Amma in San Ramon

[Guest guest]

Amma is now in Michigan perhaps but we had the blessing of her visit

since Thursday, November 17. One of the blessings of the visit was

that we had delightful weather. Usually, by now, it is raining with

some enthusiasm in Northern California but the days were bright and

sunny, with temps reaching in the mid-70's at mid-day. Of course,

on either end of the day it would be quite cool, even cold.

 

Usually, Amma comes in on Monday and visits privately with ashram

residents that day, starting the public program in Tuesday. In that

more usual program, retreat and Devi Bhava falls on a weekend. This

time retreat ran Sunday to Tuesday. Devi Bhabva was on Tuesday. The

last evening of public program was Saurday an, perhaps due to its

status as a weekend day, the size of the crowd made it feel like a

lightly attended Devi Bhava.

 

Apparently, Amma asked that we do 7 1/2 hours of seva during her tour.

This message I didn't hear until half way through. One thing I

notived was that there weren't completely exhausted devotees losing it

at the end. That's a good thing.

 

Amma looks a bit more gray haired. The gray is all over now and not

only on the edges. She is still as playful and sweet as ever, totally

grounded and practical.

 

Many new people came to see Amma. I did hosting seva and had the

tough job of explaining to people who had had darshan already that new

people and those who had not had a hug from Amma were before them, by

Amma's request. I never told anyone that they probably would not get

darshan but I did tell them how many categories of exchange tokens

were ahead of them. I was amazed that most people stood their ground,

although, according the list I'd just recited, they had little chance.

 

I mostly had the more traditional darshan--a view of the holy person,

snatched on the way here or there. I'd go to some trouble to get a

clear view of Amma as she received her many visitors and watch for a

few minutes. I did prasad seva twice, a seva which has become very

delicious for me because I get to touch Amma's hand over and over.

Her hand always feels so soft and yet so strong and radiates healing

energy to me. When I am finished doing this seva because of the hand

to hand contact, I always feel I should go find someone in need of

healing and just touch them with the hand that touched Amma's.

 

At first I was very nervous doing prasad seva, afraid I would make a

mistake, and I would see Amma giving one of THOSE looks to the prasad

team when they would give her the wrong items. One time when I was up

there this time, Amma turned and spoke in English to the woman who

was handing me the prasad items. "Vibhuti for Indians and sick

people!" she said emphatically. The woman, an American, must have

firmly believed that she couldn't understand Amma and so she did not,

even though Amma was speaking very clearly in English. Amma then said

the same thing in Malayalam to a man standing nearby and he

translated. Meanwhile, the woman getting a hug who inspired this

exchange was, I suppose, Indian although she had short hair which had

been colored red. It's not always easy to identify the Indians. How

we could tell this sick people either for that matter? Thus this

lightweight seva has its challenges. Perhaps we should ask Amma for

the inner sight to distinguish the Indians and the sick people

temporarily at least, and she could grant that.

 

You know how people say they pray to Amma and she grants their

prayers? Maybe I never asked her for anything, but this time I askd

her to heal a sore on my upper lip which I decided was likely skin

cancer and was planning to go to the dermatologist about tomorrow,

Friday, 11/25. This sore has been there for months and not only has

not gone away but has grown and started to hurt. Since it was on my

upper lip I was not looking forward to a disfiguring surgery to remove

it. I asked Amma to heal this sore rather casually. No big stress,

no urgency, no lengthy begging. The sore has been healing ever since

I made that request and should be gone in 3 days.

 

There was a bigger healing this time, however. I realized that most

of my life, I have been walking around with an underlying emotional

drone--if life is a song, this is my key underlying all the modes--of

dread. If I have worried more than necessary, the worry arose from

this basis, the underlying expectation of something awful about to

happen. This was such an important realization since, once seen, this

drone can be eliminated. Over a full day with Amma, I remembered

exactly when this sense of dread began. I also realized that my own

life experience, my physical experience, directly contradicts and

proves false this sense of dread. My life experience says that

greater good than the "experts" predict can and does happen. It is

this lived experience of the victory of divine grace over human

expertise that is why I can work with brothers and sisters in prison.

 

Anyway, the day after this realization which I claim as a healing, I

finally went for darshan. It was the firzt day of the retreat. Amma

was busy chatting with a woman when I got up there. Still she gave me

a wonderful hug and then held me at arm's length and gave me the

sweetest smile, just like a mother comforting a child recovering from

fear of the dark. Having just walked through my own Fun House with

its monsters and goblins, I was still

[Guest guest]

Does anyone know why vibhuti is for indians and sick people?

 

 

[snip]

> was handing me the prasad items. "Vibhuti for Indians and sick

> people!" she said emphatically. The woman, an American, must have

> firmly believed that she couldn't understand Amma and so she did not,

> even though Amma was speaking very clearly in English. Amma then said

> the same thing in Malayalam to a man standing nearby and he

> translated. Meanwhile, the woman getting a hug who inspired this

> exchange was, I suppose, Indian although she had short hair which had

> been colored red. It's not always easy to identify the Indians. [snipped]

 

--

"Naan Amme Snehikkunnu"

Be Love,

Egyirba

http://www.egyirba.net

-=-=-

.... 0357."Children, innocent prayer, calling out to the Lord, is a very

powerful way to please the Lord. You don't need to be a scholar to do

that. Even for an unschooled layman or an illiterate forest dweller, the

Lord's grace can be attained if one is really determined to achieve the

goal." --Ammachi, "Awaken Children," Vol.5, p21

[Guest guest]

Indian Hindus around Amma use vibhuti daily in their worship. The

assuption is that Westerners neither know what it is, not how to use

it and this sacred ash should be reserved for people who value it.

 

Vibhti made by Amma's devotees and blessed by her is said to be

powerfully healing on all levels and so she gives it to sick people.

 

If you are an obviously healthy Westerner and have a value for

vibhuti, just say "Vibhuti, please, Amma" when you go for darshan and

she will give you some.

 

Aikya

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ammachi, Devi's Daughter <devi.daughter@g...>

wrote:

>

> Does anyone know why vibhuti is for indians and sick people?

>

>

> [snip]

> > was handing me the prasad items. "Vibhuti for Indians and sick

> > people!" she said emphatically. The woman, an American, must have

> > firmly believed that she couldn't understand Amma and so she did

not,

> > even though Amma was speaking very clearly in English. Amma then

said

> > the same thing in Malayalam to a man standing nearby and he

> > translated. Meanwhile, the woman getting a hug who inspired this

> > exchange was, I suppose, Indian although she had short hair which

had

> > been colored red. It's not always easy to identify the Indians.

[snipped]

>

> --

> "Naan Amme Snehikkunnu"

> Be Love,

> Egyirba

> http://www.egyirba.net

> -=-=-

> ... 0357."Children, innocent prayer, calling out to the Lord, is a

very

> powerful way to please the Lord. You don't need to be a scholar to

do

> that. Even for an unschooled layman or an illiterate forest

dweller, the

> Lord's grace can be attained if one is really determined to achieve

the

> goal." --Ammachi, "Awaken Children,"

[Guest guest]

Thank you for this information, Aikya. I do use it in my own pooja and

prayers.

 

 

Aikya Param wrote:

> Indian Hindus around Amma use vibhuti daily in their worship. The

> assuption is that Westerners neither know what it is, not how to use

> it and this sacred ash should be reserved for people who value it.

>

> Vibhti made by Amma's devotees and blessed by her is said to be

> powerfully healing on all levels and so she gives it to sick people.

>

> If you are an obviously healthy Westerner and have a value for

> vibhuti, just say "Vibhuti, please, Amma" when you go for darshan and

> she will give you some.

>

> Aikya

--

 

"Naan Amme Snehikkunnu"

Be Love,

Egyirba

http://www.egyirba.net

 

-=-=-

.... 0365."But if the goal is to realize the Supreme Being, you should

become completely egoless. That requires self-effort. The sadhak

himself must pray sincerely for the removal of his negative tendencies.

He should work hard. This prayer is not to achieve anything or to

fulfill any desire. It is to go beyond all achievements; it is to

transcend all desires. It is an intense longing of the sadhak to return

to his original and real abode. He feels and becomes aware of the

burden of his own ego, and this feeling creates a strong urge to

unburden its heaviness. It is this urge which expresses itself as

prayer." --Ammachi, "Awaken Children," Vol.5, p33

[Guest guest]

Om Namah Shivaya,

--- Sweta Mitzel <swetabc wrote:

> A disciple

> who travels with Amma, said that since so many

> devotees were crying, Amma was also moved to cry.

> Someone from the middle of the hall thought Amma

> was laughing about a young child.

 

Yes, that's true. We were in the front of the hall

during this time. This small boy (may be a year or two

old) was dancing away at the foot of the stage to the

chants of Amma Amma Taye and throwing back flowers at

Amma. It was a wonderful sight to watch.

 

I wanted to mention something else about this Devi

Bhava. Around 8:00am, I remarked to my wife about how

Amma is sacrificing Her health to please her children

by giving such long darshans. Both of us wondered if

she would ever take a break. Just as we finished

talking, Big Swami began singing this song, it’s a

Malayalam song which we had never heard before. (It’s

in Vol-3, Page 110).

 

KATTITUKAMME YI KOMALA VIGRAHAM

Amma, please protect your delicate body

compassionately for these children. These poor

children do not have any refuge other than Amma, this

embodiment of Love.

The devotees can get a lot of Gods and Masters, but

these children have none other than Amma as refuge in

this world.

Our very breath, the vital force, everything was

dissolved in Amma a long time ago. These children

can't live further in a world bereft of You.

There is no place for any other thoughts in us. We

don't even long for liberation. What we want is this

embodiment of love. Therefore, preserve your beautiful

body.

 

When the song ended, we could no longer control our

tears. We were hoping Amma paid attention to the song

while giving darshan and will answer this prayer that

I am sure is from all of her devotees.

 

On our way back home, we were yearning to listen to

that song once again. Guess what; two days ago we had

bought a few Amritanjali cassettes that were on sale,

and today we found out that this song is on one of

them! (Amritanjali Vol 64)

 

Om Amriteshvaryai Namaha