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| Mata Amritanandamayi (Amma) To Visit Boston Area |
Press Release
06/24/2009
Free Public Programs
July 15 and July 18, 2009
Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center
181 Boston Post Rd. West, Marlborough, MA
Reputed as a tireless humanitarian, Mata Amritanandamayi, better known as “Amma†or “Ammachi,†is scheduled to visit the Boston Area to conclude a popular ten-city U.S. tour, where she will receive thousands with her blessing–a healing embrace. Two free public programs will take place at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center, 181 Boston Post Rd. West, in Marlborough on July 15th and July 18th.
The U.S. tour began in Seattle, then followed to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Albuquerque, Dallas, Iowa, Chicago, New York City, and Washington D.C. before finishing in Marlborough.
Considered a living Saint in her homeland of India, Amma, (55) has quietly gained an extraordinary reputation over the last 30 years as a result of the extensive charitable institutions she has established and for her personal outreach. The recipient of numerous humanitarian awards, Amma sleeps merely a couple hours per day, teaching by the constant example of her own life that is dedicated to selfless social service. In a recent CBS TV Primetime Special entitled In God’s Name, Amma was profiled as one the world’s twelve most influential religious leaders, and the only woman selected. Other figures included Pope Benedict XVI, the Dalai Lama, the Grand Rabbi of Jerusalem, the Grand Ayatollah, and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
“Mata Amritanandamayi…is fast becoming a world-renowned spiritual leader like Mother Teresa or Mohandas Gandhi.†-Reuters News
Boston Area Programs: Darshan.
It is expected that thousands will visit Amma for her darshan programs in Marlborough. Darshan is a Sanskrit term describing “audience in the presence of a holy personâ€. In a radical departure from Indian tradition (particularly for a woman), Amma’s darshan consists of a long tender embrace. She has been doing this, as a natural expression of love since she was a teen. It is estimated that Amma has given over 28 million hugs in her life. In India, vast crowds usually assemble to the point where Amma may individually receive and hug over 30,000 people in one day, sitting continuously. She will never turn anyone away, nor charge any money. Amma has been dubbed “The Hugging Saint†by the international press.
Humanitarian Institutions: “Compassion to the poor is our duty to Godâ€
With official NGO status granted by the U.N., Amma oversees a vast network of volunteer humanitarian activities of three distinct types: 1) direct aid to the needy, 2) educational institutions designed to help the underprivileged learn to help themselves, and 3) social programs that serve broader society and the environment. The list of endeavors is remarkably long, ranging from 1300-bed charitable hospitals, to the building of over 100,000 homes for the poor, to orphanages, pensions for widows, hospices, a wide array of subsidized schools, to Green Friends, an environmental youth program, whereby over 150,000 tree saplings are planted annually. New charitable activities are created rapidly and regularly around the world by volunteers, inspired by Amma’s example. For more information, please visit www.Amma.org.
Since 2001, following the devastating earthquakes that rocked the Gujarat regions of India, Amma emerged as a leading figure in disaster relief. Through her charitable trust, three razed villages were entirely rebuilt. In 2004, her efforts towards Tsunami Relief made international headlines (World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, BBC News, New York Times) as over $50 million has been contributed to that cause. In the U.S., a million dollar aid donation was given to the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund.
**Epidemic of Farmer Suicides: Amma recently pledged $46 million to help tackle an alarming trend of suicides afflicting indebted farmers in parts of India. Caught in a vicious cycle of failing crop prices and aggressive money lenders, thousands of farmers each year resort to suicide. In many cases, before taking their own lives, the farmer will also kill off his entire family in a desperate attempt to shield them from the shame and harassment of debt collectors. “Suicide is never a way out; counseling and education could really help them [the farmers] get through to the other sideâ€, says Amma.
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Personal History
Born in 1953, the daughter of a poor fisherman in the Indian state of Kerala, Amma has heeded the call to help others since early childhood. At the age of ten, her schooling ended abruptly as she was forced into arduous family chores. Though frequently mistreated, it is said that Amma dwelt in constant remembrance of God and never complained, except when she adamantly refused to be married-off. So deeply misunderstood, she became such a source of family embarrassment to the point where one member attempted to kill her.
A profoundly rare mystic at young age, Amma began to attract crowds drawn to her God-intoxicated states and compassionate outreach. Confronting traditional religious culture, Amma drew criticism for her unconventional behavior, as there was no precedent of a single woman—even a holy woman—embracing strangers. Amma did not waver from her approach, and eventually former detractors became supporters. In later years Amma once again broke with the male-dominated religious customs by allowing women to serve as priests in the prayer temples. “Women too love Godâ€, Amma refuted.
Unity of all great religions
Though born into the Hindu faith, Amma steadfastly supports all great religions, encouraging aspirants to go deeper in their own traditional path. “There is no harm in having many religions and faithsâ€, she says, “but it is harmful to think they are different, and that one faith is higher and another lower.†In her speech at the U.N., Amma described the real source of historical world conflict as “lack of awareness of our true natureâ€. She says, “my religion is love.â€
Recognition in the West
In 1993 Amma was a selected President at the Centenary Parliament of World Religions in Chicago and in 1995 was a keynote speaker at the United Nations 50th Anniversary Commemoration. At the invitation of U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, Amma addressed the U.N. at The Millennium World Peace Summit, in 2000 as part of a select delegation of “preeminent religious and spiritual leadersâ€. In 2002, Amma was greeted by a roaring standing ovation at the U.N. in Geneva upon being recognized with the Gandhi-King Award for Non-Violence, an award previously given to Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan, and Dr, Jane Goodall.
Amma was the closing plenary at the 2004 Parliament of The World’s Religions in Barcelona, and in recognition of her efforts in disaster relief, received the James Parks Morton Award in 2006 along with Nobel Laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, and actor-activist Richard Gere. This award had previously been given to Bishop Desmond Tutu, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and President Bill Clinton.
Program Information: The free programs will be held at Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center, 181 Boston Post Rd. West, in Marlborough on July 15 at 10am and 7:30pm. Exceptionally, an intimate Retreat with Amma (pre-registration is required.) follows on July 16-18, to conclude the tour. A final free public program begins at 7pm on July 18.
Numbered tokens for individual blessings are distributed 1 hr before program. Due to the large number of people attending each program, those with tokens may have to wait awhile before their number range is posted. Boston Program information: ammanewengland.org or call 781.519.2297
***PRESS CONTACT: Rob Sidon, Tel: 415-505-1410 robsidon@yahoo.com. Amma is available for interviews on July 15 only; please call in advance. Or call Tom Lindsley, 781-648-0001, Local Publicity Coordinator.
WEBSITE: www.amma.org
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