Meet Amma

This picture is from the Hill and this is the view of Arunachalaswara Temple.

Well, I was on the Hill for your New Year’s Celebration, as promised, and you were there with me.

Today (January 2^nd, 2011), I started up the Hill with a back-pack, hat and my cell phone. I had not gone all the way up the Hill to the caves and today was going to be the day. Each day here, this body has been getting stronger and so, with my cell phone, it felt “safe” to go up all the way and not just the short distance I had been doing each morning for the past two weeks. The cell phone was assurance that if I couldn’t make it and “got stuck” up on the Hill, I could call someone for help. So, this is how the day began. Then, as I was slowly, but surely moving up the Hill, I met Amma.

Have you ever heard of the story of the man who felt that he had a problem not having any shoes, until he met a man without any feet? Well, Amma was this for me. Here I was going through all this stuff about going up on the Hill, with my sad story, and here was Amma…

We began to walk together…she sang the entire 108 verses of the Marital Garland for me as she walked. When we stopped she told stories of Bhagavan. I followed her all the way up to the first cave, Skandasramam and down to Virupaksha Cave, as well as two other caves. She asked me what I was doing this afternoon, because she was going to do Pradakshina (an 8 mile walk around Arunachala.)

Needless to say, I was completely blown away. And, this body had no problem with the walk. None whatsoever. What does that tell you?

Here we are at Skandashramam together…can you see the strength in this women’s eyes?

Here is Skandasramam. The place the Sri Bhagavan lived with his mother and devotees from 1916 through 1922...until his mother attained Maha Samadhi under Sri Bhagavan's Grace in the room to the left in this picture. They buried her down at the base of the Hill...where Sri Ramanasramam is now and she was given the rites of someone who is fully enlightened. Due to her Grace, we have Sri Ramanasramam and a place to visit and be with both she and Sri Bhagavan.

When Amma talked about Bhagavan Ramana, there was a definite feeling of “not-two.” She had surrendered to His Will and merged with His Presence, entirely. What a blessing to have been Graced by her Presence. What an experience the Holy Hill can provide for us, when we are ready. I am so grateful.

Surrendering our Will can mean giving over our "doing it my way" and also the very thought that we are in charge of our own enlightenment process. An insight that also came from this wonderful and inspiring meeting with Amma.

Blessed are you

Woman of passion

Rooted deep

Standing tall

Touching all you reach

Transforming

The heart of

The universe.

- Margaret Cessna