I first heard of Amma about 5 years ago when my friend Youlanda told me she was going to see her. "She hugs people" is what she said to me. I found this a strange and beautiful concept back then.
Amma is a 58 year old woman from India. She is the epitome of compassion. She receives every person who comes to her, day and night and gives them all a healing hug. Her followers are huge in number and she now has many centers throughout the world.
When I saw that she would be at her center in San Ramon and that there would be a public program, I decided to go. I had no idea what the evening would hold.....
My friend Kenton and I met in the East Bay and drove to San Ramon together. We parked in the large lot of a hotel where a shuttle would take us to the M.A. Center. There were about 20 people there waiting for a ride there was crackly excitement in the air. Jessica, a young woman sitting next to me in the van told me about her experiences with Amma and how it had changed her life. She has done several retreats with her and gone to various cities in the US where Amma was speaking. She said we were there on a very special night because after everyone had received their hug - which would be sometime around 9 am (what?), Amma would perform weddings and a special ceremony that would include feeding the children.
When we arrived in the Center parking lot, we were unloaded and then loaded into another van that would take up the 1/2 mile to where the program was taking place. It felt like a great adventure. When we arrived, the first thing I saw was the biggest tent kitchen on the planet. A huge food production was taking place and the smell was of Indian spice heaven. People were lined up on either side of the road and we were told that Amma, (or Mother) would be driving up any moment. Everyone was very excited and soon were chanting and singing together. I felt as though I had been dropped into another universe. One that was colorful and exciting and smelled and looked a little like India. But with lots of green port o' potties standing in rows like soldiers waiting to serve.
We waited about 10 minutes and soon a small car came up the lane with the beautiful face of Amma radiating from the back seat. She was dressed in white and smiled and waved as the car drove slowly past. The gates opened and the car disappeared behind them.
We were told that we needed to get a numbered token to exchange for a hug with Amma, so we set off in search of the token person, who we found inside the huge dining hall. There were probably 500 people in the hall snacking on samosa, drinking tea and talking about their various experiences with Amma. There was a big screen at the front of the room and Amma could be seen on stage in the Temple, which was not far from the dining hall. We were told that the temple was full and we could watch everything from there until our number was called. Looking around the room I noticed that there were all kinds of people there from every walk of life, it seemed. But the one thing that struck me is that the energy and excitement were clear and there was a strong feeling of love in the big room.
Soon it was announced that dinner would be served and we were asked to go outside and form a line, which moved pretty fast and soon we were back inside the hall with plates pile high with saag paneer, briyani rice, chickpea daal and naan. It was beautiful and so delicious.
While in the food line, we met Vir, a Sikh man who had seen Amma many times. He was funny and we became instant companions. He told us that his sister was helping to set up the event and because of that he was able to see Amma when she first arrived. We saw Vir several times throughout the evening and at one point he introduced us to his sister, a tall, beautiful Indian woman in her 50's.
After our delicious meal, we walked over to the temple to check things out. It's a large hall with 3 sections of folding chair seating in the middle, floor seating in the front where live music was being played and people sat and meditated or prayed, and an upper floor with bleacher style seating.
The stage was elevated and lit up like a Hollywood movie set. There were lines of people on either side waiting patiently for their moment. Ushers helped to move the line along and large signs were held up showing the number of the current group.We waiting a few hours until our number was shown. Feeling giddy and excited, we went to the front of the room and proudly showed our numbers to the attendant. "Oooooo...so soooorry. This number has a Z behind it so it means you will be last in the group. It will be several more hours...." At this point it was almost midnight. We had been there for 5 hours, and now it may be 6 or 7 am before we get close to Amma. We weren't sure if we were up for it. Just then, Vir's sister appeared and asked how we were doing, and if we had our tokens. We told her we did and showed her the number. "Oooooooo" she said with a wobble of her head. "It will be some time before you get to see Amma....but if you don't want to wait, I can take you now, since it's your first time." A beautiful angel had appeared right before us. She was so kind.
She ushered us to the front and we were given instructions on what to do and not do when you are in front of Amma. We were taken up the steps and put into a succession of folding chairs, then as we got closer, we got onto our knees, and suddenly, there I was, in front of the hugging saint I had been waiting for all night. She was all in white with a silver crown-looking hat on her head. She sat in a simple chair with a yellow cloth umbrella high over her to protect against evil. She had a huge, loving smile for everyone. As I crawled closer, I suddenly felt hands on my shoulders, and then an attendant pushed my head forward into Amma's lap. As her arms wrapped around me, she leaned down and whispered something in my ear that I could not understand. In the next instant, I was pulled back turned around and ushered to the side of the stage. The encounter lasted about 5 seconds.
As I look back on this event, I realize that it was very important. There was so much love in that room that first came from one woman and radiated out into every person there. The love grew and expanded and surrounded us all and we were part of the chain. I felt great inspiration by what one woman who gives hugs can do in the world, and thought about what our world could look like if we all just embrace each other and share a smile and a hug. And keep the hug chain going...
