Born into the world with a glowing smile on her face rather than tears—this is how devotees of Mata Amritanandamayi Devi describe the beginnings of their guru’s life and her immediate possession and demonstration of a supremely spiritual nature.  More affectionately recognized as Amma or Mother, Mata Amritanandamayi Devi is said by her followers to exhibit boundless compassion for others, both now and from earliest childhood.  As one of her household chores as a child, Amma—then known by her given name Sudhamani—would visit neighbors’ homes seeking food for her family’s cows.  Her disciples trace her characteristic expressions of  kindheartedness to this time.  Throughout such visits “she patiently listened to many tales of woe, especially from the elderly, who often told her how they were being neglected and ill-treated by their grown-up children and grandchildren.…Though only a child, Sudhamani did whatever she could to ease the suffering of her elderly neighbors.” [1]  Although ostracized from her family and neighbors for her curious behavior of constantly meditating and singing, which eventually gave way to her frequent ecstatic moods, she rigorously continued to perform and study spiritual practices.  Devotional texts depict her most powerful experiences as arising from her devotion to and deep longing for the Goddess:        

          Sudhamani immersed herself for months on end in the most rigorous and austere spiritual practices.  Her entire being was ablaze with love and yearning for the Goddess.  She kissed the earth and embraced the trees, perceiving the Divine Mother within them all.  She wept at the touch of the breeze, feeling it to be the Divine Mother’s caress.  She was often found immersed in samadhi for hours on end.  Her sadhana phase culminated in the total dissolution of her personal self into the Divine Mother of the Universe.…“Smiling, the Divine Mother became a mass of effulgence and merged in me.  My mind blossomed and was bathed in the many-hued light of Divinity.  Thenceforth, I saw nothing as apart from my own Self” [2]

Ammachi’s disciples accept this identification.  She is declared by her devotees to be “the embodiment of supreme motherhood,” [3] Amma travels around the world establishing herself as the “Hugging Saint.”  She is exalted by her followers as being exceedingly accessible, offering them her personal, physical darshan .

The “Hugging Saint” Performing Darshan

Amma emphasizes the importance of satsangs (group encounters in the presence of more experienced practitioners) in developing one’s spirituality, especially during a devotee’s early stages of practice.  Before performing religious customs on one’s own, it is important to hear the guidance and teaching of a master who has successfully attained the truth.  Greatly encouraged by Amma, satsangs have become a prime method in honoring the “Hugging Saint” as well as in comprehending her teachings.  Ammachi has said: “Even though the breeze blows everywhere, coolness will be felt more if we sit in the shade of a tree. In the same way, although God is all pervading, His presence will clearly shine in certain places more than in others. Children, that is the greatness of satsang.” [4]

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