The Amritapuri Ashram cowshed is blessed with three cuddly calves. Yesterday, as one of the calves was contentedly sucking milk from his mother’s udders, he seemed cute and happy enough. What was more striking, though, was the mother cow’s intense eagerness to feed the milk to the calf – and her extreme restlessness when she could not do so.

My mind traveled back a few years to around the time I had just started going to school. I hated milk. I mean, I really hated milk. My evening milk time was a daily ‘family get-together’ time. The ‘family’ truly ‘got together’ – to pin me down as milk was to be thrust down my throat. Everyone took their respective positions on each limb as my mother forced the milk spoon through my clenched lips. A quarter of the milk down my throat was considered a grand success rate. Mission accomplished, everyone complimented each other on a job well done – as I went sulking to my usual corner. Only much later I understood that it was all done in love.

Isn’t the Divine Mother also more than eager to bestow milk – the Milk of Love – to each one of Her children? Doesn’t she feel restless if we are not ready to receive it? O Amma – my only hope is that you have decided to somehow force down this Divine Milk of knowledge down my unyielding throat since, Amma … I still hate milk!!

— Mukesh