Amma arrived in Washington, DC for her four-day program from July 25-29. The event was held at The National Conference Center, drawing crowds from in and around Washington, eager to spend time in her divine presence after nearly five years.
Each day, people gathered in huge numbers to receive Amma’s embrace with joy and enthusiasm. Among them, a big smile on his face, was Billy Corgan with the alternative rock band, the Smashing Pumpkins. With 30 million albums sold worldwide, they were one of the most critically acclaimed bands of the 1990s by giving voice to the challenges witnessed by Generation X – a generation that faced social, economic, and technological upheavals.
Amma continued to lead prayers for world peace, alongside her meditation sessions and soul-enchanting bhajans. This created an air of tranquility as she lovingly and compassionately spent the rest of her days giving darshan.
The darshan sessions were extremely hectic, with Amma embracing thousands throughout the day and night. The atmosphere was emotionally charged as people shared their joys, sorrows, and longings with Amma. She carefully listened to all, helping the distressed find solutions to their problems and guiding others on their spiritual journeys.
During one of the programs, Brahmachari Chidanandamrita Chaitanya addressed the gathering. He shared that Amma is teaching us how to go beyond the intellect and find the state of eternal happiness. It is a childlike innocence deep within us all that is God.
“When our heart gets overwhelmed with love, logic fails. I have often felt that there is only one quality that distinguishes Amma from us. If we can assimilate that one quality, we can also become Amma. Yes. We can all become Amma. That one quality we need to develop is unconditional love,” he said.
“Amma is not teaching anything that is difficult to follow. She wants us all to enjoy the heaven that we are all carrying within us. Amma says the real heaven or hell is not a realm we will go to after death. It is in fact dependent on our mind.”
Br Chidanandamrita continued, “If the mind views the world with compassion and selfless love, wherever we are will be converted into a heaven. If it views the world through a filter of selfishness and hatred, no matter how beautiful a place we may find ourselves in, it will become a hell for us. So, we can create Heaven on Earth right now, here, through our kind words and compassionate actions.”
He concluded saying that as long as we put in effort, Amma will find a way to help us progress on the spiritual path. Even a little chanting, a little meditation, and a little yoga will lead us to greater heights of consciousness.
While Amma gave darshan, artists performed music and dance sets, and she delighted in their dedicated efforts. One of the most enchanting was a traditional Gujarati Garbha dance. It told the story of Sri Krishna holding up Govardhana Hill to save the villagers from fierce rainstorms sent by Indra Dev.
Amma’s programs in Washington, DC finished early morning on July 30. Her next tour stop is Boston, Massachusetts.
Find out more – us.amma.org/tour
