Amma and Lord Surya, The Sun God

Amma and Lord Surya, The Sun God

Sunsets on any western seashore are beautiful, but with Amma’s presence, its beauty becomes several times more.

Amma offers such beautiful outings to everyone at Amritapuri on all Mondays and Fridays.

There, by the sea, Amma sits on a high pedestal so that She is visible from afar. Amma insists that She is able to see all Her children. This pedestal has two or three steps for several children to sit near Her. Tumban (the ashram dog) normally takes the full share of Amma’s left side.

When Amma is here on this peetham (platform), all of us get a good glimpse of Her. No other adults can go close to Her though, so Amma alone is seen fully. At darshan times, there are so many all around her, even in the back, standing high above Her height. Thus we can’t see Her full form. We can’t see Her as the Eternal Light Goddess, Ishwari, as the glowing Spiritual Sun, the Atma Surya.

During the Monday and Friday beach meditations, Amma sits facing the west towards the Arabian Sea. It’s normally a little past 5 pm.

The Sun, Lord Surya, Receives Amma’s Blessing

Now, the Sun in the sky is eager to have a glimpse of Her. He has waited for Amma from morning, peeping and peering through foliage in Amma’s front yard. So now, he glides down towards the horizon.

Hanging humbly low in the sky above the sea, blushing, due to polite shyness appropriate in the presence of a spiritual Master. The Sun lifts the coconut fronds with his rays, just like one lifts the forelocks from a child’s face. He then takes a good view of Amma’s beautiful resplendent form in meditation.

Amma’s eyes are shut. She is in the state of Oneness.

Amma looks firm, established, immovable and glorious, like the Sumeru mountain (symbolic of the Divine Mother residing on the peak of this mountain). As if She is in meditation from time immemorial, Amma embodies Timeless Truth!

Divine Love Beyond Any Distance

The Sun (Lord Surya) sends beams of pranams (devotional prostrations) to Amma. Amma’s assistant thinks, ‘Oh, it is getting very sunny on Amma,’ and holds up an umbrella. Amma feels the obstruction of Her connection with the Sun, and shoos away the umbrella. In return for his rays of pranams, She lets him feel Her Love.

‘Where there is love, distance is not a problem. When the sun shines in the sky, lotuses bloom in the ponds on earth,’ Amma says.

If one has the eye, one can probably see Amma’s heart-lotus blooming for the Sun’s love rays!

Amma looks into each one’s eyes in a slow scan, like wind sweeping from one end to another. She binds each one to Herself, casting such loving glances. Just like each one on the shore can find a path of light to the Sun on the water surface, each one of Amma’s children has a direct connection with Her.

Just as we see the sea sprawling before the Sun, the Sun sees a sea of devotees gathered around Amma. The sea plays with Lord Surya just as Amma’s children interact with Amma.

Lighting the Darkness

The Sun can light up every object; he cannot light up darkness though. He can remove darkness, however. Similarly, Gurus like Amma can remove our sorrows by filling us with ananda (bliss).

In a recent Kannada (the language of Karnataka) song that Amma sings for us, it says:

Suryanu belakina maneyante –neenu
arivina belakina guru mate ||

Just as the Sun is home to light, you are the Guru Mother of the light of knowledge.

So much likeness between the Sun and Amma.

“Feel this divine love pouring out of your heart, spreading to the entire creation….” Amma, the Prema Surya, instructs us in the guided meditation, hoping to light the lamp of love in all our hearts.

Author: Sandhya

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