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Walking Beside Us: Christmas in Amritapuri

25 Dec 2017, Amritapuri

As is the tradition in Amritapuri, Christmas was celebrated in grand style on Sunday, with more than 1,600 visitors from more nearly 100 countries, and more than 600 participants of a national AYUDH India summit also here for the festivities.

During Amma’s darshan in the afternoon, groups of international residents and visitors sang Christmas carols to the delight of all, infusing the atmosphere with an air of festivity and joy.

After Amma’s darshan concluded around 11:00 pm, Amma came down to sit among the devotees to enjoy the annual Christmas musical, written and performed by Amma’s international children. More than 120 people came together to create the performance, entitled, “Walking Beside Us,” featuring an original script, music and lyrics, dance choreography, extensive hand-painted sets, hand-made costumes, elaborate lighting and special effects. This year’s performance was all the more impressive in that it featured many children in leading roles. The children performed with confidence and skill in tightly choreographed scenes. This year’s play was conceived as the story of Christmas told through the eyes of little children.

After the musical concluded, Amma’s gave her message in which she said “Celebrations such as Christmas are mankind’s songs of awakening. Occasions like Christmas Deepavali and Onam remind us of sacrifice, compassion, humility and firm faith in God and the need to put them into practice in our life.”

The Christmas festivities concluded with Amma leading the entire assembled crowd in two bhajans (Only Love is our guiding light in English and Jai Mata Di Jaykar bulavo in Punjabi) calls of Mata Rani Ki Jai and a group prayer for world peace with the chanting Om Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu. Finally Amma personally blessed tray after tray of a chocolate Christmas cake – enough for each person at the festivities to get a piece, and ending the holiday with a tangible sweetness that had imbued each moment of the day.

– Kannadi

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Convert every obstacle into a stepping stone

25 December 2016, Amritapuri Ashram

– Excerpts from Amma’s 2016 Christmas message

When most people talk about Christmas, they talk about the great time they had with their family, the delicious dishes and sweets they prepared, and the gifts they received. Hardly anyone speaks about the prayers they offered, the spiritual practices they did, or the efforts they put towards bringing Jesus’ teachings into action. In truth, these would comprise the real Christmas celebration. Amma is not saying that the other celebrations are not needed, just that Christmas only gains its true meaning when we use it to reflect on the life and teachings of Christ and to evaluate our spiritual progress. Real love for the Lord occurs when we imbibe these ideals for which he stood, for they help us to realize the Kingdom of Heaven within ourselves and transform our life into an offering of service to humanity.

Be it Sri Krishna, Sri Rama or Jesus Christ, they all had to undergo a lot of challenges in life. However, they boldly faced them without breaking down. Moreover, they converted every obstacle into a stepping stone. This was their greatness. They showed us through their lives that if we are putting sincere effort towards a higher goal, no force in this world can stop us. Even after thousands of years, their lives still inspire us and fill us with strength.

Holidays like Christmas create opportunities for us to practice the ideal of sharing and caring. All the blessings we have received in life are not only due to our own efforts. Our success is also due to the help, prayers and blessings given to us by all those who love us. We are indebted to them. We should always remember this. Christmas is a good opportunity to express our gratitude towards such people. As we progress on the spiritual path, we should occasionally remember with gratitude all those who have helped us along our journey. If there are people who have troubled us, we must develop the ability to forgive and forget. Such an attitude is like fuel that will take us a long way forward.

The Christmas tree is a symbol of the tree of life. Just as the Christmas tree has so many ornaments hung on it, this human life of ours has also been blessed with many gifts—such as the faculty of discrimination, love, compassion and the ability to forgive. It is up to us to make the best use of these gifts. On top of the Christmas tree is a big star. This star represents the goal of human life, which is to realize our oneness with God. Using our God-given faculties, we need to attain this goal.

The seeds of spirituality lying within start sprouting when we water them with the waters of compassion. Children, we should be able to find some space in our hearts for others as well. May my children be able to achieve this.

Amma offers her children to the Paramatma. Amma wishes all her children a very Merry Christmas!

|| om lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu ||

Indelible Footprints in the Heart: Amma’s 2015 Christmas Message

December 25, 2015 – Amritapuri Ashram

Christmas awakens vibration of goodness, hope and compassion in the human heart, just as the birth anniversaries of other great incarnations and realized beings do. This day reminds us of what it is that that the human heart should be comprised—not with selfishness and hatred, but with devotion to God and love towards our fellow beings. Our thoughts and actions should become so permeated with goodness that they come to illuminate the divinity that resides within us. Lord Krishna, Lord Rama, Buddha and Jesus Christ lived on this earth thousands of years ago, but they have left their indelible footprints in human hearts. If we wish to reach the shores of everlasting peace and happiness, all we have to do is follow the path they showed us.

Footprints imprinted upon the earth are soon to fade and disappear, but footprints formed in the heart remain. This is why we remember the lives of mahatmas long after they leave their physical bodies. Their lives and teachings are very practical; they serve to remind us about the purpose of human life. Their lives were not for themselves, but for the good of the world. When we remember their lives, it awakens our own innate goodness. It helps us to become compassionate towards our fellow beings; it helps us to overcome selfishness and anger. We find ourselves aspiring to become more loving. It prompts us to repent when we become angry—to pray for the ability to forgive.

One may ask, “Don’t we also remember people those who did evil deeds?” Yes, but when we think of them, we are not uplifted as we are when we remember those who were embodiments of goodness. Thinking of the lives of mahatmas is like visiting a perfume factory. Your clothes become fragrant without any effort. Dwelling upon the lives of the wicked, on the other hand, is like visiting a charcoal factory; our clothes become sooty even if we don’t touch the charcoal directly.

Throughout his life Jesus Christ demonstrated deep compassion and humility. Normally people respect others only if they belong to a reputed family. Otherwise they will not give them much respect. We see others through the lens of our ego. However, in spirituality, we accept others with out any preconceived notions. Wherever there is goodness, we need to accept it. That is what great masters teach us.
Not only that, Jesus did not live like a king, as many expected him to, but as one among the people, as the servant of all. Therefore, he was easily accessible to the poor and deprived. However high our status in life is, we should have the expansiveness to see everyone as equal. That, in fact, is an exalted state. If we cannot attain it, then at least we should be able to be able to view them without anger and hatred. We live in times when mutual brotherhood is lost and everyone is thinking of what one can grab from the other. It may be hard to see everyone as equal, but when we understand spirituality, we will be able to achieve this vision.

Currently, we depend on others for our happiness. Because of that dependency, we are losing the experience of true freedom. We miss the experience of knowing our True Self because of this attachment to the ego. No matter how hard we row a boat that is tied to the shore, it will not move forward one inch. Similarly if we want to move forward in spirituality, we need to renounce the notions of “I” and “mine.” We need to understand that we are just instruments in the hands of the Divine, and that it is the Divine power that is allowing us to do things.

We can control things only to some extent. Beyond that it is Divine grace that makes things happen. We need to put in efforts with an attitude of surrender. Even when we win a competition, we need to bend our head and bow down to receive the medal. Humility is the key that opens the heart.

The goal of every mahatma’s life is to guide others to find the heaven within themselves. They show us that good actions bring us closer to God. Through his life, Jesus Christ taught the world that society rewards a spiritual seeker only with a crown of thorns. All mahatmas have had to face many challenges throughout their life, but because they had the experience of the Truth, nothing could stop them.

If you are a smoker, give your family the present of quitting smoking this Christmas. With the money that you save by giving up this habit, you can help a needy person. It also protects your health. If you are an alcoholic, get help to stop in the name of love for your family. The family will be so happy and your health will not deteriorate as well. If you are an overeater, stop eating excess food and start the habit of eating lesser portions of more nutritious food. This will make us less dull and improve our health.

Such presents that come out of sacrifice bring unending joy. Amma does not say that we should not send greeting cards and gifts or do other such things. It may give our loved ones fond memories. But the real gifts are the actions we do that truly benefit others. This is the right way to celebrate Christmas.

Celebrations like Christmas are also a wake-up call to those who do not know the goal of human life. From the point of view of the ancient sages of India, all are children of God. The guru’s voice wakes up the disciple who is in deep winter hibernation. What does the voice say? “This is the birth of a new age! You should be its creators. Hence, awake, arise! Joyfully shoulder the bundle of sacrifice and surrender! This bundle is not a burden. Rather, it will give us wings to fly high into the world of the soul, the True Self.”

May the spirit of Christmas inspire my children to fly high into the world of peace and joy. May grace bless you always.

The Lord’s Prayer: a musical on the life of St. Francis

On December 24th, 2014 – Christmas Eve – the ashram celebrated Christmas in the presence of our beloved Amma by presenting the stories of St. Francis of Assisi and two of his closest companions – Priest Sylvester and St. Claire.

More than 170 ashram residents and visitors from more than 15 countries across the world worked together to perform this musical theatre piece “The Lord’s Prayer”, which included an original script, music and lyrics, dance choreography, extensive hand-painted sets, hand-made costumes, and hand-made marionettes.

This labor of love told excerpts from the lives of these three figures, framed within the context of an individual’s experience with prayer, and how prayer carries us along the spiritual path. They are examples of how an “ordinary” person can leave behind a life based on material prosperity in search of a life centered on God; a life devoted to developing humility, compassion, forgiveness and unconditional love.

The production evoked lines of the original Lord’s Prayer as a refrain, highlighting the truth that the fundamental aspects of prayer have been unchanged through the centuries; we still pray for wisdom and guidance along the spiritual path, and for the grace and strength to persevere in the face of life’s obstacles.

Interestingly Amma was also talking on the science of prayer and its importance in spiritual life {read Amma’s message here} in her Christmas message

The 90-minute production was performed as an offering to Amma and a live audience of several thousand people on the ashram’s main stage. The audience sat spellbound throughout, rapt by the beautiful choreography of dramatic, heartfelt performances, soul-stirring song and dance, and technical and artistic feats including a three-story stage as well as lifelike birds in flight. In the finale, the audience let out a collective sigh of joy and delight as Amma’s oft-visualized prayer that the world be showered with white flowers of peace was brought to life, with thousands of lifelike imitation flowers showered down onto the performers and the audience’s front rows from the rafters above the stage, more than four stories into the air. As the performers took their final bow, the audience rose to their feet and offered a standing ovation and cheers of appreciation.

– Dass

Rebirth happens when we completely die to our ego

From Amma’s Christmas Message

God is said to be the embodiment of infinite divine qualities. He is beyond word and thought. It is through the lives of mahatmas that one directly experiences the divinity of God. The specialty of mahatmas is that they practice what they preach. In this regard, Jesus Christ was no different. He was the embodiment of self-sacrifice, love, knowledge and spiritual experience. Christ’s life itself was his message.

When we look at the lives of great like Sri Krishna and Jesus, we see that there were many evil powers that tried to harm them. There is a spiritual lesson in this: When spiritual knowledge—which can be equated to the divine child—is about to take birth, one’s selfish and materialistic tendencies will try to stop it. Only if one puts forth sincere effort with alertness and care will they attain Self-knowledge. If oil is poured over a spark, the spark will be extinguished. However, once the spark becomes a huge fire, no matter how much oil you pour on it, it will not be extinguished; the oil will be consumed by the fire. Similarly, when spiritual awareness is just beginning to expand within us, all of our negative tendencies and thoughts will try to block it. However, when one is established in Self-knowledge, there will be no place for materialistic tendencies and negativities. All great gurus take birth with the goal of removing the darkness of ignorance and adharma [unrighteousness] from the minds of humankind and spreading the light of knowledge.

Freedom & Bondage
Jesus’ birth reveals another profound spiritual principle. Jesus wasn’t born in a grand palace. He was born in a humble place—in a corner of a stable. His parents were not wealthy or learned. They had nothing to call their own, except their own mental purity. Moreover, other than a few blessed individuals, very few people knew about his birth. The teaching we should take from this is that spiritual awakening comes to those seekers who are humble and patient. Empty yourself of ego and I shall come and rest within—this is the essence of the Lord’s message.

If we take Sri Krishna’s life, we see that he was born in the jail where the wicked Kamsa had imprisoned his parents, Vasudeva and Devaki. The jail represents spiritual ignorance, and Krishna’s birth represents the birth of Self-knowledge, which breaks open the prison doors and frees us. While in jail, Devaki and Vasudeva prayed intensely to the Paramatman. This led to the birth of Lord Krishna. Love has no boundaries and can never be imprisoned behind walls. Even though ostensibly we are all free, we are still trapped in the jails of our ignorant minds. On the other hand, even if a mahatma is put in real jail, internally he is ever free. The external world can never bind a mahatma. Even though mahatmas may live in the world, they are detached from it, like butter floating on water.

The Science of Prayer
When true surrender dawns within, we will awaken and arise. Our state today is that we have knowledge but lack awareness. We may see things, yet we don’t really see them. We may hear things, but we don’t really listen. The reason for this is that our mind is never present in what we see and hear. There is a bhajan that goes, “O Lord, I have come with folded hands before you. Please, listen to me.” The real meaning here is that it is we who—through the heightened awareness of prayer—need to see and listen. Currently our mind is never in the present; it is always wandering this way and that. Although God is within us, we are not in God. Many things in the world bind our mind. To bring the mind back to God, prayer can be extremely useful.

If you were to fall into a deep pit and there were no one around to pull you out, imagine the intensity with which you would call out for help. Such intensity should be there in our prayers. We should call out to the Divine from the bottom of our heart, with a child like innocence. Prayer, chanting one’s mantra and meditation are different ways to awaken the Divine within us.

If we extend our arm outwards and hold a thick book, we may be able to manage to hold it there for five minutes or so. If we force ourselves to hold it like that for an hour, our hand will ache terribly. If we are forced to hold it the whole day, then someone will have to call an ambulance. It is the same way with our sorrow. We need to unburden ourselves of our sorrows, leaving them at the feet of the Divine through heartfelt prayer.

In olden days there would be slabs of stone along the roadside that would be supported by pillars. People carrying huge sacks on their heads or shoulders could place their loads on these slabs and rest for a while. Many of us are shouldering such heavy loads within—more than we can really manage. When we enter the puja room to pray, it is an opportunity to unburden ourselves of this weight.

Let your hearts melt in prayer. Praying with intensity is not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, just as the wax fuels the flame as it melts, intense prayer awakens our devotion and love.

Crying for God is one of the ways to grow closer to the Divine. There are numerous ways to reach the top of a mountain. One person may climb the steps. Another may be pulled up in a basket. Some may scale the rocks… We cannot say that one way is better than another. This is why there are so many spiritual practices enumerated in Sanatana Dharma. If a restaurant has just one dish, not everyone will enjoy it. If a shoe store were to sell only one size of shoe, very few people will be able to buy shoes there. Similarly, no one can say one path is better than another.

Even when we do Self-inquiry, negating the body, emotions and intellect and reminding ourselves that we are the Atma, we are still using the mind to do so. The state that the mahavakyas such as tat tvam asi—”You are That”—reveal are also experienced in prayer when the ego dissolves through the persistent awareness, “I am nothing; You are everything.”

When Devaki and Vasudeva or Mary and Joseph prayed intensely with surrender, understanding that they had nowhere but to the Lord to go for help, then the divine child was born to them. That divinity is there within each one of us, but we are currently unable to see it because our hearts are closed. It is like we are sitting in a boarded-up room and complaining that we are unable to experience the sunlight. If one shines a light in the eyes of a blind man, will he see anything? If someone holds a fragrant flower or sprays perfume under the nose of someone with nasal congestion, will he experience the fragrance? Our heart has to open. When a flower is still in the bud stage, one cannot enjoy its beauty and fragrance. Only when it blossoms can that be experienced.

Rebirth & death of ego
By birth, human beings are children of the universe, but they can be reborn as the children of God as well. This rebirth happens when we completely die to our ego. When the last trace of ego vanishes, that is when the real birth of our identity as the Supreme Self takes place within us. This is not something that is to be experienced after we die. We have to die to the ego, before we really die.

It’s not easy to transcend the ego. When Self-knowledge dawns within, the ego automatically disappears. Ego is like darkness. Darkness is not a something that can be removed. However, when you shine light, it automatically disappears. To bring in the light of Self-knowledge, one needs to engage themselves constantly in sravanam, mananam and nididhyasanam—learning the spiritual teachings, clearing one’s doubts regarding them and then dwelling in those truths.

Our ego has become strong because of our identification to our status and position, and it’s not easy to overcome this attachment. When someone praises us, we easily fall prey to the ego. On the other hand, even if we hear that our true nature is the Supreme Self 10,000 times, it still fails to truly sink in.

The spirit of Christmas is sharing and caring
As Christmas approaches, decorations light up most of the towns and cities, and shops are filled with customers buying Christmas presents for themselves and their near and dear ones. But amidst all this, the focus should not shift from the eternal to the ephemeral. As we enjoy the creation, let us also remember the Creator. If a friend sends you some chocolates, you can enjoy them and at the same time remember your friend as well. In a similar way, we need to keep our focus on the Creator.

Let us try to speak words with a selfless attitude. Words have a lot of power. One wrong word can drive someone to suicide and one right word can save someone as well. There are people who come to Amma and say, “Such and such a person said this to me. I’ve decided to end my life. I’ve even decided the date. What is the point in living in such a world? I loved him and helped him so selflessly. But what I got in return was the exact opposite.” When Amma spends time talking to them and consoling them, they change their decision and go back relieved. What is it that Amma is giving but a few heartfelt words?

We need to perform good actions. This will make us befitting to receive God’s grace. When we flow towards others, God flows towards us. Many people say, “I’ve done so many years of spiritual practices and seva, but what have I got in return?” This is not the right attitude. It should be, “At least I was able to do this many spiritual practices. At least I could do this much service to the world.” If we sow a seed, it may or may not sprout. If it doesn’t sprout, we will have to sow it again. But with good actions it’s never like that. The impressions of our good actions never go away. They are like fixed deposits and will always stay with us. They are not like businesses where we have to start all over again if we incur losses.

The spirit of Christmas is sharing and caring. Let us not just be focused on our lives alone. Let us look around a little and see the needs of others as well. Even if you are able to help just one person, then you have made a difference. If my children can do this, that would be the real Christmas celebration.

The birth of the Lord should take place in our hearts. Let us decorate the manger of our hearts with good thoughts, sweet words and compassionate actions. May the Paramatman rest there always. May grace bless everyone. Amma wishes her children a very Merry Christmas.

* Extracted from the message Amma delivered in Amritapuri Ashram, 25 December 2014.

Show enthusiasm to practice the teaching of Mahatmas

December 24th, Christmas Eve, Amritapuri

Christmas Eve was celebrated this past Saturday with Amma giving darshan on stage in the Main Hall throughout the day and well past midnight. Thousands of devotees from across India and around the world had come to Amritapuri on their holiday break to be with Amma during this special time of year.

In the middle of the main hall, a makeshift stage had been erected. In what has become an annual event, International guests and residents were going to perform a play. For the past month, they had been rehearsing practically every day for the chance to perform for Amma. Huge screens were set up so that everyone could see, with the words translated into Malayalam.

Just after 9pm, the Christmas play began, ‘A Revelation.’ The play followed the life of Mr. Joe Egoman, who had been spending his entire life in the full clutches of his self image and ego. Eventually he was fortunate enough to meet Amma and try and turn his life around.

Shortly after midnight, Amma’s Christmas message was broadcasted on the large screen while Amma was giving darshan on the stage. Amma said, “There is one thing Amma feels it is important to emphasise:In the same way you celebrate the birthdays of these Mahatmas, with so much care and enthusiasm, you should demonstrate the same care and enthusiasm in putting into practice their teachings in each and every moment of your life. It is said that Christ resurrected three days after he was crucified. The body is comprised of the five elements. It can be cut, injured and destroyed by weapons. However, just like Sri Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita: ‘The Atma or the self cannot be cut by weapons. Fire cannot burn it. Water cannot wet it. The wind cannot dry it. ”It was never born and never dies. It is eternal and indestructible. ‘” Christ’s body was crucified. but his had no effect upon the Atma. If we understand that ‘My nature is that of Atma’, then there is no death.

The message was translated in to English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, and Finnish.

Afterwards, trays of Christmas cake were brought up to Amma for her to bless. The cake prasad was then distributed to everyone.

Darshan ended around 3am Christmas morning.

-Sri

May the Christ take birth in your heart

Christmas in Amritapuri

December 24, 2008 — Amritapuri

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day both fell on darshan days in Amritapuri, and Amma was still giving darshan when the midnight hour struck on the 25th. While Amma continued to embrace her children, she had Swami Amritaswarupananda read out a message she had prepared.

In Amma’s message she said that if we look back on the teachings of all mahatmas—be they Christ, Krishna or Buddha—we will see that their main teachings were love and faith. “All the mahatmas have stressed these two things,” Amma said. “The rest is commentary.”

Amma went on to explain the significance of Christ both referring to himself as “the son of man” as well as “the son of God.” She said that a devotee with love and faith would not see these two statements as a contradiction, but instead would understand that Christ meant he was both the body, which exists in time, and the Atma, which is beyond time. “He meant that he was both a human being, as well as God,” Amma said. “He meant ‘I am this [the world] and I am that [consciousness].'”

“On Christmas Day, Christian children exchange gifts and kind words and wish one another Merry Christmas. This really reflects a sense of brotherhood. But amidst our celebrations, we should also remember the life and teachings of Christ. Christmas is also a day for taking a vow to put Christ’s teachings into action. May the Christ child take birth in the hearts of all my children. May our lives be full of love and the spirit of sacrifice. May my children become examples for others to emulate” Amma concluded.

Before Amma’s message, there were Christmas carols in German, Russian, Spanish and Finnish languages by the devotees from the west. There were also traditional Flamenco and Opera dances, which added spirit to the celebrations of Christmas in Amritapuri.

—Kannadi

Watch Christmas celebration photos here

Feeling like Christmas

25December 2001,Amritapuri

When you wake to the sound of tropical birds, and soon find yourself sweaty from the heat and humidity, and when you look out over the palm tree tops to the Arabian Sea as you hear the Names of Devi wafting upwards from the temple below, it takes a little time before you register that it is the morning of Christmas Eve.

You’ve come from half a world away, and left behind you there the tinkling of Salvation Army Santa Claus bells, the innocent voices of children carolling, the smell of pine trees and lebkuchen and nutmeg on eggnog, the glitter of tiny Christmas tree lights, and the crunch of snow beneath your boots.

You are in Amritapuri in South India,. Amma’s home ashram. There are several thousand other people here to spend the holiday season with Mother, many of them Christians. You wonder: will it ever feel like Christmas Eve? Christmas?

There are no signs of the season around. No mistletoe; no evergreen boughs; no red and white Santa Claus cards stuck on the bulletin boards; no green glittery letters strung across the entryway bidding everyone MERRY CHRISTMAS.

But night draws near, and there’s a flurry of activity. Word spreads, as it does here, not by public announcement but just by word of mouth: “There’s a programme tonight! Mother will be there!”

You finish dinner, wash your plate, pick your spot in the hall-as close as possible to the chair Amma will sit in. You wait. Programmes happen whenever it is that Mother arrives; there’s no set time. You wait and look around, and see your first sign of Christmas: a small green tree occupies the Southwest corner of the stage apron, and it is hung with tiny decorations: handmade Amma dolls, Krishna dolls, Devi dolls, and a single string of tiny many-coloured lights.

It was beginning to feel a bit like Christmas.

There is a sudden surge of excitement and everyone jumps up…Amma is coming!

No; not exactly. She makes a detour to the western canteen, where the café workers are still cleaning up from dinner, and are also preparing a special treat: Christmas cake. She goes inside, checks the pots and pans and garbage pails; She heads over to the newly acquired Cappuccino machine and watches while a cup is brewed especially for Her. Amma turns back towards the doorway-the path is of course now completely packed with people who have crammed in to enjoy this unexpected visit. But as soon as Amma’s intent is clear, a passage opens, and She strides briskly to the nearby programme hall.

Wherever Amma walks, two apparently contradictory things happen: the crowd surges towards Her and She is engulfed, and a passageway appears before Her, maybe only 3 metres long and one metre wide, but it does open before Her, and She can progress to Her goal.

In this case, that goal is a chair on a raised platform. The first time She saw this “throne”, She turned away from it and sat on the floor! Her natural humility would not allow Her to be raised up so high: too majestic, too imperial. However, the broken hearts of the 99.9% of the people in this huge hall who could not see Her

when She sat in comfort on the floor impelled Her to forego that “self-indulgence”. Clearly feeling awkward and apologetic, She climbed up the ramp and sat on the high seat-and the grateful hearts of 100% of the people were convincing enough that now She goes obediently to this seat, passing up Her own preferences in order to-as always-give joy to Her children.

No sooner had Mother sat than the small children began streaming towards Her. No; that’s not accurate. They couldn’t stream, since every inch of floor space was filled with people sitting close. But they climbed through, around, over-some were lifted up and handed along-till they reached Her outstretched arms. Many of the little ones jumped up close and kissed Her cheek; a few of the well-taught ones paused for a prostration before climbing up and kissing Her.

To each little one, Mother gave a kiss on cheek or head, and a sweet, and occasionally some lucky child would end up in Amma’s lap for a few moments.

Suddenly, the big new wooden doors on the stage rolled open, and there sat several of Amma’s western children. Guitars and harmonium-a reflection of the west/east mix that is this ashram-played together a song new to most of the people, but so easy that soon almost everyone joined in. It was an Italian song with only three words, and they meant, “Come, Lord Jesus.” For those sceptics who wonder whether Christmas can happen in an apparently Hindu ashram, here is the answer: yes. Soon, people throughout the hall-Hindus, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists-were singing together, “Come, Lord Jesus.” Amma says that the message of Jesus is love and compassion; in this, there is nothing at variance with the teachings of any of the true Masters, no matter what religion later descended from them.

“Angels We Have Heard on High” rang out next-and this traditional Christmas carol could be heard in various languages at once as the French, the Germans, the English, the Italians, the Finns-all joined in with their own familiar words. All came together on the Latin chorus, however: “Gloria in Excelsis Deo!”

It was beginning to feel a bit more like Christmas.

Amritapuri ashram is blessed with a Dutch resident who is an opera singer. This Christmas eve, she stood before her ashram family and Mother and sang three solos; two were familiar Christmas favourites. “How Beautiful are the Feet”, from Handel’s Messiah, praises the bringers of the good news of God’s Love; for Amma’s children, this aria took on a new dimension this Christmas Eve. Next “Ave Maria”, recalling the angel’s appearance to Mary to tell her that she would bear the Christ Child, stirred memories of home-and-family Christmases for many of Mother’s western children, residents and visitors alike.

It was beginning to feel even more like Christmas.

After a classical Indian dancer presented the lilas of Siva, there came a commotion from over near the café-it was Santa Claus! At only minutes past midnight; Christmas at Mother’s ashram began when, with a robust ho-ho-ho, Saint Nick in a red and white suit, white beard, and red and yellow stocking cap made his way through the crowd till he reached Mother. He was followed by café workers bearing huge trays of Christmas cake. Mother called out, “Western children only!”

This way, She could ensure that those who had left home and hearth, tradition and family, to be with Her on Christmas, would receive the gift of Her Christmas prasad directly from Her own hand. Others stepped aside, making room for the westerners (here that word isn’t geographical; it really means, “people from other countries”); they-residents and visitors alike-came one by one to Mother, who handed each a piece of home-baked cake, while Santa stood nearby, delighting especially the smaller children! (Don’t worry; of course in the end everyone received Christmas cake!)

Christmas day was a Tuesday-the day Mother spends with Her ashramites, meditating, giving satsang, answering questions, and serving lunch. The very first question came from one of Mother’s “western” daughters, who asked Amma to talk a little about Jesus. After Mother spoke about Jesus’ basic message of love and compassion, She asked that Her children from the West, who have studied the Bible, should talk about the real meaning of Christmas. Perhaps because in this ashram there is a special awareness of the deep meaning of God becoming present to us by incarnating, those who responded to Mother’s request emphasized Christmas as a day to celebrate the birth of the Divine on Earth, or of the Word becoming flesh. One resident spoke eloquently about the kinship she sees between Jesus and Amma: “Her message is the same as Christ’s-love, compassion. She’s the embodiment of love and She is constantly reminding us that love, that compassion, that Divinity, is within us. So we are fortunate to have the message of Christ and the message of Amma as one in our lifetimes.”

Mother always serves lunch on Tuesdays, and Christmas Day was no exception. What was a bit different was that on this particular Tuesday Mother called the westerners first, another small gesture acknowledging that so many had chosen to come far from home and spend their special holiday with Her. As they approached Her to receive their plates, something else a little different happened: it is usual that while plates are being passed, the community chants “Om Namah Shivaya.”

On Christmas, a few voices started singing “Lo, How a Rose Ere Blooming”; recognizing the melody, more singers joined in, with words from various European languages.

As hundreds continued to come forward for their plates, the celebration continued, with one Christmas carol after another.

It definitely felt a lot like Christmas.

Christmas at Amritapuri

On Christmas Eve at Amritapuri, Amma joined Her children in the darshan hall for an evening programme featuring dancer Nandini Venkat performing South Indian classical bharata natyam depicting nava rasa (nine moods). The dance was preceded by a musical performance by several of Amma’s western children, included traditional Christmas carols in Italian and Latin, including the beautiful hymn Veni Signore Jesu sung in choir, and an operatic arya entitled “Messiah” by Handel, performed solo by the ashram’s resident opera singer.

One delightful highlight of the evening occurred when Tejas, an elderly but robust renounciate from France, appeared as a convincing Santa Claus. Amma had asked him to dress the part, but no one quite expected such an elaborate effort, replete with ringing bell and burlap sack of presents on his back!

After the program, Amma distributed Christmas cake to all Her Western children, drawing each close for a kiss on the cheek or forehead and a smile or an affectionate word or two.

Some of Amma’s children from the West might have been feeling homesick, pining for a traditional dinner and a fireside evening with family. By the end of the evening, however, all must have been more than satisfied, having spent a relaxed, sweet evening with their much larger spiritual family and their beloved Amma: Mother, Guru, and even Santa Claus, all rolled into one.

Falling in love with Amma is Christmas

24 December 2000, Amritapuri

Just before Christmas, Mother gave darshan to about 15,000 people a day in Calicut in northern Kerala, virtually around the clock for four days and nights. The programme ended early in the morning on December 24th. Without getting any rest after that marathon, Mother got into the car for the day-long journey back to Amritapuri. The next morning, she joined her children for a Christmas Day gathering in the temple. Mother sat on her cot, as she does several mornings a week for satsang-but something was different this time: beside her someone had placed a small, brightly decorated Christmas tree and a little angel doll!

Mother began by asking her Western children to explain the message of Jesus Christ. This led to a discussion about the meaning of loving one’s neighbour and of loving God with all one’s heart, mind and soul. Mother stressed how important yet difficult it is to truly live by those values, and not just talk about them

Near the end of the discussion, one of the Indian ashramites, who was once a Christian nun, spoke about Amma, saying that Amma herself is a living example of the self-sacrifice and compassion that Jesus taught and demonstrated in his life and death. Mother laughed in a self-effacing, innocent way. She said that she simply wants to serve everyone.

This was an echo of Mother’s response to a question put to her when she addressed the United Nations in August. At that time, a reporter asked her, “If you were to become the leader of the world, what would you like to do?” Unhesitatingly, Mother replied: “I would become the sweeper of the world, and clean the minds of the people!”

Mother often sings a bhajan expressing her desire to be “the servant of the servants of God.” Jesus said, “What you do for the least of these, you do for me.” Amma says that to truly love her is to see the Divine in every being and to be loving and compassionate towards all. These eternal Truths, reflected in all spiritual traditions, emerged with a special beauty and clarity during this Christmas morning in Amritapuri.

Christmas night

India may be primarily a Hindu nation, but one of the marks of Hinduism is its understanding that God, who has created so many different types of people, has also provided them with many different paths. So it is no great wonder that in a small village in South Kerala, “Silent Night, Holy Night” and “Angels We Have Heard on High” were heard ringing out over the palms swaying gently in the Arabian Sea breeze on Christmas night.

Mother smiled softly, listening to the Christmas carols sung by the Western ashramites and several hundred visitors from all over the world. A Christmas play about the birth of Christ provided great delight and moments of laughter (with Mother practically leaping from her chair in delight from time to time): For example, one little angel found himself still out on the apron of the stage after the great doors rolled shut, and he struggled there, tiny as he was, trying to pry them apart and slip back inside!

Christmas prasad

After the programme huge trays of Christmas cake were carried into the temple. Mother asked how many pieces there were: “Two thousand,” came the answer. “Western children, come!” She called out, and all those for whom Christmas was a long tradition were the first to receive the prasad from her hands. Plenty of the cake remained, and everyone present received a piece directly from Mother.

To end the evening, Mother asked Swami Amritaswarupananda to say a few words about Christmas. He said that the real meaning of Christ and Christmas is love and celebration, just what Mother’s children were now experiencing in Mother’s presence. Swamiji expressed his faith in and devotion to Amma in these deeply moving words:

I don’t think there is any difference between Christ and Amma. For me, God is infinite and his manifestations are also infinite. And God is not a miser, he is not a repetitive bore. Therefore, if we expect a Christ with a cross, a Krishna with a flute in our midst, we will be disappointed; because Christ is here in the form of Amma, Krishna is here in the form of Amma and Buddha is here in the form of Amma. So living with Amma, falling in love with Amma, is Christmas. This IS Christmas.

— Janani