“If it is one man’s karma to suffer, isn’t it our dharma to help ease his suffering and pain?”
Mata Amritanandamayi is known throughout the world as Amma, or Mother, for her selfless love and compassion toward all beings. Her entire life has been dedicated to alleviating the pain of the poor, and those suffering physically and emotionally.
Throughout her life, Mata Amritanandamayi has embraced and comforted more than 34 million people. Amma inspires, uplifts, and transforms through her embrace, her spiritual wisdom and through her global charities, known as Embracing the World. When asked where she gets the energy to help so many people, she answers: “Where there is true love, anything is effortless.”
While Amma is widely regarded as one of India’s foremost spiritual leaders, Amma says that her religion is love. She has never asked anyone to change their religion but only to contemplate the essential principles of their own faith and to try to live accordingly.
Teachings from Amma
“The first step in spiritual life is to have compassion. A person who is kind and loving never needs to go searching for God. God rushes toward any heart that beats with compassion-it is God’s favorite place.”
“Different people will think different things – that is the nature of the world. People have the right to have faith or not to have faith.”
“The common expression is ‘I love you.’ But instead of ‘I love you,’ it would be better to say, ‘I am love — I am the embodiment of pure love.’ Remove the I and you, and you will find that there is only love. It is as if love is imprisoned between the I and you. Remove the I and you, for they are unreal; they are self-imposed walls that don’t exist. The gulf between I and you is the ego. When the ego is removed the distance disappears and the I and you also disappear. They merge to become one — and that is love. You lend the I and you their reality. Withdraw your support and they will disappear. Then you will realise, not that ‘I love you,’ but that ‘I am that all-embracing love.’”
*Sourced from amma.org and awaken.com
Watch Now: Science of Compassion – A Documentary about Amma
Renowned director and artist Shekhar Kapur focuses on Sri Mata Amritanandamayi (Amma) in this new documentary, investigating the source of human compassion and creativity. Includes a rare lengthy private interview with Amma, as well as interviews with Nobel Prize-winning scientist Dr. Leland Hartwell and many others about Amma’s unique approach to life and how Amma’s love has touched, and in many cases, transformed their lives.
