Amma and attempting to understand Divine Mother and Yogananda

[Jitendra Hydonus]

I had to change the title of this thread after consideration of my own thoughts and motivations. This is a a result of comparison with those thoughts and intuitions I’ve seen in Masters and great souls I’ve met in my life, that  I find  myself attempting to understand.  Although it is a goal to get beyond the confines of the mind and its thought processes, it is the minds function to solve problems and challenges presented to it. Concentration, which is a key element of meditation, is practiced with focus on the techniques used in meditation. Yet intuition which is superior to concentration seems to cut through to the core of the mind’s activity.

We eventually will find most people are not capable of focusing their attention enough to understand spiritual principles or deeper thoughts that would enable them to function at a higher state of consciousness. It is counterproductive to spend too much time with people who attempt to explain their behaviors with useless accusations and blaming you or someone else for their circumstances and their plight in life. Regardless of what circumstances people face we can find happiness within us. If we are called on to face situations that are so difficult that it would be quite unlikely to find any joy in them, at least we can find meaning in the purpose those circumstances are developing in us.

I believe that is why Amma said that many times she could take away the pain people experience, but it would also take away the importance and beauty of what they we’re learning on a spiritual level from such pain in the circumstances they find themselves.

Most of us, including myself, would rather experience pleasure than pain so we live to a smaller or greater degree for the pleasure principle. But there comes a time in our sadhana that we recognize the pleasure and laxness we experience today may be the pain we experience in the future and the pain and diligence we experience today could be the emancipation we feel in the future. And even beyond this thought process, the joy we experience from spirit can surpass the pleasure/pain syndrome and duality we find, which is part of material life.

Once when asking one of Amma’s nuns what it is like being in the physical presence of Amma, she told me it is not always so pleasant as you’d think because the Master (Amma) is also in a lot of physical pain. Seeing Amma in such ecstasy and feeling some of that ecstasy from being in her presence as well as seeing her in a constant repetitious bodily strain of sitting and giving darshan for long hours in one position, while at the same time answering phone calls, giving interviews, answering questions for devotees, and running a world wide organization with all its challenges (unbelievable multitasking) I can better understand the Nun from Australia and her comments. It is somewhat like Brother Anandamoy talking about being in the presence of Paramahansa Yogananda when he felt bad for him because of his being in a wheelchair towards the end of his life. Yet Brother felt such ecstacy being in Yogananda’s presence. Knowing what Brother Anandamoy was thinking at the time, Paramahansa Yogananda made this comment to him; ‘ Don’t worry, you’ll get yours also.” Sometimes the sense of humor of great souls can leave you wondering in consternation about your own thoughts and awareness.