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Satsang
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Amma's Words
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Source of
Happiness
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Question – It is said that
the objects enjoyed through our senses cannot give us
happiness. But, still, it is really from material objects
that I derive happiness, isn't it?
Amma – Happiness doesn’t
come from outside of you. Some people adore chocolate, but
no matter how delicious it is, when you have eaten ten
pieces at once, you will begin to feel an aversion to
chocolate. You won’t get the same satisfaction from the
eleventh piece as you got from the first. Some people
don’t like chocolate at all. Just the smell of it makes
them nauseated. But chocolate always remains the same,
whether or not people like it. If the chocolate really
made us happy, wouldn’t we feel equally happy regardless
of how much we ate? And wouldn’t everyone derive
satisfaction from it? So our satisfaction doesn’t depend
on the chocolate per se, but on our minds. People
believe they derive happiness externally and spend their
entire lives trying to acquire the objects of their
desires. But in the end the senses weaken, we become
feeble, and collapse.
Happiness is to be found within, not without. Only if we rely on that
inner happiness can we enjoy bliss and satisfaction always.
Both material objects and the senses that perceive them
have limitations. It is not that the materialistic aspect
of life should be avoided; only that we should understand
the intended use of each object and give it only the
importance it deserves in our lives. Unnecessary thoughts
and expectations are the problem.
For most people, nothing is more important than their own happiness.
They don’t love anyone beyond that. A man came to see
Amma in America. His wife had died a short while ago. She
had been his very life. Whenever she was away, he would
stay up all night, sleepless. He wouldn’t eat if she
hadn’t eaten. Whenever she went anywhere, he would wait
for her. He adored his wife. But their life together didn’t
last long. She suddenly contracted a minor illness and
died within a week. The body was taken to the funeral
parlour. Many friends and relatives arrived. The burial
was to take place only after everyone had viewed the body.
Meanwhile, the husband became very hungry. “Oh, let it
be over soon!” he said to himself. He wanted it to
finish so that he could eat! He waited for another hour or
two. Still, he saw no sign of the burial taking place any
time soon. By this time he was so hungry that he went to a
nearby restaurant and ordered a meal. He himself told Amma
about this incident. He said, “Amma, I was willing to
sacrifice my life for my wife—I loved her that much. But
I forgot everything when I was hungry!”
This happened in America. Now don’t you want to hear what happened
in India? This is the story told by a woman who came to
the ashram. Her husband was killed by a car while he was
riding a bicycle. This woman was his second wife. The
first wife had died some years earlier. There were two
grown-up children from his first marriage. When the second
wife received the news of her husband’s death, the first
thing she did was not to go and see the body or to bring
it home; instead she went to take possession of the key to
her husband’s safe. By the time she found the key, some
people arrived with the body. The children of the first
wife also arrived. After hearing about their father’s
death, they didn’t immediately go to see his body. They,
too, went straight to the place where he kept the key to
the safe. They wanted to find the key before their
stepmother found it, because they feared she would take
all of their father’s wealth. But they arrived too late.
The stepmother had already found the key and hidden it.
Those children had been raised with so much love. Where
was their love now? The wife used to say that she loved
her husband more than her own life. Where was her love now?
Their minds were only on the money. My children, this is
what the world is like. People tend to love others only
out of selfish motives.
Some men vow to kill their wife if she talks to another man. When a
father is on his deathbed, the sons can’t wait to divide
the property. In some cases, if a son expects to receive a
big inheritance, he won’t hesitate to take his father’s
life. Is that love?
The point is not that we should give up and just sit idly, not doing
any work because the world is the way it is. But we
shouldn’t have any expectations such as “My wife or
husband and my children will stay with me forever.”
Know your dharma, and strive to live accordingly. Perform your
actions without any expectations. Don’t expect love,
wealth, fame, or anything else. The aim of our actions
should be to purify our inner selves. Be attached only to
what is spiritual, for only then will you experience true
happiness. If you perform certain actions expecting
something from others, suffering will be your only
companion. But if you live in harmony with spiritual
principles, you will be in heaven here on earth and in
heaven when you die. You will benefit both yourself and
the world.
Question – Some people are
born rich. They grow up in the midst of plenty. Others are
born in huts where there is not enough for even a single
meal. What is the reason for this difference?
Amma – Each person is
reborn in accordance with the actions of his or her
previous lives. Some people are born under kesari yoga
and will prosper anywhere. The Goddess of prosperity
resides in them. In accordance with the actions of their
previous lives, they have been born now with this deity.
In their previous lives, they have worshipped God with
concentration and given generously to others. Those who
have done bad deeds are the ones who suffer now.
Question – But we are not
aware of any of this.
Amma – Can you remember
everything you did as a child? During their exams don’t
students often forget what they studied the day before?
Similarly, everything has been forgotten. And yet, with
the eye of wisdom, we can see everything.
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