I was hugged by a saint today. She is no ordinary saint but HH Mata Amritanandamayi. Amma as she is affectionately known, is an Indian spiritual leader revered as a saint by her followers. She is a widely respected humanitarian and is also known as the “hugging saint”. And she has come on a tour to Singapore.

Many people wonder how a little girl from a simple South Indian village of Kerala came to be known throughout the world as “Amma, the Mother of All.” Motherhood, in its ultimate sense, has nothing to do with bearing a child, but with love, compassion and selflessness. It lies in totally giving one’s self to others.

During meditation and throughout the day, Amma would inquire into the source of all the sorrow and suffering that she saw around her. At one point she felt that the suffering of humanity was due to people’s karma, the fruit of their past deeds. But Amma was not satisfied with this and went deeper. Then from within came the answer:‘If it is their karma to suffer, isn’t it your dharma to help them?’ If someone falls into a deep pit, is it correct to simply walk by, saying, ‘Oh, it is their karma to suffer that way’? No, it is our duty to help them climb out…

Experiencing her oneness with all of creation, Amma realised that her life purpose was to uplift ailing humanity. It was then that Amma started her spiritual mission, spreading this message of truth, love and compassion throughout the world, by receiving one and all.

There was a meditation (or dhyan) session at 10am today, which was followed by darshan (hugging) sessions. I thought I was there early slightly after 9am but the crowds were already there queueing for darshan tokens. You had to get a darshan token which would state the alphabet and number in which you would be hugged (if so desired). Good thing Andrew lived here the Expo and queued for me.

Here’s my queue ticket – I7.

Judging from the crowd that turned up, there must be at least a thousand of them. Amma’s love and compassion cuts across all race, religion and gender. I would have thought only Indians would turn up. But I was wrong. The Chinese and Caucasians too turned up in huge numbers for the session.

As Amma entered the hall, I too stood up and moved forward to get a better view. Cameras went clicking away and I thought to myself there was no way I could get a good shot of the living saint. Then at a precise moment after Amma took her seat on the white cushions, we both turned – she to me and I to her. I took the shot. This is a beautiful shot which I will always remember.

After a short meditation (or dhyan) which ended by 10.30am, the projector screens started to flash the first queue sequence – the ‘A’ series. The hugging sessions had begun.

As I was seated on the floor in front, I had a good view of what was going on. Amma looked so serene, calm and full of love.

It is no mean feat to hug each and every person who turned up for slightly under one minute. It takes a lot of patience, selflessness and lots of love. But Amma possesses all of these qualities, and more. Her love radiates from the heart and you can really feel it. She comforted the sick and embraced the crying.

I waited slightly over two hours before it was my turn. When it was finally my turn, I felt a sense of warmth being hugged by Amma. It’s akin to feeling the same unconditional love and warmth from a mother to a child. As I lay in her arms, I really felt blessed and happy. I teared a little, as I felt her love enter my heart and fill it up completely. She hugged me as if I was her child and for that, I was truely grateful.

Thank you Amma

PS: Here’s 3 of my favourite Amma quotes. They are really meaningful.

“Love is the only medicine that can heal the wounds of the world. In this universe, it is love that binds everything together. As this awareness dawns within us, all disharmony will cease. Abiding peace will reign.” – Amma

“Love is our true essence. Love has no limitations of caste, religion, race or nationality. We are all beads strung together on the same thread of love.” – Amma

“May the tree of our life
Be firmly rooted in the soil of love.
Let good deads be the leaves on that tree.
May words of kindness form its flowers
And may peace be its fruits.”
- Amma

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