Spiritual discipline in daily life

After the momentous occasion of Guru Purnima and an eventful three days in Chicago, Amma's tour made its way to the nation's capital city of Washington D.C. Held at the Sheraton hotel, the program started on the morning of Wednesday, the 16th of July.

Sadhana or spiritual discipline is an essential part of a person who is on the path to God. The spiritual practice that we adopt as a part of our daily routine helps us to advance spiritually, maintain our faith and even transcend the effects of our negative karma (past actions). Knowing the benefits of such a discipline many amongst us resolve to do sadhana and start on a spiritual discipline. But oftentimes, the rigors of modern life catch up with us and we find ourselves unable to continue the sadhana with our initial vigor.

This was the case of one very devoted son of Amma who came for darshan on one Wednesday night. Seeing his sad face Amma asked him if something was worrying him. “Amma these days, I am not able to find time to do my Sahasranama (recital of the 1000 names of the Divine Mother) daily,” he said unburdening his unhappiness in Amma's arms. Amma smilingly said for all to hear, “In spite of your busy schedule, you find time to eat out at restaurants. If you did not find time to do the Sahasranama, could you not have done ‘Japa'(chanting of mantra)? Japa can be done at any time of the day, while in the shower, while wearing your clothes or while driving to work, without much attention to the cleanliness of the body. Cleanliness of the mind is what is important.”

“Remember, if you pay a visit to the coal shed, you will come out with a layer of soot on you. Similarly if you immerse yourself in worldly luxuries, they will leave a mark on your spiritual life. If you visit a perfume factory instead, you will leave with the fragrance of perfume on you. In a similar fashion, try to keep good company, immerse yourself in good activities and participate in satsang (group prayer). These will help you develop detachment also.”

“Sadhana is very important in spiritual life – it will help you to keep your faith. Once you stop your spiritual practices, it will be very difficult to restart that discipline again. Once a person's permanent teeth fall off, they will not grow back again. Similarly, a man who has turned bald will not be able to re-grow the hair on his head naturally. In the same way, a spiritual discipline that is lost once becomes very difficult to restore. Son, so you should be careful. Be alert and do your sadhana regularly, without fail” Amma concluded.

Then seeing the remorseful tears in the eyes of the devotee, the mother in Amma relented. “Amma says this for your own good. Sometimes I have to be tough to make you understand,” she said lovingly. “Do you remember, how in the battlefield of Kurukshetra (in the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata, Kurukshetra was the war fought between, the good(Pandava brothers) and the bad (Kaurava brothers).), Lord Krishna had to be really tough with Arjuna to make him adopt the right course of action? Similarly, Amma has to be tough with her children sometimes to bring them back on the right path.”

Amma says that the love the Guru has for the disciple cannot be surpassed. Amma's love for her children is limitless. Out of the compassion born from that boundless love, she keeps a sharp watch over her children, correcting their errant behavior when the need arises.

Like a mother hen that brings every straying chick under the safety of her wings, Amma brings every one of her children back under her protection, guiding them lovingly back onto the path of right action.