Fragrance Mystery
This year my wife and I were unable to see Amma. My mother-in-law died on the week we had planned to go see Amma in Germany.
Instead of going to see Amma, my wife and I were both at the mother’s bedside when she gave her last breath. We had never seen anyone die before… the experience took 3½ days.
After observing her last breath and departure from the body we dedicated a puja to her. Our hope was that the death would carry her towards a peaceful reincarnation, as this life was not very happy for her.
I had never done a puja for anyone before, but somehow it just came to us that it would be a good idea. We placed a picture of Amma in her hands when she died, with a prayer book with the 108 names of Amma, which was blessed last year at the ashram in India.
Just before the moment of death… something strange happened. I noticed a fragrance in the hospital room that I could not identify. We had been waiting by the bedside… both of us were getting tired, and I was feeling a little guilty when wondering how much longer before death would finally come?
I was getting hungry. I needed to take a break. My wife was in and out of tears all day. I needed some fresh air. I was thinking: dying is so similar to giving birth! I could see there was this great effort going on… how my mother-in-law was slowly letting go of life!
Also… One never realizes how important a mother is until you lose her… now all I could think about was: I should have done more to her when she was alive!
The sun was setting… It was a cold November winter day in Danmark.
It was just before I wanted to go out that the fragrance came into the room. The smell was subtle, like that of a flower opening in spring time. How strange! I wondered where is this coming from? I asked my wife if she smelled “something” or if she had sprayed anything in the room. She said ‘no’… but soon she too smelled the special fragrance!
So instead of taking a break, I decided to wait. It was then that I noticed the mother’s breathing change. It did not look good…
20 minutes later she peacefully passed away and there was the sense that Amma had come into the room to be with us.
This experience still lingers in me. We had missed going to see Amma, yet she had come to be with us. How could this be, I wondered?
I hadn’t prayed for a sign or asked for anything directly. I just hoped that Amma’s subtle presence be in the room with us when my mother-in-law would die.
Looking back now…
I see that everything seemed to be so beautifully planned. We wondered how strange it was that the death occured during the time that we arranged to have off from our work to go see Amma.
So, thank you Amma… from the both of us.
Also the fragrance we experienced mysteriously came back to our house a few days before the my wife’s mother was to be given a church funeral service.
This fragrance remains a mystery, as is the source of Amma’s power to give love and compassion in the way that she does.
Peace and Love.
December 2007
Roger and Celia from Danmark
Darshan
I felt a strong vibration in all my being and body, I had very strong convulsion of crying and felt the sufferings of the planet inside heart as if a ground of pain was exploding; I found all the conflicts of planet inside me and I saw how identity after identity I participated in these conflicts body after body.
I cried strongly, because there is no peace on Earth then I felt a strong vibration of love and peace and saw a blue energy and I fellt that the only Goal of life is to know God and Love.
Yes it is indeed true I can very well understand that the fragrance was Amma’s presence. Because I have never met Amma personally, physically but yet it doesn’t look like that… Whenever my desire is keen my spiritual mentor embraces me and calls me meri pyari beti, meri acchi beti, I know that in his disguise Amma is embracing me. I love AMMA very much. Oh God fulfill my desire to be with her in Amritapuri!
“I am always with you my children, never doubt this.”
Thank you for this most beautiful story dressed in ‘truth’ about our Guru. Blessed Amma is ever with us, I know this is true, and I never doubt. Reading this wonderful story touched me deeply and reminded me of the absolute truth that never are we without Amma’s Blessing.
Wonderful story. I know Amma comes when we need her. A few years ago I was supposed to see Amma in London, but I was ill at the time of the visit and could not travel. I was sitting in my bed crying — knowing she was just a few hundred miles away and feeling so sad. Then suddenly I felt her in my room and she gave me darshan — it was so blissful. I can’t explain exactly how it was — I did not see her form, but knew absolutely certainly that she was there and comforting, consoling and uplifting me.
What a touching story! By Amma’s grace, i too had a similar experience of smelling the sweet fragrance of Amma, being totally convinced that Amma is there: After my engagement, my husband, who is not a devotee of Amma, took me to a big mall in Chennai. We were chatting, but my mind was very nervous, sincerely praying to Amma that after marriage my husband would not stop me from worshipping Her. And lo! after a few seconds, i smelt a strong sweet fragrance, the same fragrance that emanates from Amma. it lasted for about 5 mins. my heart skipped a beat. i knew it was Amma, and i started sniffing. My husband didn’t understand why I was emotional, and i couldnt tell him about that experience as he is not a devotee. But today, i am sharing it with all Amma devotees!! Thanks.
Renu Wadhwa, that’s exactly how I feel. I have seen Amma quite a few time, but I am so addicted to her physical form. I love my Ammachi, my Divine Mother, my everything. The only reason that makes me push to make a future.
Thanks for sharing this story. The Lord is often described as “Deenanath” (one who is the lord and refuge of the grief stricken). In a world that is full of poverty, social evils and injustices I have often wondered whether that is true. God seemed to be mostly with powerful and affluent people. But after meeting AMMA I’ve realized that God is verily ‘Deenanath’ as Her every breath, thought ,word and deed are dedicated to remove material and spiritual sorrow and suffering.
that was such a touching experience..thank you for sharing it! yes, I am certain that Amma is with us at all times, and sometimes if She cannot give us a direct answer or signal, She acts through the people around us to send us messages! ONS.
Yes my spiritual brother Roger from Denmark is absolutely right to mention the special fragrance. It is TRUTH absolute; many people do get such subtle presence of AMMA. Not only fragrance but we do get so many other signs too, like appearance in dream or AMMA,s voice or if we are in the habit of offering favourite food before we eat; if by chance somehow we miss out it is accepted by AMMA by default.
I have read in ‘On the Road to Freedom’ that when Amma thinks about somebody, he or she will smell the fragrance if their mind is even a little pure. So… Amma was thinking about you.