Amma’s visit to Houston
3
to 8 May 2005
Amma
arrived in Houston on Tuesday, the 3rd of May. The weather in
Texas has been unseasonably cool and very pleasant, both preparing
for Mother's visit and through out her visit. Upon arrival we
had a Peace March for world peace at the Divine Discourse venue
on the first evening. Amma explained that our small home, Mother
Earth, needs our love and selfless intentions as well as actions.
These peace marches, done in Amma's divine presence, amplifies
our kind and selfless intentions and helps heal the world.
After the Peace March, we settled in to listen to some divine
wisdom from Amma's evening discourse. We learned some more about
how the chakras are powered. There was also advice
that Saturn is causing negative disturbances from now until
late September, which we can help mitigate by chanting and meditation.
Wednesday followed with Amma's personal blessings, which we
"western babies" are so blessed to receive once a
year from Amma. She reiterated that she has not come to us as
our Guru, but as our physical mother, to relieve our suffering
and sorrows. We were doubly blessed by having Amma perform Sri
Chakra Puja with milk while chanting Samputita Sri
Suktam and everyone received the milk as prasada.
Amma explained that this would help mitigate the effects of
Saturn. During the day, Amma blessed many people personally,
and in total more than double that amount when we include those
blessed additionally by proxy.
Thursday was a very beautiful day for the Homa, held
at Center Point Yoga center again. One person who came to participate
in the homa for healing had a really bad case of pneumonia
and could hardly walk. But, he left after the homa
feeling perfectly fine.
Thursday night we were especially blessed by a 2.5 hour tour
of Meenakshi Temple in Pearland, Texas, which is the 3rd oldest
Temple in North America. Amma thanked the priests for their
service and pujas . The head priest explained that
since Amma's first visit, the Temple has really grown, so it
is especially auspicious to have holy people like Amma visiting.
Amma gave blessings and prasada also at the Temple.
Some of the directors of the temple explained they had to leave,
but inexplicably, were drawn back into the Temple from the parking
lot as Amma meditated while the priests chanted. Amma gave some
more blessings and we all departed feeling blissful and energized
for the coming retreat.
Friday
came all too soon and we were in the retreat. Amma's vibrant,
light-filled essence graced the 100 participants at this year's
Houston Retreat. Right from the onset, the first meditation
immediately took us to a higher state through the Mother's grace.
Each meditation seemed to take us deeper and deeper into the
Silence with little effort. And this Light which touched us
all seemed to bring the participants into a oneness with the
world.
Amma
has asked us to chant the Sri Devi Khadga Mala and the Samputita
Sri Suktam twice daily, as our seva to the world and
to help mitigate the negative effects of Saturn (especially
between now and late September); to help uplift the chaos brought
on by maya in our world; and to bring the personal
perception of light and divine architecture to all in the world.
As we chanted the Sri Devi Khadga Mala, the Samputita Sri Suktam,
and the Sri Ganesha Pratah Smaranam, such a oneness brought
us closer to Amma's Lotus Feet and her presence into our hearts.
At times, it seemed as if this vibration was actually lifting
the whole of humanity through the chanting.
The
Sri Ganesha Pratah Smaranam is to eliminate depression from
our lives and the lives of others. It is best chanted 3 times
in the morning to help prevent depression. So, when we chant
Sri Lalita Pancharatnam in the morning (to the same tune as
the Ganesha Shlokas) we worship the five elements ( pancha
bhutas ) and help heal Mother Earth during this time of
transition, mitigating natural disasters. During the evening,
while a wedding was increasing in volume down the hall, we were
blessed by chanting the entire 21 verses of Sri Mahisasura Mardini
Stotram in Mother's Divine presence. It was explained on Sunday
that this came from Sri Adi Shankarachara as the condensed version
of the very powerful Chandi Sapta Shati. And, chanting it in
front of Amma in its entirety was very auspicious and filled
us with Mother's grace.
The highlight was on Sunday, on Mother's Day. We were incredibly
blessed with Amma's presence. It was as if all at the retreat
were the recipients of the most holy Mother's Day gift: that
of receiving the Divine Mother in our hearts. All the retreat
participants left the retreat truly touched. And as the retreat
ended, just like in 2004 in Texas, Mother Nature seemed to emphasize
this by giving us a huge electrical thunder storm, clearing
the skies, the pollution and the consciousness of the city.
All the elements and nature seemed to be crying at the prospect
of Amma leaving us, giving us much needed rain and nitrogen
from the lightning.
This
retreat seemed timeless and yet went by all too quickly. It
was interesting that Swamiji mentioned several times that Amma
was in charge of time. It seemed as though she took us out of
Earth time, and into the timeless presence of the Divine Mother.
All of the Texas devotees wish to thank Amma and Swamiji for
coming and continuing to bless and grace us. Also, a very heart
felt thank you to all the crew and to Amma's sister, without
whom the visits around North America would not be possible.
And thank you to all those behind the scenes in the SMVA trust
who work unseen to make this tour possible.
Om
Shanti, Shanti, Shanti!
Jai
Karunamayi!
Submitted
by : Houston devotees
