Sibling Good Manners

17 Jan 2007, Amritapuri.
The other night, just after Bhajans, but before Arati, all the children who were sitting behind Amma got up and ran off the stage.  All of them, that is, except my 6 year old daughter Gaiamrita.  She had positioned herself sitting directly behind Amma and was sitting cross-legged, with spine straight.  She stayed through Arati singing along.  My 2-1/2  year old son, Ravi , who had been sitting out of view on the stage, walked out to join his sister at the end while they were chanting ‘Lokah Samastah Sukinau Bhavantu’.  When the chanting had finished, my daughter quickly prostrated, then moved aside to make way for Amma who would be getting up to leave the stage.  Ravi , watching his sister prostrate, followed suit, but did not run off like his sister.  As Amma stood up to leave, she turned around, and looked straight down to find Ravi right at her feet, unawares that Amma had gotten up.   There he stayed, – face down, in full prostration. Amma patiently stood there, smiling, until he finally got up and moved aside.   As Amma left the stage, she briefly commented about the humility and ‘good manners’ she had just witnessed.

–Abhay