Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB)
Udupi, Feb 25: Scores of devotees thronged MGM College grounds to seek blessings from Mata Amritanandamayi popularly called as 'Amma' or the 'hugging saint' here on Saturday, February 25.
Addressing the devotees, Mata Amritanandamayi said, "God is the indivisible oneness devoid of all boundaries or separation. Mother Nature, the atmosphere, the birds and other animals, the plants and trees, each and every atom in them is overflowing with this divine power. God is fully present in all that is sentient and insentient. When we fully understand this truth, we can do nothing but love ourselves as well as everyone around us”.
Amma stressed that love should emerge within oneself. She further spoke how educated youth from well-to-do families are getting involved in gangs and become addicted to drugs and alcohol.
“Most people only think of their own happiness and what they can receive from others. Everyone wants to live ‘tension-free’, but the majority of people are simply taking on ‘free tension’. The circumstances of life will always keep changing. As long as we are unable to bring our mind under our control, sorrow will continue to hunt us down. However, once the mind comes under our control, then no problem or tragedy can devastate or paralyze us. In reality, the foundation of happiness is gratitude,” she added.
Amma also spoke about the two types of education: education for livelihood and education for life and environment protection.
“The solution to most of the problems faced by society is value based education. When we study in colleges and universities, striving to become a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer, etc., it is education for livelihood. Education for life is the cultivation of spiritual understanding, which is understanding the nature of the world and the nature of our mind, which will help us to adjust to all the different situations that come in life. Environmental protection is one of the greatest issues mankind faces today. If only we would walk along the path shown by our ancestors, we could easily find solutions to the problems we are facing in this area,” she concluded.
Earlier, Mata Amritanandamayi visited minister for fisheries and youth empowerment and district in-charge minister of Udupi district, Pramod Madhwaraj’s house after which she walked from Sharadha Kalyan Mantap to MGM Grounds in a procession.
Former MLA Raghupati Bhat welcomed the gathering. Anand C Kundar delivered the vote of thanks.
Meditation and bhajan session is scheduled to be held till tomorrow afternoon.
Minister Rudrappa Manappa Lamani, vice-chancellor of Manipal University H S Ballal, Santhosh Guruji of Barkur Maha Sansthana, Karkala MLA Sunil Kumar and others were present.