Medicine for Pain?

June 14, 2004
San Ramon, California

Today during the Q&A session before the evening bhajans, Irene raised her hand. Irene works in hospice-care, providing physical and emotional support to the terminally and chronically ill. She supports Amma’s various humanitarian activities through her own humble donations and services.

“Swamiji, on one of your bhajan tapes that I frequently listen to, I keep hearing you sing, ‘Ben-gay, Ben-gay’. It seems like you are in a lot of pain! So I brought these for you…” To the accompaniment of loud laughter, she held up a box filled with Ben-gay and other assorted sports-injury creams.

When Amma had recovered from her laughter, it was uncovered that the song that Irene had been listening to was the one praising the river goddess Ganga, bathing in which is said to purify one of all accumulated sins (Gangay, Swar-Gangay, Gangay!).

“But you were on the right track,” Amma explained to Irene. “While Ben-gay is the right medicine for external body pain, ‘Gangay’ is the right balm for inner pain.”