Contents Vol. 32, No. 4 Maturity 4 Christmas 7 swami paramatmananda puri Importance of the Guru in Spiritual Life 12 swami gurupadasritananda puri The Four Crowns 19 br. madhavamrita chaitanya Chapter 11: Yoga of the Divine Cosmic Form 26 prof. v. muraleedhara menon, india Journey O-M 29 elizabeth mccarthy, u.s.a. MalpensaFiere 30 rajani menon, india Hands that Heal 34 anushree (rondine twist), belize Lilas Around Amma 39 Some articles use the masculine pronoun when referring to God, in keeping with convention and to avoid the clumsiness of constructions such as ‘He or She’ or ‘Him or Her.’ Printed and Published by Swami Jnanamritananda Puri on behalf of M.A. Mission Trust, Amritapuri P.O., Kollam, Kerala 690 546, India. Printed at Amrita Offset Printers, Amritapuri P.O., Kollam, Kerala 690 546, India. Published at M.A. Math, Amritapuri P.O., Kollam, Kerala 690 546, India. Phone: (0476) 289 6278/7578/6399. Matruvani Office Phone: 08589003341 Editor: Br. Brahmamrita Chaitanya Letters and Submissions: [email protected] November 2020 3 AMMA’S MESSAGE Maturity hildren, while facing difficult situations in Clife, we rarely try to find out the real cause of the difficulties. But unless we do so, we will not be able to find a permanent solution to these problems. For example, if a child starts crying because of hunger, the mother will try to ap- pease him by giving him toys. The child may get distracted for a while. But when his hunger pangs increase, he will start wailing even more loudly. He will stop crying only when his hun- ger is appeased. Some people turn to drugs and drink to forget their problems. Not only do these in- toxicants not solve any problem, they also ruin one’s health and wealth, and rupture family ties. Once, two friends were talking to each other. One of them asked the other, “I heard that you started drinking. Why?” His friend replied, “I’m facing many prob- lems now, and am trying to drown my sorrows in drink.” 4 Matruvani November 2020 5 We cannot change the world according to our whims and fancies. Instead, we must learn to adjust to the situation and respond discerningly. “So, did you succeed in rose is surrounded by prickly drowning your sorrows?” thorns. To insist that a rose “No, my friend. My prob- bush have no thorns but only lems have learnt to swim in the flowers is impractical. Night alcohol!” always follows day. If there is The root cause of all our joy, there will be sorrow. We problems is our headstrong must accept both. A tortoise desire to have everything go can never behave like an ele- our way, according to our likes phant. Similarly, an elephant and dislikes. This wilfulness is can never be a tortoise. See the source of all our negativi- each for what it is and accept ties, including anger, hatred a tortoise as a tortoise and an and jealousy. Wilfulness is like elephant as an elephant. Do a computer virus that wipes out not leap for the skies in happi- all its data. It undermines our ness, and do not collapse in sense of discernment and de- sorrow. Remain content and stroys our peace of mind. We joyful under any situation. The lose control over ourselves. ability to do so is what we We cannot change the mean by maturity. world according to our whims The mind becomes mature and fancies. Instead, we must only when one stops being wil- learn to adjust to the situation ful. A mature mind can face and respond discerningly. We problems wisely. It is the ulti- must learn to accept what we mate solution to all the prob- cannot change. A fragrant lems in life. 6 Matruvani SATSANG Christmas by swami paramatmananda puri wo thousand years ago in what is now known as TIsrael, the Romans ruled the roost. It was an ex- tremely oppressive rule. Things were not so good for Judaism either. The Pharisees or priests had a grip on the people, but there were no mahatmas (spiritually il- lumined souls) guiding them. If there is no one who lives in God, who experiences God, religion becomes just like a body without a soul. The Jews prayed to God to liberate them from Roman rule. Their scriptures said that God would come some day. He would be called November 2020 7 the Messiah, the Saviour or Misconception of Western Avatar — the incarnation of Prosperity God. When Christ says that He There is a misconception that did not come to destroy, but to the prosperity of the Western fulfil, He was speaking of world is due to the teachings Himself as the Messiah. of Christianity, whereas in We are blessed because we India, the economic problems live at the same time as a di- are due to Hinduism, which vine being. We are close to teaches renunciation. This idea Her; we are Her devotees. reveals a fundamental igno- Amma tells us to do japa (re- rance of the teachings of both peated chanting of one’s man- traditions. Christ did not come tra), sing bhajans (devotional to the earth to teach how to songs), meditate, follow the accumulate riches or to make customs, and obey the rules. society prosperous. He came But that is only part of it. She to teach the lessons that all also stresses love, kindness, religions teach. There is no patience, and getting rid of essential difference between anger and ego. Nobody else religions. They all teach the tells us these things. The saints same thing — how to get rid of not only tell us; they also dem- mental impurities such as onstrate it in their own lives. greed, lust, anger, and pride, In Amma’s life, we see selfless- and how to live in the world ness, the absence of base pas- but not be of the world, being sions, and the ardour of divine ready to leave it at any time. love. Similarly, Christ did not Christ came to uplift soci- tell anyone to give up the rules ety and to make people holy or of Judaism, but radiated kind- pure. Above everything else, ness, love, compassion, renun- He taught renunciation. He ciation, and faith throughout said, “Take my yoke upon you his short life. and learn from me, for I am 8 Matruvani The idea that the prosperity of the Western world owes itself to the teachings of Christianity, and that the economic problems in India are caused by the Hindu teachings of renunciation reveals a fundamental ignorance of both traditions. gentle and humble in heart, wealth and prosperity? Not and you will find rest for your at all! souls.” (Matthew, 11.29) The prosperity in the West- Look at the Western world. ern world is not related to Where does one find that gen- Christ’s teachings. It is the tleness that Christ is talking outcome of human ambition about? Where is the rest that coupled with discipline. It is the the soul gets by taking refuge manifestation of the love for in an Avatar? comfort, wealth and power. “Take no thought for your That is all. This prosperity has life — what you shall eat, or been gained at the expense of what you shall drink, nor yet the teachings of mahatmas like for your body, what you shall Christ. Of course, some of the put on. Is not life more than teachings of both Krishna and food, and the body more than Christ are followed, and there- clothes? Behold the birds of fore, there is some peace in the the air, for they sow not, nei- world. The selflessness, kind- ther do they reap nor gather ness and patience that one sees into barns. Yet your heav- are the result of spiritual teach- enly Father feeds them. Are ings. Spirituality is the cure for you not much better than all problems. Materialism only they?” (Matthew, 6.25 – 26) feeds the body and ego. It Is this the gospel of health, never gives peace to the soul! November 2020 9 Necessity of a Role Model why one must bathe at certain Everyone, whether an angel or times, and why one should not a demon, needs a role model. eat certain kinds of food. These We all have role models; maybe are ways of purification. All it is our mum or dad, or some- these rules can be found in both one else. Even if we are the Hinduism and Judaism, and worst demon, we will have a orthodox Jews and Hindus demonic role model, but a role follow them even today. All the model, nonetheless. The more ancient religions possibly came enlightened our role model is, from the same source. the more enlightened our life will be. There is a great deal Imitation of Christ that can be learned from the There is a beautiful book life of Christ. called the ‘Imitation of Christ.’ It I wasn’t born a Christian. I is considered the number two was born into a Jewish family, best-seller in the Christian but I never read the Old Testa- world. It was written 500 ment. After going to India, not years ago by a monk named only did I read the Hindu Thomas à Kempis, and the scriptures, I also read the Old book is a gem. Thomas tells us and the New Testament, which how to take Christ as a role is the gospel of Christ. In a way, model. He writes, “‘Anyone I was lucky, because I did not who follows me shall not walk have any misconceptions or in darkness.’ These are the preconceptions about these words of Christ, and by them teachings.