INDIA AWAITS...

India is not just geography or history. It is not only a nation, a country, a mere piece of land. It is something more : it is a metaphor, poetry, something invisible but very tangible. It is vibrating with certain energy fields which no other country can claim. For almost ten thousand years, thousands of people have reached to the ultimate explosion of consciousness. Their vibration is still alive, their impact is in the very air; you just need a certain perceptivity, a certain capacity to receive the invisible that surrounds this strange land.

It is strange, because it has renounced everything for a single search, the search for the truth. If you come here with a little bit of a meditative mind, you will come in contact with it. If you come here just as a tourist, you will miss it. You will see the ruins, the palaces, the Taj Mahal, the temples, but you will not see India - you will have passed through India without meeting it.

It is not coincidental that whenever anybody is thirsty for truth, suddenly he has become interested in India, suddenly he has started moving towards the East. And it is not only today, it is as old as there are records. And down the centuries, seekers have been coming to this land from all over the world. The country is poor, the country has nthing to offer, but to those who are sensitive, it is the richest place on the earth. But the richness is of the inner. This poor country can give you the greatest treasure that is possible for human beings.

THE DREAM OF THE BUDDHAS HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO REMIND YOU OF THAT WHICH HAS BEEN FORGOTTEN, TO AWAKEN THAT WHICH IS ASLEEP IN YOU.

(Taken from India My Love by Osho)

AMMA'S ONE DAY

In Amritapuri, Amma typically comes to the darshan hall around 11:00 a.m. and immediately begins giving darshan. People from all walks of life, from all countries, of all ages, of all cultures, religions and economic backgrounds come to Amma. And it doesn’t matter if they are a Nobel Prize Laureate, a Grammy Award-winning musician, a politician, an 80-year-old man, a two-year-old child, a poor person or even a leper—Amma is always able to go to each person’s level, relate to them and communicate with them. Each person receives the same kindness, undivided attention and motherly love.

And Amma is not just physically embracing the people. She is also listening to their material problems, giving them guidance and answering their doubts regarding spirituality. And this is not only with regards to the people coming in the darshan line. To Amma’s left and right are also queues of people—the ashram residents, disciples and devotee-volunteers who manage Amma’s various educational and humanitarian organizations. They, too, have their questions. It’s common for there to be actual meetings right at Amma’s side, with Amma fully taking part, as the darshan continues. It seems Amma is able to intelligently discuss any topic—be it spirituality, economics, psychology, medical science, biotechnology, computer science or the heartbreak of a teenager. And, please, remember, this is someone who, ostensibly, has only a fourth-grade education.

Not to mention the long-distance meetings! Charitable-project managers in far-off places often call to get Amma’s direction. Devotees who are sick or in the hospital and others also call. Amma will speak with these people on the phone, pausing every now and then to ensure that each person coming in the line also receives her undivided attention—whispering into their ears, listening to their problems, drying their tears. It is truly something to see—Amma offering her service to the world, literally in all directions at once.

Then come the first-feedings—babies who come to get their first solid food from Amma’s hands. Following that are the first-writings—children who come to be initiated into the alphabet by Amma. Dozens of such children come every day. Amma does upanayana samskara for Brahmana children, bestowing them with their first sacred thread and initiating them into the Gayatri mantra. When requested, she even baptizes Christian children. And of course she gives mantras to all who ask. And these mantras are not always Hindu-centric. One can ask for any type of mantra—mantras centred on Hindu gods, on Buddha, on Allah, Christ and the Virgin Mary. Amma will give Jain mantras, Jewish mantras, Sikh mantras… People can also ask for mantras oriented upon formless expressions of God and abstract concepts of the divine such as love, light and compassion, etc. Amma never forces anyone to take a mantra based on a deity.

And while all this goes on, of course the darshan continues… Lunch passes by, and Amma does not eat. Dinner passes by, and Amma does not eat… Amma does not get up… She just remains there, taking person after person into her arms. Her stamina and energy never wane. She is as bright and shining 15 hours later as she was at the beginning. She only stops when each person has had a chance to interact with her, stretching the hours longer and longer, doing whatever she can to give each person the most attention possible. Often, before concluding, Amma even sends people out to scour the hall to see if there is anyone left who has not had a chance.

Only when the darshan finally ends, 15 or so hours later, does Amma finally stand up and walk back to her room—the same small, one-bedroom apartment she has lived since 1983. But, there, she doesn’t go to sleep. Anyone can see that her light remains on. Amma is on the phone, further discussing the details of various humanitarian programs run by the ashram—the disaster-relief programs, the houses-for-the-homeless programs, the pensions-for-the-poor programs, the orphanages, the free-medical-care programs, the scholarship programs, the environmental-protection projects… And there are also all the letters to read—the letters that come via the post office, that come via email, via her websites, the letters that are thrust in her hands during darshan, that are brought by other devotees on behalf of other people, that come from students at the university, that come from faculty, that come from disciples, that come from devotees… Amma spends time each day going through as many letters as she can. Amma’s attendant has said that Amma is even reading these letters while she is brushing her teeth.

Amma also manages to find a few minutes here and there to practice new devotional songs, which these days are often written in languages other than Amma’s mother tongue. Regardless, in order to make the devotees who speak those languages happy, Amma manages to find a few minutes here and there in her busy schedule to learn these songs, painstakingly taking the time to perfect the pronunciation.

And when Amma is touring foreign countries, her accommodation is very simple. Often her makeshift resting area is just a small locker room, tucked in the basement of the noisy program hall, without even a window or any form of air-circulation. Why? So as not to waste time that could be spent giving darshan in travelling back and forth from the hall to a devotee’s house. And even if the program is located at a nice hotel, as they often are in the U.S., Amma will still sleep on the floor just as she does in her room in Amritapuri. Amma’s way has always been one of simplicity.

And when it is finally time to lie down for a while, the sun is already up. Does Amma sleep? Maybe an hour or two, her attendant says, but it’s not a deep sleep—more like just resting the body. Anyway, a few hours later Amma is up again, reading more letters, getting ready for the coming day’s darshan, which will begin any moment now.

—Sneha

Namashivaya! ♥

Amma says...

“Just having a respectful approach to everything can bring about a huge transformation in our society and in the world. To rise triumphantly in life, we should begin from the bottom. To build a tall tower that stretches to the sky, we should start by building a solid foundation down in the earth. It is humility that makes us rise high. It is respect that gives one real power.
“We should live our life in a manner that is helpful to both ourselves as well as to others. God has given lightening just a few moments of existence. So too a rainbow. Some flowers blossom just for a single day. The full moon lasts only till sunrise. A butterfly lives for only a few days. However during their short existence, they give so much beauty and happiness to the world. Amma prays that we learn from their example and try to use our lives to make this world an even more beautiful place. 

Let us color our lips with words of truth. 
Let us trace our eyes with the anjana (‘kajal’ or traditional eyeliner) of compassion. 
Let us adorn our hands with the henna of good deeds. 
Let us bless our minds with the sweetness of humility. 
Let us fill our hearts with the light of love for God and all of God's creation.

Like this, may we transform this world into heaven”.

Om Namah Shivaya

Amrita Yoga and so much more...

I first went to Amritapuri Ashram in December 2010 for one of the first Amrita Yoga Immersion retreats. Amma had just developed her yoga program and I was very excited to get to experience yoga under Amma's guidance and grace. To study yoga under the guidance of a living master is a precious, rare opportunity and a true blessing. Amma has given us Amrita Yoga to feed our souls, to open our hearts, to help us understand our true Divine nature and the gifts we each have to offer the world.

India had been calling from deep within my soul for more than 20 years and finally I got to answer the call. Arriving at Amritapuri after 2 days of non-stop traveling truly felt like a home-coming. I felt immediately welcomed and at peace. My heart rejoiced! Many people who first come to Amritapuri are very pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere and feeling of spiritual well being enveloping this birthplace of Amma's. Leaving after two wonderful weeks of yoga, meditation, satsangs and bajans with Amma was the hardest thing I have ever done. My heart is constantly aching to return!

I have always felt very drawn to Krishna. From a young age, growing up in Durban, South Africa, I was fascinated by the Hare Krishna's that one would see dancing and singing in the streets. I often wanted to follow behind them and join in their rejoicing. My love for Krishna was not something I understood as, having been raised a catholic, I had not been exposed to him or his teachings. But my heart understood love and eventually led me to Amma. From the moment I first laid eyes on Amma I knew I had found my Divine Mother and in her arms I surrendered.

I believe this experience of unconditional love that Amma gives us, this outpouring of bliss and Divine grace is something that every human being should get to experience at least once in their lifetime. It is an experience I would like to share with as many people as I can because I know how life changing it can be. No matter what you walk away from Amritapuri with, you can be sure that in some way, big or small, your life will change.

Om Namah Shivaya