Excerpt From Path Of The Mother (A GREAT AMMA STORY)

[Guest guest]

Namah Shivayah,

 

A great little story from Path Of The Mother...

 

JAI JAI JAI MA!

 

~Ananthasree

 

Swamiji Amritamananda, another one of Amma's first disciples, tells a story that

draws us

further into stage one, further into the mystery of who the Mother is and how

she meets

our most compelling needs.Twenty years ago, Swamiji Amritamananda, a tall,

statuesque

man, known at that time by the name of Ramesh Rao, came to live in Amma's ashram

in

Kerala. He was twenty years old, an Indian from a well-to-do family. Ramesh's

parents,

who were against him entering the spiritual life, were trying to have him

arrested and

hospitalized for mental instability. To protect her young disciple, Ammachi sent

Ramesh to

the Himalayas to hide. There he wandered, begging for his one meal a day from

pilgrim

rest houses where spiritual aspirants can receive alms.

 

One day, in Gangotri, someone was sponsoring a festival, a feast for hundreds of

holy men

and ascetics. As Ramesh meandered though the throng, he was very moved by one of

the

seekers he spotted in the crowd. He couldn't explain it, but there was something

about

him Ramesh found attractive. The two sat together for the meal and, after

chatting for

some time, the stranger invited Ramesh to visit his home, a cave on the banks of

the holy

Ganges River. It is the custom in the Himalayas for ardent spiritual aspirants

to live in

caves and do meditation practices there.

 

The grotto, not more than ten or fifteen yards from the roaring river, was

small, with

hardly enough room to seat two people. Swamiji Amritamananda, noting that he had

not

told his fellow seeker about Ammachi, recalled the conversation in the cave: "I

asked him,

'Who is your spiritual teacher, your guru?' Surprisingly, my friend said, 'I

don't know who

my guru is.' I found his answer to be strange because he was doing very good

spiritual

practices. I wondered how it was possible that he didn't have a guru. Then he

told me, 'Of

course I have a guru, but I don't know who that guru is.' Again I found his

answer to be

very unusual, so I asked,'Could you please explain what you mean. How is it you

have a

guru, but you don't know who that guru is?'"

 

Swamiji Amritatmananda's eyes glowed like lakes on a full moon night as he

continued the

story."My friend told me that he had left his home in Southern India at an early

age,

wandering in the Himalayas searching for a guru, but never finding one. After

coming

upon an empty cave, he settled there. Daily he practiced meditating on light,

something he

had learned from books.One early morning while he was meditating he saw an

enormous

light, like a thousand or ten thousand suns. Slowly, slowly the light reduced in

size, finally

taking the shape of a human being. He stared at the light, as slowly, slowly it

came toward

him. Gradually, the light turned into a form covered with a white sari. After

some time a

figure emerged ( a black lady draped in the white sari. With a beaming smile,

she walked

toward him. Then, opening her arms in greeting, she said, 'Son, I am your guru.

I am your

guru. I came here to initiate you.'

 

Recalling the incident, Swamiji was silent for a few minutes, gazing into space,

eyes

welling with tears.

 

"I got excited, certain the lady must be Ammachi. I pulled a small photograph of

Ammachi

out of my bag; I cupped the picture in my palm and held in front of my friend.

'Do you

know this lady? This is my guru.'

 

"As soon as he saw the picture, he snatched it from me, went into a state of

ecstasy, and

began dancing.I also was in a blissful mood. I don't know what happened, but I

felt

Ammachi's presence. After about an hour and a half, we returned to a normal

state of

consciousness. My friend was staring and staring at the photo. Then he nodded

and said,

'This is the same woman who came to me in meditation.'

 

"For a long time we sat silently, with the sound of the Ganges River flowing.

 

"After I left his cave, I continued wandering for about eight or nine months

until I received

a message from Ammachi that my parents had stopped their search. So I returned

to the

ashram in Kerala. The incident in the Himalayas impressed me so much that I

wanted to

know if Ammachi had really come to this man whom I now felt was like my

spiritual

brother. One day I asked her, 'Are you his guru?' "But Ammachi was very tricky.

She just

walked away without answering. Several times I asked her, and like a small

child, she

would skip away, saying, 'Oh I don't know anything about that.'

 

"Finally, I couldn't stand the suspense. I had to know the truth. I caught hold

of Mother's

feet, saying, 'Mother, I won't let go until you tell me the answer.'

 

 

"With that, Mother became very serious. She closed her eyes.Her body became like

fire. I

got a little scared, felt as though I was in the presence of something very

powerful, some

cosmic energy, like the fire of the universe.

 

"Then Ammachi spoke: 'Do you think you five or six boys are my only disciples?

No. A lot

of seekers and holy men wandering in the Himalayas are meditating upon me, doing

their

practices for the good of the world. Some in other parts of the globe as well.

They are all

my disciples. I initiated them.'

 

Swamiji laughed. "I was still a little frightened, but I felt the whole area --

the trees, the

sand beneath me, the air, the sky -- was saturated in a blissful mood." With a

warm smile,

eyes twinkling, Swamiji said, "So, that's the story."

 

- Excerpt from Path Of The Mother by Savitri L. Bess

[Guest guest]

Namah Shivaya,

Thank you. I love this story.

Prasadini

 

Ananthasree wrote:

>

> Namah Shivayah,

>

> A great little story from Path Of The Mother...

>

> JAI JAI JAI MA!

>

> ~Ananthasree

>

> Swamiji Amritamananda, another one of Amma's first disciples, tells a

> story that

> draws us

> further into stage one, further into the mystery of who the Mother is

> and how

> she meets

> our most compelling needs.Twenty years ago, Swamiji Amritamananda, a tall,

> statuesque

> man, known at that time by the name of Ramesh Rao, came to live in

> Amma's ashram

> in

> Kerala. He was twenty years old, an Indian from a well-to-do family.

> Ramesh's

> parents,

> who were against him entering the spiritual life, were trying to have him

> arrested and

> hospitalized for mental instability. To protect her young disciple,

> Ammachi sent

> Ramesh to

> the Himalayas to hide. There he wandered, begging for his one meal a

> day from

> pilgrim

> rest houses where spiritual aspirants can receive alms.

>

> One day, in Gangotri, someone was sponsoring a festival, a feast for

> hundreds of

> holy men

> and ascetics. As Ramesh meandered though the throng, he was very moved

> by one of

> the

> seekers he spotted in the crowd. He couldn't explain it, but there was

> something

> about

> him Ramesh found attractive. The two sat together for the meal and, after

> chatting for

> some time, the stranger invited Ramesh to visit his home, a cave on

> the banks of

> the holy

> Ganges River. It is the custom in the Himalayas for ardent spiritual

> aspirants

> to live in

> caves and do meditation practices there.

>

> The grotto, not more than ten or fifteen yards from the roaring river, was

> small, with

> hardly enough room to seat two people. Swamiji Amritamananda, noting

> that he had

> not

> told his fellow seeker about Ammachi, recalled the conversation in the

> cave: "I

> asked him,

> 'Who is your spiritual teacher, your guru?' Surprisingly, my friend

> said, 'I

> don't know who

> my guru is.' I found his answer to be strange because he was doing

> very good

> spiritual

> practices. I wondered how it was possible that he didn't have a guru.

> Then he

> told me, 'Of

> course I have a guru, but I don't know who that guru is.' Again I

> found his

> answer to be

> very unusual, so I asked,'Could you please explain what you mean. How

> is it you

> have a

> guru, but you don't know who that guru is?'"

>

> Swamiji Amritatmananda's eyes glowed like lakes on a full moon night as he

> continued the

> story."My friend told me that he had left his home in Southern India

> at an early

> age,

> wandering in the Himalayas searching for a guru, but never finding

> one. After

> coming

> upon an empty cave, he settled there. Daily he practiced meditating on

> light,

> something he

> had learned from books.One early morning while he was meditating he saw an

> enormous

> light, like a thousand or ten thousand suns. Slowly, slowly the light

> reduced in

> size, finally

> taking the shape of a human being. He stared at the light, as slowly,

> slowly it

> came toward

> him. Gradually, the light turned into a form covered with a white

> sari. After

> some time a

> figure emerged ( a black lady draped in the white sari. With a beaming

> smile,

> she walked

> toward him. Then, opening her arms in greeting, she said, 'Son, I am

> your guru.

> I am your

> guru. I came here to initiate you.'

>

> Recalling the incident, Swamiji was silent for a few minutes, gazing

> into space,

> eyes

> welling with tears.

>

> "I got excited, certain the lady must be Ammachi. I pulled a small

> photograph of

> Ammachi

> out of my bag; I cupped the picture in my palm and held in front of my

> friend.

> 'Do you

> know this lady? This is my guru.'

>

> "As soon as he saw the picture, he snatched it from me, went into a

> state of

> ecstasy, and

> began dancing.I also was in a blissful mood. I don't know what

> happened, but I

> felt

> Ammachi's presence. After about an hour and a half, we returned to a

> normal

> state of

> consciousness. My friend was staring and staring at the photo. Then he

> nodded

> and said,

> 'This is the same woman who came to me in meditation.'

>

> "For a long time we sat silently, with the sound of the Ganges River

> flowing.

>

> "After I left his cave, I continued wandering for about eight or nine

> months

> until I received

> a message from Ammachi that my parents had stopped their search. So I

> returned

> to the

> ashram in Kerala. The incident in the Himalayas impressed me so much

> that I

> wanted to

> know if Ammachi had really come to this man whom I now felt was like my

> spiritual

> brother. One day I asked her, 'Are you his guru?' "But Ammachi was

> very tricky.

> She just

> walked away without answering. Several times I asked her, and like a small

> child, she

> would skip away, saying, 'Oh I don't know anything about that.'

>

> "Finally, I couldn't stand the suspense. I had to know the truth. I

> caught hold

> of Mother's

> feet, saying, 'Mother, I won't let go until you tell me the answer.'

>

> "With that, Mother became very serious. She closed her eyes.Her body

> became like

> fire. I

> got a little scared, felt as though I was in the presence of something

> very

> powerful, some

> cosmic energy, like the fire of the universe.

>

> "Then Ammachi spoke: 'Do you think you five or six boys are my only

> disciples?

> No. A lot

> of seekers and holy men wandering in the Himalayas are meditating upon

> me, doing

> their

> practices for the good of the world. Some in other parts of the globe

> as well.

> They are all

> my disciples. I initiated them.'

>

> Swamiji laughed. "I was still a little frightened, but I felt the

> whole area --

> the trees, the

> sand beneath me, the air, the sky -- was saturated in a blissful

> mood." With a

> warm smile,

> eyes twinkling, Swamiji said, "So, that's the story."

>

> - Excerpt from Path Of The Mother by Savitri L. Bess

>

>