Lessons on living with joy from the Hindu spiritual leader Amma Sri Karunamayi

My heart pounds in my chest. A wave of insecurities and self-sabotaging thoughts washes over me. I am left trembling and fumbling, unable to breathe. My mind races, going a thousand miles a minute. I wait, awed by who is on the other side of the door. For on this day, I will interview a living saint, her Holiness… Amma Sri Karunamayi.

This Holy embodiment of the Divine Motherly Love (Amma = “mother”) is one of the most sacred people in the world. She embraces the world with unconditional love and selflessness, inspiring millions of people to walk for days and weeks, just to catch a glimpse of her Divine clothes, or witness her Divine silhouette.

She is not allowed to be touched; even the sari She wears is sacred.

“Who am I to approach this Holy Lady?” I second-guess myself. My knees shake as I somehow walk through the door, terrified of making any wrong move.

Suddenly, the beam of the Sun touches my face! Here is Amma in her full glory, looking at me with a smile. The golden light frames her perfectly black hair and glows in the yellow ropes. She smiles and offers me a seat right in front of Her. Her eyes pierce through my very soul and Her energy gently fills my entire being. My breath is still, my heart is at peace. I am no longer afraid… the “holiness” of Amma does not make me feel inferior. Instead, my very own perfect whole and holy core is reflected.

“Can we ever achieve eternal peace?” I ask, “Or is it a privilege given only to Saints like you?”

“You have your doctorate degree, yes?” She replies kindly. “You cannot ‘un-doctorate’ yourself, right? So it is with the bliss. Once you reach that state of awareness, you cannot go back.”

There are no words to fully describe the experience of being in the presence of this Divine Light. Please consider this humble interview to be a small glimpse into the nature of this Holy Lady.

Watch our full interview here:

Amma Sri Karunamayi is a modern-time Saint, born into a religious family who received visions about giving a birth to a Saint who will serve humanity.

She spent most of Her early years immersed in prayer and meditation. Since early childhood, She has shown unconditional love for all people, animals, and plants. She showers everyone with affection and provides spiritual knowledge and guidance to anyone in Her surroundings. As a little girl, She miraculously saved a servant from a deadly disease and has been performing healing miracles ever since.

At the age of 21 She decided to leave Her house and travelled alone into the wilderness, the sacred Penusila Forest, where She spent 10 years in meditation. With only a simple sari on, She sat hours, days, and weeks at a time in stillness. Rumors started forming about the “statue lady” and people wanted to test Her strength by trying to distract Her, even throwing pebbles at Her. Nothing could take Her peace and calmness away. She sat quietly and peacefully for years in the wilderness among animals and plants, soaking in the Divine energy.

Upon Her return home, She was fully ready to complete Her mission: to serve humanity, promote world peace and universal well-being.

“I love people. I so love people!” Amma says. Her smile is warm and child-like.

And She truly loves each and everyone She meets. She has been traveling the globe for over 20 years, selflessly dedicating Her time to relieve the pain and suffering of all — regardless of their religion, ethnicity, gender or nationality. Her charities help eradicate poverty and provide free housing and medical care for those less fortunate. They also help supply water treatment facilities to impoverished communities that have been severely affected by toxic water resources.

Amma’s charities also provide mentorship and education to children. “I love helping children, especially little girls,” She says. Often Amma states that Her only work in this world is to “free the hearts of children from all suffering and pain.”

Her yearly world tours allow people from all over the world to experience Her unconditional love and teachings through meditation retreats, sacred fire ceremonies, and one-on-one blessings.

These interactions with Amma are truly magical. I can attest to it myself. During the brief 15 minutes that I spent in Her company, immense clarity and tranquility came over me. In Her presence, there was no room for pain or suffering. Only joy, only happiness.

“You are good,” she says, looking straight into my eyes.

And I believe Her. My inner critic falls asleep and my self-doubts disappear… “Come closer, give me a hug, let me bless you.” As I kneel in front of the Divine Mother, disappearing in the embrace of this Holy being… I am home.

For more information on Amma Sri Karunamayi check Her site: http://www.karunamayi.org/homepage/