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With Gratitute
A westerner living in Amritapuri commonly has the chance to leave India for Amma’s various Western tours at least once or twice a year. After living consecutively in Amritapuri for four years I found myself in Europe for the first time ever, tears streaming from my heart and down my eyes at the sight, sense, and beauty of Amma embracing her western children in Manheim and then again Milano. I cannot describe the utter infinite beauty of Amma’s love for us…after taking for normal this blessed life to serve her so intimately, I was struck by the importance of Amma’s…
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Takkalee at Lou Paradou
After the massive Toulon program, Amma drove to her ashram near the historic town Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume where Mary Magdelene is said to be buried. The ashram building was once an old mill and a river flows behind it and a stream under it, which once powered the mill wheel. A small waterfall is within view down a short path to the side of the structure. The buildings are made of thousands of small stones cemented together with lime. Like Hof Herrenberg, the German ashram, the ashram is adjacent to horse farms and we enjoyed watching the young foals run circles around…
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A few words about bathrooms
Normally one would not write a post about bathrooms. But then, we aren’t usually talking about “Amma” bathrooms! The facilities at Amma’s programs are amazingly decorated. It is a joy to enter them. Each city and country has a different flavor. In Switzerland, the decorations were vines and autumn flowers. In Berlin, lovely paper hearts, cut from gift wrapping paper, adorned each stall door. In fact, paper hearts were everywhere in Berlin. In Mannheim, the bathrooms had inspiring quotes taped in strategic locations and roses in glass dishes filled with pebbles adorned the sinks! Guru Kripa incense kept any offensive…
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Kozhakatta Bhava
During Devi Bhava in Berlin a devotee brought Amma a traditional Indian sweet, kozhakatta. It is a healthy sweet made of steamed rice flour with coconut and sweetening inside. (Many of us were first introduced to this sweet in Calcutta, when Amma spontaneously made them herself for the tour group and local volunteers.) Amma showed a lot of interest in the sweet and shortly afterward she told the kitchen to make 1000 of them. This was 3 a.m. in the morning! The staff jumped into action and had a lot of fun setting up an assembly line to make the…
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Garland
I do see her eyes of grace. I graze in her eyes with urge. Cosmic dream rests there. I delve in her mystic mystery. I come across her subtle smile. All creatures move around her holding her hands of compassion. Possessive; all we fight for attention, drawing you to foment our wounds. You embrace all with one hand, and anoint all in your hold. holding us with a band of love. You tied every one as a garland. I hear your incessant smile inside. We know not your smiley mystery. Oh mother let me garland you, by these words of…
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A Deepavali offering
A birth at Thy Lotus Feet, Mother, grant Thy child a birth at Thy Lotus Feet, To fearlessly live in Thy gracious spiritual light, Forsaking the sensual pleasures, living in Thy compassion Embellished with the jewels of discrimination and dispassion Mother, grant Thy child a birth at Thy Lotus Feet, To joyously live in Thy gracious spiritual light, Serving all effortlessly, sharing Thy selfless love, Meditating silently like the bees resting in a hive. Mother, grant Thy child a birth at Thy Lotus Feet, To splendidly live in Thy gracious spiritual light, Singing Thy immaculate glory with exact cadence, With…
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Beautifying one’s existence is happiness
It was a nice evening at Berlin and many devotees had queued in for the second program of the day. There were claps after every Bhajan and a pin drop silence during the guided meditation. Amma’s Darshan had started and lines were not very small. The hall was the Velodrome, a big arena with a cycling track. As night turned into morning, Amma started speeding Darshan since there was a curfew at 2:30am. It was almost time and a lady with a letter came to Amma. One of the Darshan assistants read the letter to Amma and the lady had…
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Amma’s Munich visit
Amma’s Munich children welcomed Her for a three day program on October 12, which marked Amma’s 26th visit to the city. Munich, the capital of Bavaria and the third largest city in Germany, derives its name from the Old High German place name of ‘Munichen,’ which means ‘By the monks’ place.’ Amma’s entrance to the Kulturhalle Zenith hall on the first day was celebrated with the singing of the national hymn of Germany, the lyrics of which had been altered to honour Amma. The local devotees also marked Amma’s recent 60th birthday celebration on September 27th with belated birthday wishes.…
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People’s Program at the People’s Palace
Amma’s London program was held at the Alexandra Palace. High above the city, on a landscaped hill, the Palace is one of the most unique venues on the Europe tour. First opened as “The People’s Palace” in 1873, Alexandra Palace provided the Victorians with a beautiful event centre for entertainment, education and recreation. For Amma’s program, devotees entered through the elegant palm court and traversed a long mirrored corridor to enter the Great Hall. The hall features a giant circular stained glass rose window on the east end and a huge organ on the west end. Amma faced the window…
