The 69th Shankracharya Visits Amritapuri...

January 19, 2010

Aum Amriteshwaryai Namah...

I am realizing that I have not offered a recent entry at all since the South India Tour was cancelled and we all returned to the Ashram.

The next day, January 14th I went off to Varkalla Beach with a guy that I met here at the Ashram earlier named Robert. He is from New York. We went to Varkalla for two days. We returned on Friday evening in time for Bhajans.

Unfortunately, we did not know that the New Moon on Friday January 15, 2010 was a solar eclipse and that Amma's directive for that was for everyone to stay inside from 11:30am - 2:00pm, chant their mantras, vast and be in silence. We were doing exactly the opposite. We were on the beach under the sun as it was eclipsing. We had just eaten. I guess the only thing that we followed of that directive was to be silent as that is what we were most of the time while on the beach. We did not know this directive until we returned from Varkalla though. She apparently told people this on the beachside when She went out for meditation on the evening of January 14.

It was a fine time in Varkalla nonetheless. We had a little bit of a weird ending to the trip with Robert getting frustrated with me because I wanted to keep my bag with me on the back seat. There was still 3/4 of the back seat for him to sit on if he chose to but instead went to the front seat in a bit of a mood. We were silent the entire way home and then he avoided me for the duration of his stay here at the Ashram. He left without even saying a word. Oh well...I guess Amma was right (of course She was) in that negative things and energy would prevail if people did not follow Her directive for the solar eclipse!

While in Varkalla, I met a man in passing who is from Germany on our last day there. He said something very peculiar to me. He said that I have German history in my bloodline far back and that I should make peace with Kali and that would help with acceptance of my German history. This seemed very odd to me as both of my parents are Punjabi background. I am what you would call a "pure bred" Indian! These words have stayed with me and I have not been dwelling on them but every so often I think of these words again and wonder what the connection is with Kali. I LOVE Kali with all my heart. I don't know what kind of peace I would need to make with Her?!?!

Amma apparently started a Satsang on the beachside while we were in Varkalla which stretched out for a few days (She may still not be done with it). She posed a questions that we were all to contemplate:

Two men go for the same job. The first man answered 10/10 questions correctly. The second man answered 8/10 questions correctly. The second man got the job. Why? Was this due to effort, destiny, fate, grace, astrological influence, faith...

Amma took answers from devotees to this question for a couple more evenings on the beachside after meditation as well as the Q&A session on Tuesday January 19, 2010 in the Kali Temple after meditation. She did not answer any of the new questions on Tuesday.

She seemed to be pleased with many of the answers that people came up with. Mother has really been talking a lot lately about using our lives to serve others (Seva) not ourselves. This coupled with devotion (Bhakti) would surely result in positive outcomes.

Tuesday January 19, 2010 was a special day! After meditation, Q&A with Amma, Prasad Lunch and the few Darshans that She offered, I was told that the 69th Shankracharya from Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu was coming to the Ashram and Amma has asked everyone to assemble in the Main Hall for a program.

Before I share about the Shankracharya, I have to share this story of going for my Prasad lunch. They made an announcement that people should just take the plate as soon as Amma has touched it and NOT wait for Her to physically hand it to you. As I approached, Amma had a plate with a smaller amount of food on it in Her right hand and I went to take it but Shelooked at me and quickly pulled it back toward Her body and the next plate with a MUCH larger serving was handed to me from Her left hand. I thought this was odd. Later that afternoon when I was entering the Kali Temple, the India Swamini who sits at the entrance of the Temple looked at me and said "you have thinned out...you were chunkier last time you were here...you have lost weight" I bent down and touched her feet and thanked her for the blessing! I then relayed to her the story of prasad lunch and she laughed. I said "I guess Amma wants me to gain weight too!"

Okay...now that I have you laughing and in a cheerful mood, the Shankracharya (for those who don't know who he is) is like the equivalent to the Pope in the Vedantic (Hindu) Community. Sri Jayendra Saraswati was an amazing gentle and beautiful soul. He arrived at the Ashram and had this smile that could light up the entire Universe. He spoke too all of the devotees under the Main Hall and Sw. Ramakrishnanada Puri translated from Tamil to English for all of us. Amma then had us sing the Mahishasura Mardini. It was really cute to watch both Amma and the Shankracharya on stage clapping and singing along with this Ayi Giri Nandini. He blessed us all and was on his way. Apparently, he tried to meet with Amma before here in Amritapuri but it didn't work out. It has been a long time coming for him to come to Amritapuri and meet with Amma. He offered his full support to Amma as he departed.

Amma sat and sang Bhajans right after the program with the Shankracharya. The energy of the entire compound was really, really intense the whole day...from the start with the meditation in the Kali Temple to the end of evening Bhajans I was flying high. Who needs drugs or alcohol or other intoxicants when you can be intoxicated with the Love for the Divine?!?!

Aum Amriteshwaryai Namah...