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Initial struggle
Tiredness is beginning to accumulate.Standing in the lift, already hot and sticky, on the ninth floor of E block at 4.30am this morning with a group of people from all over the world, all yawning and looking groggy-eyed, I smiled to myself and thought how only Amma could bring us all together in this rather incongruous situation, all on our way to archana. It was a struggle to get out of bed but the concentration needed to focus on each name and the beauty of the meanings gradually drove out all thoughts of tiredness and replaced them with peaceful, inner…
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Amma always comes back
Om Amriteshvaryai Namah It’s been a hectic week at Amritapuri. Amma has been giving satsangs in the temple every day this week. On Thursday Amma asked for questions and answers but no one had any. One of the devotees started a long speech in praise of Amma while she looked alternately amused and embarrassed. He said some very nice things but he was also funny: he said that when Lord Krishna left Mathura, he never returned; but when Amma goes on her world tours she always coming running back to her children in Amritapuri. wed. 2 august 2006 Mike, UK
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In Amma’s Service
Mukti, my wife, and I went to darshan about 2AM at the last Devi Bava in San Ramone this past June. Amma asked us to sit near her. A young Indian woman came for darshan to ask many detailed questions in a mixture of Hindi, Malayalam, and English. We heard the word “physics” pop into her conversation with Mother. Mukti wagged her finger at me; “Watch out”, she said, “This is about you.” Rhadika Nair, who was standing behind the chair pointed to me, as she told Amma that I was a physics professor. Amma gave me a big smile.…
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Albhuta charite
A lot of new bhajans tonight, I was feeling tired and sleepy and then suddenly Amma began to sing one of the old songs : “Albhuta Charitre Amara Vandite” ” O Thou to whom the celestials bow down, whose tale is wonderful, grant us the strength to be devoted to Thy feet – We offer Thee all our actions done in the darkness of ignorance” Amma threw herself into it with total absorption. Her eyes closed, again and again she held out her hands in a gesture of supplication and intense concentration. I felt that feeling of devotional power radiating…
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Amma was thinking about you
Returning to Amritapuri after a gap of three years; how would it be? Would it have changed beyond all recognition? I had heard stories of tight security, going through airport-style detectors to get into the darshan hall. Would I feel at home? Would I get a chance to get near Amma? As I entered the ashram with my family we saw everyone in the temple standing, as I thought, waiting for Amma to come down. ‘That’s nice’ I thought, ‘ we’ve arrived just in time to see Amma’ We went upstairs to the western office to register and found that…
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Darshan Review on NY times
Jan Kounen’s awestruck film follows the mahatma from one jampacked event to another, eavesdropping as she offers advice on everything from caring for a skin condition to the correct way to feed an elephant. (The elephant, unbelievably, looks ecstatic.) “Mr. Kounen, who is Dutch, wants everyone to share his captivation: watching the white-garbed faithful line up by the thousands for a smile and a cuddle, his camera is guilty of lingering on the faces of the beautiful. Abundant shots of lush foliage, pastel-toned rooftops and sizzling sunsets are also a far cry from the images of Indian deprivation we’re accustomed…
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Sweets Guru & translation
So, I, who am a Westerner, have been translating a Swami’s talks about Sri Shankaracharya’s commentary of the Gita in Malayalam to English for the Western devotees here. What? Yes, I think many people are surprised at this. Let me tell you a bit about how this began. Before Amma left the ashram for Her world tour, She said that a Swami was coming to give satsang after She left. She said that it would be good if someone translated this for the Westerners. At that time, a senior brahmachari who knew that I studied Malayalam patted my back, as…
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A real reason to go
I am proofing a book for my friend Laura,who met Amma in the eighties and told me that if I had any opportunity to see her I should. I went to Albuquerque June 26 to the Hyatt Regency, where Amma was giving darshan, and now I want to realize my dream since childhood of going to India, because now I have a real reason to go. Athea Marcos Amir San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico 9 July 2006
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chappathi machine
a new chappathi machine was installed in the ashram today. it started its seva by 4 pm this evening in our kitchen. you just need to feed the raw flour(mixed with water) to the machine. the machine will do the rest. — will flatten the ‘mav’ then cut into the shape of chappathi, carries it into the oven via convey belt, baked chappti is brought to the delivery end. oil is applied and pressed and pushed into the collecting vessel. you can peel of the layers of chappthi and tastes too good. it can make two thousand chappaties in an…
