To the group on goings on during Amma's tours

[Guest guest]

To all on the topic of being with Amma during tours,

 

I have followed this thread with interest and feel somewhat sad that so many

people seem to think that "socializing" with other devotees while at a tour

stop is a negative, kind of not to be done experience. For myself, even the

last few times I saw Amma I was sick, so I was grateful for the small seva I

could perform, and even though I didn't socialize, mostly because I didn't know

anyone, I enjoyed watching the different ways that Amma's Bhava affected

people. During bhajans, there was always, usually a younger, somewhat hippy

looking group, in the back of the hall dancing.

 

I also think of my sister, who, whenever Amma came to town, performed so

much seva, both in helping with the pre-tour work and the prep work for the hall

as well as doing seva during Amma's visit. But I saw her take delight in

joyfully connecting with friends, and she always, at some point, rushed to the

store area to see what was new and what she wanted to purchase. Seeing her joy,

I felt that this was part of Amma's Bhava, and make no mistake, my sister

took every chance she had to get on the stage and sit near Amma for hours a at

a time. I was always too sick to do much more than sit and watch the Bhava

and soak it in.

But I too enjoyed going to the store.

 

I'm not sure if the bringing up of Jesus driving the sellers and money

lenders out of the temple really applies to Amma's bookstore. New items are

often

first brought out during the tours, and most of us know that the proceeds for

anything we purchase goes to support Amma's many programs. I'm pretty sure

if Amma felt that having the bookstore in the hall during Her tours, She would

have stopped doing it by now.

 

Also, many times when I have seen Amma during tours, whether just watching,

or sitting near her, or getting darshan, there are many instances when it is

clear that Amma is being joyful: I have seen Her excited when She recognizes a

devotee who has come for darshan, laughing and playing with the children who

are brought to Her for darshan; laughing and pointing to something happening

in the hall. It seems to me that Amma recognizes everyone has their own

different and personal experience of being in Her presence. And connecting with

other devotees, I have seen from the accounts in this digest when people have

asked who is going to be at a certain tour stop or sharing their experiences

of meeting some of the digest devotees. It is all satsang.

 

The exception would be, I believe, people who would go to a tour looking to

find a girlfriend or boyfriend, or people who come to take advantage of the

generosity of the devotees. When I was at the Rhode Island tour there was a man

who looked kind of down and out, trying to collect money so he could follow

Amma to Hawaii (I think). I was going to give him some money, but my sister

stopped me. She said that this man always showed up at Amma's tours, begging

for money, and that Amma had said devotees should not be giving their money to

him.

 

The whole experience of being around Amma during the tour is the whole

experience: it is Amma's presence; it is Her bhava; it is the singing of

bhajans;

it is the participation in the wonderful Om Para Shaktiyai Namaha ritual; it

is noticing the happenings that bring out Amma's laughter and appreciating

the people who are willing to risk attention just to dance or to sing loudly

out of tune, etc.; it is seeing the people doing seva (I love watching the

people who are taking the petals off the flowers for Devi Bhava; it is the

people

who are there in all their magnificent diversity; it is the excited waiting

for Her to first enter the hall when everyone is chanting Aum Amriteswaryai

Namaha; it is being one of the people who is lucky enough to receive Amma's

smile or to have Her touch their outstretched hand as She enters the hall (She

patted me on the head once ... I nearly fell over with joy); it is listening

to Amma's or one of Her Swami's discourses; it is Darshan; it is the classes

that are available during the retreats; it is whatever seva we may perform;

it is people praying, meditating, saying their mantra; it is the excitement of

being able to purchase new things to help us with our practices after Amma

is gone; it is even the poignant joy/sorrow that has people running after

Amma's car when She is leaving; it is everything, kind of like life. For me, it

is all Darshan. Jai Ma ~ Linda