IndiaPost.com - Who was greater, Buddha, Rama or Krishna?

Those were good old days, when there was no road to Jillellamudi, no build-ings, no telephones, no water supply, no electricity and blurring of loud speakers. One had to walk from the 7th mile with his load on his back or head.

Many a time, one had to wait thru keen deep or even neck deep waters with all the attending perils of unseen thrones, rocks, pits and reptiles. But at the end of all that, the presence of Amma more than compensated all his toils.

Only a staunch and determined few braved all these trails and tribulations and enjoyed unforgettable moments of bliss in the proximity of Amma, and Amma alone. Unlike now, there were no disturbing and distracting things or thoughts.

On one such beautiful clear moonlight night in 1959, a few brothers and sisters clustered around Amma, seated on a low uncomfortable cot and narrating stories in such a humorous way that everyone rolled with myth.

Among those present was a student of Hindu College, Guntur, he expressed an opinion: Amma! 'In my view Buddha is greater than either Rama or Krishna? What do you say?' After a pragmatic silence of a few minutes Amma said; In my view you are as great as either Rama or Krishna or Buddha.

Those present thought that Amma was making fun of the questioner. But she was not. She continued; 'Rama came with a purpose. He has completed and he left. So did Krishna or Buddha. They played their allotted roles. So will you. I find no difference.' A hush fell on the audience. For a while no one spoke, moved or breathed.

They were all trying bridge the wide conceptual gap, each in his own way. A word of caution. This is not equate those incarnations with mere mortals. It is just to highlight the dizzy height at which Amma stands from where all the hills and dales look alike.

Amma always said that what ever she said was out of her experience. Her sayings are direct, down to earth practical and even scholars wondered at the depth and content of her pithy sayings which are seemingly simple. They are characterized by an unrelenting emphasis on

* The immanence of God as this entire world-play of forms, and God's transcendence as the formless;

* A complete equanimity and contentment over what happens in the world; and

* A nondual devotion toward God as the Cosmic Principle with the realization that "All is HE, All is HIS doing." Here are a few:

'Responsibility'

Responsibility is itself suffering. If we do not think "I am doing", but rather I am merely an instrument", then even twice the amount of work is painless responsibility.

'Happiness'

Happiness arises in the mind, not in the possessions. It is the mind that thinks, "I have", or "I lack". It is the mind that wants; and it is the mind that feels satisfied with whatever is available. A mind, which thinks otherwise, experiences suffering. To want anything that is not available is sorrow. Contentment is happiness".

'Worship'

Although we dimly perceive that there is ONE which is infinite, we cannot grasp it with our minds and worship IT; but we can perceive IT in a limited form and offer worship.

So form is necessary. When you worship a form or symbol and deeply contemplate, how can the feeling for your own divinity not grow in you? This is what happens in the worship of form. I don't mean that one gets that result only in the worship of a form or symbol.

Whatever the activity-cooking meals, farming-if that same 'Bhava' (one pointed attitude) is maintained, the result will be the same. In all kinds of worship, the result depends on the 'Bhava' one has. Ultimately, one should have the same 'Bhava' no matter what activity one is engaged in.

'Saadhana'

What ever you do in your daily routine with attention and devotion is 'Sadhana'. You often hear it said that That (the Real) is real and This (the world) is an illusion. I say that This is also real. If you do everything as His work and as He would have you do, what else is there to be desired?

Excerpted from the book 'Mother of All'