Matri Vani of Anandamayi | Dharma 1

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Dharma

Part 1

1

This body always says and will continue to say that it is man’s bounden duty as a human being to find God, to know Himself. The search after Truth is man’s only expedient for attaining supreme peace.

Mataji also says all creatures of this world and beyond are without exception the Self (Ātmā) of this body. The quest for immortality by becoming a pilgrim on the path of immortality is incumbent on man.

2

The path that leads to the realization of one’s Self and cannot be relinquished — this is dharma.

For every individual the road to illumination is different. Wherever you may be, from there itself start advancing. For there is only He and no other. He Himself is holding you. He never, never forsakes you.

Then again, the practice (kriyā) that aims at God - realization is called dharma. Non­-practice — distraction from the remembrance of God or Truth, this is adharma.

There is but one dharma.

3

At every moment and in the very circums­tances in which you are placed, try to the limit of your capacity to sustain the remem­brance of God, to pray for His mercy, to keep your mind absorbed in Him.

Truly, truly, those whose aim is God-realization have started on their pilgrimage. Spiritual exercises must be done as regularly as possible.

4

At all times to be vowed to the search after Truth and consequently to be completely truthful in every respect is man’s duty. God’s grace streams forth at all times.

5

One should never tell a lie. God is Truth. By speaking the truth under all circumstances a state of integrity comes about naturally. No untruth should ever come from one’s lips. If truth is the fulcrum of one’s life all virtues will develop spontaneously.

6

The search after Truth is the one thing by which the shape of human life should be determined. Genuine desire itself opens the road to fulfilment.

7

Of all creatures the human being alone has the capacity to create an atmosphere, an environment that is conducive to the revelation, of Truth. With this faith one should endea­vour to adhere steadily and without wavering to- the practices meant to awaken one’s true nature.

8

Keep your mind ever surrendered at the Guru’s lotus feet. The quest after Truth and to be truthful is man’s duty. Do your utmost to remain anchored in truth and spend much time in the contemplation of the Lord in a quiet secluded place.

9

Human beings have to be dwellers of the inner cave so that the Supreme Being who resides within may be revealed.

10

A man can be recognized as a human being by his worthy character. A human being is in fact a traveller towards the realization of the superman. Each one should advance with his gaze fixed in this direction. A spiritual atmosphere and satsang will be helpful in this pursuit.

11

To have obtained human life is extreme good luck. It is God who creates, preserves and again absorbs into Himself. The desire to attain to the realization of this must awaken in man.

Therefore, it is man’s duty to be cons­tantly engaged in japa, meditation, the remembrance of God, worship, the perusal of scriptures, prayer, singing the Lord’s praises, attending religious gatherings or doing service —

in other words, to be pledged to practices and activities that will help to make his pilgrimage through life successful.

12

Man must aim at the superman, at real greatness. The traveller on the supreme path may hope to attain to the ultimate Goal. This is man’s main duty.

13

Every living being by its very nature longs for happiness. Only because this happiness lies hidden within him is he able to long for it. If it were not already there he would not desire it. Yet it is a fact that he cannot help desiring it.

A deep yearning for peace and happiness can be observed in every living being without exception. Even insignificant creatures such as insects, spiders and the like try to avoid pain. They are after well-being, safety and peace.

Animals, when exposed to the scorching rays of the sun, seek shade and cold water. Similarly, when man is afflicted by all kinds of suffering, he goes out in search of God, the haven of peace, the fountain of bliss.

In order to be rescued from the three­fold suffering of the world one has to take recourse to another type of suffering. By pain, pain has to be conquered. This is called tapasyā. To be able to bear hardships and troubles is called tapasyā by this body.

Just as the suffering of the world is irksome, so in the beginning one finds it difficult to concentrate on God’s Name. But, although it may seem arduous, by this very exertion one will be liberated from all suffering. Thus, what is wanted is effort, sustained practice, action.

Among animals and birds there is no desire to be liberated from suffering and to find the Supreme Being who is eternal bliss, eternal beauty. This aspiration is reserved exclusively for human beings.

Although God has enve­loped man by the veil of ignorance, He has also provided for him a door to Knowledge. By passing through that door man can attain to liberation.

This is why he must be deter­mined to realize the Supreme, to find God, to transcend ignorance as well as knowledge. So long as there are the opposites of knowledge and ignorance, in other words distinction and the idea of difference, the Brahman cannot be realized.

By merging in the Brahman, all differences dissolve into It and one is forever established in one’s true being.

14

Having obtained the great boon of human birth, do not waste a single moment. Plants, trees, animals and birds also live for some time and after generating other plants, trees, animals and birds of their own species, pass away.

If you too live in a similar manner, what difference is there between them and yourself? Everyone should make a strenuous effort not to leave this world with a “return ticket”.

15

The endeavour to keep the mind constantly engaged in the contemplation of That is man’s duty as a human being.

Do not escape by saying, “I cannot”. You will have to develop the capacity for it; you will have to do it. For a human being everything is possible. By God’s grace you have been born in a human body as a Brahmin.

If someone is knocked down, he surely does not remain lying on the ground. He rises, stands up and walks on again.

The speed of one’s advance must become swift. For those who are pilgrims it is necessary to forge ahead with great vitality, vigour, vivacity and velocity. Do not proceed leisurely sitting comfortably in a hackney carriage.

16

Everyone without exception will have to put in strenuous effort. Men and women are equally endowed with the capacity to realize God.

It is the duty of a human being to make human birth, which is such a rare boon, successful. Otherwise he has to continue in the round of births and deaths.

17

Due to the non-observance of the one brahmacharya āśrama the rules of all the other āśramas cannot be kept as they should be: just as without a solid foundation a house cannot be built.

Āśrama signifies absence of strain and toil (śrama); and with the sole exception of God everything is conducive to strain and toil. Consequently how can there be rest and ease (viśrāma)?

If while living in the grihasth āśrama one is serving the Supreme in everyone, this is real and true āśrama life.

Serve the Supreme Lord in your husband; serve the child Kṛṣṇa in your son; serve your wife as a ray of Mahāmāyā. It is you people who say: “Wherever a man is there is Śiva and wherever a woman, there is Gaurī.”

Do not attempt to be a ruler in this world; remain a server. The very fact of being a ruler creates complications; while if you can become a server, there will be no more trouble.

In this manner family life becomes conse­crated life. “I am but His server, acting purely according to His Will.” If this attitude of mind can be sustained at all times, then even while living in the householder’s āśrama no new ties will be formed. Your prārabdha will work itself out, that is all.

If you can constantly live your family life in this spirit, what have you to fear? He Himself will put everything right.

18

Worldly happiness alternating with periodi­cal troubles that cause much sorrow are characteristic of the householder’s life at every step. With great patience endeavour to do your duty to the best of your ability. Always pray for God’s grace.

19

You will have to turn your mind to dharma, for dharma is the life of your life, the Self (Ātmā), established in eternal Truth.

Who is that Self? You must certainly get to know this. For how much longer will you reside in inns and journey on the road that leads astray and is beset with dangers and adversity?

It is imperative to find one’s own path, to start out on the pilgrimage to one’s Self— to renounce the merely pleasurable and adopt what is for one’s highest good.

20

Those who have adopted the āśrama of the householder should be model householders and live according to the precepts of dharma. Endeavour to know your Self.

21

What this body always says is: Become a pilgrim on the path of immortality. Shun the road that leads to death; tread the path of immortality. Bring to light that you are imperishable, immortal.

22

Become drinkers of nectar, all of you — drinkers of the wine of immortality. Tread the path of immortality, where no death exists, and no disease.

23

To be born as a human being is a rare boon. If in spite of having obtained this great opportunity one does not give time to the contemplation of the Beloved, one will have to ask oneself: “What have I been doing”?

To neglect the contemplation of Reality means to take the road of death.

24

To remember that God is in all action, in form as well as without form and to pray for His grace is man’s bounden duty as a human being. In order that Truth may be revealed concentrate on the practice that brings about inner awakening.

25

The remembrance of God must be with a human being day and night so that he may be cleansed from his shortcomings and errors.

26

Man is born in order to experience the happiness and sorrow of this world. Those who have the good sense of wanting to go beyond happiness and pain must take their sole refuge in Him.

27

Man experiences happiness and sorrow as a result of his past actions. He enjoys and suffers — and again new karma is created.

In order to be liberated from all this, one must sustain the remembrance of That. Endeavour to keep your mind ever immersed in japa, dhyāna, the thought of God — this leads to peace.

28

Man is born in order to complete his karma; he is also born to complete the cycle -of birth and rebirth. The man of supernormal power, that is to say in whom divine power is functioning, can also himself change his karma.

29

Prārabdha karma exists. But there is also a state of achievement which is beyond prārabdha, where the question of capacity (Adhikāra) and incapacity does not occur. When the flood comes it washes away everything.

30

According to one’s actions the fruit is reaped. Nevertheless, by the contemplation of the Supreme Being, fear withdraws.

Whether in the company of saints and seekers, after Truth or in solitude, in whatever way it may be, you will have to invoke Him; other­wise freedom from the veil of ignorance cannot be won.

Is it possible ever to bribe God? By cheating, you yourself alone will be cheated.

31

Truly, man is born in order to enjoy and suffer according to his destiny. So long as you have not risen beyond fate how can you possibly avoid submitting to God’s law?

What you experience is precisely the result of your own actions. You have not got the capacity to judge whether the Almighty can overstep His own law or not.

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.

32

Only by taking refuge in Him can sorrow be removed. The troubles and difficulties one encounters as the fruit of one’s own actions are but the grace of God. If one can accept them as such, one will progress towards one’s, real welfare.

33

God apportions man’s lot; He is not only the maker of fate, He Himself is also fate -remember this. What is called destiny is His decree — here rules and regulations do exist.

World (jagat) means that which moves, and individual (jīva) that which is in bondage. In this state fate and restraint, rules and regulations, activity, are in force.

As ordained by the Great Mother, whatever be the result of any action, that She will bestow without fail.

34

When living and moving along the line of worldly attachment (moha), one’s bondage in this sphere increases continuously.

Whereas, when living and moving along the line of divine aspiration — even though all kinds of pain and trouble may at times arise as a result of one’s past actions —

yet, by being constantly tied to the string of spiritual exercises performed in the awareness of Bhagavan's holy presence, the pilgrim will, by virtue of his association with the Divine, be led towards the supreme path.

35

Pray for God’s mercy. Under no circumstances must you allow yourself to be knocked down. It is God’s law to end suffering by suffering.

Your present condition is His gift of the results of your past actions. Bear in mind that it is because God will take you unto Himself that He is purifying and cleansing you.

36

Just as the mother cow cleans her little calf by licking up and absorbing into herself all the dirt, even so God draws into Himself all the sins and shortcomings of His children and purifies them.

Regarding everyone as a manifestation of the One, do selfless service.

37

What Bhagavan does — everything what­soever — is for the best. Just as a physician cuts an abscess and removes the putrid matter, thereby freeing the patient from disease, even so by giving you sorrow God cleanses and purifies you and then takes you into His arms.

He delivers man from all sins and blemishes saying, “Offer all your impurity and depravity to Me and in return receive the ambrosia of immortality.”

He makes the devotee suffer pain and trouble in order to increase his eagerness, his yearning for the Real. God accepts as worship the agony, the flood of tears of the distressed.

38

Whatever God does is for the ultimate good. This is indeed difficult to understand for man and so he suffers when his desires remain unfulfilled. If one has faith in Bhagavan it is surely fitting to believe that He does what is for the best.

This world has been created by a mere stroke of God’s imagi­nation. He ceaselessly does and will ever do what is for the real well-being of the universe which He Himself has brought into existence.

All human beings are scions of the Immortal. Consequently it is man’s calling to set out on the journey towards immortality.

God arranges for everybody’s real welfare. Never­theless, when a worldly-minded person’s cherished desire has been thwarted there is pain, grievance, affliction.

Quite often even some religious work prompted by the best intentions meets with obstructions and difficulties.

All the same keep in mind: “I cannot possibly know by what device God is drawing me to Himself. He, the fountain of grace and compassion is at all times lavishing His mercy on me.”

Calm your mind by the repetition of His Name, by the contemplation of Him. Address all your appeals and petitions to Him; pray to Him.

39

There are many actions as the result of which one goes through great suffering after death — not to salvation. From darkness one has to proceed to even deeper darkness. Why this should be so cannot be explained. It is His inscrutable dispensation. As one sows so one reaps.

40

On being asked if by committing suicide one could be united with a person who is dead, Mataji replied:

Never. One who commits suicide enters a very deep darkness from which it is most difficult to be released unless someone who wields great power takes pity and liberates him from it. In that condition of dense darkness one cannot meet anyone.

Suicide is a most heinous sin. Man is born in order to reap the consequences of his actions of former births. To try and escape from this by suicide is extremely foolish; it only prolongs the agony indefinitely.

No one who is in his senses can possibly take his life; at the moment of doing so a person is invariably disturbed in his reason. Suicide does not solve anything; on the contrary, it creates endless complications and prevents one from paying off one’s karmic debts.