I tried to test Her greatness in several ways. I remember one such incident. During one of the Krishna Bhavas, I was standing near Amma and fanning Her. I noticed how She made everyone feel extremely happy. Every half hour, She would walk a few steps to the door of the temple and gaze at the bhajan singers and devotees who were sitting outside and unable to see Her. I wanted to check if Amma could see things that did not fall within the range of Her direct vision. I tried to do something without Her knowledge. A vessel full of banana pieces that had been kept as prasad for the devotees caught my attention. When Amma walked to the door, I quickly took a handful of the banana pieces and swallowed it. I then remained where I was, and acted as if nothing had happened. When Amma returned, She looked at me and smiled. That look revealed to me that She knew what I had done. Amma took a shawl and, with one end, tied both my hands together. She tied the other end of the shawl around Her waist and made me stand near Her for the next five hours. It was sweet punishment. But this only encouraged me to engage in more mischievous actions.
When I was studying in middle school, I went to a flute concert. It touched my heart. I wanted to learn how to play the flute. However, my father did not allow me to do so. He did not want me to divert my attention from my studies. I became very sad. One day, there was a festival in a nearby temple. I saw a man there playing the flute beautifully; he had many flutes for sale. I bought one and tried to play it myself. But it was extremely difficult. The only sound I could hear was that of my own breath passing through the flute. I wanted a teacher to teach me to play the flute. My grandmother told me to pray to the divine flautist, Lord Krishna, and that He would teach me. I believed Her. I went to a Krishna temple and prayed to Lord Krishna to become my flute Guru. As if in answer to my prayer, I was suddenly able to play simple songs. I became excited. But in the house, I could play the flute only in my father's absence. Later, he started to enjoy hearing the flute and even asked me to play for him.
I wanted to test if Amma could remember how I learned the flute with the blessings of Lord Krishna, and if She would recognise my flute while She was in Krishna Bhava. One Bhava darshan day, I covered the flute with a newspaper and brought it to the old temple where Amma used to give darshan. I showed it to Amma and asked whether She could identify what was inside. She smiled and said, "You tell me, my son." I replied, "I already know what is inside, but I want to hear it from You." But She insisted that I tell Her. Finally, disappointed that Amma had not been able to tell that it was my bamboo flute, I told Her what it was. Then She said, "It is not a flute, My child, but a packet of incense sticks." I said, "No, it is my flute and I packed it myself." Amma asked me to remove the wrapper, and all the devotees were watching the scene with great curiosity. I removed the newspaper covering and, instead of my flute, I was shocked to see a brand-new metallic cylindrical incense case, full of incense sticks! I couldn't believe my eyes. How could such a thing happen? I mentally asked, "Are You a magician? Why did You turn my flute into a case of incense sticks?"
I did not want to test Amma any more, but I really wanted to get back my flute, which was very special to me. I asked Amma, "Please tell me where my flute is." With a mischievous smile on Her face, She replied, "It is in the puja room of your house, behind the painting of Krishna." I returned home immediately, went inside the puja room and searched for my flute. I found it exactly where Amma had said it would be. "How can it be?" I wondered. I tried to recollect the events. That day, after I had packed the flute and was about to leave the house, my mother had called me from the kitchen. She wanted me to eat breakfast before I left, but it was too early and I did not want to eat. She insisted, so I went to the kitchen after keeping my flute on the living room table. It was exactly at that time that my father came back from the shop, having purchased a cylindrical case full of incense sticks, which was also wrapped in newspaper. He also put it down on the living room table and went to the bathroom to wash his feet before entering the puja room.
After returning from the puja room, instead of taking the incense packet, he inadvertently took my flute and kept it behind the painting of Krishna, which was the usual spot where he would keep incense. After returning from the kitchen, I picked up the packet of incense sticks, thinking it was the flute that I was going to use to test Amma. I was totally unaware that She had already exchanged packets, playing a joke on me, instead. Then I realised that it is not possible to understand Mother, who is even more mischievous than I. At least I was happy that I did not lose my flute forever.
When I was studying in middle school, I went to a flute concert. It touched my heart. I wanted to learn how to play the flute. However, my father did not allow me to do so. He did not want me to divert my attention from my studies. I became very sad. One day, there was a festival in a nearby temple. I saw a man there playing the flute beautifully; he had many flutes for sale. I bought one and tried to play it myself. But it was extremely difficult. The only sound I could hear was that of my own breath passing through the flute. I wanted a teacher to teach me to play the flute. My grandmother told me to pray to the divine flautist, Lord Krishna, and that He would teach me. I believed Her. I went to a Krishna temple and prayed to Lord Krishna to become my flute Guru. As if in answer to my prayer, I was suddenly able to play simple songs. I became excited. But in the house, I could play the flute only in my father's absence. Later, he started to enjoy hearing the flute and even asked me to play for him.
I wanted to test if Amma could remember how I learned the flute with the blessings of Lord Krishna, and if She would recognise my flute while She was in Krishna Bhava. One Bhava darshan day, I covered the flute with a newspaper and brought it to the old temple where Amma used to give darshan. I showed it to Amma and asked whether She could identify what was inside. She smiled and said, "You tell me, my son." I replied, "I already know what is inside, but I want to hear it from You." But She insisted that I tell Her. Finally, disappointed that Amma had not been able to tell that it was my bamboo flute, I told Her what it was. Then She said, "It is not a flute, My child, but a packet of incense sticks." I said, "No, it is my flute and I packed it myself." Amma asked me to remove the wrapper, and all the devotees were watching the scene with great curiosity. I removed the newspaper covering and, instead of my flute, I was shocked to see a brand-new metallic cylindrical incense case, full of incense sticks! I couldn't believe my eyes. How could such a thing happen? I mentally asked, "Are You a magician? Why did You turn my flute into a case of incense sticks?"
I did not want to test Amma any more, but I really wanted to get back my flute, which was very special to me. I asked Amma, "Please tell me where my flute is." With a mischievous smile on Her face, She replied, "It is in the puja room of your house, behind the painting of Krishna." I returned home immediately, went inside the puja room and searched for my flute. I found it exactly where Amma had said it would be. "How can it be?" I wondered. I tried to recollect the events. That day, after I had packed the flute and was about to leave the house, my mother had called me from the kitchen. She wanted me to eat breakfast before I left, but it was too early and I did not want to eat. She insisted, so I went to the kitchen after keeping my flute on the living room table. It was exactly at that time that my father came back from the shop, having purchased a cylindrical case full of incense sticks, which was also wrapped in newspaper. He also put it down on the living room table and went to the bathroom to wash his feet before entering the puja room.
After returning from the puja room, instead of taking the incense packet, he inadvertently took my flute and kept it behind the painting of Krishna, which was the usual spot where he would keep incense. After returning from the kitchen, I picked up the packet of incense sticks, thinking it was the flute that I was going to use to test Amma. I was totally unaware that She had already exchanged packets, playing a joke on me, instead. Then I realised that it is not possible to understand Mother, who is even more mischievous than I. At least I was happy that I did not lose my flute forever.
Amritasya Putraha - By Swami Purnamritananda Puri (ammas senior disciple)
