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Amma Kidd and Avi discuss the significance of collective prayer, the transformative influence of a guru, surrendering to God’s will, and the interconnectedness of all creation. Amma emphasizes the importance of “seeking first the kingdom of God” by going within, and always and forever “rising above”. Amma Kidd is a former secretary to and long-time devotee of Swami Satchidananda, and a beloved pillar of love and faith in the Yogaville community.

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(1) Episode 100 | Amma Kidd | Go Within - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlysJDeC1JI

Transcript:
(00:00) foreign [Music] I realized the other day was like when I was a child going to to synagogue yeah oh how lovely and but it's the type of synagogue that I really want to go to is the spirit yeah it's the spirit I'm all for Kirsten you know when two or three are gathered Jesus Christ said that's what I am and that is collective prayer and the scriptures say that God inhabits the phrases of his people is going on the presence of God is being Contour or downloaded whatever the right word is so you can feel it
(01:05) at least I do and I could have clearance morning noon and night hmm yeah and it makes such a difference that it's in Sangha that it's with other people right can never be that powerful I think just by yourself or maybe it would just be different but there's something so special about playing with others it's not just that something nice it's spiritual law it's a law when two or three are gathered in my name God says that's where I am so we're not only two and three we're a big group
(01:55) what does it mean to be gathered in God's name it means satsang through them the true meaning of satsang the company of the of the truth for the truth in the truth so it's all about the truth it's all about the truth I mean you know Sanga can be we we're you know we're in a party or or in a group but sat sang set is gathered in the name of God In The Name Of Truth and what is true I think that is a question that we need to go within each one of us and find out because that's where it is in India they have a name for God you've
(02:50) heard that David means go in they don't have a name for God like we do God they don't have it in India Beyond a name they they it's a name and it says just go within go with it that's what they say and so is that what you would say you practice doing going within are you practicing going Within are you asking me yeah of course that's what meditation is all about yes the kingdom of God I know the scriptures say seek ye first the kingdom of God and all the rest will be added unto you it doesn't even say find
(03:48) first the kingdom of God just make it your first priority seek first the kingdom of God which is within you and all the rest will be added unto you the kingdom of God is within and without mainly if we don't have it within we can't see it without is that what's happening within is directing what I see and what I take in yes yes I mean if you have heaven in your heart gurudev said you can be in the midst of hell and experience Only Heaven and the reverse is also true if you have hell in your heart you can
(04:40) be in the midst of heaven and experience Only Hell but if I if I go Within and seek truth will that lead to heaven I'm sorry will that lead to heaven if you go within you will find truth which is a person that has Heaven in their hearts then I have heaven in my heart if I do that then I find the heaven in my heart like you're saying that's right Abby you know they say that we are here on this Earth to find God you know but I like to think that we are here on this Earth to to manifest God because we were created in the image and
(05:38) likeness of God so we are here to manifest also not only to to seek so I can then I can feel the divinity that is myself that I am a part of God I can do that at the same time arrogance seems like a danger on that path so to also maintain humility simultaneously it's basic without humility we are putting a wall Avail very thickly humility
(06:40) what is humility humility is knowing that only God is acting there's nothing to take credit for nothing yes only God is it if we think that way our entire approach to life changes even little things like uh taking the car going somewhere or looking at yourself in the mirror [Music] if you have that at your attitude God is in charge God is acting that higher power whether you call it God or whatever then life becomes easy and a joy I'm so happy that males are real and to remember that oh
(07:53) isn't that word [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign how they came to be in yoga will
(09:24) no gurudev was in Europe many many many years ago I think it was Belgium but I don't know if that is correct and uh he was staying in a hotel and probably the hotel didn't have air conditioning so the windows were open and about a block away from the hotel was this church that rang these bells and he he loved them be it he loved these bells so maybe you don't remember the little tape recorders the tiny tape recorders so he took this little tiny tape recorder and put it on the window and recorded this that church which
(10:14) prevails and so these are our Bells here a little tiny tape recorder with a and one day we were walking with him and I said gurudev did you record those valves because that is a sound that you hear within yourself and he said yes most certainly and this is a very good recording so it has connections that seem to be external but they are internal from the consciousness of the guru he was he was the he was the he was the teaching and the word made flesh [Music] what do you mean by that that he wasn't the Incarnation of of
(11:10) what he was talking about it was not only talk it was the living has to be right yeah the living what it has to be yeah well it has to be that he was the living walking breathing it's easy to say something to just say it well it's easy yearn to say it but actually to embody it to be it a whole other level right he was a living walking breathing love of God that's what he was that's what he is how would you describe the change in yourself before meeting gurudev and after I would say
(12:16) like being asleep and waking up like being in a stupor and being completely alive of being uh focused uncertain on a certain path or in a certain way and experiencing not just believing with my head but experiencing the universal principle that he was sharing transmitting not only believing it mentally but experiencing it I owe that to his training and to his darshan is it the love
(13:22) the love that that you felt that you experienced you felt a pureness of love from him that you hadn't yet experienced well I wouldn't say that I had not yet experienced it but I would say that I experienced it in a different way in a more expanded way Without Limits and did he inspire you to move further along yourself on your path absolutely absolutely that what was it all about I remember when I first started being a disciple of his he said if you trust me speaking about God realization he said if you trust me
(14:24) this can happen very quickly if you don't trust me take your suitcases and go because you could be here 20 years with no results whatsoever though I trusted him in what ways do you feel that you yourself have progressed how have you progressed Quantum leaps and consciousness that continue we are dealing with a truth that is infinite it doesn't just be realized there and stop we are dealing with a truth that is infinite so nobody can say even the greatest Saints I have arrived do you think that's what maybe
(15:24) all if not many of them understood that there's no end that this keeps going there's always more to learn more to progress you can become enlightened and then become more enlightened yes what is the question I mean do you think they that that was kind of essential to to be a a saint or a sage to understand that there isn't an end that's right that it's infinite as you say yes gurudev said all the ways rise above from where you think you are let's say that you that you realize that great truth that
(16:12) you want wanted to realize and now you realize it oh really well then rise above there is more and then you go to the more rise above keep on Rising keep on Rising is infinite and I think back to what you were saying before acknowledging that there is nothing to take credit for that this is all God's will everything that's happening so being in that space truly feeling that that seems to me where you know at least for myself I have the most work to do there to remember that because I because I forget
(17:15) okay it's a human nature the human the human identified ego to forget and that's okay too though right that's a part of the process that's also a part of it yes um very sticky part when I when I in Connecticut there was a long time ago when I first started being gurudev's disciple uh sometimes he would send people to me to to share with me their problems and to expect from me some some counsel I never knew what I said after the visit let's say you came to me with some and I we would speak together
(18:15) when the visit was over I never knew what I said I never knew it was like blank all I knew was that creation had taken place and then some big change had happened and uh because I never studied any psychology or things like that so I so when people came to to me to to visit with me if they had any problems I would have to go into a space Within Me and say uh I don't know anything I I have no training but gurudev sent them to me so he must know what he's doing and then and then I spoke and I never remember what I said but I always felt
(19:18) that creation had taken place and from that change in my consciousness I began to live with a little Vote or that I even said to myself give all of your life every moment of your life Give It All even when I'm putting lipstick on give it that's Rising above Rising above give all of your life every moment of your life and above the rising above something happened very beautiful that he he led me into this state of consciousness that was that was Universal so this is why having a guru is so priceless oh so when I returned or whatever from
(20:19) that state I began to thank him and I said thank you gurudev there is so much joy so much joy I said to him thank you I don't even know how how to thank you and then he said the trick is to make it permanent so I asked him do you have any suggestions and he said yes always rise above from where you think you are let's say that that you or I or anybody has realized the big truth that you've been wanting to know about and then you realize it you feel so happy rise above it becomes more and then you continue
(21:17) rise above and you continue to rise and rise and rise it's a different game it's a different game because I think it has nothing to do with anyone else that the the Trap often can be you know if if I have a wonderful experience of life or maybe I have many of them then I compare myself to another human being that's a different and that's satisfying something inside of myself that maybe is insecure this this is something else that has nothing to do with anyone else it has to do does it have to do with
(22:07) making the most of our time and this opportunity yes I would say that's a great part of it yes do you think that awe is the most appropriate response to life what I'm sorry oh yes Wonder yes yes and when you are filled with wonder you are you can't help it but we filled with praise and with gratitude yeah do you feel grateful right now yes very grateful me too I feel that I'm being blessed very grateful to be with you to exchange our thoughts to experience the love between you and me that is connected with the universal
(23:11) love it's a miracle of joy and when we rise above when we practice doing that it seems then that we can meet in a different place absolutely uh let's say that the two people are together one is here the other one is here out of this one comes a ray of light out of this one comes a ray of light they meet here and that is the truth of the relationship that is okay it's neither good or bad if it comes out like this comes out like this is simply right the Lord our righteousness is neither good or bad it's
(24:10) it's just right true yes that's right and is that is that what you know truth is one paths are many is about is acknowledging there's there's different ways there's different methods yes we can meet at the truth you can read it the truth it's like a soup you make a soup and then you you eat it is that what God's doing yeah huh for a person who might be struggling to find what is my purpose in life what should I be doing with my time what might you say to them well of course depending on the person
(25:06) each person is in a different state but I would say go within and have faith in the fact that there's always a plan a unique plan for everything for the universe for the Earth for each one of us and with faith called forth for that let that divine plan that is on heaven in heaven my divine plan that is in heaven manifest on Earth through my life for the glory of God and the blessing of mankind it's never for ourselves everything is about service even our own realization is not about us being realized we'll get realized for
(26:05) the benefit of the whole creation yeah yeah I think of gerdev saying why am I eating what am I why am I eating for the benefit of all creation if everything that he did to be aware of that yes everything that you do that was his teaching the first thing he would ask what is the benefit of this about anything anything a person okay what is the benefit that's the first question he would ask if there's no benefit for anybody that action is valueless always that wasn't the thing he would ask what is the benefit of this
(26:59) even objects what is the benefit it seems like such an obvious question to ask I know well you know uh everything about life is like that if the the let me find the words the human consciousness has a foot life a little and decided drawers if you want to laugh go to the theater and see a comedy if you want to worship God go into a building if you want to everything is constrained in the human consciousness they say for instance gurudeva for instance
(28:02) we'll go to a movie and he would laugh at all the wrong places and they say that Ananda moyama was like that also she would just laugh and the other people didn't know what she was seeing but she it's a different type of consciousness would laugh at all the wrong places in the movies so even even to see a movie and ask what is the benefit of me watching this movie to be inspired to laugh because I feel healthy and then I can do more service yeah service feels like this great discovery to really truly be aware
(28:53) that my heart that's what my heart wants oh Bobby I love you I love you too yeah but I mean you're seeing things so clearly that's why you can ask questions thank you this is wonderful what made you what inspired you to do this type of work I was observing after moving here all of the bright lights that were around and I thought that I knew that people would benefit from hearing Someone Like You you see benefit right that's what gurudev would ask what is the benefit yeah so that was a wonderful um Discovery and a wonderful purpose for
(29:58) you to do this because you're serving others yeah it's amazing that what happens at the same time though when I'm doing that I feel I'm also serving myself at the same exact time yes we are one yeah do you know that when we eat we can feed thousands or whatever we do because is the law of the one there's only one one spirit so what we do for ourselves we're doing for everybody eating sleeping taking a shower so would you say that what you're feeling inside yourself is always having an effect also
(31:03) on the outside it's vibrating something is happening in exchange every gurudev said you are a universal being until it dends in you that every act every thought every movement every anything that you do is affecting the entire universe he also used to express this thought in a different way he would say we are the babysitters of the universe one day having lunch with guests I said that is a very profound thought to think that we are the babysitters of this world and he said I didn't say that Rama I said we are the babysitters of the
(32:02) universe until it dense in you that every thought every action every feeling of yours is affecting the entire universe the galaxies the entire thing so that is a very profound thought because imagine how that inspires you to be as pure as you can unselfish because we are affecting the whole thing yes that's what I say so when yeah when a person is experiencing cleanliness and the purity of love that Purity is having an effect on the cosmos every moment everyone everything this is Who We Are so
(33:06) when we think that way that is so uh inspiring and conducive to live our lives in in the in the purest way in the and I think why I ask it too is it seems on a cultural level there's a lot of emphasis on Words and actions and that's what my question is would it be wiser to focus on the feeling and then the words and the actions take care of themselves the feeling gives them a meaning they're feeling world this is why foreign we were speaking this morning I think uh almost the entire Humanity I mean in
(34:16) general is acting from a mistaken identity mistaken identity and the purpose is to find our true identity because we are identified with with a Persona with the person not with a being in ourselves so let's take an identity you know when you see all the changes that are happening in the world today people trying to faint not to change their sex their organs and all kinds of things it's just the same thing they're trying to find identity the same situation yeah identity identity it's a very important
(35:15) word oh yes with whom with what are you identifying so it's possible to identify with the Oneness yes with the Divine yes or to identify with the uh with the separation does it we live in a Quantum world and so wherever we put our attention on that's what we are creating yeah quantum physics I think about it with children you know that that's the the best example of the creation of the identity of Separation yes right you're this is your name you're this person care about how you look care about how other people think about
(36:10) you it's okay because it's here but the possibilities of a different way exist whoa being a parent is such an incredible position to be in because you have to be a parent to be a good parent you have to to be uh what is the word that I'm looking for transparent or something it has to be the example yeah I mean I feel that yeah and I know that the culture is going to have its effect and all of that it's finding a balance maybe accepting and also but all of it happens naturally like you
(37:13) said when I'm Letting Go to my actions are not mine [Music] what about you do you feel that you are expressing or living your Dharma yes [Music] [Music] [Music]
(38:31) [Music] [Music] is he happy we spoke about your Dharma and the bell's friend in Celebration of your Dharma would you like to ask me again would you like to ask me again the question have you do you feel that you are in your Dharma [Music] I think I could answer on two levels
(39:37) uh-huh one of course how could it be any other way okay good the on the other level there's always more there's always more and there's a movement happening I I equate it to cleanliness a lot right and and also of course service I believe that all of us have the same Dharma like what you spoke of and its service is to do something beneficial yes if I get quiet and I ask uh so yeah there's always more work to be done to get more clean to remember that I'm a part of something that I am not separate
(40:31) because I'm still getting caught all the time in the separation so I practice remembering you're still remembering and and getting free from the getting caught yeah yeah you say I am getting free and free and free and free yeah that's a perfect answer and trying to see it as a game as play yeah that will also help me that is helping me yes no a light a sense of lightness uh and gratitude really feeling it that it can all end right now not at all but this incarnation of yes myself and that that's okay to really be okay with
(41:30) that it's not always easy uh but yeah to have fun I see a major difference between looking at this as something I have to get through like I'm suffering it's kind of slogging through life and then the other way is that this is the most amazing opportunity well the number one that you just mentioned is pure ego it's your human ego it's a anything that squeezes us that limits us has to do uh with our human ego you know in the prayer we say let all be free from suffering and in my mind I'm adding let all be
(42:18) free from the ego which is the only thing that causes suffering and the human ego the ignorant eagle because you if you're identified with your higher self there is no judgment there is no there's no suffering is there fear no fear we were created to be beings of Faith because we are created in the image and likeness of God and one of the names of God is faith so we live by faith say even when great fear comes what is that is Faith and what we don't want but it's still faith without face a faith I would say it's
(43:17) impossible to live your Dharma no that's right faith is the force the Victorious Force that overcomes the world in this moment it feels as necessary as water In This Moment yes it feels as necessary as water yes look at your eyes [Laughter] such a joy such a joy but it's so true about meeting together you know and how we influence each other yes I mean when I'm around you it's different I feel supported oh how wonderful yeah praise God thank God yeah love God praise the Lord
(44:22) glory to God and to me the Stillness Stillness that's where I feel God the most so I wonder do you consider you know how much time in silence how much time in using words being Expo listening to words that of course words are are beautiful and we can share like this and listen to things but it's important to you not to overdo it and and to feel well balanced with space and words there is the great great silence they're like different levels of Silence but when we go into the great great
(45:26) silence that's where all the wisdom is [Laughter] great great silence who is the one who said was it one of those Greek philosophers all I know is that I don't know anything letting go yes letting go of the need to know that's great that's great I think no of the need to know I must remember that [Laughter] how about prayer how would you define what prayer is and for someone maybe who would like to start praying as a
(46:31) practice in their lives how might One start prayer is just communion we mean to pray for other people what do you mean whatever however you define prayer How would how would you define what prayer is and how can you start praying but prayers when we meditate and we commune that's prayer then there's another level when you send good thoughts we don't have to to kneel down and pray but when you send good thoughts to a person or to situations to stamp when stamp them with perfection through the imperfect to keep on
(47:19) stamping things with the Perfection of God with a perfection see that's a very different understanding of of prayer I would say then what is common often the prayer is praying for something I want this to happen right it seems that there's ego there I think I know what is supposed to happen well and then you're telling God what to do yeah so not that kind of prayer prayer no that is just uh human thinking so as you said stamping this is God this is God this is the universal law seek ye first look would you start the kingdom of God
(48:15) is within you seek first the kingdom of God and all the rest will be added unto you imagine it doesn't even say find the kingdom of God it just says seek first make it your first priority and everything else will be added unto you and where is the kingdom of God within you yeah the kingdom of God is within you seek ye first the kingdom of God make it your first priority and all the rest will be added on to you AMA thank you and thank you for always Rising above we're writing above together sweetheart thanks for listening if you've enjoyed
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