fuels life of selfless service

. . . . . . ..

Last year, he went to India as a volunteer, taking along his wife, Ayako, a black belt in her own right. He was invited by Shantamrita Chaitanya (American Brandon Smith).

He is director of the Mata Amritanandamayi Center Japan and the nonprofit organization Amrita Heart, which serve Japan on behalf of Mata Amritanandamyi, nicknamed Amma, and known worldwide as the hugging saint. (Last in Tokyo, she hugged 8,500 people in three days and still had energy to spare. She'll be here in spring for four days of programs -- May 25-26 in Kobe, May 28-29 in Tokyo.)

"We were in Nagapattinam, where 20,000 died in the tsunami. Amma's organization was the first to start reconstruction there. Ayako and I went with 150 students from universities all over Japan, to help in rebuilding and introduce Japanese culture."

He says he and his wife will never forgot the faces of local children, who met them all with garlands of flowers. "They were so poor, and yet there was a vital sparkling light in their eyes-- Japanese children don't have this anymore. Sad, isn't it?"

Nor will he and his wife forget the excitement of Indian engineering students who were able to witness and experience aikido for the first time.

. . . . . . . .

3 Feb 2007
ANGELA JEFFS, The Japan Times
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20070203a1.html

Discovering the inner

I recall 13 years ago in Seattle, my three year old daughter and I were granted an unexpected darshan with Amma.

It was our second opportunity to meet with this inspiring Saint from India named "Amma". However, when we arrived late at the Church of Truth that Monday evening, the hall was filled to capacity with over seven thousand in attendence!! I sighed and told my daughter Daelyn that the crowd was so large that we would probably not stay ...It didn't look too likely that we would meet Amma without waiting for hours...definately far past my daughter's bedtime.

At that moment a Japanese devotee of Amma came up to Daelyn and I standing at the hall entrance. She said "Are you here to meet Amma?" I replied that we only just met Amma
the night before, but by the looks of things we had come too late and the crowd was too large. She asked us to follow her and that she would seat us. To my surprise, this compassionate and alert devotee took us right up to the front of the large hall and sat us a few feet from where Amma was to begin her evening program!
After sitting so near for all of Amma's evening satsang and bhajans, I prepared to leave with my daughter. However, Amma pulled my daughter to herself for the first darshan of the night. She then surprised me again by pulling me to her warm embrace also. Then she told us to sit beside her while she gave darshan to thousands more. My daughter fell asleep in my lap as I discovered the inner blessing of meditating beside this divine personality named Amma.

Jai Ma
Chidanand

Amma on French National TV

The programme on Amma from the French National TV Channel 6 with English subtitles.

Amma on Swiss TV

Swiss National TV news clipping on Amma's visit to Europe in Oct- Nov 2006.

miss peace

Just returned home after my 1st retreat w/ Amma in San Ramon. It is very challenging to come back into the world and I miss Amma and the community of peace and love that surrounds Amma. Grateful without measure and no real way to articulate all the love and grace yet. Thank you. Om Namah Shivayah
susanne haugen, ca, usa
27 nov 06.