Guest guest Posted August 15, 2005 Report Share Posted August 15, 2005 The Marriot hotel in Boston has a snack and gift shop which was positioned along the hallway that Amma walks down as she went from the elevator to the car that took her to the darshan hall. I happened to strike up a conversation with the owner of the shop who was fascinated by all the fluster created in the hotel with the arrival of Amma and her devotees. She was in her seventies and the salt of the earth roman catholic type of person that is responsible for the well being of the city of Boston, in her many incarnations throughout the area. She asked me who Amma was and I explained that she was a saint who truly helped others, like Mother Teresa. She agreed that she felt Ammachi was a saint, but she wasn't so excited by us, the unwashed hordes, her devotees. She told me how the Amma's people had emptied the tampoon boxes into their purses and were also stealing the extra toilet paper out of the rooms. I thanked her for alerting me to the problem and explained that we, the devotees, were all just works in progress. The word would get out to the proper authorities, I assured her. At any rate, Amma's about to come down the elevator, so I recommend to the clerk that if she stands in the pathway she may get a darshan hug. Sure enough along comes Amma. This cute little lady is standing there in shock as Amma comes right over to her. Amma reaches out to her, sees that she is overwhelmed and then smiles, pulls back and does a namaste salute. After Amma sped off for the hall, I talked to the clerk again. She was very happy. "I would like to get a hug! She said excitedly, "but I'm catholic." I explained that it didn't matter and that she should come during the evening program. I would guide her through the process. Since I was Irish catholic myself, at least in name, and came from Quincy, she thought she could trust me. Later that night, I am doing prasad Seva: quickly filling Amma's hands with Hershey's kisses. Guess who is right in the mix, next to the darshan chair speaking to Amma in Malayalam. Yes, the little chocolate thief. I assume they are discussing advanced spiritual topics, like the transmigration of souls, or the physics of shakti transmission. Anyhooo, right in the middle of all that Malayalam chatter, the thief says in perfect english, "hotel snack shop lady" and then continues to prattle on in Malayalam. This really startles me. Just another leela, in the most leela filled visit with Amma I have ever had. So I remember to wait for this venerable old catholic saint who works in the snack shop. Sure enough she comes down to the hall in the evening. I had told the special needs people she was coming . We whisk her over and ten minutes later she in Amma's lap. Mission accomplished. Oh what an amazing, amazing web Amma weaves. My mind is happily blown away. The thief said it best: It's all her grace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 15, 2005 Report Share Posted August 15, 2005 Very nice story!!! -yogaman Ammachi, "ckeniley2003" <ckeniley2003> wrote: > The Marriot hotel in Boston has a snack and gift shop which was > positioned along the hallway that Amma walks down as she went from > the elevator to the car that took her to the darshan hall. I > happened to strike up a conversation with the owner of the shop who > was fascinated by all the fluster created in the hotel with the > arrival of Amma and her devotees. She was in her seventies and the > salt of the earth roman catholic type of person that is responsible > for the well being of the city of Boston, in her many incarnations > throughout the area. > > She asked me who Amma was and I explained that she was a saint who > truly helped others, like Mother Teresa. She agreed that she felt > Ammachi was a saint, but she wasn't so excited by us, the unwashed > hordes, her devotees. She told me how the Amma's people had emptied > the tampoon boxes into their purses and were also stealing the extra > toilet paper out of the rooms. I thanked her for alerting me to the > problem and explained that we, the devotees, were all just works in > progress. The word would get out to the proper authorities, I > assured her. > > At any rate, Amma's about to come down the elevator, so I recommend > to the clerk that if she stands in the pathway she may get a darshan > hug. Sure enough along comes Amma. This cute little lady is standing > there in shock as Amma comes right over to her. Amma reaches out to > her, sees that she is overwhelmed and then smiles, pulls back and > does a namaste salute. > > After Amma sped off for the hall, I talked to the clerk again. She > was very happy. "I would like to get a hug! She said excitedly, "but > I'm catholic." I explained that it didn't matter and that she should > come during the evening program. I would guide her through the > process. Since I was Irish catholic myself, at least in name, and > came from Quincy, she thought she could trust me. > > Later that night, I am doing prasad Seva: quickly filling Amma's > hands with Hershey's kisses. Guess who is right in the mix, next to > the darshan chair speaking to Amma in Malayalam. Yes, the little > chocolate thief. I assume they are discussing advanced spiritual > topics, like the transmigration of souls, or the physics of shakti > transmission. > > Anyhooo, right in the middle of all that Malayalam chatter, the > thief says in perfect english, "hotel snack shop lady" and then > continues to prattle on in Malayalam. This really startles me. Just > another leela, in the most leela filled visit with Amma I have ever > had. > > So I remember to wait for this venerable old catholic saint who > works in the snack shop. Sure enough she comes down to the hall in > the evening. I had told the special needs people she was coming . We > whisk her over and ten minutes later she in Amma's lap. Mission > accomplished. > > Oh what an amazing, amazing web Amma weaves. My mind is happily > blown away. The thief said it best: It's all her grace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 16, 2005 Report Share Posted August 16, 2005 -Aum Amriteshwaryai Namaha! What i great story! These wonderul stories, i hope, are being gathered for a possible book, so more devotees can imbibe their sweetness. :<D At Her Feet, muktimaa -- In Ammachi, "ckeniley2003" <ckeniley2003> wrote: > The Marriot hotel in Boston has a snack and gift shop which was > positioned along the hallway that Amma walks down as she went from > the elevator to the car that took her to the darshan hall. I > happened to strike up a conversation with the owner of the shop who > was fascinated by all the fluster created in the hotel with the > arrival of Amma and her devotees. She was in her seventies and the > salt of the earth roman catholic type of person that is responsible > for the well being of the city of Boston, in her many incarnations > throughout the area. > > She asked me who Amma was and I explained that she was a saint who > truly helped others, like Mother Teresa. She agreed that she felt > Ammachi was a saint, but she wasn't so excited by us, the unwashed > hordes, her devotees. She told me how the Amma's people had emptied > the tampoon boxes into their purses and were also stealing the extra > toilet paper out of the rooms. I thanked her for alerting me to the > problem and explained that we, the devotees, were all just works in > progress. The word would get out to the proper authorities, I > assured her. > > At any rate, Amma's about to come down the elevator, so I recommend > to the clerk that if she stands in the pathway she may get a darshan > hug. Sure enough along comes Amma. This cute little lady is standing > there in shock as Amma comes right over to her. Amma reaches out to > her, sees that she is overwhelmed and then smiles, pulls back and > does a namaste salute. > > After Amma sped off for the hall, I talked to the clerk again. She > was very happy. "I would like to get a hug! She said excitedly, "but > I'm catholic." I explained that it didn't matter and that she should > come during the evening program. I would guide her through the > process. Since I was Irish catholic myself, at least in name, and > came from Quincy, she thought she could trust me. > > Later that night, I am doing prasad Seva: quickly filling Amma's > hands with Hershey's kisses. Guess who is right in the mix, next to > the darshan chair speaking to Amma in Malayalam. Yes, the little > chocolate thief. I assume they are discussing advanced spiritual > topics, like the transmigration of souls, or the physics of shakti > transmission. > > Anyhooo, right in the middle of all that Malayalam chatter, the > thief says in perfect english, "hotel snack shop lady" and then > continues to prattle on in Malayalam. This really startles me. Just > another leela, in the most leela filled visit with Amma I have ever > had. > > So I remember to wait for this venerable old catholic saint who > works in the snack shop. Sure enough she comes down to the hall in > the evening. I had told the special needs people she was coming . We > whisk her over and ten minutes later she in Amma's lap. Mission > accomplished. > > Oh what an amazing, amazing web Amma weaves. My mind is happily > blown away. The thief said it best: It's all her grace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 16, 2005 Report Share Posted August 16, 2005 I wonder if his parents realize that their child is being discussed by people all over the world on this ! With love, Erica Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 16, 2005 Report Share Posted August 16, 2005 Ammachi, "Erica" <sugarandbrine> wrote: > I wonder if his parents realize that their child is being discussed by > people all over the world on this ! > > With love, > Erica I wondered that too. Somehow, I think that life with their son is an adventure, and they would not be suprised about these stories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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