PATH OF THE MOTHER

Whoever comes into the River of Love will be bathed in it, whether the person is healthy or diseased, a man or a woman, wealthy or poor. Anyone can take any number of dips in the river of Love. Whether someone bathes in it or not, the river of Love does not care. If somebody criticizes or abuses the river of Love, it takes no notice. It simply flows.
--Amma

Many years ago Amma sent one of her young disciples, Rao, into hiding in the Himalayas to protect him from harm. Rao would later become known as Swami Amritatmananda. What follows is Swamiji's account of his extraordinary adventure, after he had met a young sadhu at a festival in the Himalayas. The sadhu welcomed Rao into his home, a tiny cave on the Ganges River, there to chat and meditate together.


Swamiji Amritamananda, noting that he had not told his fellow seeker about Amma, recalled his conversation with the sadhu: "I asked him, 'Who is your spiritual teacher, your guru?' Surprisingly, my friend said, 'I don't know who my guru is.'

"I found his answer to be strange because he was doing very good spiritual practices. I wondered how it was possible that he didn't have a guru. Then he told me, 'Of course I have a guru, but I don't know who that guru is.' Again I found his answer to be very unusual, so I asked,'Could you please explain what you mean. How is it you have a guru, but you don't know who that guru is?'"

Swamiji Amritatmananda's eyes glowed like lakes on a full moon night as he continued his story.

"My friend told me that he had left his home in Southern India at an early age, wandering in the Himalayas searching for a guru, but never finding one.

"After coming upon an empty cave, he settled there. Daily he practiced meditating on light, something he had learned from books.

"One early morning while he was meditating he saw an enormous light, like a thousand or ten thousand suns. Slowly, slowly the light reduced in size, finally taking the shape of a human being. He stared at the light, as slowly, slowly it came toward him. Gradually, the light turned into a form covered with a white sari.

"After some time a figure emerged (a black lady draped in the white sari.) With a beaming smile, she walked toward him. Then, opening her arms in greeting, she said, 'Son, I am your guru. I am your guru. I came here to initiate you.'"

Recalling the incident, Swamiji was silent for a few minutes, gazing into space, eyes welling with tears.

"I got excited, certain the lady must be Amma. I pulled a small photograph of Amma out of my bag; I cupped the picture in my palm and held it in front of my friend. 'Do you know this lady? This is my guru.'

"As soon as he saw the picture, he snatched it from me, went into a state of ecstasy, and began dancing.I also was in a blissful mood. I don't know what happened, but I felt Amma's presence.

"After about an hour and a half, we returned to a normal state of consciousness. My friend was staring and staring at the photo. Then he nodded and said, 'This is the same woman who came to me in meditation.'

"For a long time we sat silently, with the sound of the Ganges River flowing..."