One of the things that took us all by surprise often was the number of people who came to eat. Initially we started seating everybody and serving them but soon found out that this would be a fatal experience. Firstly the number of people who came to eat was a sizeable one and the people to serve them.. very few. After cooking the food in that heat and with that soggy wood, and again coming out and serving the food; carrying these huge vessels from one end to the other …

Question 125:
“Who was your childhood’s hero figure or idol? What ideals did you see in him/her”
Please make your answer clear and brief (maximum 5 or 6 lines).

Tues 23 Jun
Tonight was the first night of the Albuquerque retreat.
Amma sang a new English bhajan – “In This World of Change”.  Amritapriya played harmonium and sang lead with Amma.  It was very sweet.
Amma sang:

Sri Gananayaka
Sundar Hai Nayana Tere
Kanivotu Kattarulitaname
In This World of Change
Iswar Parameshvara
Markanda Madhurya
Shristiyum Niye (in Spanish)
Amma Amma Taye

At the end of Shristiyum Niye, instead of ‘Devi….. Devi…… Devi’, Amma sang ‘Devi….. Devi….. Madre Divina’ and the crowd repeated back. This happened twice.  The last round, Amma just sang Madre Divina, Her arms outstretched in bliss.
Sri Pati
Albuquerque, New …

22 Jun 2009
Tonight was the last public program in New Mexico – the Retreat starts tomorrow.    During the evening program, archana had just finished and it seemed like darshan was going to end soon. Ramanand took the stage to perhaps sing a few bhajans.  It was going to be an unusually early night – 2am.   But then something happened.  There was a mad scramble.  Amma had asked for a microphone.   Then a harmonium.  Then tablas.  All were moved near Amma.  She was going to sing!
People ran in from the hallway, …

It was barely a year and a half since I first met Amma but it seemed as though I knew her for ages. I was blessed to be with Amma at Bangalore. It was a great pleasure for us, the students of Amrita School of Engineering, Bangalore to volunteer for Amma’s darshan programme and since this was my first seva at the ashram I was naturally excited. I chose crowd controlling near the stage with a desire to be near Amma for the rest of the two days. By the …

12 June 2009 — San Ramon
A gown made of old fruit and vegetable sacks… a pair of pants fashioned from rice bags… a wedding dress stitched from used shrink wrap…
These were just some of the “new fashions” modeled at the Recycle Fashion Show put on during darshan one afternoon in Amma’s San Ramon ashram.
In order to help create awareness regarding the importance of recycling, devotees in San Ramon put on a fashion show in which all the clothing was fashioned from potential trash. Other original clothing included a cocktail dress …

18 June 2009
On the Second retreat evening, Amma held the meditation and question and answer session outside.
The hotel is right next to the LA Airport and also a very busy intersection, so it was quite noisy.  Amma playfully noted that we should hear all the noise as ‘Ma and Om’ (referring to the meditation that is done just after Amma enters the hall for darshan).
Bhajans were

Sri Gananayaka
Murali Vale Pyare Kanha
Anandanmrita Rupini
Sankara Siva Sankara
Manasa Vacha (in Spanish)
Sri Rama Namamu
Nammavararu Namagilla
Jai Ma Ambe

Murali Vale Pyare Kanha is a new Krishna bhajans with …