Swami's Memoir

[Guest guest]

Dear Sisters and Brothers:

 

 

 

Since we have been in the story mode I submit an excerpt from:

 

 

 

Swami Amritatmananda Puri's memoirs of the 1999 World Tour

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday, June 6, 1999

 

It was the last day of the Seattle retreat, a day of Devi Bhava. Torrential

rains and the biting cold didn't deter people from coming. A huge crowd had

arrived for the Devi Bhava darshan. It was the last day of the Seattle retreat,

a day of Devi Bhava. Torrential rains and biting cold didn’t deter people from

coming. A huge crowd had arrived for Devi Bhava.darshan. I sat next to Amma

for some time during the Bhava darshan. A Jewish man came up to Her and asked

for a mantra. He had previously been initiated with a Hebrew mantra, and told me

that he wanted Amma to give him the same mantra. When I translated this to Amma,

she looked at him and smiled.

 

I asked him for the mantra and wrote it down on a piece of paper. It was a long

mantra, consisting of six lines. I wrote it down phonetically in Malayalam, so

that Amma would be able to read it. About 15 minutes later, as I was about to

show the piece of paper to Amma, I noticed that She was whispering something in

the man's ear. He then got up to leave. I was puzzled and asked him, "Did you

receive a mantra from Amma?"

 

"Yes, Amma chanted that same mantra in my ear," he replied.

 

I was completely stunned, because the paper on which the mantra was written was

still in my hand. Also, the mantra was in Hebrew, not Sanskrit. But, then,

nothing is a miracle as far as Amma is concerned. When I enquired further, the

man informed me that Amma had pronounced the mantra in fluent Hebrew, with the

ease and perfect pronunciation of a Jew! His eyes were full of tears as he said

this.

 

I asked him to tell me the meaning of the mantra. And then, even though it was

an unpardonable act, due to my acute ignorance, I decided to test Mother. I

asked Her the meaning of that mantra. Amma smiled at me. I felt that it was an

extremely sarcastic smile. Even though it was freezing cold, I found myself

sweating profusely. I was almost in tears, thinking about the grave mistake I

had just committed. But a moment later Amma's face was full of compassion. She

drew me towards Her and whispered the meaning of the mantra in my ear. I was

amazed because Amma said exactly what the man had said to me. Though long, the

mantra could be condensed to "Let the Truth shine within me." Hours later when

the darshan came to an end, I still had a guilty conscience because I felt I had

committed a serious mistake. After the darshan I went inside the temple. Amma

was talking with the other swamis, but She looked at me from time to time with a

sarcastic smile. She called me to Her and put some

prasad in my mouth. She looked into my eyes and said, "How disgraceful!" I

became aware of the depths of my ignorance. My condition was similar to that of

the salt doll that sets out to measure the depth of the sea! I felt so ashamed

to think that even after 20 years I hadn't understood an iota of Amma's

greatness, and I deeply regretted that I had tested her

 

 

>From “Conquest of Love, Part 5, published in Matruvani Magazine (Online Edition)

February 2001..

 

Offered to Her Children,

 

George

 

 

 

 

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