Wherever Amma has gone in the world, people have asked: “Don’t you ever grow bored of giving darshan and listening to people’s problems? Don’t you ever wish for a change?” But where there is true love, there is no boredom. In true love, everything is always new. A mother never grows bored of loving her child. We often hear mothers of 30, 40 and 50-year-olds saying, “Oh, he’s still my baby”.
A mother’s love never dries up. On the other hand, houses, cars and other expensive objects eventually lose their novelty. The sun never tires of spreading its light. The river never thinks, “I’m tired of flowing. I want a break.” The wind that caresses everything it passes, never grows bored. This is because to shine is the sun’s very nature; to flow, the river’s; to blow, the wind’s. Similarly, love is our true nature. As soon as we realise that, boredom will have no home in us. Everything will be eternally fresh and new.
True love is always fresh. In true love, we see the inner beauty that is the essence of the universe. In reality, it is the atma—not the body—that is the source of an object’s charm. We are attracted to the physical body only because it shines with a spark of the atma. This is why when we see a corpse, in which that shine has become unmanifest, our attraction is replaced by fear. Only love founded in a spiritual understanding is eternal.
Will anyone say, “I will breathe only around my friends and relatives; I will not breathe in the presence of my enemies”? Inhalation and exhalation are continuous involuntary activities. If they stop, life will come to an end. Love is also like this. Similarly, for one who has completely assimilated the teachings of the spiritual masters, love and compassion are a constant flow.
It is lack of love that is causing boredom to spread like an epidemic. Family disputes and divorces are becoming commonplace. Greed is goading people to commit selfish actions. All of these are due to our lack of spiritual understanding. Whether at work, home or anywhere else, pure love should be our driving force. When this attitude takes birth, our growth will naturally commence. Unfortunately, in today’s society this attitude is dying.
Love is light. The luminosity and vitality of love is our real nature. Within each one of us there is a love waiting to rise. All we need to do is allow it to shine on us. Then, the darkness plaguing both ourselves and society as a whole will be dispelled. Boredom will vanish, and we will find happiness and peace in every situation.Once Darkness approached God and said, “I’ve never wronged the Sun in any way. Yet wherever I go, he follows and chases me away. Why does he constantly harass me like this?” God summoned the Sun and asked him, “Why are you unnecessarily troubling Darkness?” The Sun asked, “Darkness? Who is that? I’ve never heard of him. Take me to him and I will apologise!” God looked around for Darkness, but he had vanished. It is said, that to this day, God has not been able to sort out this problem.
Darkness and light cannot meet because darkness is nothing but the absence of light. Just as darkness disappears when the sun rises, so too when love rises, the darkness in our hearts will perish. There is so much goodness in Nature. The earth so patiently bears all of us. The sun gives us light. The trees absorb carbon dioxide and give out oxygen. Lakes and rivers provide us with water to quench our thirst. The air allows us to breathe. Human beings are part of Nature. Our origin is from it. Only if there is a new start can new things be done. Praying that my children are able to achieve this.The writer is a world-renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian