Her Life is an Offering to Humanity
As a child, her parents feared she was "mad."
Sudhamani Idamannel (lovingly referred to as Amma) has always been a little different. As a child, she was frequently teased and belittled by the other children. Her parents often beat her for odd behavior and for giving away what little food they had to the destitute. She was known to hug complete strangers, including the “Untouchables” — considered the lowest caste system in India.
With only a 4th-grade education, she has launched many organizations — and currently oversees one of the highest-ranked universities in India, multiple state-of-the-art hospitals, research and technology facilities, girls’ orphanages, and charity organizations.
Her organizations are responsible for many hundreds of millions of dollars. Even though she never finished elementary school, she leads and manages MDs, Ph.D.s, scientists, and psychologists. She consults with presidents and leaders of countries and large corporations — and millions worldwide look to her for spiritual guidance.
“My purpose in life,” she says, “is to serve the poor.”
She often says that there are two kinds of poor. One is physical poverty, lacking basic needs, housing and food. The second kind is emotional and spiritual. While one may live in a mansion and drive the most expensive car, inside, they’re poor. Empty.
Amma’s “nature” has always been to “love and serve.” She says her religion is “Love.”From the time she was a little girl, her natural tendency was to help anyone in need, especially the impoverished and elderly. Once, as she was out gathering scraps and grass for the family cow, she encountered a starving family. She was so affected by their suffering, that she ran home to get the only piece of jewelry with any value: a gold bangle belonging to her mother. She grabbed it and ran back to the destitute family giving it to them so they could sell it to buy food.
As you might expect, she got one heck of a beating from her parents.
The early years.
Born in 1953, she was one of eight children. Her father made a living as a fisherman, as did most men in the small coastal South Indian village. People, in general, were poor, struggling day to day just to feed the family.
Unlike America, the poor in India, especially in the 1960s, meant families could go days without any food whatsoever.
From a young age, Amma worked doing chores from sun up to late at night seven days a week. When she was nine years old, her mother got sick, and so she stopped going to school (never to return) to care for her and manage the chores and household duties.
As time went on, and she ventured further away from the house, she encountered a significant amount of suffering. She’d witness how some families would starve while others had more than enough. She saw many who were sick and in agony from pain but unable to afford medical care or even a single painkiller — and she saw many of the elderly who were neglected and treated horribly by their own families.
Along with her daily chores, she began finding ways to feed the hungry and care for the elderly, which meant going around the villages and asking for food to give to the hungry. Many times she would take the last bit of rice from her own house and give it to others, which always got her in trouble, usually a beating. However, regardless of the reprimands from her family, she never swayed from going to great lengths to feed and care for those in need.
What began as helping a few of her fellow villagers over 40 years ago, has evolved into a massive international humanitarian organization that helps millions of people all over the world (48 countries).
Her organization, Embracing the World, is a global network of volunteer-run national and regional nonprofit organizations, that operates multifaceted programs aimed at helping all in need.
Here’s only a portion of what she accomplishes through her foundation.
Feeds over 10 million people across India each year.
Built over 300,000 homes for displaced families, primarily due to natural disasters.
Provided FREE healthcare to over 6 million people.
Provided aid and shelter to refugees of the Ukraine-Russia War.
Provided over $75 million plus in disaster relief - $36 million went to the tsunami disaster of 2004.
Donated $1 million to the Bush-Clinton Katrina fund after Hurricane Katrina hit the US.
Has empowered over 200,000 women with jobs and training.
Initiated the “Plant a Tree” campaign in which 1 million trees were planted worldwide.
Donated $15 million in 2015 to the Namami Ganges project to clean up the Ganges River.
Provided $10 million in health care, vaccinations, financial support, and basic needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Provide solar and hydro-power solutions for rural villages in India.
Provided 55,000 scholarships for children in at-risk communities.
In the documentary, Amma’s Way, produced by Anna Agnelli, Professor Bhavani Rao, says something I found profound. It’s one of those statements that, only after hearing it, you say — oh, yeah…it’s obvious.
“To do good substantial humanitarian work, you have to be a spiritual person. And if you’re a spiritual being, you automatically do good humanitarian work for all people.”
Beginning as early as two years old, she sang devotional songs to God.
As a child, beginning at two years old, Amma began chanting prayers and singing devotional songs to Krishna. Singing and chanting at only two years old is unusual in and of itself, but her parents were baffled for the simple reason that they had never taught her those things, and neither had anyone else.
By the time she was five years old, it was constant. She sang and chanted continuously, driving everyone around her crazy. By the teenage years, she was hugging trees, kissing plants, and hugging complete strangers to comfort them, regardless of caste. And in India, it was not permissible for a 14-year-old girl to touch others, especially men.
Amma explains, "In India, women are expected to remain in the background. It is said that 'Even the walls should not hear them.' My family could not understand my way of reaching out to people; they had no idea of the spiritual principles."
Hugging the Untouchables.
When it came to hugging those of the Dalit caste, the “Untouchables,” Amma undoubtedly ruffled feathers with her family. The "Untouchables" are the lowest class grouping of people in India. As Hillary Martell describes how they are perceived in India in her article for National Geographic, “They’re considered less than human. Their birth taints them into a caste system that deems them impure.”
But despite threatening reactions from family and the community, Amma continued to follow her heart, later explaining, “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.”
She saw everything and everyone as Krishna. All nature — and all people, regardless of class, religion, or gender. This statement reminds me of the great Mother Teresa. She said she would picture every human face with the face of Jesus.
For Amma, every waking moment became a devotion to God. It was common for her to be seen outside by herself singing, spinning and dancing in worship of God. As time went on, she sometimes lost all sense of time and place.
“Having gone to the bathroom to take a bath, she might be found there hours later, completely oblivious to her surroundings,” as Judith Cornell writes in her book, Amma, Healing the Heart of the World. “Or, having been sent to find the animals that had strayed from the property, she might not come back for hours. The sibling sent to fetch her would inevitably find her half-submerged in the backwaters, totally oblivious. Other times, she just sat in the sand and cried, seemingly for no reason.”
Divine Vision.
Around 1975, Amma had an overwhelming Divine Vision of Sri Krishna. Then later that same year, had another vision. This time with the Divine Mother. Hindus believe there is only ONE GOD but there are many aspects of God, which explains the thousands of deities.
Her experiences were extraordinary. They were visions similar to what we hear from religious saints and mystics from the past.
Afterward, her behavior became unorthodox and bizarre. She ended up living outdoors by herself roaming the villages and beaches, singing, chanting, dancing, sitting in meditation, crying uncontrollably one moment, then laughing the next, all while usually oblivious to her surroundings. She appeared to be a “mad woman.”
And that’s what everyone in the village began to believe. That she had suffered from some sort of mental illness or breakdown.
Then, for about six months, she sat for twenty to twenty-two hours every day in meditation.
During this time, Mother Nature (God) took care of her basic needs.
Reflecting back to that period in her life, Amma says she didn’t go hungry. Dogs would bring food and set it down next to her, cows would come and let me drink their milk, and birds would drop fish for me to eat.
I know — it sounds crazy. But, India has a rich history of spiritual mystics.
They appear as crazy people, yet are actually in the midst of a spiritual experience - or Samadhi, as it’s known in the Hindu and Buddhist traditions.
During her vision of the Divine Mother, God spoke to her.
From Judith’s book, Amma, Healing the Heart of the World.
“Amma heard from within the voice of the Divine Mother. ‘My child, I am present everywhere and dwell in the hearts of all beings. Your life is not for merely enjoying the pure bliss of your individual soul but for comforting suffering humanity. Honor my presence in the hearts of all beings, and relieve them of the sufferings of worldly existence.’”
From that moment on, Sudhamani began manifesting the qualities of the Divine Mother, as well as Krishna’s. It was then that those around her began calling her Amma, which, in the Malayalam language, means Mother.
Amma’s life is filled with miracles and unusual encounters relating to spirituality. Many books have been written on the subject, and I’ll leave links below.
The beginning of the Ashram.
As the word got out about a mystic in Kerala, young seekers started showing up at her doorstep, eventually forming an Ashram. Today it houses about 3,000 devotees, most of who have taken a vow much like a monk or priest. There are also “householders” who are typical couples and families who live there for devotional purposes and to be of service to Amma’s humanitarian efforts. And still others, who may live there but work normal jobs.
As part of Amma's programs and processes, she began conducting Satsangs and Darshans. Satsangs are a form of ceremonial worship consisting of worship music, talks, prayers and meditations. The Darshan is also a form of ceremonial worship; it’s where the teacher or Guru may offer blessings to those in attendance — similar to what a Catholic Priest does.
Amma’s method of Darshan is a hug. Some people say it’s like getting a hug from a thousand mothers all at once. Others say they had a profound emotional and spiritual experience, leaving them in momentary bliss. And then some simply say it was very nice. There are as many individual experiences as there are people. As she’s traveled the world over many years, it’s estimated that she’s hugged over 40 million people.
Personally, I’ve had many Darshans from Amma. And I will say, each Darshan is different for me. One time, I may have a profound experience where I feel a shift emotionally and spiritually leaving me to feel blissful for a couple of weeks. Then other times, I may not have any type of noticeable experience. But, I believe that something internally happens each time.
Everyone will agree on one thing: Her Darshans are very special.
"In this universe, it is love that binds everything together. Love is the very foundation, beauty, and fulfillment of life. When we become established in love, everything becomes beautiful. Our goal should be to see beauty in all. The Lord's creation is wonderful and beautiful, and if you can see the Lord in all, every minute will be wonderful and beautiful. If we can maintain that remembrance, nothing else is needed." Amma
Regardless of what one believes or does not believe about Amma and her spiritual experiences and gifts, anyone who has been around her will say that she is not like the average person. The average person cannot or will not do some of the things she does.
The healing of the leper.
Leprosy has afflicted humanity for centuries. Unfortunately, it’s still around but primarily in the “poverty belt.” At the time of this event, it was estimated that there were between one and two million people who were victims of this irreversible disease.
Dattan contracted leprosy while a young boy. As the disease progressed, his parents eventually kicked him out of the house, leaving him to fend for himself as a beggar. His whole body was covered with infected wounds, which oozed pus that smelled atrocious.
As Judith Cornell writes in her book, Amma, healing the Heart of the World, “Dattan said, ‘My eyesight was almost gone. In place of my eyes, there were only two small slits. My hair fell out. Nobody would give me food. I was not allowed to ride on buses. I used to cover my body with cloth, but that would stick to my body and stink from the pus and blood oozing from the putrid-smelling wounds. Even fellow beggars wouldn’t allow me to eat or sleep near them. Insects always flew around me. At the mere sight of me, people held their noses and shrank away.
I led a dreadfully miserable and despairing life.’”
When he heard about Amma, he immediately went to the Ashram to see her. As he was entering the temple on his first day, people told him to go away because of the smell. But Amma, in her Divine Mood, motioned him to come in. She began consoling him.
She hugged him, washed him, and began licking his wounds. She then pressed the wounds to release the pus — sucking it out and then spitting it into a bucket. She repeated this process over and over again for a while.
As this was transpiring, people were vomiting from the grotesque sight and smell. Others fainted. And most of the remaining left the temple. One of the Swamis grabbed a film camera, as Amma reluctantly allowed him to film. His name at the time was Neal Rosner, now Swami Paramatmandanda.
Neal was quoted as saying,
“It was horrifying to watch — but deeply moving at the same time. Definitely an extreme case of compassion.”
Another Swami said, “I was horrified at the sight. I felt that it was too much — this act of compassion had exceeded the allowable limit.”
Afterward, as noted in the book, Amma, Healing the Heart of the World, he expressed himself to Amma. He said, “Amma, you can cure any disease by your mere will. Why this gruesome display?” Amma replied, “Son, I don’t know why, but when I see that son with leprosy, I simply feel like doing what I did. Perhaps you will find the answer in a book.”
Sometime afterward, he read that the saliva of a yogi or Self-realized master has great healing powers, and can cure many diseases.
This whole scene continued for a few months. During Darshan days at the Ashram, Dattan would wait until the very end after everyone had their Darshan, then approach Amma, giving people the opportunity to exit the temple and not have to witness it.
Dattan was healed after some time. He still has some scars but can go about the world without the smell or pain.
I tell that story to demonstrate Amma’s innate sense of love and compassion for every living being. I think about Dattan and the fact that he probably hadn’t been touched by anyone since early childhood, prior to catching the disease, and we all know that “touch” is such an important aspect of life and feeling loved.
I can only imagine how he must have felt all his life. The stares, the shunning, the shooing. I mean — other beggars even shunned him! How degrading is that?
Then, for the first time since being a baby, perhaps his entire life, someone showed love and compassion. They touched and washed — and unquestionably expressed love with action.
I encourage you to sit with that thought for a minute.
Millions still don’t have water or toilets.
I’m going to finish with one last humanitarian initiative happening through Embracing the World organization.
Believe it or not, hundreds of millions of people in small rural villages in India still do not have running water or toilets. And in case you don’t know, it’s not uncommon to be walking down the street in a big city — or especially a remote village, and witness an elderly lady squatting and excreting near the sidewalk.
The most recent research indicates that 29% of the total population still doesn’t have toilets. In recent years, the government initiated a huge campaign to alleviate the problem by building 110 million toilets. It was meant as only the beginning. But evidently, not everyone is using the toilets. I guess old habits are hard to change. The old culture is still pretty ingrained in certain parts of the country.
Women are building the toilets.
Amma’s Embracing the World is approaching the problem a little differently. Volunteers go into a village and, first, empower the women since they are the real caretakers of the homes and villages. They educate them on the importance of clean water and the use of toilets, then train them on how to build a toilet from scratch. Yep, that means the construction (digging, building and laying brick) and the plumbing (measuring and laying pipe).
After training one woman, they intern train others, and the cycle continues throughout the whole village. It’s kind of like the ole, one tells two friends, then those two friends tell two friends, and so on. They’re also teaching them how to get government grants, as well as how to monitor the water systems.
This system is more about empowering rather than doing for them. They’re being taught the importance of it, and the how-to. Basically, rather than fishing for them for one day, they’re teaching them how to fish. Obviously, if you want to change a culture, it’s best if it changes from within.
There are so many areas in which Embracing the World is helping millions around the world. It’s not uncommon for the President of India to ask Amma for help because the speed and efficiency of her operations are amazing. She can get done in weeks or a few months what might take the government a year or more to accomplish.
If you think one person can’t change the world — think again.
This is an example of how one little “crazy girl” began by helping one destitute family, and it has grown into an international humanitarian organization that helps millions around the world.
It’s driving force? GOD — LOVE — COMPASSION.
And, I’d say the most important aspect is an innate desire to LOVE & SERVE.
If you would like to learn more about Amma or Embracing the World, please see the links below. And, of course, as a non-profit, they’re always accepting donations.
It is through selfless sharing that the flower of life becomes beautiful and fragrant. When a flower blossoms, its sweet fragrance spreads all around. Likewise, when selfless love awakens within us, it flows to the world like a river. ~Amma
Love is the center; attachment is the periphery. Aim for the center. ~Amma
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Links:
https://amma.org
https://amma.org/humanitarian/?rd
https://www.amritapuri.org
This is stunning. I had heard of Amma, but didn’t know her story.
I’ve seen posters about her that she coming here or going there when I was in college, but I didn’t know her story until now. In India there are many swamijis and most of them are scammers. So I assumed she was too! Thanks for sharing her story! Seems genuine!