Birds in free air
On the tour, among other things Amma posed before us two questions, on two different occasions.
At a lunch stop before Vishakhapatnam Amma asked, “Children, do you want to be terrestrial birds or birds in the free air?”
Those days the drives were longer than time of stay in a place. Over two days’ drive for a two day program in Puna to begin with; and over three day dive for two day program in Calcutta for ex. The long distance drives were trying on our bodies. The brief stops didn’t give us any respite or rest. We had found ourselves always asking each other about our bags, our mats, our food, water, clothes, bathrooms, toilets, et all. And once inside the buses we found ourselves, except doing the routine archana and some bhajan, sleeping and sleeping. Even after the memorable stops with Amma, soon after we returned to buses, we found ourselves dwelling on our external necessities.
So Amma was here reminding that yes, like birds we were on the move but we were alas terrestrial, tied up to our things and bodies….
Just the possibility of our becoming birds in free air was so redeeming. Amma the sweet Remembrancer, the Satguru in the form of Mother, lifted our spirits up to the vast sky to soar high in the free air.
– Sandhya, Bharata Yatra 2013
Here is a Sadguru, who comes down to our level, only to help free us from the shackles of our ego and self-identification and take us to unfathomable heights of Self-realization! And yet, if we are still bound by the limitations of our body and its needs, we are losing a God-sent opportunity.
And, its so inspiring and wonder filled experience to see all of Amma’s children traveling along with Her on the tours, working tirelessly without sufficient rest to their bodies( which is required at least to a certain extent), managing all aspects of the program in different cities, adapting to the local culture and people, waking up all along the program, and of course serving people with Smiling faces.
One of the best part is when endless Bhajans’ program is there, when Amma is hugging Her children and purifying those blessed souls who have come for Darshan. And, here some of Amma’s Children, Brahmacharis and Brahmacharinis singing praises of the Lord in the form of soulful Bhajans, where one can absolve oneself and travel inside during those moments. The music and the aura during those moments is so so priceless and inestimable that can only be experienced.
And, what to say about the devotion and surrender of all those Ashramites traveling along the tour who are there to manage the various stalls of different items, which will leave the local devotees with the memories of Divine Mother in whatever other possible ways.
I also wonder sometimes( though unrelated to the post, please exclude if not relevant) that when I am buying the Cds and lyric(s) book of Bhajans sung by Amma and Swamijis, can i really pay the price of those Bhajans which i hear so often and read the lyrics as well, which must have been written after so much of in depth spiritual soul searching and many other experiences and many practiced Bhajan sessions?
So, paying that amount can never tantamount to the effort and so many other factors responsible for their creation.
Indeed, one more blessing from Divine Mother’s Treasure.
Thanks for sharing the experience.
NAMAHA SHIVAYA.