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 Indians who come from all over the country to receive Amma’s darshan. Walking through the canteen, one can virtually tour the world. They come from as far away as South America, South Africa and China. From exotic places like Mauritius and Reunion. From Chile, Argentine, Brazil, Venezuela. …
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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 that thirty-six hours later something so traumatic was going to happen. As I sat on the sand at the beach last night (Christmas Day), tsunami memories started pouring into my mind. Tears running down my cheeks I remembered…. * Being at a bhajan practice at…
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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 I must say that it is very evident when a child cries because of devotion rather than something else. For one thing they remain with eyes closed and focused within, not asking for attention or help from and adult like in other instances. But I…
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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 will swoop down and grab the food from the devotee’s hand or plate. Yesterday it occurred to me that this is an incredible opportunity for us to learn mindfulness. If we stay mindful, we are much more likely to be able to eat what we…
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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 on Amma in Michigan, next on Amma in London… I paused to see how many miles lie in between. The whole Atlantic Ocean in between! But a cake walk for Her. Anyway the next para on Amma’s return to Amritapuri… And well, is it then…
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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 previous night but I still think many would have been disappointed if Amma hadn’t come. After all for many westerners Christmas still holds something very special and what better way to spend it than in Amma’s presence. In the evening after dinner there was a…
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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, there are festivals going on at temples all over the area. These days, there is one going on across the backwaters at a small temple. Someone has sponsored the chanting of the Srimad Bhaghavatam (stories about the incarnations of Vishnu). There are at least three…
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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, the number of Intenational vistors zoomed from just under 100 to close to 700. The Canteen has been so crowded. Only two weeks back, the Ashram was quiet. You could hear a pin drop on the other side of the main hall in the middle of the…
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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 reflecting on the importance of my coming to Amritapuri each year. Nearly twenty years ago Malidoma wrote in OF WATER AND THE SPIRIT that he returns to Africa each year to learn from his elders and to detox from Western civilization. I related to that statement then…