'The Greatest Miracle Is Mental Peace'

For a woman who is revered by millions as the Goddess incarnate, Mata Amritanandamayi, or Amma, has a surprisingly down-to-earth quality. She laughs easily and often, throwing her head back. There is nothing self-important or vain about her; even her translator and disciple, Swami Amritaswarup, occasionally teases her, singing devotional songs to her as if they were characters traipsing through an Indian film and earning more laughs from the guru.

Our interview was conducted on the stage of Roone Arledge Hall, at Columbia University, as Amma, dressed in a simple white sari, gave

(literally, 'a vision of') to hundreds of spiritual seekers who lined up for a long hug. Even as she answered questions, she continued embracing her devotees, offering words of comfort along with a Hershey's Kiss. Divinity or not, it becomes clear just what makes grown men weep at her touch. When they're hugged, however briefly, many feel that the crowd recedes and the world fades away. The Goddess becomes the mother, a child in her arms.

For those who have a spiritual understanding, this will happen. Not for everyone. If you understand the essential principles in life, then sorrow can become the light in the darkness. But normal human beings sometimes become deeply depressed when faced with challenges of life's sorrows and pain. Whereas the spiritual seeker channels all his energies to God, the pain and the sorrow. He pours out his heart to God, to a higher reality. For him, it becomes a source of great understanding and compassion.

It's not that it's necessary. It's just the nature of the world, it's the nature of experiences, the nature of life, that it will bring pain and pleasure, failure and success. But how you receive it, and how you look at it, how you evaluate it, is more important.

So a normal human being, he doesn't receive it with a positive attitude. So it becomes a source of unhappiness and sometimes even culminates in depression. Whereas a spiritual seeker channels that to God, the pain and sorrow, he pours out his heart to the Divine. Then it becomes a source of compassion, and it really deepens your understanding.

Continued on page 2: »