Amma
On the morning of the 27th of September 1953, in a small poor
fishing village, Parayakadavu in the Quilon district of Kerala, a
baby girl was born. Her parents gave her the name Sudhamani. She
came into this world not in tears as babies usually do, but with a
beaming smile on her face, as if prophesying the joy and bliss she
was to bring to the world.
Sudhamani spent the years of her childhood and teens immersed in
intense spiritual practices in order to present a living example
for the world. Even as a small child, she could often be found
absorbed in deep meditation, totally oblivious of her surroundings.
By the age of five, she had already begun composing devotional
songs laden with deep mystical insight.
Another quality that was clearly manifest in Sudhamani from this
tender age was her love and compassion toward her fellow human
beings. Though only a child, Sudhamani did whatever she could to
ease the suffering of her elderly neighbors. She washed their
clothes, bathed them and even brought them food and clothing from
her own home. This habit of giving away things from her familys
house landed her in deep trouble. However, no amount physical abuse
or punishment could stop the expression of her inborn compassion.
She later said, " An unbroken stream of Love flows from me towards
all beings in the cosmos. That is my inborn nature."
Amma as she is known all over the world today, has inspired and
started innumerable humanitarian services. She has earned
international recognition for her outstanding contributions to the
world community. She is recognized as an extraordinary spiritual
leader by the United Nations and by the people all over the
world.
Though Amma makes no claims herself, those who watch her closely
notice that she is the greatest example of her teaching. Her
disciples and believers imbibe her teachings by just watching
her.
For the past 30 years Amma has dedicated her life to the uplifting
of suffering humanity through the simplest of gestures an
embrace. In this intimate manner Amma had blessed and consoled more
than 21 million people throughout the world.
When someone asked Amma why she receives every person who comes to
her in a loving embrace Amma replied, If you ask the river,' why
do you flow?' what can it say?
Amma spends most of her waking hours receiving the distressed and
all who come to her for comfort, day after day without a
break.
Once a press reporter asked Amma how was it possible for her to
embrace each and every one in the same loving way, even if they
were diseased or unpleasant. Amma replied, When a bee hovers over
a garden of varied flowers, what it beholds is not the difference
between the flowers but the honey within them. Similarly Amma sees
the same Supreme Self in each and every one.
As Dr. Jane Goodall, while presenting Amma with the 2002
Gandhi-King Award for Non-violence said,
" She stands here in front of us. God's love in a human
body."
