Come to know who you really are

November 26, 2005 — Dublin International Airport, Ireland

The sun had not yet risen when Amma entered the Dublin Airport, but several of Amma’s devotees from Ireland were there waiting. They wanted to see her once more before her departure for America. The two days Amma had spent giving darshan in Dublin had not been enough. The sadness showed on their faces. In fact, dozens of Amma’s children from throughout Europe had come to see Amma off–some of whom had been traveling with Amma for the past six weeks. The look in their eyes was the same as that in the eyes of Amma’s Irish children: six weeks… it had not been enough.

Amma still had some time before she had to board her flight, so she sat down on one of the chairs in the airport’s waiting area. Her children sat at her feet. One lady from London, sitting directly in front of Amma, could not control her tears. When Amma saw her eyes filling, she pretended to be shocked, perhaps trying to get the lady to smile. For some time, everyone was silent. The feelings were beyond words, so Amma just gazed out at everyone, her reflection shining in each of her children’s eyes.

It was an Irish woman who spoke up. “Now that Amma is going way, what can we, Amma’s children do, to keep feeling close to Amma, to keep Amma in our heart, even when she is physically away from us?”

“Put in efforts to know who you really are,” Amma said. “When we look into a mirror, we do so to try to become someone else. But we need to look into our Self to see who we truly are. If we can come to know who we truly are, then we will always be with Amma.

“In the past there have been many problems in this country. Amma prays that no more come in the future. All of you should try to live in unity. The sun shines down, and its image reflects in a thousand different pots filled with water. The reflections are many, but they are each reflecting the same sun. Similarly, when we come to know who we truly are, we will see ourselves in all people. It is Amma’s prayer that you all succeed in this.”

The question had been about Amma’s Irish children, but Amma’s answer applied to her children from all over Europe, from all over the world. Only when we realize that our Self and Amma’s Self and the Self of all of humanity are one and the same, we will go beyond all suffering, all sorrow, all repulsion,  and all delusion.

-Kannadi