Mata Amritanandamayi: Comparison
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  • idamannel
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1. Introduction

Mātā Amritānandamayī Devī (born Sudhamani Idamannel; 27 September 1953), often known simply as Amma ("Mother"), is an Indian Hindu spiritual leader, guru and humanitarian,[1][2] who is revered as 'the hugging saint' by her followers.[3]

2. Life

Mātā Amritānandamayī Devi is an Indian guru from Parayakadavu (now partially known as Amritapuri), Alappad Panchayat in Karunagappally, Kollam District, in the state of Kerala.[4] Born to a family of fishermen in 1953, she was the third child of Sugunanandan and Damayanti. She has six siblings.[5]

As part of her chores, Amṛtānandamayī gathered food scraps from neighbours for her family's cows and goats, through which she was confronted with the intense poverty and suffering of others. She would bring these people food and clothing from her own home. Her family, which was not wealthy, scolded and punished her. Amṛtānandamayī also began to spontaneously embrace people to comfort them in their sorrow. Despite the reaction of her parents, Amṛtānandamayī continued.[6] Regarding her desire to embrace others, Amṛtānandamayī commented, "I don't see if it is a man or a woman. I don't see anyone different from my own self. A continuous stream of love flows from me to all of creation. This is my inborn nature. The duty of a doctor is to treat patients. In the same way, my duty is to console those who are suffering."[7]

Amṛtānandamayī rejected numerous attempts by her parents to arrange for her marriage.[8] In 1981, after spiritual seekers had begun residing at her parents' property in Parayakadavu in the hopes of becoming Amṛtānandamayī's disciples, the Mātā Amṛtānandamayī Math (MAM), a worldwide foundation, was founded.[9] Amṛtānandamayī continues to serve as chairperson of the Math. Today the Mata Amritanandmayi Math is engaged in many spiritual and charitable activities.[10]

In 1987, at the request of devotees, Amṛtānandamayī began to conduct programs in countries throughout the world. She continues to do so annually.

3. Darshan

Amṛtānandamayī's form of giving darshana is hugging people.[11] As to how this began, Amṛtānandamayī said, "People used to come and tell [me] their troubles. They would cry and I would wipe their tears. When they fell weeping into my lap, I used to hug them. Then the next person too wanted it... And so the habit picked up."[12] Amṛtānandamayī has embraced more than 33 million people throughout the world for over 30 years.[11]

When asked, in 2002, to what extent she thought her embraces helped the ills of the world, Amṛtānandamayī replied, "I don't say I can do it 100 percent. Attempting to change the world [completely] is like trying to straighten the curly tail of a dog. But society takes birth from people. So by affecting individuals, you can make changes in the society and, through it, in the world. You cannot change it, but you can make changes. The fight in individual minds is responsible for the wars. So if you can touch people, you can touch the world."[13]

Amṛtānandamayī's darshana has been the centerpiece of her life, as she has received people nearly every day since the late 1970s. Given the size of the crowds coming to seek Amṛtānandamayī's blessings, there have been times when she has given darshana for more than 20 continuous hours.[14][15]

4. Teachings and Public Image

Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Amma) embraces a child. https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?curid=1530466

In the book The Timeless Path, Swami Ramakrishnananda Puri, one of Amṛtānandamayī's senior disciples, wrote: "The [spiritual] path inculcated by Amma is the same as the one presented in the Vedas and recapitulated in subsequent traditional scriptures such as the Bhagavad Gita."[16] Amṛtānandamayī herself says, "karma [action], jñana [knowledge] and bhakti [devotion] are all essential. If the two wings of a bird are devotion and action, knowledge is its tail. Only with the help of all three can the bird soar into the heights."[17] She accepts the various spiritual practices and prayers of all religions as but different methods toward the same goal of purifying the mind.[18] Along these lines, she stresses the importance of meditation, performing actions as karma yoga, selfless service, and cultivating divine qualities such as compassion, patience, forgiveness, self-control, etc. Amṛtānandamayī has said that these practices refine the mind, preparing it to assimilate the ultimate truth: that one is not the physical body and mind, but the eternal, blissful consciousness that serves as the non-dual substratum of the universe.[16] This understanding itself Amṛtānandamayī referred to as jivanmukti [liberation while alive]. Amṛtānandamayī said, "Jivanmukti is not something to be attained after death, nor is it to be experienced or bestowed upon you in another world. It is a state of perfect awareness and equanimity, which can be experienced here and now in this world, while living in the body. Having come to experience the highest truth of oneness with the Self, such blessed souls do not have to be born again. They merge with the infinite."[17]

Amritanandamayi is known for frequently referring to herself in the third person as "Amma", which is a common spiritual practice in Hinduism.[19]

5. Social Issues

In her public talks and in articles, Amritanandamayi has taken up several social issues, including the importance of selfless service,[20] the need for inter-religious harmony,[21] for environmental protection[22] and of desegregating science and spirituality.[23] She also regularly speaks on the importance of women's empowerment and gender equality as well as that of humankind cultivating what she refers to as viśva-mātrutvam — an attitude of motherliness towards all beings in creation, specifically through expressing compassion, patience and selflessness.[24] She has also spoken out against human trafficking and forced prostitution, speaking at the Vatican and signing the Universal Declaration Against Slavery in an event organized by Pope Francis at the Vatican in 2014.[25][26] And in 2018, under the patronage of Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, she participated in a similar event aimed at protecting children from abuse and predation via the Internet.[27] In July 2015, Amritanandamayi delivered the keynote address at a United Nations Academic Impact conference on technology and sustainable development, co-hosted by Amrita University. There, she requested the scientific community to infuse its research with awareness and compassion, stressing the importance of keeping the aim of uplifting the poor and suffering in mind when undertaking technological research.[28][29] She has spoken several times at the United Nations and twice at the Parliament of the World's Religions.

6. Bhajans

Amṛtānandamayī has recorded more than 1,000 bhajans, or devotional songs, in 35 languages.[30] She has also composed dozens of bhajans and set them to traditional ragas. Regarding devotional singing as a spiritual practice, Amṛtānandamayī says, "If the bhajan is sung with one-pointedness, it is beneficial for the singer, the listeners, and Nature as well. Later when the listeners reflect on the songs, they will try to live in accordance with the lessons enunciated therein."[31] Amṛtānandamayī has said that in today's world, it is often difficult for people to attain deeply focused concentration in meditation. A person can be aided in reaching this level of concentration with bhajans.[32]

7. Humanitarian Work

Amritanandamayi is founder and chairman of the Mata Amritanandamayi Math and the founder of Embracing the World.[33] Embracing the World is a global network of local and regional charitable organizations and projects that has grown out of the Mata Amritanandamayi Math's India-based charitable projects.[34] The organizations' focus is on providing the poor with the five basic needs of food, shelter, healthcare, education and livelihood.[2][35][36] The organizations also conduct work in the fields of disaster relief and environmental protection as well as on conducting research and developing new technologies to help the poor and needy.[37][38][39][40]

7.1. Food

In India, the Mata Amṛtānandamayī Math provides 10 million free meals to poor people annually via its various centres. Likewise, Embracing the World feed more than 150,000 annually in North America through 49 centres that conduct a program called "Mother’s Kitchen", started in 1987. Other feed-the-hungry programs exist in Mexico, Costa Rica, France, Spain, Kenya, Brazil, Slovenia and Australia.[41] The Math is also currently deploying filtration systems with the goal of providing clean drinking water in 5,000 village centres throughout India, which would provide water purification to 10 million villagers.[42]

7.2. Shelter

Since 1998, the Mata Amritanandamayi Math has constructed over 47,000 houses for the homeless in 75 locations throughout India.[43][44] It also runs an orphanage for 500 children in Kerala, and Embracing the World manages a children’s home in Nairobi.[45]

7.3. Healthcare

The Mata Amritanandamayi Math manages the 1,100-bed super-speciality hospital Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences in Kochi, which it launched in 1998,[46] as well as several other free healthcare clinics, medicine dispensaries, hospices in India.[47] It is also in the process of constructing a 2,000-bed hospital in Delhi NCR.[48] In total, the math has provided totally free medical care and surgeries to more than four million people since 1998.[49][50] This includes super-specialty surgeries including heart surgeries, brain surgeries and kidney transplants.[51] Aside from free treatment, Amrita Institute provides care on a sliding scale, allowing people to pay what they can afford. This is often a minimal percent of the total medical cost.[37]

7.4. Livelihood

In 1998, the Math started a program titled Amrita Nidhi that provides lifetime pensions to destitute widows and to people who are physically and mentally challenged.[52] As of 2019, a total of 100,000 people were enrolled.[53][54] It also started AmritaSREE (Self-Reliance, Empowerment & Employment) in 2006.[55] This program has helped more than 200,000 women form self-help groups throughout India.[56]

7.5. Education

Amṛtānandamayī is founder and chancellor of Amrita University, a six-campus, multi-disciplinary research university that in 2020 was ranked as the fourth-best university in India by NIRF, is accredited with an 'A' grade by NAAC,[57] and was selected as an "Institute of Eminence" by the Indian Government in 2019.[58] Under her guidance, the university puts a strong focus on research-and-development to uplift the sick and poor.[59] The Mata Amṛtānandamayī Math also runs a scholarship program that currently provides 50,000 scholarships for economically challenged children throughout India,[60] and Embracing the World provides scholarships outside of India in times of need, such as in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.[61]

7.6. Disaster Relief

Within India, the Mata Amṛtānandamayī Math has been involved in relief-and-rehabilitation efforts following natural disasters since 2001,[62] and Embracing the World has come to aid in the wake of several disasters outside of India as well.[63][64][65] Embracing the World has provided a total of $75 million in disaster-relief work since 2004.[66][67] The disasters after which the Mata Amṛtānandamayī Math and Embracing the World have conducted relief-and-rehabilitation work include: the 2001 Gujarat earthquake,[68] the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami,[69] Hurricane Katrina (2005),[70] the 2008 Bihar flood,[71] the 2005 Gujarat flood,[71] the Maharashtra floods of 2005,[71] Cyclone Aila of 2009,[71] the 2010 Haiti Earthquake,[72] the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami,[73] the 2013 North India floods,[74] Typhoon Haiyan in 2013,[75] the 2014 India–Pakistan floods,[71] the May 2015 Nepal earthquake,[76] the 2015 South Indian floods,[71] the Puttingal temple fire of 2016,[77] Hurricane Maria of 2017,[78] Cyclone Ockhi of 2017,[79] the 2018 Kerala floods,[80] and the 2019 Kerala floods.[81] In 2019, the Math gave Rs. 500,000 to each of the families of the 40 CRPF soldiers who were killed in the 2019 Pulwama attack.[82]

7.7. Environmental Protection

On 11 September 2015, Amṛtānandamayī donated US$15 million to the Government of India's Namami Gange "Clean the Ganges" program for the specific purpose of constructing toilets for poor families living along the Ganges River.[83] On 27 September 2015, Amṛtānandamayī pledged that her NGO would dedicate the value of another US$15 million to toilet construction and other sanitation efforts specifically in the Indian state of Kerala.[84] Amritanandamayi's organization has been cleaning the Pampa River and Sabarimala Kerala Temple pilgrimage site annually since 2012.[85][86][87][88]

8. Controversies

8.1. Book by Sreeni Pattathanam

Sreeni Pattathanam, the Kerala-based head of the Indian Rationalist Association, wrote Matha Amritanandamayi: Sacred Stories and Realities, a controversial critique first published in 1985. The author said all the "miracles" of Amṛtānandamayī were falsified. It was further written that there had been many suspicious deaths in and around her ashram that required police investigation.[89]

On 9 August 2002, a Deshabhimani, a left-leaning Malayalam daily, published a similar account, demanding investigation into the same deaths Pattathanam found suspicious.[90] On 24 September 2002, Deshabhimani officially apologised for the report, publishing an article titled "Report that Suspicious Deaths at Amritanandamayi Math Are Growing Was Incorrect". The article stated: "We now state with conviction that there was nothing suspicious about deaths that happened in the Math. Some of the deaths mentioned in the article did not even take place at the Math." The article went on to explain that relatives of the deceased had personally contacted Deshabhimani in order to correct the misinformation conveyed in the original article. In several cases, the editors noted the relatives had contacted Deshabhimani to explain they were at the bedsides of elderly kin who had died of natural causes, with no suspicious aspects regarding the passings.[91]

In 2004, the Kerala State Government sanctioned criminal prosecution of Patthathanam, the owner of the publishing company, and the printer of the book on grounds that religious sentiments had been offended and for the libelous statements in the book. The order followed directions from the Kerala High Court to the Home Department for considering an application by T. K. Ajan, a resident of the Mata Amṛtānandamayī Math.[92] CPI leader Thengamam Balakrishnan protested the move against Pattathanam.[93]

8.2. Source of Foreign Aid

In June 2007, Shantanu Guha Ray wrote in Tehelka weekly that Amṛtānandamayī Math, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Baba Ramdev, and other NGOs and religious organisations had large annual turnover of INR crores.[94] In June 2007, novelist Paul Zacharia wrote on Tehelka that Amṛtānandamayī is free from the typical scrutiny on money that has foreign connections.[95] In May 2008, the president of Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham, U. Kalanathan, urged the state government to conduct an enquiry into Amṛtānandamayī's assets. He said the sources of her income and its utilisation should be investigated.[96] In June 2008, writer Sukumar Azhikode demanded the state government to probe the source of foreign aid received by her organisation.

8.3. Allegations by Gail Tredwell

In 2013, Gail Tredwell, a former disciple of Amṛtānandamayī, self-published a memoir of her 1980–99 tenure in Amṛtānandamayī's ashram. She made some allegations in this memoir as well as media interviews which preceded and followed the release of the book.[5][97][98] The allegations, including the claim that Tredwell was physically assaulted by Amṛtānandamayī, have not been substantiated.[99] Both Amṛtānandamayī and representatives of her ashram denied the allegations, saying that they were untrue and were aimed at exacting revenge for unfulfilled desires.[100][101][102] In an interview in April 2014, Amṛtānandamayī spoke in depth about the incident, saying, "Even now, Amma is only filled with love for that daughter. I am praying that virtue and goodness come. Time will shine forth the truth."[103]

9. Attacks

In August 2005, Amṛtānandamayī was attacked by a man named Pavithran. He was sitting with other followers praying and singing in front of Amṛtānandamayī. He then rushed to Amṛtānandamayī with a knife, but was overpowered by a group of disciples. Amṛtānandamayī's disciple Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri said Pavithran was of "unstable mind".[104] Pavithran was also bruised and taken to a hospital immediately.[105] Amritanandamayi, who forgave Pavithran,[106] said, "All those who are born will die one day. I am going ahead keeping this reality in mind. I will carry on. I will continue to give darshan to the devotees coming here to meet me."[107]

On 1 August 2012, a 23-year-old law student from Bihar, Satnam Singh Mann, attempted to barge onto the podium of Amṛtānandamayī at her ashram in Kollam. According to police, he was screaming and reciting words in Arabic. He was overpowered by devotees, who handed him over to the police.[108]

10. Awards and Honours

  • 1993, 'President of the Centenary Parliament of World Religions' (Parliament of the World's Religions)[109]
  • 1993, Hindu Renaissance Award as "Hindu of the Year" (Hinduism Today)[110]
  • 1998, Care & Share International Humanitarian of the Year Award (Chicago)
  • 2002, Karma Yogi of the Year (Yoga Journal)[111]
  • 2002, Gandhi-King Award for Non-Violence by The World Movement for Nonviolence (UN, Geneva)[112] · [113]
  • 2005, Mahavir Mahatma Award (London)[114]
  • 2005, Centenary Legendary Award of the International Rotarians (Cochin)[115]
  • 2006, James Parks Morton Interfaith Award (New York)[116]
  • 2006, The Philosopher Saint Sri Jnaneswara World Peace Prize (Pune)[117]
  • 2007, Le Prix Cinéma Vérité (Cinéma Vérité, Paris)[118]
  • 2010, The State University of New York awarded Amma an honorary doctorate in humane letters on 25 May 2010 at its Buffalo campus.[119]
  • 2012, Amma featured in the Watkins' list of the top 100 most spiritually influential living people in the world.[120]
  • 2013, Awarded first Vishwaretna Purskar (Gem of the Word Award) by Hindu Parliament on 23 April 2013 at Tiruvananthapuram (India)[121]
  • 2013, Awarded proclamation on behalf of the State of Michigan to Amma commemorating Amma's 60th birthday, the official proclamation describes Amma as a true citizen of the world and recognizes Amma's charitable works worldwide.
  • 2014, Chosen as one among the 50 most powerful women religious leaders by The Huffington Post.[122]
  • 2018, Felicitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for largest contribution to the Government of India's Clean India Campaign Swachh Bharat Mission[123]
  • 2019, Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Mysore[124]

11. Positions

  • Founder and Chairperson, Mata Amṛtānandamayī Math
  • Founder, Embracing the World[125]
  • Chancellor, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University[126]
  • Founder, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS Hospital)[127]
  • Parliament of the World's Religions, International Advisory committee member[128]
  • President Swami Vivekananda's 150th birth anniversary celebration committee, India[129]
  • Member, Elijah Interfaith Institute Board of World Religious Leaders[130]

12. Publications and Documentaries

Amṛtānandamayī's disciples have transcribed her conversations with devotees and spiritual seekers to create approximately a dozen books of her teachings known as Awaken Children. The addresses she has delivered at various international forums have also been published in book form. Beginning in April 2011, a bi-weekly message from Amṛtānandamayī has appeared in the Lifestyle section of the Express Buzz Sunday supplement of the New Indian Express newspaper. She also writes a regular blog in the spiritual publication Speaking Tree.

She has been featured in various documentaries and films:

  • 1999 River of Love: A Documentary Drama on the Life of Ammachi
  • 2000 Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends – "Indian Gurus" (BBC-TV)
  • 2005 Darshan: The Embrace – directed by Jan Kounen
  • 2007 In God's Name – directed by Jules and Gédéon Naudet
  • 2015 Un plus une – directed by Claude Lelouch starring Jean Dujardin and Elsa Zylberstein
  • 2016 Science of Compassion – a Documentary on Amma, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi — directed by Shekhar Kapur

References

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  2. Perez, Zaira (14 June 2018). "Indian Hugging Saint Opens Arms for Denton Next Week". Denton Chronicle (Denton, Texas). https://dentonrc.com/news/indian-hugging-saint-opens-arms-for-denton-next-week/article_6c82bec6-0187-5186-a6a4-8d9340253fbd.html. 
  3. www amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/19/hugging-the-hugging-saint-amma-made-others-cry-but-it-was-different-for-me
  4. Cornell, Judith (2001). Amritanandamayi: Healing the Heart of the World. New York: HarperCollins. 
  5. Amsden, David (16 August 2012). "The Hugging Saint". Rolling Stone: p. 2. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/the-hugging-saint-20120816?page=2. 
  6. Amritanandamayichi – A Biography of Mata Amritanandamayi by Swami Amritaswarupananda, ISBN:1-879410-60-5
  7. "The Humanitarian Initiatives of Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Mata Amritanandamayi Math)". embracing the world. p. 7. http://www.embracingtheworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/ETW2012.pdf. "I don’t see if it is a man or a woman. I don’t see anyone different from my own self. A continuous stream of love flows from me to all of creation. This is my inborn nature. The duty of a doctor is to treat patients. In the same way, my duty is to console those who are suffering." 
  8. Millions flock to India's hugging guru. Thestar.com.my. Retrieved on 24 June 2011. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/3/8/apworld/20090308082927&sec=apworld
  9. On 6 May 1981, "with a view to preserving and propagating the ideals and teachings of the Holy Mother, the Mātā Amṛtānandamayī Math and Mission Trust was founded and registered under the Travancore-Cochin State Literary and Charitable Act of 1955, at Kollam, Kerala, South India." Amritanandamayichi – A Biography of Mata Amritanandamayi by Swami Amritaswarupananda, ISBN:1-879410-60-5
  10. (Amma's Charities). Embracing the World. Retrieved on 24 June 2011. http://www.embracingtheworld.org/
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  12. rediff.com: The Rediff Interview/Mata Amritanandmayi. Im.rediff.com (2 August 2002). Retrieved on 24 June 2011. http://im.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/02inter1.htm
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  14. "'Amma' in Australia: India's hugging saint spreads love down under". BBC News. 24 April 2012. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17811665. 
  15. "Guru fights world's 'poverty of love,' one hug at a time - CNN.com". CNN. 22 August 2007. http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/08/22/hugging.guru/. 
  16. The Timeless Path by Swami Ramakrishnananda, ISBN:978-1-879410-46-6 https://books.google.com/books?id=wPq4BQAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Timeless+Path&hl=sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwip1-CTre3JAhUCKaYKHeQDDPMQ6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=The%20Timeless%20Path&f=false
  17. Lead Us to the Light: A Collection of Mata Amritanandamayi's Teachings Compiled by Swami Jnanamritananda
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  20. Amritanandamayi, Mata (29 December 2016). "Making Spacew in Our Hearts for Others". Thrive Global. https://thriveglobal.com/stories/making-space-in-our-hearts-for-others/. Retrieved 2 July 2019. 
  21. Amritanandamayi, Mata (26 February 2017). "Unity in Diversity". Thrive Global. https://thriveglobal.com/stories/unity-in-diversity/. Retrieved 2 July 2019. 
  22. Amritanandamayi, Mata (3 June 2017). "Our Responsibility to Our Mother". Thrive Global. https://thriveglobal.com/stories/our-responsibility-to-our-mother/. Retrieved 2 July 2019. 
  23. Amritanandamayi, Mata (10 November 2017). "Desegregating Science & Spirituality". Thrive Global. https://thriveglobal.com/stories/desegregating-science-spirituality/. Retrieved 2 July 2019. 
  24. Amritanandamayi, Mata (26 August 2017). "The World Needs Motherhood". Thrive Global. https://thriveglobal.com/stories/amma-why-the-world-needs-motherhood/. Retrieved 2 July 2019. 
  25. Philip, Shaju (3 December 2014). "Amritanandamayi Meets Pope Francis in Vatican". The Indian Express (Thiruvananthapuram). https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/hugging-mother-mata-amritanandamayi-meets-pope-francis-in-vatican/. 
  26. Hooper, John (2 December 2014). "Pope and Welby Joined by Imams and Rabbis for Anti-Slavery Declaration". The Guardian (Vatican City). https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/02/religious-leaders-pope-vatican-slavery-declaration/. 
  27. "World Religious Leaders' Meet Ends in Abu Dhabi". The New Indian Express (Bengaluru). 21 November 2018. http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2018/nov/21/world-religious-leaders-meet-ends-in-abu-dhabi-1901232.html. 
  28. India, Press Trust of (9 July 2015). "Reduce divide between science, spirituality: Amritanandamayi". Business Standard. http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/reduce-divide-between-science-spirituality-amritanandamayi-115070901358_1.html. 
  29. "Bridge Gap Between Science, Spirituality". The New Indian Express. http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/Bridge-Gap-Between-Science-Spirituality/2015/07/10/article2912168.ece. 
  30. McGregor, Gretchen Kusuma, "In the Shelter of Her Arms," 2012, MA Center, page 199. |"It's hard to imagine, but now, in 2012, Amma has recorded well over 1,000 songs in 35 languages."
  31. Awaken, Children, Volume 2: Dialogues with Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi
  32. For My Children: The Teachings of Her Holiness, Sri Mata Amritanandmayai Devi, page 70
  33. "About Amma". http://www.embracingtheworld.org/about-amma/. 
  34. "About Us: Who We Are". Embracing the World. http://www.embracingtheworld.org/about-us/. "Embracing the World is a global network of regional humanitarian organizations inspired by the India-based humanitarian initiatives of the Mata Amritanandamayi Math." 
  35. "PM Narendra Modi lauds contributions of Mata Amritanandamayi". Financial Express (Kollam). 27 September 2016. https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/pm-narendra-modi-lauds-contributions-of-mata-amritanandamayi/393876/. 
  36. "About Us: Who We Are". Embracing the World. http://www.embracingtheworld.org/about-us/. "Embracing the World exists to help alleviate the burden of the world’s poor through helping to meet each of their five basic needs – food, shelter, healthcare, education, and livelihood – wherever and whenever possible. We are especially focused on helping to meet these needs in the aftermath of major disasters." 
  37. Halpern, Jake (26 May 2013). "An Empire Built on Hugs". The New York Times=. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/26/business/ammas-multifaceted-empire-built-on-hugs.html. 
  38. "APN News". Mumbai. 27 February 2019. https://www.apnnews.com/spiritual-leader-amma-to-visit-mumbai-on-march-4-and-5/. 
  39. Prasanna, Laxmi (18 December 2016). "Humanitarian Connect Led Robotics Research at Amrita University". The Times of India (Kollam, Kerala). https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/its-the-humanitarian-connect-that-led-robotics-research-at-amrita-university-mata-amritanandamayi-amma/articleshow/56059648.cms. 
  40. Puri, Nikita (22 September 2017). "Meet Mata Amritanandamayi, Spiritual Guru And Pusher of Innovation". The Business Standard. https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/meet-mata-amritanandamayi-spiritual-guru-and-pusher-of-innovation-117092201320_1.html. 
  41. Rosenfeld, David (21 June 2018). "Famed spiritual leader Amma visits Los Angeles for three days of hugs and devotion". The Beach Reporter (Los Angeles). http://tbrnews.com/news/redondo_beach/famed-spiritual-leader-amma-visits-los-angeles-for-three-days/article_aac2ae82-7101-11e8-ba5a-af8fabb71158.html. 
  42. "World Water Day: Over One Lakh Villagers in Kerala Receive Clean Drinking Water;". The Times of India (Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala). 22 March 2018. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/world-water-day-over-one-lakh-villagers-in-kerala-receive-clean-drinking-water/articleshow/63416495.cms. 
  43. "Amritanandamayi Math to Gift 100 Houses to Poor". The New India Express (Kollam, Kerala). 26 September 2016. http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2016/sep/26/Amritanandamayi-Math-to-gift-100-houses-to-poor-1523056.html. 
  44. "President Ram Nath Kovind to Unveil Charity Projects of Math on October 8". The Deccan Chronicle (India). 29 September 2017. https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/in-other-news/290917/president-ram-nath-kovind-to-unveil-charity-projects-of-math-on-october-8.html. 
  45. "Meet the Hugging Saint Who has Cuddled 20 Million People". The Mirror (London). 23 October 2009. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/meet-the-hugging-saint-who-has-cuddled-426623. 
  46. "About Amrita Hospital". http://www.amritahospitals.org/SubPages/History. "Founded in 1998 by Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (known worldwide as AMMA), Amrita Hospital offers a full range of primary and specialty care medical services, with cross-specialty consultation. AMMA’s vision of providing advanced medical care to the poor and disadvantaged was the inspiration for Amrita Hospital, which today is a 1100-bed (490 units) tertiary referral and teaching hospital, serving more than 10 lakh outpatients and more than 70,000 inpatients annually." 
  47. "UN Recognises Spiritual Leader". The Financial Express. 2 March 2003. https://www.financialexpress.com/archive/un-recognises-indian-spiritual-leader/73928/. 
  48. "Haryana CM Lays Foundation Stone for 2000-Bed Hospital in Faridabad". The Economic Times (Faridabad). 9 May 2016. https://www.financialexpress.com/archive/un-recognises-indian-spiritual-leader/73928/. 
  49. "APN News". Mumbai. 27 February 2019. https://www.apnnews.com/spiritual-leader-amma-to-visit-mumbai-on-march-4-and-5/. 
  50. "Haryana CM Lays Foundation Stone for 2000-Bed Hospital in Faridabad". The Economic Times (Faridabad). 9 May 2016. https://www.financialexpress.com/archive/un-recognises-indian-spiritual-leader/73928/. 
  51. "President Ram Nath Kovind lauds Kerala harmony". The Deccan Chronicle (India). 9 October 2017. https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/in-other-news/091017/president-ram-nath-kovind-lauds-kerala-harmony.html. 
  52. "Mata Amritanandamayi Math Extends Help to Sivakasi Victims". The Times of India (Coimbatore). 24 September 2012. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/Amritanandamayi-Mutt-extends-financial-help-to-Sivakasi-victims/articleshow/16537937.cms. 
  53. "Mata Amritanandamayi Receives Doctorate From University of Mysore". United News of India (Kollam). 23 March 2019. http://www.uniindia.com/mata-amritanandamayi-receives-doctorate-from-university-of-mysore-vc/south/news/1537880.html. 
  54. "Lifetime Pensions For 100,000 Widows, People With Disabilities And Women in Poverty". Embracing the World. http://www.embracingtheworld.org/livelihood/. "Since 1998, we have provided monthly pensions for widows and other women in poverty. In 2006, the project was expanded to benefit the physically and mentally challenged and now serves a total of 100,000 beneficiaries. ... Recognizing that disability and/or the loss of a family member can consign those in the developing world to a lifetime of hardship, our pensions have no expiration date—they are given for life.." 
  55. Pandya, Samta P. (2019). Faith Movements and Social Transformation: Guru Charisma in Contemporary India. Springer. p. 119. ISBN 978-981-13-2822-0. https://books.google.com/books?id=BYN-DwAAQBAJ. Retrieved 1 July 2019. 
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  61. "Cyclone-Hit Filipino Students Graduate with Mata Aid". The Deccan Chronicle (Kochi). 18 May 2018. https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/180518/cyclone-hit-filipino-students-graduate-with-mata-aid.html. 
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  63. "Amma to donate $2 mn to Philippines typhoon 'Haiyan' victims". 26 November 2013. https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-amma-to-donate-2-mn-to-philippines-typhoon-haiyan-victims-1925333. 
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  65. "Mata Amritanandamayi Donates $1 Million for Tsunami Victims of Japan". 11 July 2011. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Mata-Amritanandamayi-donates-1-million-for-tsunami-victims-of-Japan/articleshow/9380636.cms. 
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  68. Ramanathan, Chathapuram S.; Juvva, Srilatha; Dutta, Subhabrata; Khaja, Khadija (7 October 2016). Spirituality, Culture, and Development: Implications for Social Work. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-4985-1967-0. https://books.google.com/books?id=FSkiDQAAQBAJ&q=2001+disaster. "Amma's reconstruction of three villages in Bhuj following the Gujarat earthquake of 2001 made a huge impact on the people of Bhuj..." 
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  83. "Can $15m worth of toilets finally clean up the Ganges?". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2015/sep/11/india-amma-15-million-dollars-toilets-open-defecation-clean-ganges. 
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