Lovingly known by millions around the world as Amma (Mother), the Hugging Saint, the Mother of Compassion, and the Mother of Immortal Bliss, the divinely beautiful Indian holy woman Ammachi has spent her adult life fulfilling her mission to share her message of love and compassion throughout the world by distributing hugs and special blessings. In 1990, psychiatrist and Amma devotee Dr. Janine Canan met Amma and, with Amma's blessing, began collecting quotations from Amma's public talks, personal dialogues, and songs. Here, Dr. Canan has translated Amma's beautiful and timeless words so that they are preserved and available for all. Included are themes such as “Love, the Cure,” “Surrendering the Ego,” and “Entering the Stream of Grace.” In all, MESSAGES FROM AMMA delivers the powerfully inspiring teachings of a modern-day saint—a woman whose very life is the incarnation of love.All author royalties are donated to Mata Amritanandamayi Center for charitable activities in India. For more information about Amma, visit www.amma.org. Amma has spoken at such prestigious conferences as the United Nation's Women's Peace Initiative, and she is the recipient of the 2002 Gandhi-King Non-Violence Award.Includes stunning, never-before-published full-color images of Amma.Reviews“A supernova of spirituality.” —Hinduism Today “The world today needs solid proof that our human values are useful. Amma's work in the field of spirituality as well as social service, provides us with the much needed proof.” —Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Prime Minister of India“Amma has comforted with her wonderful huggings . . . more than 21 million people. . . . She stands here before us: God's love in a human body.” —Jane Goodall, author of Reason for Hope“Ammachi is the embodiment of pure love. Her presence heals.” —Deepak Chopra, M.D., author of The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success“Amma's life is action, a cosmic gesture of acceptance through her capacity to give love to virtually everyone she encounters. There is no doubt this is precisely what the world needs in our age.” —Brother Wayne Teasdale, author of The Mystic Heart“Amma . . . is fast becoming a world-renowned spiritual leader like Mother Teresa and Mahatma Gandhi.” —Reuters “Amma's spiritual hugs and charitable works, including orphanages, women's shelters, hospices, and vocational education for the poor, have helped her to become what many . . . consider a living saint.” —Los Angeles TimesMessages from Amma: “Amma's warm, powerful words are gifts for people who need their spirits lifted.”—Voice of Asia. And Vision Magazine finds “This book is like Amma: beautiful and gentle in style, filled with purity of thought, and direct, simple words.”
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From the Publisher
* More than 125 timeless quotations from the Indian spiritual leader known as Amma, reflecting her message of service and compassion.
* It is estimated that Amma has given more than 21 million hugs worldwide.
* Amma has spoken at such prestigious conferences as the United Nation’s Women’s Peace Initiative, and she is the recipient of the 2002 Gandhi-King Non-Violence Award.
* Includes stunning, never-before-published full-color images of Amma.
About the Author
JANINE CANAN is a psychiatrist and the author of thirteen collections of poetry, including Changing Woman and In the Palace of Creation: Selected Works 1969–1999 as well as her translations of the poet Else Lasker-Schüler, Star in My Forehead, and the award-winning anthology She Rises Like the Sun: Invocations of the Goddess by Contemporary American Women Poets. Janine graduated from Stanford University and the New York University School of Medicine, and completed graduate study at the University of California, Berkeley. She resides in Sonoma, California.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful Wisdom From "The Hugging Saint",
This review is from: Messages from Amma: In the Language of the Heart (Hardcover)
"Spiritual practice doesn't mean sitting in lotus position with your eyes closed, but also serving the suffering, offering a consoling smile and loving words." --Amma
For the past 30 years, Amma has dedicated her life to the uplifting of suffering humanity through the simplest of gestures - an embrace. In this intimate manner Amma had blessed and consoled more than 21 million people throughout the world. Over time, Amma's popularity has risen to the point where in India she has been known to individually hug over 18,000 people in one day, sitting sometimes for over 20 hours. She travels all around the world to receive all her children around the globe. When asked, Amma says that her religion is love and service. Ever since she was a young girl, she would meditate and sing beautiful songs to the Lord, often slipping into God-intoxicated states. Because she was born with dark skin and acted "un-childlike" with her intense spiritual devotion, she was viewed by her parents as inferior to other children. Some villagers called her "crazy girl". She served the elderly, the poor and sick neighbors with love and care. Her parents were horrified to see her mingle with untouchables and forbade her to give away any more of their food, but she continued to do so despite their punishments. As an adult, Amma has inspired innumerable humanitarian activities all over the world. Some of these outreaches include free food and clothing programs, charitable hospitals, hospices, disaster relief programs, free homes for the poor and the needy, medical camps, orphanages, schools, educational institutions, free legal advice, preservation of nature and so on. The list is long and growing everyday, and in 2002, Amma was awarded the Gandhi-King Award for Non-violence. In 1990, psychiatrist Dr. Janine Canan met with Amma and, with Amma's blessing, began collecting quotations from Amma's public talks, personal dialogues and songs. Messages from Amma: In the Language of the Heart is the result of Dr. Canan's compilation and translation, and features the beautiful, inspiring, and healing words of this living saint. Photos of Amma are also shown throughout this 176-page book. Here are some selected quotes from Messages From Amma: Nurturing Energy Man egotistically claims he can push a button and burn the world to ash when he doesn't understand the power that moves his own finger. We must return to the world the nurturing energy of the feminine. Never Blame If you fall into a hole, you don't poke out your eyes because they have failed you. Why not tolerate other's faults as well? When you hurt your hand you don't reproach it, you apply medicine and nurse it with care. So too should we care for others never blaming them for their faults. Beloved Deity Meditating on a divine form will help you develop concentration and mental purity. The pure aspect of your beloved divinity will grow within you without your realizing it. Love for a formless God rarely develops as easily as for a God you can visualize. Following the path of knowledge without love and devotion is like eating stones. Formless all-powerful God readily assumes a form for the sake of the devotee. With complete faith and confidence in your beloved deity, you will reach the goal. I found this 176-paged book uplifting, comforting, and profoundly insightful. If you enjoy meditative quotes, spiritual poems, and wise sayings, you'll enjoy Messages from Amma: In the Language of the Heart.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Perfect Book,
This review is from: Messages from Amma: In the Language of the Heart (Hardcover)
This beautifully illustrated book introduces Ammachi, the "Hugging Saint" of South India. She's very accurately been described as "a supernova of spirituality" and "an incarnation of unconditional love." Messages from Amma is filled with wise and inspiring quotes from this remarkable woman, who may well be the greatest saint of our era. Very highly recommended!
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Powerfully Inspiring Book,
By
This review is from: Messages from Amma: In the Language of the Heart (Hardcover)
When reading Messages from Amma, one is compelled to believe that both the original words of Amma and the powerful, poetic translation of those words by Janine Canan are inspired. The book conveys so beautifully and succinctly the spiritual depths of Amma, an amazing 21st Century saint. Janine Canan has succeeded in collecting, translating, and organizing Amma's teachings in a way which does truly speak to the heart -- and the soul. The thematic organization makes this beautifully illustrated book useful for both spiritual nourishment and meditation. Especially powerful are the sections on Surrendering the Ego and Seeing the Good. Nowhere has Amma's message of love been presented more powerfully. No matter what your faith, if you have faith at all, you'll find this book inspirational.
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