A Self-luminous Sun
Jen Loui
We are living in a time of great forward motion for the human race. Over the last 50 years or so, there has been a noticeable swing toward a “more right” way of living on this planet. Hundreds, if not thousands of groups have sprung up in support of this vision, focusing on various forms of right human relations. These groups range from environmental strongholds where the wellbeing of the earth in relation to humanity takes center stage, to groups focused on using the power of the mind to enhance the ideas of men and women of goodwill.
Occasionally, specific individuals seem to be tasked with carrying the torch forward on behalf of the many. One of these individuals who has gently, but with unmatched devotion, inserted herself into the global consciousness, is Mata Amritanandamayi – or as she is known around the world – Amma.
Amma is an East Indian holy woman known for her warm embraces. The populations of entire villages stand in line to get their 10 seconds with her, understanding that in that small amount of time entire burdens can be lifted off their conscience. She turns no one away and sometimes stays seated into the early morning hours to be sure no one is missed. She then moves on to the next village or country, intent on easing the pain of all living beings.
For 40 years Amma traveled the world just to embrace people, leaving a million points of light in her wake. It was just before 1990 that she began branching out into other areas including medicine, education, community building and environmental science, and by 1995 she was a speaker at the UN International Celebrations in New York. Amma does not shy away from these engagements but embraces them with an eye to goodwill and the advancing of humanitarian awareness. She brings to her podium the same warmth and concern she freely offers to individuals collecting their hugs, using words guided by her empathy and identification with the whole of the human race.
In August of this year (2023) Amma was the first spiritual leader to be asked to chair the C20, a yearly civil engagement event which gives consideration and voice to thousands of non-government individuals. The C20 Summit was held in tandem with the G20 Summit, an established gathering of 20 world leaders who meet in a different country each year to discuss world issues and find amenable ways forward. For context, the countries involved in the G20 represent about 85% of the worlds GDP and about 2/3rds of the world’s population.
Amma chaired the C20 event with her characteristic focus on compassion and what she calls values-based policy recommendations. The following are key statements taken from her address at the C20 Summit.
“We convene meetings now, but we should make it possible for our hearts also to meet. “
“Science and technology have significantly progressed. However, the ethical behavior of humanity has declined. Humans have learned to fly like birds and swim like fish but have forgotten to walk and live like human beings. This is where spirituality becomes relevant.”
“The purpose of education must be to develop a sense of oneness and inclusivity—this is where spirituality becomes relevant.”
“Compassion is the language of the heart. Both the intellect and the heart should be given their proper place…. Whether we know it or not, someone may be trying to imitate our example…. “
“The spiritual aspect should be incorporated into educational institutions as well. Children should be encouraged to develop compassion. Schools should reward children for their compassionate actions. Gradually, it will become their lifestyle and their character. ”
“Cyberspace has witnessed substantial growth and advancement. However, it has also paved the way for many dangers. Every advancement has two sides, and governments should accord this issue the significant attention it merits.”
“The ethos of vasudhaiva kuṭuṁbakam—“The world is one big family”—should be incorporated into the school curriculum. Humanity’s future path, contemplation and actions must reflect a degree of this shared sense of unity. If not, our greed will reach such a pinnacle that it will threaten our very existence. Nature has been giving us strong indications over the past several years that this is the direction in which we are headed. If we do not heed these warnings from nature and God, human beings will very soon be added to this planet’s list of extinct creatures.”
“May we be able to see the world as a beautiful flower, with each nation as one of its petals.”
Obviously, Amma offers us a way forward which will be built upon foundations somewhat different from those we currently use. She reorganizes priorities and returns us to a simpler way of perceiving things. But simple does not mean naive. Her solutions are straight on, coupling harmlessness with intelligence. Her solutions open doors to collaborative work and put the dignity of individuals in the center of it all.
Amma’s projects go all the way back to 1987 when she began building primary schools in her community. (Today that number is over 80.) She also started the free housing project that year, providing homes for the poor near her ashram in Kerala, India. In 1989 an Industrial training center was also started there, and in 1990, the Amrita Institute of Computer Technology was launched. In 1994 she inaugurated the Engineering college in Tamil Nadu, India. She also inaugurated a hospice for terminally ill cancer patients that year, laying the foundation for the Amrita Institute of Medical Science. In 1996, the following schools opened under Amma’s planning: The School of Engineering, The School of Pharmacy, The School of Business in Tamil Nadu, The School for the Deaf in Kerala, The Amrita Institute of Advance Computing and The Amrita Institute of Management. Also that year, the Amrita Kuteeram project completed 25,000 free houses for the needy. In 1998 a care home for the elderly opened in Kerala, along with a free pension project for destitute women. In 2001, the Tribal Peoples Project was inaugurated in Kerala for poor, rural communities. Also in 2001, her Gujarat Earthquake Disaster Relief Operation adopted 3 villages and built 1200 earthquake proof homes. In 2002, the Amrita Kuteeram Free Homes Project completed 25,000 more houses and initiated a second phase to build 100.000 more. Her list of accomplishments goes on - all the way up to and including her appearance as Chair of the C20 event this past September, 2023.
It’s clear that Amma does not stop. This is a woman of, and for, the people. She never tires and never stops giving. It is likely because of this devotion to humanity that she was chosen to chair the C20, a position normally offered to political figures. More to the point, the choice of Amma as Chair was a sign that we, as a race, are noting the value of merging the sacred/spiritual with the practical/physical. An individual devoted to the manifestation of a higher good through her acts of goodwill, was seen by the people of India as a desired representative of the way forward. Because she proved herself on a world stage using the simple power of unconditional love, she could be recognized as a reliable source for questions not just of a spiritual nature but of best practices in a nuts-and-bolts world.
Amma is a compassion-based renaissance woman with an eye to the big picture and the global good. In her we have a demonstration of the kind of path each of us can choose to take. Using harmlessness and goodwill as the foundation, it appears that actions which spring from there are met with little resistance. A strong mind is necessary – and a willingness to endure the hardships as we lay the foundations - but once this is done, miracles of transformation can occur. Utilizing love as the initial contact – as she did when she traveled the world and brought millions of people into her arms – she has moved herself into a place of light and power. Isn’t this the way forward for all of us?
“We should realise we are not a candle to be lit by somebody but that we are the self-luminous eternal sun itself.”
Amma
All excerpts and photos are taken from Amma’s full address at the C20 Summit which you can read in full here:
https://amritaworld.org/main-featured/c20-india-summit-ammas-full-address/
For more information on Amma’s work, visit her website:
https://www.amritapuri.org/activity
or her foundation