Category: AshramDiary
life at the Amritapuri ashram
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So Many Countries…
29 Dec 2007, Amritapuri The scene here in Amritapuri brings back memories of Amritavarsham. There are more than 1000 International visitors here – a record for the season. They represent at least 50 countries and span all continents except Antartica. Countless others are coming just for one day. And of course, there are the thousands of
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Tsunami Memories
26 Dec 2007, Amritapuri While I thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment during this year’s Christmas Eve program, I was also very aware of the fact that the anniversary of the tsunami was fast approaching. I remembered how I had experienced exhilarating joy watching the fire dancer during the 2004 Christmas Eve program, not having a clue
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Innocent Devotion
25 Dec 2007, Amritapuri Last night during bhajans my attention was drawn to one little girl that was fully absorbed within while singing and at one point tears started flowing from her eyes during one of the songs. I’ve often been amazed seeing very young children crying devotionally during bhajans, both boys and girls. And
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Mindfulness
For the last few years there has been an eagle that perches in the Western canteen rafters, watching for an unsuspecting Westerner to be inattentive to their food, e.g. walking away to get something and leaving it on the table, holding it up in the air when talking, etc. Whenever it sees an opportunity, it
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Blooming Buds
23 Dec 2007, Amritapuri Amma is walking from country to country like one does from one room to another of one’s house. Someone said, “While i was writing the news column for the a monthly Matruvani, I found myself writing along this pattern: One para I wrote on Amma in San Ramon, next one para
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Christmas Bhajans
24 Dec 2007, Amritapuri Despite having just come back from her Kerala tour the same morning Amma still came out for bhajans since there are so many of her western children that have come here for Christmas and new year. Surely no-one was expecting Amma to come out having just given darshan all through the
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Sacred Chanting
25 Dec 2007, Amritapuri It wakes you up at the crack of dawn. Speakers across the backwaters. Speakers near the Ashram. Full blast, and it continues on until dusk. Sometimes it starts earlier, sometimes ends later. It’s Festival Time again. Of course, in Amritapuri, everyday is a festival. But on some occasions during the year,
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Was Amma just here?
Was Amma just here? 16 December 2007, Amritapuri Amma had just arrived only Sunday – and now She has left again for 10 days. For the past 6 days, it has been crazy. On Wednesday and Thursday, Amma gave darshan from 10:30 am to just after Midnight. Over 14 hours each day. So many International Visitors. Almost overnight,
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Reflections
16 December 2007, Amritapuri Amma left for the North Kerala tour last night. While I will, of course, miss seeing her, her energy permeates every grain of sand and particle of air in the ashram so on another level I don’t feel like she is gone. As I do on every trip here, I have been