Amma’s stories on respecting and preserving Nature

1.  Self imposed limit

[Amma: ” Somewhere, we have lost the discrimination to differentiate essential need from extravaganza.  If we take anything more than what is absolutely essential for our needs from Nature, it is adharma. It is a sin.”]

Once, early morning, a social worker was brushing his teeth near a river. He had brought a vessel with him in which he gathered some water from the river for the purpose of washing his mouth after brushing. He was accompanied by a group of fellow social workers, with whom he was discussing some important matters seriously.  When he was about to wash and rinse his mouth and face finally, he noticed that he had already exhausted the water in the vessel. He said, “Oh God! How careless I have been! Even before I completed my washing, I have already exhausted all the water”.

Listening this, others could not understand why he was regretting like this. One of them said, “Why are you lamenting like this? Here is the river running full with water and you can always fetch some more water to complete your washing!”

The man said, “The river may be full; but I don’t have the moral authority to take more than what I truly need”.

[Amma: ” If only we all develop such a social awareness and moral stand as this social worker, we can definitely drive away poverty and deaths due to starving from the face of this earth”.]

(From Amritam Gamaya – Malayalam – Vol 2)

2. Very Old Technology!

Once a boy was going on a walk with his grandfather. The boy said “Grandpa, soon our scientists will find a technology to convert Carbon dioxide to Oxygen.”

The grandfather laughed and said, “It is a very old technology, existing almost ever since creation, my boy! It is called ‘Tree’!”

(From Amma’s 67th birthday message 27/9/2020)

3. Back to Nature

[Amma: “In the present times,  it looks the whole humanity is the grip of  absent mindedness. Man appears to forget all good things on things that beautify the mankind.  While saying this Amma remembers story….”]

Once, in a public Park, a young man  was crying like a little child. Getting pity on him,  a passerby approached  him and asked, “What happened? Why are you crying?”

Sobbing, the young man said, ” My mother is at home;  she is extremely affectionate to me;  she will always make foodstuff that I relish; If I behave adamantly, She would pacify me and at times even feed me with her own hands; Sometimes I throw tantrums like a little child, and yet my mother won’t mind it. She will do whatever I want  and even sing and dance for me;  my mother is indeed my lifeline…”. Saying so, he started crying aloud again.

Hearing this, the passerby said, “You are indeed so lucky to have such a mother;  In fact, you should be happy for getting a mother like her. Why cry? Has anything wrong happened to her?  Is she alright?”

“My mother is alright;  only I have a problem.  I have forgotten where my house is” said the young man.

[ Amma: “We are like the  young man in the story.  Mother Nature is like the  home or mother in the story. We have to get back to nature. Unfortunately the forgotten  how to return to the nature.”]

(From Amma’s birthday satsang 2022)