Friday morning, August 1
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In today’s satsang, there was a mixture of silence and Q&As. As the session drew to a close, Amma somehow seamlessly wove together all the themes that had emerged, offering a free-flowing complete upadesa.
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After twenty minutes of silence, the first question was asked.
Question: My attention keeps getting drawn to small things, like ‘satellite magnets’ that pull the attention from the centre. How can I magnetize my attention to the Self instead of these distractions?
AMMA: Who is watching the satellite? Observe the watcher.
Question: Bhagawan composed such beautiful devotional songs like ‘Akshara Mana Malai’. While I do self-enquiry, can you guide me on the role of prayer and devotion as part of this practice?
AMMA: Why not? It becomes very spontaneous, such things come spontaneously rather than you practise.
Question: Does karma affect a Self-Realised soul? Why did Bhagawan tell a Self-Realised person to be jagrata, or be careful?
AMMA: Any time the mind can trick you. It’s just a caution to be careful, be watchful, not an indication that a self-realised one will necessarily be tricked. It’s simply saying, ‘be careful’.
Question: Amma, they say there is a state of absorption in the Self where there is no more experiencing. How do you distinguish this from simply falling asleep where there is also no experiencing?
AMMA: Sleep is an unconscious absorption. Real absorption is conscious, you are not in sleep. Both you are subsiding into the Self but one is unconsciously, the other is consciously.
Question: If there is no conscious experiencing, how do I remember it?
AMMA: That is a place where there is no need of remembrance and forgetfulness.
Question: If I am in deep meditation or in a very peaceful place in satsang and I notice I don’t fully hear your message or it starts to go blank. I don’t know if that is sleeping or meditating and whether I’m missing out on hearing something beneficial. If it’s falling asleep, should I try to keep myself awake?
AMMA: See the recognition of the Self, the conscious recognition of the Self, you will not miss it. It’s not something which you are not conscious of. It’s not an unconscious state too. The consciousness will recognise the consciousness.
The sign of realisation is that you will not have any doubt. It’s no question is this or is this not. It’s no question. It’s like every absorption, you dip into the same Self. It makes you much more fresh and progressive but until it touches the bottom you feel it’s not done. But each dip into it takes you much closer to that. That is absorption into the Self.
There is no doubt because the doubter himself has disappeared. Until then there will be going and coming back, going and coming back, in and out, in and out, in and out. It’s good. That is the best. In and out, in and out until it takes you to that bottom line where the pure I alone exists.
The recognition, the realisation is something else. It’s not a sleep. It’s not a confusion. It’s not a doubt. There is no question, is it this or is it that? It’s full clarity. That’s the nature of the Self. The Self has no doubt. The supreme renunciation, which takes us towards that bottom line, where no second self exists, only the pure I exists as a consciousness. So you will not miss it. Then you will not have any doubt.
Once we are into it, it takes you home. That is for sure. That is another side of it. But the same grace may come in Ramana Maharshi’s voice and say, _Be careful. It’s ok. Be watchful._ Then why should we be watchful? It’s part of it. If everything is happening, why should Bhagavan say, be watchful? Bhagavan knows it. Even that saying is also part of the happening. And listening is also part of the happening.
Somebody has to finish their prarabdha karmas. Somebody has to finish something else. Then the vasanakshaya. Many things happen with it. It’s not just one thing. It’s not just a self-enquiry. It’s illogical to think in that way. But all this takes you to that bottom line to touch and to realise who you are. Certain things have to be finished.
So ‘be watchful’ means don’t lose something which you already have. Don’t lose your attention. Don’t be inattentive. What you already have, safeguard it, protect it, make it yourself as your own. Never lose it by being inattentive.
Usually we say, ‘oh God, please protect me’. Now here, the other way around is saying, protect what you already have. Don’t lose it. Safeguard it.
Amma finished the satsang by simply standing and walking to the exit.