#ammachi

Amma: The bond you have forged with a particular deity over lifetimes is in your blood. You need to meditate on the form of that deity only.

Question: How can we discover who that deity is?

Amma: When some people fall down, they spontaneously cry call out "Krishna!" In previous lives, Lord Krishna must have been the ishta devata (the preferred form of divinity) of those who feel more attracted to Lord Krishna than to other divinities. In that case, there's no need for them to meditate on Devi. They need meditate only on Krishna. […] Children, if you have been meditating on the form of Lord Krishna until now, continue with that. You must imagine Him to be one with all other divinities and the embodiment of all divine qualities. If you have been meditating on the form of Devi, continue doing so. Whenever you go to any temple, visualise your ishta devata there. Children, just because your mother's brother calls her "sister" doesn't mean she is not your mother. Everyone's bhavana (imagination) is different. One may address the Lord according to one's bhavana.

In dance dramas, it's the same dancer who wears different costumes to play different roles, isn't it? Is there any change in the man just because he wears different costumes? No. In films, how many characters the same actor plays. However, the actor doesn't change. God can assume any form, but He doesn't change at all. Even if one who meditates on Devi goes to a Krishna temple, it is alright for her to pray "O my Devi!" There is only one Self. The consciousness that inheres in the forms of Devi and Krishna is one. God will appear before us in a form that corresponds to our bhavana. If we imagine God as grass, He will appear before us in such a form. If we envisage him as a stone, He will appear as such, and if we think of Him as a buffalo, He will manifest as one. We can imagine Him in any form we like. The only thing is, we must have faith in that form.

Clay will take the form of the mould into which we pour it, but clay itself does not have any particular form. Even though water appears to take the colour of the bottle into which we pour it, water itself is colourless.

Question: In which spot should we visualise the ishta devata?

Amma: Children, visualise your ishta devata in the lotus of your heart or between your eyebrows. For the householder, the heart lotus is an ideal locus of meditation.

Question: Amma, how should we begin our meditation?

Amma: Visualise your ishta devata from feet to head, and from head to feet, gazing upon each limb in turn. Those who meditate on the form of Krishna should meditate on His feet, anklet, shin, yellow robes, bangles, the flute in His hand, garland of wild flowers, earrings, lips, eyes, crown and peacock feather, and then work your way downwards.

Just as it is done to the idol in the temple, imagine performing abhishekam, the ceremonial bath, to your ishta devata. First do abhishekam with water. Then use milk, sacred ash, sandalwood paste and flowers. Imagine dressing up your ishta devata with fine garments, and adorning Him or Her with ornaments. After that, mentally wave the arati flame before the deity. You can imagine the child Krishna running away, and you as Yashoda, his foster mother, running after Him. It is also good to sit and chant mantras or hymns in praise of your ishta devata. You must open your heart to your ishta devata. Keep crying out, "O Lord! Where are You?"

Mother — Whatever doesn't give you lasting peace, that is maya (illusion).

 Question — Is this universe maya?

Mother — Yes, the universe is indeed an illusion. Those who get caught in the illusion experience only obstacles and suffering. When you are able to distinguish between the eternal and the transient, you will clearly see that it is all an illusion. We say that the universe is maya. But if we choose only what is positive in our lives, we will not be bound by the illusion. This will help us to progress on the right path. Let us say you are out walking on a muddy ridge between two rice fields, and you slip and fall in the mud. You are covered with mud. To you, the mud is dirt that you want to wash off. But a potter walking that same way sees the mud as something useful. To him, the mud is an excellent type of clay, and he proceeds to use it for his work. To the potter, the mud isn't dirt at all. A woman gathering firewood in a forest comes across a stone. Thinking it is just the right shape, she uses it as a grinding stone. Another person, who knows a lot about stones, sees that same stone and recognizes it as a stone of special quality. He installs the stone in a temple as a divine image. He offers fruits and gems to the deity and worships it. But to those who do not understand its greatness, it is just a stone.You can cook your food on a fire. You can also burn your house down with that same fire. You can sew with a needle. You can also injure your eye with it. To a doctor, a scalpel is an instrument used for surgery to save a patient. To the murderer, it is a lethal weapon. So, rather than dismiss everything as maya, we should consider the real place for each object and use it accordingly. The negative side of things should be dismissed. The great sages saw only goodness in everything in the universe. Those who are fully aware of maya do not succumb to it. They protect the world. On the other hand, those who don't understand maya not only destroy themselves but also become a burden to others. They are committing a form of suicide. If you go through life accepting only the good side of everything, you won't view anything as an illusion. Everything has the potential to lead us to goodness.