Gaurika(ChandigarhCityNews)
Forgetting our True Self is the root cause of all problems in the world:
Mata Amritanandamayi (Amma)
· Amma’s first-ever tour of Chandigarh as part of Her Bharat Yatra saw thousands in attendance
· Hon’ble Prof. Kaptan Singh Solanki, Governor of Haryana, and Shri Manohar Lal, Chief Minister of Haryana, among prominent guests
· Haryana CM applauds Amma’s work in health, education and humanitarian fields
Sharing Her deep spiritual insights with thousands of devotees on Her first-ever visit to Chandigarh, world-renowned humanitarian and spiritual leader Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Amma) said that all problems in the world have arisen because Man has forgotten his real essence.
She explained that everything in the world has two parts—the external form and its inner essence. It is only when these two aspects come together that anything attains completeness. “However, today man gives importance only to the body and sensory pleasures. Man has stopped considering the True Self—the indweller. When we only acknowledge the external and discard the internal, it creates a state of imbalance. This is the main reason behind all the problems we see in the world today,” she said.
Prof. Kaptan Singh Solanki, Hon’ble Governor of Haryana; Shri Manohar Lal, Chief Minister of Haryana; Shri Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Minister of Forests & Social Welfare, Govt. of Punjab; Captain Abhimanyu, Finance Minister, Govt. of Haryana; Shri Davesh Moudgil, Mayor of Chandigarh; and Smt. Upinder Kaur Walia, Mayor of Panchkula, were some of the prominent guests who graced the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Manohar Lal, Chief Minister of Haryana, said: “Amma’s name is synonymous with love, compassion and service to mankind. We are all looking forward to receiving guidance from Her for building a happier and healthier society. The Government alone cannot do all the development work. Spiritual leaders like Amma and their humanitarian institutions have a big role to play to fill the gaps and ensure the wholesome development of people. They can positively impact the thinking of the entire society and instill cultural values in the masses for peace and progress for all.”
Said Prof. Kaptan Singh Solanki, Hon’ble Governor of Haryana “We are delighted and feel privileged to have Amma with us in Chandigarh for the very first time. Mata Amritanandamayi Math has been doing excellent service in the areas of education, health, and humanitarian work by building schools, hospitals and university campuses across the country. Its upcoming super-specialty hospital in Faridabad is unique and will revolutionize healthcare delivery in the region. I am sure Amma’s presence among the people of Punjab and Haryana will begin a new chapter in their social and spiritual upliftment.”
Chief minister of Punjab Shri Amarinder Singh sent a written message to Amma on her first-ever visit to Chandigarh, calling it a “momentous occasion.” He said: “I am happy to know that you will be gracing Chandigarh with your August presence. This will provide the people of Chandigarh as well as adjoining areas an excellent opportunity to gain from your spiritual knowledge and be blessed with your darshan.”
In Her spiritual discourse, Amma said that the mind is a good servant, never a good master. As our attachment towards external objects grows, our mental strength weakens. We may think our attachment is minimal and insignificant, but as our attachment towards an object grows, we soon find that we are being reduced to a beggar before it. It becomes our master. “At present, we are trying to fill the broken pot of the mind with the water of worldly objects. A broken pot can never be filled. However, if we can discover the ever-full pot of bliss that exists within each of us, then the mind will stop its endless pursuit of material objects. Having received this precious human birth, we should not waste it for a trifle of worldly pleasures,” she explained.
Amma said that there is a big difference between physical and mental health. The more we move our body, the healthier we become. On the other hand, our mental health depends on how still we can keep our mind. Tragically, today the trend is to reduce physical activity and increase mental activity. “When our mind begins to quiet down, we will actually understand peace and contentment. The spiritual benefits gained through meditation can never be destroyed. We should not feel dejected thinking about our past. The past is like a lottery jackpot that we missed out on. There is no point crying about the money we could have won. Let us try to make the best use of the present moment,” she explained.
Prof. Kaptan Singh Solanki, Hon’ble Governor of Haryana, distributed sarees and cheques to provide working capital to 29 women representing Self Help Groups from Amma’s adopted villages such asPandori (Jammu), Indpur (Himachal Pradesh), Kanti (Haryana) and Maira (Punab). Shri Manohar Lal, Chief Minister of Haryana, handed over certificates to villagers for “Jivamritam” units installed by the Mata Amritanandamayi Math, each of which can provide filtered water to 400 to 500 five-member families in a village. Plant saplings and organic seeds were distributed by Shri Davesh Moudgil, Mayor, Chandigarh.
President Ram Nath Kovind launched Mata Amritanandamayi Math’s Rs 100 crore clean water initiative called Jivamritam for rural India in October 2017 on Amma’s 64th birthday. It aims at giving pure drinking water to 5,000 villages across India, benefiting more than one crore villagers.
During course of the day, Amma delivered spiritual discourses (satsang) as well as lead devotees in singing bhajans and doing meditation. She also gave her renowned darshan to everyone, which comes in the form of a motherly embrace. As part of the Bharat Yatra 2018, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Amma) has visited 12 cities before Chandigarh, including Madurai, Chennai, Coimbatore, Mangalore, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, and Delhi to shower Her blessings on the devotees and spread the message of love and peace.
Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi
Amma has delivered addresses at the United Nations several times and has spoken twice at the Parliament of the World’s Religions. Among other accolades, she has received the Gandhi-King Award for Non-violence in Geneva, the James Parks Morton Interfaith Award in New York, and an honorary doctorate from the State University of New York. In 2014, at the invitation of His Holiness Pope Francis, Amma was one of 12 religious and spiritual leaders to travel to the Vatican to sign a joint declaration against modern slavery. Throughout her life, Amma has embraced and comforted more than 38 million people. When asked where she gets the energy to help so many people while also building and running a massive humanitarian organization, Amma answers: “Where there is true love, everything is effortless. Love transforms.”
