One of the primary objectives of the “Hinduism Here” course, offered at Barnard College of Columbia University, is to investigate and explore the “historical, theological, social, and ritual dimensions of ‘lived Hinduism’” [1] in New York.  For the seminar project, I chose to spend the semester performing fieldwork and research on a satsang center dedicated to the veneration of Mata Amritanandamayi, located on the Upper West Side.  Brought up predominantly with the Hindu faith, which encompassed attending a weekly Hinduism class for ten years, visits to the local Hindu temple every month, and yearly trips to the mandirs of Ahmedabad, Bombay, and Calcutta, I assumed that I had a significant grasp upon the deities and saints associated with this religion.  I nonetheless was quite surprised, as I was only made aware of the existence and worship of the female guru, Mata Amritanandamayi, who is more affectionately regarded as “Ammachi” or “Amma,” meaning mother, [2] this past year through the “Hinduism Here” course.

            My initial aims in selecting the Ammachi satsang center as my site of study included understanding how I did not previously encounter this spiritual guide in my upbringing as a devout Hindu as well as in the past four years I have spent as a student majoring in religion, with a principal focus upon Hinduism.  I found myself wondering if Ammachi truly associated herself with Hinduism and whom she chose as her target audience to attract as disciples.  I decided to embark on my study of Amma by researching her initial spiritual motivations.  If such influences claimed elements of Hinduism, I subsequently wanted to proceed by investigating how these aspects carry through in Amma’s teachings and imparted messages today.  Is Ammachi unfamiliar to South Asian descendents who have been reared as Hindus since birth because she chooses to appeal to a dissimilar audience?  Are Ammachi and the philosophies she conveys exclusively affiliated with Hinduism?  Or are her beliefs and values associated with this faith at all?  Throughout this paper, I will explore the spiritual foundation from which Ammachi presents her teachings, as I ultimately endeavor to learn whether or not the “Mother of Immortal Bliss”[3] is a genuine manifestation of Hinduism in New York.

 

Born into Surroundings of Spirituality

            Ammachi, originally named and recognized as Sudhamani, was born in the fishing village of Parayakadavu in Kerala, in September of 1953.  Parayakadavu is quite a diminutive and impoverished fishing village, and the family into which Sudhamani was born was rather underprivileged as well.  Sudhamani’s family is not only identified in biographical texts as poor, but also as very spiritual.  Her grandfather, Sri Velayudhan, so profoundly dedicated to the practice of ahimsā, non-violence, [4] would refuse to kill rats if they entered the home.  His wife, Srimati Madhavi, would wake up every morning before dawn and bestow her respects upon the deities by offering flowers and chanting the names of the divine.  At a very early age, Sudhamani’s father, Sugunanandan, became a passionate devotee of the Lord Krishna.  On one particular occasion, Sugunanandan, who was a dancer of Kathakali, was playing the role of Krishna in a performance and “reportedly became so deeply transcended into his character that he lost consciousness onstage.” [5]  At the age of twenty-one, Sugunanandan wed Amma’s mother, Damayanti, who also demonstrated very spiritual qualities and habits.

             While Damayanti was pregnant with Sudhamani, she persistently received very vivid dreams during her sleep.  Although Damayanti was deeply affected by the dreams, which encompassed lucid portrayals of Hindu deities, she refrained from mentioning the occurrences of such images to anyone.  One particular dream, however, shocked Damayanti so much that she felt impelled to share it with her husband: “She dreamed that she had given birth to the baby Lord Krishna and that she held Him tenderly in her lap while he suckled at her breast.” [6]  Less than two weeks later, Sugunanandan supposedly experienced a similar dream in which he was encountered with a vision of Lord Vishnu as countless Hindu divinities fused into his being.  Such images lingered in the minds of Sugunanandan and Damayanti throughout the entirety of the pregnancy.  

            Texts devoted to retelling the life of Amma mark her gestation and birth as having commenced a recurrent series of events that testified to her uniqueness, which radically differentiated her from other children.  At the moment of Sudhamani’s birth, Damayanti was convinced that her baby did not survive, as it did not cry upon being brought into the world, nor did her skin color suggest a healthy baby’s tone.  Sudhamani also exhibited behavior which seemed awfully peculiar and uncharacteristic of the tendencies of a newborn:

Amma’s entire birth, on September 27, 1953, was silent, and Damayanti said she felt almost nothing.  When she looked at her newborn girl, Damayanti was shocked to see that her skin was dark blue.  Remembering her last baby, who had not survived the birth, Damayanti was horrified, assuming that since this baby was silent and blue, that it was also dead.  Damayanti began to cry.  At that moment, a woman from a neighboring house happened to stop at the open door of the Idamannel house.  Quickly realizing that Damayanti had just delivered a child, she hurried to make mother and baby comfortable.  After assuring the shaken mother that the baby was alive and breathing, Damayanti again looked at the baby’s face and was amazed to see the baby’s dark eyes looking directly into hers.  The baby looked back at her with a penetrating gaze and a benevolent smile on her tiny face.  Damayanti, however, was still not convinced that her child was all right.  The child’s legs were locked in cross-legged position, like the lotus posture used for meditation.  Her little thumbs and forefingers touched, each tiny hand forming a circle. [7]

Worshippers of Ammachi attribute her bizarre entrance into the world as “prophesying the joy and bliss she was to bring to the world.” [8]

 

The Godly Company kept by Amma

            The literature depicting the life of Ammachi and stressing the beneficial effects of demonstrating reverence towards her pays particular attention to her childhood and the behavior which distinguished Amma from other children.  At the age of two, Sudhamani allegedly began to sing prayers in veneration of Lord Krishna, all on her own accord.  She attracted the attention of her family by sobbing in longing for Lord Krishna and by retreating to the woods to meditate rather than play with the other children.  Sudhamani troubled her parents by always appearing to be talking to herself.  She was in fact repeatedly reciting the name of Krishna in silent worship.  This particular custom of Sudhamani, along with her other odd habits, began during her youth and led her parents to believe that she was mentally ill.  As a result, Sugunanandan and Damayanti chose Sudhamani as the family’s caretaker when Damayanti’s health was beginning to deteriorate.  She was definitely subjected to a life of toil and labor rather than being allowed the customary life of a child, which included schooling and simple errands:

Because of Sudhamani’s dark skin, and her strange, unchildlike behavior, she was viewed by her parents as inferior to the other children.  They decided she would leave school and do domestic work full-time.  All pretense of a normal childhood was now completely gone, and Sudhamani was doing nothing but household chores—from dawn until late into the night. [9]

            To occupy her days of drudgery, Sudhamani continued to chant silently in adoration and worship of Lord Krishna.  Known for giving away family food and possessions to neighbors who were less fortunate, Sudhamani was once beaten by her father as a punishment for giving away her mother’s gold bangle, until she bled.  That particular evening, she prayed to Lord Krishna for solace and consideration:

Sudhamani spent that night in the family shrine in tears, praying and singing to Lord Krishna.  “O my Beloved Krishna,” she prayed, “nobody but You can understand my heart.  This world is full of sorrow and suffering.  People seek only their own happiness and pleasure.  My darling Krishna, I desire nothing else but complete oneness with You.  O Lord, didn’t You see my suffering today?  O Lord, please come!  These miseries are nothing for me, but the separation from You is agony.” [10]

Sudhamani continued to be beaten by her parents in response to her defiant inclinations to give food to others.  Sudhamani’s personal reaction to such abuse was to look further and devote herself more fully to the exaltation of Lord Krishna.  Within all living beings, she sensed the presence of Krishna, and behaved towards them as if she might have conducted herself if ever in the company of Krishna himself:

With reverential humility she proclaimed and honored all life as the embodiment of the Divine.  She hugged trees and animals, and kissed plants and small children as a way of acknowledging the presence of Krishna within them.  Sometimes she would call small children aside and encourage them to enact the stories of Krishna’s life.  Forgetting that the children were playacting she would then hug them with great devotion because she believed they were Krishna. [11]

During the evenings, Sudhamani would envision Lord Krishna before her and participate in ecstatic dancing with him.  Her singing and meditation in concentration of Krishna often made Sudhamani completely oblivious of her actual surroundings. 

            Devotional and biographical texts identify September of 1975 as a defining moment in the life and spiritual nature of Sudhamani.  She was returning home from gathering grass for the cows when she heard the recitation of the Srimad Bhagavatam, a Hindu epic portraying the life of Krishna, emerging from a neighbor’s home.  Her worshippers explain that her body began to shake violently and that her facial features morphed into the face of Krishna himself.  Sree Retnam, who was actually the neighbor who was reading the Srimad Bhagavatam aloud, recalls the remarkable manifestation of Krishna within Sudhamani:

Sudhamani’s dark brown skin suddenly became a blue-black color like Krishna and her eyes became luminous.”  Sree Retnam, through animated gesticulations, demonstrated how Sudhamani’s body vibrated, and the way her hands assumed the very same yogic finger positions (mudras) and bodily stance of Krishna as He is portrayed in classic Hindu art.  Stunned at the changes that came over Sudhamani, Sree Retnam and the neighbors were convinced beyond a doubt that Krishna Himself had come to bless them in the form of this simple young woman. [12]

Ammachi herself declares that this single moment was merely a slight glimpse into her constant union with and possession by Krishna:

One day I strongly felt the urge to be absorbed in the Supreme Being…Then I heard a voice from within saying, “Thousands and thousands of people in the world are steeped in misery.  I have much for you to do, you are the one with Me[”].…I was able to know everything concerning everyone…. I was fully conscious that I, myself, was Krishna, not only during that particular moment of manifestation but at all other times as well.[13]

This notable moment in the life of Sudhamani marks the replacement of the feelings of shame, disgust, and aversion towards her with such sentiments of awe, adoration, and devotion.  Throughout her childhood, Ammachi continued to exhibit very distinctive and unusual habits, which acutely differentiated her from the other children, and ultimately gained her recognition as a divine being.   

 

Ammachi’s Audience on the Upper West Side

            Selva J. Raj’s article, “Ammachi, the Mother of Compassion,” in Karen Pechilis’s The Graceful Guru, begins by describing the sizeable crowd awaiting Ammachi’s arrival in California in June of 1999.  The author states that the group, adorned in traditional Indian attire and chanting “Om Amriteshwariye Namaha,” was “predominantly Caucasian and non-Indian.” [14]  Before I was made aware of the fact that “Caucasians constitute nearly 80 percent of her U.S. devotees,” [15] I was originally extremely surprised to be one of two or three South Asians in attendance, if not the only South Asian present, during the Tuesday evening satsangs on Central Park West. 

            The Upper West Side congregation represents a very eclectic group of individuals.  Prior to attending my first satsang, I had a preliminary telephone conversation with the hostess of the Tuesday gatherings.  Her immediate response to my inquiry of whether or not it would be alright if I attended the subsequent evening’s satsang was, “Everyone is welcome.” [16]  Although nervous about my first visit, as I lacked any knowledge of what a satsang entailed, I ignorantly assumed that, as an Indian, I would be able to blend in with the rest of the group.  The hostess’s name was Sujata, an Indian name with a Buddhist history, so I assumed that the hostess at least would definitely be South Asian.  When I entered the third floor apartment, which served as the weekly gathering place, a South Asian-looking woman, who I assumed to be Sujata, greeted me.  I handed her the flowers that I had brought for the occasion as I thanked her for allowing me to attend.  I later found out that the woman, whom I had presumed to be Sujata, was in actuality Hispanic.  Sujata, who was sitting on a couch to my left side, was a rather heavy-set, elderly Caucasian woman.  Contrary to my initial suppositions of easily blending in amongst the other members, I stuck out like a sore thumb.  The only other South Asian presence seemed to be conveyed through the countless headshots of Ammachi on the walls and atop the armoire. 

 

Amma’s Digression from her Inspiration

            Although the young Ammachi and others surrounding her initially realized her special status through her adoration of and union with Krishna, her satsang does not reflect this connection.  The satsang consists solely of praise and worship towards Ammachi.  In previous Hindu prayer services and pūjās that I have participated in, one deity or saint is never the absolute focus.  Though there is most likely a presiding god or goddess, there are references to other divinities through icons or artwork.  For instance, despite Lord Ganesh’s being the chief deity of the Sri Maha Vallabha Ganapathi Devasthanam in Flushing, Queens, he is nevertheless accompanied by the representations of other holy beings, such as Shiva, Parvathi, Vishnu, and Lakshmi. [17]

            On the official Ammachi website, by contrast, it is impossible to find even the slightest reference to Krishna.  Contrary to the biographical texts illustrating the life and spiritual inspiration of Ammachi, the website refers to Amma as meditating upon and singing in worship of “her beloved Lord.” [18]  She is similarly described as achieving states of ecstasy and divine realization through her constant mental recollection of the Lord.  Yet, the website refrains from identifying who plays the role of the rousing deity.  This portion of the internet site, which portrays Amma’s early holy experiences, simply states, “Her unmistakable Self-realization and wisdom seemed to spark from a constant remembrance of God.” [19]  The specific god from whom Amma attains such “unmistakable Self-realization and wisdom” [20] remains anonymous.

 

Attempts to Appeal to a more Universal Audience

            The prayer book which is used at the Upper West Side satsang features a quote from Amma’s website on its opening page.  The statement assures the worshipper that, just as Sujata promised me, everyone is welcome: “Amma says, it matters not whether one believes in Krishna or Christ, Mother Kali or Mother Mary; a formless God or even a flame, a mountain or an ideal such as world peace can be meditated upon while singing. By letting the mind expand in the sound of the divine chanting, each one can enjoy the peace born of one's inherent divinity.” [21] 

            One of the members of the Upper West Side satsang, Nancy Moshe, who was born and brought up in St. Louis, Missouri, describes her involvement with and her knowledge of Ammachi.  After meeting Ammachi in 1996, Nancy developed a love for the guru, which she nurtured through her participation and attendance at the satsangs.  Although claiming a Jewish background, Ms. Moshe does not attend any other religious service besides the satsangs.  She is in charge of bringing flowers to the Tuesday night satsang, and also serves as the regional satsang coordinator for the greater New York region.  Despite Ms. Moshe’s description of Ammachi as an avatāra, or incarnation, she does not specifically attribute Lord Krishna as the deity of whom Amma is an incarnation.  She instead broadly explains that Amma is an avatāra encompassing all avatāras: “As an Incarnation, Amma contains all other incarnations.” [22]  Unsure of whether or not she would consider herself a Hindu, Ms. Moshe does not think that it is necessary for the worship of Amma to include the veneration of any other divine figure.  Refraining from identifying herself as a devotee of Krishna, Ms. Moshe defines Ammachi as capable of appealing to every “being in the world, human and non-human.” [23] 

            Correspondingly, Robert Wiener, who is a member of the Upper West Side satsang as well as a coordinator for Mother’s Kitchen, where disciples prepare and serve food for the needy, and for Ammachi’s tours, largely generalizes the origin of Amma’s religious realization.  He is a Jewish American who is originally from New York City.  When asked if he considered Ammachi to be an embodiment of Lord Krishna, Mr. Wiener responded by saying, “Yes—and all else that is divine.” [24]  Not identifying himself as a Hindu, Robert Wiener did not solely and exclusively associate Ammachi with the religion either: “She comes from that tradition but transcends any one religion—I see her as the embodied goal of all religions.” [25]  Upon meeting Ammachi, Mr. Wiener discontinued attending other religious services, as he did not deem it necessary to include the veneration of any other spiritual figure in his worship of Amma.  Disaffiliating herself as a devotee exclusively of Lord Krishna, Ammachi is able to appeal to an exceedingly diverse and mixed group of individuals.

 

An Unavoidable Parallel between Ammachi and Lord Krishna

            Ammachi’s devotees value her for her expression of godly qualities.  She is recognized and revered by her disciples for her steadfast compassion and consideration towards others.   In her youth, Ammachi is said to have offered her help, counsel, clothing, and food to the elderly, the sick, and the so-called untouchables: “In addition to the arduous job of looking after her own family, she served the elderly, the poor and sick neighbors with love and care.  Her parents were horrified to see her mingle with untouchables and forbade her to give away any more of their food, but she continued to do so despite their punishments.” [26] 

Ammachi is lovingly recognized by her devotees as the “Hugging Saint.” [27]  She is depicted by her devotees as being absolutely self-sacrificing and giving.  The “Hugging Saint” has spent “sometimes…over 20 hours” distributing hugs to devotees, and “has been known to individually hug over 50,000 people in one day.” [28]  The divine quality of Ammachi that clearly sets her apart from average human beings is this external demonstration of love.  Through one’s encounter with Amma, disciples of Ammachi believe, one progressively gains and claims concern for others.  By coming into contact with the saint, one is also encouraged and motivated to express such kindness and empathy towards others.  Exemplifying this drive, many Ammachi followers involve themselves in humanitarian pursuits.  Currently, numerous disciples of Ammachi have engaged themselves in assisting victims of the tsunami. 

The direct contact that Ammachi allows her followers to have with her increases their affection and admiration towards her.  Ms. Moshe and Mr. Wiener both described their incentive in attending the satsangs as the desire to maintain the connection with and fervor for Ammachi in between the actual encounters with her.  The members are not worshipping an almighty deity who is beyond their reach, but rather someone who they have had direct contact with, someone who is not an elevated and superior being, but instead someone who understands them.  Robert Wiener says that it is Ammachi who is aware of all that he is.  For Wiener, she is the one person “who knows and loves me better than I do for myself.” [29]  She is the mother, the one who selflessly nurtures the well-being of others, and is on hand when needed by her followers. 

Similarly, through much poetry and artwork illustrating the actions and characteristics of Lord Krishna, he is not blatantly portrayed as a supreme being who is superior to his followers.  In contrast, he is one of them.  As exemplified in Jayadeva’s Gītagovinda, a Sanskrit poem written in the twelfth century, [30] Lord Krishna is portrayed as just another person amongst the townspeople.  He plays with the humans, he loves the humans, and he experiences feelings toward the humans.  Through such texts, Lord Krishna is not an omnipotent deity who attains devotees by overwhelming them from on high.  Similar to Ammachi, he acquires followers by bringing himself to their level.  Amma’s demonstration of direct concern towards her adherents serves as proof that she is essentially accessible; she is the “universal mother.” [31]
            Although Ammachi has seemingly diverged from her original source of divine inspiration, she is fundamentally inclined to impart Lord Krishna’s behavior.  Despite a blatant disassociation with Krishna and Hinduism in general, Amma nonetheless maintains and exhibits her bonds with the religion, not necessarily through word, but rather through action.  Through the lack of a fervent affiliation with one particular religion, Ammachi is capable of appealing to many different types of people from distinctive spiritual backgrounds.  She is not wholly tied to Hinduism, and discourages fervent divisions of regard towards individuals based upon religious classifications and categories.  A worshipper of Ammachi does not have to be a follower of Hinduism.  As is the case with both Nancy Moshe and Robert Wiener, though they undeniably confirm that they are devotees of Amma, they do not characterize themselves as Hindus.  Ammachi effectively forsakes an obvious and exclusive tie to a specific religion and an individual deity in order to establish harmony among diversity:

The world is one family, of which we are all members.  Peace and unity prevail in a household when the individuals fulfill their duties and responsibilities with the awareness that each member is an integral part of the whole.  Only when we work together as a global family, instead of concentrating on belonging to a particular race, religion or nation, will peace and happiness once again prevail on this earth. [32]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

Amma.org.  2003-2004.  M. A. Center.  15 April 2005. <http://www.amma.org>.

Amritanandamayi Devi, Sri Mata.  The Role of Religion in Conflict Transformation. 

Amritapuri, Kerala, India: Mata Amritanandamayi Math, 2000.

Archer, W. G.  The Loves of Krishna.  New York: Grove Press Inc., 1960.

Cornell, Judith.  Amma: Healing the Heart of the World.  New York: William Morrow,

2001.

Flood, Gavin.  An Introduction to Hinduism.  New York: Cambridge University, 2001.

The Hindu Temple Society of North America—Sri Maha Vallabha Ganapati

Devasthanam.  2001.  Sri Maha Vallabha Ganapati Devasthanam.  27 April 2005. 

<www.nyganeshtemple.org>.

Pechilis, Karen, ed.  The Graceful Guru.  New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.