Fifth Annual online auction
All auction proceeds directly support Amma's worldwide disaster relief efforts.

New this year, the 5th Annual Web Auction will be held during the holiday season! It is now up and running, through December 12th 11:59pm, at amma.org/auction All proceeds from this December auction will continue to support Amma's disaster relief efforts.

Web auctions in the past have contributed to Amma's Humanitarian Projects: "AMRITA KUTEERAM" - Amma's Housing Project, and various disaster relief efforts such as the 2004 tsunami and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The first auction, held in the in spring of 2002, supplied funding to build 21 houses in India for the poor. The 2003 auction brought in funds for 36 houses, and 2004 built 54 houses. The 2005 auction funds directly supported Amma's tsunami relief efforts and the last auction supported Phase II of tsunami relief, which included the continued building of homes, disaster preparedness measures, ongoing medical care and vocational rehabilitation.

Thanks to everybody who participated in supporting this special event last year! Highlights of this years auction items are Amma's special prasad items including Amma's Diamond earrings, Devi Bhava Guru Poornima Saree, Amma's 50th Birthday Commemorative paintings, Special Jewelry and other Artwork.

Non-prasad items include rare and hard to find collector's items and services donated by devotees. We encourage everyone to please visit amma.org/auction and bid on-line up until the last minute on December 12th. What better way to shop for Christmas, in the true spirit of the season!

A challenge and a consant miracle- By Swami Turiyamritananda.
Excerpted from the 1995 issue of the Immortal Bliss Magazine.

Spiritual life is a challenge. I was battling against my lower nature as well as the external forces. There was a problem of physical existence to boot. In that most trying period I was sustained by my Mother spiritually and emotionally. She was the center of my life.

Mother was bafflingly mysterious in her moods. None could gauge her depth. She concealed her real personality behind a thick veil of feigned ignorance and indifference. I had a little innate spiritual sensitivity, so I could instinctively feel that with all her pretence to the contrary, she had a profound spiritual depth. She could not 'deceive' me. I had occasions later to catch glimpses of the real Mother which she revealed in some unguarded moments.

She was love and courage personified. The society at that time seemed incapable of understanding her high spiritual states. She was maligned, opposed and criticized. The Mother withstood them all with her cherubic smile and flooding love. She was all love even to her worst detractors. Only the Divine can love those who hate, bless those who vilify.

Now the situation has changed. The very critics have been compelled to admit her greatness. People throng to her in large numbers from far and near, even from abroad, for spiritual enligtenment, for peace, for the lessening of life's burdens, for finding meaning in their fragile and frivolous lives.

The greatest miracle of the Mother is the power of her love which is creative and transforming. I have seen with my own eyes how she transforms hatred into love, poison into nectar. This is her constant miracle.

Swami Turiyamritananda was one of the first disciples who came to live in Amma's presence in Vallickavu, India.

Tour
Amma goes back to India after a hectic two month tour.

Amma's Europeon and the American tour for this winter is over. One of our staff members who went on the whole tour narrates her experience:

During the Europeon tour, Darshan invariably extended into the wee hours of the morning. The crowds were huge and sometimes beyond the capacity of the very large halls!

The atmosphere was so lively as people kept joining the darshan line even at 4 in the morning and everyone seemed wide awake to me! Sometimes I would feel tired and when I try to retire to bed, the sight of Amma hugging and listening to everyone's problems and counseling even at 8 in the morning after 15 hours of continuous hugging, would inspire me to stay. In the kitchen, the selfless workers would continue making pots and pots of food as more and more people arrived. Each of them had shifts, but they would overstay as they were having so much fun in their work. Once I asked a kitchen staff about it. He said, " There are no desires or targets really attached to this work. We do it out of love. It gives us so much satisfaction and we feel great that we are a part of Amma's mission of selfess service to humanity."

Swatch and Dharma...
Once in Zurich, darshan was as usual continuing into early morning. However, there was a 2:00 AM curfew in that hall. Amma called out from her chair, " Children! come fast, there are only a few minutes left for the curfew to end!." Immediately a Swiss man, looked at his watch and said, " That is right Amma, according to my watch there are 10 minutes left!" Amma smiled and replied, " Oh! swiss watches are world's best watches...your time must be right!." She further said, "All animate and inanimate objects in nature follow their duties, except man. For example, the watch keeps showing the time if we maintain it, the Sun and the Moon keep shining. Amma's duty is to serve her children and I will do it till my very last breath without fail. If all human beings would continue doing their duties with a feeling of cummittment, then Nature will become peaceful and harmonious."

Before the onslaught of Tsunami, Amma kept warning everyone that Nature is very angry and she foresees big calamities. Amma says that she still feels that Nature is agitated and angry. Let us pray for world peace every day and do our part in this world sincerely.

Gems to Treasure

O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled, as to console;
To be understood,
as to understand;
To be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that
we are pardoned;

It is in dying that we are born
to Eternal life.
- Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

How far that little candle throws his beams!
So shines a good deed in a weary world
- William Shakespeare

Immortal Bliss subscriptions
A great way to stay in touch with Amma throughout the year.

Immortal Bliss, a quarterly magazine, contains Mother's message, reminiscences by her senior monastic disciples, experiences of devotees from all over the world, poems dedicated to Amma, stories for children, and reports on the humanitarian activities that Amma's mission spearheads worldwide, among other features. The magazine enshrines Amma's teachings, and for this reason, many have found it to be a link to Amma, especially in her physical absence, offering solace and providing guidance. Please visit our online shop to subscribe to this magazine.

Events & Satsangs
Events and satsangs across North America.

New Year Retreat in San Ramon California

A great way to start the New year! For details

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