Amma's radiance all around!

373. Om kamesvara-prana-nadyai namah: I bow down to Amma who is the very life of Kameshvara, Her consort.

The book is well worn. It's pages have lost their crispness. There are pictures tucked away as also rose petals found at Amma's feet. Each page houses 7 to 8 mantras. There are small tears and signs of wear. There is a familiarity within these pages. As soon as I open it, the words reach out to me like an old friend. I recognize the mantras as I speak them out: some, with a deep understanding and some spoken without too much attachment. Yet they are there for me every night, welcoming me and embracing me warmly. Each mantra holds a meaning and a promise for a deeper understanding of the world around me. How do I connect so deeply with this book? After all what is it but just another prayer book? It isn't. It's a prayer book that holds 108 names of Amma. A book that has a 1000 paeans to Amma. Which is why the book feels so good. Each mantra is reflecting a small bit of Amma's radiance. Each mantra is giving us a little bit of Amma's warmth and love. Little wonder then that the prayer book feels like a beautiful companion always!

Om Amriteswariye namah!

A life filled with Amma!

372. Om bhakta-manasa-hamsikayai namah: I bow down to Amma who is a swan in the minds of Her devotees

My own relationship with Amma has developed over the years. In the beginning, I was in awe of Amma. She was this big Guru, important in our lives. Someone who seemed magical and could read my mind. All She needed was to look at me and She would know what I was thinking. There was a supernatural aura around Her. But in my own day to day life, I was busy with daily, mundane things. I never prayed regularly except when I was in trouble. Amma wasn't an integral part: She was someone I went to for a coveted hug!

Then I began praying. Regularly. That's when I received some answers. And yet Amma stayed on the magical periphery. She was now a Goddess. Which meant I had to fear Her for I was brought up with the concept of the punishing God. So Amma now occupied the altar which I looked to for help and for retribution. But I couldn't 'find' Amma. She was only there when I got Her darshan. The next morning, She left the city. And my heart.

The next phase had me on a roller coaster in life. Ups and Downs. Trials. Which is when I sat down and began fervent prayers. I also began to discover Amma, thanks to Bindu. For the first time I took Her away from the supernatural and placed Her on the altar as my Mother. I began talking to Her. She listened. She listened very keenly when my daughter was born. She has listened very keenly many times since. I have been on several journeys with Amma. Some days I talk to Her angrily. I question her. I demand to know why She doesn't answer me. Some days I kneel in gratitude and thank Her for everything. My journey continues. Amma remains an enigma but now I know that She is the only true friend I will ever have. She is the only one who cares enough about my problems and She is to whom I need to take my thoughts, my silence. Finally, all that matters is that everything in life is nothing but Amma!

Om Amriteswariye namah!

Everything magical!

371. Om vaikhari-rupayai namah: I bow down to Amma who is in the form of manifested sound.

I am not sure what this mantra exactly means but as usual, I only want to see all of Amma in it. Amma manifests Herself in everything around us. Sometimes I wish we could only hear Amma's voice in everything that we do hear around us. This way, nothing we hear will ever hurt us. Because Amma will never hurt us. She is here to make our lives easier and to give this entire journey of ours a meaning. I was looking for pictures for today's post and I realized that in every picture of Amma, She looks serene and beautiful. She never poses for a picture; we have seen photographers take pictures of Amma at various programs. The fact is that how many ever hours have passed without rest, Amma's true nature of spreading love and happiness is so strong that everything pales in comparison. Every second of every day is a wonder for Amma. She only sees beauty all around Her. And it is this beauty and simplicity that reflects on Amma. This is what each picture captures! Once again, I thank the universe for making me a part of this magical world in which Amma is my mother, my guru, my guide and guardian angel!

Om Amriteswariye namah!

My awesome Guru!

370. Om madhyamayai namah: I bow down to Amma who stays in the middle

One of the most beautiful quotes I have read about Amma is from the late Khushwant Singh:
 In all my life, I have not met a warmer personality than Amma. Even an agnostic like me had great difficulty in holding back my tears.

~ Sri. Khuswant Singh

Author and Journalist

Amma makes no distinction between anyone, rich or poor, young or old. The famous writer felt the exact same emotions that you or I are overwhelmed with. It was exactly what the Hollywood actor Jim Carrey had to say about Amma. Through the world, Amma's backdrops may keep changing but Amma remains the same. And it is Amma's incredible warmth that makes us feel so intensely moved. After all, who isn't moved by love and compassion? When I go to Amma for darshan, She welcomes me like Her ONLY child in the world. And Amma does that for each and every person who has stood in that queue for Her darshan. Each one of us is special, privileged, loved. When we look at Amma's picture, each of us is whispered a special message. When we close our eyes and pray to Her, Amma reaches out to each of us in Her own way, which makes it so special for us. Nobody will have the exact same darshan as another person. There is nothing factory line about it. The 30 million hugs Amma has given to the world: they're each special and unique. This isn't a poetic observation. This is a miracle based on fact! What an incredibly awesome Guru we are blessed with!

Om Amriteswariye namah!

The sunshine of Amma's love!

369. Om para-devatayai namah: I bow down to Amma who is the supreme deity, Parashakti

Amma, I miss You so much! I often think of the last time I saw You. What is this connection? What is this overwhelming need to be in Your presence all the time? Every darshan with You is so special. There's something You do differently with us each time we come there for a special hug. And in Your own way, You awaken the divine in each of Your children. There's never one devotee who doesn't return misty eyed and happy. In a span of 3 days, You give each of us a life time. When we walk out back into the material world, it's this dull ache that pervades us - a need to see You and a voice that keeps goading us to get back into the darshan hall. You truly are the supreme deity, the Parashakti. For those who haven't yet discovered Your overwhelming love or fail to see it, may the universe give them this blessed opportunity some day. How much easier You make it to ride this journey of life. We undergo so many trials but it all seems bearable only because we know You are guiding us through it all; because we know You are there to hold our hand through it all. There are days when I have felt abandoned but like the sun and the moon, You are always there. It's us who are tossing through night and day. We fail to see You. Thank You for Your ever loving presence. May the sunshine of Your love never set in our lives.

Om Parashaktyai namah! Om Amriteswaryai namah!

"To become fit to receive grace, we must develop humility in our words and actions." -Amma

Everything Divine!

368. Om pasyantyai namah: I bow down to Amma who is the second level of sound (after para, before madhyama and vaikari)

In gratitude, Amma, for the fact that we are alive today. That we have had the good karma of being Your children. The very fact that You have chosen us is enough for us to be living a divine life. Nothing of the material realm matters; we have the Goddess of the Universe in our lives! Given below are some of the best quotes from Amma:
“Our inner relationship or bond of love with the guru is actually the unity we feel towards our own True Self—the Atman. So, we should not mistake the love or closeness we have towards our guru as mere external closeness. We are turning inwards and getting closer to our True Self because the guru is not the mere body. The guru is also the pure God consciousness that is beyond all names and forms. This is why attraction to the guru leads us to freedom.” — from Amma’s talk on the occasion of Guru Purnima, July 12, 2014, Toronto
"Some believe that Lord Shiva is at Kashi alone or Lord Krishna is only in Brindavan. Dear children, do not think that God is confined to the four walls of a temple or a place. He is omnipotent and omnipresent. He can assume any form of His choice."

"Ravana was a devotee of Lord Shiva, but his devotion was only a means to increase his material power. The spiritual aspect was totally missing in him. In other words, he had no renunciation. He was intensely desirous of accumulating, possessing and enjoying as much as he could. Although he was strong and courageous, he had no love or compassion. Just like any other dictator, he was a power-monger, a person who cared only about himself and his own security. His power, which he derived from the Lord, made him so egotistic and blind that he even tried to lift Mount Kailas, Lord Shiva’s abode.

Without renunciation and humility one cannot be content. A true devotee has both of these qualities. A person who lacks renunciation and humility can never be content because he still craves material prosperity. His desires are countless and insatiable. He is never satisfied with what he has. Instead he thinks about accumulating more wealth, more money, a bigger house, a better car, more and more comfort."

Let us all follow in Amma's divine footsteps and enrich our lives forever. 

Om Amriteswariye namah!

A life lesson in a hug!

367. Om pratyak-citi-rupayai namah: I bow down to Amma who is of the nature of unmanifested consciousness or Brahman

Everything surrounding us is Amma, unmanifested consciousness or Brahman.

Sometimes I am so jubilant about the fact that Amma is such an important part of our lives. There is a spiritual purpose and a spiritual meaning to our lives. The very fact that Amma has touched the lives of over 30 million people is beautiful; that She may well have turned their lives around for the better, is divine. When we get Amma's darshan, we aren't just receiving a hug from Amma: we are being blessed with a conscious decision to always look at the world wearing the most nonjudgmental glasses ever. We are being taught an important lesson being human. We are being blessed with an attitude of acceptance. We are being shown that the entire world is connected by a common thread of fate. When we are made aware of it, we will never leave our co passengers stranded. We will learn that everything we do impacts the whole world. We will learn that goodness can only come back around. We will also learn that wherever we are, Amma is really just a prayer away!

Om Amriteswariye namah!