Category: AshramDiary
life at the Amritapuri ashram
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Back from Kodungalloor
Amma is back from Kodungalloor and Kozhikode. She looked so fresh and beautiful despite having just given darshan to over a hundred thousand people within the last few days. And her voice was strong and clear, which surprised me, since She must have been talking day and night to devotees, and there is so much dust in the air during public programs. The bhajans tonight were: Nanda Nandana HareParinamam IyalattaKali Maheswariye JaganmataSri Rama Jaya RamaShyama Gopla MazaOm Namah ShivayaAmma BarammaJai Ma Ambe Parinamam Iyalatta always touches me in a deep place. Tonight Amma seemed to be in a deep Bhava…
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the Loudest
Who can sing Ambe Jagadambe the Loudest? The last bhajan this evening was ‘Ambe Jagadambe’. Two young girls who were sitting behind Amma – Gayamrita from Italy, and Meena from Whales, both 4-years old – were singing along. Towards the end, as the chorus began repeating ‘Ambe Jagadambe’, and the speed increased, the girls began shouting out the words, holding their cupped hands to their mouths trying to amplify the sound. They were both looking at each other – as if competing to see who was singing the loudest. At first they were doing this while sitting down, but soon…
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The Mystery of Amma
When Amma came for bhajans tonight I was struck once again by the grace and ease that She moves, almost like She is gliding slightly above the ground. Not that She is but it creates that impression. What it is it about Amma, that you never get tired of seeing Her, that there is always a feeling of excitement when She approaches? And the sheer beauty that She embodies and energy that She radiates? I have been to many places in the world and seen objects of art that are venerated as the most sublime and beautiful in the world,…
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what new year?
new year eve was quite an eventful one. whole day i was busy. 14 baby feedings, 2 padapujas … i was on my feet to click-click-click. in between amma said ‘no photos’ to me. so some one else was taking photos of the function. there were few stage performances and then amma’s bhajans followed by new year message. amma was talking about need to dream and put forth efforts to realise it. celebrations were over past 2.30 a.m. all went to their bed, except some. major chunk of the work for the day was about to begin for me. there…
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Radiant and Sweet
Tonights bhajans were really nice. Albhuta charitre is for some reason one of my favorites. It was especially impressive tonight. At one point tonight as I started to announce one bhajan, something was holding my voice back and only a croak came out of the soundsystem. Amma turned towards me laughing and then made some face towards the people in the hall and everyone laughed. Well, At least Amma looked at me. Amma looked so sweet and radiant tonight that I could hardly control myself. Just looking at Her is a spiritual experience sometimes. She sang the following bhajans: Viraha…
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Young and Elderly
Most of the Brahmacharies from Engineering college faculty as well as other divisions), including me, were busy from morning onwards preparing for the stage-play that we were thinking of enacting in front of our Beloved Amma, on New Year eve. A day before, I was told that I will be performing the role of a crippled boy. I was all set to shave of my beard when on 31st afternoon, I was told that I will be doing the role of an old man. Thankfully, I had not taken off my beard. Around midnight we performed the play. After the…
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First bhajans of the year
First day of 2007. I hope all of us have made some good resolves for next year. Like Amma said last night we also have to put these into practice. Just dreaming without acting is a waste of time. Today before bhajans there was a Kathakali (traditional sacred dance in Kerala) performance so bhajans started a bit late. Amma came up directly from the hall. After a little while Swamiji came up the ramp and jumped onto the stage to everyone’s amusement.Nice but short bhajans. The songs were: Jai Ganesha Jai EkadantaSri Krishna SaranamVaralunna HridayattilKanna Ni EnneSarvavyapiyaiOm Namah ShivayaJinki Karuna…
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consoling his mother
Today in the temple while i was stage monitorinng, a woman was holding her three year old infant while coming before Amma for her darshan. The woman began to cry and so unexpectedly her little boy (who was still so tiny may be two years old?) began to caress his mothers cheek and pat her shoulder so gently. Amma and those devotees on stage were all amazed at witnessing this tiny boy lovingly caress his mother’s shoulder and face. He helped her overcome her grief. Amma joyfully laughed in surprise at such a sight to see this small child consoling…
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Stealing the Show
It was Akhilesh who stole the whole show last night. For more than 90 minutes he was talking to Amma non-stop! That too while Amma was giving darshan. Akhilesh is from Pune. He is four years old. He speaks only Marati. He was telling Amma so many things that no one could understand. First of all it was in Marati, which most of do not know. And even if we did understand Marati, a child’s world is often inexplicable. His interactions with Amma were so sweet. All through the darshan, he was next to Amma’s chair. When some devotees came…