Sadhana

Happiness will not be gained if you go after sense objects. No one will wait for anyone in this world . Each one runs after his own happiness. God is of the nature of bliss. Therefore, we can live happily if we can live in God. Faith is needed for that. The thought that "I am the doer" should go. God is the doer. The mind should be always fixed in God. #Satsang# is necessary. #Sadhana# should be performed as instructed by the #Guru#. Meditation should be practiced. In the beginning stages, try to meditate for a short time. Later, it will be possible to meditate for more time. The Lord's Name should always be remembered without wasting time associating with friends and cutting jokes. ACI, p. 45-46 %

Any #sadhana# that you do benefits the entire world. The vibrations from your #japa#, chanting, and meditation will purify the atmosphere, as well as your own mind. Unknowingly, you will spread peace and quietude to those who come in contact with you. If you are concerned about the welfare of the world, then you should do sadhana sincerely. Children, become like the lighthouse that guides the ships that sail in the dark. Shine the light of God in the world. . . . Matruvani, May, 1993 %

Children, there is no shortcut to God. #Sadhana# must be performed regularly and with devotion. It is our own effort which enables us to experience the Grace of God, which is always being showered on us. Therefore, whatever time you have, use it to seek God. If you create peace in your own heart by doing sadhana, it will have a positive effect on your family, your work, and other aspects of your life. The peace and love of God will overflow from your heart and encourage others also to move on the right path. Matruvani, May, 1993 %

Children, you need not preach to the people. If you live your life by the standard of Truth, many people will benefit from it. Through your #sadhana#, you will cultivate eternal virtues in your character. Our practice should develop such virtues in us as patience, forbearance, broad-mindedness, compassion etc. Otherwise, there is no benefit. If we sit for one hour of meditation and then get angry five minutes later, all the benefit of the meditation will be lost. People will benefit by one who is living according to Truth, not by one who is merely preaching Truth. Children, Mother does not want to say much because many of you have read a lot of books and have heard a lot of lectures about spirituality, But now, you have to strive hard to gain that experience. Make Truth your very own. This is what is needed. Matruvani, May, 1993 %

serious.

Q: Since I started doing sadhana I have become very sad and I feel like I will never smile again.

After affectionately caressing the devotee and laughing, Amma responded: This sadness is only a stage in the #sadhana# that you will soon pass through. The sweetness is deep within you, but now you are eating only the bitter things on the surface, and so you complain that life is bitter. If you dive within, you can experience the joy which is your real nature. There is a special type of medicinal plant, and if you chew its leaves, you will no longer feel the sweetness on tasting sugar or honey. At present, the habits and desires that we have cultivated are making inner sweetness. Remove them and you will discover true bliss within yourself. Matruvani, April, 1992 %

Q: How long does it take to realize God?

Amma: As long as you have not realized God, you must strive incessantly for the Goal in every moment, till 'you' die. Q: Does it require such a long time? Amma: Son, when Amma said that you should strive till 'you' die, Amma didn't mean you have to strive for a long time as fifty or hundred years, but till the notion that, 'I am born and I am going to die', dies in you. As you have not realized God at present, you have to strive until you attain realization. It may then appear to you that it is a long #sadhana#. But it is not so. In reality, it is only the thought that we are not free that keeps us bound. If we are able to give up this thought, then realization can happen is less than the amount of time it takes for a needle to pierce a lotus petal. One who fully knows that they were never born and will never die has realized the Goal of Life in that very instant. Matruvani, April, 1992 %

Children, those who are unmarried, should conserve their vital energy by maintaining celibacy. To turn what we gain by this into #ojas#, we also need to do #sadhana#. With increase in #ojas#, our intelligence, memory, health, and beauty will also increase. We will gain lasting mental quietude. Immortal Light, p. 22 %

Question: #Sadhana# need not be performed to wake up from a dream. We will wake up automatically. Similarly sadhana is not needed to remove #Maya# is it? Amma: Son, who told you that one wakes up from a dream without doing anything? In the dream state, we dream that we are doing many things. We wake up as a continuation of the actions that we perform in the dream state. One cannot say that actions performed in the dream did not cause us to wake up. In the same way, dwelling in this diverse world in the midst of changing objects is a long dream. Although this world is a dream, we are so identified with it that we do not feel it as a dream. We believe that it is true.

Therefore, sadhana is needed to wake up to God from this waking-state dream. Although we are of the nature of the ever-free, eternal Atman, at present our understanding is that we are bound and limited. To remove this feeling of bondage and limitation, sadhana is necessary. Little children will take excreta in their own hands. They will try to catch hold of fire or walk into a pond or river. Will grown-up people do this? No. Therefore, discrimination is needed for each one to grow according to their own inherited tendencies. One should move forward adhering to the instructions given by wise people. There is no use in disputing and arguing unnecessarily. Doubting is an aspect of the mind. You should use your discriminative powers to stop this doubting nature of the mind. Only when doubts come to an end will the light of God enter into one's heart. Doubts will not end fully until the attainment of SelfRealization. One will not have the power to go beyond doubts until then. There will not be any doubts once you know what should be known. ACI, p. 30-31 %

Devotee: What is the easy way to attain God's Vision? Mother: An easy path is sought due to a lack of surrender. God's vision cannot be gained simply by torturing the body. Whatever the path is, the mind should merge in God, that is important. Regularly performing #sadhana#, we should wait with patience. Here, there is no shortcut. Having put rock sugar candy in one's mouth, nobody would quickly swallow it just because it is sweet. If so, the throat would get cut. Dissolve it and then swallow. Sadhana is also the same. The path of devotion is simple. ACI, p. 95 %

If you really love Amma, do #sadhana# (spiritual practice) and know your Self. Amma loves you without expecting anything from

you. It would be enough for me if I could see my children always enjoying peace, oblivious of day or night. For My Children, p. 18 %

Suppose we work hard from morning till evening, and with that hard-earned money, we purchase peanuts every evening and eat them. Then at the end of the month, when we look in the cash box, there is no money at all. It was all spent for the peanuts; nothing was saved. Likewise, we do some kind of spiritual practice and then dissipate the acquired spiritual energy by indulging in worldly affairs. Who is to blame if the bucket used to draw water from a well has a hole? There will not be any water left in the bucket by the time it reaches the top of the well. All the water will have leaked out through the hole. Similarly, the power we acquire through meditation will be wasted if we involve ourselves in worldly activities without the proper attitude. ACII, p. 71 % #Sadhana# should be done properly. Never become lazy. Do not waste even a moment. In the olden days, Mother would not sit idle even for a moment. She would always meditate. If someone would come to talk, Mother would see them as the form of #Devi#. They could talk as much as they liked. Mother would not know anything. If one moment was lost, Mother would feel terrible distress thinking, "O God, this much time was wasted." Then I would do twice as much #sadhana#. You will also get the fruit if you try with an urgency like that. Being part of God, all are incarnations. We call Perfect Knowers of the Self, who know That, as #Purna Janis#, as Incarnations. Others whose knowledge is partial are called #jivas#. ACI, p. 168 % Always practice sitting in one #asana#. #Asana siddhi# should be acquired. We should be able to sit three-and-a-half hours at a stretch. The spine will be held correctly if we sit in #padmasana#. One must attain concentration somehow. Wherever a man of onepointedness may go, he will have no problems. He can travel in any world. He will never swerve. One who has concentration, can bring

others to spirituality with only one look. Even other living creatures who touch the spittle of a realized Being will attain Liberation. Even the mere ants creeping along his path will attain Salvation. A #sadhak# should meditate at least 8 hours each day. External actions should be done during the remaining time. Sleep should be reduced. At a particular stage of meditation, sleep will spontaneously diminish. ACI, p. 173-174 % It does not matter if you cannot sit in one posture without moving for a long time. Assuming any sitting posture, you can repeat the mantra or meditate. #Japa# can also be done while walking. But you must sit and practice japa. That will teach us patience. Sitting in one posture comfortably without moving, is #asana siddhi#. This is good for meditation. ACI, p. 255 % It is not enough if you simply agree with everything. You should do #sadhana#. If you write 'sugar' on a piece of paper and lick it, you will not taste the sweetness. You must eat the sugar itself. Studying books alone is not enough. Sadhana should be performed. If you want to get inspiration to do sadhana, life should be understood after having observed it closely. ACI, p. 268 % Normally a graveyard is very peaceful and calm. That is why it is recommended as a good place for meditation. Usually graveyards will be in a remote corner away from the noisy town or city. Therefore, the tense and chaotic vibrations of the city will not be there. Human beings with all their negative thoughts and vibrations are not there. Therefore, the atmosphere is conducive to meditation. But one needs mental strength and courage to sit there. The graveyard is also beneficial in reminding us about the transitory nature of life. Using ash from the cremation grounds is helpful in protecting one from poisonous germs. ACI, p. 335

% Constant practice is needed. It is difficult to get onepointedness. In the beginning, it is a great thing if by chance we get even one or two minutes of concentration when we do #sadhana# for one hour. Sadhana should be done continuously and sincerely without stopping until one-pointedness is gained. Once the seeds are sown, then you should water them every day until the seedlings grow and reach a certain level. In between, if you stop watering , they will wither away, especially if it is dry land. One day they will become strong enough to withstand the heat. The you can stop watering. Likewise, we have sown the seeds of spirituality in us. But inside is very dry, due to being in the scorching heat of worldliness for a long time. It might take some time for the sprouts of spirituality to come out. Sprinkle the waters of sadhana regularly without any fail and wait patiently. But if you stop the sadhana owing to lack of concentration and patience, then no result will be gained. #Japa# is necessary. ACI, p. 353-354 % Mother gives importance to #sadhana#. Scriptural knowledge is also necessary. But more time should be spent for #sadhana#. Meditation should be done at least six hours each day. There is no benefit at all in mere studying. If you draw a picture of a coconut tree, it is not possible to quench your thirst by plucking a tender coconut from it, even if you think that you can. #Sadhana# should be simultaneous with scriptural study. That will become a constant meditation. In any case, innocence and sincerity must be there in the work we are doing. ACI, p. 151 %

Children, even if we sit all the twenty-four hours with closed eyes, nothing will be gained if God's grace is not there. God's grace and Guru's grace are one and the same.
ACI, p.138 % Many people come to Mother and say that they haven't had any spiritual experience in spite of their best efforts for many years. Children, presently what we are doing is like filling a tank by

drawing water from a well from morning till evening and then putting a hole in it in the evening. What happens? All the water will flow out and the tank will become empty. All our efforts will be in vain. Likewise, children, we will do some kind of spiritual practice. But, the significant amount of energy that we acquire will be drained out by indulging in worldly activities. This is like producing sugar on one side and creating ants on the other. The ants will eat all the sugar. ACI, p.138-139 % One who does meditation can be understood from his character. His attitude will be that "I am nothing." Humility will be there. We should have the mentality to prostrate to anyone without shame. The ego can be removed only if we develop an attitude that "I am the servant of everyone." Only then is God's Vision possible. Even four years is not needed if #sadhana# can be performed intensely. The goal can be attained within two or three years. Detachment should be there. Do you know what kind of dispassion it should be? Intense. Lying in the midst of a blazing fire, wouldn't we scream out, "Save me, save me!"? Forgetting body, mind and intellect, is there a call, a complete surrender to God? There is only this kind of intense call when we come close to death, when death stands before us, isn't this true? God should be called just like that. Not much time is needed to attain the goal if God is constantly called like this. ACI, p.139 % In the beginning there will be some waves in the mind. Through practice they will go. It is to control these waves that #sadhana# should be done sitting steadfastly in one place. The waves will not subside simply if you read some books. Instead, they will only increase. In the deep sea there are no waves. It is on the shore that the waves strongly break because there is little depth. Peace can be experienced when the mind becomes expansive and deep through sadhana. ACI, p. 203 % Everyday some time should be spent in solitude. Soon after getting up in the morning, meditate for some time sitting on the bed. Then you will get alertness. It is not necessary to be concerned with

purity and impurity (at this time). At night before going to bed, contemplate on all the actions done that day and the things that you have thought. If you have committed any mistakes against someone, repent as you recollect all of them. This will be helpful so as not to repeat the same thing tomorrow. Many trees joined together are known as a forest. Many thoughts joined together are said to be the mind. Thoughts should be diligently controlled. Instruction should be given to the mind. . . "O mind, think of only good things today. You should not run after the objects that you see here and there. Many people will come to attract you. You should not even look at them. Stand firm in God alone." #Satsang# should be done daily for some time. All of you children should gather together and discuss some spiritual subject. In this way, through various #sadhanas#, the mind should be concentrated on God. ACI, p.155-156 % Br. Venu: Mother, why is #Bhagavan# not coming in front of me? Mother: He will definitely come if you have such a wish. More external alertness should be there. Patience should be instilled into the mind. #Asana Siddhi# should be there. Today, if you sit two hours in one #asana#, tomorrow you must try to sit five more minutes. Afterwards it should be made ten minutes. In this way you should be able to sit 3 or 4 hours in one asana. Thus, when patience is there, everything else will come of its own accord. We should imagine that the form of our Beloved Deity is walking beside us and smiling at us while we walk, bathe, sit, etc. Cry to your Deity imagining that your Beloved is standing in the atmosphere. More time should be utilized during the night for meditation. In the olden days, without wasting any time at all, Mother would do sadhana at night without even sleeping. Whatever we see, we will feel it as our #dhyana rupa# when innocent devotion arises. Mother, when She was very small, would imagine, while plucking grass or sweeping the ground, that Krishna was playing and dancing with Her. ACI, p. 212-213 %

Question: Mother, no improvement is seen in my #sadhana#. What should be done for that? Mother: Children, don't worry. All that will come. It is enough if you try. While sitting in an airplane as it is flying across the sky, we will not feel that it is moving, but once having reached the destination, we understand that we had been traveling all along. Likewise, we are progressing, but it is too subtle for us to understand. After reaching the goal, everything will become clear. Concentration can conquer this entire world. Anyone will feel an attraction if his voice is heard. One look at him is enough to bring one the spiritual path, however wicked one may be. Concentration should be increased somehow. It is possible through practice. ACI, p. 224 % A mode of life is very important. The character of a deer, which eats grass, and a tiger, which eats meat, are different aren't they? Those who do meditation should not talk about worldly things during the period of #sadhana#. In the beginning, complete silence is needed. Silence, #sattvic# food, abstinence form worldly talk, satsang, regularity and discipline in doing sadhana, all these will come under the rules and regulations that a serious #sadhak# should observe. You should become introspective. Speak only when it is necessary. Only an introspective person can look within. ACI, p. 336 % There are quite a lot of soot-like stains in our mind. All of that will get washed away when we chant the Divine Name. "You are the All, I am nothing." We should have that kind of love. Otherwise, concentration will not be attained. Son, householders should observe a vow of silence once a week. They should try to get up early in the morning. It is good if they have a regular routine. That will help them to discipline themselves. Until yesterday you were leading a life devoid of spiritual ideals. To get rid of the old habits and replace them with new ones, a regular timetable will be very helpful. In the beginning you must have love for your daily routine. If you are able to meditate try to repeat your mantra. If you find that also to be difficult, then do #pooja# or sing the Divine Names. In that way, we must strive hard to attain the constant remembrance of the Supreme. Do not let the mind think of unnecessary things. One

should meditate by concentrating one's mind on the form of one's Beloved Deity. It is enough to meditate on the feet, if it is difficult to meditate on the full form. It is good if meditation is done in dim light. When we try to illumine our interior, it would be a disturbance if there is light outside. One should sit gazing at the Beloved Deity's form for two minutes. Then having closed the eyes, visualize the Beloved Deity's form in the heart lotus. When the form fades away from the heart, one should again gaze at the picture. Though the picture is made of paper and ink, one should imagine that it has consciousness (life). We can attain the Real only through the unreal. Because we are in the unreal, we forget about the Real. We should remember the Real through the man-made picture. ACII, p. 117-119 % Once in a week you should live only on fruits. This will benefit both the body and #sadhana#. ACII, p. 322 % Do not do #sadhana# with the intention of making it known to others or to please them. We don't stop brushing our teeth, taking a shower, or eating food, because those are necessities. In the same way, we should remember that #sadhana# is also necessary for us every day. We will stink if we do not take a bath and brush our teeth. It will be troublesome for others also. We should understand that refraining from doing #sadhana# is as harmful as this. #Sadhana# should become a part of our life. ACII, p. 123 % God-Realization is not possible without #sadhana#, but nobody has time for that. Keeping awake, factory workers do work during the night shift. They do not sit idle saying that they feel sleepy. If they are not alert, both their hands and the job will be lost. For attaining God-Realization, that kind of alertness and determination are also needed. ACII, p. 179 %

When cooking oil is heated sufficiently for frying, you can hear a crackling sound. Until then we might feel that it is not yet ready, despite the fact that we have been heating it for such a long time. A little more time might be enough for the oil to become fully hot. In the same way, at a certain stage, a #sadhak# may feel that he has not gained anything even though #sadhana# has been performed for a long time. But a little more striving may be enough to see the result. Son, proceed courageously. God will take care of the rest. One thing that you have to remember is not to dissipate the energy which you conserve through spiritual practices. Doing spiritual practices and at the same time indulging in worldly pleasures is like drawing water from a well using a leaky bucket. By the time the bucket reaches the top of the well, there will be no water in it. ACII, p. 311 % Children, negative thoughts might arise in your mind while you proceed in your #sadhana#. Don't worry. Don't give them too much importance. Giving too much importance to negativity will make your mind weak. Once the mind becomes weak, you will not be able to do anything. It will become impossible even to put forth the mental strength or the capacity we already have in order to do our #sadhana#. Ignore them and continue your #sadhana#. Therefore, children, do not worry. Mistakes might happen. Do not bother your head thinking about them. Remember, by worrying about them you are losing the mental energy and strength to confront and correct them. Do not waste your time worrying. Proceed and pursue your practice. ACIII, p. 317-318 % Children, don't forget to chant your #mantra#. The period of #sadhana# is like climbing a high mountain. You need a lot of strength and energy. Mountain climbers use rope for pulling themselves up. For you, the only rope is #japa#. Therefore, children, try to repeat your mantra constantly. Once you reach the peak, you can relax and rest forever. ACIV, p. 50-51 %

Regarding #sadhana#, the most important thing one should remember is to maintain the spirit and practice it until you reach the goal. It is always a deliberate attempt in the beginning. You have to remember it constantly and try to do it without fail. Now, #maya# is much more powerful than God in us. This means that negative qualities are more powerful than positive qualities. As a result, the chances of losing enthusiasm and giving up the practice completely or decreasing its intensity are stronger than the chances of continuing it. Therefore, you must deliberately continue doing your practices, putting forth as much effort as possible until they become spontaneous. ACIV 61-62 % My children, you are Mother's wealth and health. Mother does not want anything from you except your spiritual growth. When She finds that you are not growing internally as She expects you to, Mother feels very sad. Life is a play for those who have attained the state of perfection. For them it is not so serious any more, but for you that is not true. You should take things seriously; this is a discipline for you now. Seeing and taking things too lightly is not good for a #sadhak#. Children, a #sadhak# is one who is striving hard to reach the goal. How can one take things lightly while striving hard to attain eternal freedom? Only after liberation will there be spontaneity in one's responses. At present, nothing comes spontaneously to you except your old #vasanas#. You are trying to eliminate them and replace them with the higher values of life. Therefore, everything is a test, a hard test for you. Take these tests seriously. When Mother says 'seriously,' don't misunderstand and think that She is asking you to put a serious look on your face. No. The attitude you have should be serious; this seriousness should be something internal. Sharp discrimination is what is needed. Take the example of someone getting angry at you for no reason. For a normal person it is difficult to remain calm and undisturbed in such a situation. But you should use your discrimination in order to keep your mind well under control. For this to happen, introspection is needed. To accept the anger as a blessing sent by the Lord in order to test your patience, or to ignore it and remain unaffected, one needs sharp discrimination. In both cases a #sadhak# must make a conscious and continuous effort in order to proceed towards the ultimate goal. This is not a light

matter. Do not consider it as child's play. This is the way of life that you have chosen. Your life is dedicated entirely to this purpose. When you have attained the goal, you will be able to perceive the whole world and all the happenings around you as child's play. Then you can be spontaneous. At that time all fears automatically drop away. Then you can play and laugh and be happy like a child. But until then you must take life as a serious affair. Obstacles and difficulties are challenges to confront and to conquer. A challenge cannot be taken as a light matter unless you are an adept. You are not an adept; therefore, take it seriously. To fight in the battlefield is a game for a master in the art. But for the ordinary soldier who is not experienced in the art of war, it is a struggle between life and death. The Mahabharata battle was child's play for Krishna and Arjuna, because both of them were masters in using all kinds of weapons. They had all the divine weapons under their control. But for the ordinary soldiers it was a real challenge. For them the battle was something that had to be taken seriously. If they took it lightly, their lives would have ended with their heads rolling on the ground. In the same way, children, for a person who is established in God, all that happens around him is a play. The whole world is a play. All abuses, criticisms, insults, hatred, and anger showered on him return unaccepted to those from whom they came. Whatever is not accepted is returned to the giver. Or another way of putting it is that a Realized Soul accepts everything. He accepts things, but they cannot remain with him. He is like a doorway; things just pass through him. Nothing can remain with him. Or you can say that he is like fire. What is thrown in the fire gets consumed by the flames and disappears. One who is established in the Supreme is always spontaneous. For him acceptance comes readily, but for you, it is not spontaneous. It is a real struggle, and a struggle cannot be taken lightly. What you are really dealing with is fighting your own negative nature. Fighting is a challenge which should be considered seriously. Children, eventually this struggle will become totally 'struggle-less.' This fighting will be completely 'non-fighting.' When this happens, then your actions and your acceptance of things will be spontaneous. ACIV, p. 90-92 %