Do What You Can For Others

[Guest guest]

This is part of an article that appeared in the Toronto Star about

Amma's visit there at the end of July. The full text of the article is

at http://www.amma.org.

 

"Her reputation has spread mostly by word of mouth. In the last

30 years she has drawn more and more attention for the

particular kind of devotion — bhakti it's called in Hindi — that she

inspires in her followers.

 

But she also teaches compassion for the poor and has helped

build 25,000 low-cost homes, a well-equipped, 800-bed

hospital, and a large ashram in south India.

 

"She is a self-realized person, a saint with a message of love,"

says Raman Nair, a retired engineer who is the contact person

for the Toronto centre of Amma's international organization.

Since they first met in 1989, Amma and the charitable work that

she urges her followers to perform have become the focus of

Nair's life.

 

"She just hugs and kisses, something no saint has done — they

usually keep their distance. She says, don't even say `I love you,'

say `I am love.'"

 

Nair says Amma, who has been staying with him on this visit,

wants people to do some practical good in their everyday lives.

"People ask about releasing kundalini energy and tantric

practices. Amma says not to worry about that. Do what you can

for others.