Category: AshramDiary
life at the Amritapuri ashram
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Happy, Sad Ending
7 Dec 2007, Amritapuri The last Devi Bhava web transmission just ended. Amma has left the hall in the UK. It’s the end of the tour. Tomorrow, She will be back home. The web cast began around 1pm. There was some trouble with the video transmission, so for a while, we could only hear the bhajans. During this time, the Brahmacharis were in full seva mode – cleaning the main hall. The speaker was facing outwards from the stage – volume turned up. When Amma’s image did finally appear, we couldn’t really see Her – just many people coming and going for darshan. She…
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Laughter All Around
3 Dec 2007, Amritapuri For the first part of the webcast from Ann Arbor, we could only hear Amma’s voice as She gave satsang. But when Her image finally appeared, it was so close. The camera was sitting just to Her right and facing upwards. We couldn’t see Swamiji, but we could tell that there were some children on stage sitting around Amma. At the end of the Satsang, Swamiji began to give the instructions for the Puja. Next thing we know, he burst out laughing. Then Amma burst out laughing. We could hear the audience cracking up. What was it? A little boy…
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Bells of Amritapuri
The sound of bells can be heard everywhere in India. They ring to signify special events, festivals, a call to prayer, or to mark the passage of time. So, of course, there are many bells in Amritapuri. The two main bells, both about a foot tall are located in the Temple and in the Main Hall. In the morning, they are rung three times each starting first at 4am (wake up time), again at 4:30, and lastly at 4:50am for the start of Archana. The sounds of the bells carry across the silence of the Ashram – signalling to everyone…
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Backwaters of Compassion
There are various views possible of the beautiful backwaters at the Ashram’s backyard: while strolling along its bank, walking up the Amrita Setu, from the top of one of the tall ashram buildings….and so on. From anywhere I look at it, the mind takes on a poetic mood…. Well, if rivers are metaphor for the individual soul’s life journey, quoted in scriptures and film songs alike, and if the sea is the symbol of Eternity into which everything merges…. what does this convey to us? – the water of the sea flowing back into the land, a la a river.…
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Breakfast Satsang
Devi Bhava Breakfast Satsang 27 Nov 2007, Amritapuri Amma arrived on stage for the Devi Bhava satsang and puja in San Ramon at around 8:20 am, Amritapuri time. The Western Canteen was just about to open, so many people were treated to a breakfast satsang. The green screens that divide the eating area from the rest of the Main Hall were moved aside, giving a clear view of the small TV that was transmitting Amma’s image to us. In the past few days, a number of visitors have arrived – for many, it was their first time seeing and hearing…
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The Dream Flower
The Dream Flower Of Our Hearts 20 Nov 2007, How Amma is making our lives a joyous festival… the lives of multitudinous children, all over the globe … Simply ineffable! Incredible! Impossible even to understand! Till two years ago, whenever Amma went on long foreign tours, poor us here with no idea whatsoever of Her (tight! busy!) schedule, would sit brooding, complaining how “She left us behind and went away….” We would rationalize with our Egos at the center, “So, by going away for a long time, She is teaching us to see Her within,” and so on till our…
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Bluish Green in Paris
Light Bluish Green in Paris. 19 Nov 2007, Amritapuri There was a temptation to say Sky Blue again. It was blue for sure – and was very similar to what we saw on the screens during Toulon and Dublin. But, as in previous guesses, they don’t always show the truth – even though they were showing the same color. So while there was the usual debate among the Brahmacharis – Bluish Green or Greenish Blue? Sky Blue or Navy Blue? – one of the web operators here finally asked our trusty on-site web coordinator who promptly replied ‘Light Bluish Green.’…
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Sky Blue in Dublin
Though it is almost 3am and raining in Amritapuri, a blue sky and bright light has come to light up our hearts early this morning. Amma is wearing a sky blue sari in Dublin. Hard to tell what shade – whether it’s lighter or darker, or with a slight purple tinge. But it’s similar to the one Amma wore a in Toulon that made me think of my old sky blue VW van – and there wasn’t much difference between the TV screen and the pc monitor this time. After Arati finished, Swamiji began singing. It’s off to bed for…
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Namah Sivayah Makale!
12 Nov 2007 Amritapuri The Puja finishes, and Amma heads inside the Mandapam. Then we wait… We shuffle around so that we can all fit in the view of the camera that is transmitting our images to Amma, who is in Manheim. After maybe 7 minutes, word comes, ‘Amma’s Calling!’ We shout out ‘Ammeeeeeeee!’ The Brahmacharis and Brahmacharinis all call out for Amma’s attention. We wait for a reply. ‘Ammeeeeeee!,’ we shout again. And again. Then, over the competing ‘Ammeeeees’, a beautiful voice is heard……..”Namah Sivayah Makale!” Amma is there! Our joy is expressed by even louder shouts of ‘Ammeeeee!’…