critical article in Mercury news; reply to Digest Number 1199

[Guest guest]

Hari Om

 

Dear List members,

 

an article with a critical tone has been published in the Saturday

edition of the San Jose Mercury News entitled ,

"Guru's bliss-inducing embraces have fans and critics",

By Karl Schoenberger Mercury News .

 

I have read the article and it is very biased and not objective.

There are many false statements in the article.

In the article it is claimed that Amma's organization has unhealthy

ties to Hindu fundamentalists, and that in Kerala a person cannot

be a critic of Amma. This is not true.

The article quotes " Joe Szimhart, a veteran deprogrammer

and cult counselor" , saying ``Whether she has holiness is beside

the point. People are going to feel her charisma and experience

something ecstatic.''

 

These are a few points from me. The author has obviously not spent a

lot of time in India with Hindu fundamentalists.

Also, the author of the critical book of Amma, from Kerala , that is

mentioned in the article, is a member of the "rationalist" group in

Kerala. In years past, members of this group have tried to harm Amma

and Her devotees in many ways, and that includes physical attacks.

 

1. Amma is doing so many things that really rock the boat big time

with strict Hindu fundamentalists. Any journalist who attended

AV 50 in Cochin, or read the reports from it would understand this.

For example:

a. Amma has publicly criticized the dowry system in India.

b. Amma looks at everyone the same no matter what caste,

religion ( or lack of religion), or skin color.

c. Amma has lady swaminis officiating at ceremonies.

 

2. The president of India, the honorable Dr.A.P.J. Kollam, is a

devotee of Amma, and gave a speech at AV 50. He is a devout Muslim.

Other dignitaries from the many different religions and the

different political parties of India attended gave speeches at AV

50.

 

3. I attended AV 50 and stayed at the Casino hotel in Cochin. Most

of the people I met who worked at the hotel were Christians. I

learned this from them: that the people of Kerala pride themselves

on being tolerant and respectful of different religions, no matter

what their own beliefs were. They had respect for

Amma, but Amma was not their way, and that was fine.

I might add that in Cochin I was woken up every morning around 5

AM by the morning call to prayer being broadcast over a loudspeaker

from a nearby mosque.

 

Falsehood:

4. This statement, in the article, is attributed to Sw. Dayamrita:

 

``I'd say 60 percent of the people who come to see her think she's

fake,'' he said.

Dayamrita is a former documentary filmmaker who originally sought

out the guru nine years ago to expose her ``fake miracles and

healings.'' But he joined Amritanandamayi in the monastic life after

witnessing the guru lick the open wounds of an elderly leper before

embracing him.``Even today I'm not convinced 100 percent,'' he said,

``but I'm always amazed by her actions.''

 

Nine years ago would be 1995. Amma's darshan with Dattan, the leper,

happened in the 1980's, I think; surely before 1993. So, if Swami

Dayamrita first came to Amma only 9 years ago he could not have

personally witnessed this event.

 

The author of this article is distorting facts about Amma and Her

life to for his own dishonorable purpose.

 

Amma's words:

"God is compassion and love. Compassion and love -- those are the

two things the world needs. There are many people who don't get

love. As for compassion, is there any person in this world who has

not sinned? That's what Christ also said, isn't it? To me,

compassion is forgiving, compassion is giving people even when they

don't deserve. "

 

"I believe in love. Not fundamentalism. "

 

 

 

Lokah samastaha sukino bhavantu

Lokah samastaha sukino bhavantu

Lokah samastaha sukino bhavantu

Om shanti shanti shanti Om

 

In Amma,

Sara J.

[Guest guest]

At an event at New College of California on Saturday evening, at

least 4 people came up to me to tell me that there was an article

about Amma on the front page of the San Jose Mercuty News. They

looked quite happy about it and thought I would be happy to see it.

Amma made the front page! Obviously they had not read it yet.We

should all write letters to the editor and send them to the Merc.

 

People who know one of us have another window to Amma. They know

our character. Most people who know me also know that anyone who

does anything worthwhile will be met with resistance or opposition

in some form. No doubt we will hear more about and from Dayamrita

Swami about this. Hopefully the reporter didn't put words in his

mouth, but it wouldn't be the first time a reporter did that.

 

Obviously the reporter didn't know much about Amma and he surely

didn't know anything about Kerala.

 

What other religious leaders have made the front page of the San

Jose Mercuty News?

 

Aikya

 

Ammachi, "saramj33" <saramj33> wrote:

> Hari Om

>

> Dear List members,

>

> an article with a critical tone has been published in the Saturday

> edition of the San Jose Mercury News entitled ,

> "Guru's bliss-inducing embraces have fans and critics",

> By Karl Schoenberger Mercury News .

>

> I have read the article and it is very biased and not objective.

> There are many false statements in the article.

> In the article it is claimed that Amma's organization has

unhealthy

> ties to Hindu fundamentalists, and that in Kerala a person cannot

> be a critic of Amma. This is not true.

> The article quotes " Joe Szimhart, a veteran deprogrammer

> and cult counselor" , saying ``Whether she has holiness is beside

> the point. People are going to feel her charisma and experience

> something ecstatic.''

>

> These are a few points from me. The author has obviously not spent

a

> lot of time in India with Hindu fundamentalists.

> Also, the author of the critical book of Amma, from Kerala , that

is

> mentioned in the article, is a member of the "rationalist" group

in

> Kerala. In years past, members of this group have tried to harm

Amma

> and Her devotees in many ways, and that includes physical attacks.

>

> 1. Amma is doing so many things that really rock the boat big time

> with strict Hindu fundamentalists. Any journalist who attended

> AV 50 in Cochin, or read the reports from it would understand this.

> For example:

> a. Amma has publicly criticized the dowry system in India.

> b. Amma looks at everyone the same no matter what caste,

> religion ( or lack of religion), or skin color.

> c. Amma has lady swaminis officiating at ceremonies.

>

> 2. The president of India, the honorable Dr.A.P.J. Kollam, is a

> devotee of Amma, and gave a speech at AV 50. He is a devout

Muslim.

> Other dignitaries from the many different religions and the

> different political parties of India attended gave speeches at AV

> 50.

>

> 3. I attended AV 50 and stayed at the Casino hotel in Cochin. Most

> of the people I met who worked at the hotel were Christians. I

> learned this from them: that the people of Kerala pride themselves

> on being tolerant and respectful of different religions, no matter

> what their own beliefs were. They had respect for

> Amma, but Amma was not their way, and that was fine.

> I might add that in Cochin I was woken up every morning around

5

> AM by the morning call to prayer being broadcast over a

loudspeaker

> from a nearby mosque.

>

> Falsehood:

> 4. This statement, in the article, is attributed to Sw. Dayamrita:

>

> ``I'd say 60 percent of the people who come to see her think she's

> fake,'' he said.

> Dayamrita is a former documentary filmmaker who originally sought

> out the guru nine years ago to expose her ``fake miracles and

> healings.'' But he joined Amritanandamayi in the monastic life

after

> witnessing the guru lick the open wounds of an elderly leper

before

> embracing him.``Even today I'm not convinced 100 percent,'' he

said,

> ``but I'm always amazed by her actions.''

>

> Nine years ago would be 1995. Amma's darshan with Dattan, the

leper,

> happened in the 1980's, I think; surely before 1993. So, if Swami

> Dayamrita first came to Amma only 9 years ago he could not have

> personally witnessed this event.

>

> The author of this article is distorting facts about Amma and Her

> life to for his own dishonorable purpose.

>

> Amma's words:

> "God is compassion and love. Compassion and love -- those are the

> two things the world needs. There are many people who don't get

> love. As for compassion, is there any person in this world who has

> not sinned? That's what Christ also said, isn't it? To me,

> compassion is forgiving, compassion is giving people even when

they

> don't deserve. "

>

> "I believe in love. Not fundamentalism. "

>

>

>

> Lokah samastaha sukino bhavantu

> Lokah samastaha sukino bhavantu

> Lokah samastaha sukino bhavantu

> Om shanti shanti shanti Om

>

> In Amma,

> Sara J.