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Thursday, May 6, 2010
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Amma's Darshan
Our time here at Amritapuri is coming to an end, and I couldn't have had a better closing weekend. Yesterday and today are public darshan days, which means Indians from near and far are flocking here. Adam and I were asked to change flats because there are at least 6,000 people to accommodate. We are now on the 14th floor of the E building and I can't complain; the view in gorgeous, the breeze is strong and there are less mosquito's . Yesterday around 10:30am while moving all of our things to the new flat, we heard three rings of the bell which means Amma is coming to begin giving Darshan in the Bhajan Hall.
After a few hours, Adam and I went down to watch for a little bit before our serving lunch seva. The swammies were playing music in front of the bhajan stage and were flanked by two large screens displaying live footage of Amma giving Darshan. It is the most beautiful thing to watch. People come to her with their troubles and she consoles them or gives them firm advice. People offer her platters of food, fruit, and flowers, they have their malas blessed, they have photos of long gone loved ones blessed, they cry in Amma's lap, they beam with Amma, and they tell Amma jokes.
Because Adam and I are leaving on Tuesday, we were able to get Darshan tokens ( which are of course free). We had to wait until the very end, after all the Indians had gone. Meanwhile, we showered and put on our white Punjab's and headed for the bhanjan stage to give prasad for the first time. Anyone can give prasad once a day. We were able to sit right next to Amma for two minutes, and hand her prasad( in this case, vibuuti ash[burnt cow dung],and a little candy all rolled up in a small paper pouch). You always have to watch Amma's hand, she will hold it out and then you gently place the prasad in her hand. It is pure bliss.
Afterwards, we ate an early dinner of Masala Dosa( a rice/mung flour slightly sour pancake cooked and filled with potato, onion, mustard seeds, chili leaves, ginger, and other spices I can't distinguish) and watched Amma on screen for about six hours. For those of you who are not familiar with Amma it is typical that she gives darshan for up to or more than 24 hours without a break. She has hugged over 26 million people. It is absolutely incredible. She is Devi; she has merged with the Divine and she is a fully realized Guru. She barely eats or sleeps, and she has gracefully taken on 90% of the worlds karma. A devotee once asked her if he could take on a small fraction of that Karma to relieve Amma. She gave him his wish and he immediately fell unconscious ; the pain was too great.
When I am in Amma's presence I feel a tremendous calm. She is the mother of all, and I feel her love and energy flowing into me and I can't help but cry because it is all so beautiful. I feel eternally grateful to be here with Amma in India.
Adam and I got in the darshan line around 12:30 with the determination and intention to ask Amma for a Mantra. The Mantra is a secret between the guru and the devotee, and I have heard many powerful stories from friends here who have used their mantra in trying times and felt immense relief. As the darshan line snaked its way onto stage, I got closer to Amma and I began to cry, just out of joy. I handed her my mala, and said, "Mantra, Amma." She blessed my beads and placed them around my neck all the while smiling and then she pulled me into her lap for the hug. She smells of jasmine and sandalwood; she is immortal bliss. Holding me for a while, she whispered in my ear, "my daughter, my daughter," and smiled at me once more, pressing prasad into my open palm. Adam was right beside me asking for his Mantra too. She never replies, but just by asking her it means yes!
We squeezed our way off the stage and stood in the mantra queue. The woman in charge asked us if we wanted our mantras to be formless or include a representation of what god means to us: light, love, Amma, etc...
Adam and I chose formless which means Amma gives us a mantra that is best for us. Around 1:15 am, after everyone had been given darshan the mantra queue wormed its way back onto stage with Amma. I knelt down in front of her and she pulled me in, whispering my mantra into my ear, and loud enough so that one of her swammies could hear and write it down. Next, she showered me with flowers, a few got caught in my hair and I kept them close, smelling them. I was in bliss. Adam received his mantra directly after me and minutes later we were given a piece of paper with our mantra written in Sanskrit and explaining their meanings. We were also given instruction on how to use them. This is truly bliss.
-Eva
After a few hours, Adam and I went down to watch for a little bit before our serving lunch seva. The swammies were playing music in front of the bhajan stage and were flanked by two large screens displaying live footage of Amma giving Darshan. It is the most beautiful thing to watch. People come to her with their troubles and she consoles them or gives them firm advice. People offer her platters of food, fruit, and flowers, they have their malas blessed, they have photos of long gone loved ones blessed, they cry in Amma's lap, they beam with Amma, and they tell Amma jokes.
Because Adam and I are leaving on Tuesday, we were able to get Darshan tokens ( which are of course free). We had to wait until the very end, after all the Indians had gone. Meanwhile, we showered and put on our white Punjab's and headed for the bhanjan stage to give prasad for the first time. Anyone can give prasad once a day. We were able to sit right next to Amma for two minutes, and hand her prasad( in this case, vibuuti ash[burnt cow dung],and a little candy all rolled up in a small paper pouch). You always have to watch Amma's hand, she will hold it out and then you gently place the prasad in her hand. It is pure bliss.
Afterwards, we ate an early dinner of Masala Dosa( a rice/mung flour slightly sour pancake cooked and filled with potato, onion, mustard seeds, chili leaves, ginger, and other spices I can't distinguish) and watched Amma on screen for about six hours. For those of you who are not familiar with Amma it is typical that she gives darshan for up to or more than 24 hours without a break. She has hugged over 26 million people. It is absolutely incredible. She is Devi; she has merged with the Divine and she is a fully realized Guru. She barely eats or sleeps, and she has gracefully taken on 90% of the worlds karma. A devotee once asked her if he could take on a small fraction of that Karma to relieve Amma. She gave him his wish and he immediately fell unconscious ; the pain was too great.
When I am in Amma's presence I feel a tremendous calm. She is the mother of all, and I feel her love and energy flowing into me and I can't help but cry because it is all so beautiful. I feel eternally grateful to be here with Amma in India.
Adam and I got in the darshan line around 12:30 with the determination and intention to ask Amma for a Mantra. The Mantra is a secret between the guru and the devotee, and I have heard many powerful stories from friends here who have used their mantra in trying times and felt immense relief. As the darshan line snaked its way onto stage, I got closer to Amma and I began to cry, just out of joy. I handed her my mala, and said, "Mantra, Amma." She blessed my beads and placed them around my neck all the while smiling and then she pulled me into her lap for the hug. She smells of jasmine and sandalwood; she is immortal bliss. Holding me for a while, she whispered in my ear, "my daughter, my daughter," and smiled at me once more, pressing prasad into my open palm. Adam was right beside me asking for his Mantra too. She never replies, but just by asking her it means yes!
We squeezed our way off the stage and stood in the mantra queue. The woman in charge asked us if we wanted our mantras to be formless or include a representation of what god means to us: light, love, Amma, etc...
Adam and I chose formless which means Amma gives us a mantra that is best for us. Around 1:15 am, after everyone had been given darshan the mantra queue wormed its way back onto stage with Amma. I knelt down in front of her and she pulled me in, whispering my mantra into my ear, and loud enough so that one of her swammies could hear and write it down. Next, she showered me with flowers, a few got caught in my hair and I kept them close, smelling them. I was in bliss. Adam received his mantra directly after me and minutes later we were given a piece of paper with our mantra written in Sanskrit and explaining their meanings. We were also given instruction on how to use them. This is truly bliss.
-Eva
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