Washington, DC – Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, popularly known as Amma, a humanitarian and a spiritual teacher to millions worldwide, sent her blessings to the First Family during her visit to the US capital on Sunday (July 7). Asked if she had a message for President Barack Obama and his family, Amma told India America Today, “The president of the country belongs to the citizens of the country, belongs to the subjects, and his family is the entire country.”
With a broad smile on her face, the Hugging Saint, as she is called because of the tender, motherly embraces she gives to thousands every day, added, “However, may he and his family be able to serve this country as best as they can and may they have the understanding and the capacity to serve the people. May he and his family have always and enjoy peace and happiness, irrespective of the outside situation.”
A devoted humanitarian, Amma has spoken several times at the United Nations, and in 2002 received the prestigious Gandhi-King Award for Nonviolence at the UN in Geneva.
Speaking to India America Today, Amma defined pure love as “a subjective experience,” adding, “It is the state of complete oneness with the Cosmic Energy and pure love is the purest form of energy. It is the state where I and you disappear. The normal expression all over the world is I love you. It is as though love has to be between I and you, so that difference disappears, the duality disappears, and you become one and you attain this state where you are love, an embodiment of love.”
Amma offers her compassionate and unconditional embrace to everyone as a direct gift of love, an example of the nonviolent and vital power that sustains self-transformation and social change.
Asked about the second class citizenship status for women in many countries and the rising incidence of rape in her home country of India, Amma spoke emotionally about the erosion of values and lack of respect for women. Amma felt that even with the implementation of a strong legal system to address and try to prevent atrocities committed against women, the crimes may not completely stop, “because of the deep-rooted tendencies of men.”
The visiting saint said, “The awakening should happen on both sides (men and women). Women have awakened, but men should also awaken and prepare the path for women to come forward in all areas. Today’s world, it is almost like one way, but it should become a highway.”
Amma has devoted her life to selfless service, spreading a message of love and compassion worldwide. The Hugging Saint’s commitment to console those who are suffering has evolved into an international network of charitable organizations in more than 40 countries, collectively known as Embracing the World, an NGO with special consultative status to the United Nations.
Full text of the interview:
Your message is to love, serve and conserve. What is love?
Pure love is a subjective experience; it cannot be described. It is beyond the mind. It is the next possible. If you experience it, one who wants action, such a person will always be giving and giving and giving. It is the state of complete oneness with the Cosmic Energy and pure love is the purest form of energy. It is the state where I and you disappear. The normal expression all over the world is I love you. It is as though love has to be between I and you, so that difference disappears, the duality disappears, and you become one and you attain this state where you are love, an embodiment of love. It is a real meeting. It’s not just the bodies meeting, the hearts meet.
Women in many countries are relegated to second-class citizenship. With the recent rapes in India and the atrocities committed against women around the world, what do you suggest might be a solution?
The difference has been there since time immemorial. If you go through the annals of history, you will find that this has always existed. However, in the past, women were given a certain respect and status in society because there were values. Women, generally would never work in the past. At the same time, they had been given the entire responsibility of taking care of their family, even the entire management of the family had been taken care of by women. Women were given the power; they had the authority and they had the capacity, also. Men respected that in olden times, because there was a strong value system. Now, the values are eroding, fast degenerating and deteriorating, so the respect aspect is also coming down. That’s one of the main reasons. Amma says, basically, this is a deep-seated tendency, so we cannot expect transformation all of a sudden. It will take some time for men to understand. Amma says even though women wake up, even though they arise, even though an awakening takes place in women, men should also wake up. They should realize, they should understand, and prepare the path for the women to come forward in society. So it’s equally important that men wake up and respect and recognize women’s capacity to do almost the same things that men can do. Also, the deep understanding that both men and women have their own capacities. There are some things men can do, women cannot, and vice-versa.
As far as pure spirituality is concerned, there is no difference between men and women, because it’s the same consciousness. The differences are only external, but subjectively, internally, all are the same. Both men and women are like two wings of a bird. Amma says if there are a hundred ponds with water, you see a hundred suns, but in reality, there is only one sun; the rest is just reflection, they are not real.
In our society we have a legal system to punish criminals for rape or for theft. Even if there is a strong legal system trying to fight these criminals or other wrong doers, still people steal and commit mistakes. There is a lot of rape and corruption. Even if you implement a strong legal system to prevent atrocities committed against women, it may not completely stop, because of the deep-rooted tendencies of men. So the awakening should happen on both sides. Women have awakened, but men should also awaken and prepare the path for women to come forward in all areas. Today’s world, it is almost like one way, but it should become a highway.
You are in the US capital today. Do you have a message for President Obama and his family?
The president of the country belongs to the citizens of the country, belongs to the subjects, and his family is the entire country. However, may he and his family be able to serve this country as best as they can and may they have the understanding and the capacity to serve the people. May he and his family have always and enjoy peace and happiness, irrespective of the outside situation.