Category: AshramDiary
life at the Amritapuri ashram
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hari sri ganapataye nama:
21 Oct 2007, Amritapuri it’s always blissful during puja holidays. it didn’t start just now. since my school days it has been like that. even if you get two months vacation you are not as happy as during puja holidays. what is the great thing about puja holidays? hey ! it’s the only 3 days in your life you should not study! from ashtami evening onwards everyone keeps their study books in the puja room as part of the ritual. you will start reading it only after the invocations on the day of vijaya dasami… that is after two days.…
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Red
Red….or was it maroon? Again, the conflicting images on the main screen and the laptop made it hard to determine the true color. Someone said ‘looks like Campbell Soup red’. Another said ‘almost red’. Yet another said it was ‘so red, not an off-red, not pink. It was bright, flaming red.’ Anyway, there was big balloon sitting next to Amma during the end of Devi Bhava that pretty much matched Her sari. Some child had given it to her during darshan. I’ve never seen a maroon balloon, and since red is common balloon color, by process of fuzzy color logic,…
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Bluish Green or Greenish Blue?
20 Oct 2007, Amritapuri Outside it was pouring rain. But inside the Main Hall, on the stage, it was pouring love – both to and from the screen. It’s Devi Bhava again in Amritapuri – this time web cast from Switzerland. The bell rang at 10:30pm announcing that the connection had been established and Amma was about to come out. The camera was focused on the peetham in front of the mandapam, where Amma would sit for satsang and puja. As we all sat there in anticipation of Amma’s arrival, I couldn’t help but again feel as if there was…
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Devi Bhava in Holland
16 Oct 2007, Amritapuri Devi Bhava ended this morning in Amritapuri (or Holland, depending on where you are physically). When the connection was first made around 9:30, Swamiji was chanting the 1000 names. Many of the international visitors were in the Canteen eating breakfast at the time. Swamiji’s voice boomed throughout the hall and we responded with ‘Om Parashaktyai Namah’ between bites. Having eaten a blissful breakfast, I joined my Brothers on stage. Once again, the distance was blurred and we found ourselves in Holland. Amma was looking as beautiful as ever. The garlands that hung around Her neck stood…
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Devi Bhava in Amritapuri
15 Oct 2007, Amritapuri Actually, it’s Devi Bhava in Holland, and earlier this evening, we were watching it through the webcast, but who would have known the difference? Well over a hundred Brahmacharis had gathered on the stage in the main hall to get their first glimpse of Amma since She left for the Europe/US tour last Wednesday. The Brahmacharinis were in the Temple. Even though Amma was thousands of miles away., there were moments when I felt as if we were in Holland with Her. The first moment came during the puja. Everyone on the stage in Amritapuri was…
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language is a barrier
13 Oct 2007, Amritapuri arjun and his wife live in the ashram. it was last sunday when arjun and sampurna (from Austria) did the padapuja. amma had been giving darshan since 10.am. at the end of darshan at around 3.00 am their turn came to do the padapuja. i was by the side of amma helping them do the puja. there was no tension or hurry on arjun’s face. amma was also giving more time even though she was sitting there the whole day. they did abhishekam – pouring milk, curd, ghee, honey, water on amma’s holy feet. in fact…
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Krishna’s Face Changed
Oct. 13, 2007, Amritapuri This incident happened some time ago, but I was meaning to write about it and only now had the motivation to do so. Around the time before Amma’s 54th birthday, I was sitting near Amma while She was giving darshan on the stage. One small boy was near Amma, and Amma was talking and playing with him. The moments when we hear Amma play and talk to children are very memorable, and they often can be great teachings.This time Amma was asking a question to the child about Sri Krishna’s birthday.Amma said, ‘Tell them what you…
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One Last Glimpse….
10 October 2007, Amritapuri Amma came out of Her room around 11:15pm this evening. Devotees had gathered – many had been waiting for the past few hours – for one last glimpse of the Divine Mother before She departed for Her European and US Tour. It took only about 30 seconds for Amma to walk the 40 or so feet from the foot of the steps to the camper which had been waiting with the door opened. However, Amma opted for the car which was just in front. The car headed to the north gate – past the Temple and…
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Endless Show of Hands
10 October 2007, Amritapuri This afternoon, around 4pm, Amma came out to the Temple for one last time before leaving for Europe. Amma talked briefly, joking, laughing. After singing Bhajore Bhajor Krishna Hari Ram, Amma asked for Prasad to be brought to the hall so she could distribute to everyone in the Temple. A number of Brahmacharis had gathered next to Amma to help fill the plates. There were probably over 1000 people to be served. The plates were first passed to Amma, then out to everyone. When a plate had too little, Amma added more with Her bare hands.…