Mata Amritanandamayi famous quotes

Be like the honeybee who gathers only nectar wherever it goes. Seek the goodness that is found in everyone.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Love #Goodness #Nectar

Surrender and living in the present are one and the same.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Surrender #Live In The Present

The first step in spiritual life is to have compassion. A person who is kind and loving never needs to go searching for God. God rushes toward any heart that beats with compassion-it is God's favorite place.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Love #Spiritual #Heart

Many of us may have watched the waves at sea. They rise, then fall, then rise again, then fall again... and this cycle continues endlessly. It is the same with our experience of the world and its objects and relationships. We may find happiness, but this happiness will soon turn to sorrow. The sorrow that we feel will subsequently turn back to happiness but this oscillation continues endlessly. In order to maintain inner balance, we need to find peace within instead of depending on the external world.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Fall #Order

Our efforts to remove hatred and indifference from the world begin by trying to remove them from our own mind.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Hatred #Meditation #Effort

Those that have an attitude of service towards others are the beauty of society.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Attitude

Too much reasoning has spoiled the contemporary mind. People have lost their hearts and faith.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Heart #People

In this universe it is Love that binds everything together. Love is the very foundation, beauty and fulfillment of life.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Love Is #Together #Foundation

Don't be discouraged by your incapacity to dispel darkness from the world. Light your little candle and step forward.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Light #Darkness #World

Amidst sorrows, the only thing that enlivens us is optimistic faith. Never lose that faith.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Optimistic #Sorrow

Keep the child within alive. A child never tires of hearing the birds sing, never gets bored looking at flowers.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Nature #Children #Flower

Animals too experience sorrow, love, anger and other emotions.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Nature #Animal #Sorrow

Love sustains everything.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Love

Pure love transcends the body. It is between hearts. It has nothing to do with bodies.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Love #Heart #Body

Make a firm decision: 'Whatever happens, I will be happy. I will be strong. God is always with me.'
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Strong #Decision

When thoughts are reduced, power of the mind and its subtlety increases, tunes with the Universe. Then you can see the realms beyond the common understanding. When the mind is pure and quiet it becomes one with the universal mind. That mind is like a mirror. The secrets of the Universe will be revealed there.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Mirrors #Meditation #Understanding

When someone is full of Love and Compassion, he cannot draw a line between two countries, two faiths or two religions.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Love #Country #Compassion

Love and spiritual values received from parents are the strongest assets for a child to face the various trials of adulthood.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Children #Kids

We have nothing to lose by trusting the infinite power of the Self, except the bondage of our own ignorance.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Ignorance #Self #Infinite

True happiness is when the love that is within us finds expression in external activities.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Yoga #Expression #True Happiness

Children, we should simplify our life's needs and use the resulting savings for charity.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Children #Saving #Use

Children, when we go to the temple, do not hurry to have darshan, then make some offering and return home in a hurry. We should stand there patiently in silence for some time and try to visualize the beloved deity in our hearts. If possible, we should sit down and meditate. At each step, remember to do japa. Amma doesn't say that the offerings and worship are not necessary, but of all the offerings we make, what the Lord wants most is our hearts!
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Children #Heart

It's like pouring oil from one glass to another down a line - in the end, you don't have any oil left; it is all stuck to the inside of the glasses. This way, 1,000 dollars become 100 dollars by the time it reaches the people. Whereas if we get 10 dollars, we add our effort to it and the money multiplies.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Oil #Glasses #People

The heart sends blood to every cell of the body, and in this way the cells are nourished. The same blood then flows back to the heart. If the flow is obstructed, the person will die. We need to learn this process of give and take from the heart. For the benefit of others, and also for ourselves, we should have the attitude of caring and sharing. We are all links in the chain of life. If one link is weakened, it will affect the strength of the whole chain.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Attitude #Heart #Caring

Isn't it human beings who impart vitality to the image in the temple? If no one sculpts the stone, it doesn't become an image. If no one installs it in the temple, it does not acquire any sanctity. If no worship is done, it does not acquire any power. Without human effort there cannot be any temples. What is wrong then in saying that we should view great masters as equal to God? Temples installed by such spiritual masters have a special energy of their own.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Views #Effort

Renovating temples does not mean building great gate towers or receptacles for offerings. What we should focus on is the regular conduct of worship according to tradition, regular satsang, devotional singing, and so forth. Our devotion and faith give life to temples, not rituals and ceremonies. Children, we should remember this when we are involved in temple matters.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Children #Mean

Go out and serve the suffering. Learn to place others in front of yourself.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Suffering

Children, we should visit homes of the poor, orphanages and hospitals from time to time. We should take our family members along and offer assistance and look after the welfare of inmates. A word spoken with love and concern will give them more comfort than any amount of money. That will lead to the expansion of our hearts as well.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Children #Heart #Home

We should serve others without any expectations whatsoever. When others throw thorns at us, we should be able to throw flowers back at them.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Flower #Expectations #Thorns

Children, we should always eat our food sitting down. Do not eat standing or walking around.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Children #Food #Sitting

While eating, our attention should not be focused just on the taste. Imagine our chosen deity or guru is present within us and that we are feeding Him. This will turn eating into a spiritual practice.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Food #Practice

We give physical exercise to the body, but neglect the heart. The exercise for the heart is uplifting the destitute and the suffering.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Uplifting #Heart #Exercise

Children, we are told to make an offering at the temple or at the feet of the guru, not because the Lord or guru is in need of wealth or anything else. Real offering is the act of surrendering the mind and the intellect. How can it be done? We cannot offer our minds as they are, but only the things to which our minds are attached. Today our minds are greatly attached to money and other worldly things. By placing such thoughts at the feet of the Lord, we are offering Him our heart. This is the principle behind giving charities.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Children #Real

If we keep holding on to God, there is nothing to fear.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Holding On #Spiritual Life

Real success is gaining the ability to face situations in life with maturity.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Real #Maturity

Do no talk while eating.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Food #Eating #Eating Food

Death is not complete annihilation. It is a pause. It is like pressing the pause button on a tape recorder.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Buttons #Tape

The indicator of true knowledge is the ability to differentiate what uplifts us from what pulls us down.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Uplifting #Spiritual #Ability

Make use of all free time at the office and elsewhere for chanting your mantra or reading spiritual books. Avoid indulging in unnecessary gossip and try to talk about spiritual subjects with others.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Book #Reading

Intellectual prowess has its limitations. Thus, do not limit the scope of your learning to the realm of the intellect.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Intellectual #Limits

Whether we laugh or cry, the days are going to pass by. So why not choose to laugh?
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Laughing #Why Not

A true spiritual seeker should exercise control all the time, throughout the day and night.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Exercise #Night

The more intellectual you are, the more egoistic you are, and surrendering becomes more difficult.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Intellectual #Difficult

We should forgive and forget the faults of others. Anger is the enemy of every spiritual aspirant. Anger causes loss of power through every pore of our body. In circumstances when the mind is tempted to get angry, we should control ourselves and resolve firmly, 'No.' We can go to a secluded spot and chant our mantra. The mind will become quiet by itself.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Loss #Forgive And Forget

There is a lot of difference between offering a garland of flowers bought from a shop and one that we make out of flowers picked from our home garden. When we plant the flowers, water them, pick the flowers, make the garland and take it to the temple, thoughts of God alone live in our minds. The Lord accepts anything offered to Him with intense Love. When we buy a garland at a store and place it on the deity it is only a ceremonial act while the other is a garland of pure devotion and an act of love.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Flower #Home

Don't go empty handed when going to a temple or to see a spiritual master. Offer something as a symbol of surrender, even if it be a mere flower.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Flower #Temples

If we are not able to fix the Lord firmly in our hearts, even a lifetime of temple-going does not do us any good.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Heart #Able

Children, temples are places where, at least for a short while, the remembrance of God is kindled in our hearts which otherwise are totally immersed in worldly transactions.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Children #Heart

Money is not a problem, but unintelligent attachment to it is.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Attachment #Problem

The impermanent, which is the body, is given too much importance. The permanent, which is the Atman, is completely forgotten. This should change.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Body #Too Much

Unfortunately, the only meaning that society attributes to life today is an opportunity to make money.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Opportunity #Today

Don't get angry. Try not to speak roughly or use harsh words.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Trying #Use

As far as possible, everyone in the family should eat together.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Food #Together #Should

Nowadays everybody wants to become a leader. No one wants to become a servant. In reality, the world is badly in need of servants, not leaders. A real servant is a real leader.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Real #Leader #World

Try not to have any break in chanting the mantra even for a moment. Continue repeating the mantra while engaged in any task. Chanting in the mind may not always be possible at first, so in the beginning, practice japa by moving the lips incessantly-like a fish drinking water.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Moving #Drinking #Practice

When we raise one hand to say "bye-bye" we are gesturing that we are going apart from each other, whereas when we join our palms and bow our head, our hearts become closer.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Relationship #Heart #Hands

It is never a good practice to continue to sleep after sunrise. We should not think of staying in bed once we are awake; it increases laziness and dullness. Those who cannot decrease the amount of sleep quickly may do it in gradual stages. Those who do regular spiritual practice do not need much sleep.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Sleep #Thinking

Free from attachments to the past and worries about the future, a child expresses him/herself fully.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Children #Kids #Past

Children, those who are unmarried should conserve their vital energy by maintaining celibacy. To turn what we gain by this in to ojas (vitality), we also need to do spiritual practice. With increase in ojas, our intelligence, memory, health and beauty will also increase. We will gain lasting mental quietude.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Relationship #Spiritual #Children

Children, even if we lose a million dollars, we can recover it. If we lose one second, we cannot get it back. Every moment that we are not remembering God is lost to us.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Children #Meditation #Dollars

Married life, if lived with the proper love and understanding, helps awaken the feminine within a man, and the masculine within a woman.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Relationship #Men #Understanding

Once you learn the art of relaxation, everything happens spontaneously and effortlessly.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Art #Meditation #Relaxation

When you get up in the morning, let your first thought be directed towards God.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Morning #Meditation #Firsts

If you see deficiencies in others, your duty is to forgive instead of pointing at it.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Relationship #Forgiving #Duty

In most cases, worldly love ends in hatred and deep sorrow.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Relationship #Hatred #Sorrow

If japa is maintained, no useless talk during work will be possible. The mind will always remain peaceful. Modern day diseases are mostly psychosomatic. Japa will bestow good health to both mind and body.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Meditation #Peaceful #Mind

It is always advisable to obtain a mantra from a self-realized master. Until then we may use one of the mantras of our beloved deity like 'Om Namah Shivaya', 'Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya', 'Om Namo Narayanaya', 'Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare', 'Om Shivashaktyaikya Rupinyai Namaha' or even the names of Christ, Allah or Buddha.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Self #Names #Meditation

If we lose our money while traveling, think how frantically we search for it! In the same way, if we are unable to do japa even for a brief moment, we should grieve: 'Alas, Lord, I have lost so much time!' If there is such anguish, even the time we spend sleeping will not be wasted.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Sleep #Thinking #Grieving

Many people meditate in order that a third eye may open. For that they feel they should close their two physical eyes. They thereby become blind to the world. But the fact is that the third eye will never open. We can never close our eyes to the world in the name of spirituality. Self-realization is the ability to see ourselves in all beings. This is the third eye through which you see, even while your two eyes are open. We should be able to love and serve others, seeing ourselves in them. This is the fulfillment of spiritual practice.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Eye #Self

Writing a diary every evening before going to bed is a good habit. We can record in the diary how much time we have devoted to our spiritual practice. The diary should be written in a way that helps us see our mistakes and correct them. It should not be a mere document of other peoples' faults or our daily transactions.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Mistake #Writing

Look carefully at what is of value in others and respect that.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Relationship #Looks #Values

No matter who causes you grief, take your complaints to the meditation room, where your real friend is. In addition to your husband or wife, you should have a friend - and that friend should be God. Even if your husband or wife makes you unhappy, tell that to God, and not to anyone else. If your neighbor picks a fight with you, go to the meditation room and complain, 'Why did you let him treat me like that? Weren't you with me?' Open your heart and tell God everything. Then it becomes a satsang.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Relationship #Husband #Real

You can lead a truly spiritual life while remaining a householder. You will be able to enjoy the bliss of the Self, but your mind has to be on God all the time. Then you can easily attain bliss. A mother bird will be thinking of the young ones in the nest, even when she is out looking for food. Similarly, you have to keep your mind on God, while engaged in all worldly actions. The important thing is to be completely dedicated to God or the Guru. Once you have that dedication, the goal will not be far away.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Relationship #Mother #Spiritual

Children, everyone should try to wake up before five in the morning. The ideal time for spiritual practices like meditation and chanting is Brahma Muhurta. During this period, sattvic qualities are predominant in nature. Moreover, the mind will be clear and body energetic.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Morning #Children

Whatever work we do, our mind should be centered on God.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Mind #Should

Loving words and deeds are the best alms.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Deeds #Alms

Try to gather the strength to live as brother and sister after one or two children are born. This is essential for reaping the full benefit of spiritual practice and to make spiritual progress through mental restraint.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Relationship #Spiritual #Brother

Any pleasure gained by means other than mental control weakens the body.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Relationship #Mean #Body

If the desires are not controlled now, later they will control you.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Relationship #Desire

Children, not a grain of the food we eat is made purely by our own effort. What comes to us in the form of food is the work of others, the bounty of Nature and God's compassion. Even if we have millions of dollars, we still need food to satisfy our hunger. Can we eat dollars? Therefore, never eat anything without first praying with humility.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Children #Food #Humility

One who goes after the taste of the tongue does not get to know the taste of the heart.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Food #Heart #Taste

Do not use intoxicants of any sort. We who should be serving the world should not ruin our health by smoking and drinking. The money we waste on these things can be used for so many useful things. With the money we smoke away, we can buy an artificial leg for one who has lost a leg, pay for an eye operation for someone with a cataract, or buy a wheelchair for a polio victim. Or, if nothing else, we can buy some spiritual books for the local library.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Drinking #Food

The mental disposition of the one who prepares the food is transmitted to all those who consume it. Therefore, as far as possible the mothers should do the cooking for the entire family. If it is done while chanting the mantra, the food will benefit everyone in a spiritual way.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Mother #Spiritual #Food

In today's world, people experience two types of poverty: the poverty caused by lack of food, clothing and shelter, and the poverty caused by lack of love and compassion. Of these two, the second type needs to be considered first because if we have love and compassion in our hearts, then we will wholeheartedly serve those who suffer from lack of food, clothing and shelter.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Heart #Compassion #Two

Couples should abstain from sexual relations at least 2 or 3 days a week. Gradually try to reach a stage of celibacy most days.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Relationship #Couple #Trying

We should try our best to relieve the suffering of others in whatever way we can.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Suffering #Trying #Way

It is not good to give money to everyone who begs; give food or clothing instead. They may misuse the money we give for drinks and drugs. We should not give them a chance to err. Try not to see them as beggars, but as God himself.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Giving #Drug #Trying

Contribute to charitable projects like the printing of spiritual books so that they can be sold at a lower price. Poor people will then be able to buy and read them. In this way we can help to cultivate spiritual culture in them also.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Book #People

In times of tragedies, our duty is to lend a helping hand to those in grief and thus light lamps of kindness and compassion.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Kindness #Grief #Compassion

A seed has to get buried in the soil for its real form as a plant to emerge. Only through modesty and humility can we grow. Pride and conceit will only destroy us. Live with the firm attitude, 'I am everyone's servant.' Then the whole universe will bow down to us.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Attitude #Real #Humility

When one has truly imbibed spiritual qualities, they will spontaneously be reflected in one's thoughts and actions.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Quality #Action

If you perform your work viewing it as your dharma, your actions become sacred.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Sacred #Action #Dharma

As long as her hands can move a little bit and reach out to those who come to Her, Amma will continue giving darshan.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Moving #Hands #Giving

Consider any work you do, as work coming from God's will.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

Just as the right hand comes to dress the wound on the left hand, we should see another person's sorrows as our own and come to his or her aid.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Hands #Sorrow #Left Hand

Children, we must cultivate reverence towards all great masters, monks and gurus.
-- Mata Amritanandamayi

#Spiritual #Children #Monk