Amritapuri ashram

Amma is home

Amma’s home!

The last few days the ashram residents have been busy thoroughly cleaning the ashram grounds.  The excitement has been palpable.  Most have not seen her since she left for Europe in October.

During the afternoon, rumors about her arrival time abounded…. 6:00? 6:30? 7:00? 8:00?  Around 5:30 p.m. I noticed the brahmacharinis were gathering near Amma’s house so I decided to join them.

Amidst a reverent silence everyone chanted Sri Lalita Sahasranama Stotram.  Afterwards some of the girls led bhajans.  This was my idea of heaven!

A young boy, perhaps 7 or 8, led some bhajans also…. later he entertained he girls by making mudras and poses associated with some of the gods and goddesses, such as Kali, Krishna and Ganapati.

It looked like they expected Amma to be brought to her house via car.  All of a sudden, though, everyone stood up and rushed towards the gate that is in-between the multimedia office and Amma’s house.  Instantaneously there were four times the number of people in the space around that gate.  I have never seen her enter there.  The area is so small…. how will she ever get in?

I ended up about ten feet away from the gate although there were so many people packed in I didn’t think I would see much.

The level of excitement in the group was huge!  After many false alarms there was Amma!  She made her way through the crowd and climbed the stairs to her house.

After being garlanded, she turned around and joked with the girls.  There was a light behind her but the stairway was dark so we could only see her form.  Just before she went into the house someone brought a lantern.  There was a collective gasp of delight as everyone was finally able to see her face.

Afterwards I discovered the courtyard outside her house was filled with hundreds of happy devotees.  In my focus on the wait for Amma I had not been aware of how the area had transformed.

I imagine all of us went to bed with excitement, contentment and anticipating wondering, “Will she come for meditation tomorrow?” “Will she comes for bhajans tomorrow night?” “What’s next”

Amma’s home!

Karuna, USA

Comments

2 responses to “Amma is home”

  1. ChetanG

    Amma is always home. Keep this beautiful excitement for your Devi alive within your heart and you will indeed be a superbeing. If you had been waiting by the Setu bridge you could have walked with Amma the whole way from the bridge to the large crowd that knew not of Blessed Ammas plans. Is this not a fun lila?
    I throw myself at Your feet in wonder and knowing not; for, you are all and everything and there can be no doubt.

  2. maitri

    Dear Karuna, thanks for this nice description. It makes me cry, because I know the longing for Amma soooo well. Still I am bound to another Guru which makes it difficult to run after Amma the way I would. (Also that I have two children: a family to support doesn’t make it easier.) So, strangely, trapped between my desire to be with Amma all the time and the promise I made to my Dutch Guru whom I also love deeply, I wait for where the Gods will take me.

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