“Amma’s candle”—this topic has been discussed by many of our ashramites and devotees over the past three or four months. I have seen it reflected on our websites and felt inspired to write something about it as well.
Amma was born on Karthika star day, and Karthika is connected with light—especially Karthika Deepam, the festival of lights celebrated in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In fact, the lives of all Avatars, Sadgurus, and Mahatmas are like candles. They spread the light of knowledge, peace, and bliss around them, while melting away in selfless service.
From one candle flame, thousands of other candles can be lit. Yet the flame of the first candle remains the same—its heat and light do not decrease. The Upanishad speaks of this Supreme Truth:
“Poornasya poornam aadaaya / Poornam eva avasishyate.”
“When the whole is taken away from the whole, the whole still remains.”
Unlike money and other material things, which decrease when given away or shared, knowledge remains with us even when we share it with others.
Amma gives completely what She has—Her nature of Knowledge and Bliss—and makes us complete and infinite like Her. Like the candle that simply gives light, Sadgurus like Amma give and give, without ever asking for anything in return.
In fact, the lives of all Avatars, Sadgurus, and Mahatmas are like candles. They spread the light of knowledge, peace, and bliss around them, while melting away in selfless service.
Along with the candle, Amma gives another example. She compares the lives of Mahatmas to a scented stick—an agarbatti—which gives fragrance to the surroundings as it burns away. Such is the life of a Mahatma, a Sadguru like Amma—a role model who benefits all humanity.
But, unfortunately, there is another kind of burning. Some people also burn away, but like cigarettes and bidis, they create smoke and disturbance. Unlike Mahatmas, who perform actions selflessly, such people may become engaged in actions arising from selfishness, hatred, anger, and vengeance, with the intention of destroying or hurting others.
Shumbhan and Nishumbhan, two powerful demon brothers, belonged to this category. But we may say that there is a third demon even more powerful—Kushumban, the crookedness born out of jealousy. Shumbhan and Nishumbhan were killed by Durga Devi in the Devi Mahatmyam. Kushumban, however, is much more difficult to destroy.
The demons Shumbhan and Nishumbhan represent different aspects of pride and arrogance.
Kushumbans are those who, being unable to improve themselves through devotion and selfless work, try to pull others down through crookedness and cunningness. Amma’s great devotee and Bhagavatam Acharya—a learned teacher who offers discourses on Lord Krishna—once said in the 1990s, “There are two diseases which cannot be cured: kashandi and kannukadi—baldness and jealousy in Malayalam.”
Such is the life of a Mahatma, a Sadguru like Amma—a role model who benefits all humanity.
In the 1980s, Amritapuri was not even seen on the map of Kollam District. But today, under Amma’s divine and loving arms, Amritapuri has expanded so much that it can be easily spotted on the world map. This naturally causes agitation in those overcome by jealousy. In the Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavan Krishna calls this negative quality asooya—fault-finding. Adi Shankaracharya says, “Guneshu dosha drishti”—seeing only bad even in the good.
Amma’s Light is the Light of Pure Consciousness. It is Her Light alone that makes the sun, the moon, the stars, and all of us—including, of course, the Kushumbans—shine. Even a gale cannot blow out Amma’s candle.
Let us, children of Amma, wake up. Let us pray to Amma to make each one of us Amma’s candles, lighting up our hearts and our lives. Let us spread Amma’s Light throughout the entire world.
Amma’s candles—Her Love, Grace, and Blessings, Her humanitarian activities, and we, Her blessed children—are a reality.