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Fertile fields
The Himalayas are the youngest mountain range on earth. That is both a good and a bad thing. They are prone to dramatic earthquakes, landslides, and devastating floods like we saw last summer. But the mountains also thrust up fresh, nutrient rich soil that makes this an extremely productive place to farm. When I first arrived in late December, the fields in the Mandakini valley were ablaze with the brilliant yellow of mustard flower. Actually the mustard is a cover crop, planted along with winter wheat. In the past few weeks, the mustard has been harvested by hand from amongst…
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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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Things are Heating Up
Warm weather is finally here in Chandrapuri, bringing with it a flurry of activity. The government seems to have realized that monsoon season is quickly approaching. Road construction is going on everywhere, finally with heavy equipment and an influx of new Indian workers. Our construction has picked up again too with the arrival of two experienced supervisors from Kerala, Shiva Das and Ramakrishna. Nine houses have now been bricked to a level above the doors. Today was “all hands on deck” as we carried pans of sand and gravel to mix the concrete by hand. Once started, we can not…
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Call of Nature – call for Awareness!
Amma always reminds us how important it is to have awareness in each and every action of ours. The following incident reminded me just how important it is to put Amma’s advice into practice in everyday life. It was during a spiritual programme with one of Amma’s disciples in Dublin, Ireland. It was my duty to pass around the wireless microphone to people in the audience who wanted to ask questions. As the session went on I suddenly felt the urgent call of Nature. I figured that in between two questions, while the response was going on, I could easily…
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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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Love is divine
Love is divine, Love is divine, Love is divine, Beyond th’ expression of mere words an’ sublime. Let’s learn to silence the turbulent mind, To feel the presence of the Love inside. Love is divine, Love is divine, Love is divine, Beyond th’ expression of mere words an’ sublime. Compose a poem or sing a song along, For th’ lover awaits to whom you belong. Love is divine, Love is divine, Love is divine, Beyond th’ expression of mere words an’ sublime. O! Maa, Thou art the embodiment of purity and love, Mayst Thou e’er shine within, with effervescent love.…
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Fabric Painting Classes
Out of all of Amma’s relief programs in Uttarakhand, the Vocational Training Centers have been the instant success story. Standardized curriculum from Amachi Labs, delivered by laptop made it possible to implement the classes so quickly. This week I attended the final session of the Fabric Painting Class in Guptakashi. This was the second batch of 20 students to complete the course there. The ladies were obviously enthusiastic about what they had learned and lined up to show off their finished products. Some were for their own use and some were working samples to show local shopkeepers. Fabric Painting is…
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Chandrapuri Village Before and After
Chandrapuri where we have started Amma’s housing projects, is actually two villages on opposite sides of the Mandakini River that were once connected by a beautiful cable bridge. Batwadi Village, where we are building houses, is on the east side and Chandrapuri Village is on the west bank. This week, a family has shared rare photos of what Chandrapuri Village looked like before the flood. I have tried to go to the same spots to show what it is like today, but many of these spots have been washed away. This is as close as I could get. Before…
