Amma in the Pool

[Guest guest]

Namah Shivaya

 

For the benifit of those who have not read the article - It is taken

from the below URL

http://www.amritapuri.org/amma/2005/503swim.php

 

Here is a video of amma in the pool

 

http://videos.amritapuri.org/2005/amma-swiming.mp4

 

 

 

"For Those Who Know Swimming,

Being in the Water is a Delightful Game"

16 March 2005 — Amritapuri

 

The 30 children from Alappad who are currently taking swimming lessons

in the Ashram swimming pool came to Amma with a desire: Would Amma go

swimming with them?

 

Word got around pretty quick. Soon everywhere one went one would

people talking in hushed yet excited tones: Did you hear? Amma might

go swimming with the village children today!

 

Around 4:30, when Amma finished giving darshan and walked down the

spiral steps, about 50 village kids were there, lined up and waiting

for Her. "Amma, will you come with us?" one of them asked.

 

 

Amma seemed to think a minute and then said, "Go take a bath, go to

the bathroom and change your clothes. Then Amma will come."

 

Their response was unexpected: "No, Amma. Please eat something first

and then you can come."

 

About a half hour later Amma arrived at the pool, wearing a pink swim

dress. The kids—along with the instructors who are teaching them to

swim as part of the Ashram's tsunami-relief efforts (report)—were

already there in the shallow end of the pool.

 

When Amma stepped down into the water, to be frank, the kids simply

went wild. The pool exploded with screams, splashes and the general

mayhem associated with a large group of children in a body of water.

It certainly was hard to believe that only a week before some of these

kids were afraid to even put a foot in the water.

 

Amma spent the next hour or so helping various children to swim around

the pool. Often She would offer slight support to their bodies as they

propelled themselves forward with kicks and strokes. Amma also would

have the smaller children hold on to Her back as She swam back and

forth, from place to place. She taught them how to hold their nose as

they went under and showed them how there was no need to wipe their

face each time they lifted their heads from the water.

 

As Amma swam about with the children, one could not help but think of

something She says in nearly every one of Her satsangs: "For one who

knows swimming, being in the ocean is a delightful game. But one who

doesn't know may even drown."

 

What was Amma doing there in the pool? Teaching children to swim or

sewing the seeds of a relationship that would serve them in the years

to come. Was this about making them masters of water or masters of

life itself? Or in Amma's unique way, was it both?

 

 

Afterwards, in front of Amma's room, Amma served all of the children

chai and vadas. They thanked Her for coming and swimming with them,

telling Her that they loved Her. They then asked Amma to bless them,

as they were about to take their final exams.

 

"Amma has only studied up to fourth standard," Amma told them.

 

"No," they replied. "You are Devi."

 

—Sakshi