Amma in a child's world...

However old we grow, we always remain Amma's children. But there is a special charm that the very young have that brings out the youth in older folks, too. It was charming to see the rivalry for Amma's love and attention that the three siblings showed when they came with their mother for darshan in Seattle, and Amma laughed as she remembered the following incidents. Amma first gave darshan to the youngest of the three, a small girl (the littlest usually gets the first darshan), and seated the girl next to her on her chair. The oldest, a boy taller than Amma, was furious that he had been relegated to second place. Pulling his sister down and ignoring his mother scolding for his misbehavior, he threw himself onto Amma. The next day, the oldest one had planned well. When the family came up for darshan, he was seen pushing his sister out of the way and was first up to Amma! Even though the children had a mother who provided for them, they still felt an attraction to Amma. The more innocent one's heart is, the better one is able to form a bond with Amma.

The four gatecrashers in bliss!

San Ramon, June 9, 2003

When Amma arrived at the San Ramon ashram on June 9, there was a crowd waiting to welcome her. After she spent some time with everyone, she wound her way to her room – wound, because all along her way upstairs, there were people waiting to exchange a few words with her. Finally, she entered her room, only to realize that three little boys had sneaked their way in as well, with a fourth one, a little girl, following cautiously. As Amma was talking to some ashramites, they were all over Amma, pushing and shoving. Amma joined in the spirit of the moment, and pushed one of the boys back.

“Nice massage”, six-year-old Akshay commented. “Do it again.” And he clambered onto Amma’s back, pulling and pushing her as she was seated on her bed.

Four-year-old Thea felt that Akshay had exceeded his limits. “Why are you acting so silly with Amma?” she demanded angrily. “Behave yourself.”

She put down the doll she was carrying, climbed onto the bed , and punched Akshay twice to bring home her admonition.

“I taught him a lesson,” she explained to Amma, and sat back down with her doll.

Meanwhile, the other two boys were not idle. Nine-year-old Shankar had grabbed Amma’s outer gown that she had changed from, a few minutes ago, and was clutching it to his chest and inhaling its familiar fragrance, refusing to share it with 8-year-old Shivesh.

“Let us divide it in two,” Shivesh suggested as a fair compromise. Amma pleaded with them that she did not have many gowns, and to please not tear it. To attend to her piles of letters, Amma tried to shoo them out, explaining that she had work to do.

“What work are you going to do?” they questioned, refusing to leave. “You work very hard, so we are here to help you.” Br. Dayamrita finally had to soft-soap them out of Amma’s room.

Shivesh was heard telling Shankar outside (who had managed to smuggle the gown out), “Please return the gown. It is Amma’s only one.”