Biography
Indian saint known as Ammachi, Amma, Mother of Immortal Bliss, and The Hugging Saint, a remarkable
contemporary woman. Born the fourth of nine children to an extremely poor family in a fishing village
on the west coast of India, she was named Sudhamani. A precocious child, she started composing songs
of deep mystical significance at the age of five. Her enchanting singing became well known throughout
the village. Aware from infancy of her constant connection to the divine, she immersed herself in carrying
out compassionate acts towards her family and neighbors. She was often seen singing in a mood of ecstatic
devotion or blissfully immersed in meditation. "From childhood I had an intense love of the Divine Name.
I would repeat the Lord's Name incessantly with every breath and a constant flow of divine thoughts was
kept up in my mind no matter the place where I was or the work I was doing."
Ammachi had only four years of formal education before she was put to work full time. As a teen, she
scandalized her family and community by refusing to marry, devoting herself to a life of mystical contemplation
and social service. Her family and others scorned her "strange" behavior and threatened her. Eventually the
girl was locked out of the house and not even given any food to eat. When sympathetic local women tried to bring
her food and care for her, they were sent away by the family. Some of the local villagers who could not understand
her state of divine bliss ridiculed her by throwing stones at her, and she endured threats on her life. She slept
outdoors with the sand as her bed, the stars as her blanket and the moon her only light. Animals came to feed her,
with reports of a dog that brought food packets to her in his mouth and a cow that stood near her so that she could
drink from its udder. In late 1975, as she prayed fervently to the Divine Mother, longing for mystical union, she was
rewarded with a vision and a message. She began instantly to manifest the qualities of the Divine Mother and became
Mata Amritanandamayi, Mother of Immortal Nectar, respectfully called Ammachi, "revered mother." She began to perform
small miracles and attain great visions. From 1981, a small group of dedicated devotees began to be attracted to her
spiritual wisdom, her amazing command of advanced yogi states and her unceasing radiance that bestowed
unconditional love to all.
In the intervening years, she has become one of the best loved saints in India, and she has gained millions of followers
worldwide. Hailed by many Indian leaders as a woman of unassailable sanctity and selflessness, she lives the life of a simple
village woman, with few possessions. With boundless energy, she has founded hospitals, orphanages, cultural institutions
and schools. Her work has blossomed into a worldwide organization, the Mata Amritanandamayi Mission Trust, which is
engaged in many spiritual and charitable activities. In 1993 she was elected one of three "presidents" of Hinduism,
a lifetime position.
Over the past several years, she has spent a third of each year traveling around the world with her teaching. When she appears
in public, as many as a million people come to receive her blessing. She asks for nothing. When gifts are given, they are
turned over to her charitable trust fund that feeds an estimated 50,000 poor Indians monthly. As the faithful or the curious
line up, she embraces each person, radiating love and compassion. "Hugging," she said, "helps them to unfold and to
awaken their true nature."
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Quotes:
- "When a bee hovers over a garden of varied flowers, what it beholds is not the difference between the flowers but
the honey within them. Similarly Amma sees the same Supreme Self in each and every one."
- "An unbroken stream of Love flows from me towards all beings in the cosmos. That is my inborn nature"
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What Do You Think?
In a time when we hear so much about divisiveness, alienation, violence, avarice, and suffering, let's look at the life of Ammachi,
the "Hugging Saint," a woman who manifests the very image of The Divine Mother. Many who have seen her or been hugged by her have
difficulty describing in words the moving, often transformative, blissfulness of the encounter. Let's look at her chart
for insight into her life's work.
- What in her chart represents the intense longing to connect with the divine, the capacity for mystical union,
the selfless acts of mercy and limitless compassion?
- Ammachi has a Libra stellium, no planets below the horizon, and no retrograde planets. What do these interesting
emphases add to the interpretation of her chart?
- What does the Scorpio ascendant (or Libra ascendant if you are a Vedic astrologer), along with the placements and
aspects of its rulers, tell us about her and her life?
View Others' Answers
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