Guest guest Posted August 4, 2002 Report Share Posted August 4, 2002 In a message dated 8/4/2002 8:24:07 AM Pacific Daylight Time, schittoor writes: > <<<I know since 1986. I've seen her so many times and talked to her > personally. Many people around her are crooks, because of this some > of her early disciples left the organization. I've not seen her for > the last two years. > Everything is commercialized; only one thing that matters is $$$$. >>> > Who are you talking about? All you say is "her." --- om== Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 4, 2002 Report Share Posted August 4, 2002 In a message dated 8/4/2002 8:39:47 AM Pacific Daylight Time, schittoor writes: > <I am talking about Amritandamayi. Who do you think I'm talking about?>> > I couldn't figure it out, since you joined the Amma group I assumed you were an Amma devotee or at least an enthusiast. Also, since your argument was that all "she" cared about was $$$, I figured you couldn't be talking about Amma! I've been seeing her since her earliest tours. I've NEVER been asked for money. The door has always been open to anyone. I've been to other yoga groups where they charge fees for everything, and one group, the very first time I was, there they dragged me into a room to ask me how much money I would like to donate per month! They didn't even know me; it was nuts! While I have no doubt that our donations support Amma and her disciples/entourage and the darshans/hall rentals, it's never felt exploitative at all. The focus has always been on the devotion and charity. I've never known a religious group or charitable institution that didn't have an "overhead" cost-- the cost to run the organization. But the darshan is free. The mantra is free. The love is free. The bhakti is free. I have friends who have no money at all and other gurus ta boot, and they receive darshan just like long-time committed disciples who do seva for 20 hours straight. The question of "blessed" items sold at darshans is more tricky. I think that love is forever flowering endlessly through the Universal Garden, to borrow a lyric! <A HREF="http://www.leoslyrics.com/listlyrics.php?sid=%11%F4%D0%AB72%7F%F1">Leo's Lyrics - Yes - Universal Garden lyrics</A> . When compared to that, a relic is just a transient symbol that will go the way of all material things depite our best efforts to preserve them. At an Amma darshan you could buy anything from a tiny picture to a Peter Max original, and none of them are advertised as "more blessed" than another. I hardly think at the end of our lives God is going to be counting our Amma artifacts. To me they are just for inspiration to do the stuff that's really important-- the loving. And you're talking to someone who COLLECTS religious folk art! At the end of this mortal blink of an eye, I'll be donating that mass of goods to scholars and schools for the enjoyment of future generations. That may sound ultruistic, but who knows, I maybe be part of them! -== om-=-- Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 4, 2002 Report Share Posted August 4, 2002 I know since 1986. I've seen her so many times and talked to her personally. Many people around her are crooks, because of this some of her early disciples left the organization. I've not seen her for the last two years. Everything is commercialized; only one thing that matters is $$$$. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 4, 2002 Report Share Posted August 4, 2002 Yeah, what are you talking about? Sure Amma wants to raise money, but as far as I can see, every penny is conserved and applied to humanitarian projects. I know from first hand experience here in Fairfield that Amma denies herself all sorts of personal comforts that are offered to her so that the money that would otherwise be spent can be used to help others. In fact, she wouldn¹t even sleep in the comfortable bed we prepared for her, saying that she shouldn¹t be so comfortable while so many in the world were suffering. She threw a couple of blankets on the hard floor and slept there. These alleged ³crooks² around her... What are they supposedly doing that¹s so crooked? > > I know since 1986. I've seen her so many times and talked to her > personally. Many people around her are crooks, because of this some > of her early disciples left the organization. I've not seen her for > the last two years. > Everything is commercialized; only one thing that matters is $$$$. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 4, 2002 Report Share Posted August 4, 2002 You¹ve known her since 1986 and you haven¹t learned how to spell her name yet? > I am talking about Amritandamayi. Who do you think I'm talking about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 4, 2002 Report Share Posted August 4, 2002 I think you need to specify the difference between "disciple" (someone who tries to emulate and follow the teachings of their guru) versus a devotee. Many are devotees, but not necessarily a disciple. I had see one webpage of a former devotee/disciple claiming to have spent time with Amma in the early days, but later found another guru and is now quite a swami himself. If anyone's really interested, I'll try to find the link, but I'm sure it'll turn up on Google or Dogpile.com if you check. About the money part, it was a very big shock moving from the Satya Sai Baba crowd to the Ammachi crowd years ago. SSB people follow his teachings about not discussing money matters in the meeting/satsang room, which I like. I understand where Amma money goes, but I've found it very depressing every year walking by the bookstalls at Amma's programs, and for the most part only being able to buy the basics (kumkum, incense, etc.). There's a local Indian bookstore that sells Amma's bhajan cassettes at the India rate ($3). Amma sells the small vibhutti packets for $2 each, but SSB's ashram sells larger quantities for a fraction of that. tom Ammachi, "schittoor" <schittoor> wrote: > > > I know since 1986. I've seen her so many times and talked to her > personally. Many people around her are crooks, because of this some > of her early disciples left the organization. I've not seen her for > the last two years. > Everything is commercialized; only one thing that matters is $$$$. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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