By Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri, M.A.M., India

Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri is the senior disciple of Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Amma). As Deputy-Chairman he has been involved in all aspects of Amma’s charitable and spiritual movement for the past three decades.

What do you think the purpose of life is? This is a question all young people should ask themselves. Is it to change the world? Is it to become a success in business? In film? In politics? Is it to marry, have children, then build a big house and cram it full of stuff? Is it to become a millionaire?

I am not saying that these things are unimportant. They may be important. However, though not openly stated, most of us know that there is much more to life. Our relationship with people and our duty towards society and ourselves come first. The Mercedes, BMWs, Rados or Rolexes and Gucci shoes are just embellishments. However, people often get distracted and give more importance to such things than they deserve.

In fact, your real mission in life is not to change the world. Your real mission is to change yourself. That is the first and foremost thing. But for this to happen, there are no “outside” solutions, only inside solutions are available.

Have you ever been by the side of a dying person? What do they say?

“Give me 5000 euros right now!” No.

“Do you want to go see the new Brad Pitt movie?” No.

“Son, take good care of my old car.” No.

No one says such things. They say things like, “My children, love each other. Forget and forgive each other’s faults. And take good care of your mother; do not make Her feel sad.”

My point is that we are here to learn love. I would say love is the first and last step towards success. For all accomplishments in life, you need love. Love is the fuel that drives you forward in life. You need love to study and score high marks. You need love to become a good professional, sportsman, singer, actor, doctor, painter or a salesman. Even to be a good street-sweeper, you need love—a deep love to that particular area of work. But love is not passion. Love is a deep longing, whereas passion is superficial. In today’s world we mistake passion for love.

When I say “love,” it is not divided love. It is not the kind of love that compartmentalizes everything. It is the love that we experience when our mind is still and silent. In that love, born out of the stillness of our mind, you will find perfection—perfection in your word and deed.

Okay, another question: “What is your concept about love?”
Love is fearlessness. A lover is not afraid. He or She is fearless. Only love born out of fearlessness will help us face the challenges in life. But such fearlessness is not a product of the love that we see in today’s world. Because there is no true love in today’s world.

The love that we see and experience today is a kind of fleeting emotional upsurge. It comes and goes. It is like a contract. Break the contract and the love disappears. Real love never ends. It ever flows forth like a river. This is how Amma is. Her love is real. In fact, Amma frequently refers to life as being like a river. “Rather than becoming like a train track, I became like a river—constantly flowing,” Amma says.

In real love, if there are obstacles, you simply flow around them, like a river. If you have love in your profession, obstacles won’t be able stop you from attaining your goals. You will simply flow around them.
When you fall in love with an art, a particular field of action, you become relaxed; you remain open to all situations that field offers. Then learning becomes effortless. Then it is like an unfolding, a blossoming—like a flower opening up.

This can happen if someone falls in love with a particular field. But with Amma, it is different. Because Amma is not in love with something; she simply is love. Therefore she flows forth in all aspects of life. This is why there is so much beauty and charm in every one of Amma’s actions. Everything Amma does: darshan, serving food, laughing, walking, scolding, cutting jokes, playing with children, talking is done with such love, beauty and grace. The difference between our actions and Amma’s actions is the amount of love we put into them. Amma is able to imbue undivided and pure love into everything that she does.

Cultivating this kind of love is the real meaning of life.