Tuesday, 7 September 2004 — Amritapuri
The greatest miracle, Amma has said, is a mind desirous of helping others. The 10th standard class at Amritvidyalayam Perumbavoor is full of miracles.
Inspired by Amma’s life of selfless service, Deepu S. Raju initiated a project in his class to help Perumbavoor’s poor. The project, called Karunamrita [Immortal Compassion], found Deepu and his classmates donating money from their own pockets to help the city’s slum-dwellers. Deepu says he wanted Amritavidyalayam Perumbavoor to be “a model for all Amritavidyalams.”
The students did not stop at donating their spare change. They also donated extra pairs of clothing. Inspired by their students’ selfless actions, the teachers also started pitching in. Then it wasn’t long before the other 10th standard classes started giving donations.
At the end of two months, the students had raised more than Rs. 4,500, which they donated to Amma during the Krishnajayanti celebrations at Amritapuri. The students able to come to the ashram included Deepu, Arun Subrahmanian, Deepak Eldo Paul, Rachanna Radhakrishnan, Aswatty P. Babu, Pooja Rajan and Sreeja M.R.
Amma was so happy with their selfless behaviour. When the children asked Amma how they could further their plan, She advised them to go and visit the slum, to put in efforts to clean it up and to try to improve the general living conditions there. She said they could also plant trees and give food to those who were hungry.
Of all those who participated, Deepu believes the most valuable donations came from one of his classmates who would fast every day in order to donate the money his parents had given him for buying his lunch.
Although it was the first time that the Perumbavoor students visited Amritapuri, at the end of the four days none of them wanted to leave.
Amma has said if there are just two good people in a village, it is enough to transform the entire community.
—Sakshi