Guest guest Posted September 24, 2009 Report Share Posted September 24, 2009 Hey everyone! I'll try to make this as short a question as possible. Over the past few months (maybe more), I've really been touched by Amma. I can't explain it, but a great feeling of devotion to the Divine Mother comes to me when I read about Amma's teachings and message. I would like to be a devotee of Amma, but I have some questions before I fully make a commitment to Amma in my heart. Firstly, would it be bad if I couldn't come into contact with any of Amma's devotional groups? I personally don't have one near me, but I guess I also ask this because I've been wondering what an agoraphobe or social-phobe would do if they were to become Amma devotees. Is there a specific need to go to the groups? Also related to that question, I saw on one of Amma's websites (I think it was Amma.org, in the teaching section), that it said we should use a mantra given to us by a Sat-guru. Does this mean Amma devotees need to go see a Sat-guru and/or have some kind of initiation, or is this more a spiritual connection we have with Amma (like I've seen with other Sat-gurus: i.e. they're meant to give mantras when people ask them in meditation)? Finally, is it necessary to learn the IAM meditation? I don't have an instructor near me either. Is there maybe a book or internet course? If you can give me some pointers for daily spiritual practice, that would be good too, but I really would like those questions answered first please =] Thankyou SOOOOO much for any help you can give me! Much blessings! -Sam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 25, 2009 Report Share Posted September 25, 2009 Namah Shivaya, Sam, Welcome. So glad to hear that Amma is touching your heart. No, it is not " bad " not to be part of a satsang. However, Amma certainly does strongly emphasize Her wish for devotees to come together in satsang when they can. I will say that being part of my local satsang has made a huge difference in my path. It provides many opportunities for grounding, service, support and growth (and lots of Amma's grace!) that simply would not have come my way otherwise. Of course you can be a solitary devotee; many are. Amma has said before that She has given initiation to isolated sadhaks in caves in the Himalayas. But if you can go for satsang, even just every once in a blue moon, DO! If you wish to become a devotee of Amma, then the Satguru to ask for a mantra is Amma Herself. You do this in person, generally on a Devi Bhava night, when you go for darshan. It is not necessary to learn the IAM meditation. It is highly beneficial if you get the opportunity to learn it, but don't worry about it if you don't. If it is something you need in your path, Amma will make it possible for you to take the course. It is only taught in person by teachers whom Amma has personally authorized to teach the technique, so there are not books or Internet versions of the course. It would be inappropriate for me or anyone else here to recommend a sadhana, or daily spiritual practice, for you. I would suggest you contact Swami Dayamrita Chaitanya, the monk in charge at MA Center in San Ramon. He is Amma's senior disciple in North America and is very helpful with such questions. You can reach him at dayamrita. Jai Ma, Pranada Ammachi , " sam.honner " <dont.be.afraid wrote: > > Hey everyone! > > I'll try to make this as short a question as possible. > > Over the past few months (maybe more), I've really been touched by Amma. I can't explain it, but a great feeling of devotion to the Divine Mother comes to me when I read about Amma's teachings and message. > > I would like to be a devotee of Amma, but I have some questions before I fully make a commitment to Amma in my heart. > > Firstly, would it be bad if I couldn't come into contact with any of Amma's devotional groups? I personally don't have one near me, but I guess I also ask this because I've been wondering what an agoraphobe or social-phobe would do if they were to become Amma devotees. > Is there a specific need to go to the groups? > > Also related to that question, I saw on one of Amma's websites (I think it was Amma.org, in the teaching section), that it said we should use a mantra given to us by a Sat-guru. Does this mean Amma devotees need to go see a Sat-guru and/or have some kind of initiation, or is this more a spiritual connection we have with Amma (like I've seen with other Sat-gurus: i.e. they're meant to give mantras when people ask them in meditation)? > > Finally, is it necessary to learn the IAM meditation? I don't have an instructor near me either. Is there maybe a book or internet course? > > If you can give me some pointers for daily spiritual practice, that would be good too, but I really would like those questions answered first please =] > > Thankyou SOOOOO much for any help you can give me! > > Much blessings! > -Sam. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 25, 2009 Report Share Posted September 25, 2009 Ammachi , " sam.honner " <dont.be.afraid wrote: > ... Over the past few months (maybe more), I've really been > touched by Amma. I can't explain it, but a great feeling > of devotion to the Divine Mother comes to me > when I read about Amma's teachings and message. > -Sam. > >>> Hi Sam, welcome ! my advice is keep it as simple as possible if you feel devotion, then dwell in that Awareness that is your connection to God and to Amma and that already makes you a devotee of Amma if you can see Amma in person and get a hug at least once a year, that would be very beneficial, and everything else will grow from there, you may decide to ask Amma for a mantra and/or name, or not, you may go to Satsang or not, there are no " must rules " about these things also, Amma says " remembrance of God is meditation " so more complicated techniques are not a must, although these can be very good for some devotees one thing that Amma does encourage a lot, by example, is Seva( selfless service ) and says that selfless service is the best way to start on a spiritual path my understanding of this is: when we undertake a spiritual path seriously, we are asking to settle our karmic accounts, and this may be rocky at times, selfless service smooths thing out a bit, Amma even said that we do Seva and Amma takes some of our karma, which helps a lot hope this helps Amma Bless, amarnath Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 25, 2009 Report Share Posted September 25, 2009 Namaste dear Sam Welcome to the Ammachi group. . . One does not have to be part of a satsang to be an Amma devotee. . ..There are many of us that live in locals without a satsang and there are others that due to individual circumstance are not able to participate in Amma devotee satsangs. . . I have been an Amma devotee for a number of years and have never gone to a satsang and it has not diminished a deep connection with Amma as Teacher, Guru, or Divine Mother. . . .She will find a way to gather Her children's hearts to Her's. . . Sam She truly is awesome, and wonderful. .. . Sam i believe Pranada spoke to the need to receive your personal mantra from Amma. . . but you might find this link of interest. . .you mentioned that you had found the Amma.org site, but there is a more encompassing website called Amritpuri. .. this site is based where Amma lives in India. . . the link. . . http://www.amritapuri.org/ <http://www.amritapuri.org/category/eservice/mantras/> also here is a page on mantras that Amma has asked all of Her devotees to utilize. . . http://www.amritapuri.org/category/eservice/mantras/ <http://www.amritapuri.org/category/eservice/mantras/> The Universal Peace Mantra Lokah Samasthah Sukhino Bhavanthu. . . . " Amma has chosen some peace mantras for daily chanting by her devotees and disciples. http://www.amritapuri.org/3734/lokah-samastah/ <http://www.amritapuri.org/3734/lokah-samastah/> Also Sam here is a link to a page where you can write Amma a letter or just express your heart's prayer to Her. . .i have found Amma finds a way to respond to these messages. . .. http://www.amritapuri.org/eservices/to-amma/ <Amma%20has%20chosen%20some%20peace%20mantras%20for%20daily%20chanting%2\ 0by%20her%20devotees%20and%20disciples.%20One%20of%20those%20invocations\ %20is%20Om%20lokah%20samastah%20sukhino%20bhavantu.%20Although%20this%20\ mantra%20does%20not%20appear%20in%20any%20of%20the%20existent%20Veda%20s\ akhas%20[Vedic%20branches],%20it%20is%20an%20expression%20of%20the%20uni\ versal%20spirit%20that%20we%20find%20therein1.%20Let%E2%80%99s%20take%20\ a%20look%20at%20what%20context%20it%20appears%20in%20and%20what%20meanin\ g%20it%20carries.%20The%20sloka%20as%20a%20whole%20reads%20as%20follows:\ %20%20svasti%20prajabhyah:%20pari-palayantham%20nyayeana%20margena%20mah\ im%20maheesah:%20go-brahmanebhya:%20shubamasthu%20nityam%20lokah:%20sama\ sthah:%20sukhino%20bhavanthu> Sam we also have the Amma Shop. org where one can find many wonderful books of Amma. . . The Awaken Children series is one of my favorites along with my favorite Ammachi the Biography by Swami Amritaswarupananda. .. . They have a large selection of music, satsang, and books that bring Amma's teaching. . . .They also carry the 108 Names of Amma for devotion and meditations on Amma. . . .as well as a tape called O Ma that is not the same as the I Am meditation, but one that Amma prescribed before I AM. . . .I am not for sure it is still available,but you might want to check and see. . . . Hope this can be of help, please feel free to ask if we can help further. . . May Amma bless and guide you who you truly are. . . Aum Amriteswaryai Namaha (Mother of Immortal Bliss) ordinary sparrow marci Ammachi , " sam.honner " <dont.be.afraid wrote: > > Hey everyone! > > I'll try to make this as short a question as possible. > > Over the past few months (maybe more), I've really been touched by Amma. I can't explain it, but a great feeling of devotion to the Divine Mother comes to me when I read about Amma's teachings and message. > > I would like to be a devotee of Amma, but I have some questions before I fully make a commitment to Amma in my heart. > > Firstly, would it be bad if I couldn't come into contact with any of Amma's devotional groups? I personally don't have one near me, but I guess I also ask this because I've been wondering what an agoraphobe or social-phobe would do if they were to become Amma devotees. > Is there a specific need to go to the groups? > > Also related to that question, I saw on one of Amma's websites (I think it was Amma.org, in the teaching section), that it said we should use a mantra given to us by a Sat-guru. Does this mean Amma devotees need to go see a Sat-guru and/or have some kind of initiation, or is this more a spiritual connection we have with Amma (like I've seen with other Sat-gurus: i.e. they're meant to give mantras when people ask them in meditation)? > > Finally, is it necessary to learn the IAM meditation? I don't have an instructor near me either. Is there maybe a book or internet course? > > If you can give me some pointers for daily spiritual practice, that would be good too, but I really would like those questions answered first please =] > > Thankyou SOOOOO much for any help you can give me! > > Much blessings! > -Sam. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 26, 2009 Report Share Posted September 26, 2009 Aum Namh Shivaya! Sam what state are you in? If you are drawn to take the course I can check that out for you. We have many IAM teachers nationwide and I can check the instructor website for you to see if someone is in your area. in Her service, Adriane Ammachi , " sam.honner " <dont.be.afraid wrote: > > Hey everyone! > > I'll try to make this as short a question as possible. > > Over the past few months (maybe more), I've really been touched by Amma. I can't explain it, but a great feeling of devotion to the Divine Mother comes to me when I read about Amma's teachings and message. > > I would like to be a devotee of Amma, but I have some questions before I fully make a commitment to Amma in my heart. > > Firstly, would it be bad if I couldn't come into contact with any of Amma's devotional groups? I personally don't have one near me, but I guess I also ask this because I've been wondering what an agoraphobe or social-phobe would do if they were to become Amma devotees. > Is there a specific need to go to the groups? > > Also related to that question, I saw on one of Amma's websites (I think it was Amma.org, in the teaching section), that it said we should use a mantra given to us by a Sat-guru. Does this mean Amma devotees need to go see a Sat-guru and/or have some kind of initiation, or is this more a spiritual connection we have with Amma (like I've seen with other Sat-gurus: i.e. they're meant to give mantras when people ask them in meditation)? > > Finally, is it necessary to learn the IAM meditation? I don't have an instructor near me either. Is there maybe a book or internet course? > > If you can give me some pointers for daily spiritual practice, that would be good too, but I really would like those questions answered first please =] > > Thankyou SOOOOO much for any help you can give me! > > Much blessings! > -Sam. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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