In his Mother of All, Richard Schiffman has the following to usage:
“Mother, I’m a great sinner,” a newcomer complained in anguished tones.” Mother sees no fault in the child,” Amma replied mildly. “My mind is unsteady.” Another visitor admitted. “Don’t worry, child, it’s the nature of the mind to be restless,” she reassured him. “Mother, I am losing my faith in god,” yet another proclaimed sadly. “No problem even if you are a child,” Amma replied. “It’s enough if you keep faith in yourself.” “We are immersed in ignorance. Please save us,” a devotee pleaded. ‘1 don’t think so, child. In my view, all of you are perfect in wisdom.” Mother assured him (P-264).
The first thing which strikes us in this passage is: all the seekers are unhappy or disturbed or worried about some issue or the other. They are clear about what bothers them: sin, unsteady mind, loss of faith, burdened with ignorance and the derivatives of these burdens. None of them seem seekers of her darshan for its own sake. Some kind of problem makes them (us) go to Mother.
Why not go to bask in the sheer radiance of her love? OKAY, leave it. For the one who is plagued by the guilt of sin, Mother says; “I see no fault.” Simple but logically irrefutable reply; will even an ordinary mother single out faults in her child? Perhaps, she may. Then what is the remedy? Seeing a fault is easy. But intentionally ignoring it because the fault, once seen has to be set right by the child himself or herself. The same source which made you aware of sin must also know what is virtue. If knowledge of virtues is absent, how do you know that you committed a sin? A problem contains in itself the solution. (If it is, at all, a problem).
This logic applies to every complaint we take to our guru. This is most surprisingly, natural. But supplications to Mother are as natural as her disarming refusal to take them seriously – in our views, seriously. That’s why Mother tells: “unsteadiness” restlessness are mind’s nature. Because of this, one more paradox: absence of faith in God may not matter. But what about faith in “yourself”? “Keep faith in yourself,” Mother says, faith in one’s self (the source of Viveka, wisdom.)
“Immersed in ignorance” complains another. He/she wants to be saved. “In my view, all of you are perfect in wisdom,” Mother asserts. Now faith in your wisdom: can’t it be given to us by Mother? Should Mother give us something which we all have (which, actually, she has already gifted us with)? Mother’s categorical assertion “all of you are perfect in wisdom”. If only we manifest it! But then even that, do we want Mother herself to do? That’s the question.
We are not sure even after we believe that the source lies within. We create home-spun sorrow rooted in various hypothetical problems. This is – for analysis – very funny. But, alas, a fact. I personally console myself: To whom do you want me to go for a cure? Certainly to Mother. But slowly I realize not only see Mother but surrender to her view:” let me try to use the perfect wisdom”. She gave.