I picked up Michael from the Ashram’s guesthouse at 08:00. We drove to Tasty’s Cafe for breakfast, then to Satsang with Amma.
The weather has reverted to grey and cool. The air is dense with moisture. Muddy roads lead to the ashram. Yet these are not obstacles for people attending Ganga Maa satsangs. The room is close to full but comfortable.
Amma enters the room and the feeling of grace is so present. Amma brings an expression of serenity and joy. When she sits, she is smiling and slowly connects with each person in the room
There is silence and it remains for a long period.
Then a woman seated to the left shares her experience with focusing – I feel the focus on objects stretching out like elastic and identifying with it. But I also see that this elastic focusing quality can come back and come to rest. Is this focusing mechanism also the mind?
Amma gently replies: By focusing, you mean attention? When the attention is focused on objects it is the mind. When the attention is turned within, it is awareness. True awareness is without focus. It is awareness itself and that is your nature. Awareness requires no effort. Only the mind seeks to direct that awareness outward which requires effort. Otherwise, you are that awareness itself.
Next a woman from the floor shares in her recent experience with work, she recognized she was at peace and everything went smoothly when she was not attached to the results: I had full acceptance of each moment arising. But since having this clarity old patterns keep coming back and I don’t like it. Is there anything I can do to be in a state of non-attachment to results?
Amma replies: There is no fixed answer to the question. The truth is that you are learning from each experience. It happens experientially.
Next, a man on the floor in front of Amma asks how he can relax the mind and body.
Amma says with a smile: I don’t know about any technique. When you rest in the awareness, everything is relaxed.
Shortly after, a man sitting on the floor is keen to share his experience with Amma. While walking last night there was a moment of clarity: I felt I was no longer in India, and the restaurant where I was eating was within me. It was so simple. And I realized it has always been this way. He credits Amma for giving him this conviction. Then together with another man, they sing a song to Amma. Amma sits quietly.
Amma continues: What is acceptance? Not having any resistance within is acceptance. Being in awareness is being in full acceptance of what is happening around you. You have no control over what happens around you like the recent cyclone here which did not require anyone’s acceptance to happen. The acceptance is never an outward action but it is your inner state. Whatever action has to be done, will happen through you. And that action will be more effective when you are in total acceptance.
Amma looks at the wall clock, quietly says okay and leaves.
The dirty roads are still very muddy and there are many puddles. Then we had a short ride to Shanti Travels, Michael needed to recharge his mobile data for his phone. There I met Kumar for the first time. Gopika was talking about him, she had known him for many years. He is married to a German woman and lived for three years in Berlin. We talked for a while in German, and he didn’t answer my emails while I was in Portugal, looking for a ride from Chennai to Tiruvannamalai. A very friendly man anyway. He excused himself several times, sometimes they were just very busy. It’s OK.
For lunch I was again in Garuda Restaurant, it’s like home cooking there, just four tables for guests. Namuda is such a kind woman and she loves to cook healthy stuff, always delicious. My life in Tiruvannamalai is somehow a life between Meditation and good food. I really enjoy it to be here. After lunch, I visited the first time the lake close by here. It is overflowing as well, as you can see in the photo above.
I had a long nap then, for 3 hours in the afternoon. Later I was just in Sathya’s for a Pizza. Wednesday and Saturday are Pizza days. Freddy, the guy from Denmark, was there, and a guy from Canada, I forgot his name, will ask him again.
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