AMMA'S TALKS
Amma teaches us that the essence of spirituality is to awaken love and open up to the suffering of others. In a touching anecdote, Amma shares the story of a woman who was forced to skip essential dialysis treatments due to dire situations. As we expand our hearts, we will feel the pain of others as our own and help in whatever way we can.
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During a question-and-answer session in Amritapuri, Amma was asked about the best way to chant one’s mantra. Question: Amma, I like to chant my mantra aloud. I feel a lot of love and devotion and enthusiasm when I do that. But when I do it silently, just moving my lips, I don’t get the same concentration or feel the same love and enthusiasm. Please tell me the best way to chant my mantra. Amma: Slokas (hymns or prayers) can surely be chanted aloud, but mantras that have bijaksharas, or seed sound syllables, are best chanted silently or by merely...
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Author: Team Amrita Yoga, Amritapuri Summary: In a recent session, Amma discussed the concept of Maya, defining it not as nonexistence but as the ever-changing nature of reality. She explained that suffering arises from clinging to impermanent things and from preconceived expectations of love and happiness. Real love is obstructed by ego, leading us to misuse relationships to satisfy our desires rather than genuinely connecting with others. Amma emphasized that true happiness and love originate from within, not from external sources. By shifting our focus from expecting to giving, and recognizing the inherent nature of things and people, we...
Read MoreAmma’s acceptance speech for her D.Litt. Honoris Causa conferred by the University of Mysore Through this honour you have bestowed, I see the interest that the University of Mysore has in upholding the ideal of manava seva madhava seva – “Service to humankind is service to God.” In whatever way the Math has been able to serve society, it is because of the selfless service of millions of Amma’s children throughout the world. Therefore Amma dedicates this honour to their deep sincerity and goodwill. Knowledge and viveka – proper discernment – are inseparable, like a flower and its fragrance, a word and its meaning, or a lamp and its light. However, today our educational system is limited to the mere collecting of information. The light of discernment is disappearing. When people say, “Knowledge has dawned,” it’s like saying, “The sun has risen, but it’s still dark.” Imagine a beautiful garden full of countless flowers of all colours, shapes and sizes. If such a garden is pervaded by a foul smell, obviously something has gone wrong. Consciously or unconsciously, a serious misunderstanding has crept into our educational system. We have been led to believe that discernment and information are two separate things. This view is wrong. Consciously or unconsciously, a serious misunderstanding has crept into our educational system. We have been led to believe that discernment and information are two...
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The worm also eats, sleeps and procreates, so what is the difference if we merely do the same? Just as we pardon our hand when we poke our eye, we should be able to show compassion and forgive the faults of others. Their joys and sorrows become our own when we see ourselves in them through compassion. That is the essence of spirituality. Knowing we will get burned touching fire, and an electric shock from a live wire, we will also come to understand the nature of the world and its relationships. We will learn to deal with them...
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