Every culture has a primal spiritual vision that informs its development. And, India possesses in its many regional cultures, links that lead us to discover a sense of its vast and ancient connection to the Divine. India is indeed, a culture of sacred traditions.

It is this connection with the Divine which, since time immemorial, was embodied in all the aspects of daily life; derived from direct observation of cosmic energies in the form of the sun and planets, the rhythm of the seasons, the types of crops and herbs that growing under the influence of these natural patterns, and the colors, tastes, and forms of animal and human life supported thereby.

This ancient vision has been lost across the globe, and it is of vital importance to preserve and interpret the hints and echoes that remain.

A Complete Teaching

From the sustaining hearth fires of village life, to the colorful celebrations of sacred holidays, to the profoundly austere and focused lives of yogis, the complete teaching of Sanatana Dharma is a unified vision of life; a life-promoting vision that is capable of providing the modern era with time-tested information about how to live in peace and harmony.

Amma’s Mission

In this modern world, countless indigenous peoples have lost their cultural bearings and their connection to the Earth due to the forces of modernization and commercialization. This has nearly always been disastrous for their health, happiness and well-being. For the sake of preserving India’s spiritual culture and safeguarding it against these forces, and of restrictive interpretations, Amma has dedicated her life to giving discourses, holding sacred ceremonies, and creating numerous audio and video recordings so that future generations will not have to mourn the loss of the unique and precious culture based in Sanatana Dharma.

Keeping the Flame Alive

In Sanatana Dharma, all the elements within Nature are held to be sacred and inherently pure. However, it is believed that physical pollution as well as the subtle pollution of humanity’s violence and selfishness creates stress within the natural environment. For the purification and release of all forms of negativity, India’s ancient sages recommended the holy yajna, or homa ceremony, above all others.

A homa is a fire ceremony that seeks to honor all forms of the Divine through the sacred medium of the element of fire. In this ceremony, many items are offered to God, along with prayers for universal peace. It is believed that one’s prayers and positive thoughts rise with the homa smoke into the atmosphere, where they then spread through the entire world to promote universal peace and happiness.

To preserve and elucidate the ancient culture of India and highlight the need for peace, purification and positive thoughts, Amma arranges for fire ceremonies to be conducted during many of her programs and tours. In this way, people come together to acknowledge the goal of world peace in an atmosphere rendered sacred by the combination of ancient peace prayers and the purifying element of fire.

Empowering Women

In the tradition of Sanatana Dharma, sound itself is considered to contain powerful divine energy. There are countless mantras, verses, and divine poems containing mystical insights, yogic advice, and spiritual precepts. Due to some unfortunate cultural developments, some have come to believe that common people cannot understand or use mantras properly. In some cases, women have been barred from reciting certain mantras, like the famous and holy Gayatri Mantra. As a result, many sincere and devout people have been prevented from accessing India’s profound mystical traditions.

To correct this unfortunate development, Amma has made special recordings of sacred Sanskrit chants, with the specific intention that all sincere seekers be able to learn and benefit from these priceless practices. So that all may understand the spiritual value of these ancient chants, Amma has also published a number of books elucidating the inner spiritual meaning of these mantras and hymns. In this way, countless people have gained new respect for the spiritual and cultural traditions of ancient India.

The Arts and Education

Like Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of creativity and wisdom, Amma inspires every community she visits with the understanding that Art and Education are indeed sacred. Her encouragement is uniquely personal, and focused on nurturing creativity, wisdom, and self-discipline for children and their supportive parents.

This energetic empowerment includes giving Saraswati Bija initiation to students, a process which removes obstacles to their education; and in the blessing of children and local artists who regularly perform recitals of music, dance, and poetry. For these artists and students of the arts, a performance for Amma is a journey into the unity of Art and the Sacred, which requires their total concentration, humility, love and self-discipline.

Within the context of sacred ritual, we see also see the evidence of creativity and innovation. Sacred mandala drawings, which have become a popularly recognized feature of Tibetan Buddhism, are also found in the Hindu tradition. Amma’s performance of rituals which embody the creative expression of the religious soul requires young priests to be trained in the Sacred Arts, carrying on extremely ancient and beautiful traditions.

Renewing the Revelation

Each sacred culture forms groups of stewards to provide continuity for their primal spiritual vision. Time takes its toll, and often social and political power is substituted for Divine power.

As a living embodiment of the Vedas, Amma works with Vedic priests across the world to renew their commitment to purity, humility, and world peace. This is Amma’s greatest gift to the worldwide Hindu religious community, which has survived for millennia and now inspires the Western world with one of its main links to the sacred.

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