Mātā Amritānandamayī - Bhakti Yoga - Hinduism - India

Known as Amma or the 'Hugging Saint'.

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Mātā Amritānandamayī - Bhakti Yoga - Hinduism - India

Mātā Amritānandamayī is an
Indian guru from Parayakadavu,
Kollam District, in the state
of Kerala.

Born to a family of fishermen
in 1953.

As part of her chores, Amṛtānandamayī
gathered food scraps from
neighbours for her family's cows
and goats, through which she was
confronted with the intense
poverty and suffering of others.

She would bring these
people food and clothing
from her own home. Her family,
which was not wealthy,
scolded and punished her.

Amṛtānandamayī also began
to spontaneously embrace
people to comfort them in
their sorrow. Despite the
reaction of her parents,
Amṛtānandamayī continued.

Regarding her desire to embrace
others, Amṛtānandamayī commented,
"I don't see if it is a man
or a woman. I don't see
anyone different from my own self.

A continuous stream of love
flows from me to all of creation.
This is my inborn nature.
The duty of a doctor is to
treat patients. In the same way,
my duty is to console those
who are suffering."

Amṛtānandamayī rejected
numerous attempts by her parents
to arrange for her marriage.
In 1981, after spiritual seekers
had begun residing at her parents'
property in Parayakadavu in
the hopes of becoming Amṛtānandamayī's
disciples, the Mātā Amṛtānandamayī
Math (MAM), a worldwide foundation,
was founded.

Amṛtānandamayī continues to serve
as chairperson of the Math.

Today the Mata Amritanandmayi
Math is engaged in many spiritual
and charitable activities.

In 1987, at the request of
devotees, Amṛtānandamayī
began to conduct programs
in countries throughout
the world. She continues
to do so annually.

Darshan
Amṛtānandamayī's form of
giving darshana is hugging
people. As to how this began,
Amṛtānandamayī said,

"People used to come
and tell [me] their troubles.
They would cry and I would
wipe their tears. When they
fell weeping into my lap,
I used to hug them.

Then the next person too wanted it...
And so the habit picked up."

Amṛtānandamayī has embraced
more than 33 million
people throughout the world
for over 30 years.

She stresses the importance
of meditation, performing actions
as karma yoga, selfless service,
and cultivating divine qualities
such as compassion, patience,
forgiveness, self-control, etc.

Amṛtānandamayī has said
that these practices refine
the mind, preparing it to
assimilate the ultimate
truth: that one is not
the physical body and mind,
but the eternal, blissful
consciousness that serves
as the non-dual substratum
of the universe.

Authors Note: I did met her
in Santa Cruz Ca USA, her presence
was very deep and joyful, full of
infinite stillness.

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mata_Amritanandamayi
https://amma.org/