AMMA: The Embodiment of Love Personified Returns to New England

You are mesmerized as you watch a small Indian woman, dressed in a simple white sari, take each person in the line before you into her arms and embrace them as if she were their own mother. Before you know it, you are in her arms and she is whispering, “My darling child. My darling child. My darling child.” The hug ends sooner than you would like and in your hand, you find a rose petal and a chocolate. You feel happy and peaceful—almost joyful.

This is the basic narrative that many share after meeting Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, affectionately known as Amma (Mother), for the first time. Amma has been traveling the world to embrace people for 31 years, and has hugged over 36 million people to date. “When people come to see me, I understand how much they are suffering,” explains Amma. “When I see them crying, I wipe their tears. My main goal is to console them and help them experience peace and love.”

Amma’s international collective of charities, Embracing the World (ETW), is active in 30 countries and has dedicated $75 million to disaster relief and recovery. ETW provided immediate aid to victims in Japan, Haiti, Nepal and India, the 2004 South Asian Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, the Philippines typhoon and severe flooding in parts of India. ETW also provides free medical care, pensions for widows and disabled people, vocational training and scholarships for the young. It runs orphanages in India and Kenya, and care homes for the elderly. ETW donated 3,000 pounds of food and essential items to victims of the Puerto Rico hurricane in March, 2018.

In North America each year, ETW volunteers prepare and serve 72,000 meals in 38 cities. Volunteers across New England, including at the MA Center in Boylston, MA, prepared and delivered 790 meals to local shelters, and collected and donated 11,000 loaves of bread and 530 pairs of socks to homeless shelters, in 2017. They also donated 1,200 lbs. of non-perishable and household items to area food pantries.

Amma says, “In today’s world, people experience two types of poverty: the poverty caused by lack of food, clothing and shelter, and the poverty caused by lack of love and compassion. Of these two, the second type needs to be considered first because if we have love and compassion in our hearts, then we will wholeheartedly serve those who suffer from lack of food, clothing and shelter.”

Amma will be in Marlborough, MA on June 28 and 29. You are invited to receive a personal blessing during the free programs. Programs include inspirational music, meditation, spiritual discourse, and personal blessings.

For information, visit ammanewengland.org/tour, call 716.226.6223

or email ammanewengland@ammagroups.org

Please plan to arrive at least 90 minutes before the program to receive a free token if you would like to have Amma’s embrace. Tokens are limited by time constraints.

For information on Amma's charitable activities, please visit embracingtheworld.org