Ammmmmmaaaa
I arrived in Thrivandrum and spent a good week with my ever so amazingly gracious host there who I met in Bangalore and happened to have her main home here in Kerala (what are the chances that the first people I meet in India have homes in both of the towns where my two Mothers live?? Karmic link there for sure! :) ). It was nice to relax and focus on my practice, and I also got a lot of writing done on my autobiography, which I hope to publish online for those curious. If you think this blog is a story.. well there's a LOT more to it. Hopefully I can finish it and publish it soon, but it really brought up a LOT of old emotions and the past which has been nice to work through in meditation. I also got to pay my back my generous host at least a little by introducing her to meditation, and she really took to it like no one I've ever seen! They say when the wood is dry, it only takes one match..
I came to Ammachi's ashram last week, She
was set to arrive here on the 25th, and so I arrived the day before only having four hours sleep like I usually end up doing when I travel. I do this so I can sleep on the train and have the travel go by faster, but I ended up having to STAND the whole trip because there were no seats. I remembered then that I'm going to see AMMACHI, who to me is MahaKali in the flesh, the very embodiment of pure infinite strength, and everytime I see Her I never get any sleep; well, I get more than She does actually who never seems to take rest but just keeps GIVING. If you've never heard of this woman, please please go check out www.ammachi.org right now! Her life is beyond a perfect example of selflessness, and to me She represents a living incarnation of the Divine that our children will read about even twenty thousand years from now! AND SHE'S LIVING IN OUR TIMES, and YOU CAN MEET HER. When I say that She's a living incarnation, I don't mean to take away Her accomplishments by simply saying "oh, She's God, that's why She's able to hug for three days on end without rest and knows everything about everyone of the 24 million people She's hugged". In fact, She spent Her whole life chasing the Divine, and it was only through this incessant chasing and constant work done in Divine Remembrance that She came to possess these powers for the betterment of all humanity. I say this so that we don't get discouraged and think that what She's doing is beyond us, indeed this was my relationship with Amma for awhile, it was just too overwhelming to think that I could get close to Her and begin to give like Her. But in fact when I arrived at the ashram, She came that very night! So I stayed up until 1am to meet Her with the other devotees when She came off the boat, She looked at me and said, "hey!" just like She's been seeing me everyday (which to me, She has in my daily practice :) ). It was so sweet to be with Her and I feel so very close to Her now, all it took was me being willing and ready to be close to Her! So I got two hours sleep and then got up to do my practice at 4am. Five hours later I went for Satsang (spiritual gathering) with Amma, and then finally crashed out in the late afternoon to start again at 4am the next day.
When I had my last personal blessings with Karunamayi Amma, I only asked Her how I could best serve Her children, and for the first time She asked me a question, the one nobody likes to get too (my TT's will smile at this), "How's your sadhana, son?" (Sadhana is spiritual practice) I told Her it's good, Ma, almost everyday; and She cocked an eyebrow, "Almost everyday?" I shrugged and looked at Her like, "Come on Ma, what's this game? You're there everyday I do my practice, you know how it is!" She asked me what time I'm getting up at in the morning and BAM She hit the nail on the head, I've struggled my whole life with getting up in the morning and as a result have had almost no regular schedule at all literally since elementary school (excepting some stays at ashrams). She told me to get up at the same time, and I said, "Ok, Ma" She then asked me expectantly, "you can do 4am son?" I thought, "MY GOODNESS" but I told Her, "For You I'll do it Ma, but I'm going to need your help." I've struggled incessantly to do it, and one year later I'm finally making good on that promise to Her.
There's just so much great energy for practice here, I've literally been doing 7+ hours of sadhana a day, starting at 4am with meditation for 1-2 hours, then asana at sunrise (I do my Kalari practice now to warm up for asana so this physical exercise runs about 2 hours), and then puja, which depending on the day and the moon can also take up to two hours, but I usually can get it done in an hour and a half. I then breakfast around 10am with the fruit that I offered Ma, and take lunch in the afternoon which is a glass of yogurt. Dinner is light with a couple of mangos if anything (been on a fruit/dairy diet since I got here, something I've wanted to do for awhile and the heat here makes it pretty easy), and then I do an evening puja, thanking my ancestors and meditation that runs from half an hour up to two hours. I usually squeeze in some meditation time during the day as well, and some Seva (selfless service) for the ashram, which Ammachi emphasizes is the greatest spiritual practice. She has some pretty amazing things to say about it actually, which I wanted to share here: that 80% of the world's problems are caused by poverty alone. She's seen people here in India that have mutilated their children in order to make them more pathetic so that they can beg easier (it's hard not to break into tears when you hear these stories), and so Amma says that since we're all working 8 hours a day anyway for our own luxuries, we can all work an extra half hour each day to give to the poor. If we all did that, poverty would be eliminated and world peace could happen very easily. Beautiful no? Amma's organization is the perfect organization to give to also if you're not sure of where you should give, they stretch 10 cents into a dollar because everyone volunteers time, manufactures resources, and works with utmost efficiency because they're serving out of their love for Amma. Check out Her website again and look up Her humanitarian activities, $23 million in Tsunami relief, and that's even small compared to their housing and health care activities.
In fact Amma says that selfless service is an even higher practice than meditation, because in meditation your mind may stay on God for a couple of moments, but then will be distracted and go to worldly affairs. But during Seva, you have no choice but to give beyond yourself, and the fruit of it is right in front of your eyes! The only reason I'm doing so much sadhana here is because Amma told me flat out that it's how I can best serve Her children, and since my whole life I've struggled with the question of how to best use my abilities to help, it's really good to know that I can offer my practice! Still working with the folks here is an AMAZING experience, so much joy in the work, you get high very easily off it.
This picture here of the ashram temple I stole from my brother Advait's blog (www.jaiamma.org) because I don't have a camera. He stayed on the same floor as me, floor 15, and it's really an amazing view from up here! When Amma was here we got to do our practice on the 17th floor roof, but it's closed now that She's gone to the US for accepting some award and to give a speech. I'm planning on following Her on the Kerala tour to see this beautiful state and to have my 30th birthday in Her infinite arms.
Love you all!! OH and don't forget to check Amma's tour schedule on Her website as well, and in case you didn't hear, Karunamayi Ma will be coming to America as well, www.karunamyi.org, and Mother Meera will be also visiting the states (first time in almost twenty years!!), http://www.mmdarshanamerica.com/
JAI MAA!! The grace in these times....
I came to Ammachi's ashram last week, She
was set to arrive here on the 25th, and so I arrived the day before only having four hours sleep like I usually end up doing when I travel. I do this so I can sleep on the train and have the travel go by faster, but I ended up having to STAND the whole trip because there were no seats. I remembered then that I'm going to see AMMACHI, who to me is MahaKali in the flesh, the very embodiment of pure infinite strength, and everytime I see Her I never get any sleep; well, I get more than She does actually who never seems to take rest but just keeps GIVING. If you've never heard of this woman, please please go check out www.ammachi.org right now! Her life is beyond a perfect example of selflessness, and to me She represents a living incarnation of the Divine that our children will read about even twenty thousand years from now! AND SHE'S LIVING IN OUR TIMES, and YOU CAN MEET HER. When I say that She's a living incarnation, I don't mean to take away Her accomplishments by simply saying "oh, She's God, that's why She's able to hug for three days on end without rest and knows everything about everyone of the 24 million people She's hugged". In fact, She spent Her whole life chasing the Divine, and it was only through this incessant chasing and constant work done in Divine Remembrance that She came to possess these powers for the betterment of all humanity. I say this so that we don't get discouraged and think that what She's doing is beyond us, indeed this was my relationship with Amma for awhile, it was just too overwhelming to think that I could get close to Her and begin to give like Her. But in fact when I arrived at the ashram, She came that very night! So I stayed up until 1am to meet Her with the other devotees when She came off the boat, She looked at me and said, "hey!" just like She's been seeing me everyday (which to me, She has in my daily practice :) ). It was so sweet to be with Her and I feel so very close to Her now, all it took was me being willing and ready to be close to Her! So I got two hours sleep and then got up to do my practice at 4am. Five hours later I went for Satsang (spiritual gathering) with Amma, and then finally crashed out in the late afternoon to start again at 4am the next day.When I had my last personal blessings with Karunamayi Amma, I only asked Her how I could best serve Her children, and for the first time She asked me a question, the one nobody likes to get too (my TT's will smile at this), "How's your sadhana, son?" (Sadhana is spiritual practice) I told Her it's good, Ma, almost everyday; and She cocked an eyebrow, "Almost everyday?" I shrugged and looked at Her like, "Come on Ma, what's this game? You're there everyday I do my practice, you know how it is!" She asked me what time I'm getting up at in the morning and BAM She hit the nail on the head, I've struggled my whole life with getting up in the morning and as a result have had almost no regular schedule at all literally since elementary school (excepting some stays at ashrams). She told me to get up at the same time, and I said, "Ok, Ma" She then asked me expectantly, "you can do 4am son?" I thought, "MY GOODNESS" but I told Her, "For You I'll do it Ma, but I'm going to need your help." I've struggled incessantly to do it, and one year later I'm finally making good on that promise to Her.
There's just so much great energy for practice here, I've literally been doing 7+ hours of sadhana a day, starting at 4am with meditation for 1-2 hours, then asana at sunrise (I do my Kalari practice now to warm up for asana so this physical exercise runs about 2 hours), and then puja, which depending on the day and the moon can also take up to two hours, but I usually can get it done in an hour and a half. I then breakfast around 10am with the fruit that I offered Ma, and take lunch in the afternoon which is a glass of yogurt. Dinner is light with a couple of mangos if anything (been on a fruit/dairy diet since I got here, something I've wanted to do for awhile and the heat here makes it pretty easy), and then I do an evening puja, thanking my ancestors and meditation that runs from half an hour up to two hours. I usually squeeze in some meditation time during the day as well, and some Seva (selfless service) for the ashram, which Ammachi emphasizes is the greatest spiritual practice. She has some pretty amazing things to say about it actually, which I wanted to share here: that 80% of the world's problems are caused by poverty alone. She's seen people here in India that have mutilated their children in order to make them more pathetic so that they can beg easier (it's hard not to break into tears when you hear these stories), and so Amma says that since we're all working 8 hours a day anyway for our own luxuries, we can all work an extra half hour each day to give to the poor. If we all did that, poverty would be eliminated and world peace could happen very easily. Beautiful no? Amma's organization is the perfect organization to give to also if you're not sure of where you should give, they stretch 10 cents into a dollar because everyone volunteers time, manufactures resources, and works with utmost efficiency because they're serving out of their love for Amma. Check out Her website again and look up Her humanitarian activities, $23 million in Tsunami relief, and that's even small compared to their housing and health care activities.
In fact Amma says that selfless service is an even higher practice than meditation, because in meditation your mind may stay on God for a couple of moments, but then will be distracted and go to worldly affairs. But during Seva, you have no choice but to give beyond yourself, and the fruit of it is right in front of your eyes! The only reason I'm doing so much sadhana here is because Amma told me flat out that it's how I can best serve Her children, and since my whole life I've struggled with the question of how to best use my abilities to help, it's really good to know that I can offer my practice! Still working with the folks here is an AMAZING experience, so much joy in the work, you get high very easily off it.
This picture here of the ashram temple I stole from my brother Advait's blog (www.jaiamma.org) because I don't have a camera. He stayed on the same floor as me, floor 15, and it's really an amazing view from up here! When Amma was here we got to do our practice on the 17th floor roof, but it's closed now that She's gone to the US for accepting some award and to give a speech. I'm planning on following Her on the Kerala tour to see this beautiful state and to have my 30th birthday in Her infinite arms.
Love you all!! OH and don't forget to check Amma's tour schedule on Her website as well, and in case you didn't hear, Karunamayi Ma will be coming to America as well, www.karunamyi.org, and Mother Meera will be also visiting the states (first time in almost twenty years!!), http://www.mmdarshanamerica.com/
JAI MAA!! The grace in these times....
posted by para ji | 2:14 AM
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