In July, New England will welcome back world humanitarian and spiritual leader, Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, also affectionately called Amma, meaning Mother. She is also known as the "Hugging Saint" by the international media for personally hugging 33 million people all over the world.
Last year, Amma lauched the InDeed Campaign for Nature to help restore the lost balance between humanity and nature through easy commitments. Recognized by UNESCO, the project includes commitments to conserving water, reducing our carbon footprint, planting trees, planting our own vegetables, carpooling and building houses for birds and endangered species, such as bees.
"By living in harmony with Nature one gains a healthy mind and body." — Amma
Amma recommends that everyone try to grow enough of their own vegetables so that at least once a month, they can eat food they grew themselves. By growing your own organic veggies, you can be sure that the food you eat is free from pesticides and that its natural healthy properties are intact. But ultimately, we care for nature not because the future of humanity is at stake, but because it’s the right thing to do. If we lose our inner feeling of being connected with Nature, we start to exploit and thereby destroy her. Growing your own veggies is a wonderful way to re-establish this rich but forgotten relationship.
In recent years, Amma’s volunteers from eastern Massachusetts teamed up to create backyard vegetable, fruit and flower gardens to honor Amma’s wishes of a "greener" future. Laura Merwin was one of the volunteers who worked on a backyard garden in Watertown, MA. Besides reaping a large harvest of carrots, radishes, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and squash over the summer, Laura also learned important lessons in surrender, patience, and conservation. Says Laura, "As I reflect on the process it took to develop Amma’s garden in Watertown, I am awestruck that anything actually grew. We were brand new gardeners and I had little to no faith. Who would have ever thought that a tiny seed could hold the bounty of life and creation itself? Who would have ever believed in the miraculous combination of natural sunlight, water, and photosynthesis? It’s not just 7th grade science! It does exist!"
You are invited to meet Amma and receive her individual, loving embrace. Free programs are on July 15th at 10am and 7:30pm and July 18th at 7pm at the Best Western, 181 Boston Post Road West in Marlborough, MA. Programs include inspirational music, meditation, spiritual discourse, and personal blessings.
Numbered tokens for individual blessings are distributed one hour before programs begin. Tokens are limited by time constraints. For more information, please visit www.ammanewengland.org/tour, call 716-226-6223 or email ammanewengland@gmail.com.
For information on Amma’s charitable activities and the InDeed campaign, please visit www.embracingtheworld.org.