MATRI VANI

VOLUME I

[ Translated by ATMANANDA ]

With a foreword

MAHAMAHOPADHYAYA

SRI GOPINATH KAVIRAJ

Padma Visbhushana, M.A., D.Litt.

Published by: -

Shree Shree Anandamayee Sangha

Head Office: Kankhal,

Hardwar-249408

Centenary edition

May, 1995

Price: Rs. 121

Printed at:

Ratna Printing Works, Kamachha, Varanasi [ India]

CONTENTS

MATRI VANI

I . Foreword by Mahamahopdhyaya Sri Gopinath Kaviraj 4

II. General Advice 11

III. The Path of Self-Realization 58

IV. Glossary 91

FOREWORD

The present booklet contains fragments of personal advice and suggestions tendered by Sri Anandamayi Ma to some of Her devotees at different times. As these formed part of letters (in Bengali) dictated by Mother in reply to their own supplications, their language bears upon it the native simplicity and freshness of the original messages without the least deterioration owing to the mechanism of transmission.

An analysis of the booklet would show that Mother’s words are concerned with various situations arising in a man’s life when under the pressure of circumstances he feels himself utterly helpless, hopeless and forlorn. Bereavements, disillusionments and a feeling of frustration in life, attacks of hostile force within , waning of faith, vagaries of an uncurbed and erratic mind, protracted physical ailments---these are some of the necessary evils incidental to ordinary human existence on earth. In every case it will be found that Mother has suggested practically the same sovereign remedy---viz., the cultivation of the habit of remembering God and taking His Holy Name supplemented by an unconditional surrender to His Will and an unshaken belief that all His dispensations are wise and for our good. It is true that the instructions conveyed in this collection were given to particular individuals and under particular circumstances; nevertheless, they have about them the ring of an eternal and universal appeal to mankind, irrespective of caste, creed, sex, age or nationality. Those who have the good fortune of knowing Mother more closely are aware that She has not on Her part any personal bias towards a particular line of approach as against the others and that if in the case of a sadhaka [ spiritual aspirant ] the exigencies of individual predisposition and competence demand exclusiveness in a particular direction She never hesitates to recommend it.

Mother accepts the Supreme IDEAL of man as one and the same. But She says that on account of difference of outlook consequent difference in tastes, capacities, environments and ways of thought, paths of attainment become necessarily different. All these differences are true; but they are only superficial. What really counts for in each case is, whether one has or - has not the sincerity of heart, a truth-seeking spirit and a genuine thirst of the soul coupled with unceasing activity and undaunted faith and a stainless moral character. Detachment from worldly affairs and devotion to the divine Ideal are the chief assets for a pilgrim on the path of the Infinite..

In every age, on every occasion, in every turn of fortune, in the field of action and in the stillness of solitude, a man should therefore have a single Aim before him on which his mind’s eye may be set and it should shine as if it were - the pole star in his mental firmament. To him it should be like the majestic lordship of the Supreme Father, like the –abiding Grace of the Great Mother, like the ever flowing sweet Spring of the Eternal Beloved; it may also be like the impersonal but self-conscious Bliss of the Divine Being; it may even be like the hidden Essence of his own soul. Lt is in the direction of this Supreme~ Objective that a man should always be consciously striving --- through action, through knowledge and through love. In whatever condition a man may happen to find himself at the moment of awakening he should bear in mind that his path really stretches out before him - from there; he has - only to exert himself to the best of his powers and proceed along the path. If it is true that a man through his limited action cannot t reach upto the Goal, it is also true that no effort, however insignificant, goes in vain if It is sincere. Every genuine effort, however imperceptible in its littleness, has a value of its own as a means to the End; and where It is rightly put forth, this End is bound to be realized in its own time. But the Supreme End is above all means. We have to move forward along the path and utilize the resources accessible to us. For who knows at what Great Moment the Supreme Reality will reveal Itself in all its resplendent glory? When once the Vision dawns upon the soul, the defilements and impurities clinging to it from the immemorial past and accumulated through the apes will vanish in a single instant like mists at dawn before the rays of the rising sun. The finite assumes the role of the Infinite when the Infinite smiles upon it and, being freed from all limitations and disabilities of mundane life, it begins to live, move and have its being within the Infinite. One has naturally to start with a definite plan of self-discipline suited to one’s tastes and capacities and arranged in a certain order of temporal and logical sequence, but when
once His Grace shows Itself, the stiff formalities of rigid conventions sink into insignificance. All fetters are then snapped asunder and the
“Impossible” not only becomes possible, but
enters into the actual fibre of our being. Peace
and Freedom are eternally restored to the soul and man realizes the Highest Goal of his existence.

This little book is verily a lustrous string of precious pearls fit to be always worn round the neck by every devoted child of Mother. I heartily welcome its publication and congratulate both the compiler and the translator on the exquisite sense of propriety they have shown in the selection and rendering of the pieces.

12th April 1959 Gopinath Kaviraj.

NOTES ON THE PRONUNCIATION OF TRANSLATED SANSKRIT WORDS

Vowels

a has the sound of u in much,

a has the sound of a in path,

e has the sound of ai in maid,

I has the sound of in bid,

i has the sound of ee in deep,

o has the sound of oa in road,

u has the sound of u in put,

u has the sound of oo in mood,

au has the sound of ou in loud,

r is ‘ri’ as in rid

Consonants

t, th, d, dh, n are dentals. They are pronounced by touching the teeth with the palate [ as in French and German] .

t, th, d, dh, n are cerebrals and require the tongue to be placed against the roof of the mouth [ s in English] , n being a nasal sound.

th to be pronounced as two distinct sounds, as in ‘rat-hole’, dh as in ‘mad-house’.

m nasalizes the preceding vowel;

n corresponds to the initial sounds in ‘new’

c corresponds to the English ‘ch’ as in ‘church’;

s represents a sharp forcefully pronounced ‘sh’

s represents a soft cerebral ‘sh’ ;

s as in cross.

The accent of the words generally lies on the long vowels.

Dedicated at the lotus feet of

Sri Sri Ma Anandamayi

on the sacred occasion of

Centenary Celebrations, 1995-96

IN MEMORY OF MY MOTHER

MAHARANI RAJKUVERBA OF GONDAL

SHIVRAJ SINHJI

Hawa Mahal

Gondal, Gujarat

PART I

GENERAL ADVICE

- All this, which is His creation, is under His dispensation, in His presence and is He.

In whatever state He keeps anyone at any time it is all for the good, for verily everything is ordained by Him, is of Him.

Relative happiness, which is happiness depending on anything, must end in grief. It is man’s duty to meditate on God, Who is peace itself. Without having recourse to that which aids the remembrance of God there can be no peace .Have you not seen what life in this world is? The one to be loved is God. In Him is everything --- Him you must try to find.

If anything is to be had — whatsoever, in whatever way — it must be had of Him alone.

Man’s bounden duty as a human being is to seek refuge at His Feet.

Days glide on; already you have let so many go by; anchored in patience endeavour to pass the few remaining.

Every moment belongs to God; Endeavour to keep your mind dedicated to His Feet. God, the Ocean -of Mercy, who ever blesses the world, pours out His grace at all times. It is incumbent on man to consider everything that happens to be for the best: ‘For the best’ denoting what is most helpful towards the realization of the Divine, the realization of the fullness of Bliss.

The ceaseless, never-ending current of divine Mercy and Compassion ever flows forth; in that current one should bathe.

Who are the truly wealthy? Those who are possessed of the Supreme Treasure —they alone are really rich and live in abundance. Poor and destitute must be called the man in whose heart the remembrance of God abides not. To depend solely on Him is man’s one and only duty.

Verily, abounding sorrow is the essential characteristic of life in this world. Fix your mind on God.

The sovereign and universal remedy is the contemplation of the One. To think only of Him and to serve Him at all times is essential for every human being.

Let His Name be ever with you; imperceptibly, relentlessly time is creeping away.

To concentrate only on Him, the remembrance of Whom brings release from all anxiety, is meet and right.

At all times, endeavour to sustain the contemplation of God and the flow of His Name. By virtue of his Name all disease becomes ease.

Without the repetition of the Name and the remembrance of God, there is no hope of peace on earth. Let duty come first and foremost.

In Rama , who is the. dispeller of all sorrow, there is arama — rest and ease; where Rama is not, there is vyarama — discomfort and disease.

It is possible to practise God’s Name under the most adverse circumstances.. He causes everything to happen and is therefore ever near.

When you leave everything to Rim Who is the Fountain of Peace, and then only may you hope for peace.

When the mind centres on what gives peace and one’s gaze dwells on what promotes it, when One’s ears listen to what fills the heart with peace and at all times there is a response from Him Who is peace itself, then only can there be promise of peace.

It is desire that causes sorrow; but the will to realize God is itself felicity. Be certain that He will cleanse and comfort you and take you into His arms.

Sorrow comes in order to lead you to happiness. At all times hold him in remembrance.

Your body, which is part of and depending on this illusory world, is on the other hand the expression of a hidden inner process. You are yourself the many, appearing in various aspects, forms and modes. Each one of them exists in fact to fulfill a particular need. Yours is the give and take of the universe, yours the need, and yet you yourself are the fulfillment that hidden inner process is generated by you.

You are imperfect, something is lacking in you, this is why you feel the desire for fulfillment. ‘Body’ [ the Bengali word for ‘body’ is ‘sharir’ and the verb shora means to move on , to slip away.] signifies— that which slips away, which is continually changing. If there is no want, no desire, then this kind of body that is ever in the process of perishing does not persist. Thus, after God-realization one can no - longer speak of such a body for the Self stands revealed.

The sense of want arises spontaneously —it is the Divine that awakens it.

To lose all is to gain all. He is merciful and compassionate. Whatever He does at any moment is all-beneficent, though certainly painful at times. When He manifests Himself as all-loss, there is hope that He may also manifest Himself as all-gain. To pine for the One Who helps towards the light of Truth is salutary, for it kindles the awareness of Truth.

Verily, He is everywhere at all times.

The endeavour to awaken to his real nature is man’s duty as a human being.

In the field of His play even getting means losing. This is but the nature of its movement. Think of Him Who cannot be lost. Meditate on Him alone, on Him, the Fountain of Goodness. Pray to Him; depend on Him. Try to give more time to japa and meditation. Surrender your mind at His Feet. Endeavour to sustain japa and meditation without a break.

Human-birth — does it not ordinarily mean experiencing desire, passion, grief, suffering, old age, disease, happiness, pain and so on? Yet it is man’s duty to bear in mind that he exists for God alone— for His service and for the realization of Him.

To say, “I do not know, I do not understand” is only ignorance. It is this veil of ignorance that causes agony and misfortune.

Verily, all is within His Law. How can one who has been able to accept this be still so greatly troubled? It is but your duty to consider everything as His. Whatever He may do, try to let the thought of Him keep you at peace.

The sense of want, does it not arise because the desired object is not obtained? When one’s desire remains unfulfilled, fruitless, to continue craving for the same thing and be disappointed time and again—surely it is futile. So long as there is desire, the experience of want and sorrow is----from the worldly point of view--- but natural. Whatever you may desire that is of this ever-changing world will bring you sorrow, even though momentary happiness may be had at times. To seek THAT in which no sorrow is and al. is found, is man’s sole duty.

Losing hope is losing all indeed. But has this loss of everything occurred? Is not the heart still bubbling over with desires and hopes? This is only natural — it is the innate tendency of the individual

Perfect resignation gives the deepest joy of all. Accept it as your sole resource. Whatever God does at any time is wholly benign. If you can bear this in mind you will be at peace.

What you consider to be your duty, you will in any case try to carry out, in fact you are doing it. But man’s special duty, which is the thought of God, the activity of the mind that awakens the desire to know what you really are, on this you should concentrate; and it is most important to make a special effort in this direction. Give your attention to your regular daily practice of sadhana . If circumstances will not permit any other exercise, let it be only the remembrance of Him — the purpose of it all being the realization of the One Who is manifested in all forms and in all modes of being.

It is through the search after Truth that man can elevate himself. This he should

regard in the light of a duty.

That in which there is no question of form or formlessness, of beyond form and attributes, of transcending even the beyond--—that alone is worthy of human aspiration.

Man must go out in search of That which is concealed behind the world. He should choose an abode that will make it easy for him to proceed to his true Home.

The word manus (man: Man mind, hus conscious ] ) itself gives the clue to what man should really be: a being who is self-aware. Even if he has slipped and fallen, is it not his bounden duty to use as a lever the very earth to which he has tumbled, and raise himself up again? Besides, one does not fall so often. As a man, constant effort is his duty .If he does not awaken to the consciousness of his own Self, what has he achieved? He has but wasted his life. How many lives are frittered away age after age in endless coming and going. Find out who you are. Discover the significance of the round of births and deaths, its cause and where it leads. When man becomes a traveller on the path to his inner being, the distance that separates him from his Goal gradually vanishes. You will most certainly have to undertake this pilgrimage to Immortality, trampling under foot hundreds and hundreds of obstacles and impediments.

This is the kind of manliness that has to be awakened. Why should you remain helpless as if paralysed? You only repeat over and over again that you cannot, cannot do sadhana . Why? Why? Why?

Let ‘I cannot’ be eradicated from your vocabulary. Time is gliding away swiftly:

For a few days only lasts this reunion with friends and kinsmen. Gather up your possessions, brother, no one accompanies you on your final journey.

Man may find himself in all kinds of surroundings, yet he must not allow himself to be driven hither and thither helplessly under their influence. It is his duty under all circumstances to preserve his individuality and strength of character intact. To drift with the current is easy enough, but to stand firm as a rock is difficult. He who is able to do this will keep his head without wavering even among a dozen people of different points of view and lines of approach. This surely is the attitude that befits a human being.

Look, in order to pluck a rose one has to put one’s hand into the midst of thorns. But if the rose- is a person’s aim and he has a keen desire to pluck it, he will not refrain from doing so for fear of being pricked. Moreover, the Great Mother arranges whatever as necessary for each one .She certainly knows the real need of every individual. |If one has at least this much faith, there is no reason at all to feel distressed.

Try your utmost never to succumb to anyone’s influence. In order to become firm, calm, deeply serious, full of courage, with one’s personality wholly intact, pure and holy out of one’s own strength, one has to be centred in God.

To a human being the most noble, irreproachable line of conduct should alone be acceptable. It is a matter of great rejoicing if anyone strives to mould his life upon this pattern. In the case of a woman it means preserving her integrity and purity by being completely faithful to her husband. Not even to allow her glance to fall on any must be her endeavour. Only actions that kindle man’s divine nature are worthy of the name of action, all the rest are non-actions — a waste ‘of energy. Any line of behaviour that fails to quicken the divine in man should be eschewed, no matter how enticing it might-appear ;but any that helps to awaken man’s inherent divinity must be resolutely adopted even though it be seemingly uninviting. Man’s calling is to aspire to the realization of Truth, to tread the excellent path that leads to immortality. What appears delightful to the senses later develops into a hotbed of poison, generating inner turmoil and disaster, for it belongs to the realm of death.

Force of character is man’s great strength. If he uses it in his dealings with the world he will indeed be victorious in most directions.

Worldly life is no doubt a battle-field. By becoming conscious of one’s spiritual wealth one must strive to emerge triumphant from the battle.

You cling to that round *, rolling thing, believing that it constitutes your wealth; this is why there is so much trouble and confusion. What is this ‘round thing’? Money of course. Try to cling exclusively to Him Who is the Whole, where one can speak neither of form nor formlessness and where trouble and confusion are non-existent.

*This whole passage is based on a play upon words, impossible to render into English. ‘Gol’ means round,: mal possession and golmal trouble and confusion.

If you do not allow your thoughts to stray from His Lotus-feet there is hope of your being saved from all manner of temptations. Man’s duty is to awaken to true humanity and to cast aside his animal propensities; to choose what is excellent and to relinquish the merely pleasurable. Let your mind be like a beautiful flower that may be offered to the Lord in worship. In very truth, man’s sole duty is the search after Self-realization. With but the one Supreme Friend you my friend must try to avoid the ties of worldly friendship.

To indulge in what seems pleasurable means to choose that which appears lovely on the surface and therefore attractive. Improper, ill-fated, degrading actions~ that give expression to one’s animal nature lead to misery even though they be pleasurable. The rules and regulations pertaining to the householder’s period of life (grihastha ashrama ) have to be observed as fully as possible. To live up to the highest ideals may be irksome at first, but ultimately leads to real well-being and peace. One must learn to find enjoyment in the Sublime—then only does one deserve to be called a human being. Having been blessed with a human body it is but right that one should behave in a fitting manner. Why give way to animal instincts?

If you cannot sustain japa at all times, at any rate complete two rosaries twice day, morning and evening. The search after Truth is man’s real vocation.

There are various modes of living: one is the ashrama of the householder: another to do service, regarding whomever one serves as a manifestation of the Supreme Being; a third, way is to fix Self-realization as the one and only goal and advance towards it-with uninterrupted speed and determination. In keeping with his inclinations and bent of mind, everyone chooses one of these modes of living. God Himself will take care of -everything that concerns a man who, puts -his whole trust in Him.

To aspire to the realization of Truth is alone worthy of man. In the home of the householder [ grihashta ashram] there should be no strain. Allowing oneself to be agitated by mental anxiety amounts to strain; this is not the line to be taken, for by such a state of mind the power to create obstacles is developed.

By seeking refuge in the Power that is Bliss, Goodness, Beneficence, the Destroyer of obstacles, peace will be established in the home. This is man’s special pursuit as well as his duty. Those sensible, intelligent and wise men and women who depend on God and the Guru an4 full of faith, in a spirit of renunciation, endeavour to attain to Reality should advance along any path that is most helpful to their aspirations, ever remaining tranquil and choosing that which promotes peace. In all one’s actions one must aim at fulfilling one’s dharma.

Abide by your duty. To live in the home that he has created for himself is surely fitting for a householder. Do not, however, neglect the search for your real Home. Only when this is found has one truly come home.

In all forms, in all diversity and disparity is He alone. The infinite variety of appearances and manifestations, of modes of becoming and states of being, of species and types, all the numberless distinctions as well as all identity, are but He Himself. With whom are you then angry? Whatever anyone says is according to his stage and condition at that particular time and therefore right for him. Surely, he is only demonstrating what he perceives and understands at that point of his development. This also is but an expression, a guise of the One.

To remain calm and at peace under all circumstances is man’s duty. To form a bad opinion of a person just because one has heard some gossip about him is wrong. Hostility, condemnation, abusive language, ill-feeling and so forth, even if kept concealed within one’s mind, will and must fall back on oneself. Nobody should ever harm himself by harbouring such thoughts feelings.

To dwell in the joy that springs from the mind’s constant occupation with things divine is man’s duty. Thinking of anything other than God is what creates sorrow. Be it mantra japa, be it meditation, worship, perusal of sacred texts, the simple awareness of God or a like device, be it kirtan or religious music — all these are different modes of being in the divine Presence. One should always remain engaged in one of them, in fact never be without Him. Bear in mind: This is what this little child requests from her friends and also from her fathers and mothers.*

* Mataji often speaks of Herself as a little child and ‘mother’ , calls children and unmarried people Her ‘friends’ and married people ‘father’.

How can this little girl possibly leave her father? Even if he pushes her far away, this obstinate little child will still be with him. The father will have to realize that such is the nature of his little daughter: in fact all her father’s qualities are to be found in her and he should make her use these very qualities in the service of her ailing father.

If one feeds upon the things that aggravate the disease, is it not natural that the illness should grow worse? Medicine will have to be taken and also a change of air will be beneficial*.

[ * The illness obviously here means ‘bhava roga’, the disease of every man who looks upon himself as a separate individual. The medicine to cure this disease is sadhana. A change of air signifies a change from worldly surroundings to satsang, the company of sages, saints and seekers after Truth.]

They imagine this body [Mataji usually refers to Her person as ‘this body.] to be far away but actually it is always very, very near. How could it possibly leave anyone? The question of distance arises solely from their point of view. Whenever they can get a holiday let them come and meet this body.

No matter what work one undertakes, it should be done well. If one cultivates the habit of doing everything well, there is fair promise of one’s doing likewise on the spiritual path. The action is He, - and the doer of the action is He and no other. At all events one should make an attempt to develop this attitude of mind. Truth — in the presence of which illusion is recognized as illusion — Truth, THAT Which IS, has to be made one’s own.

So far as this body is concerned, nobody ever commits an offence against it and therefore there can be no question of asking this body’s forgiveness. Nevertheless you will most certainly have to reap the fruit of what you have done. But this body does not feel even the faintest shadow of anger about it.

To tell the truth, while some people undoubtedly do approach this body in quest of Reality, very many come only to get their desires and longings fulfilled.

Although he has had such unmistakable proof of what the true nature of the world is his heart is still in it? At this juncture he should try his utmost to pledge himself solely to service, regarding whatever he does as service to the Lord. Ask him at all costs to make a resolute effort against letting his mind become entangled in anything pertaining to this ocean of sorrow. It is attachment to the world that has brought such deep distress to the unfortunate man. Nothing but ignorance is at the root of it all. He should continue to give news of himself to this body in any way he is able, for he has no one to whom he can confide his troubles and afflictions, which — one and all — are but the results of his past actions.

By sorrow does the Lord dispel sorrow and by adversity does He destroy adversity. When this is done He sends no more suffering — this must be borne in mind at all times.

In very truth, the Eternal’s offspring must centre their thoughts on Him. Divorced from Him there cannot be even a prospect of peace — never, never, never. By abiding in God man will find peace, the veil will be rent, and the Dispeller of Sorrow stand revealed. He alone is the conqueror of evil, He is yours, the sole treasure of the human heart.

Do not keep concealed within yourself what weighs on your mind. If you write it all to me freely and frankly, your heart will be unburdened even more. Father, why have you kept it suppressed within yourself for such a long time? To confide it to this body (Mataji) brings relief, does it not? Truly, this body belongs to all; for this reason it behaves and speaks, as far as possible, so as to fulfill the needs of the people with whom it deals at any particular time.