Namaste!

[Guest guest]

Hello, children of Amma!

 

My name is Michael and I am new to this list. I first encountered

Ammachi, I believe, in 1987 in Boston. I don't have a clear

sense of the year, but I believe it was her first tour in this area.

I was amazed by her love and her presence. She touched me very

very deeply, and over the years I have carried a small piece of that

joy with me, though my spiritual path led me down other

paths which I suppose I needed to follow.

 

Now I feel that those paths are leading me back to Amma. I am

reading "The Path of the Mother" and am feeling waves of

Amma's love. I have her picture on my altar and am visiting her

website daily to read her words and see her smile. I can hardly

wait until she comes back to Boston in July. I feel that I need to be

in her lap again.... I am ready to relive that incredible

experience of unconditional love.

 

I have a couple of questions in my heart that I share openly

here.... please feel free to share your insight as you feel moved

to.

 

1. How do I know if Ammachi is to be my guru? I feel the need for

one now in my life, and I do love and resonate with every

word that exits her mouth. Pictures of her can make me well up with

tears. If I choose her as my guru, do I need to tell her so, or

will she know?

 

2. When I see her again, is it possible for me to ask her for a

personal mantra when I approach her for darshan? Does she

speak and understand English?

 

3. Does she respond to personal e-mails and snail mails?

 

I look forward to being a member of this list and hearing what you

have to say. In reading through the messages here, I got

a great feeling of community and of Amma's presence here in all of

you. I immediately felt this was a good place for me. Thanks

for letting me share!

 

Om dum durgayei namaha.....

 

Michael

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 2/17/01 10:08:28 AM Pacific Standard Time, janitri

writes:

 

<<

3. Does she respond to personal e-mails and snail mails? >>

 

I think it would be rare that She would answer them by sending a letter back

but that doesn't diminish the value of sending them. I'm sure She would

answer in some other form. She has said that when someone writes a letter She

reads it the first time as s/he is writing it and the second time when it is

given to Her. I had this experience the one time I wrote Her a letter. It was

answered before I mailed it. That time the answer cam through a passage that

was read from an Awaken Children at the Santa Fe ashram.

 

Correction:>) The San Ramon website is at www.ammachi.org (not com) Also

the bookstore can be accessed at www.mothersbooks.org

 

The site for the ashram in India is www.amritapuri.org and the e-mail address

is

MAM. Have you found the Amritavani newsletter on that site? It

has all the latest about Amma.

In Her Divine Love, Amalia

[Guest guest]

Hello Michael,

 

> 1. How do I know if Ammachi is to be my guru? I feel the need for

>one now in my life, and I do love and resonate with every

>word that exits her mouth. Pictures of her can make me well up with

>tears. If I choose her as my guru, do I need to tell her so, or

>will she know?

 

In Indian tradition, it is the disciple who chooses the Guru. So, you can

choose Amma as your Guru if you are convinced that Amma is the one who will

lead you. Amma knows each and every thought that is there in your mind, as

Amma is the supreme consciousness. So Amma will know. But still, you have to

ask Her to get a mantra.

 

> 2. When I see her again, is it possible for me to ask her for a

>personal mantra when I approach her for darshan? Does she

>speak and understand English?

 

I guess that you have got the answer for the personal mantra. About

languages, Amma knows and understands all languages, even though She

pretends that she cannot understand any language other than Malayalam.

 

> I look forward to being a member of this list and hearing what you

>have to say. In reading through the messages here, I got

>a great feeling of community and of Amma's presence here in all of

>you. I immediately felt this was a good place for me. Thanks

>for letting me share!

 

Welcome to the group. Surely, you will have a good time here.

 

Om Amriteshwaryai Namah,

Jagadheep.

_______________________

Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

[Guest guest]

Dear Michael,

 

Welcome to this list! I recently returned from Amma's South India Tour and

from a number of days at her ashram. Just like on her US tour, I had time

to speak at length with a number of her western devotees. I heard a lot of

their stories, and like you many had various twists and turns before

"settling" on Amma. I had a previous guru before her.

 

Question #1. This is not an easy question. I will share my experience and

ONLY my experience. I knew Amma was my real guru because of the

overwhelming love (unlike ANY I had ever known) that she showed me. Also,

my life began to flow better (not that I never got sick or not that I got

everything in life I wanted) - but my life flowed better. And, it's also

the fact that I feel her presence inside on a regular basis. This MAY

happen to me with other gurus out there - I don't know. I feel that since

the relationship with Amma is so super-charged and infinitely sweet - I

don't feel I need to look any further. Bottom line: deep love doesn't need

a reason - I love her so I want to be around her a lot.

 

On a less emotional level, prayer, meditation, singing devotionally,

chanting the mantra - these keystones of her path have worked miracles in my

life like nothing I had before with my former guru. I have watched her for

many hours during darshan - how she reacts to others, the length of time

she's in the chair, the looks of the people she embraces, and I listen to

stories of people who've gone up to see her. As one direct disciple of

Paramahamsa Yogananda told me after seeing a tape of her on the US tour -

"She's the real thing!" Each person must decide for him or herself if Amma

is the one for them.

 

2. My own experience is that I've never heard of her giving a mantra

outside of Devi Bhava darshan - It may be that she does but I've never heard

of it. As you may or may not know, there is a mantra queue during Devi

Bhava darshan and there are line monitors there to assist you with that

process. That said, there's nothing "bad" about asking her for a mantra in

the regular darshan queue if you want - the worst that could happen is that

she would say "Wait until Devi Bhava," which would only be a few days from

whenever you go up for darshan.

 

3. Re: responding to mail, if you've been reading Path of the Mother (I

just read it in December - fabulous book), you'll remmeber that Savitri

suggests writing to Mother and then just turning over the results to her.

She may or may not respond with a letter or e-mail, but her answer may come

to you in a dream, or just in a certain turn of events. I am told that she

reads letters late at night.

 

But I think just the act of sending the e-mail or posting the handwritten

letter to her puts energy behind the issues you are writing about and I

believe she will answer your inquiries one way or another if you offer the

letter up to her. I recemtly delivered two devotee letters to her attendant

in the darshan line in Amritapuri (her ashram). About language I tend to

agree with Jagadeep that just responded to you. On a practical level the

more I try and speak English to her the more response I get from her in

English. Also, translator is always by her side to make sure all is

understood back and forth.

 

My relationship with Amma is the focal point in my life and she has given me

so much grace! If you feel comfortable, please share with us your meeting

her back in 1987 - we love to hear "meeting Amma" stories on this list.

 

Om amriteswaryai namah!

 

Guru's grace,

 

Amritanand

(San Francisco)

 

 

mjf2001 [mjf2001]

Saturday, February 17, 2001 5:11 AM

Ammachi

Namaste!

 

 

Hello, children of Amma!

 

My name is Michael and I am new to this list. I first encountered

Ammachi, I believe, in 1987 in Boston. I don't have a clear

sense of the year, but I believe it was her first tour in this area.

I was amazed by her love and her presence. She touched me very

very deeply, and over the years I have carried a small piece of that

joy with me, though my spiritual path led me down other

paths which I suppose I needed to follow.

 

Now I feel that those paths are leading me back to Amma. I am

reading "The Path of the Mother" and am feeling waves of

Amma's love. I have her picture on my altar and am visiting her

website daily to read her words and see her smile. I can hardly

wait until she comes back to Boston in July. I feel that I need to be

in her lap again.... I am ready to relive that incredible

experience of unconditional love.

 

I have a couple of questions in my heart that I share openly

here.... please feel free to share your insight as you feel moved

to.

 

1. How do I know if Ammachi is to be my guru? I feel the need for

one now in my life, and I do love and resonate with every

word that exits her mouth. Pictures of her can make me well up with

tears. If I choose her as my guru, do I need to tell her so, or

will she know?

 

2. When I see her again, is it possible for me to ask her for a

personal mantra when I approach her for darshan? Does she

speak and understand English?

 

3. Does she respond to personal e-mails and snail mails?

 

I look forward to being a member of this list and hearing what you

have to say. In reading through the messages here, I got

a great feeling of community and of Amma's presence here in all of

you. I immediately felt this was a good place for me. Thanks

for letting me share!

 

Om dum durgayei namaha.....

 

Michael

 

 

 

 

Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha!

 

Ammachi

[Guest guest]

Welcome Michael!

 

Like the others, my reply is only my own personal experience. I, too,

struggled with whether Amma was my guru. I thought my guru was Yogananda

forever, so even though I went to see Amma several times during each visit to

San Ramon beginning June 1991 and though I went to the retreats, I was not

sure about asking her to be my guru. Finally, I did ask in June 1997. One

of the swamis had replied to me that Yogananda probably sent me to Amma.

Even then I was not entirely sure. I wanted to be very careful to choose

correctly. I had hoped that my decision would be as clear as the stories I

had collected of so many others who saw Amma in dreams and visions before

they even met her, etc. But I had no such definitive event.

 

My brothers and sisters on the path had tried for years to tell me about the

benefit of having a live guru. They had claimed that it would help me so

much more to have someone overseeing my growth on this physical plane. Still

I was unsure.

 

Now I was never unsure whether Amma was a fully enlightened avatar. I knew

in my heart and soul that she is. My problem was that I still saw Yogananda

as separate from Amma, even though the spiritual literature and Amma's books

are full of how that is not true. They are the same. But in my own stage of

development, I was still looking at personality and the body. And looking

back, I even wonder if deep down I wasn't resisting the commitment to working

harder on the path. Developing a full time attitude of being in service to

others is no easy task!

 

I look back now at all Amma had done for me, and I am in awe. I had gone to

her with questions, prayed to her for help, and she had always been there.

She had healed family problems in unlikely ways, I had lost 135 pounds

because she brought me messages that were so far beyond coincidence that I

had no way to explain them away. God had spoken. I had actually "wasted" a

question complaining that I wanted to sit cross legged on the floor but my

legs always fell asleep. She replied that I should sit in a chair. I was

sad. I wanted to sit on a cushion so that I could be near her anywhere in

the world. But I obeyed and used a chair at home and at the ashram. The

next visit I thought that I would just sit on a cushion close to her for a

short time and then move back to a chair. Imagine my surprise when, 3 hours

later, I was still sitting cross legged and meditating in her divine energy.

I have been able to sit on a cushion without my legs falling asleep ever

since. I knew that she had granted my desire. But I still had not asked her

for the mantra.

 

I finally asked for the mantra in June 1997. I did not feel I'd had any

dramatic event or insight leading me to ask her, and I was totally ignorant

about what was required. When they told me that I needed to pick a deity, I

thought they meant I should pick someone other than Amma. Even as I was

about to get the mantra, I was struggling with who to pick, because nobody

seemed right. Finally the proctor said, "Who do you pray to?" And I

replied, "Amma." He said maybe I would want to pick her as my deity. Duhhh!

 

 

What I knew was that this life opportunity was marching on and that I wanted

to take advantage of the time left. I had the sense that I was not

progressing as well as I could. I was too easily able to make up my own

schedule and rules.

 

Once I asked for the mantra and got it, my spiritual growth took off.

Suddenly I wanted to get up every morning at 3:30 a.m. and be with Amma.

Suddenly I wanted to say the 108 names daily. There were Saturdays I didn't

want to do anything except read Amma's books and sit in front of her picture.

I no longer had any doubts. I had asked, but she had captured my heart. And

I knew that the wonderful Zen book by Cheri Huber was true, "That Which You

Are Seeking Is Seeking You." Amma had been luring me. She had been reeling

me in. But in my ignorance I thought I was making the choice. I see and feel

Amma's laughing smile even now as I am writing this.

 

Hope maybe this helps.

 

Triveni

[Guest guest]

Hello Michael,

 

I saw several parallels in your letter to my own situation. I

have been silently reading and learning here, feeling a bit out

of place in my lack of knowledge and experience with Eastern

spiritual practice and terminology. All I really know for sure

is the love and peace I felt when I read The Path of the Mother,

and the welling up of love and joy I feel when I see a picture

of Amma or read her words. I am excited about seeing her for the

first time in Los Angeles this summer, and I wonder frequently

if she is to be my guru, or if indeed I am ready for a guru and

able to operate in a guru/chela dynamic.

 

I have no wise answers for you, but I welcome you and celebrate

both of us traveling the joyous path to those answers.

 

peace and blessings,

Seadna

 

 

 

 

=====

"Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places, if you look

at it right."

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[Guest guest]

you dont pick a guru, the guru calls you, you will know

-

mjf2001 <mjf2001

<Ammachi>

Saturday, February 17, 2001 5:10 AM

Namaste!

 

 

> Hello, children of Amma!

>

> My name is Michael and I am new to this list. I first encountered

> Ammachi, I believe, in 1987 in Boston. I don't have a clear

> sense of the year, but I believe it was her first tour in this area.

> I was amazed by her love and her presence. She touched me very

> very deeply, and over the years I have carried a small piece of that

> joy with me, though my spiritual path led me down other

> paths which I suppose I needed to follow.

>

> Now I feel that those paths are leading me back to Amma. I am

> reading "The Path of the Mother" and am feeling waves of

> Amma's love. I have her picture on my altar and am visiting her

> website daily to read her words and see her smile. I can hardly

> wait until she comes back to Boston in July. I feel that I need to be

> in her lap again.... I am ready to relive that incredible

> experience of unconditional love.

>

> I have a couple of questions in my heart that I share openly

> here.... please feel free to share your insight as you feel moved

> to.

>

> 1. How do I know if Ammachi is to be my guru? I feel the need for

> one now in my life, and I do love and resonate with every

> word that exits her mouth. Pictures of her can make me well up with

> tears. If I choose her as my guru, do I need to tell her so, or

> will she know?

>

> 2. When I see her again, is it possible for me to ask her for a

> personal mantra when I approach her for darshan? Does she

> speak and understand English?

>

> 3. Does she respond to personal e-mails and snail mails?

>

> I look forward to being a member of this list and hearing what you

> have to say. In reading through the messages here, I got

> a great feeling of community and of Amma's presence here in all of

> you. I immediately felt this was a good place for me. Thanks

> for letting me share!

>

> Om dum durgayei namaha.....

>

> Michael

>

>

>

>

> Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha!

>

> Ammachi

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Micheal. My name is Shelly and I live in Connecticut with my 5 children and

my husband. I came to know Amma last year but I really feel as though she has

been in my life much much longer than that I was just the child who didnt want

to listen for a very long time.

 

While I don't know if she would answer snail mail or email I would like to share

with you how I write to Amma. It might help you or someone else. I think it was

in the book "Path of the Mother" that I got the idea. I have a journal where I

write letters to her. They never get sent to her physically but I do believe she

get them. I honestly feel she gets them before I finish them. Sometimes I am in

tears when I write to her and sometimes it is full of laughter. I noticed that

when I do ask a question in this way I will get an answer. Not a email or a

letter in the mail but maybe a dream or during a meditation or just in my daily

reading or living there comes an answer.

 

I hope this was of some help.

 

Many Blessings and I am sure you will enjoy this list.

 

Namaste,

Shelly