Frequently Asked Questions
- Why do we bow?
- Who is a Mahatma, an Avatar or Satguru?
- Why do people bring gifts to Mother?
- Why do we remove our shoes?
- What is the significance of the Guru”s sandals and feet?
- What is a mantra?
- What is the significance of the waving of the light?
- What is Devi Bhava?
- Why do the devotees around Mother wear white?
- What is the Sacred Ash?
- What is the language that Amma speaks?
- What is the appropriate dress around Amma?
- What is Puja?
- What is Paada Puja?
It is out of respect and humility that we bow before a holy being who has realized the Supreme Truth. Therefore, when we bow, we are honoring the supreme all
prevading Truth that manifest in them. Top
2. Who is a Mahatma, an Avatar or Satguru?
A Mahatma is a great being, one who is beyond all desire and who is established in the state of supreme detachment. He or She bows down to all existence and
sees the one in the many.
An Avatar is an incarnation of God. They are fully aware from birth of their identity with God. The purpose of their birth is to help humanity evolve to the supreme state of Reality.
A Satguru is a perfect master who lives in the constant awareness of the supreme truth. The literal meaning of Guru is “remover of darkness” or one who removes the darkness of ignorance and leads one to the light of knowledge. Top
3. Why do people bring gifts to Mother?
Mother does not need or want anything. If we bring a gift-flowers, fruit, an offering-it is a token of our renunciation of worldly attachment, which is the cause of all suffering. Top
4. Why do we remove our shoes?
In some cultures, shoes are removed before entering a holy place or an individual”s home. Removing one”s shoes in the presence of a holy being is also considered a sign of respect. Top
5. What is the significance of the Guru”s sandals and feet?
The guru”s sandals can be compared to the scepter of a benevolent king. When we see the scepter, it remindes us of a king who rules the country with wisdom and love, and our mind immediately thinks of him with veneration. In a similar way, when we worship or offer our love to the guru’s sandals, our mind automatically gets filled with reverence and love for the guru. We benefit through an attitude of humility and love. By worshipping the feet or sandals with reverence,
we are surrendering our intellect and mind to the guru and that allows our hearts to blossom. Top
A mantra is a formula for invoking the grace of our chosen aspect of God. By repeating a mantra, the restless mind which usually dissipates itself in thinking of many things, clings to the thought of the mantra and becomes calm and concentrated. This calmness of mind is the prerequisite for intuitive spiritual experience. You can receive a mantra during Devi Bhava by asking the holy mother. Top
7. What is the significance of the waving of the light?
Our minds must be focused in order to receive God”s grace. The sages, understanding the wandering nature of the mind, prescribed various ways to develop concentration. One of the ways recommended was to offer Aarthi (waving of the light)or to perform pooja to the form of the Guru. The ringing of the bells, sound of the conch, and the waving of the lights are designed to bring the senses into focus, achieving a momentary oneness with the deity. The burning of camphor that is used during aarthi represents are ego or small self. When the camphor burns, it does not leave any trace; it merges into the air. In a similar way, devotees pray that their individuality will merge with the Divine, leaving no sense of seperation, like a river merging onto the ocean. Top
Devi Bhava is the manifestation of the Eternal Feminine, the creatrix, the active Principle of the Impersonal Absolute. All deities of the Hindu Pantheon, which represent the numberless aspects of the one Supreme Being, exist within us. One possessing Divine Power can manifest any of them by mere will for the good of the world. During Devi Bhava, Mother manifests the mood of the Divine Mother in order to shower her grace upon us. Top
9. Why do the devotees around Mother wear white?
Wearing white has several meanings. First, it reminds us that we are the spiritual children of mother and that we want to live our lives accordingly, with love and humility. White is also traditionally worn as a symbol and reminder of purity and peace. These are the qualities that bring us closer to God. Top
Cow Dung is burned and mixed in water in order to make sacred ash. Sacred ash is blessed by a holy person and it can be used to alleviate physical, mental or spiritual suffering; it is sacred medicine. This sacred ash also known as “Vibhuti”, which has been blessed by Amma, can be worn between the eyebrows to deepen meditation, or on the forehead and throat. It is also said to be very healing when applied to ailing parts of the body. Often Amma will rub it on the afflicted area of a devotee’s body. Vibhuti is also used during puja, a form of ritualistic worship which is performed to purify the mind and express devotion. Many people use the ash by putting it on their chakras or by mixing it with water and drinking it. Top
11. What is the language that Amma speaks?
Malayalam is mother”s language, the dialect of Kerala, the state in the south western tip of India, her place of birth. Also, many chants(devotional songs) which are sung by Amma and her devotees were composed by Amma and are sung in malayalam. The words are available in written form and can be purchased at the bookstore. Top
12. What is the appropriate dress around Amma?
Ladies: Out of respect, it is customary in Mother”s tradition for the devotees to dress modestly. We humbly ask ladies to cover their shoulders and to wear dresses or skirts below the knees. Please do not wear see-through dresses or tight clothing that reveal the shape of the body. Gentlemen: No shorts please! Top
13. What is Puja?
Puja is the Sanskrit term that refers to ritual worship. Various substances such as milk, water, and flowers are offered to God. Top
Paadam is feet in Sanskrit. When Amma arrives, She is greeted in the traditional Indian way of welcoming a saint or a Mahatma. Her feet are washed and anointed and a garland of flowers is placed around her neck. Divine energy enters the top of the head of the Guru and leaves through His or Her feet. Thus pada pooja is the blessing of the Guru”s feet. Top
~ Om Amriteshwaryai Namaha ~
