SCIENCE OR SPIRIT? [Page 185]
Brother-The scientist considers himself as God. He feels very superior since he thinks he knows everything. Does he really realize, or at least understand God?
Amma: He will. But first let him be convinced that he himself is God.
Brother: I am not talking of God in the traditional sense. I am talking about the Inner Strength or the spirit.
Amma: The strength or spirit is not hidden inside. It is all pervasive.
Brother: But how does one get this realization
Amma: It comes with spiritual growth.
[After a pause] When you say God is formless, you mean to say that He has a form which was not there before. Or, He is present in all the forms, He is in every form. The formless manifests itself in a form— so that you can understand Him better. Then you pass through periods of disbelief, skepticism, negativity. You don’t believe what you see. You don’t understand. It takes a lot of time and sadhana [spiritual practice] to realize the all pervasive nature of God.
Brother: You mean to say both-science and spirit are entirely different? Or science has to bow before spirit?
Amma: No, because Science and spirit are one and the same Science looks at matter through matter. A quest through the mind and soul of the matter leads to the spiritual goal. You have to look beyond matter.
Brother: But science talks about the characteristics of matter; the behavior of matter.
Amma: Ice is cold, fire is hot; the chilly is pungent. Science stops in ascertaining these characteristics. Who gave them these characteristics? Call it matter or the spirit or God. All are the same; all have the same origin. Science calls it behavior; I call it God. You came all the way to this remote place to visit me, thinking there is some divinity in me-thinking I am the God. But you are not able to perceive or experience the divinity that is all pervasive. In the same way, science is able to see the energy in matter. But energy is everywhere. It is missed even by the scientists.
Science looks at matter through matter. A quest through the mind and soul of the matter leads to the spiritual goal. You have to look beyond matter.
EVERYTHING IS HIS MANIFESTATION [Page188]
Sister: My mind is turbulent, tumultuous. It is running in all directions. I want it to calm down. I want to have peace. How can I achieve it?
Amma; Calmness and turbulence are two different expressions and aspects of the mind. Why do you worry, if the mind is turbulent? When you enjoy peace for 23 hours, you don’t think much of it. But when you suffer turbulence for one hour you complain of it endlessly. You take your pleasures for granted but remember your suffering forever.
Sister: If you can suggest a way to control—-
Amma: Only He can do it. This creation is vibrant with varied hues. So also life is a melange of different emotions and feelings. He, who created joy, created suffering also. The turbulent and the placid, the sweet and the sour, the harsh and the sonorous, love and hatred-all, all are His creations, all are His gifts to us. When He Himself is manifest in different forms, where can you find oneness? How can you have only one feeling? Instead, try to see Him, see His oneness in duality and bliss will be yours. Take every feeling, every experience-sweet and sour, happy and sorrowful, bright and dark, as a gift from Him. Otherwise you are disturbed. Accept everything because everything is inherent in you.
We intimidate the child with tales of monstrous spirits. It is a way of distracting the child and forcing it to be quiet, thoughtful; otherwise it may disturb you. The mind also distracts you. You may call it a disturbance. You want to come out of it. But I want to stay in it.
Sister: You are divine. You are different from me. I am an ordinary mortal. People like me struggle and strive to attain spiritual bliss.
Amma: Make all the efforts you have to. But even if you are very sincere and try to pursue the spiritual path, you may not always succeed unless he showers His grace on you.
The origin of your strife and attainment of goal is only He. your goal is only He.
THE DIVINE GRACE [Page 202, 203.]
People used to approach Amma with their personal problems, with their doubts and misgivings, desires and dissatisfactions. Many expressed their concern saying that they are not able to pursue the spiritual path. They feel they are floundering in the dark and do not know where to go and how to proceed. They often entreated her to show them the way.
Amma’s reply to them—
The day you are born your path is decided. There is no different path that can be shown. You can attain the fulfillment of your spiritual desires only by the grace of the Divine. The urge and the yearning to seek the divine, the very pursuit, the final fulfillment-all come through the divine grace only.
When things take place as you wish, you credit it with Amma’s grace. When they go astray, you doubt her. But remember, the positive and the negative come from her. Her grace is on every one, every where, at all times.
I GIVE EVERYTHING [Page 204]
Sister: I wish to speak to you.
Amma: Please do. But there is nothing much that I can do.
Sister: Nothing moves smoothly in my family. There is sickness. There is unhappiness. Please solve my problems. Help me find a solution to my problems.
Amma: I cannot suggest anything. I cannot help you in any way.
Sister: Have mercy on me. You all know. You can do anything.
Amma: Then understand these problems are also given by me. They are my boon to you.
Sister: please, please, do something for me.
Amma: I will do so when the time comes.