Matri Vani of Anandamayi | Paramartha 1
PARAMĀRTHA
Part 1
150
Try any try again to reach the goal you have set before yourself. So long as Realization does not come you must never relax your efforts. Let this be your firm resolve.
151
Through the ever new transformation of a life dedicated to the supreme quest, one must strive to become firmly established in one’s true Self (Svarūpa).
152
Unless one penetrates to a certain depth, it is but natural for the mind to be fickle and distracted. Those who are filled with divine aspiration, must they not constantly abide in His presence so as to discover pure love? Let not one precious moment be wasted!
153
After happiness gloom is bound to follow. The realization of the Brahman is a state beyond joy and dejection.
Just as when you see a wet earthen vessel from a distance you presume that it is filled with water because generally an earthen pot full of water looks wet;
similarly knowers of the Brahman give the impression of being steeped in joy; but this is not the ordinary joy or happiness. What that state is like cannot be described in words.
154
In all forms, lovely and ugly, is but the Guru, the Iṣṭa. At all times, in all places and situations, aim only at That. Days are slipping away; throwing off care and anxiety, fix your mind on God without delay.
155
Is it not wonderful to be a pilgrim on the supreme path? This is indeed the path to be taken. The ultimate Goal is reached when the supreme path has become revealed.
156
Why allow yourself to become agitated and excited? This is not the attitude fitting for a pilgrim on the spiritual path.
On the contrary, by spending one’s life in the awareness of God, seeking the company of sages, saints and seekers after Truth, one’s hopes, and aspirations will be fulfilled.
157
No matter what be anyone’s line of approach, at first there is torment and perplexity; one is unable to find. After that comes a state of suspense — emptiness as it were; one cannot penetrate within, neither does one derive satisfaction from worldly enjoyment.
158
Take care not to be contented at any stage. Some aspirants have visions, others realizations. Or someone even experiences bliss, great happiness and thinks he has himself become God.
On the path to Self-awareness, before true Realization supervenes, one may get caught up in supernormal powers (Vibhūtis). To become entangled in this kind of thing constitutes a grave obstacle.
159
Just as a plant in a flower-pot is firmly embedded in earth — no matter how much the pot may be moved from place to place—exactly in a similar way keep God firmly enthroned in your heart.
Unless you reach a certain elevated state of consciousness you cannot at all times sit still in one posture. Yet, although you may change your place, God ever remains steadily enthroned in your heart.
160
By saying, “I cannot” one does not get far. One has to acquire capacity and go ahead. Truly, for man everything is possible. By God’s grace one has obtained a human body.
Even though someone may slip and fall, he will not remain lying on the ground but rise, stand up straight and walk again. The speed of advancing must become brisk. In order to find your Self, progress along your own path, in your own rhythm.
161
Pilgrims of the supreme path must advance swiftly on their way to the Goal.
162
Endeavour to keep your body healthy and your mind engrossed in japa and meditation. It is but natural for man to become agitated at times. Nevertheless, try to advance speedily beyond the level on which agitation occurs. Time is gliding away.
163
What Ma says is for the good in every respect. Though the inclination may be lacking and one forces oneself to attend to one’s spiritual practices, then also God will -most certainly grant the power to advance in His direction as the fruit of one’s labours.
The result of the practice (kriyā) will be reaped as well as the result of the concentration of the mind — remember this!
To complain that one has striven for a long time without any effect will not do. In that realm bargaining, has no place. In order that practice may become one’s second nature it is man’s duty to remain ever yoked to it.
164
That you have become aware of not knowing is also God’s grace, and your aspiration is equally God’s grace. The desire for Reality leads to the annihilation of all desire.
If a person’s intelligence is bent on the discovery of Truth and he is constantly engaged in religious acts (sat kriyā), he cannot know at what moment the revelation of the One may supervene, crowning his efforts.
Thus, whether you feel like it or not, so long as Enlightenment does not come, continue your pilgrimage on the supreme path with tenacious perseverance.
165
Man must ever be intent on discovering the mahayoga that will reveal his eternal union with the Divine.
166
For how many ages has one not performed penance (tapasyā) by the oblation of enjoying and suffering the results of one’s actions! The yoga of the sādhaka should by the pursuance of the yogic current be converted into mahāyoga.
167
For ages and ages you have already enjoyed so much of eating and sleeping, of worldly pleasures and comforts. The more one indulges in them the more prominent they grow. One must not give in to them.
Man does not know at what particular time the Divine Power (Śaktī) may manifest. Make up your mind never to abandon your practices aiming at That (Tat karma) until you have reached your Goal.
You must keep on exerting yourself, binding every minute of the twenty-four hours.
The more the mind remains absorbed in the thought of God, the stronger will that Power grow, and this Power is your companion on the path to the Supreme — remember this.
168
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 annihilates 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.
169
Pilgrims on the road towards God very often encounter obstacles und stumbling-blocks which are due to their own former actions.
In such cases one should pray, “Lord, gird me with patience and the power of endurance that I may be able to continue undaunted my pilgrimage on the path that leads to Thee.”
Keep your spirits high by reflecting that those hindrances and difficulties are breaking up your bad karma. Bear in mind that God is thus cleansing and purifying you in order to take you unto Himself.
170
Action is necessary in order to remove the veil of ignorance. Using to the full the intelligence He has given you, proceed with your work.
His grace operates without motive or cause. Why He has not shown His grace to you He knows best.
Verily, all is His and He does according to His Will. Where there is a motive, there is the desire for fulfilment and the enjoyment of the fruit:
I have acted and therefore I have reaped the fruit. The fruit of what? The action is one’s own and thus the consequences are equally one’s own.
But actually God is one’s very own; there is hut one Self (Ātmā). To begin with one does not realize this and therefore questions arise. From where you stand at the moment, from there it looks as you describe.
171
Whatever comes to pass is bound to happen corresponding to each one's own karma. If you have to be proud, be proud of your relationship with God. Do not waste your time by letting it pass without the remembrance of Him.
172
Ordinarily the movement of man’s life proceeds on some basis — be it in the field of sādhana or in the realm of the world.
To be embodied means to want — to experience pleasure and pain. However, enjoyment and suffering are due to oneself. Moreover, if there is no sense of “me and mine” suffering and enjoyment cannot be experienced.
“My house, my wife, my son, my enemy, my friend”: thus, the rhythm of life is based entirely on the sense of “I”.
The objective of the sādhaka's life is attainment. While advancing one is not yet aware of the path.
Only he whom it has led to achievement can speak of the path. Then everything becomes illumined by one Light. In essence there is only One; the path, the Goal — whatever one may speak of — nothing is anymore apart from oneself.
173
Never remain without the presence, the name of the deity you worship. While moving about, while eating and sleeping, at all times sustain the flow of His Name.
A plant will grow more or less rapidly exactly according to the measure in which you provide it with water and manure.
If you do not progress quickly, you should understand that it is entirely your own fault. Call to mind that you have not been able to go beyond the way of thinking fostered life after life and dedicate yourself wholly at His feet. The wrong lies all on your side.
174
One should constantly keep oneself well protected by the unbroken string of spiritual practices and actions dedicated to the Divine; no interruption must be allowed. God is whole — there is no break in Him. He bestows the fullness of Enlightenment.
175
Where mature spiritual experience is a fact, agitation should certainly not be brought in.
One speaks of transformation when worldly attachment slackens. In the measure that worldly interests decrease one progresses towards real joy.
176
“He Is! If He were not, where would I be? He is actually touching me.” If you keep up this attitude of mind, you will see Him and Him alone. “If I remain, let me be His servant, His handmaid. Thus I shall not be separate from Him anymore.”
In order that this spirit may prevail, sustain uninterrupted japa. The more you think of your Beloved (Iṣṭa) the more your faith will increase. Do not allow your mind to wander in many directions, but become one-pointed.
Why should there be fear and anxiety? Solely because I imagine He is not near me. He is holding you. Why fear? If you cling to the One in whom fear is not, how can there be even a question of fear?
177
God pervades the universe and is also beyond the universe. He is formless as well as with form. Of this very God you had a vision in the form in which you imagine Him at present.
To make this clear, He took on the shape that is dearest to your heart and appeared before you. Because of your desire to find Truth this particular form manifested by God’s grace.
If you want to become one with Bhagavan, the more intensely you engage in spiritual practice (Bhāgavat kriyā) the swifter will be your progress.
178
In the measure as one loves God, detachment from sense objects ensues. To concentrate on God means to become drawn towards Him. And vairāgya (detachment) means becoming disentangled from sense objects.
Feeling pulled towards the Divine and indifferent to sense objects occurs simultaneously. Renunciation happens of itself. There is no need to give up anything. This is real, genuine renunciation.
You all are relinquishing the highest Bliss and thus you actually are renunciates! By abstaining from the Supreme you have become supreme renunciates.
179
God’s mercy pours down everywhere and at all times. One becomes aware of this by making oneself receptive to it. To pray constantly for His grace is man’s duty.
180
All the time you have the desire to find, the acute feeling of lacking something. Just persist in your sadhana and He will fulfil what is left undone. By the fullness of grace comes full illumination. In the measure as you exert yourself you will receive.
181
The One alone is concealed within all beings. So as to get first-hand knowledge of this, one devotes oneself to spiritual exercises — to one’s japa and meditation.
To practise concentration for the sake of finding God is incumbent on man. In whatever direction one causes the mind to move, in that direction it becomes engrossed.
Therefore, if one tries again and again to turn the mind towards the Supreme Being, if one persistently aspires to realize that one is eternally united with Him, then there is hope of finding the way that leads to His touch.
182
If someone really thirsts for light, it is impossible that God will not grant it to him. Be as regular as you can in your spiritual exercises. Perform japa and meditation, sustain the remembrance of Him, study sacred scriptures.
So long as you are steeped in the thought of Him with the help of any of these, you are on your pilgrimage towards Light — be mindful of this! Read the Bhagavad Gita daily and attempt again and again to grasp its inner meaning.
183
To invoke God sincerely without a result — this can never happen; He will surely cleanse and purify His own offspring and then take them to Himself.
Pray to Him with heart and soul. To the limit of your power, using all the strength and capacity you possess, endeavour to live constantly in His presence.
Surrender yourself at His feet. He Himself gives His kriyā (spiritual practice), training the aspirant to go beyond all kriyā in order to reach the Goal.
Therefore, try with all your might to concentrate with your entire being on that form of Him to which you can give yourself whole-heartedly and without reserve. Time is speeding away.
184
Until and unless you have definitely realized Him you must never abandon your spiritual practice. Be determined about this. He can be realized by japa and meditation. The japa and meditation you are doing — try to sustain it without interruption.
It cannot be that He will not respond when appealed to but it takes time. When one’s endeavours are very ardent and one forges ahead with great speed, there is hope of Enlightenment.
185
To have chosen Kāśī for one’s abode is a matter of great rejoicing. Exert yourself to the limit of your capacity. Living in the shelter of Viśwanāth and Annapūrṇā is very fortunate.
186
The Beloved (Iṣṭa) has to be realized as the aim of life. The whole .of manifestation is but a display of God’s divine power — He Himself as vibhūti (creative power). The Ātmā is one — yet again, who appears as duality? None but He.
It is impossible to continue on the spiritual path without some inner experience occurring. The fact that one has chosen this line proves that there is already some connection from before.
Forgetting that Bhagavan is the sole Beloved one has come to love sense objects. When anything besides God is cherished, there is divided affection — du iṣṭa, duṣṭa When will this pernicious misunderstanding be uprooted?
It is important to discriminate minutely. If you examine yourself you will see:
“What have I been doing the whole of today? For how long have I remained without the remembrance of God? How much have I thought of the Beloved and how much of that which is harmful (anīṣṭa), which leads to death”?
Become aware of this.
187
In order to annihilate what is undesirable and harmful (anīṣṭa), the mind has to be steeped in the adoration of the Beloved (Iṣṭa). The notion that He is far away must be altogether given up.
Thou art within and without, in every vein and artery, in every leaf and blade of grass, in the world and beyond it. The awakening of the sense of want is to be welcomed; it opens the way. He is there at every step to make the unfit expert.
“As the sense of want and emptiness appearest Thou and no other — Thou art ever close by. Lord, I take refuge in Thee, I take refuge in Thee!”
188
In all your activities, in your kīrtana, Ma is with you. With perfect repose sit still thinking: “In the midst of emptiness Ma is with me.” This will give you ānanda.
Whether you meditate sitting quietly or lying down, feel: “Ma is with me at every single moment.”
189
To invoke That, to be constantly intent on realizing It, is man’s duty. At all times in Her arms, in Her embrace — within the Mother. On finding the Mother, everything is found.
190
Knowing the Mother means realizing the Mother, becoming the Mother. Ma means Ātmā, Ma means mayī (all-pervading), Self-permeated, reposing in the Ātmā — That! Knowledge as such, Ātmā. as such, Śiva as such. “To become” actually means it ever is so.
191
God’s true being cannot be described, for when speaking of “being” there is the opposite of “non-being”. When trying to express Him by language, He becomes imperfect.
All the same, in order to use words, He is spoken of as Sat-Cit-Ananda (Being-Consciousness-Bliss).
Because He Is there is Being; and because He is Knowledge itself, there is Consciousness; and to become conscious of that Being is indeed Bliss. To know the essence of Truth is bliss.
This is why He is called Satchidānanda, but in reality He is beyond bliss and non-bliss.
192
All without exception are actually embodiments of Bliss. Having found one’s Self it is natural to experience the bliss of the Self.
193
Just as the same person is father, son and husband — and none of them any less than the other — so the paths of knowledge, devotion and action all lead to the One.
All names are God’s names and yet He is nameless and formless. Discover Him in any particular form and you will finally come to see that all forms, are expressions of the One.
194
What does Ātmā, darśana, direct perception of That, mean?
Seer-seeing-seen — where these three are realized as modifications created by the mind, superimposed on the one all-pervading Consciousness, this realization is called Brahmisthiti.
Where there is no question of action or non-action, there is Ātmāsthiti. (One is established in the Self).
And for those who worship God with form, direct perception of That means to perceive Him everywhere. Just as it is said: “Wherever my glance falls there Kṛṣṇa appears.” If anything is perceived that is not Kṛṣṇa, one cannot speak of true Vision.
In perfect, all-embracing darśana the Beloved stands revealed.
195
“Nothing has happened” — to be able to understand this is very fortunate. If you can understand that nothing has happened, you have indeed been blessed with inner vision.
196
Only you exist, you and you alone. Truly, you are contained in everything. Again, you are indeed That Itself, In all infinity is He and no other — I alone am.
197
When there is God there is also māyā. When was He not? Therefore, māyā is equally beginningless. Where is the end of it? To whom does one feel attracted? Whose manifestation is it? Reflect deeply! When one has realized what is one’s own, whose māyā is it?
Endeavour to find yourself, be it as the Lord’s servant, be it as the Ātmā. You are immortal, the bliss of the Self. Why then experience birth and death? There is but the Self reposing within Itself.
198
He alone Is; therefore, He Himself speaks to Himself for the sake of His own revelation. The One who appears as movement as well as stability, is also the Akṣara — that which is indestructible.
On the surface and in the deepest depths is none but He. In movement He is spontaneous movement where,[although ever remaining motionless, He is perpetual motion.
199
Strive to find Him who, when found everything is found. Invoke Him, pour out your heart to Him with all your troubles and perplexities.
To Him you should address your complaints and petitions, for He is complete and perfect, the fulfiller of everything, the destroyer of all sorrow and misfortune.
Ever let your mind dwell on His lotus feet, contemplate Him alone, pray to Him, do obeisance flinging down body, mind and soul before Him. He is the fountain of goodness, peace and bliss — what is He not? He is the Life of life, the Self.
200
Dwelling in the realm where vain results, vain suffering, vain enjoyment are experienced — appearing to be quite useless — even in the guise of futility is He and no other.
“There” the question of useless realm or any other realm does not arise: “There” everything exists, although there is nothing — one’s own true Self, the Self reposing within Itself.
201
What is satsang? Sva (own, self) means Sa (He), God, Being-consciousness-bliss (Satchidānanda), the Ātmā — call it what you will. Sva is Svayang — That Itself, He in person, Sva-ang signifies that God is eternally revealed in every part of creation.
This is why it is said: Seek satsang so that you may know yourself to be Sva-ang (His own limb) and know that He is ever revealed in every atom of creation.
202
You have not seen Him, but are yearning for Him — because He is your very own. Does one pine for what one is seeing? One’s own has been lost, or rather is hidden behind a screen; this is why one is hankering after it.
203
There are two kinds of restlessness: one due to worldly activity and the other the restlessness to advance on the spiritual path. The latter is the very means to real peace.
That which is tranquillity, Ātmā, God, That becomes known. Only when there is intense hankering after it, will supreme peace be found. Eternal bliss is also one and the same thing.
204
Everything is pervaded by the Self. He Himself has permeated and is permeating the all. If you cry out for Him with genuine longing and desperate eagerness, He will be with you at that very instant.
A mother knows exactly whether her child is weeping with real anguish and when she hears such sobbing she drops all her work and hastens to her dear one.
205
When rice is boiled in a vessel, pressure is generated by which the lid opens of itself. There is no need to use force. Likewise, apply all the energy you possess to your task and He Himself will do the rest.
By the keen sense of want of the divine presence, a desperate yearning ensues and this will open the way to Self-realization.