Before this morning, I’d only sort of heard of Amma, the Hugging Mother. NPR had an interesting segment on a few aspects of this Indian Saint’s work for making the world a more peaceful, compassionate place to live. Listen to the interview here. Read more about her life at Amma.org. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the brief biography found on the Amma website:
When someone asked Amma why she receives every person who comes to her in a loving embrace Amma replied, “If you ask the river,’ why do you flow?’ what can it say?”
Once a press reporter asked Amma how was it possible for her to embrace each and every one in the same loving way, even if they were diseased or unpleasant. Amma replied, “When a bee hovers over a garden of varied flowers, what it beholds is not the difference between the flowers but the honey within them. Similarly Amma sees the same Supreme Self in each and every one.”
Daily Cup of Yoga 