In Chicago to address the Parliament of the World’s Religions in mid-August and conduct meditation programs, Amma Sri Karunamayi spoke to Lotus about her vision and mission.
Amma Sri Karunamayi is revered across the globe as an embodiment of Divine Motherly Love, due to the compassion and affection that she showers liberally on all. While Amma Amritanandamayi, based in Kerala state of India, is known as the hugging saint, Karunamayi blesses each person who comes to her with shaktipat in the middle of the forehead. She has a sprawling ashram in Andhra Pradesh, India, and has created several charitable programs to help the rural poor and disenfranchised in the state. Excerpts from the interview she gave in English:
Lotus: What is your message for our readers?
Amma Karunamayi:
I’m very happy to speak with Lotus In The Mud. It’s a special name. When we see the mud, the circumstances for the lotus are horrible. Sometimes too much water, sometimes not enough. The dirt does not smell good. So many challenges. Yet, the beautiful lotus comes out of the mud, piercing all the circumstances.
It is also the same for people, women or men: so many circumstances, financial challenges, failures, and criticism. But you must not give up. We must not sit and cry, ‘I have this problem, I went into depression.’ That is not right. You must be strong with your willpower, wisdom, and courage. You must raise yourself from all kinds of negative circumstances around you like the lotus.
So, Lotus In The Mud is symbolic of human life.
Whatever your caste, creed, country, or continent, it doesn’t matter. A person who has the zeal and power, who is connected to God, will rise from even Patal Lok (the nether world) all the way towards the highest level of Truth. Such people bring all the zeal and courage to mankind like the sun. The way the sun gives light and life to the entire world, these people too pierce all kinds of circumstances and give light, happiness, service, love, and compassion to society.
Take Swami Vivekananda, his circumstances were very hard. His father had passed away. He went to Ramakrishna Paramahansa and was told to seek answers from the Divine Mother. But what did Vivekananda ask the Divine Mother? Enlightenment. “I cannot ask Divine Mother for petty things,” he said.
Lotus: That was Vivekananda. What can common people do?
Amma Karunamayi:
They need to have zeal and power. How can they get that? Whatever their faith, whatever sadhana they are doing, let them grow at that level. But they must not sit confined in their limited circumstances. ‘This is good, and that is bad’ is not the right way to think. Through different colored glasses, the sun may look differently colored, but the sun is one. Gold is one but we make different ornaments from it. Sugar is sugar but we make so many sweets from it. So, there is oneness. God is one. There is no duality. We like Adi Shankaracharya’s Advaita philosophy which comes from Sanatana Dharma.
Everybody has to love their God. We never ask them to give up anything. But don’t worry about your circumstances, or your challenges. So many people have overcome and so can you.
Lotus: What is the sadhana you teach, any mediational practice?
Amma Karunamayi:
People can have their faith, they can repeat God’s name. For five minutes they can close their eyes and meditate on God. But meditate heartfully. Repeat God’s name not just from the tip of the tongue. Prayer must come from the bottom of the heart. Then it reaches God immediately. Then the power of pure consciousness is with you, which no power in the world can control. ‘Nirbal ke bal Ram,’ we say in India. God and your faith in God is the greatest power.
Lotus: What do people come to you for? What kind of problems do people face these days?
Amma Karunamayi:
Lots of problems. Mostly, people suffer from health problems. The cancer rate is increasing. In the 26 years that I have been traveling the world, the cancer rate has been growing despite governments spending a lot of money on its care and finding cures. I tell patients to try Ayurveda which does have medications for cancer. They have to go to Ayurveda doctors and take the medication. Definitely, there is hope in many cases. Diabetes is also common.
Secondly, there is a problem with children. In America or India or any society, people are worried about their children, and the future of their children. Children are suffering as the values are gone. There are addictions and crime. Children innocently get into bad networks. Every year I get more than 10,000 letters from children sent to their parents or relatives from prisons in America. All we can do is send them our blessings. Chant Saraswati mantra, we tell the parents.
Lotus: What will you say is your mission? What are you trying to achieve?
Amma Karunamayi:
My mission, my vision is that there should be harmony and peace in society. First is health, dealing with cancer, diabetes, etc. Secondly, education is very important. We need high-quality education, which means it should have values and sincerity. Zeal power and spirituality should be instilled in children from a young age. That is when we can mold them with great values. That is lacking in society everywhere even though we have beautiful universities and schools.
Lotus: So, are you opening schools, colleges?
Amma Karunamayi:
No, not schools. We are initiating thousands of children with the Saraswati mantra. We are conducting meditation retreats for students and talking to them. Lots of children who took the Saraswati (goddess of knowledge and wisdom) diksha from us are today in high positions in society – they are doctors, engineers, etc. That initiation entails inscribing Saraswati beej mantra on the child’s tongue with honey on a basil twig. I love all children; the country doesn’t matter. I have been coming to America for 26 years. Also traveling to France, Japan, London, Indonesia, Bali, Singapore, Malaysia….
Children who have taken Saraswati beej mantra initiation from us have done very well in life. The mantra is ॐऐंश्रींह्रींसरस्वत्यैनमः(Aum Aim Srim Hrim, Saraswathi Devyai Namah).I inscribe the mantra on the child’s tongue with a basil twig dipped in honey.
Lotus: Any other message for society?
Amma Karunamayi:
People are very good everywhere. What we need is the right leadership to lead mankind. If leaders do their best, society will be the best. We need leaders like Lord Rama.
Lotus: Ram Rajya is the ideal, but how well the world we live in is doing?
Amma Karunamayi:
It is Kaliyuga that is enveloping human life. That is why there are no ideal personalities. We need more selfless people. If we want to do seva to mankind, we need more selflessness.
People who come to us and take our deeksha and are on the spiritual path are doing fine. But we cannot reach all humans on earth.
Lotus: So, in the last 26 years of your mission, how many people you would have initiated with shaktipat?
Amma Karunamayi:
Hundreds of thousands, countless people. Every day when abroad, I speak to some 2,000 people individually, blessing them, and talking to them. They come to speak about their problems and challenges.
In India it is unbelievable. Crowds of lakhs of people come, and it is hard for us to give blessings to so many people. And when we do a public program, ten lakh people come.
Contact: www.karunamayi.org/
Photos: Parveen Chopra