DM Register article about Ammachi's '05 visit to Fairfield: Published July 9, 2005
'Amma' greets all faiths with peace, love and hugs 'The Hugging Saint' from India spreads hope to followers in Iowa. By SHIRLEY RAGSDALE REGISTER RELIGION EDITOR Mata Amritanandamayi Devi was in Iowa this week, receiving her followers. Her arms reached out to the people who sat or knelt before her, gathering them to her bosom and holding them close in a long embrace. She speaks softly in their ears, her cheek pressed tightly against theirs. Sometimes she chants. Occasionally she releases them for a moment so she can stroke their arms and shoulders. She pulls them close again. "She has great compassion," said Mark Petrick of Fairfield, among the Iowans who welcomed the woman they call "Amma." Others have called her "The Hugging Saint." They come to her with hearts longing for love. Some are in wheelchairs. Some lean on canes. Some seek emotional healing. Some know they have no reprieve from illness and hope she will give them peace. Amma makes herself available to anyone wishing to receive her blessing. Hour after hour, day after day, year after year, she receives everyone in the same loving way, regardless of religious faith or non-belief. "All over the world, people are looking for love and peace, the need is universal," Amma said Wednesday, as she continued to greet and hug more than 1,200 people at a morning session that lasted through mid-afternoon. The crowds build during the two-day visit, swelling to more than 10,000 Thursday evening. Born into the Hindu faith, Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, which translates into "mother of immortal bliss," has been embracing her followers for more than 30 years, a practice that placed her in conflict with Indian society. In India, the notion of a young holy woman hugging strangers is so unorthodox that one member of her own family reportedly tried to kill her. It is estimated she has hugged more than 25 million people of all faiths, from all the cultures of the world. "I am like a river flowing and people have a great thirst," Amma said. "I like to quench that thirst." Amma, 51, encourages her followers to go deeper into their own religions, believing that there is no harm in having many religions and faiths in the world. Those in the crowd Wednesday said they professed Christian, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim faiths. Amma is recognized as the first major spiritual figure in India to allow women to serve as temple priests, challenging the male-dominated tradition. Her followers say she teaches by emphasizing selfless social service and compassion. She encourages her followers to do the same: "No matter how much wealth we have, unless we properly understand its value and use, we will experience only sorrow. What we derive from it is only temporary. It cannot give eternal happiness." Inspired by Amma's teaching that "compassion to the poor is our duty to God," thousands of volunteers have worked worldwide to give direct aid and education to the poor. In the United States, Amma's followers launched "Mother's Kitchen," a soup-kitchen project in 40 cities, including Fairfield. Amma first traveled to the United States and Europe in 1987. Many thousands now travel to Iowa to see her every year. This was the first time Laurie Savran of Minneapolis had come to see Amma. Savran said she was uplifted by being in Amma's presence and receiving a hug. Savran is Jewish and described her faith journey as "a searcher." "It was awesome, although I think that term doesn't carry the power of the experience," Savran said. "She cracked open a hard chill I've had inside me for a very long time." Amma sits and hugs 10 to 20 hours at a stretch "I don't do anything for myself," Amma said. "I have no needs. I see my image in the faces of the people who come to me, as reflected in a mirror. "They are in me, and I am in them." --- In [email protected], "dhamiltony2k5" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > --- In [email protected], "dhamiltony2k5" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > The lady saints arrive, chronicling FFL: > > > > Every year now these are some of the best weeks to be in Fairfield, > > while the lady saints are arriving. > > > > Karunnamayi arrived last night in Fairfield for a visit of several > > days. Last night she sat with people who had gathered to welcome her > > in a home and then the group migrated over to the Temple on W. > > Burlington Street that a number of Fairfield meditators maintain for > > their worship. Karunnamayi again sat with people there. > > > > Tonight (Monday) Karunnamayi has a public meeting with people down at > > Roberts Memorial Hall just north of Keosauqua. > > > > > > These are the special months to be here in Fairfield. The annual > > visits of the lady saints has started again now. > > > > Both Ammachi on her national tour and Karunnamayi on her national tour > > also come to Fairfield. Both like Fairfield especially for the unique > > large community of old long-time meditators doing a long sadhana here. > > Each lady saint carries her own `field effect' of darshan to give > > freely on their national tours according to their own character. > > However, coming to Fairfield they evidently both like to pool the good > > powerful field effect that can be had with the large group of our long > > time practicing meditator community here. > > > > They do get invited here to Fairfield by the meditating community. To > > bring the Lady saints here there is a lot of concerted committee work > > that goes on in the meditating community to sponsoring them here. > > Each of these saints are great teachers with large spiritual gifts to > > consul in their ways. They have been very formative for the > > meditation practices of a lot of Fairfield meditators especially here > > in the last years of the TMO and MMY. > > > > > > Tuesday morning Karunnamayi sits with people individually for > > blessings also down at Roberts Memorial Hall. > > > > Weds. She presides over a fire homa ceremony held up by Vedic City. > > > > Like with Ammachi's visits these meetings are always powerful with > > Shakti and Atman Vidya to be a part of. The meetings are also great > > fun to go to and see who all comes out of the FF wood work here and > > see who all is still here in the meditating community. > > > > JGD, -D > > > > > Ammachi arrived in Fairfield last night (5 July 2005) Again a large > work by meditatiing community committees to facilitate one of the > famous lady-saints for a visit to Fairfield. > > > The Fairfield Ledger printed a front page article about Ammachi a few > days ago.. > http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14786051&BRD=1139&PAG=461&dept_id=142642&rfi=6 > > id=14786051&BRD=1139&PAG=461&dept_id=142642&rfi=6 > > "An Indian holy woman who has become known as "the Hugging Saint" will > return to southeast Iowa next week for the fourth year in a row. > > Mata Amritanandamayi, whose followers simply call her "Amma" -- an > Indian word meaning "mother" -- will visit the campus of Iowa Wesleyan > College in Mount Pleasant Wednesday and Thursday. Her annual visits > are organized by a group of admirers from Fairfield who say they have > been inspired by her message of selfless, unconditional love. > > Amma, 51, was raised in a small village on the southwest coast > of India. Her nickname, "the Hugging Saint," comes from her practice > of greeting visitors with an embrace, holding them in her arms while > speaking soothing words in their ears. > > "When she hugs you, she offers complete love, unconditional love > to you," said Mark Petrick of Fairfield, one of the people involved in > planning Amma's visit. "There's no holding back. It's completely > unconditional." > > Amma first visited the United States in 1987, and now tours the > country every summer. Although she gives speeches at each stop, most > of her time is devoted to hugging the people who come to meet her. > > Amma has been known to sit in one place for hours, hugging > person after person without stopping to rest. > > "She always looks at you and acts as if you're her favorite > person in the whole world," said Bob Hoerlein of Fairfield, who first > saw Amma during a visit to Chicago in the 1980s. Hoerlein also > traveled to India in 2003 for Amma's 50th birthday, and noticed that > although a crowd of about 2 million people had gathered for the event, > "I never felt any hostility." > > For a complete story, read the June 30 Fairfield Ledger. > > .. To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! 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