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A Living Saint

Posted By John Gialuco

……….On Monday July 5, my wife, Amy and I boarded a bus to NYC. Her meditation teacher rented a bus so a small group of us could receive a HUG from Amma, http://www.amma.org/, an extraordinary Indian Saint who has introduced the primal concept of giving people a simple hug with a unmeasurable amount of love energy to go from her to you. Amma probably gave hugs to 2000 people starting at 11 am until late into the night. The event was held at the Manhattan Center a few blocks from the royal Empire State Building which is once again the tallest building in NYC… for now. ‘Mother’ has hugged over 30 million people in the last 39 years, black, yellow, brown, white, young, old, sick and healthy. She has hugged for over 22 hours without a stop, without food or drink, an amazing feat for any human being. She makes claims to no religion, nor deity other than the Love of God, Goddess, All that Is.

After waiting around 3 hours for our turn Amy and I got in line to meet Amma. Amy was so very nervous and excited at the same time, she was even a little frightened. I am not sure what I felt since we continually had to move up towards Amma sequentially hopping from our seat to the seat in front of us and so on. As we were next in turn someone told me not to touch Amma but to grab the arm of her beautifully padded chair in which she sat all day. Someone gently took my small backpack that I had stuffed my sandals in alongside of some great Indian cookies I had bought downstairs in the make shift dining room. BTW the lunch and other Indian foods sold was some of the best tasting Indian food I’ve ever had. I was next surprisingly lifted and guided into the arms of Amma from her aides standing on either side of her. I tried to look into Amma‘s beautiful dark eyes which I had noticed earlier on the sidelines but I soon started to struggle for some air since my face was now crushed into her massive cleavage. In a moment’s time she lovingly pulled me into her and began to repeat a phrase which had a personal message but again I couldn’t quite hear her since my ears were now covered with her breasts and arms. Everything happened so slow and fast at the same time, I truly was bewildered. When I think and bring back the feelings I had at those moments I feel like crying from deep within my being. I can’t say exactly why except that I was given a gift of her energy and Darshan.

The Hugging Saint

It is an unspeakable thing to remember what we felt, what unconscious codes we were given when we were all hugged by our mothers or whoever gave us our first meaningful, loving hug in our lives. The Hug that conveyed our true sense of self hood, a knowing of unconditional love, acceptance and total safety. This is not a shock but a recognition of life, our life… for this one time in our existence we know we are eternal. But I digress.
Amy was in tears and a bit shaken as we were again helped up from Mother and gently guided to the side to then sit on the floor with others who had just received Darshan before us. From where we sat we could watch other people glide into the arms of this truly great woman who was born with the desire and choice to represent and disseminate Love through her simple, simple Hugging. For me seeing children of all ages hugged and kissed by Amma left the most touching impression.

I awoke that night at around 3 am and sat outside my patio in the 90 degree midnight heat just staring into the trees and sky, listening to the dark, knowing that for this short time all the bullshit we are inundated with day in and day out was suspended and that although we have come a long way as a species, we have never really been separated from our Source and Natures. I challenge every politician to run as fast as possible to get hugged by Amma and to remember what it is like to feel and believe in their humanity once again and to realize that we are all connected to and with each other and that we are all in this space-boat together!

Amma’s Dream

“Everyone in the world should be able to sleep without fear, at least for one night. Everyone should be able to eat to his fill, at least for one day. There should be at least one day when hospitals see no one admitted due to violence. By doing selfless service for at least one day, everyone should help the poor and needy. It is Amma’s prayer that at least this small dream be realised.” -Mata Amritanandamayi Devi.

Peace is Free, Mr. John

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