15 Oct 2009, Kurnool, Andra Pradesh
Photos of the flood relief work undertaken by Mata Amritanandamayi Math in Kurnool district of Andra Pradesh
October 6 – 7, Helsinki, Finland – Europe Yatra 2009
This year marked Amma’s 10th visit to Finland. The Mayor of the City of Vantaa, Juhani Paajanen welcomed Amma to Finland. In his welcome speech, he said, “Amma has conveyed that characteristics such as love, sympathy, and generosity are not only meant for the individual; they should become an integral part of every society’s internal structure and an emblem of each and every nation. Where there is awareness of this love that constitutes the foundation of life, there only peace prevails, and only those who experience true inner peace are able to convey that peace to others. Amma declares that the key to world peace rests within each and every individual living on this planet.
There is a lot of hatred in the world. Each of us is likely to become angry sometimes, but a hatred that lasts for years, even decades, leads no where at all; let alone the kind of hatred that survives the passing of centuries and is transferred from one generation to the next. Becoming stuck in hatred poisons the mind and prevents everything else.
Amma’s message and actions, which have reaped myriad rewards, are global, crossing the boundaries of religion, race, nationality, and class divisions. Amma’s diverse projects aim not only at humanitarian aid, but also strive to make modern technologies accessible to everyone, as well as to generate feelings of compassion and togetherness in all our fellow beings, regardless of their backgrounds.
We respect Amma’s global efforts to increase peace, love, and kindness. Her actions are also a source of inspiration for numerous Finns who have participated in projects as far away as India. During this visit of Amma, thousands of Finns are queuing to receive a hug from Amma and the power of love and comfort the hug transfers” Mr. Paajanen concluded
R.K. Kalra, Minister, Indian Embassy in Finland also came to receive Amma’s blessings. “Amma has followers in almost every part of the world. She is an apostle of peace. Her organization has been doing a lot of charitable works in India for promotion of peace for promotion of human brotherhood, sisterhood, love and affection” he said.
Finland was the first stop in Amma’s ten city visit of Europe yatra 2009.
West Cork, Ireland
The GreenFriends members in Ireland started bee farming. A devotee has provided space on her land for organic growing.
On ‘Bee Day’ 2009, Greenfriends Ireland beekeeper gave a practical course, including a visit to some hives and detailed presentations. The course was held in a house made of natural building materials, like straw and clay.
The Bee Day participants were keen as the beekeeper explains how the honeycomb is divided into areas of storage and breeding. The hive entrance designed as a very narrow gap to prevent others from stealing honey. A new double-sided plastic sheet known as ‘a foundation’ ensures that the hexagonal cells fit the dimensions of the hive. Individual wax combs were used to make honey extraction simpler; no need to destroy the colony’s hive, the method once used in beekeeping.
A healthy hive contains about 60,000 bees. A wild hive is known as a bees’ nest; to make one, bees use their hanging bodies as scaffolding. In manufactured hives, the upper part stores honey, the lower the brood and queen. In a natural beehive space, cells face outwards which explains the sheltered location under the eaves of the building or a tree.
Through these classes the participants were motivated to take up bee farming seriously and scientifically.
8 – 10 October: Winterthur, Switzerland, Europe Yatra 2009
Photos of Amma’s visit to the city
5 – 6 Oct, Europe Yatra 2009, Helsinki, Finland,
With Amma’s Love from Helsinki
Amma had reached Helsinki late noon on Oct 4, 2009. She had come after all the marathon sessions during her Birthday celebrations that had just taken place at Amritapuri. We assumed Amma would take rest but in fact at around 8 pm the same evening we heard Amma calling for her singing children to hear them practice a Finnish bhajan that Amma would sing the next day.
During the program, Amma lead a guided meditation session with all the kids(of all ages) huddled close to her. During Darshan, most of the time were taken by press interviews. Amma answers each and every question in a patient way, although some of the questions may seem very much the same ones that Amma would have recieved at every other place, yet Amma delivers her answer freshly.
As the day grew older and evening mellowed, Darshan became slower and loving as the rushing crowd had settled in. Amma suddenly spotted our regular sound systems person sitting in his post and laughing just as an old bhajan started. Amma looked at all of us and said, “what a bhajan! Do you think he understood the meaning and hence he is laughing?”. Amma was talking of the old Malayalam bhajan “Kali Maheswariye”. Amma asked the sound systems person (Austrian National) who had come forward to Amma if he was laughing, knowing the inner meaning or knowing the subtle Vedantic comedy in that song. His bemused “No” came useful to many of us. Amma looked sidewards at one of the brahmacharis and said “Da, do you know the meaning?” Immediately he too said that he did not know the lines. Amma started asking for the bhajan lyrics. Amma started singing paragraph by paragraph and started explaining the beauty of Vedanta in that song.
Amma sang a bit of the Bhajan where the lines go
വാലും തലയുമില്ലാ പ്രപന്ചത്തില് വേരുനീയെന്നു കേള്പ്പൂ
എന്തൊരു പ്രാന്ത് തായേ സത്യാസത്യം കീഴ്മേല് മറച്ചിടുന്നു.
“O Mother Divine! It is heard that Thou Art the root of the universe, yet who doesn’t have a head or tail. Mother dear, What a craziness! You turn both truth and untruth upside down!” Amma was ofcourse taking this a notch up with her descriptions. Amma then moved on describing the paragraphs “O Bhairavi! Thou Art are the architect of the Universe! The houses of five elements are made by Thee. Because you could find no place to place your feet, you reside in the graveyard!” Going on she made a much laughable comment on the paragraph that says “Even though one may not have even a penny to take with them at the time of death, Yet you make foolish humans strive to earn crores.”
പോകുമ്പോള് കൊണ്ടുപോകാന് ഒരു ചില്ലി പൊലുമില്ലെന്കിലും ഹാ
കോടികള് കൂട്ടിടുന്ന പരിഷയെ വിഡ്ഡികെട്ടിപ്പതും നീ
Amma’s translations were getting more and more insight-filled yet humorous and the English language could not frame it as nice as it actually sounded.
നാണമേശാത്ത കാളീ നിനക്കാരു ചെക്കനെ തന്നിടുന്നൂ
നിത്യവും കന്യകയായ് നടന്നോളൂ ദ്വന്തമില്ലാത്ത കേമീ
Nanameshatha kali ninakkaru
Chekkane thannidunnu
Nityavum kanyakayayi nadannolu
dvantamillathakemi
The lines read the meaning “O Kali, you have no sense of shame, who will give you a guy (in marraige)? O, great one, who art, non-dual in nature, continue as a virgin” Amma added to say the Divinity has no gender and yet Devi has a female form, so when it is purnam and there is nothing that needs to be completed.
The brahmachari told Amma that he dint read the same fun the way Amma was explaining. Amma mentioned about that need of having such full translations that could yield so much more joy in devotion.
As night grew into day and Darshans got over early in the morning. The second day, Amma had some visitors from Industry and the Technological University at Helsinki. Amma was as joyful with every single devotee in her own ways. She consoled many who cried on her shoulders as she embraced them warmly engulfing them in a recess of peaceful rest.The Devi Bhava started late that evening. Amma’s beautiful blue-green color touched that eyes of many. As lines filled in, Amma would get eager to see them all. While she blessed all showering flower petals, they were in tears, smiles and in pure bliss. Amma wanted all, as her children, and that very look in her eyes could have no equivalents. No words would ever convey that. That ended the Finnish program around 4:30am local time. Next day was a travel day to Zurich for the next program of the 2009 Europe yatra with its many sweet stories to tell. It is such a blessing to be in that very presence of Amma.
– Kannadi
Each day thousands of visitors are fed by the ashram. The preparation of food inevitably produces waste peelings. ‘Premix’ is the combination of wet food waste and wood chip. One of many buckets of the day’s ‘premix’ is emptied on to the compost heap, over a layer of elephant dung. Slurry (cow’s urine and manure) and dry leaves are added to the compost heap. Thus, heaps of organic waste are formed each day to form healthy fertile soil. African worms are also being farmed to aid the composting process.
In this way, the ashram recycles at least one ton of compost a day. The circle is complete when students from GreenFriends learn to grow plants on campus using the compost. The ashram is growing vegetables, and uses the compost as fertilizers.
By choosing to compost waste, we are actually completing the natural cycle and following nature’s path. Our own food and organic waste is transformed into healthy fertile soil. Composting completes the natural cycle, reversing the modern trend. As we restore balance and harmony to Nature, the same qualities blossom in us, and we smile gratefully, seeing the bounty of Nature offered lovingly to us.
“Whatever is provided by Nature, the very source of flowers, plants and our food, should be lovingly returned to it. This is the symbolism behind offering flowers to God. — Amma
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