Customer Reviews

Amma: Healing the Heart of the World

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I was on vacation in India for a month and I visited a niece of mine. While talking to her I heard the chanting of Bhajans from the neighborhood and I inquired as to what was going on. She reported that in the neighborhood was a house where the devotees of Mata Amritanandamayi gathered every week and prayed to her in front of a framed photograph of hers. I was curious and went in to ascertain it. There were about 50 men and women seated in front of her picture, chanting hymns. It was an eye-opening experience for me. Earlier in the week, I had passed through the front of the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences in Cochin and had heard from many about the facilities over there. Now, I decided to learn more about this person considered a saint in India.

Reading through this book helped me to situate the phenomenon of Mata Amritanandamayi. No doubt the book is trying to depict in an objective light this charismatic woman, Amma (Mother) as she is understood and looked upon by thousands of her devotees. As a miracle healer, prophet and mystic she has established her fame. Her world tours have attracted attention to herself as an incarnation of the Divine Mother. By now she has grown into a big institution worthy of attention by the world. Judith Cornell by this book is presenting her along with her ideas and gifts to the western world. She tries to bring in personages familiar to the American readers, like Padre Pio, Bede Griffiths and C G Jung in relating to the ideas and message of this Hindu saint. She also refers to the black Madonna and the Christian understanding of Virgin Mary the Mother of God. The Catholic and Orthodox Christian belief in the Blessed Mother is very different from the concept of the Divine feminine found in Hinduism, though there are some comparisons possible. What Cornell ends up doing is to bring the East and West closer. The story of the rise of Sudhamani, an ordinary girl from the family of a poor fishermen couple on the coast of Kollam, India to the world renowned Mata Amritanandamayi is fascinating. Her story is told as it is known and spoken of around her birthplace, by her family members and her devotees around the world. Her ideas are presented in simple words, understandable to the ordinary folks, though they are typically Hindu in their perspective. The Hindu pantheon could absorb any number of seers and sages as incarnations of the Divine. So there are repeated mentions of Buddha and Jesus Christ in the book.

I found this a valuable book, useful for anyone who wants to know more about the saints and sages of the land of India. It gives one a somewhat objective look at the phenomenon of Mata Amritanandamayi along with her humble past, her mystic experiences and her compassion for the poor; it provides one the opportunity to hear the various opinions of many of her devotees deeply touched by her. All these contribute to the immense popularity of this saint of today, whose activities in favor of the poor are widely recognized.

This is a good book for those who know nothing about Ammachi the Saint from Kerala. Ms Cornell has researched extensively and includes many details and facts which have not been published previously. This book tells about the details of Ammachi's miracles which include curing a leper, her incredible schedule (blessing over one million people individually by hugging them), building over 400 ashrams, hopitals schools as well as orphanages. For devotees of Ammachi this is a book you send to your relatives. Previous books have been written as spritial autobiographies. This books is less demonstrative. Cornell writes as a spritial reporter and attempts to include sociological information which is very interesting. For those who don't understand Indian religion this book explains the elements simply and puts Ammachi into perspective. A good all round book for the general public.

I find the book, AMMA: Healing the Heart of the World, deeply inspiring. Judith Cornell describes the amazing life story of this living saint in a captivating , easy to read manner, filled with heartwarming and uplifting stories. The many photo pictures add to the spiritual richness of this book. To me this book is a treasure and I recommend it to all seekers.

"Amma: Healing the Heart of the World" simply put is an excellent book. I have studied Eastern philosophy for about 10 years and I always find it difficult to explain to family and friends who are not familiar with the Eastern mind and culture, subjects such as the one in this book. It's hard to explain beyond words like "guru" or "saint" which in the 21st century have particular meanings to Americans. These words are too limiting when referring to great souls such as Ammachi or Paramahansa Yogananda. Dr. Cornell's book comes as close as I have found to conveying to the general western public important aspects of an entity like Amma.

Dr. Cornell not only lays down a lot of facts for the Western intellectual mind but also covers a number of areas important to the devotional seeker. The amount of research she conducted is obvious in the breadth of the information she has given us. For instance, at least one other book I know of talks about the mistreatment Amma endured in her early years, but Cornell's book explains local customs and institutions so that we understand WHY the villagers in her area might have reacted so negatively to her. Cornell's explanatory material cover areas such as race, the role of women, and religious traditions.

In one chapter Cornell speaks about the early miracles surrounding Amma. However, she not only includes a great miracle that was witnessed by a large crowd in Amma's home village, but she also includes more subtle miracles such as the changes in her (Amma's) family over the years and the miracle of her numerous and wide-reaching charities that have come into being as the result of Amma's inner resolve. The author brings out the fact that Amma's charities are addressing the most important and basic problems prevalent in the Indian culture today such as housing, reinvigoration of the Hindu path, much needed medical care and providing a future for widows and orphans.

The Western mind is intellectually curious. In another chapter, Cornell writes about an important conference held in India in 1987 in which Indian scientists were able to question a great mahatma (Amma) about science and spirituality. The answers to the scientists questions show the greatness and all-pervasive nature of Amma, even though to the outside world she is a humble Indian lady from a humble background.

Those who grew up Catholic, as I did, should check out the chapter "Unusual Synchronicities." It has to do with subjects like the fall of Communism and the divine feminine in the form of the Madonna.

Towards the end of the book, Cornell addresses the issues of spiritual betrayal and what Amma has to say about the qualities of a true spiritual master. In the U.S. we have heard so many stories both in the media and from personal friends about following a teacher who turns out to be a false prophet. In this book, we are given personal accounts of those who were damaged by false teachers and how this was healed. We also get to hear Amma's wisdom on the subject of finding someone who can transform your spiritual life.

To conclude, for those who are familiar with the Hindu path, be prepared for a treat. Sit down on a cloudy night with a cup of your favorite tea and be prepared for a rich treasure book of spiritual enlightenment. For those not so familiar with the Eastern path but have a lot of questions about various modern day saints, be ready to have your mind and your heart stimulated. In either case, this is a book that will penetrate you - one you'll be thinking about for many days to come.

What a wonderful overview of this living Saint and Master, Mata Amritanandamayi Devi. A highly recommended book for the person just getting to know Amma, and for the seasoned devotee. Judith Cornell's hard work and direct experience of Amma shines in every paragraph.

This book is written by an American scholar who is working on her thesis about Women's spirituality who falls in love with Amma, the Indian Saint. She tries to keep her scientific hat on as she begins her journey, but Amma's power is so strong that she becomes changed and has her heart opened by Amma. For me, this is the power of this book. This author has a true and strong voice and her doubts and questions mirror my own search. I so enjoyed her way of presenting sometimes shocking facts with grace and an evenhanded tone--but still, her love for Amma shines thorough every page of this story. This made me fall in love with Amma and this book! I've bought dozens of used copies at Amazon and on ebay to give to friends and they all adore it. I hope it comes back into print soon!

A mix of some biographical material and wrought with episodic details of the life of my beloved Mata Amritanandamai, the author does a tremendous job in first person narrative of exposing the reader to the "force of nature" that is Ammachi. Here is a being that has a 4th grade education that teaches, instructs and consoles lay people, other religious practitioners, and nuclear physicists alike. I know I have never seen, nor has mankind I think, ever seen anything like Amma, a diabetic Mother, THE Mother, who donates 100% of her Self, 100% of the time; to the uplifting of her children. An incredible 5 star - book about the infinite star: Ammachi.

I am reading the book right now. Amma is an inspiration to the entire world. Her life is a model for everyone.

I ordered this book on Christmas break for a spring semester religion class. The price was great, the book is great condition, and was shipped well before it was time to head back to school.

That Ammachi is a great living saint is beyond dispute. She is revered by millions in East and West and leads an exemplary life of humility, service and compassion. This new biography of Amma will be a good introduction for those who are not acquainted with the Holy Mother of Amritapuri. Having said that, it needs to be added that some aspects of the book are disappointing. As a new biography it doesn't provide much new info beyond the official bio already in print. And it is written in a naively uncritical tone, appealing to the lowest common demoninator of readership. Obscure Indian scientists are trotted out as 'experts' in their field just because their opinions happen to support Amma's pronouncements. One can find an 'expert' to support virtually any scientific opinion. There is a short re-cap of events involving the collapse of the Soviet Union. Who is the author writing for? What literate, semi-educated person is not acquainted with these facts already? Most annoying is the author's starry-eyed romanticization of India. Like so many western followers of eastern gurus, she goes through India with blinders on. She seems to have left her critical facility at the door along with her shoes. While she describes the horrors of traveling in North India - the choking smog and chaos in the cities - she never asks herself who is responsible for creating the disasters of modern India. The author attempts to blame the racist attitudes inherent in the appalling caste system on western missionaries. The oppression of the darker-skinned lower castes by the lighter-skinned Brahmin elite has been going on for many centuries, well before the first Europeans set foot on the sub-continent. If India has one of the world's most repressive, backward and corrupt social arrangements, it is because the Indians have made a nice mess of it all by themselves. The world needs to hear about Ammachi, but we needed a biography with more integrity than this one.