In response to the various problems and needs of humanity, Amma's mission seeks to address both physical and spiritual suffering. During her time in the Penusila forest, which is in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, Amma became intimately familiar with the special problems faced by the villagers living there, including a lack of access to adequate health care and education. Amma's humanitarian mission grew out of this direct exposure to the problems faced by rural villagers in South India.

During Amma's travels in the US, she has personally talked with thousands of people across the country as they shared their grief, their problems, and their hopes with her. This has given Amma a unique perspective on the spiritual and emotional needs of Westerners, which has helped her to develop her teaching mission.

Teaching Mission

On a spiritual level, Sri Karunamayi aims to inspire and encourage everyone to make progress on whatever spiritual path he or she has chosen, as she believes that all paths lead to the same goal of spiritual liberation. For those who are interested in the Vedic teachings of ancient India, Amma provides instruction and guidance in meditation, mantra japa, Sanskrit chanting, and sacred worship. It is Amma's feeling that the eternal truths of Sanatana Dharma, India's ancient spirituality, were intended for the benefit of all humanity. In light of this, she has dedicated her life to making the spiritual essence of Sanatana Dharma accessible and understandable to all sincere seekers.

During public programs, Amma speaks from a Vedic viewpoint about such universal principles as truthfulness, divine love, compassion, and the inner beauty of the Divine Mother-the feminine face of God. During meditation retreats, Amma gives teachings on specific spiritual practices in greater detail. Recent topics have included the Gayatri Mantra, the Vedic lifestyle advocated in the Rig Veda, and the spiritual meaning of such scriptures as the Sri Suktam, Purusha Suktam, and the Mahishasura Mardini Stotram.

Amma does not just teach philosophy, as it is her belief that spiritual practice and experience are absolutely necessary. The practices she teaches are designed to enable people to make maximum progress in their spiritual lives. She focuses on teaching Sanskrit mantras designed to relieve the various forms of suffering that result from physical disease, mental disturbances, and spiritual delusion.

Amma's teachings focus on the compassionate nature of the Divine Mother as well as the scriptures dedicated to Her, including the Sri Suktam, Lalita Sahasranama, and Mahishasura Mardini Stotram. Many of these mantras and scriptures have not been taught openly in the West or even in India, and some have questioned Amma's willingness to teach these sacred scriptures openly. Her reply is that Veda Mata, the form of Divine Mother who has gifted the holy Vedas to humanity, is the Mother of all and loves all of Her children impartially. Therefore, all have the right to worship and approach their Mother through studying and chanting these holy scriptures.

To read published articles or edited transcripts of Amma's discourses, please visit the Message page. Amma's teachings have inspired a number of books and learning tapes/CDs, which are featured in the online Bookstore.

Humanitarian Mission

During her time in the remote Penusila forest, Amma saw for herself the physical suffering of the villagers, who often did not have enough to eat or suffered from diseases and conditions that could have been treated had they had access to a doctor. Seeing this suffering first-hand, she arranged for free meals to be served and for medical camps to be held free of charge. Wishing to provide the villagers with full-time quality healthcare, Amma has initiated the construction of a 100-bed hospital that will provide free care to the 500,000 villagers who currently have no access to health care. Although most effort has gone into completing the construction of the hospital, free outpatient clinics are now being held on a weekly basis in an effort to address current health needs, as many villagers lack the means to obtain even simple pain-relievers, like aspirin.

In Penusila, Amma also saw the need for better education for the villagers' children, so she founded a free school. The school now serves the needs of over 200 students, and a new building is currently being constructed to accommodate the growing numbers of children who wish to further their education. At the Sri Karunamayi Free School, students are provided with free uniforms, materials and books, as one of the greatest obstacles to education in India is access to appropriate learning materials. Classes currently include math, science, social studies, English and Sanskrit as well as spiritual instruction in meditation and yoga, as Amma believes that education should be well-rounded.