S.Mohana Krishna
“All is That”, she stated and explained some philosophical points in her
own inimitable way choosing simple and ordinary words. This came as the
answer to my musing a while before. It is perhaps Amma who made me think
on the above lines and responded.
In her childhood, Amma for some days takes food along with her father
Sitapati in the house of Pulipaka Machamma who runs a village inn.
Machamma does not respect her husband Adeiah, a very tolerant soul and
even cheats on him. One night, Amma tells her father that she would stay for
that night in the house of Adeiah.
Machamma does not invite her husband for dinner. Adeiah later goes
into the kitchen and drinks a glass of buttermilk. Amma asks her the reason.
Machamma tells Amma that some days he will not eat and young Amma
chides her saying that in all the houses, wives take food after the husband
eats. Machamma, a strong willed soul, tries to dismiss the episode lightly but
Amma casts a severe glance at her. That one glance makes her realize her
mistake and with a changed heart she seeks the pardon of her husband.
Machamma wonders initially why she feels so low before a child and what
authority the young one has over her. But in a very short time, she is
convinced that Amma has control not only on her mind but that of all others.
1
would be that for Amma, the personification of the Universal Mind, it would
be natural to know the other minds.
Another modern thinker who came close to this idea of the Universal
Mind though the description of such a mind is more from an intellectual point
of view is Stansilav Grof. See how his thoughts read:
2
experience. Since the images and concepts of their languages were
abstracted from this very experience, they were sufficient to describe the
natural phenomena.
Amma not only can fathom the depths of the minds of others but
subtly redirect their thinking process to more positive ways.(May not be by
an act of will but by her choice less awareness). Not only that, the
phenomenon of a pure mind being a great purifier is evident from the
following episode:
3
The unexpected reply was .…‘thought waves’. By a series of probing
questions, Sri Ayyangar elicited the following information.
“ In fact what is mind? That which understands all this, that Sakti
(power) which speaks, hears, understands and perceives everything, is
called ‘mind’. We have given the name ‘mind’ to that which does all this (i.e.,
sees, hears, understands. Etc.). What is the swabhava (inherent nature) of
4
mind? Sakti has become many; it perceives many. It is change; It is what
changes; It is the changeless also. Its swabhava is to cognize many reasons
(karanas). Cognizing many reasons, accepting some, rejecting others,
hearing many sounds, thinking many thoughts – that state of Sakti is what
we call mind. In fact we do not know what the mind is. We do not know what
it is like…(Page 110, Talks with Amma).
…Whether you call it ‘manas’, ‘buddhi’ or ‘chitta’, they are all one. The
differences are only apparent. They are giving the same thing different
names. Thoughts received at one level are being called ‘chitta’, thoughts at
a different level, ‘buddhi’ and thoughts at yet another level. ‘manas’. I am
giving the one name ‘manas’ to all these…(Page 112, Talks with Amma).
“Every human being judges others according to his own mind. Whether
it be one’s wife, husband, children, brothers, sisters, parents or even those
who consider themselves spiritual guides and gurus and who teach others,
nobody understands another’s mind. This is what is meant by ‘variety’. If the
mind were understood, there would be no teaching”.
“The mind calls something ‘guru’ and worships it, rejecting something
else. Since the mind is unable to understand that mind is everything, it
selects a particular form and calls it ‘God’. Then it seeks that god within
itself. That means that the mind itself does everything. Finally it understands
none other than itself..” (Pages 119, 120, Talks with Amma).
5
The mind is at once the cause for bondage or liberation. An
unadulterated mind is Divine where as the mind in most of us is coloured by
various tendencies with the ‘unripe ego’ in charge. But the persons pure in
heart although not conversant with Shastras or did not do any serious
austerities (which obviously involves mind and its machinations) seem to be
naturally drawn to Amma with their guileless heart guiding them.
Always trying to keep in mind a perfect one like Amma and meditating
on her divine nature will cleanse the minds of their impurities. What else is
desirable than such a state of mind?