Finding God: Selections from “Sad Vani – A collection of the teachings of Sri Anandamayi Ma (vegetarian),” Part 2 of 2

Let us continue with selections from the book, “Sad Vani: A collection of the teachings of Sri Anandamayi Ma,” recorded and translated by her devotees Bhaiji and Atmananda respectively, where the devoted Saint gives guidance on how to be close to God.

“All creatures are fundamentally one, for the whole universe is a manifestation of the One. A man who hears the word ‘Himalaya’ without having actually set eyes on the mighty range, will be under the impression that it is but a single mountain, whereas once face to face with the Himalayas he will realize that they consist of hundreds upon hundreds of peaks, stretching over hundreds of miles, with milliards of trees, animals, birds, insects, with streams and waterfalls. Similarly, the farther one advances or the deeper one penetrates on the path of sadhana (spiritual exercise), the more clearly will be perceived the One revealed in the many and the many in the One.”

“So long as speech has to be employed, use your words sparingly. Listen and try to assimilate what others say, and only when necessity demands, utter a few words measured out in homoeopathic doses, as it were. Have you not noticed that where large quantities of allopathic medicine fail, a few drops of homoeopathic medicine sometimes work wonders. What is the hidden motive behind talkativeness? Is it not to display superiority or erudition or else to defeat someone by argument? The force of action is much greater than mere words. Superficial conversation and discussion will not take you far.”

“‘Who am I?’ Once you sit down and ponder seriously over this question, you will soon discover that all the book learning that you have crammed into your brain in school and college, and all the practical experience you have gained in active life, are not of the slightest help in solving this question. If you want to discover the origin of the sense of ‘I and mine’ you will have to alter the whole course of your thinking, and give your undivided attention to the search for Truth. Whenever the mind starts wandering, it must be firmly brought back to concentration upon the source of the ‘I’. This is the means by which to arrive at Self-realization (Atmd darsana).”