5th July 2020 – Amritapuri – from Amma’s Guru Punima program
Amma knows that many devotees are sad that they cannot be here today for Gurupurnima. We have to abide by the Government rules. When so many residents stay here, Amma has to ensure their safety as well. Only if we behave as model citizens will others behave properly too. Although many of you are outside the ashram, Children, you are in Amma’s heart. Amma knows you are in her heart, and Amma is also in you.
In some countries, the corona death rate is decreasing, but we see that it is increasing in others. In India, the virus is spreading more rapidly now. My children should pray sincerely for everyone to have the discernment to control themselves and limit the spread by observing the restrictions. Unless we restrict ourselves, external restrictions from the government won’t be effective. May the awareness of the need for this control arise in everyone.
Looking at the state of society now, Amma thinks only if we stay alive will we be able to lead a life. But to remain alive, some basic needs have to be satisfied. Food is needed. Only if businesses run and trade exchanges happen we can get food. Even in the spiritual life, the importance of food is stated. The Gita also mentions it. There are people who after a certain stage of spiritual elevation can live on air. However, the bodies of everyone else, including spiritual seekers, are made of the five elements. Even though in spirituality the mind is more relevant than the body, we need food to survive. Now when the shops have started reopening and people have started going to buy things, chances are high that the spread of the disease will increase greatly.
If the country’s exports are stopped, many nations will run into huge financial crises. Small-business owners, auto-drivers and taxi-drivers, construction workers and other tradesmen—all are facing extreme hardship now. We should be aware of all their hardships. In some countries, we heard that the first thing to sell out was guns. People bought guns because they wanted to make sure they would have enough to eat, even if it meant harming others. Also, stores ran out of food grains and other necessities because people started buying and hoarding them for months. They did it out of their fear, but many people were unable to get enough because a few bought out everything in the stores. All of these are lessons for us. They show us that this is the way society is headed.
The entire world revolves around the central point of compassion. It is sustained by this alone. This is seen in Nature, where all creatures coexist and help each other survive in subtle and gross ways. As more and more plants and animals are destroyed and become extinct, we see how we are unable to get pure air, which in turn makes our bodies impure, pollutes our food, and so on.
There is a limit to man’s effort. You can see that things do not happen as we want them to. They happen according to God’s will. Perhaps this is Nature’s way of healing. Amma thinks that Nature is healing itself, After all, the law of karma clearly states that we will get back only what we give. Good actions will give good results, while bad actions give bad results. Maybe that is what Nature is showing us. We don’t have any other choice. We have to put in the proper effort and along with that, we have to pray. We are certainly trying to do the right thing, like planting trees, etc. But we will have to tune into the divine will as well.
Amma has many children inside and outside the ashram who are working with compassion and love. We should also thankfully remember the doctors, nurses, hospital workers, policemen and other people working on the frontlines. Every day we see these people sacrificing themselves to help others with the disease. Many people are working hard, with compassion, to help others. The situation is bad. So, my children, please pray intensely for everyone.
Everyone should close their eyes and pray intensely. Chant at least 18 times—sincerely, meltingly, intensely—lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu [“May all beings everywhere be happy.”] This is all we can do.