Customer Reviews

Ammachi: A Biography of Mata Amritanandamayi

5 star:		(8)
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3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

ANy book about my dear mother is so precious. Understanding of her past life experiences is an important thing to have. Personally, I have known Amma since the tender age of 3 and am now 13. In Her Service

Ammachi has touched the lives of millions by Her physical, mental, and overwhelming loving spiritual embrace. The biography written by Her seniormost disciple, Swami Amritaswarupananda, gives a beautiful picture of Her life. For one unfamilliar with Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, Her Biography is very helpful in learning about Her life as well as the lives of other saints and highly spiritual persons. The testimonies given at the end of the book are very exciting and reafirming to the mysterious and unassuming character of Amma. I HIGHLY recommend this book. I found myself immersed being brought to tears of laughter or longing. I have since bought several copies as gifts!

June 2006 I met Amma, and felt bliss after some time spent around her. For a week after that I felt like 17, full of energy and feeling happy. At that time I bought this book to learn more about Her. I only started reading it months after, on the plane going to see her again.
Learning about what she has been through in her life made me appreciate her work even more. How wouldn't I? She had to overcome a lot of difficulties - especially from her mother who was ill and enjoyed seeing her suffering - working hard for her family and for relatives (as it is customary in India), but yet making time to be in touch with God for hours daily. She never complained, seeing everything as a test, as an opportunity to prove that she will never abandon God, no matter what else happens in life. She especially loved her mother, even more when being so cruel to her, because it gave her so many opportunities to increase her inner strength.
Not before long, villagers and soon people farther away realized that she is blessed by God, and realized her acts to help everyone (such as sometimes taking food from family to offer beggars and suffering for that) - that her acts came from a compassion of true divine nature. Before 20, she already had disciples... and their number grew and grew over years.
The books also presents some testimonials (actually stories) of people who were helped by Amma, and some of them are amazing.
There are some short stories about her teachings at the end of the book, but if you really want to know more, the best thing seems to be a series of nine volumes - "Children awaken". Oh yes, all the beings are Amma's children - regardless of age, race, and so on.
This book may not be a page turner, but if you want to know more about Amma's life then you came to the proper place.
If there is one message to be extracted from the book, would be that of hope, that regardless of difficulties, you can achieve what you yearn for. Even masters encounter hardships, but makes them different is how they turn them into opportunities to become better... and build a better world.

This book is a must-read for any spiritual seeker. This is a great biography of one of India's greatest Living Masters- Ammachi. Known all over the world for Her incredible Love and compassion, Amma's life is an unfolding miracle. The book gives details of Her harrowing childhood, the spiritual austerities Amma performed in Her childhood and how Amma's mission has unfolded over the years. It give good insights to the seeker as to how to keep one's mind and heart focussed on God in the midst of all sorts of trials and tests and how a Great Master deals with everyone- whether they are admirers or detractors. The book will inspire and move you to tears - and will certainly help anyone who wants to actually meet Amma and experience the Divine Love that She shares with all. The book is written by Amma's chief disciple, Swami Amritaswaroopananda who has lived in Amma's ashram for more than 20 years. A great book of a Great Master.

This book gives us a wonderful introduction to one of India's foremost saints- Ammachi. This book describes the ordeals She had to go through as a child, Her unflagging and inspiring Love of God and humanity, and Her spiritual sadhana and its final fruition. Even though no book can adequately describe Ammachi's (or any other Sage's) greatness, theirs being an Inner experience , still the book does give us a good introduction to this outstanding Being and will really serve as a very useful book to read before one actually meets Ammachi in person.

This book is a must read for all seekers on the spiritual path, and it teaches fantastic lessons in surrender and Love through Ammachi's extraordinary life.

I must really recomment this book to everyone who wants to read about the amazing life and love of Sri Mata Amritananada Mayi. Her life is a inspiration and contemplation for all. The book is well written and has some great first hand experiences. Highly recommended !

A good introduction to a sublime, contemporary saint from India

I truly don't know how to write this review. For the first time in my life I'm speechless, which is kind of a miracle in itself! To say that I have such a deep sense of awe, love, admiration, respect and devotion to Ammachi seems at least understated and maybe even pedantic. How does one encapsulate a fully realized incarnation of the divine in mere words? How do I express feelings towards or about a being whom does not have one malicious, selfish, divisive atom in her body, nor a thought in her mind that does not spring from unconditional love? I can't, therefore I admonish you to buy the book, read it, cherish it, and remember the Blissful Mother constantly. There just aren't enough stars..........

It's beyond doubt, that Ammachi belongs among the great saints of Hinduism. But the book is rather mediocre. The first part is the biography, then a small section about her particular spiritual states and then a section of reports of devotees. The main purpose of the biography is to claim the status of an avatar for Ammachi. It shows inummerable problems during the childhood of Ammachi and how she overcame those either with continous sadhana or with miracles. Since Ammachi is shown as beeing above all human feelings and behaviour one cannot really identify with her while reading the book, and even less so with the other actors. From several people I know, I've heard, that Ammachi is an outstanding person. And it's definitely good to read about her life, if one is interested into her or her message.

The most revealing passages of this book are pages 144 and 145. My copy, which I purchased at the Ashram in India, Amritapuri, in 1999. It's a 10th edition, printed in India. It describes the attempted murder of the "Holy Mother" by her cousin and her brother. Both of which die soon afterwords. The brother dies from elephantiasis, and the cousin, who had held the knife to Ammachi's chest, dies from, who knows what, in the Hospital.
Page 145 exactly as written in my copy:
[ Though provided with excellent medical treatment, he finally died, continuously vomiting blood. As his disease was in it's acute stages the Holy Mother visited him in the hospital. She lovingly consoled him and fed him with her own hands. He was deeply repentant toward her for his grave mistake, and burst into tears experiencing her compassion and forgiveness.
The Holy Mother had no enmity toward her cousin who had attempted to murder her, nor had she made any resolve to avenge his evil act. He simply suffered the fruit of his action.
The Mother explained,
"Just as human beings have intense love for Mother, numerous subtle beings love her as well. If somebody attempts to harm Mother, Mother does not react. Mother faces such a person without any excitement and does (not a typo) even think any harmful thought regarding him who acts out of ignorance. But these subtle beings get angry and take revenge. Do you understand how this is? Suppose someone's mother is attacked by a man. Do the children sit back indifferent? Even if the Mother tries to stop them, they find that man and take revenge." ]

I certainly would think twice about accepting lunch from any "Holy Mother" especially this one, Being a critic of hers. Did she wash her hands before feeding him? Maybe the food she fed him was a bit old and moldy, like the food I ate at the Ashram in India, I feel like vomiting every time I think about it. Lots of people were vomiting while I was there but not blood, usually, Just regular old vomit.
Ammachi refers to her devotees as her "children". I wonder if her subtle beings that "take revenge" wear white clothes also.
BUYER BEWARE!