ialing in beauty parlours is very eases caused by dandruff and blackness these days. A mixture of chemi­ of the facial skin due to face or skin mixed in chemical fluids, diseases. Priyanka helps you to keep to the face with the help of your facial skin soft, polished and beau­ power or otherwise and washed tiful. after a fixed time, makes the skin on PRIYANKAis manufacturedwith the the face soft and polished and gives a permissionof the governmentand under lesterous look. But after six or seven days the direct supervision of a group of ex­ the facial skin becomesdry, wrinkled, dark perienced Doctors after a series of sci­ and uglier tha~before. As this sort of entific experiments,using machineswith facialing is done again and again, the natu­ Germantechnology to preservethe origi­ ral and original beauty of the skin is lost nal and natural aroma of the herbs and irretrievably and the facial skin is left black ayurvedic medicines used in the manu­ and wrinkled. facture. All family members, irrespec­ PRIYANKA which is prepared from tive of age andsex can use PRIYANKA mysore sandalwood, herbs and natural and can preserve the beauty of their fa­ ayurvedic medicines is totally free from cial skin. REMEMBERit is for the first chemical ingredients. You can do self time that such a herbal product is manu­ facialing with it and protect your facial factured and marketted in . skin from pimples and the dark spots the PRIYANKAis available in all important pimples leave on your face, dark ring-like Super Markets, Stationery/Fancy and formations round the eyes, black spots Medical Stores. Start Facialing with on the neck, fresh dark spots on the face PRIYANKAfrom today. If it is not avail­ after an attack of chicken-pox, oily feel able at your place send Rs. 200/- as of the skin, roughness of the facial skin, MO. We shall send two bottles of rashes and boils, wrinkles on the face Priyanka. On the MO coupon you may caused by old age or anaemia, facial dis- write •send Priyanka".

MATHA PHARMA EzhukoneP .O., Quilon,, Pin- 691505, India. Phone:0474-482031,Fax:0474-482652 --- __,-1[.~ ~ L Amm a's ltiMeranj ",£).._ Amma's No1r1tllll J[nd[;aum TolUnr Mysore Brahmasthanam Mahotsavam February 16 I c Matruvaui Ban galore February 21 2000 February Hyderabad February 23 - 24 Vol. II, No.6 Pune (Evening programme) February 26 Pune Brahmasthanam Mahotsavam February 27 - 29 ~~ Mumbai (Public Programmes) March 1 - 2 Mumbai Brahmasthanam Mahotsavam c( ; March 3 - 5 ·~r··J· ·, Baroda March 7 ;,. . ···'·" Ahmedabad March 8 - 9 Delhi (Public Programmes) March 12 . 13 = Delhi Brahmasthanam Mahotsavam March 14 16 Table of Contents Calcutta March 18 20 Chennai Brahmasthanam Mahotsavam April 20 23 Be the Light of the World ...... 2 Amma's Reunion-Mauritius Divine Mother's Message ...... 4 Singapore- Australia Tour Printed & Published by The Way to Inn er Peace - 11..•. 8 Swami Jnanamritananda Reunion Programme March 23 27 for and on behalf of Mata Swami Ramakrishnananda Amritanandamayi Mauritius Programme March 28 The Y2C Problem ...... 15 MissionTru st, i Mauritius Brahmasthanam Mahotsavam March 29 30 P.O., - 690 525, Bipin

Singapore Apnl 2 4 ~eralam.Phone : Brisbane Apnl6 Karunagappally (0476) Amma- The Bodhisattva ..... 23 621279, 89&,178 at Abhaya Ryde[[ Gold Coast Retreat April 7 - 9 Amrita Offset Printers . Sydney April 10 - II Hon. Editor: Compassion in Action ...... 27 Dr. I. C. Dave. Melbourne April 12- 13 Ramana . E-mail: Melbourne Retreat April 16 14- mam [email protected] Amrita Ohara .... : ...... 32 ::1 Internet website: Swami T uriyamritananda S~amiAmrit~~arupanandaji's Itinerafi l --- www.ammachi .org Amritapuri News ...... 35 Dubai: Januafi 21 to 26

S~amiji~ill be lea\)ing on l~bruafi8 for his .... programmes in the US \ wu wH• JA JA -Jt has to go. Inste~p;we should fill ovf hearts.with the fragrance *' ·- * of love, compa~~ion•andpatie11;ce. Let.,~s step into the year •• w w * 2000, andthe~,~wMillepnium;n~i~hthi~goalinmind .. l3t! ~~~:t:i(JI.i IJ6 il.e /;OtJtl~f * fE. Let qs striv7 to light the larrip' of fa~tl)and love in our Amn1a's Message for the Ne\.v Millennium N. * hearts. Tllis will remove all the darkness within and around *":. December 31, 1999, 11.45 Ptt *lfl! ' us. Let each 9f us be a messenger of selfless love and -~-: •• ~··peace. We are' not separate independent entities, like

* •:f isolatedislands:'we are all connc;~t,ed~o one another, like; ...~·~ .. *•• * *the links of a. chain .. A smile fl;omu§;,~,kindwoid, or~ ·i: 1 ·~ "•'"!! * ""~good these have a.·•positive ;; effect on. those ~ ' ' ~ '· ~ .· c ' .X· * aro~?d .she natioth:·sweetness of Love. It will create vibrations ... both hope and anxiety we await the changes that the ~ * "'t·Wof peace and pnity,in the atmcisphe;e. A.ttuning our minds * new millennium Wcillbring. We can never expect everything ~ * W to the §upr<;me Consciousness,.Jet us open our hearts an:d * v to change for the better externally. The real change lws to !~ chant the come from within us. The stench of all the negativity within ·:r * -K· s(twastah sukhinQ:;fijbavantu us, such as the ega; jealousy, greed, anger and selfishness, i ,," .u. in this world ahd in ~11the other world;, •• ii be.peaceful artd happy.) * * it- May all of,~swelcome the New Millennium with this * * * mantra on our.lips. '* • Omshanti, shanti, shanti. * * * * * w * * * iojll' *1i:! -=-=--=-=---

* 'Jd~«Mlf2000 * 'Jd.~«Mlf2000 3 2 I '

abilities, with the. power given to us by

and leave th~i~~s~to the Divine.,

Will. There is no us~atJ~l~~ fr~~ting or · fuming about what has happened and

what is g~ingto happen. This moment alone is ours. Children, be careful not to waste the present moment on useless . worrying. Do not dinner while Do not think

soup regret that you maqe

yesterday su<;cess. Ju~t concentrate on, the. soup thatis boiling on the stove at this moment. Be alert and conscious of Amma rememb~

lffUhildren, in our minds we may be carrying the burden of '4l.__.,many sorrows. Our grownup children may be unemployed, our daughters still unmarried; there may be obstacles in the construction of a new house; we may have persistent health problems, frequent family feuds, our business may be running at a loss, etc. As we find ourselves thinking continuously about our problems, we suffer like a smouldering heap of saw dust. The mind is full of tension. This tension is the root cause of all diseases. The only way to remove this tension is by surrendering to God. Do we gain anything by letting ourselves be weighed down by tension? Instead, we should do what we can to the best of our

mansion. IJiflin~Mother·~ Me$sa many young OJ.~fi·Wjlibeafter ine. When

.I meet them on. the st~eet,I'll wiggle my

4 'Jd~et4'

past as well as the future. This will be possible if we surrender Neither )'esterda)' nor tomorro\.v completely to God. Then life will become a festival. All the 365 days can e\1er be toda)'. of the year will be days of celebration. Onl)' this moment is ours. So let us surrender to the Supreme God. Let us make our Life is so fragile. entire life a festival. So The ne?'t breath is not in our hands. Therefore, M)' children, tr)' to live in the here and no\.v.

The flrst Brahmasthanam Temple to be consecrated by Amma in this hips and walk like this ... ' And as the woman wiggled her hips, the new millennimn. " basket fell from her head and all the eggs lay broken on the Mysore Brahmasthanam Pratishta ground. Mahotsavam My children, such is the outcome of building castles in the February - air and forgetting the present realities. Tomorrow is in God's 16 19 Thazhikakudam Pratishta: hands, and all that has happened in the past is like a cancelled February 16 {11.55 AM - 12.50 PM) cheque. Neither yesterday nor tomorrow can ever be today. Prana Pratishta: February 17 (7.30 AM- 8.17 AM) Only this moment is ours. Life is so fragile. The next breath is not in our hands. Therefore, My children, try to live in the here For all details, contact: Mata Amritanandamayi and now. Math,No 114, 7th Cross Rd., Mysore - 570006 This doesn't mean that you shouldn't prepare for the needs Ph: (0821) 542682 of the future. Before bu'ilding a house, a plan has to be drawn. E-mail: [email protected] But while we draw that plan, our attention should be on that alone. And while building the house, our attention should be focused on the construction work alone. That is what Amma means when She says, 'Live in the present moment.' It's all right to prepare for the future. But is there any benefit to be gained by worrying about what may possibly happen in that future? What is important is that we spend this moment usefully and joyously. Amma is explaining how to achieve this. We should live each moment in such a way that we get maxm1um happiness (true happiness) out of it, and that it benefits the world. If we are to experience bliss in this moment, we have to forgv1 1he

6 'Jd~et'H'f2000 p~,-;-1}0 - r we have these defects. We have to overcome them. will definitely help us. The reason why so much importance is given to purity of mind is that a pure mind is the most important factor in . Once the mind becomes pure and mature, there &tl will no longer be any disturbances. Then meditation becomes spontaneous. This is what we see in the case of Amma and other masters. Even though they talk to us and are emotional at By Swami Ramakrishnananda times, for example when Amma sheds tears or gets angry, (Retreat Talk--Santa Fe, New these are all temporary emotions that they show for our sake. Mexico, August 28, 1999) It doesn't affect them internally. One moment Amma may seem to be angry; the next moment She gets rid of it and hugs that same person. But that is not the case with us; for we cannot e have lots of disturbances in our minds. As soon as control our minds. For Amma, however, it is possible because W we come to a true Master or , the Guru contributes She has completely transcended the mind. She displays all these to those disturbances - as though the ones we have are not human emotionsr..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.~ enough! This is very important, though, because we need to just to make us feel be aware of our defects. The Guru will create certain situations close to Her. for us and will tell us, 'See, this is the problem with you.' He Suppose we have a will make us aware of the negativity within us. Otherwise, problem that we even if we have the best Guru available in the world, we will feel very sad about. project all our defects on the Guru and we will leave thinking, When we tell 'This is not a suitable Guru for me. I'm going to search for Amma about it, we another Guru.' may see Her cry. So an important part of the Guru's work is to make us aware This means a lot to of our own defects. We never want to accept our own faults; us. When we see instead we tend to blame someone else. That is our nature. Amma cry it has a The mind is very negative. When we begin to meditate we wonderful, very begin to see these things. We've always had these disturbances, powerful effect on but only now are we slowly becoming aware of them. We us. We feel that think, 'Before coming to Amma, I was really a very nice person, Amma is really perhaps even saintly. But now that I've come to Amma, why listening to us and have all these things started to come up?' Naturally we think understanding our there's something wrong with Amma. This is how we judge. problems, that She The Guru will create situations just to make us :tW

/0 'Jerf~

12 'Jd~ua~'l2000 'Jd~ua~'l2000 f 3 L I

of mind and disciplining the mind. But I find my mind totally restless, terrible and unyielding. What to do?' Krishna says, Asamshayam mahabaho Mana durnigraham calam Abhyasena tu kaunteya Vairagyena ca grihyate (Chpt.VI, 35) 'Yes; what you say is true. The mind is restless, terrible and unyielding. Restraining the mind is as difficult as restraining The Y2C Problem the wind. But through practice and by cultivating dispassion, it is possible.' Learning to reprogram our system The mind is usually compared to a monkey because the - Bipin mind is so naughty and restless. Especially baby monkeys are .. very naughty. Imagine the naughtiest monkey, that is also drunk and gets stung by a scorpion! You can imagine how restless it would be! The mind is even worse than that. You can see it when you meditate. The best time to watch your mind is when ver the past few months, most of us have become aware you meditate. At other times we are not aware of what our Oof an ominous, daunting, perplexing, frightening, nerve­ mind is doing. As an experiment, try to sit for ten minutes in racking, and for many computer programmers a money-spinning solitude with a notebook, and write down all that you think problem, a problem which has become the greatest obsession during those ten minutes. Write down those thoughts. You will that human beings have known for a long time-the Y2K see that they are totally unconnected and unrelated. problem. I am not a computer jockey. I have to use computers We feel so blissful during sleep. Then the mind is not at at work, but I have never bothered to understand what makes a work. It is possible to attain that stillness of mind even while computer work. I have never stopped to think about how that we are awake - if we can learn to control the mind and think small box with a monitor screen has transformed human lives only what we want to think. The mind has the capacity to do so tompletely that it almost rules the average American

this. But we have to train it. Training the mind is very difficult; household, ~erhapswith as good a stranglehold as the television but through practice, it is possible. (to be continued) set has done for over three decades. So I asked one of my colleagues in the information technology division of my "Once the lamp is lit, it has to shine, and once company to tell me in layman's terms how a computer works. the flower opens up, it will inevitably spread its What he told me made me wonderstruck. He said that the fragrance. likewise, when your heart blossoms language of the computer, its code, is absurdly simple. Computer into Divinit~peace and compassion become a code is· written in ones and zeros. Long strands of numbers part of you like a shadow." composed of these two digits represent every command inside - Amma that miraculous little box that sits on nearly every desk in homes offices across world. All graphics, /4 'JdJ

~ _j I

databases, and emails-all of it is distilled inside ~ndlove play a very important role in building ~;_;;.spititlial the hard drive into ones and zeros. He told me that the simplicity life. For this we should develop receptivity. Receptivity is of the computer code presents another philosophical bombshell: fundamental to spiritual life. A devotee or disciple should always one and zero-something and nothing. It is an accurate be receptive. Aroma says that we become receptive when there representation of life itself: a huge computer programme that is love within us. Love helps us to be open and innocent like a boils down to a collection of something and nothing. This child. A child is more receptive than anyone. Receptivity is the reasoning provides us with a useful framework to better power to believe, to have faith, and the ability to accept love. understand our nature, our own code, and how we can reprogram It is the power that prevents doubt from entering our minds. it to better ourselves for the future. It is our Y2K problem; but Receptivity is the ability to accept all experiences of life without for us it is our Y2C problem-the-Years-to-Come problem. We reacting to them. When we are receptive, we no longer react; need to reprogram our hard drive, otherwise the system will for then there is only acceptance. Amma says, 'That kind of fail again and again. It will continue to crash as it always has. acceptance comes when there is humility and self-surrender.' How does one reprogram the system? By changing the zeros to Amma says that saranagati, complete self-surrender, isn't ones. By taking real steps to add value where it was previously something that can be taught verbally. It will come if you develop missing. love and faith. Pure and innocent love for God is what is really In that respect, as needed. The mind should long to become one with God. Aroma's children, we have Like love, surrender cannot be studied or learned from any an unfair advantage over books, from any particular person or from a university. Self­ the rest of the world; surrender develops as love grows. In fact the two ·grow because we have a Super simultaneously. The more you love a person, the more you Programmer in Amma, surrender to that person. To truly surrender is to give up your who can tell us exactly individuality, to give up your likes and dislikes for a higher what we need to do, and goal. All the things that we claim as our own do not really provide us with all the belong to us, since we have no control over them. We may Y2K/Y2C compliance have those things now, but a moment from now they may be tools that we need. All gone from us. However, the ego is our own. It belongs to us. ... No one else can claim it. Therefore, real self-surrender is :_:·,-. that we have to do is to comply with and blindly "" surrendering or renouncing one's ego at the feet of the Supreme follow Amma's directions. Self. It has been said that only by letting go in surrender to that How can we do this which is, do we become available to that which will be. without crashing the In order to develop love we should be in a place where the programme? Through circumstances are suitable for this goal. To live in the presence surrender and love. of a perfect Master is the best way to develop love. The Guru Aroma says that above helps us by creating the circumstances necessary to fill our hearts with love. These circumstances are not only external, ~======~~-:-::=:-:-:-.:__---:~a~l~l~e~l~se2,our inn occ nee 16 7el•tt4•1.f 2000 "Jd~tt4~'f2000 17 I

~w- . Guru, the Guru's next step is to remove the gross and the 'Pure lo"e is the best medicine for the subtle ego. Once the ego is removed, you become empty within moden1 world. The root cause of aU and you are ready to fill yourself with love. The removal of the problems, from personal to global, is the old and the inflow of the new happen simultaneously. absence of lo"e. Lo"e is the binding, Amma says, 'Do your work and perform your duties with all unitiing factor. Lo"e creates a sense of your heart. Try to work selflessly with love. Pour yourself into unit~,while hatred causes di"ision.' whatever you do. Then you will feel and experience beauty -Amma and Jove in every field of work. Love and beauty are within you. Try to express them through your actions and you will definitely touch the very source of bliss.' She also says, 'Pure love is the best medicine for the modern world. The root cause of all problems, from personal to global, _then, having dropped it completely, you can come back and is the absence of love. Love is the binding, unifying factor. carry it again. But now it is weightless. In other words, don't Love creates a sense of unity, while hatred causes division.' carry it again until you feel it is no longer a burden. Then the Amma says that the intellect is knowledge, and knowledge ego is no longer an ego, but an apparent ego, a self-created is the ego. A big ego is a big burden. Amma tells a wonderful ego with which you can amuse yourself and those who approach story to exemplify this point. There was a Mahatma who always you. This self-created ego is the sack containing toys and sweets carried a big sack full of toys and sweets for children. Whenever for the amusement of the children.' he saw any children, he would distribute the toys and sweets to Amma says that our familiarity with love is only superficial. them. One day a team of learned scholars stopped him and We are more familiar with negative tendencies and know only said, '0 revered holy One, we know you are a great being. We how to force and impose. Force, however, will destroy all know you are just acting. By carrying all those toys and candies possibilities for love to grow. Only when we recognize that the around, you are trying to put a thick veil between yourself and Self or God is the same in all living beings can we really us. Please don't delude us. Tell us something about .' exp~rienceand develop love. There is a story about a sceptic The Mahatma responded by immediately dropping the sack, who came to Hillel, the great Jewish mystic, and said, 'If you and continued on a few steps. The people asked, 'What is this? have understood the Torah, summarise it for me while I stand We don't understand the meaning.' The Mahatma replied, 'This here on one foot.' The sceptic had gone to many other learned is spirituality, the unburdening of the ego.' The scholars said, men, but they were not true masters. They were scholars, 'Alright, what next?' Retracing his steps, the Mahatma picked theologians and philosophers. All of them refused. They said it up the sack and put it back on his shoulder. He said, 'This is would be sacrilegious to summarise the Torah in such a short spirituality: to drop and renounce everything. The heavy sack time. The Torah requires years of study. But Hillel, who was a is your ego, with all its negative tendencies like anger, greed, true Master, responded to the sceptic immediately. He said, 'Do jealousy and selfishness. It is a heavy burden . This is the weight not do unto others what you would not want to have done unto that keeps you down. Get rid of the weight of your ego. And you. That is the whole Torah. The rest is all commentary.'

1S' 'Jed~tt4~'f2000 19 'Jd~tt4~'f2000 I

• .:;<~;;-.::-~ - The bigges"t mistake we, as individuals, make is that we fool near Amma's chair, anxiously beckoning me to come. Cuneus ourselves into believing that we understand, that we know, that : about what it was, I quickly made my way to Amma and stood we have the ability, the power of perception, the clarity of in front of Her. I was half apprehensive, half elated, but in thought, and the insight to recognize what the Guru expects of general feeling good about myself. Amma looked at me and us. Hence, it is not uncommon to hear the expression, 'I am said softly, 'This poor man (meaning the kind soul who was sure this is what Amma wants me to do,' or 'I am sure this is helping with the darshan line) is having a hard time keeping what Amma meant when She told me that.' How can we be up. You take over and keep the line flowing as I tell you to do.' sure? How can we interpret something that Amma said based Wow! This was special. I considered myself pretty good at on our own shallow intellect? It has been said that the Guru is helping with the line, but this was an unusual event, being nearer than the nearest, yet farther than the farthest. Any attempt specially called when I wasn't even scheduled to do it. I was on our part to even try to analyse and attach some meaning or floating in the clouds! So I quickly got down on my knees, took interpretation to the Guru's words and actions is just an expression stock''Of the situation and made a mental assessment of the best of our own ignorance of the true nature of the Guru. That is ,~,;, way to keep things moving smoothly. At that time Amma why it has been rightly said, 'We dance around in a circle and expressed her desire to have ten people come in from the suppose, but the Guru sits in the centre and knows!' right side, followed by twenty people down the middle and So what is the safest and easiest solution to avoid falling in then ten people from the left side. That way, Amma explained that trap or making this mistake? Simply accepting the Guru's to me, everyone waiting for darshan would feel like they were words and actions as you hear and see them, blindly following moving ahead fairly quickly. When I heard that, I said to myself, that advice to the best of your ability, without attempting to 'That's a fairly simple strategy. It should be a piece of cake to ra.tionalise, interpret, analyse, or theorise about the reasons for keep things moving smoothly in a swift and efficient manner.' the Guru's directive. However, it is good to be inquisitive, to be After all, I had been brought into the picture to ensure just that! curious like a child and have the yearning to learn as much as For a while the darshan lines were moving with effortless possible from the Guru. Only if we approach the Guru with ease. With each switch of side, I floated into more and more of that attitude will the Guru open up and bless us with the wisdom a complacent mood. Was I efficient or what! Amma had surely of what we need to know. Amma gives a beautiful analogy in made• the right decision in calling me to help with the line! That this context by saying that only if we step on the body of a is when something happened that shook me out of my cobra will it lift its hood and show us its true stature. Hence it is complacent stupor. Of the ten people who were now coming very important that we never have a sense of arrogance or a up from the left side, the third person in the line was an elderly feeling that we know what is the best way to do things in the man in a wheelchair. When Amma saw him, She asked the line presence of the Guru. Let me give you an example. l monitor on that side to wait till the others behind the man in the It was during the summer tour last year in San Ramon. Amma wheelchair had finished before bringing him up, so that Amma was giving darshan after in the evening. I was sitting in could then stand up and bless him. This would keep the line a corner at the back of the stage and wasn't doing anything in flowing smoothly and also take less time. So all this took place particular. Suddenly, I saw several heads turn in my direction. I as Amma had directed. Just as a test of how alert I was, I soon looked beyond the turned heads and saw someone standing noticed that the fourth person on the right side was also sitting

20 7et~..4~lf 2000 21 7et~..4~lf 2000 L in a wheelchair. I should have been alert and remembered how smoothly it had been taken care of just a few minutes

II earlier on the other side; I should have requested this person in the wheelchair to wait till the six people behind him had OVRJtMMJt- finished with their darshan. I suppose this feeling of Mr. Efficiency had gone to my head! I hurried the wheelchair aool-HsJtTTYJtOf through and had the wheelchair perfectly positioned in front of Amma's chair. It was then that I looked up and saw Amma's COM'?JtSS~OX face and froze where I was. The look said, 'Wait till I finish blessing this person!' After the wheelchair had been moved away and the next person was in Her lap, Amma turned to me and said, 'I asked you to come and help with the line. Instead you are lost in the glorifying thought of how efficiently you are moving the lines. Get up and go and stand in that 'The purpose of this bod~and of'Mother's whole life is to sehle corner. I don't need you here any longer!' Her children. Mother's onl~wish is that Her hands should aMa~s I offered my pranams and with my face dragging on the be on someone's shoulders, consoling and caressing them and ground, I went and stood in my favourite corner by the stage. wiping their tears, e~en"vhile breathing Her last breath.' The point I am trying to make by relating this incident is that -Amma there are a few .lessons that we can learn from a seemingly insignificant event like this if we reflect on it for a moment: n Chinese Buddhist tradition, there are three Buddhas: the 1) Any action done with even a subconscious sense of Buddha of the past, the Buddha of the future, and the pride is just food for the ego, without any benefit for one's I Buddha of the present age. The historical Buddha of the past is spiritual upliftment. Gautama Buddha, the one 2) Although this can be frightening at times, we should try who, after intense sadhana, to remember that every single thought that goes through our sat under the bodhi tree mind is projected on a wide open screen for Amma to see. • and became enlightened. 3) Every action we undertake should be done with shraddha, The Buddha of the future with extreme care and love for that action. is Amitabha Buddha, the (to be continued) smiling, happy, big-bellied "Optimism is the light of (jod. It is a Buddha whose image can : form of grace which allows you to be often by seen in Chinese much more perspective and to look at businesses, as he life with greater clarity." symbolises prosperity. In -Amma this same tradition Kuan 23 ?ed~et

\ 7"' compassion, chooses to return to Yin, the Bodhisattva or 'Goddess' of Mercy or Compassion, is earth, vowing to forsake Eternal considered the Buddha of the present age. Bliss until all beings have been As a child, I found a statue of Kuan Yin in a cupboard of our saved from suffering. In my house, cleaned it, made an altar for it, and revered it. No one mind, then, 'Bodhisattva of modelled this behaviour for me; in fact, my parents thought my Compassion' is a perfect actions were a little strange. Later, in my early twenties, I actually description of Arnma, our Mother lived in China for three and a half years, where I rediscovered of the Present Age. Kuan Yin. It was then that my connection with Her grew much deeper. When I met Arnma for the first time in this lifetime, Who knows Thy greatness, Kuan Yin was my ishta devata or beloved deity. Since meeting 0 Thou who art the substratum Amma, however, I feel sure that She and Kuan Yin are one and Of this illusory world. the same Being. _ Thous4pds and thousands Just notice the uncanny similarities between the two. Kuim of living beings Yin has two major forms. In the first, She has a thousand arms, Seek Thy divine, radiant smile ... each one holding a different weapon or tool to help relieve the Who knows Thy greatness A BodhisatNa is an suffering of the people of the world. She can be in more than 0 Mother, who knows ... enlightened being, who one place and help more than one person at the same time, just instead of merging with the like Amma who uses Her own body as well as the 'arms' of Her As the nature of life One, out of incredible devotees, serving the world through Her many charitable As the vitality of life itself projects. I think of the thousand-armed Kuan Yin most when I As the One who delights compassion, chooses to see Amma giving darshan. Often She is hugging more than one In expressing compassion, return to earth, ~owingto person while at the same time considering another person's Existing as unlimited love, forsake Etenlal Bliss unlit questioh and giving a mantra or spiritual name to yet another. 0 Devi, Thou art all beings ha~ebeen sa~ed In Kuan Yin's second and most popular form, She wears a the blissful nectar of life. long, white, hooded gown which looks as if it were a white from .suffering. In m~mind, sari like the one Arnma wears. She carries a vase filled with the 0 Thou who art then, 'Bodhisall~aof nectar of immortality, or 'amrita,' the same word as in Amma's • worshipped by tapasvis Compassion' is a perfect name, Amritanandamayi. Even more amazing is the fact that 0 Thbu who destroys affliction Kuan Yin's Sanskrit name, Avalokitesvara, and her full Chinese 0 Thou whose mind is inclined description of Amma, our name, Kuan Shr Yin, literally mean 'The Hearer of the Cries of To bless the ascetics, Mother of the Present Age. the World.' Who in this world has heard more of people's 0 Thou who art ever-young, sorrows than our Arnma? And let us look at Kuan Yin's title, 0 Thou who art Bodhisattva of Compassion. A Bodhisattva is an enlightened the beauty of the mind, being, who instead of merging with the One, out of incredible Please come, 0 Devi, Please come .... 24 'Je/~

MultipurposeRubber Mats • • • • • • • • • • • • •• • • • • • • •• • • •• • • •• •• •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • • • •• • • •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • <'l/tt,~«qAf(e~ldn •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• • • • c,,,a,.,;,, • • • • •• •• •• • • • • •• •• •• • • • ..;4tt ~'lfMJlbt€SI J'f~~CMtt4 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • By Ramana

Madefrom Recvcled Material ~ ...1~{1· ,:'"~ hile Amma was travelling abroad last October and Eco-friendiVproduct W November, I had the unique privilege of spending about forevervdav use. a month of .that time on the road, visiting devotees at their Offerssuperb surface protection. homes in the Kerala heartland, accompanying one of Amma's brahmacharis, Br. Vishuddhamrita. The many examples of Amma 's compassion that I saw were both touching and NarendranSons impressive. Amma is starting a quiet revolution, using Divine Kallam691 008, India Love and Compassion as Her weapons. She is waking up, shaking Phone:(0474) 744907, 742491,70341 Fax:(0474)744069, 740647 up and uplifting all of India, from those holding the highest positions in business and government down to those at a WE PUT OUR HEADS WHERE YOU PUT YOUR FEET grassroots level. Travelling with Br. Vishuddhamrita was a real eye-opener

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for me in many ways and I realized what an extremely important Amma is staf'ling a quiet re\1olution, purpose these 'house visits' served. We would go to a certain using Di~ineLo~e and Compassion as area and visit between 30-40 houses in a day. Often the areas Her ""eapons. She is ""aking up, we were visiting were very remote-islands accessible only shaking up and uplifting all of India. by boat. In order to visit as many houses a day as possible, we would start out as early as 7:30 in the morning and wouldn't return to the devotee's home where we were staying until 10:00 at night. When we would arrive at a house, Br. is located, we continually met families in which one or more of Vishuddhamrita would do a short puja, then we would chant a its members were hired by AIMS, and in most cases, this has few bhajans. After that, we would meet the devotees who saved those families from financial disaster. lived there, enquire about their lives, and try to do whatever Another example of the effects of Amma's 'revolution' involve possible to bring them relief from their problems and sufferings. a widowed woman living with her daughter who had just In this way, Am'ma's travelling brahmacharis and brahmacharinis graduated from high school with top marks and was looking have become extra sets of eyes and ears for Amma to find out forward to going on to a higher education. Up to that time the about the lives of Her devotees throughout Kerala and other mother had supported them both, working as a seamstress. parts of India. Soon after the daughter's graduation, the mother fell ill and was In Kerala, the effects of Amma's 'revolution' are particularly unable to continue working. At that point the daughter was on pronounced. People are receiving the material and spiritual the verge of giving up her dream of going to university in help they need. Let me cite an example: During our travels, order to take over her mother's business as a seamstress. Then we came to one of the houses built by Amma's brahmacharis as she heard about Amma's pension scheme. They were eligible part of the '25,000 homes for the poor' project. (Known as the for the pension, so now the daughter is once again free to 'Amrita Kuteeram' project.) We were warmly received by the pursue her academic career. mother of the house and her young daughter. Br. Vishuddhamrita At house after house that we visited, the families who lived then told me the details of their story: there recounted different ways in which Amma had saved them The mother and her teenage son and daughter had been from financial or spiritual ruin. More and more people, new to living in another place while the father worked in Bombay to Amma, cam~up to us and told us their stories of hardship and support the family. Suddenly, the father died. Unable to pay enquired about receiving Amma's help. Br. Vishuddhamrita the rent any longer, they became homeless and as the mother always carried a special notebook in which all of the particulars was unskilled, the whole family was faced with starvation. In and special needs of each household were meticulously written desperation they came to Amma. In response to their sad plight, down. He always brought application forms with him so that Amma not only provided them with land and built their new people could apply for houses and pensions. At any given home on it, She also provided the son with a well-paid job as a time, there are between 20-30 swamis, brahmacharis and custodian at AIMS Hospital. They are one family among many brahmacharinis interacting with the public in this way. who have benefited in this way. As we visited houses within As we trekked through the beautiful Kerala countryside, on about a 30 km area around Ernakulam where the AIMS Hospital our way from one house to another, Br. Vishuddhamrita informed

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those living in some of the most remote and inaccessible areas. Amma's compassion through action continually sets a shining example for us all to follow. Aum Amriteswaryai Namah

'-~ ~ Brah1naslhanmn Maholsa~an1s-2000 me of the ingenious project Amma has devised in order to lf n Amma's divine presence, daily dawn to dusk Lalita provide spiritual solace through satsang for Her children living lL Sahasranamam chanting, bhajans, satsangs, meditation in distant parts of Kerala and India. The project is called 'Amrita sessions and cultural programmes will be held. Please Kutumbam,' which literally translates as 'Amrita Family.' In any register in advance. given area, up to 12 households of Amma's devotees will band Pune Brahmasthanam Mahotsavam together to form a 'unit.' All members of the unit vote to elect a February 27 - 29 unit leader and it is that person's responsibility to organise the Address: MataAmritanandamayi Math, Plot No.2, Yamuna Nagar, satsangs and other special programmes such as hosting Amma's Nigidi, Pune -411044 Ph: 0212-771487 brahmacharis, brahmacharinis and/or swamis who visit their area Mumbai Brahmasthanam Mahotsavam and hold satsangs for their unit. Most units hold their own satsang March 4-6 three nights a week, using a different devotee's home each Address: Mata Amritanandamayi Math, Brahmagiri, Plot No.5, week. The programmes include chanting Amma's 108 names, Sector 20, Nerul (W), Navi Mumbai- 400706 Ph: 022-7632385 singing bhajans and having readings from Amma's books such Delhi Brahmasthanam Mahotsavam as Awaken, Children! The 'Amrita Family' is spreading like March 14-16 wildfire throughout Kerala State and other parts of India as Address: Mata Amritanandamayi Math, Sector D-Ill, Vasant well. Kunj, New Delhi- 110070 Ph: 011-6893622 These satsangs provide a powerful source of inspiration and Chennai Brahmasthanam Mahotsavam spiritual peace for these people. It was such an inspiration for April20- 23 me to participate in their satsangs: to experience the soulful, Address: Mata Amritanandamayi Math, 134/B, Arcot Rd., devotional way they expressed their love for Amma through Saligramam; Chennai- 600093. Ph: 044-4833963 singing bhajans and speaking about Her, and the warm, loving way in which they received us into their homes. "l~reindeed is this human birth. The human bod~is like a All of Amma's projects are having a tremendous effect in boat, the first and foremost use of which is to ca~ us across making a change for the better as people's spiritual and material the ocean of life and death to the shore of immortalil~.The needs are met in these various ways. Guru is the skilful helmsman; di~inegrace is the fa~ourable

As I finally stepped onto the boat going south and home \.vind. If \.vilh such means as these man does not stri~eto cross towards Amritapuri, I reflected on the great work Amma is the ocean of life and death, he is indeed spirituall~dead." doing, reaching out to people. She touches the lives of even - Sl'imad Bhaga~atam

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Why this futile fight through reason and intellect To affirm what you prefer and deny what you hate? A poetical rendering What is existent needs no denia[1 of Amma's immortal Nor does what exists require affirmation. utterances by Swami Turiyamritananda Know1 my children1 the inner spiritual world of pure experience ls ever beyond reason however sharpened it be. offered at the Lotus 1 Feet of Amma on the There is a world beyond the phenomenal - ho[y profound infinite - occasion of Her 4yh 1 1 Which reason can never penetrate and human tongue can never utter. Birthday. The poem 1 was translated into We have excelled so long in fulsome praise English by Prof V Of dark eyes1 of long tresses hanging [oose1 Muraleedhara Of moon-like face and of comely form Menon. 1 And have lost the sense of true beauty1 chaste and sublime.

[f our minds are not chaste and sensitive To the Supreme Beauty which is our Sou[ Amrita Dhara 1 AU our poetical ski[[1 a[[ flourish of words and imagery Are as disgusting as a bloated corpse. Come quick1 my sweet children! You are the very essence of Om. We should hear what our ears can never hear1 Become adorable 1 cast off your sorrows 1 We should see what our eyes can never see. Be one with Om1 the Pranava EternaL Let us merge into the vibrant silence of the Pranava sound And enjo'>' the wondrous beauty of the music of the SouL childr~n My 1Truth pervades everywhere1 sustains aU1 is the warp and woof of the cosmic dress. lt Let your soul-filled love enfold aU lt is Wisdom supreme Bliss immortal 1 1 1 Expressing itself in words and deeds uplifting all. Know lt1 realise lt and be free. Let your intellect flower into luminous genius1 Comprehending total life in its onward march to perfection. Rational mind can prove anything by reason 1 (to be continued) lt can1 as weU1 demolish it by the same.

But1 remember1 this reasoning faculty can work Only in the finite field of your senses.

'Jd~u4~'f2000 33 3 2 'Jel.~u4~'f2000 ::J Leave all wories to us

mri+a:p~Y"i

~ r •~R News -~r--tf DHANAM -~~~ Ready _Money , "qglristmaiirt. ;Attinfapt.lri L C> A N ~ hristmas wa; celebrated in Amma's divine presence at ~ Amritapuri on December 25. On the evening of the 24th, * Upto Rs. 10 lakhs after the devotional singing led by Amma, Amma's western against property. children presented some interesting cultural programmes. Amma :s presence among the audience proved a great source * Simple procedure. of inspiration for the participants. A chorus sang different carols throughout the programme. After the performances, Amma ·DHANAM distributed the traditional Christmas cake to the gathered -~LOA~ devotees. It was truly a Merry Christmas for all those present. '~m!!ft7---. __.q~NftWX'f*'Wk -. _ ''®7W~~%:f];f}? Entering the Ne"' 1'-:ti.l.Jetfpit.nn Against NSCs Operate just like Loan amount linked Savings Bank Account *in;~~mn1a'st)j~inePresence to Maturity Value Get Interest at 9% p.a. GlJIhe ;hole world ha~t'g;~r~dup t;"'··~~lebratethis unique For an NSC of Hs. 10,000/­ credited every 45th'day JIL strike of midnight on December 31, purchased in March 1995 Minimum Deposit moment-the get a loan of As. 14,500/- As. 5000/- signalling our entry into the New Millennium. Amma's children in March 1999 from all over the world had come to Amritapuri to enter the NO REPAYMENT INSISTED. New Millennium in the Divine Mother's auspicious, blessed Presence. After the beautiful, soulful bhajans that were led by Amma on th·e evening of the 31st of December, the ashram residents staged different cultural programmes, including drama, dance and opera. At 11 PM, Amma started singing bhajans, and the whole atmosphere was filled with waves of devotion. The bhajans reached a crescendo as Amma chanted 'Hari Bol,' Her divine voice echoing throughout the prayer hall. At 11.45 PM, Relationships f o r e v e r Amma's Millennium Message to Her children was read out in Visit us at: www.dhanbank.com E-mail: [email protected] English, and the devotees drank in Amma's nectarine words

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with all their hearts: Immediately thereafter Amma stood up and, having asked all of Her children to join in, began chanting the mantra for peace, 'Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu.' Just a few minutes before midnight Mother went into a state of samadhi. She was standing as still as a statue, with Her hand on Her he;:trt. As the clock struck 12.00, the chanting intensified, accompanied by the blowing of conches and the chimes of the temple bells. Amma remained without moving, totally immersed in samadhi for more than half an hour into the New Millennium. The devotees started chanting Her 108 names, followed by the Lalita Sahasranamam. Tears of devotion flowed from the eyes of the devotees as they witnessed this unique event. Then, slowly Amma opened Her eyes and remained seated in meditation for some time before leaving the prayer hall. It was a deeply moving experience for everyone, and surely a blessed Uthradam Thinmal Marthanda \Janna Maharaja recei"ing Amma's way of entering the New MillenniuqL darshan at M.A.Math, Thiru"ananthapuram, on January 6.

• ~ #< ...... __!000, ... s ., 'I ·· - ""' j

Gl1r'housands of devotees participated in the annual -JIL Brahmasthanam Mahotsavam programmes held at Kozhikode from December 15 to 18, and in Thiruvananthapurm from January 5 to 8, in Amma's divine presence. Dawn to dusk chanting of the Lalita Sahasranamam (5 rounds), satsangs, singing, meditation sessions, and cultural programmes were held on all the festival days. Amma's darshan programmes in Kozhikode lasted for more than fourteen hours every day. During the Thiruvanathapuram Brahmasthanam Mahotsavam, the dignitaries who came for Amma's darshan included Shri A.K. Antony, Opposition Leader, Kerala Legislative Assembly,

Shri 0. Rajagopal, Union Minister of State for Law, Judiciary, _.__ _ and Company Affairs, and Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Varma Amma being accorded a grand traditional '\velcome b~thousands of Maharaja. Both the events were widely covered by all the d~oteeson Her arri"al in Guru"a~urto bless the Srimad leading newspapers and TV media. ~ Bhag·a"ata Satram, on December 30, 1999.

36 'Jet.~UM'f2000 'ld~u4~'f2000 3 7

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Shri Mohan l..al, leading cine star, inaugurating the Coimbalore third phase of Br. Abhayamrita Chaitanya, construction of Correspondent, Amrita Institutions, houses for the inaugurated the 6th International and homeless ~ the the 21st All India Conference of the Math in the Bharat Vikas Parishad at the Sri 'i11i~ananthapuran1 Kalyanamanda pam, district b~lighting the lamp, during a Coimbatore, on December 25, 1999. special function Other dignitaries participating in the organised at · conference included Shri V. M.A.Math, Gopalakrishnan, Mayor of Coimbatore, Thi~ananthapuram Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan, MP, Justice J.S. on December 7, Verma, Chairperson, Human Rights 1999. Commission, and Justice Rahi, L-....:''-..~...... _...... ,...;__...... _...:~ Chairperson, Bharat Vikas Parishad. Mun1bai ~ wami AmritasV:arupanandaji was accorded a grand traditional Hi'derabad ~welcomeon his arrival at the Mumbai ashram centre on The construction work of 541 houses being built at Filmnagar, December 18, 1999, for a programme of satsang and bhajans. Hyderabad, as the first phase of 1000 houses being built in the Even though the programme was arranged at a short notice, the city by M.A. Math, with the co-operation of the Government of prayer hall was overflowing with devotees who had come Andhra Pradesh, under the 'Free houses for the Poor' programme, from all parts of the city to hear Swamiji's talk and soul-stirring was inaugurated by Br. Sadasiva Chaitanya on 29 December, bhajans. Mahaprasad was distributed to all the devotees at the by lighting a lamp and laying the first brick to mark the formal end of the programme. beginning of the construction. The construction work is going on in full swing . • S~amijigi~ing satsang at _ t\ICI - l

r , ]\llenlion De~olees @ As Amma is leaving on Her North Indian Tour, Aroma's darshan will not be held in Amritapuri from February 13 until the last week of April. There will be no Devi Bhava darshan on February 9. ,, @ There will be no darshan on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. r------· Help us ser~e~ou better ------. While writing to Matruvani regarding complaints, please do not fail to mention: 1) the subscription number I receipt number 2) date of payment 3) the language to which you have subscribed 4) the month of the first issue of Matruvani. In case of change of address, please give your old and new addresses along with the subscription number. ~ MATRUVANI SUBSCRIPTION RATES ~ English/ / TamiV Hindi I Kannada/ Telugu Inland Overseas

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