Mata Amritanandamayi

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Mata Amritanandamayi is known all over the world as the “hugging saint.” She is called by her disciples and followers as “Amma” or Mother in English. Since the beginning of her spiritual vocation, Mata is believed to have hugged a total of 37 million people coming from all walks of life. She is regarded as one of the most revered spiritual figures by Hindus and other denominations. Coming from a very poor family, her devotion to her faith enabled her to help the needy by inspiring organizations to put up hospitals and schools.

Achievements

Why Mata Amritanandamayi is Extraordinary

Amma is what people call Mata Amritanandamayi Devi because her embrace is like that of a mother. She comforts people by just hugging them and stroking their back. It’s hard not to melt in her arms because of the overflowing acceptance and compassion one can palpably feel when hugged by the hugging saint. She’s said to have given more than 30 million people hugs. Some of her hugging events would go on for almost 24 hours. But through it all, Amma remains resolute without any hint of impatience. She’s got that unlimited love flowing from within her, touching the lives of the people who come to her just to experience a moment in her arms.

Persevering Amidst Scandals

Amma’s compassion for every human being regardless of age, status, gender, and religion has earned the ire of many conservative sects. Many times her life was threatened by those who want her dead to keep her from “corrupting” their conservative religion and culture.

Amma’s brother almost had her killed when she was just starting her vocation. Her assailant, however, wasn’t able to touch her and was overcome by seizures. She knew the man would die so she visited him in the hospital to tell him that he was forgiven. The man repented and died peacefully. As she became Amma eventually, two deranged men have attempted to stab her to no avail.

Asked if she is scared, this is all she said:

"All those who are born will die one day. I am going ahead keeping this reality in mind. I will carry on. I will continue to give darshan to the devotees coming here to meet me."

An Award-Winning Motivational Speaker and Spiritual Figure

Amma stopped going to school when she was nine years old so she could tend to her siblings while her mother was sick. But that did not keep the State University of New York to award her an honorary doctorate in humane letters. Aside from the Hindu Renaissance Award, Amma also received the Care & Share International Humanitarian of the Year Award in 1998, the Karma Yogi of the Year and the Gandhi-King Award for Non-Violence by The World Movement for Nonviolence in 2002, the Mahavir Mahatma Award and the Centenary Legendary Award of the International Rotarians in 2005, the Philosopher Saint Sri Jnaneswara World Peace Prize and the James Parks Morton Interfaith Award in 2006, the Le Prix Cinéma Vérité in 2007, and the first Vishwaretna Purskar (Gem of the Word Award) by Hindu Parliament in 2013.

Even though she does not speak any language besides Malayalam, her native tongue, she was always invited to deliver inspiring messages in international events.

The Success of Her Mata Amritanandamayi Math Foundation

Amma does not charge when she goes from one country to another to give hugs. But the donations they are getting amount to staggering figures. This enabled her to donate millions to victims of catastrophes around the world and even to establish schools, a hospital, and orphanages.

Some people get inspired by her life that they took it upon themselves to put up humanitarian organizations that help those who are in need. This, in itself, is an achievement for Amma who calls people to stop and reflect. She also keeps reiterating people to love, love, and love in spite of and despite anything:

“A human being can become almost like a breathing, moving computer, if he doesn't have a loving and compassionate heart. Respect that is devoid of love and based on fear will close your heart and turn you into a human machine. If you obey your teacher or your parents only out of fear and respect, it is no more than feeding information into a computer. It can go blank at any time, because there is no love to hold and support it.” (Source: Amrita.edu)

Top Reasons why Mata Amritanandamayi is Extraordinary

She has given more than 30 million people hugs.
She is a living saint to Hindu people.
She has lived all her life serving other people. She stopped school at nine years old to look after her siblings and do all the chores in the house.
She received an honorary doctorate in humane letters at The State University of New York.
She founded the Mata Amritanandamayi Math Foundation which established schools, a hospital, and orphanages in India.
Her Center has branches in Canada, England, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Finland, Argentina, Brazil, Reunion Island, Japan and Singapore.
Her followers come from all walks of life and denominations. Some high profile ones include Hotmail founder Sabeer Bhatia, US senator Larry Pressler, and Jr. Martin Luther King’s daughter Yolanda King.
She is a sought-after speaker, invited to speak to thousands of people in international events.
She once served as the President of the Hindu Faith.
Some of her awards include the Hindu Renaissance Award, Karma Yogi of the Year, the Care & Share International Humanitarian of the Year Award, and the first Vishwaretna Purskar (Gem of the Word Award) by Hindu Parliament.

Biography

Biography of Mata Amritanandamayi

Date of Birth: Sunday, 27 September 1953 | Born in: / Nationality: India

She was once ostracized because she wasn’t like girls of her age. Her mother punished her for devoting more time to meditation. Refusing marriage proposals and disobeying her parents, Amma was considered a rebel. What they did not know was that she was experiencing what Hindus call “bliss” because of her spiritual revelations. From the moment she was born, her parents and the people in her poor fishing village had never seen such a queer person like Amma.

It took many years before her parents understood her calling. Her disciples soon grew and they established a trust to help spread Amma’s wisdom and gift. In India where women are not supposed to touch men, Amma did the unthinkable—she dispensed hugs. Regardless of race, gender, age, status, Amma comforted people who come to her for love. Her greatest legacy is genuine love. People feel it in her embrace. She doesn’t speak any other language but her native Malayalam but it doesn’t stop her from connecting to millions of people who have traveled from afar just to experience a mother’s love.

Perhaps it’s the sincere compassion she has for any living thing—may that be people, animals, trees—that makes her embrace a real comfort. Those she held in her arms could testify to the love and acceptance they felt when they were hugged by Amma. No words are exchanged but her soft muttering of prayers in their ears, they don’t understand but they feel bliss.

The secret to dispensing love according to Amma is self-purification. Unless you are pure inside, you cannot exude purity. That’s why she remains immersed in prayer and doesn’t see herself as a deity although many people look to her as a god. She preaches that if people just look inside them and be more attuned to their inner self, they are most likely to succeed in increasing their faith. It’s our lack of time for contemplating that robs us of the opportunity to grow in spirit.

Because of her unorthodox approach to spirituality, even atheists seek to come face to face with her and test her embrace. They usually just give in as she held them in her arms. Apparently, people who seem tough on the outside are those who easily crumble when shown with sincere love.

Early Life

Before she became known as Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, Amma was born as Sudhamani Idamannel on 27 September 1953 to Sugunanandan and Damayanti. Sugunanandan is a fisherman and has long belonged to a family of the fisherman caste. Along with wife Damayanti, he raised his eight children in Parayakadavu (some now call it Amritapuri), Alappad Panchayat, Kollam District, Kerala. What they had was a simple life.

The baby before Sudhamani died so when Damayanti saw that her newborn didn’t cry, she feared that she too was dead. Sudhamani was also not moving. Damayanti was so scared that she began to panic only to be comforted by the midwife who told her that instead of crying, Sudhamani was actually smiling.

Sudhamani grew up as someone who’s way beyond her age. She began walking when she was only six months old and shortly started speaking afterwards. And she didn’t speak baby talk. What she was saying was easily understandable, which amazed Damayanti and Sugunanandan.

While most girls were busy playing with other kids, Sudhamani would be all by herself chanting prayers and singing hymns she herself composed. Her peers avoided her because she didn’t seem normal. When she was about a toddler, her parents noticed that she already knows some hymns that were not taught to her at all. She even muttered prayers and would sometimes be lost in her own thoughts.

She began primary school at the Kuzhitura Fisher School and was an excellent student according to her teachers. Sudhamani was quiet in class and always looked pensive. Her teacher were impressed by her ability to easily memorize long passages. As Indian learning is focused on memorization, Sudhamani was one of those who excelled. There was a quiet strength about her that drew people who were going through some sort of difficulty in life towards her.

Sudhamani was a compassionate girl. She didn’t mind hugging strangers who look forlorn. There was something in her embrace that comforted those who experience being in her arms. When she was nine years old, her mother became ill. Sudhamani decided to stop going to school so she could take care of her siblings and do all the chores around the house.

Her brothers recalled being taken care by the nine-year-old Sudhamani. She did everything around the house from cleaning to tending their animals. Early in the morning, she would go from one house to another to get left-overs to feed their animals. That’s when she got exposed to the extreme poverty in her community.

Although they were dirt-poor themselves, Sudhamani would not hesitate to bring homeless people food and anything she could get from the house to give to those who had nothing. At one point, she was beaten badly by her mother after she gave her earrings to a woman who had no money for medicine. She just couldn’t stand doing nothing while seeing others suffering.

Her devotion to Krishna also became apparent in that she would sometimes not sleep in the house. Her mother would look everywhere for her and find her sleeping at the beach or under a tree. Sometimes, she’ll be missing and would go home and just fall unconscious. Either that or she would fall laughing and rolling and wouldn’t remember anything when she was asked about it.

Soon her mother became really upset because she devoted almost all of her time to praying and meditating. At one point, she was seen by her mother meditating almost the whole day and the chores in their house were left undone. This stressed Damayanti and she began to punish her daughter for her lack of responsibility.

This went on and on until she became a teenager. It even went out of hand. She would roll in the mud calling out to Krishna and would bring photos of the gods with her. Whatever she did, she was always worshipping. It scared her parents to the point that they felt they had to do something.

Amma Refused Marriage

Sugunanandan and Damayanti decided that in order for their daughter to lead a normal life, she has to be given away to marriage. The couple looked for a possible partner for her but she kept turning them down. She’d tell her parents that she didn’t want to get married. Sugunanandan just ignored her as it was unthinkable in their society to say no to one’s parents.

In their third attempt, Sudhamani violently said no. To make her parents understand that she meant to stay unmarried, she got a pole and ran after her suitor screaming and threatening to kill him. That scared all men in their community and nobody dared to court her. Sugunanandan was also convinced that his daughter was never going to get married.

Her First Miracle

When she was in her early 20s, people began flocking at their home as they heard of Sudhamani’s devotion to Krishna. Some of them believe that she’s a saint. One time, she was challenged by the people to prove her true identity.

Despite her unwillingness to show them a miracle, they still kept urging her to do so. Someone got her a bowl of water. After stroking the water and softly saying prayers, the water turned into milk pudding. The people were amazed and they began to worship her.

That turned Sudhamani’s life around. Devotees began coming from different parts of Kerala and some volunteered to be her disciples. But this also caused strain to her parents. Some people spread bad rumors about her family and some of their relatives avoided them, thinking that she was a fraud. Her mother was so distressed that she cried for days, worrying Sugunanandan. Desperate, he decided that it’s best for the whole family to just drink poison and die instead of living detached from everyone. Unknown to them, Sudhamani was listening.

She thought it would be best to leave her human body by drowning. She wanted to give up her spirit to the sea, which she considered as her home. As she was going further and further to the sea, her mother saw her and called her father to pull her out of the water. That transformed Sugunanandan and Damayanti. They vowed that they would support Sudhamani’s calling. From then on, she was treated by her family as a saint along with their neighbors who used to avoid her in the village.

The Mata Amritanandamayi Math Foundation

It was around that time when more disciples turn up at their doorstep. Sudhamani was then called Mata Amritanandamayi Devi and no longer referred to as Sudhamani. Everybody called her Amma because of the way she made everybody feel a mother’s unconditional love. When more and more people began to see Amma, her disciples decided to establish the Mata Amritanandamayi Math Foundation.

She was initially against the idea but was soon persuaded by her disciples. She made them promise that establishing a trust will not turn her vocation into an office-like organization. What she wanted to have was a gathering of family, not some sort of bureaucratic group. The trust was founded in 1981 and has since then grew into a large congregation.

People from other parts of the world heard of Amma until she became an international sensation. Some of her followers are Hotmail founder Sabeer Bhatia, US senator Larry Pressler, and Jr. Martin Luther King’s daughter Yolanda King.

In 1993, Amma served as President of the Hindu Faith and became a recipient of the Hindu Renaissance Award. She has also begun speaking in international gatherings attended by thousands of people. She became known as the “hugging saint” because of the power of her embrace. Her tour would comprise of her dispensing three hugs a minute to each and every attendee. It didn’t matter that it took her almost a day of non-stop hugging and talking.

While hugging people, she answers questions about faith. All these gatherings are free. They do not charge but they accept donations. It’s amazing how people gave a lot to her foundation. Because of the donations they received, Amma’s foundation was able to establish schools, homes, a hospital, and orphanage. Aside from that, the organization became known for giving hefty donations. So much was the money they were receiving that the foundation was able to help not only people from India but also those overseas. They pledged 23 million dollars to tsunami relief and gave one million dollars to Katrina relief.

Her Hug, Her Darshan

Amma’s darshan is her hug. Darshan, in Hindu belief is the opposite of karma. So if karma is misfortune, darshan is good luck. Her followers believe that her hug brings fortune. To some, it’s material, to others spiritual.

According to a BBC write-up about her:

One American devotee, Rob Sidon, 43, said: "When she embraces there is a sense of selflessness. She shares what people really want: unconditional love."

Another American, Stephen Parr, said: "Peace comes from living for others. Life is all about showing love. Once she hugs, you know."

Organizations and Programmes Supported

Mata Amritanandamayi Mutt (Founder and Chairperson)
Embracing the World (Founder)
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University (Chancellor)
Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (Founder)
Parliament of the World's Religions (International Advisory committee member)
The Orden Bonaria (Honorary member)
President Swami Vivekananda's 150th birth anniversary celebration committee

Awards and Achievements

1981: Founded the Mata Amritanandamayi Math Foundation
1993: Served as President of the Hindu Faith
1993: Received the Hindu Renaissance Award
1993: Delivered 'May Your Hearts Blossom' at the Parliament of the World's Religions 100th Anniversary
1995: Delivered the 'Unity Is Peace' at the Interfaith Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations
1998: Received the Care & Share International Humanitarian of the Year Award
1999: Subject of the River of Love: A Documentary Drama on the Life of Ammachi
2000: Delivered the 'Living in Harmony' at the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious & Spiritual Leaders
2002: Awarded Karma Yogi of the Year
2002: Received the Gandhi-King Award for Non-Violence by The World Movement for Nonviolence
2002: Delivered the 'Awakening of Universal Motherhood' at the Global Peace Initiative of Women
2004: Delivered 'May Peace & Happiness Prevail' at the Parliament of World's Religions
2005: Received the Mahavir Mahatma Award
2005: Received the Centenary Legendary Award of the International Rotarians
2006: Received the James Parks Morton Interfaith Award
2006: Received The Philosopher Saint Sri Jnaneswara World Peace Prize
2006: Delivered the 'Understanding & Collaboration Between Religions' at the James Parks Morton Interfaith Awards
2007: Awarded the Le Prix Cinéma Vérité
2007: Delivered 'Compassion: The Only Way to Peace'
2008: Delivered 'The Infinite Potential of Women' at the Global Peace Initiative of Women
2009: Delivered 'Cultivating Strength & Vitality' at the inauguration of Vivekananda International Foundation
2012: Featured in the Watkins' list of the top 100 most spiritually influential living people in the world
2012: Delivered 'Coexistence and Engagement Between Cultures'
2013: Awarded the first Vishwaretna Purskar (Gem of the Word Award) by Hindu Parliament