you were meditating in the forest, I thought you would be in samadhi.” He replied, “Amma, it is nice to be able to fly free for some time.”

“So, did you attain samadhi?”

“Amma, it is like the example you gave – a bird flies from it’s perch on the ship but returns to the ship having found no land. Only when the boat nears land can the bird reach land too,” said the brahmachari.

“Yes, son, but the effort, the trying to get to the shore gives you peace of mind. That effort has to be there,” said Amma.

All of spiritual life is is contained within – you have to try continously, but the reaching the goal is by grace of the Guru alone.

— Nijamrita