Guest guest Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 Dear All, My only beef with Amma is that she should put an end to the dubious claim alluding she is the incarnation of the Adi Shakti/Divine Mother/Shri Lalita. i quote " Mata Amritanandamayi In the Eternal Religion of India, the Divine Mother has been called Devi, Lakshmi, Kali and Lalita. She is Jagadamba, or Mother of the Universe. " Some of the devotees have even made a CD enforcing that belief: 1. The Sri Lalita Sahasranama is an ancient, powerful hymn of 1000 individual mantras describing various aspects of the Divine Mother. Participate in the worship of the Divine Mother by chanting the 1000 names. Listening to these purifying mantras, accompanied by beautiful animations, English text and meaning makes this CD-ROM a unique multimedia experience of devotion, learning, and delight. " Worship using the Lalita Sahasranama is of the utmost value for spiritual growth and material prosperity. The worship of the Divine Mother is ideal for enhancing good qualities such as love, compassion, forbearance and courage. " - Mata Amritanandamayi In the Eternal Religion of India, the Divine Mother has been called Devi, Lakshmi, Kali and Lalita. She is Jagadamba, or Mother of the Universe. Her love for all is supreme. Her goal is to have man return to the ultimate state of oneness with Her - for man to realise his true self. What can humans offer such a Mother who loves them, takes care of them and gives them Her bounty? Praising such a Mother and offering Her gratitude is the essence of the Sri Lalita Sahasranama. ... Topics on this CD include: GODS AND GODDESSES: Learn the symbolic meaning of the attributes of gods and goddesses by clicking on different parts of beautifully illustrated pictures of the most popular deities. MEDITATION: Enjoy a guided meditation on the Divine Mother. Learn the esoteric significance of the energy centers (chakras and kundalini.) Benefit from guidance on how to enhance your meditation. CHANTS (KIRTAN/MANTRA): Discover the joy of singing devotional songs (kirtans/bhajans) and repeating the name of God (japa mantra.) Learn popular chants and mantras, with meaning and proper pronunciation. Chants include the 108 Names of the Divine Mother (presented with extraordinary illustrations and a detailed commentary), the Hanuman Chalisa, Madhurashtakam (on the sweetness of Krishna), Arati (Om Jai Jagadisha Hare), Shiva Panchakshari mantra and Shanti mantras. RITUALS (PUJA): Perform a puja (worship through ritual) on your computer to your favorite deity in a 3-D, interactive, virtual reality. Learn to perform pujas in your home with step-by-step video clips, including pronunciation of the Sanskrit mantras. TEMPLES: Take a guided tour of a traditional temple - untraditionally - in 3- D. Learn how temples evolved, why they are so special, the secrets governing their structure and the customs commonly observed. SAMSKARAS (RITES OF PASSAGE): Samskaras are timeless prescriptions from India's ancient sages for harmonising one's life with the natural laws of the universe. Gather the sages' practical advice and philosophical insight about each stage in the cycle of life. FESTIVALS AND VOWS: Learn the history, meaning and symbolism of nineteen popular Indian festivals. Do you have a goal you haven't reached? Learn about the subtle science of vratas - vows taken on special days to fulfil your cherished desires. Includes a calendar of festivals and vratas. FEATURES: o Interactive 3D Temple o Animated Stories o Interactive Worship o Interactive Gods and Goddesses o Learn Chants o Guided Meditation o Learn Worship at Home o Interactive Game http://www.amritapuri.org/publication/video/cd.php Amma Inc. allows devotees to buy their way to heaven. That is the price you pay for believing in an amma who pretends to be the Adi Shakti/Divine Mother/Shri Lalita. The Truth will slowly destroy all who are selling salvation to ignorant souls. Jai Shri Ganapathi, jagbir -------------- Amma, Inc. I first arrived at Amma's Indian ashram just in time for her birthday celebration. What immediately struck me was the commercial nature of it. There were booths set up all over selling everything from food to Amma laundry soap. My first impression reminded me of the money changers that Christ found in the Great Temple of Jerusalem. Afterwards, I was struck by the materialistic orientation that pervaded the ashram even after the birthday celebration. Westerners were charged a high fee by Indian standards for food and lodging, Lodging meant a spot on the floor of a small room shared usually with 3 or 4 others. Those who wanted privacy could " purchase " a tiny one room flat for $14,000. This entitles you to your own room while you are at the ashram, but you still have to pay half the room rate while you are there. Unless you continue paying the fee when you leave, the ashram has the usual 3 or 4 others stay in the room whenever you're not there. Guests and residents are also expected to spend time each day rendering service to the ashram. In contrast to this, traditional Indian ashrams do not charge for room and board. Goodwill donations are accepted but not required. At Amma's, everything is run like a business. There is a laundry service, taxi service, travel agency, phone and email service, as well as several stores, all designed to turn a profit for the ashram. Devotees are also charged high fees to travel on jam packed buses when Amma goes on her Indian tours. Food is abysmal, and accommodations usually mean a spot on a cement floor next to dozens of others on such tours. An Indian woman told me that on tour she once yelled out at Amma's request " All you people without fathers get back on the bus. " What she told me Amma actually said was " All you bastards, get back on the bus… " Amma herself travels on these tours either in her new Mercedes (upgraded from an earlier new one) or her new luxury RV. On of the best profit sources for the ashram is the ayurvedic center that offers a few weeks of pancha karma treatments (for about 2 hours a day) at a cost of around $1500. Unpaid Indian devotees do all the treatments so the overhead to the ashram for this service is practically non-existent. One Amma devotee who gets treated every year told me that Amma said to him that one round of pancha karma treatments is worth 10 years of sadhana. So he, in effect, expects to buy his way to heaven by having pancha karma treatments done every year The US and foreign tours are also very profitable for Amma owing to profits from retreat fees, donations, and the sale of high priced books, tapes, and other items. I once asked a man why he bought a tabla set from the ashram when he could have purchased the same kind of instrument at little more than half the cost outside the ashram. He told me that the ashram profits were going for a good cause. This is a common misconception perpetuated by the ashram itself. At all of Amma's programs there are announcements encouraging donations to Amma's so-called charitable activities and saying that the profit from selling books, tapes, and other items goes toward these charitable activities, which fall into 5 main areas: orphanages, schools, housing, and hospitals. I decided to look into all of these when I was in India. I visited her orphanage near the ashram and was disturbed to see how the children there were living. Four children shared each bunk bed, which was just a metal frame with no mattresses. The food was just watery rice with a little overcooked vegetable. I was told the children would have had no clothing to wear except for the generous donations of clothing from some local Indians. When I asked who was paying for the few caretakers I saw there, I was told the state was paying them, since they were the children's teachers. Amma's schools are also listed as one of her charitable activities, but they are a very lucrative business for the ashram. Only those who can pay to attend are welcome. This applies at all levels from grade school up to trade college. Devotees are sometimes recruited to teach at these schools for little or no pay, but students are always required to pay for the privledge of attending an Amma school. The engineering, management and computer colleges are particularly profitable for the ashram. As for housing for the poor, the costs and numbers of such units built have been grossly inflated. The ashram will not build a dwelling unless the people own the land on which it is to be put. Obviously, not many of the poor are land owners. Perhaps the most egregious misrepresentation of Amma's charitable activities occurs with respect to the AIMS specialty hospital in Cochin. This has been used as the center piece for Amma's money raising efforts. It is always touted as a charitable hospital meant to serve the poor and needy. Amma's websites and the hospital website have always maintained that over half the hospital's work is charitable in nature. But this is absolutely untrue. I know a man who went to India (a friend of soulcircle) to do some consulting at AIMS a few years back. He interviewed the management and doctors there and obtained copies of the hospital's financial statements. He was very surprised to find out that less than 5% of the hospital's resources were devoted to servicing the poor, and even that amount wouldn't have been there had it not been paid for by the government of India. Even the few poor people who were given medical care had to pay for their medications, which many could not do. This man was very disappointed to see poor people being turned away from AIMS and refused treatment. He approached Amma with this information and asked why monies were being raised adharmically under false pretenses. Amma, who knows and directs all these matters, told him that he was wrong and that 50% of the hospital's activities are charitable. He could hardly believe his ears and politely asked to be shown how this could be so. So Amma had the hospital's VP of Finance present their case, which went as follows: There are a few private hospitals for the wealthy in India that charge more than AIMS. Some might even charge twice as much as AIMS for the same procedures. Therefore, the difference between what they charge and what AIMS charges should be regarded as charitable.. The fact that the poor cannot afford care at either place somehow got lost in their logic. Meanwhile, Amma's organization puts out false brochures with photos of suffering children saying that contributions to AIMS will go towards saving these poor children. The consultant mentioned above was also surprised to find out that many of Amma's devotees at AIMS or in her ashram were well aware of these misrepresentations and seemed able to rationalize them away. Amma herself told others that AIMS could not afford to give any more care to the poor at that time because the hospital was expected to pay its own way (where have we heard that before?), which contradicts all the messages given about sales revenue and donations being used for charitable purposes, with AIMS being the most prominent activity. Amma said she expected the charitable work at AIMS to pick up later. Since then, however, instead of using AIMS cash flow or ashram donations or sales profits to fund hospital care for the poor, AIMS has built a very large profit oriented medical college at AIMS that overshadows the hospital itself. Kerala, a state the size of California, already had 5 free medical colleges before this one, and wasn't in need of another. But Amma's medical college, like her other colleges, is using the goodwill of her name to attract paying students and create more and more profits for the organization. In fact, even at her ashram now they have established another college with paying students outnumbering paying devotees. It should be obvious now that empire building is the driving force behind Amma and her organization. This is similar to SRF, which has spent outrageous sums of money on legal and accounting fees in order to solidify its organizational standing and stature. As a final note, I'm enclosing below a statement that was emailed to the Amma satsang groups by one of Amma's former swamis when he left the organization. He was the Joint Secretary in charge of accounts, administration, banking and investments. He was offered money by the ashram if he would retract what he wrote, but he has courageously stood by his words despite being now under financial pressure. He recently started a wholesale export business for religious and devotional items. The quality and prices of his merchandise seem very good. Anyone interested should check out his website www.celextel.com IDEAS IN REALITY - INSIDE STORY My life of Twenty-Two Years as a Monastic was of never ending struggles in trying to bring the various Spiritual Ideas as Reality in my Life. While attempting to narrow down the gaps between the Ideas and Reality, I finally chose to observe my Life in Reality and had to give up the Ideas that remained unrealistic in my Life. Chastity was the main Idea that had failed to become Reality in my Life primarily due to the highly stimulating environment that I was put in. Not only in the individual level, but also in the Organization level, I have seen wide gaps when the ideas are put into practice. To narrate a few instances: 1. Just before the Inauguration of the Hospital at Cochin, we had suggested Amma to declare that Hospital as a Charitable One. But Amma had firmly told us that Amma would declare it as a FREE Hospital as that being Amma's real intention while establishing the same. Under the Indo-US Agreement, to get the complete waiver of Customs Duty for all the Medical Items to be Imported, the Ashram also has given an Irrevocable Undertaking to the Government of India that the Hospital would provide Medical Treatments at Free of Cost. But in Reality, as everyone here knows, the Ashram Hospital at Cochin is not a Free Hospital; Neither it could be considered to be a Charitable One as Certain Percentage of Beds have not been set aside as Free Ones for the use of Deserving Poor Patients. Many of the Deserving Patients from the Poorest Strata of the Society are turned away by the Hospital; Few of the luckiest ones get Subsidy; Persons from the Middle Class of the Society get affordable Treatment and the Affluent ones get the Treatment at a Competitive Rate. The Math which is a Charitable Trust is not supposed to run the Hospital like a Commercial Establishment as it is doing right now. When would the Ashram make the Hospital at Cochin as a Free or a Charitable One in Reality ? 2. The Ashram now claims to have completed 15,000 Houses to the Deserving Poor under the current Housing Scheme. In Reality, the Ashram has constructed not more than 7,500 Houses [50%] so for. The Ashram also is claiming to have spent about Rs.28,000/= per House. But in Reality, the cost incurred by the Ashram for each of the House is not more than Rs.14,000/= [50%]. Why are the False Claims ?... Let there be Justice to Every-one; Injustice to No-one ! Let there be Truth Every-where; Untruth No-where ! Edited by: Borg108 at: 6/5/03 9:33 am http://p203.ezboard.com/fsrfwalrusfrm33.showMessage?topicID=62.topic Re: Amma, Inc. --- ----------- Borgji, Thanks for posting the " live and upfront " aspect of the Ammachi Inc. show. I, as was stated in her biography, believed the hospital to be totally free to all without distinction. I questioned in my mind at the time as to how she was going to pull this off, finally thinking she must have some rich devotees who were more than happy to bankroll the hospital. Probably as disheartening is the reality of what you saw at the " free " schools for the poor children. If she is telling the devotees through her official writings and promotional material that she is providing these services free as a type of Mother Teresa and it is as bad as you say it leaves me with a whole different impression of Amma and her organization. It seems that she is wholly and willfully taking from the rich westerners to give a pittance to the poor while she herself makes out just fine, thank-you! Yogananda was criticised for living in fine places and driving new cars. An argument could be made ethically that he, as a Swami and pledged to not own possessions, wear fine threads, or do the other many things that he did would be a violation of his vows. But I have made peace with this by believing that he was spirtually totally unattached to these things. Also he couldn't very well be in the rich land of America, live the life of the sadhu/Swami of his homeland, and draw the seekers he was sent here to do. He had to live as an American to get through their cultural biases to their souls. But this seems different. She seems to be running a scam, pure and simple. I've never gone to one of her " hug-in's " so I can't comment upon her vibrational level with any accuracy; but her biography paints a whole different picture of her and her work and life such that she is revered as a manifestation of the Mother Divine. Somehow I don't think that the Goddess would be interested in bamboozling rich people into giving Her their monies so She could drive fine rides while Her children are treated shabbily. Yogananda's organization changed after his demise, and that of his most illustrious disciple. Ammachi can't make the same claim as she seems front and center running the whole shebang which is prima facie evidence that " something's wrong in Kerala " and it isn't the weather. Best in the lap of a drunken scam artist --- ----------- Guests and All, aside from the crimes against humanity committed every day by this " hugging " saint........... If ever you care to stoop so low, get a hug from Amma, and (since you are asked to get only one hug a day...sometimes she hugs 4200 in 24 hours in San Ramon,CA, and in India, 25,000) go back on about 4 more days for a hug each day........we talking about 5 hugs from Ammachi might be worth stooping so low....for what followed on the fourth hug, in my case. soulcircle Edited by: soulcircle at: 4/13/03 12:59:52 am Re: in the lap of a drunken scam artist --- ----------- I've heard people say that Amma must be a saint because she can sit and hug thousands of people at a time. However, I once had an entertainer tell me that the love and devotion he felt from his audience energized him so much that he could have kept on all night, every night doing what he did – and he didn't even hug people! As for feeling good in her presence, if faith and devotion can move mountains, then it can certainly make one joyful in someone's presence if that is what you think will happen. I'm not saying this is the only reason this could happen, but it is something to think about. There is a guru in south India named Premananda who has miraculous powers and can materialize objects. The last I heard he was in prison for having improper sexual relations with a number of his female devotees. His followers are still devoted to him and regularly visit him in jail. I was told by one of her ashram residents that Amma once said that she and Premananda have the same state of consciousness. This I can believe. " By their fruits ye shall know them. " I was also told by a long term Amma ashram resident that her biography has been changed considerably since it was first published. A respected Swami once explained to me that it is not wrong for sadhus or sannyasis to accept money or other things that God brings to them once they surrender their life to Him. But it is improper for them to ask others for such things or to fall back into running for profit enterprises. IMO, Amma's case is worse because she is misrepresenting how the money is being used. People give to her and her organization expecting that most of the money will benefit the poor and needy. Her diversion of these funds is like stealing them from the poor. Edited by: Borg108 at: 4/13/03 8:59:35 am Re: Amma, Inc. --- ----------- About a month ago, I went to one of Amma's free gigs, at the LAX Hilton in Los Angeles. When I heard her speak, I was rather disappointed that she spoke no English. After all, she's been to America many times, spent lots of time here, and has lots of devotees who would gladly teach her a little English. When her words were translated, I was amused to hear that her stories centered largely around farm animals, and stories that an illiterate farming peasant would tell. Nothing wrong with the stories, but nothing deep about them either. They were cute, moralistic stories that showed no particular spiritual profundity, quite unlike the wonderful stories that Yogananda tells in the lessons. When I got a hug from Amma, it felt kind of creepy. Up close, her aura is really that of a country peasant. I actually felt rather repulsed by it. On the upside, I think she is very sincere about trying to spread the message of God's love. I didn't get the feeling that that part was phony at all, and I think it's her sincerity that draws people to her. There can be little doubt that she has certain siddas, because apparently she can get wealthy people to open their wallets bigtime. Borg's exposure of her so-called charitable work does not surprise me. As we were waiting in line to hug her, we had constant pictures of her " charities " flashed before us, and as I looked carefully at them, I saw that the crowd was glossing over some rather strange discrepancies. So, this raises a very serious question---if we can assume that she has wealthy benefactors, and if we can assume that Borg's research is accurate, then where is all the money going, if it comes to Amma but does not go to charities? Where does it wind up? Frankly, I don't give a damn, but you'd think that somebody in her organization ought to be looking into this question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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