10 April 2008

This past Thursday, Amma’s divine presence soaked deep into our hearts as we sat outside at her feet for the first time in the Australian Ashram in Melbourne.  We had all been longing for this moment since Guru Purnima 2006 when we were given approval to purchase the property.

The gathering began at 1:30pm in the afternoon.  Devi Bhava had finished earlier that morning – around 6am.   As Amma sat outside facing the east, the hot sun shone brightly and soon the cooling clouds came to shade us all.

Then Amma served us a plate of Prasad lunch, chai and payasam as beautiful native wattle birds flew overhead.

After lunch, Amma sang ‘Hari Bol’ followed by ‘Om Namah Sivayah’  Amma then rose from her seat and went for a walk around the gardens, gracing the trees, plants and flowers with her tender touch.  The horses and cows on the other side of the Ashram’s boundary fence were next in line for Amma’s grace to befall on them.

Amma then looked at the beehives situated on the edge of the property and on her way back to the house, a devotee brought her two olive tree branches, one with black olives, the other with green olives.  The devotee only wanted to show Amma the beautiful fruits.  Instead, Amma picked off a black olive and took a little bite of it.  (If you have ever tasted a raw olive, you will never forget it!).  The piece of olive flew out of Amma’s mouth as she expressed beautifully how bad raw olives taste!

This blessed day of Amma’s first visit to the Ashram will be forever cherished in our hearts.

Sita
Melbourne