on meditation, grace and peace
Sri Anandamayi Ma
Does the capacity to meditate come by practice in this life, or is it an aptitude acquired in former births ?
Mātājī : It may be the result of either of the two, or of both combined. Meditation should be practised every day of one’s life. Look, what is there in this world? Absolutely nothing that is lasting; therefore direct your longing towards the Eternal. Pray that the work done through you, His instrument, may be pure. In every action remember Him. The purer your thinking, the finer will be your work. In this world you get a thing, and by tomorrow it may be gone. This is why your life should be spent in a spirit of service; feel that the Lord is accepting services from you in whatever you do. If you desire peace you must cherish the thought of Him.
When will there be peace on earth?
Mātājī : Well, you know what the present state of affairs is; things are happening as they are destined to be.
When will this state of unrest come to an end?
Mātājī : The fact that many of you feel concerned about it and ask: ‘When will it end?’ is also one of the ways of His Self-manifestation.
Jagat (world) means ceaseless movement, and obviously there can be no rest in movement. How could there be peace in perpetual coming and going? Peace reigns where no coming exists and no going, no melting and no burning. Reverse your course, advance towards Him then there will be hope of peace.
By your japa and meditation those who are close to you will also benefit through the helpful influence of your presence. In order to develop a taste for meditation you have to make a deliberate and sustained effort just as children have to be made to sit and study, be it by persuasion or coercion. By taking medicine or having injections a patient may get well; even if you do not feel inclined to meditate, conquer your reluctance and make an attempt. The habit of countless lives is pulling you in the opposite direction and making it difficult for you - persevere in spite of it! By your tenacity you will gain strength and be moulded; that is to say, you will develop the capability to do sadhana. Make up your mind that however arduous the task, it will have to be accomplished. Recognition and fame last for a short time only, they do not accompany you when you leave this world. If your thought does not naturally flow towards the Eternal, fix it there by an effort of will.
Some severe blow of fate will drive you towards God. This will be but an expression of His Mercy; however painful, it is by such blows that one learns one’s lesson.
To another question
Mātājī : If you say you have no faith, you should try to establish yourself in the conviction that you have no faith. Where “no” is, “yes” is potentially there as well. Who can claim to be beyond negation and affirmation? To have faith is imperative. The natural impulse to have faith in something, which is deep-rooted in man, develops into faith in God. This is why human birth is such a great boon. It cannot be said that no one has faith. Everyone surely believes in something or other.
There are two kinds of pilgrims on life’s journey: the one, like a tourist, is keen on sightseeing, wandering from place to place, flitting from one experience to another for the fun of it. The other treads the path that is consistent with man’s true being and leads to his real home, to Self-knowledge. Sorrow will of a certainty be encountered on the journey undertaken for the sake of sight-seeing and enjoyment. So long as one’s real home has not been found, suffering is inevitable. The sense of separateness is the root-cause of misery, because it is founded on error, on the conception of duality.
A man’s belief is greatly influenced by his environment; therefore he should choose the company of the holy and wise. Belief means to believe in one’s Self, disbelief to mistake the non-Self for one’s Self.
There are instances of Self-realization occurring by the grace of God, whereas at other times it can be seen that He awakens in some a feverish yearning after Truth. In the first case attainment comes spontaneously, in the second it is brought about by trials. But all is wrought solely by His mercy.
An eternal relationship exists between God and man. But in His play it is sometimes there and sometimes severed, or rather appears to be severed; it is not really so, for the relationship is eternal. Again, seen from another side, there is no such thing as relationship. Someone who came to meet this body, said: “I am a newcomer to you.” He got the reply: “Ever new and ever old indeed!”
The light of the world comes and goes, it is unstable. The light that is eternal can never be extinguished. By this light you behold the outer light and everything in the universe; it is only because It shines ever within you that you can perceive the outer light. Whatever appears to you in the universe is due solely to that great light within you, and only because the supreme knowledge of the essence of things lies hidden in the depths of your being is it possible for you to acquire knowledge of any kind.
It is all in God’s hands.
Mātājī : Everything is in God’s hands, and you are His tool to be used by Him as He pleases. Try to grasp the significance of “all is His,” and you will immediately feel free from all burdens. What will be the result of your surrender to Him? None will seem alien, all will be your very own, your Self.
Either melt by devotion the sense of separateness, or burn it by knowledge—for what is it that melts or burns? Only that which by its nature can be melted or burnt; namely the idea that something other than your Self exists. What will happen then? You come to know your Self.
By virtue of the guru’s power everything becomes possible; therefore seek a guru. Meanwhile, since all names are His Name, all forms His Form, select one of them and keep it with you as your constant companion. At the same time He is also nameless and formless; for the Supreme it is possible to be everything and yet nothing. So long as you have not found a guru, adhere to the name or form of Him that appeals to you most, and ceaselessly pray that He may reveal Himself to you as the Sadguru. In very truth the guru dwells within, and unless you discover the inner guru, nothing can be achieved. If you feel no desire to turn to God, bind yourself by a daily routine of sādhanā, as school children do, whose duty it is to follow a fixed time-table.
When prayer does not spontaneously flow from your heart, ask yourself: “Why do I find pleasure in the fleeting things of this world?” If you crave for some outer thing or feel specially attracted to a person, you should pause and say to yourself: “Look out, you are being fascinated by the glamour of this!” Is there a place where God is not? Family life, which is the āśrama (life stage) of the householder, can also take you in His direction, provided it is accepted as an āśrama. Lived in this spirit, it helps man to progress towards Self-realization. Nevertheless, if you hanker after anything such as name, fame, or position, God will bestow it on you, but you will not feel satisfied. The kingdom of God is a whole, and unless you are admitted to the whole of it you cannot remain content. He grants you just a little, only to keep your discontent alive, for without discontent there can be no progress.
You, a scion of the Immortal, can never become reconciled to the realm of death, neither does God allow you to remain in it. He Himself kindles the sense of want in you by granting you a small thing, only to whet your appetite for a greater one. This is His method by which He urges you on. The traveler on this path finds it difficult and feels troubled, but one who has eyes to see can clearly perceive that the pilgrim is advancing. The distress that is experienced burns to ashes all pleasure derived from worldly things. This is what is called tapasyā. What obstructs one on the spiritual path bears within itself seeds of future suffering. Yet the heartache, the anguish over the effects of these obstructions, are the beginning of an awakening to consciousness.
When I sit down to meditate I do not intend to contemplate any form, but how is it possible tomeditate on the formless? I have noticed that at times, when I try to meditate, images of deities come floating before my mind.
Mātājī : Whatever image arises in your mind, that you should contemplate; just observe in what shape God will manifest Himself to you. The same form does not suit every person. For some Rāma may be most helpful, for some Śiva, for others Pārvatī, and again for others the formless. He certainly is formless; but at the same time, watch in what particular form He may appear to you in order to show you the way. Consequently, whichever of His forms comes into your mind, that you should contemplate in all its minute details.
Proceed as follows: When sitting down to meditate, first of all contemplate the form of a deity; then, imagining Him to be enthroned on His seat, bow down before Him and do japa. When you have concluded the japa bow down once more and, having enshrined Him in your heart, leave your seat.
This, in short, may be your practice if you are not able to meditate on the Brahman.
Be ever convinced that at all times and without exception He will do and is doing what is best for you. Reflect thus: In order to aid me, He has revealed Himself to me in this particular guise. He is with form as well as without; the entire universe is within Him and pervaded by Him. This is why it is said: “The Sadguru is the World-teacher and the World-teacher the Sadguru.”
"Prabhuji"
by George Harrison and maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar (who was a devotee of Sri Anandamayi Ma) Music from the album,"Chants of India."
