THE BLESSING OF A GREAT SOUL

Finding God's Love - Chapter Preview

The most direct path to the wellspring of devotion is to be "touched" by a soul who is permanently absorbed in the Divine. Before matches were invented, fires were kept burning continuously in the homes of villagers. If one's fire went out for some reason, then one of the children was sent next-door with a small container designed for the purpose of getting a flame. The flame was thus passed from one house to another as needed. In the same way, an awakened soul carries a limitless supply of divine matches, which they are ready to strike and apply to one's heart. However, these great ones, in their wisdom, will be able to see if the heart has reached the point of combustibility. Sincere love and innocent longing are the dry twigs and tinder that a great soul looks for. Humility and childlike innocence is the sure path to receiving the grace of these divine souls.
Amma: A real Guru is one who is endowed with all the Divine qualities, such as equal vision, universal love, renunciation, compassion, patience, forbearance, and endurance. He will have complete control over his mind. He will be like a huge ship which can carry thousands of passengers. His mere presence will give a feeling of protection and safety, an assurance to the disciple that he will reach the goal. Like the moon his presence will be cooling, soothing and heart-capturing, but at the same time it will also be brilliant, radiant and shining like the sun. He will be soft like a flower and hard like a diamond in his manner towards the disciple. He will be simpler than the simplest and humbler than the humblest. Even his silence will be a teaching. A real disciple is one who can imbibe the life and teachings of such a Guru and follow his footsteps faithfully. Knowing and understanding the real nature of such a Great Master, a true disciple's heart will spontaneously surrender and willingly let him discipline him.

It is not possible to proceed very far on the spiritual path without a Guru. A guide is necessary to travel in an undiscovered country. A sadhak, through his penances, may succeed in getting rid of his gross vasanas without the help of a Perfect Master, but a Satguru's help and Grace are a must in order to eliminate the subtle vasanas and to give up his individuality. There is a son who comes here. One day he openly told one of the brahmacharins that he had been doing spiritual practices for the last thirty-five years but never had a deep experience. He also said that he knows his problem which he stated was nothing but the hesitancy to come under the discipline of a Satguru. His subtle vasanas still remained even after thirty-five years of severe penance. He is a very sincere and hard-working son, yet no real experience occurred. This is what happens to people who cannot surrender. Once you come under a Perfect Master, then you simply obey his words and do sadhana without fail. If your surrender is complete and if you are determined to attain the goal, he will work with your ego, both the gross and subtle, and will take you across the ocean of transmigration. The subtle ego is very hard to break through with only your own efforts. The Satguru's guidance will slowly bring it out and exhaust it. A Perfect Master always works with the ego of the disciple. But he will not start until the disciple is ready for it.

Mother does not want to insist that anyone do this. If it is the Lord's will that someone should be here, let it be so. If it is to be that one should be somewhere else, let that be so. Sadhana will become smoother and easier if a Satguru is present. Ammachi, Awaken Children, vol. III, p. 173

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