Q&A: Avatars
Avatars
Question: Avatars are incarnations of the Divine come to Earth to help her creatures. Is each Avatar an incarnation of an aspect of the Divine, or of the total Divine?
Mother Meera: God and the Avatar are in one way the same and another way different. The Avatar comes from God and has the power and Light of God. But we can differentiate because the Avatar has a human body while God has no form and yet all forms. Each Avatar is a manifestation of a part of the Divine, of Paramatman. (A1, p40)
Q: What is the relation of Avatars to each other and to the Divine?
MM: Each Avatar can be considered as one facet of a diamond and at the same time the whole diamond. What we see is one facet, but the whole diamond is behind it and around it. (A1, p41)
Divine Mother
Q: What is the difference between God, Shakti and the Divine Mother?
MM: Paramatman is everything; the Shakti is only a part, only a small portion of his power and Light. Paramatman creates everything, and the Shakti, Gods and Goddesses protect the creation. The Shakti is more powerful than the Divine Mother. The Shakti has no form, although we may imagine her having one. She is worshipped separately from Paramatman and is independent of our prayers – what she wants to do she will do. The Shakti cannot be controlled; when we worship her we can only surrender. On the other hand, the Divine Mother answers our prayers. She has love for humans and protects them and promotes harmony and peace. (A1, p20)
Q: Although the Mother has always been present, it seems that now mankind in the West is becoming increasingly conscious of the Mother on a large scale.
MM: People have always worshipped both the Divine Mother and God. Ordinary people have always believed that the Virgin Mary, for instance, is divine even though only lately the Church has formally recognized this. The importance is to open to the Divine; whether it is the Shakti or God doesn’t matter. (A1, p22)
Gurus
Q: Should we follow gurus?
MM: It depends on the guru. In exceptional circumstances, a guru might be necessary, even vital for spiritual development. Generally it is best to pray to the Supreme directly, or approach Him through one of His divine incarnations. That is more useful. If any human guru is giving you teachings that bring you closer in your heart to the Divine, listen and be grateful and follow them. But be clear about the limitations of all human gurus. They can only point the way; they cannot take you there. If you want to see the Divine, why don’t you ask Him directly? (A1, p47)
Mother’s Work
Q: You have brought down the Paramatman Light to help speed the work of world and individual transformation. Is there an aspect to your work other than that of bringing down the Light?
MM: I have come to say that all paths are as good as each other and all lead to the Divine, and that 11therefore the various believers should respect each other’s ways. For example, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and other religious people can believe and follow their own faith, but should not hate or fight others’ faith. People who follow any path can come to me – I help them to remember the Divine, and give them peace and happiness when they are in trouble. (A1, p11)
*A1 refers to Mother Meera, Answers Part 1 , A2 to Mother Meera, Answers Part 2