Three weeks ago, I was casually browsing through all the local newspaper's headline (I actually do that as a habit although I don't read most of the contents) when I stumbled upon a picture of a smiling Indian lady with her hands clasped in a prayer. The headline was "Time for Amma's hug". As I was attracted by the picture and the curiosity of why she is offering free hugs, I spent the next two minutes reading the full article. A tsunami of overwhelming joy overcame me and I was smiling incessantly after which I spent the next 2 hours googling away to find more information about her.
She was due to a make a public appearance a week later at a local shopping mall where she will be offering therapeutic hugs to all. Without hesitation, I rounded up my family and told them everything about Amma, the hugging saint. We blocked the date in our diary so we could all go and meet her in person. In a strange twist of fate, I didn't make it on that day. Instead I was invited to a Sai Baba's devotee house where stories of many incredible miracles happened (I will blog on this excursion at another time). My spiritual journey is just beginning and I'm blessed to be shown the many paths and the many miracles ahead of me.
The unforgettably calm and beautiful picture of Amma still lingers in my mind and I wish to dedicate this post to her.
About Amma
Amma, her full name Mata Amritanandamayi, is a spiritual guru who has endeared herself to millions of people around the world through her extraordinary acts of love and self-sacrifice. Amma has so far physically hugged over 28 million people from all parts of the world and many people have experienced healing and comforting experiences.
The below taken from http://www.amritapuri.org/amma/whois.php.
Many people wonder how a little girl from a simple South Indian village came to be known throughout the world as "Amma, the Mother of All." Motherhood, in its ultimate sense, has nothing to do with bearing a child, but with love, compassion and selflessness. It lies in totally giving one's self to others.
If we look at Amma's life, this is what we see—someone who has offered her every thought, word and deed for the benefit of others. Giving is the essence. It's just that when the homeless come crying for shelter and Amma gives them a house, we call her a "humanitarian." And when the sorrowful come crying for emotional solace and she gives them love, we call her a "mother." And when those thirsty for spiritual knowledge come earnestly seeking and she gives them wisdom, we call her a "guru." This attitude of selflessly serving all creation, knowing others to be extensions of one's own self, Amma refers to as vishwa matrutvam—universal motherhood. And it is to this pinnacle of human existence that Amma is trying to awaken the world through her life, teachings and darshan [divine embrace].
Questions about the nature of the soul, the universe and God; about dharma, love and family life; about meditation and other spiritual practices…. Amma has been clearing the doubts of sincere seekers on such subtle subjects since her youth. She never had a guru nor studied the Vedas, yet she speaks on the truths expressed within the scriptures with wisdom, clarity and true insight. Hers is not an academic knowledge, but the knowledge of one who is ever-established in the Ultimate Reality. It is for this reason that Amma's simple childhood home has become the spiritual home to thousands—an ashram where aspirants from around the world reside in order to imbibe Amma's wisdom and realize the Truth that is their real nature. The seeker is instructed as per his level—from the child to the sannyasi [monk].
Seeing the whole world as an extension of her own self, Amma is ever ready to forego her own body's needs in order to bring a smile to someone's face, wipe their tears or to simply listen to their sorrows. The sweet manner in which she laughs and jokes with people, shares in their success and failure has endeared millions to her throughout the world. In fact, many see Amma as their lifelong confidant and friend. Giving darshan in this manner is verily Amma's life—day after day, week after week, year after year. In fact, Amma has been doing so since she was just 17 years old, and she has been known to sit embracing people continuously for as long as 22 hours. Amma is able to make such a personal sacrifice because in her arms people feel safe, feel comforted, loved, feel that finally they've found someone who knows them through and through. And with that feeling they get the strength to move forward in life, and this, Amma feels, is infinitely more important than her physical needs. Be they young or old, sick or healthy, rich or poor—everyone receives the same unconditional love. Amma turns no one away. The atheist has just as much a place with Amma as the devotee.
For Amma, Advaita [non-dualism] is not a mere philosophy, but something to be lived. As such, Amma's every thought, word and deed resound with that greatest of truths: Everything within and without is divine. Accordingly, Amma oversees a massive matrix of humanitarian activities. Hospitals for the sick, homes for the homeless, disaster relief, orphanages, hospices, free pensions, suicide-prevention, employment programs… the list is endless. Influenced by Amma's example and experiencing her pure love, thousands upon thousands of people from around the world have been inspired to take up a life of service—giving whatever time or money they can spare in order to help others. It is the seed of love Amma has planted within them beginning to sprout that has brought this about. This has been Amma's vision from the beginning. Amma says, "In today's world, people experience two types of poverty: the poverty caused by lack of food, clothing and shelter, and the poverty caused by lack of love and compassion. Of these two, the second type needs to be considered first—because, if we have love and compassion in our hearts, then we will wholeheartedly serve those who suffer from lack of food, clothing and shelter." This is the secret behind the success of Amma's charitable mission and how its expansion seems to be constant and without end. And the brilliance of Amma's grand scheme is that not only are the downtrodden uplifted but also the volunteers, as the selflessness of their actions purifies their minds, helping them to gradually progress along the spiritual path. Amma's charitable social services cross all barriers of nationality, race, caste and religion, and have drawn the attention of the world community. In 2005, Amma's organization, the Mata Amritanandamayi Math, was given special consultative status by the United Nations.
Humanitarian, Mother, Friend, Guru, God…people see her differently. Amma has offered herself to the world. In reality, Amma is beyond all such roles, knowing her true nature to be the true nature of us all—the blissful divine consciousness that pervades this universe. But out of her infinite compassion, Amma comes down to the level of whoever is standing before her—the poor, the lonely, the seeker—in order to give what is desired, what is needed. It was for this purpose alone that Amma was born and for this alone that Amma lives today. In fact, Amma has said that she wishes to be lovingly caressing someone, consoling them and wiping their tears even when she breathes her last.
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1 comment:
As a kundalini practitioner and working with clairvoyants we took a peek at what happens to people when they are hugged by Amma.
Now remember that Amma is a living saint. Therefore her entire aura is golden red. Gold because she has achieved spiritual mastery and red because she has tremendous energy.
When she hugs a person, at that very moment, that person's aura is transformed and also becomes gold and red for the simple reason that she is within Amma's auric field.
As that person's aura changes any negativity or illness in that person which is seen as grey or black is immediately transmuted by Amma's golden red loving energy.
So people who have faith in Amma will experience a rapid healing. That's why we hear of healing miracles from people who have been hugged by Amma.
Regards,
Andrew Khor
http://www.khoracle.com
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