Sri Anandamayi Ma

[Davino]

As this body always speaks of the single self, where is the question of separation and distance? 

~ Sri Anandamayi Ma 

"What fear is there for a man whose one and only object in life is the supreme quest? 

The One who is the goal of the journey is all-pervading. What is needed is His revelation. 

Nevertheless, the longing for Him must become genuine. 

If He manifests as longing, He will certainly also manifest as fulfillment. ”

Question: What does Mataji consider to be the most essential thing in life?

Ma: To try to find out “Who am I?” 
– the search after God. 
But first of all 
one must conceive the desire to know oneself. 
When one finds one’s own Self, 
one has found God; and 
finding God one has found one’s own Self 

 

I mean this is it, what else do you want? The Perenial Teachings, Know Thyself & Tat-Tvam-Asi (You are God) 
 

[Davino]

Quote

To know Ma is to achieve Ma and to become Ma. Ma means Atma (the Self) – Ma means permeated. Self permeated in Self – the Self-principle. Verily THAT what it is. To attain the form of Knowledge, Self, and Shiva, that means (to become) that which is ever existent. The Atma of this body is everybody’s Atma. Ma cannot do without anybody. 

~ Sri Anandamayi Ma 

 
The last sentence remembers me of the saying, if just a speck of dust missed in the universe, it would collapse. The above quote is very condensed, read it many times to get what is being said.

[Davino]

There is nothing in this universe that may be treated with disregard or contempt. 

He acts His divine play in infinite ways, through infinite forms, and in an infinite variety of settings.

~ Words  of Anandamayi Ma.

[Davino]

“In God’s kingdom everything is possible. He is omni­potent. It is none of your business to question what He does for anyone. Why should He always do what pleases you? He is the Lord. What He does - whatsoever — is all for your real good: this is the attitude to be taken.”
 ~ Anandamayi Ma

[Davino]

It's absence is also it's manifestation

[Davino]

Unhappiness is there in the background of happiness. The experience of the ultimate reality is a state beyond happiness and unhappiness. You consider a wet pitcher to be full of water when seen from a distance because usually a pitcher full of water looks wet. Likewise in the gesture and posture of a self-realized person, there appears an apparent state of happiness but this is not happiness. What that state is cannot be expressed in language. After seeing which the longing for seeing goes away forever is real seeing. After hearing which the desire for further hearing never appears is real hearing. Verily, real darshan (witnessing the ultimate reality) is that after which the question of witnessing, not witnessing and proof of witnessing does not arise. (There is) Unveiled, pure and unquestioned darshan everywhere.

[Davino]

Sri Ma’s Special Directives for advanced Spiritual Aspirants

In order to advance towards Self-Realisation, it is absolutely necessary for an aspirant to yearn constantly for his sublime goal. 
He should practice sadhana regularly, 
whether he feels in a mood for it or not.

To criticize people or to feel hostile towards anyone harms oneself and puts obstacles into one’s path to the Supreme. 
If someone does something bad, you should feel nothing but affection and benevolence towards him or her. 
Think, ‘Lord ! This is also one of Thy manifestations.’ 
The more kindly and friendly you can feel and behave towards everybody, the more will the way to the One – who is goodness itself – open out.

Take care not to be contented at any stage. Some aspirants have visions, others 
realizations. Or, someone experiences bliss, great happiness and thinks he has himself 
become God. 
On the spiritual path, before true Realisation supervenes, one may get caught in supernatural powers (vibhutis or siddhis). These constitute obstacles.

The positive proof that the aspirant is centred in God is that he ceases to hate any person or object, and that good qualities such as love, forgiveness, patience, forbearance go on increasing in him. When this change takes place in an aspirant, he will come to see that the One Brahman pervades each and every form, all sects, creeds. 

An aspirant should not indulge in useless conversation or gossip, but speak only when it is really necessary, which means that he must be a man of few words.
Try and try again to reach the goal you have set before yourself. So long as Realisation does not come, you must never relax your efforts. Let this be your firm resolve.

In the quest of Self-Knowledge, Love is the crucial factor. Whether it pleases you or 
not, you will have to make the Eternal your constant companion, just like a remedy that has got to be taken. 
Without loving God, you will not get anywhere. Remember this all the time.

-Ma Anandamayi. 
Meeting with Sages and Saints. Compiled by Sri V.Ganesan.

[Davino]

[Davino]

The Right Drishti (Perception) 

The correct bhava(inner feeling), 

which has to be cultivated 

through abhyasa (constant practice) 

to proceed successfully to the goal of self knowledge was clearly enunciated by Ma at a Main ­Satsanga held in Dec. 1947. 

 

The English version of suitable extracts from what was then recorded in Hindi as Ma’s words is given below: 

Ma said, 

“So long as you keep your mind on worldly things there will be no end to your desire for worldly objectives. 

 

When the mind will receive real food, then only will you get peace. 

 

When you will get the highest treasure of God-attainment, 

then only will you secure complete peace.” 

 

“Only one Bhagavan alone is everywhere, only He, only He, only He. 

 

The only duty of man is to give pure food to the mind.., 

where is our home? 

Our true home is that of Bhagavan. 

 

~ Words of Anandamayi Ma

[Davino]

"After real meditation worldly pleasures become unalluring, dull, entirely savourless.

 

What does vairagya signify? When every single object or the world kindles, as it were, the lire of renunciation, so as to make one recoil as from a shock, then there is inward and outward awakening. This, however does not mean that vairagya implies aversion or contempt for anything of the world, it simply is unacceptable, the body refuses it.

 

Neither dislike nor anger will arise.

 

When vairagya becomes a living inspiration, one begins to discriminate as to the true nature of the world, until finally, with the glowing certainty of direct perception the knowledge of its elusiveness arises.

 

Each and everything belonging to the world seems to burn; one cannot touch it This also is a state that may ensue at a particular time.”

 

 ~ Anandamayi Ma

[Davino]

 

[Davino]

Question: How can one conquer sleep? 

 

Mataji: Sleep cannot be conquered, yet under certain conditions, the need of sleep vanishes of itself. When you are keenly interested in something you do not feel sleepy, on the contrary, you remain wide awake without any effort; but afterwards you get a reaction and have to make up for your loss of sleep. When you have not slept enough you cannot do good work. On the other hand sound sleep refreshes you. 

At least a few out of the twenty-four hours of each day must be spent in sleep, otherwise you feel tired and wretched. 

Why?

During deep sleep the activities of the senses are at rest, and moreover although still covered by the veil of ignorance, you touch your Self. Unless this happens at least once a day, you cannot endure life; it becomes an ordeal. This is so for the average person. 

 

However, as one progresses in sadhana, the senses get more and more rest and one draws nearer to one's Self. 

In proportion to the discovery of one’s Self, the necessity of sleep decreases. When the Self has been realized, when one has become absorbed in the bliss of the Self, then there is no more question of work, of experience or of sleep, because there is only the ONE! Then sleep will not exist for you anymore, you will have gone beyond it.

This is why I begin by saying, sleep is not conquered, it ceases of itself. 

 

Nevertheless, it is also true that a yogi may conquer sleep by the Divine Energy that awakens in him through his yoga. But for the àtmànishtha, established in the Self, the question of sleep can no longer arise. 

 

The amount of sleep a person requires depends on various factors. When tamas predominates one needs more sleep, and also when the body is weak or unhealthy. 

The kind of food one eats also has a bearing on the amount of sleep that is required. 

 

Question: How is one to know whether one sleeps too much out of laziness or because the body needs it because of weakness. 

 

Mataji: if you watch yourself carefully you will soon find out. 

 

- As the Flower Sheds its Fragrance, p100. Diary Leaves of a devotee Atmananda 

on Ma Anandamayi.

[Davino]

You invoked this body for your own purpose. 

~ Sri Anandamayi Ma 

[Davino]

"He alone knows to whom He will reveal Himself under which form. 

 

By what path and in what manner the Almighty attracts any particular person to Himself with great force is incomprehensible to the human intelligence. 

The path differs indeed for different pilgrims. 

 

Very often He destroys misfortune by misfortune, and removes sorrow by sorrow. To advance in this spirit means for everyone to tread his own path. 

 

One's own path is the path that leads to Self-realization, to the supreme, ultimate Goal itself."

 

~Ma Anandamayi 

(Matri Vani, Vol.II,#168, page 112)

[Davino]

The Supreme duty of man is to undertake the quest for his true being, whether one takes the path of devotion, Where the 'I' is lost in the Thou' or the path of self-inquiry, in search of the true ‘I’ it is He alone who is found in the Thou as well as in the ‘I’ 

[Davino]

The state in which I am talking to you, laughing and lying down; and again, the state during kirtan where there is rolling and so many other manifestations of this body, are definitely the same state. 

 

Everything is happening from that one state. Again during Puja etc. where a particular God or Goddess was worshipped, the likeness of that God or Goddess, the posture, the mudra (orientation of fingers), the energy etc. and all other things, manifested in this body in their exactness. Not that it is imagination. It is like you are evident (before me). 

 

~ Sri Anandamayi Ma 

 

[Davino]

I find this dialogue to be rather amusing:

Question: God has given us the sense of "I", He will remove it again. What need is there for self surrender?

Answer: Why do you ask? Just keep still and do nothing.

 

 Question: How can one possibly keep still?

Answer: This is why self-surrender is necessary

 

 Question: What is the means of entering the tide?

Answer: To ask this question with desperate eagerness.

 

If you say you have no faith, this body insists that you should try to establish yourself in the conviction that you have no faith. Where 'no' faith is, 'yes' is potentially there as well.

 

Worship is not a ritual: it is an attitude; it is an experience.

 

- Dailogue and Discourses with Ma Anandamayi.

[Davino]

Most of the time this body conceals itself by the way of behavior and speech. This, in fact, is the truth. Maybe it is necessary. That is why it is happening. 

 

~ Sri Anandamayi Ma 

[Davino]

 

 

[Davino]

The letter: To know you are always near, though physically you may be far away, this experience can only come by your Grace. It seems impossible for me to attain it through my own efforts. 

 

Mataji's reply: You must know Him in such a way that no place remains where He is not. According to Vaishnavite terminology there is viraha and milana (separation and union). But this viraha rasa, this experience of profound yearning for God after having known union, is not like the worldly sense of separateness, which means not knowing the other, being unfulfilled. 

 

Everything comes by His Grace alone 

- this of course is a fact.

You experience as your own the power He has vested in you. Apply it in His service to the utmost of your capability, whatever be the nature of your approach, whatever your line. 

 

- Ma Anandamayi 

As the Flower Sheds its Fragrance.

Atmananda. Diary Leaves Part 1.(1947-1954) page 31 & 32