Living and Learning in Amritapuri- Dec 15-18, 2014

December 15

After having so much emotion for the last two days, I was exhausted on the 15^th. By the afternoon, I felt really ragged. Amma was at the beach meditating with the ashram residents. My general practice is to go late so I arrive just before a question and answer period begins; I’m as avoidant of meditation as ever!

Sreejit was in the kitchen cooking, so I decided to take some papaya to him before I went to the beach. On my way there, a crow dumped on my head. Some people say that is a blessing, I think it was more likely a consequence for my choice to skip the meditation. Continue reading “Living and Learning in Amritapuri- Dec 15-18, 2014” →

Living and Learning in Amritapuri- Dec 7-9, 2014

Sunday December 7

Today was a public darshan day. Amma’s form of giving a blessing to those who come to her is to give them a hug. The crowds were larger than normal as she had been gone from the ashram since the beginning of October.

Amma started giving hugs at 11 a.m. and continued until 2:30 a.m. on Monday. Many groups sang bhajans during that time; it is quite a festive occasion. During the public darshan programs, those of us who are staying here have the opportunity to hand Amma prasad for a short period of time. The prasad that Amma gives those who come to her is a packet of sacred ash and a piece of candy. The prasad packets are bundled in groups of three and the prasad giver hands Amma the bundle. It is a good opportunity to practice concentration since Amma may need the prasad at any time; the range is probably between 10 seconds and 2 minutes. I do my best to never take my eyes off of her hand. I love this seva (volunteer work). Several years ago, my inner voice started spontaneously saying “home” every time I handed the prasad to her…..home, home, home. To me serving Amma in this way is home. Continue reading “Living and Learning in Amritapuri- Dec 7-9, 2014” →

Living and Learning in Amritapuri, India- Dec 4, 2014

Amma at the Vatican

What an amazing experience it was to be able to watch the of representatives of the world’s religions speaking and signing a Joint Declaration of Religious Leaders against Modern Slavery. (We were able to see a live stream from the Vatican program.) I felt so privileged to be able to witness that event. I pray that their goal of ending modern day slavery by 2020 becomes a reality. And hopefully it will also lead to healing friction between the various religions. Continue reading “Living and Learning in Amritapuri, India- Dec 4, 2014” →

My 2014 Journey to India Begins

I made it to India! I have been coming to Amma’s ashram in Amritapuri, India almost yearly since 1990. Amma (Mata Amritanandamayi) is an internationally known humanitarian and spiritual leader. Her network of humanitarian projects is vast; including hospitals, colleges, schools, vocational training programs, disaster relief, orphanages, environmental programs and much more. Amma’s form of blessing (called darshan) is a hug. To date she has hugged more than 33 million people worldwide. Even though Amma was born in a Hindu culture, when people ask her what her religion is, she responds, “My religion is love.” You can find out more about Amma and the humanitarian projects at Embracing the World.

Being with Amma (which means mother) is like coming home for me. When I am with her, I feel seen, known, and cared for, to the core of my being. My time with her is filled with lessons and life experiences. The lessons can be intense at times, but growth is always the outcome. During the next six weeks, I will be sharing experiences I have during my 2014-2015 visit.

My journey begins Continue reading “My 2014 Journey to India Begins” →

Crocheted Afghans for the Homeless

In 2004, Seattle Amma satsang members joined together to make crocheted afghans for men and women who were moving from the streets into transitional housing. The afghans were all made from scrap yarn. Each of us crocheted as many squares as possible and then we mixed and matched the squares to create the beautiful blankets.

Here are pictures of some of the afghans we made:

This project was inspired by a group called Warm Up America.

Sanskrit Prayer to Mother Earth

Last May, my Sanskrit Class and our GreenFriends group put on a Sanskrit skit for Amma when she held a retreat in the Seattle area.

We started the performance with a prayer to Mother Earth. I love the words of the chant and thought I would share the translation with you. Many Indian children chant this prayer before they get out of bed each morning, i.e. before their feet touch the floor.

May we all learn to develop such respect for Mother Earth.

Negotiating the Supermarket of the Mind

Question from someone at Amma’s 2014 San Ramon Retreat:

I have a question about negative thoughts and emotions. I find myself wondering what the right attitude is and how to prevent negative thoughts and emotions from affecting my life and affecting others. Continue reading “Negotiating the Supermarket of the Mind” →

Feeding a Fledging

I saw this video at Amma’s Toronto programs last month. It touched my heart so much then. When I received a copy of it a few minutes ago, I knew I wanted to share it with all of you.

The video came with this introduction:

Recently, a baby bird that had fallen out of its nest was brought to Amma during darshan. After feeding the bird, Amma said that its pathetic condition and heartfelt cries reminded her of all the suffering being experienced throughout the world and how the only way to rid the world of such suffering is through the awakening of compassion: “Children, the tears of those suffering from extreme poverty and other misfortunes, as well as of those who have more than enough materially but are still crying out deep within, can only be dried by pure love and compassion. May that compassion awaken in everyone, everywhere.

Amma feeding a fledgling

The Beginning of a New Passion

During the last week of June 2011, I had a series of eye-opening experiences. As the week came to a close, I realized I also had a new direction in my life, the beginning of a new service project. How this project came about seemed almost mystical to me.

Some background first. Amma* has asked us for years to chant the Sri Lalitha Sahasranama** (also called archana) daily. While I have not been consistent in my chanting, I have had numerous powerful experiences when I have followed her direction to chant it daily. This was one of those times.

My normal practice is to read/chant the text while walking. I generally take one of four routes so that I know the terrain and can be focusing on the chant rather than my feet! This is what unfolded during those seven days in June 2011:

Day 1

I chanted the archana while walking the perimeter of the play yard in a grade school that is a block from my house. After reciting the first 850 lines, I started walking back home. A minute or two after leaving the school yard, I looked down at my feet and saw I was walking through an area of the sidewalk that was full of dog poop. I felt very irritated that the dog owner hadn’t cleaned it up and worried that I had stepped in the poop either coming or going from the play yard. Scowling, I continued on with the archana. Continue reading “The Beginning of a New Passion” →