Last month I visited Amma at the M.A. Center in Castro Valley, California. On the last night of programs, I attended the Devi Bhava puja, which is a special ritual dedicated to World Peace. Devi means Goddess and Bhava means mood or state, so on Devi Bhava nights, Amma dresses in full Devi costume, and many devotees stay up all night watching her give darshan (hugs/blessings), listening to the soul-stirring bhajans (devotional songs), and communing with other beloved seekers.

I have attended many of these all-nighters, and over time I have fine-tuned my staying-awake-tricks, such as well-timed caffeine. A cup of coffee at midnight does wonders. While sitting in the snack shop sipping coffee, I reviewed the notes that I had taken during Amma’s talk earlier that evening. (After the special rituals, including the blessing of water that they distribute to all present, Amma then gives a talk.)

As I read and re-read my notes, I noticed that early in the talk Amma said that we are always alone, but then later in the talk, she said that we are never alone. At first it seems like a contradiction, but when you study her words more closely, you then understand how it’s yet another instance of how opposites can both be true. I’ll transcribe a few of the notes here for you to contemplate:

“Sorrow comes from a misconception that others will love us back if we love them. Worldly love is selfish – we are always alone. Understand this and accept everything with a smile.

“Often there is a delay between actions and their results, so it makes it hard for us to make the connections. Fate is mysterious. Karma is a subtle aspect of life, so it’s difficult to understand. Karma, like life, is cyclic. Good actions to others help remove some karmas, and some karmas lessen with sadhana (spiritual practices)…

“(But) some karmas just have to be lived through. Get strength to remain joyful through life’s problems. We are never alone – God is always with us. Knowing this, then we get self-confidence and inner strength.

“Life is a blessing – think of life as a journey back to our innate state of God-Consciousness: when ugliness is transforming into Beauty, pain is inevitable – if we have the strength to face pain, then we can be transformed… Let’s all Love & Serve each other, and let’s become One. Let’s become lamps to the world… May God’s Grace help us to reach this goal.” ~ Ammachi, Thanksgiving evening, November 2010

(It is a big task to be the scribe of such a great soul – I apologize if I’ve made any errors in relaying Amma’s words here.)

May all beings have food, clothing, shelter, peaceful sleep, and spiritual upliftment each day.

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Teja having coffee after midnight (at Amma’s snack shop) taken by Punyavati.