Category: AshramDiary
life at the Amritapuri ashram
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Bhakti Bhakti! Where had you been?
2 April 2014, Amritapuri Since Thursday evening Bhakti’s mood is changed. When Amma was away on Ernakulam and Trissur tour till then, I saw her in forlorn mood, sitting just anywhere, and only raising brows to look up at anyone who called her, never raising the head. So forlorn! Yesterday evening Amma arrived in the ashram. Near Her room, Amma got down the camper and walked in the direction of the steps, looking at Her human children throwing love glances at them. Just then down the steps from Amma’s room dashed out Bhakti, and ran straight into Amma with her…
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Why don’t you stay close to me?
It was a beautiful Tuesday. As a person looking into setting up the audio setups every Tuesday, i had noted so many Amma’s children setting up a meditation spot near Amma’s peedam (seat). I had been tempted to set a position by putting up the meditation mat but had refrained many a times. A few weeks ago, i went up early in the morning and placed a mat close to where Amma would sit and offer Satsang. However, as the time got closer, setting up the audio systems took up the focus and hence became busy. A western devotee came…
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Birds joining Tuesday meditation
19 March, Tuesday Birds did their usual din all morning, and around ten as we started chanting archana, they all fell silent. The archana was resounding in the entire ashram. It was followed by an intense silence, a special something that only Tuesdays have seen. Over 4000 people were in the big hall, doing meditation. They were waiting for Amma’s arrival for their special day with Amma. On Amma’s arrival meditation resumed; Shubhamrita ji was giving the instruction, which started with Om. Silently the pigeons left, flying out of the hall; the swish of their wings underlining the silence of…
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Birds of all feathers assemble in Amritapuri
One wonders if seasonal changes matter to birds in Amritapuri at all. In connection with the establishment of the Sringeri mutt by Sri Sankara there is specific mention of his seeing a snake offering shelter to a frog from sun and on that spot he built the ashram. An ashram is a place where no antagonistic feelings -otherwise natural to beings- arise, for an ashram is a shantidhama, an abode of peace. Amritapuri seems a step ahead of this. In this shantidhama right now we see many new buildings coming up. Construction work never stops on this campus. Such a…
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GetGrowing!
At a recent beach meditation satsang, Amma spoke on the factors contributing to cancer, emphasizing the need for a balanced lifestyle complete with daily exercise, moderation in diet, ample sunlight exposure, and regular medical check-ups. She discussed heredity and stress as possible determinants, as well as the increasing influence of contamination in our environment, including pesticides sprayed on crops, growth hormones in meat, and pollutants in water supplies. These contaminants may accumulate in the body, year after year, making the immune system weak and prone to disease. Amma advised Her children to do their own organic gardening in order to…
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The sprouting of the seed
Never, not in this lifetime did I ever picture myself rising before dawn to a cold bucket shower, sporting the occasional sari, mentally offering flower petals at the feet of the Divine Mother, chanting Ma-Om with “each cell of my being dancing in Divine Bliss” around the tropical palms of a little fishing village in India! Going on nearly 20 years of “knowing” Amma, receiving Her blessed darshan each year since I was five years old, it has been a surprising journey discovering how spirituality has finally bloomed in my life. Though the seed was planted in me early, growing…
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Is it Rishi back?
“Please don’t pet or feed dogs and animals”. It is a sign that you will see when you visit Amritapuri. Yes, we do love and care for animals, but the ashram is not a place for animal care. By not feeding and petting them we make them understand that it is not a place where they are encouraged to build their needed attachments/family security. But during her childhood and teenage years, Amma did have a best-friend dog, which would stay by her side at all times. A big black and white dog, which would faithfully protect her when she meditated…
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The Old-New Kalari
The Old Kalari (or Krishna’s Temple) is probably the most precious and special place in Amritapuri… Everyone that visits the ashram makes it a point to visit this unique and blessed small place, either to participate in the pujas conducted there or just to sit and meditate for some time. Many years ago, when larger and larger number of people started coming daily to meet her and be in her presence, Amma’s father had no other place to offer her for meeting the visitors and early devotees but the small cowshed right next to the family house… The cows would…
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She Doesn’t Rest…
The 2-week tour to Mangalore and Kerala ended with the Trivandrum darshans on the night of 25th/26th Feb. Coming to the stage at 11am on 25th, Amma gave darshan till 2:30am. Wanting to reach back Amritapuri at the earliest and avoid the hot day-time driving, we had planned to load the bags at 1am and be ready to board the buses and head back home as soon as Amma finishes darshan. The 13 tour buses started at 3:15am and reached Amritapuri around 5:30am. Amma joined us at 8am. 3 more buses transported the additional people who had come from Amritapuri for…