Who You Already Are
What beats in the heart of every single human being is a bliss that neither words nor the mind can reach
Children, many people ask Amma, "What is the true dharma of humankind?" In fact, the goal of human birth is simply to know oneself-to realise the answer to the question "Who am I?"
Fulfilling this dharma is what makes our lives different from those of animals. Animals-even worms and insects-are born, grow, reproduce and die, just like humans. However, because they adhere to their dharma and live according to the laws of nature, they are not creating new tendencies and karmic bonds.
On the other hand, humans do just the opposite, and because of this, we are constantly making ourselves and those around us unhappy. This goes on and on until one day we finally fall prey to death. In this sense, human beings can be said to have fallen below the level of animals.
A mahatma once asked a visitor, "What do you do for a living?" The man replied, "I'm a clerk." "What is your next level of promotion?" "I'll be promoted to senior clerk." "And after that?" "I will become the assistant to the department chief." "And after that?" "I could become the department chief." The Mahatma said, "That is great. What will happen after that?" "I can become the vice president." "Great!" exclaimed the mahatma, patting the man's shoulder. The mahatma paused, thought for a while, and then said, "Hmmm... I was just thinking, what could you become after that?"
By this time, the visitor's patience had started to fray. He began to speak a little louder, "If I'm fortunate, work hard, and am able to muster a little political influence, I could probably become the president. Is that enough?"
The Mahatma did not miss a beat. "What about after that?" Finally, the visitor lost all his patience. "What do you want me to say?" he shouted. "Do you want me to become God?" The mahatma burst out laughing, "Child, finally you gave me the right answer! But know that you don't have to become God. You already are God. You just have to realise it." Thinking that we are this body, mind, and intellect, we have become completely identified with them. We have to go beyond and experience the truth, "I am the omnipresent consciousness of God that pervades within and without."
You may wonder, "If that is true, does a dead body also have consciousness?" Children, even if an electric bulb goes out, the electricity flowing into the bulb is not destroyed. The tool that manifests the electricity has stopped functioning-that is all. Similarly, a dead body cannot manifest consciousness, but it is utterly incorrect to say that the all-pervading Atma is not present in the dead body.
Atma has neither a beginning nor end. It is imperishable and unchanging. It is our true nature. Understanding and experiencing this truth is the ultimate dharma-the real goal of human life. The more we imbibe and become one with this truth, the more peace and happiness we will experience in life. This will lead us closer and closer to a bliss neither words nor the mind can reach.
Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, known simply as Amma, is a spiritual master and humanitarian who has given her darshan in the form of a motherly embrace to more than 4 crore people. Listening to the cries of the suffering, Amma leads an NGO that reaches across more than 50 countries, working in the areas of healthcare, disaster relief, education, gender equality, and environmental restoration; Views presented are personal.
