Mata Amritanandamayi quotes:

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  • Animals too experience sorrow, love, anger and other emotions.

  • When we raise one hand to say "bye-bye" we are gesturing that we are going apart from each other, whereas when we join our palms and bow our head, our hearts become closer.

  • What makes Amma happy, is to see her children helping others to feel happy.

  • As long as her hands can move a little bit and reach out to those who come to Her, Amma will continue giving darshan.

  • Children, everyone should try to wake up before five in the morning. The ideal time for spiritual practices like meditation and chanting is Brahma Muhurta. During this period, sattvic qualities are predominant in nature. Moreover, the mind will be clear and body energetic.

  • Where there is love, distance doesn't matter.

  • It is always advisable to obtain a mantra from a self-realized master. Until then we may use one of the mantras of our beloved deity like 'Om Namah Shivaya', 'Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya', 'Om Namo Narayanaya', 'Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare', 'Om Shivashaktyaikya Rupinyai Namaha' or even the names of Christ, Allah or Buddha.

  • Love is the very foundation, beauty and fulfillment of life. If we dive deep enough into ourselves, we will find that the one thread of universal love ties all beings together. As this awareness dawns within us, peace alone will reign.

  • In the beginning, not everyone may be able to clearly repeat every mantra in the 1000 Names. In that case, everyone can respond to the chants with just one mantra. While chanting the 1000 Names, the response may be 'Om Parashaktyai Namaha' or 'Om Sivasaktyaikya Rupinyai Namaha'.

  • Renovating temples does not mean building great gate towers or receptacles for offerings. What we should focus on is the regular conduct of worship according to tradition, regular satsang, devotional singing, and so forth. Our devotion and faith give life to temples, not rituals and ceremonies. Children, we should remember this when we are involved in temple matters.

  • Try not to have any break in chanting the mantra even for a moment. Continue repeating the mantra while engaged in any task. Chanting in the mind may not always be possible at first, so in the beginning, practice japa by moving the lips incessantly-like a fish drinking water.

  • In today's world, both men and woman need motherhood, the nurturing motherly feeling, the feminine energy. By receiving this energy, it will make them independent and free.

  • Children, set aside at least half an hour in the morning and in the evening for spiritual practices. After bathing in the morning, a family should sit together and worship. Archana may be performed by chanting the 108 or 1000 Names of Devi or our chosen deity. We can also chant our mantra, meditate or sing hymns at this time.

  • When doing archana (daily prayers) as a group, one person should chant the mantra and the others should repeat it. Mantras should be chanted slowly, clearly and with devotion.

  • Make a firm decision: 'Whatever happens, I will be happy. I will be strong. God is always with me.'

  • Children, do not listen to those who malign masters and sages. Never listen to or indulge in derogatory talk about anyone. When we harbor negative thoughts about others, our minds become impure.

  • Don't get angry. Try not to speak roughly or use harsh words.

  • Food should be consumed while chanting your mantra inwardly. This will purify the food and the mind at the same time.

  • The mental disposition of the one who prepares the food is transmitted to all those who consume it. Therefore, as far as possible the mothers should do the cooking for the entire family. If it is done while chanting the mantra, the food will benefit everyone in a spiritual way.

  • We should forgive and forget the faults of others. Anger is the enemy of every spiritual aspirant. Anger causes loss of power through every pore of our body. In circumstances when the mind is tempted to get angry, we should control ourselves and resolve firmly, 'No.' We can go to a secluded spot and chant our mantra. The mind will become quiet by itself.

  • Remember to set apart at least one hour every day to do some service for others. While the food we eat nurtures our bodies, it is what we give in charity that nurtures our souls. If time is not available daily, reserve at least a few hours every week for some worthwhile act of charity.

  • Before death overpowers us, we have great things to accomplish by performing right actions.

  • Every night, contemplate: What good did I do today? How can I do better tomorrow?

  • Peace is not a product of an intellectual exercise. It is an inner blossoming that occurs with meditation.

  • Death is not complete annihilation. It is a pause. It is like pressing the pause button on a tape recorder.

  • In most cases, worldly love ends in hatred and deep sorrow.

  • Let our lives be firmly rooted in Truth. Abstain from lies. In this dark age of materialism, adherence to truth is the greatest austerity. We might have to tell lies now and then to protect somebody or to sustain dharma, but we must be careful not to speak lies for our own selfish purposes.

  • Do no talk while eating.

  • The first step in spiritual life is to have compassion. A person who is kind and loving never needs to go searching for God. God rushes toward any heart that beats with compassion-it is God's favorite place.

  • Children, not a grain of the food we eat is made purely by our own effort. What comes to us in the form of food is the work of others, the bounty of Nature and God's compassion. Even if we have millions of dollars, we still need food to satisfy our hunger. Can we eat dollars? Therefore, never eat anything without first praying with humility.

  • The language of love is the language of humility or humbleness.

  • The real mistake humans have committed lays in the inability to differentiate between requirements and luxuries.

  • Don't be discouraged by your incapacity to dispel darkness from the world. Light your little candle and step forward.

  • Children, we should visit homes of the poor, orphanages and hospitals from time to time. We should take our family members along and offer assistance and look after the welfare of inmates. A word spoken with love and concern will give them more comfort than any amount of money. That will lead to the expansion of our hearts as well.

  • In today's world, people experience two types of poverty: the poverty caused by lack of food, clothing and shelter, and the poverty caused by lack of love and compassion. Of these two, the second type needs to be considered first because if we have love and compassion in our hearts, then we will wholeheartedly serve those who suffer from lack of food, clothing and shelter.

  • Pray to God: It's all right if you don't love me, but please let me love you!

  • Fill your hearts with love and gratitude. Life gives us what we need and not necessarily what we want. It follows its own wisdom, which is often incomprehensible to our gross minds. We should learn to accept situations in life. This attitude of acceptance is the secret to happiness.

  • A musk deer searches for the source of the fragrance of musk, but it won't find it because the fragrance comes from within itself. Bliss is not to be found outside of us; it exists within us.

  • After praying, and before eating anything, it is a good custom for everyone to feed one another a small portion of the food. This will help to cultivate mutual love and affection among the family members.

  • Be like the honeybee who gathers only nectar wherever it goes. Seek the goodness that is found in everyone.

  • Today people live to work rather than work for a living. They have forgotten their true goal in life. Subsequently they have forgotten their dharma. There is no communication between hearts, there is no sharing. Having lost contact with other's hearts, we become totally isolated. But in truth we are not isolated islands, we are links that form one chain.

  • No one becomes pure and selfless overnight; it involves time and concentrated effort, coupled with tremendous patience and love.

  • If you have patience, then you'll also have love. Patience leads to love. If you forcefully open the petals of a bud, you won't be able to enjoy its beauty and fragrance. Only when it blossoms by following its natural course, will the beauty and fragrance of a flower unfold.

  • If you have patience, then you'll also have love. Patience leads to love.

  • When thoughts are reduced, power of the mind and its subtlety increases, tunes with the Universe. Then you can see the realms beyond the common understanding. When the mind is pure and quiet it becomes one with the universal mind. That mind is like a mirror. The secrets of the Universe will be revealed there.

  • Meditation increases your vitality and strengthens your intelligence... your mental clarity and health improve. You acquire the patience and fortitude to face any problem in life. So, meditate! Only through meditation will you find the treasure you are seeking.

  • Try to spend at least 2 or 3 days every month in an ashram. Just breathing the pure air there will purify and strengthen our bodies and minds. Like recharging the batteries, even after returning home we will be able to continue our meditation and japa.

  • True happiness is when the love that is within us finds expression in external activities.

  • Deciding to chant the mantra a certain number of times daily will help foster the japa habit. We should always keep a rosary with us for doing japa. A rosary can be made of 108, 54, 27 or 18 beads of rudraksha, tulsi, crystal, sandalwood, gems, etc, with one 'guru bead'. We should resolve to chant a certain number of rosaries (rounds) daily.

  • The guru is not someone who is confined to the body. When there is selfless love for the guru, we will be able to see him not only in his body but in every living and nonliving thing in this world. Learn to see everything as the guru's body and to serve them accordingly.

  • The beauty and charm of selfless love and service should not die away from the face of this earth. The world should know that a life of dedication is possible, that a life inspired by love and service to humanity is possible.

  • Purify the mind through selfless service.

  • In this age of selfishness, selfless service is the only soap that truly purifies.

  • Many priests and employees at temples work for pay. No one should judge religion on the basis of the shortcomings of such workers. We should frame suitable rules and regulations for preventing them from falling prey to material temptations. The true guiding spirits of religion are those who engage in selfless service while dedicating their entire lives to attaining the vision of God.

  • Our compassion and acts of selflessness take us to the deeper truths.

  • Each and every object in Nature teaches us something. Renunciation and selflessness are the greatest lessons to learn from Nature.

  • Look at the optimism of Nature. Nothing can stop it. Only the ego makes humans pessimistic, and this causes suffering.

  • The impermanent, which is the body, is given too much importance. The permanent, which is the Atman, is completely forgotten. This should change.

  • Spiritual love is without limits or boundaries. Worldly love is superficial and fluctuating.

  • There is the path of karma, selfless action, the path of love and devotion, the path of training the mind and the path of Yoga, mantra and tantra this is what the various saints advocated.

  • Lessen the quantity of unnecessary thoughts and allow more space for the energy of love to flow within you.

  • Real life is developed from within. Real living means that the soul expresses itself through all one's thoughts, words and actions. A person becomes fearless once he understands the nature of the imperishable soul.

  • "Is God a Man or a Woman ?" The answer to this question is neither God is That. But if you must give God a gender, God is more female than male, for he is contained in She.

  • ...love is our true nature. When we do not express love in our words and actions it is like honey hidden in a rock.

  • A person's destiny can be changed through the power of a saint.

  • A sadhak (one who does spiritual practice) will not have time to indulge in gossip. They will not feel like talking to anyone in a harsh manner. Those who always indulge in faultfinding will never achieve spiritual progress. Do not harm anyone by thoughts, words or deeds. Be compassionate towards all beings. Ahimsa (nonviolence) is the highest dharma (duty).

  • A seed has to get buried in the soil for its real form as a plant to emerge. Only through modesty and humility can we grow. Pride and conceit will only destroy us. Live with the firm attitude, 'I am everyone's servant.' Then the whole universe will bow down to us.

  • A true spiritual seeker should exercise control all the time, throughout the day and night.

  • Amidst sorrows, the only thing that enlivens us is optimistic faith. Never lose that faith.

  • Any action done with the right attitude, understanding and discrimination will take you closer to liberation. If however, the same action is done without the right attitude, it will bind you.

  • Any pleasure gained by means other than mental control weakens the body.

  • As far as possible, everyone in the family should eat together.

  • As you help those in need, selfishness will fall away. And, without even noticing you will find your own fulfillment.

  • As you perform good actions selflessly, true love will blossom, which will purify our emotional mind.

  • Ashrams and gurukulas (spiritual schools) are the pillars of spiritual culture. If we perform sadhana according to the guru's advice, we need not go anywhere else. We will get whatever we need from the guru.

  • At the end of the archana, prostrate, then get up and, remaining on the same spot, turn around clockwise 3 times just as if circling a temple, then bow to the Lord.

  • Be content and happy with whatever comes to you.

  • Being aware of the bondage is enough to free you from its clutches.

  • By living in harmony with Nature one gains a healthy mind and body.

  • Changing the world is like trying to straighten a dog's tail. However much you may try, you won't succeed. But although the tail won't straighten, if you keep trying every day, at least you will put on some muscle. Similarly, even though it is difficult to make a change, our effort to do so in itself brings positive results. It will help us change. Without waiting for others to change,if we change ourselves first, that will make a difference. Instead of worrying about results, focus on doing our best in what we are engaged in.

  • Chant your mantra while engaged in work. This way, the mind will be continuously focused on Him.

  • Children should observe a regular schedule for sleeping and waking up.

  • Children, daily practice of yoga or sun salutations (surya-namaskara) is very good for health and for spiritual practice. Lack of proper exercise is the cause of many of today's diseases. If we can get somewhere in time on foot, always walk instead of taking a vehicle. It is good exercise. Only if we have to go far should we depend on vehicles. Use a bicycle, whenever possible. This will save money, too.

  • Children, even if we lose a million dollars, we can recover it. If we lose one second, we cannot get it back. Every moment that we are not remembering God is lost to us.

  • Children, if we can do archana of the 1000 Names of the Divine Mother daily with devotion, we will grow spiritually. There will never be lack of life's essentials, food and clothing, in a family that chants the 1000 Names with devotion.

  • Children, in the present dark age of materialism, chanting the mantra is the easiest way for us to obtain inner purification and concentration. Japa can be done at any time, anywhere, without observing any rule regarding the purity of mind and body. Japa can be done while engaged in any task.

  • Children, meditation is not just sitting with our eyes closed. We should take every action as worship. We should be able to experience His presence everywhere.

  • Children, pray for the good of everyone. We should pray to God to give a good mind even to those who harm us. One cannot sleep peacefully when there is a theif in the neighborhood. Likewise, when we pray for the well-being of others, it is we who gain peace and quietude. Children, the mantra 'Loka samasta sukhino bhavantu' should be chanted at least once daily.

  • Children, temples are places where, at least for a short while, the remembrance of God is kindled in our hearts which otherwise are totally immersed in worldly transactions.

  • Children, those who are unmarried should conserve their vital energy by maintaining celibacy. To turn what we gain by this in to ojas (vitality), we also need to do spiritual practice. With increase in ojas, our intelligence, memory, health and beauty will also increase. We will gain lasting mental quietude.

  • Children, we are told to make an offering at the temple or at the feet of the guru, not because the Lord or guru is in need of wealth or anything else. Real offering is the act of surrendering the mind and the intellect. How can it be done? We cannot offer our minds as they are, but only the things to which our minds are attached. Today our minds are greatly attached to money and other worldly things. By placing such thoughts at the feet of the Lord, we are offering Him our heart. This is the principle behind giving charities.

  • Children, we can grow spiritually only if we see the guru as the manifestation of God. We should not accept anyone as guru before we are fully convinced personally that he is authentic and truthful. Once we choose someone as guru, we should surrender completely to him. Only then will spiritual development be possible. Devotion to the guru means total surrender to him.

  • Children, we may go to the temple, reverently circumambulate the sanctum sanctorum and put our offering in the charity box, but on our way out if we kick the beggar at the door, where is our devotion? Compassion towards the poor is our duty to God. Mother is not saying that we should give money to every beggar that sits in front of a temple, but do not despise them. Pray for them as well. When we hate others, it is our own mind that becomes impure. Equality of vision is God.

  • Children, we must cultivate reverence towards all great masters, monks and gurus.

  • Children, we should always eat our food sitting down. Do not eat standing or walking around.

  • Children, we should consider every name as the name of our beloved deity. Imagine that He is the one that appears in all the different forms. If our beloved deity is Krishna, then while chanting the names of the Divine Mother, imagine that Krishna has come before us as Devi. We should not think that since we are chanting Devi's names, Krishna might not like it. These differences exist only in our world, not in His.

  • Children, we should simplify our life's needs and use the resulting savings for charity.

  • Children, when we go to the temple, do not hurry to have darshan, then make some offering and return home in a hurry. We should stand there patiently in silence for some time and try to visualize the beloved deity in our hearts. If possible, we should sit down and meditate. At each step, remember to do japa. Amma doesn't say that the offerings and worship are not necessary, but of all the offerings we make, what the Lord wants most is our hearts!

  • Compassion can shoulder the suffering of the entire world without feeling the slightest bit of pain.

  • Consider any work you do, as work coming from God's will.

  • Consoling a miserable soul, wiping the tears of a crying person is greater than any worldly achievement.

  • Contribute to charitable projects like the printing of spiritual books so that they can be sold at a lower price. Poor people will then be able to buy and read them. In this way we can help to cultivate spiritual culture in them also.

  • Controlling the mind is the way to attain internal harmony.

  • Couples should abstain from sexual relations at least 2 or 3 days a week. Gradually try to reach a stage of celibacy most days.

  • Crying to God for five minutes is equal to one hour of meditation.

  • Develop the ability to stand back as a witness to your thoughts. This will make your mind strong.

  • Do not get up immediately at the end of the archana. The beloved deity should be brought from the seat in front of us back into our hearts and re-installed there. Seeing the form of the deity seated in the heart, meditate for a little longer. If it is possible, it is good to sing 2 or 3 kirtans. After taking an injection, a patient is asked to rest for a few minutes to let the medicine spread throughout the body. Similarly, to obtain the full benefit of the mantras, we should keep the mind calm for a while after worship.

  • Do not use intoxicants of any sort. We who should be serving the world should not ruin our health by smoking and drinking. The money we waste on these things can be used for so many useful things. With the money we smoke away, we can buy an artificial leg for one who has lost a leg, pay for an eye operation for someone with a cataract, or buy a wheelchair for a polio victim. Or, if nothing else, we can buy some spiritual books for the local library.

  • Do your actions in the world, without forgetting that your find goal in life is to break free from all bondage and limitations. Always 'remember that you have a higher goal to attain.

  • Don't go empty handed when going to a temple or to see a spiritual master. Offer something as a symbol of surrender, even if it be a mere flower.

  • Due to our preconceptions regarding education, we fail to inquire into the most obvious and wondrous field of study - ourselves.

  • Each and every living being in nature is part of God's body.

  • Education for livelihood alone will never make our life full and complete.

  • Everyone in the world should sleep without fear at least for one night, sleep without fear. Everyone in the world should eat to their fill, at least for one day, eat to their fill. There should be one day when there is no violence, no one is injured, no one is harmed. All people young and old should serve the poor and needy, at least for one day serve selflessly. This is my dream....this is my prayer. Love is the answer, love is the way. Love is the answer, love is the way.

  • Everything is God, there is nothing else but God.

  • Faith in a higher power helps us to control our mind and thoughts.

  • Feel your prayers, feel your mantra and you will feel God.

  • Fighting the wounds of the past will only deepen those wounds. Relaxation is the method that heals the wounds of the mind, not reaction.

  • Finding fault in others, just for the sake of finding fault, we will pollute our own minds.

  • First, the human mind should be harmonized, then the harmony of Nature will spontaneously take place.

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