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Trees Celebrated Amma’s Birthday…
Avataris are compared to the spring season. In ‘Viveka Chudamani ‘ Sri Sankaracharya says (in Guroopasatti chapter, sloka 37) ahetunaa santah vasantavad lokahitam carantah(without reason- Mahatmas -like spring season- traverse- doing good to the world.) Amma is often described as spring season on the move, as She has untiringly travelled across the globe for over 35 years, and everywhere that She went, has made human hearts bloom and burgeon with Love. Be it US or Australia or Europe, or anywhere in India, Amma has bloomed heart-flowers in plenty, in indescribable abundance…like the proverbial efflorescence of a mango tree or a…
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Efflorescence of Colorful Flowers
Amritapuri is verily Amma’s lap for the seekers of Truth. While the vast sea is a constant reminder of the Truth beyond name and form, the island – detached from the mainland of worldly affairs – is a beautiful showcase of the Creator’s craftsmanship. Little wonder that Paramatma chose this beautiful spot to descend on, over six decades ago, in the Form of our most beloved Amma, with an explicit purpose: and that is to do good to the World. “Nature has given us this earth. We should make it into a garden, and not turn it into a desert,”…
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Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow
On a “Masala Dosha day” two years ago, in between bhajans, Amma asked us for evidence for Punarjanma, or rebirth. She gave us hints through the example of butterfly’s life-cycle. Butterflies undergo three stages before becoming a beautiful butterfly. Egg, Larva, Pupa and the Insect. It is not like the stages of childhood, adolescence, youth adult and old age, no. None of them resemble the other. Amma said, “Just because we don’t remember, we cannot say there is no rebirth.” Spirituality comes in at this juncture. Do we want to go on and on, caught in this cycle of birth-and-rebirth,…
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Onam: A Natural Flower Festival
Indian festivals celebrate the unity of the trinity -divinity, nature and humans. Festivals and rituals have been a means of promoting this wisdom. In the concept of Dasapushpam, we saw how in Sita Devi’s name, during the holy Ramayana month, we nurture the auspicious ten plants. The ten day long Onam festival is yet another occasion for promoting growing of flowers. And that is through Pookkalams, or the floral mats. Young men, women and children gather colorful flowers everyday on those ten days and make floral mats in front of temples and houses. This group activity creates a joyous pastime…
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Amritapuri – A Bouquet of Flowers VII
Cousins of Chettippu: Humming Earth’s Poetry “The flowers of our hearts have not yet blossomed. They are still tiny buds. However, if nurtured by faith in God, by love and compassion, and by adherence to the principles of Dharma, the buds of our hearts are bound to unfold. Revealing their beauty and spreading their fragrance, they become blessings to the world.” ~ May Your Hearts Blossom Amma gave this call in Her maiden International Speech in 1993, in Chicago, at the Parliament of World Religions. Flowers are symbolic of our hearts. At the same time, in our changed times, real…
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Amritapuri – A Bouquet of Flowers VI
Dasapushpa: A New Concept in Gardening Forest is what is given to us; garden is what we have to make out of it…not desert. Left to itself the earth brings forth rich flora and fauna. Soil has all the seeds in it. Think of it: first the planet was there, and then we were introduced. So Earth has been providing for us. “Earth is the Mother of mothers,” Amma said recently. Bhumi is described as Navanavonmeshashalini prithavi, meaning Earth is able to rejuvenate Herself, which She does from time to time. During these lock-down days, just like wild animals have…
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Amritapuri – A Bouquet of Flowers V
Kumkum flower: Tacchippu Chettippu. One evening Amma sang a new song “Chettippu Picchippu… ” wherein flower garlands were offered to Little Krishna. At that very instant i saw some ashram women by Kalari with trays full of this very flower, Chettippu, and little stars of Nandyarvattam, making garlands for worship. Hearing Amma’s words they looked up with wonder! Kerala’s landscape is incomplete without the bright red bunches of Tacchippu, though they are grown in gardens elsewhere also. The moment you call it Tacchippu, any Malayali around will repeat after you and immediately add another word, like this: ‘Tacchippu- Chettippu’. You…
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Amritapuri – A Bouquet of Flowers IV
Arati to Mother Nature: Hibiscus Kali Mata resides in Amritapuri’s main temple. And here Hibiscus flowers, her favorite, bloom in plenty; almost all the varieties you see on websites are here. However, Kali is offered bright red hibiscus, those of the color her tongue, or of blood that drips from the severed heads (egos) in her hands. The ancient deity has with her a great treasure of myths and legends in this ancient land. Amma gives us the spiritual meaning of her fierce form. Kali is the Protector Mother aspect of Brahman. She is merciless when she destroys all negativities…
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Amritapuri – A Bouquet of Flowers III
Guru Pada Padma: Amma’s Lotus Feet Amritapuri is very much God’s Own Island. The oleographs of goddesses from the works of the legendary artist, Raja Ravi Verma of 19th century Kerala, have made a deep impress on the collective minds of Indians about how the Devis, elaborately described and praised in Sanskrit literatures, really would look like: Lakshmi and Saraswati Devis are in the foreground, and Nature in all Her abundance covers every inch of the canvas: the green woods, flowering bushes, flowing waters, sporting birds, and, Lotuses. Amma says such depiction shows that God is one with Nature, not…
