25 Sep 2013, Amritapuri – Amritavarsham60 Celebrations
As part of the inauguration of the Amrita Center for Spiritual Studies, a select panel of Amma’s Senior disciples were invited to speak about her life and teachings at the Amrita University, Amritapuri campus, on September 25th, 2013. The session commenced with the lead speaker, Swami Ramakrishnananda Puri.
Swami Ramakrishnananda Puri spoke about Amma as a Satguru or a true master and why She is “qualified” to address many of the current global problems affecting society today. He stated that “only the manufacturer knows how to fix a car, not the driver, no matter how competent the driver may be in using the car.” Thus, “only the Creator knows what we need and what is best for us.”Swami Ramakrishnananda Puri also stated that Amma has “merged with that all powerful Brahman” or Universal Consciousness.
Swami Amritageetananda Puri gave a brief synopsis of Vedanta and how Amma is the embodiment of its most essential principle – the “ability to see the all-pervading Consciousness in everyone and everywhere.”Swami Armitageetananda Puri further explained that Amma sees everything as an “extension of herself.” She does not feel anything or anyone is different from her. “Amma is Pure Consciousness both within and without”, he stated, “She is a perfect Avatar and have the ability to be a uniting and motivating force for the entire world.”
Swami Amritageetananda Puri explained that a Satguru, such as Amma, is “an independent being whose happiness does not depend on any external object or force and within whom infinite peace and joy exist perpetually.” He also stated that unlike other Gurus, Amma has always been readily available and accessible to people, regardless of their class, race, religion, or nationality.
Other panel speakers included Swamini Krishnamrita Prana, Brahmachari Dayamritra Chaitanya, and Brahmachari Shivamrita Chaitanya. All panellists spoke of Amma’s compassion and how it is unconditional and without restriction or hesitation. They emphasized that Amma seeks to awaken the divinity that exists within all of us which currently remains dormant. All of Amma’s disciples who spoke, however, agreed that no matter how much they talked about Amma or tried to explain Amma’s nature, their words would be “limited”, for Amma “is beyond thought and speech” and cannot be comprehended by the finite human mind.
The Amrita Center for Spiritual Studies was launched to help strengthen and preserve India’s vibrant and eclectic cultural and spiritual tradition. It will focus on providing a platform for intense academic research and study by offering post-graduate and PhD programs.
– Soumya