Intro

Please click the links on your right to view tour experiences at each stop...

Over the next several weeks, I'll be documenting my wonderful experience of serving on Amma's tour staff in the kitchen in the summer of 2007. The North American Tour took us through Seattle, San Ramon, LA, Albuquerque, Dallas, Iowa, Chicago, Washington, NYC, Boston, and Toronto. I'll do my best to organize the posts according to each stop on the tour, so the links on your right hand side will accurately reflect the tour's progression.

If you are new to the Amma experience, there may be a few words that seem unfamiliar, so here are a few quick definitions, as well as I know them, to help you along the way.

Definitions of Terms:

Archana - In the Amma world, this refers to the 1000 names of Devi, or Goddess, that are chanted either silently or aloud, as worship of the Divine in the feminine aspect or form.

Darshan - Literaly means 'to see' and in usual terms, means having an audience with a spiritual master. However, in the case of Amma, it is used to refer to her motherly embrace that she bestows on all that come to her.

Devi - Goddess

Devi Bhava - Literally means State of the Goddess or Mood of the Goddess. In the Amma world, this refers to the celebration of the Divine Mother that usually occurs at the end of each stop on tour, where Amma reveals a little more of who she truly is, wearing the garments and regalia of the Divine Mother and invoking Her special mood.

Lila - Divine play. Refers to the idea that all of creation, including the seemingly opposing sides, is the result of God's playfulness. It may, more specifically, refer to the interactions between a devotee and God or Guru. At times it also implies the challenging situations God or Guru creates for the devotee so that they may grow spiritually.

Sankalpa - Divine resolve. This refers to the will of a Divine Master, and has tremendous power to manifest into reality, because the Master is in perfect alignment with everything in the universe.

Seva - Selfless service. Amma stresses the importance of seva in spiritual practice. While it doesn't necessarily earn God's grace, it makes one fit to receive it because seva purifies the mind/ego which often stands in the way.

Sevites - The people who perform seva.

Vasanas - Unconscious motivations that influence our actions, which have their roots in past experiences from this or other lives. Often translated as 'negative tendencies' in Amma's community.