Glimpses from Amma's programs

The conch sounds. The gong reverberates into the evening sky. Amma enters the hall, her hands outstretched. A young mother holds her infant and whispers, "O, Amma" as the child puts out a sticky paw towards the Mother for a brief caress. Devotees, numbering close to six thousand and crowding the two levels of the immense hall, clamor for a glimpse of the Holy One as She passes by. This is Barcelona, Spain.

All through Europe this has been the trend. The ailing crowds in search of a balm for their pain whether it be on a material plane or spiritual, increasingly come to the Mother for solace. News of the visiting sage usually travels by word of mouth. There is hardly any advertising done in Europe.

It says a lot for the universality and power of Amma's love to see that the crowds pouring in to see Amma have increased remarkably this year. Devi Bhava night in Barcelona, Spain, found Amma giving darshan to more than 5700 devotees - the largest recorded number for a city in the West.

Working as hard as ever for the spiritual uplift of her children, at Paris, France, Amma found a day in her hectic schedule to visit the new French ashram. The ashram building is an old castle, which the French devotees hope to renovate to host Amma's future programs in that city. Spending the greater part of the day in the ashram, Amma encouraged the French-speaking devotees to compose songs in French. "Write the French songs with the French pronunciations and inflections in Malayalam and send it to me" She said, "That way I can sing along with you". So typical of Amma who in her love and kindness, recognizes and gratifies the deep desire of her children to hear the Mother in their tongue!

An interesting event unfolded in Paris that left many in a contemplative mood. On the morning of the Devi Bhava day, a severely ill man arrived to receive Amma's darshan. Aides bore him in on a stretcher and he had several tubes of medical equipment and I.V. running into him. Amma caressed him and sent him on his way after giving him a wonderful darshan. It was learnt later that he had passed away peacefully that evening. Many marveled at that devotee's good fortune to have had a tryst with Amma on the day of his passing.

After her programs in Germany and Holland which end on November 10, Amma will make her steady way into the United States and hold the first segment of her US tour between Nov. 13 and Nov. 16 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She will be in San Ramon, California following this, between Nov. 18 and Nov. 24.