In Amritapuri, the New Year’s Eve festivities were an inspiring reflection of Amma’s vision for a modern world built upon the ancient values of dharma—right action at the right time. In her message, she encouraged people to awaken, alongside helping others to rise as well.
She said that at times, this means listening to their sorrows, but we can then share the understanding we have gained through our own suffering. That is the goal of human life. Amma concluded with prayers for the new year to be one in which peace and happiness dance across the world.
This was sincerely expressed in the cultural performances that followed—revelations of love with compassion, devotion with transformation. They began with Kerala’s traditional temple arts to celebrate the divine within all—Bharata Natyam, Kathakali, and Mohiniyattam. Then came the timeless captivation of a group dance about Lord Krishna leaving Radha and the gopis behind in Vrindavan.
Next—a sign of the times. The dances transitioned into an AI-generated bhangra song that brought together the entire world. It was composed in honour of Paul, the volunteer head chef for Amma’s international tours for more than 20 years, as well as all other kitchen volunteers. Amma’s face glowed with enchanting happiness as she raised her hands and swayed her body to join in with the Punjabi beats.
Wiping tears from her eyes after such expressions of beauty, Amma began to lead bhajans. The immense flow of devotion ultimately united everyone in a chorus of joy to a traditional Malayali rhythm. Hearts were enthralled as elayya elayya takka elayya takka elayya resounded across the Ashram and around the globe via webcast.
The hall then fell to a hush as all joined in focused prayers for world peace. Amma guided chanting lokah samasthah sukhino bhavantu—may all beings everywhere be happy and free.
As is tradition, Amma ended the time together by giving prasad to all in the form of payasam, a rice pudding. At 2am, the thousands gathered departed for their rooms, seeking a blissful sleep in the light of Amma’s love and prayers for a brighter future for all.
Excerpts from Amma’s Message
New Year’s is a time of celebration and excitement. There is nothing wrong at all in rejoicing and being happy. However, celebration should be cultured and dignified. Along with celebration, we also need awareness. New Year’s should be a time for evaluation and transformation. Only then will it lead us towards goodness.
Creating change within
Change is the law of nature. Seasons like spring, summer, monsoon, autumn, pre-winter and winter arrive one after the other, and depart the same. When winter comes, trees lose their leaves, letting go of the decaying remnants of a season that has already run its course.
With the coming of spring, new buds grow. Nature becomes green with vegetation, flowers bloom everywhere, giving joy and delight to all. Similarly, to move forwards successfully along the path of life, we also must abandon the decay within us. Then, true spring will enter our lives as well.
When the fresh year starts on the calendar, freshness must sprout within us too. Along with the change in surroundings, a creative change must happen in our mindset. We should look back and evaluate our falls, victories, gains and losses.
Look back, move forward
As a lion moves forward, it will stop occasionally and look back over its shoulder. Our lives should follow the same principle, looking back from time to time, to assess, “How much progress have I made?” We should set new goals, make fresh commitments and plan our next steps. Once we determine these, then our focus must remain fully in the present.
Time doesn’t need our permission to change. However, for change to happen in us, our determination and effort are required. It is our yesterdays that created our today. Likewise, it is our actions today—in this very moment—that are shaping our tomorrows. Therefore, focus your attention on the present moment. Use it properly.
Along with thinking about what to do, we must also think about what we should become and how we should be. To fly in the sky of true peace, one must lighten one’s weight of worries and complaints.
Learn to truly laugh
Our life shouldn’t hang upon the lips of others—their praise or criticisms—or upon their successes and failures. Happiness is our birthright. Whether to smile or not is our choice. Today, our amusement lies in mocking and laughing at others.
Instead, we must try to recall our own moments of folly and laugh at ourselves. Real happiness is that state wherein we forget everything else and remember God. That is true laughter—the joy that rises from deep within. Let us rise to that.
In life, there are two kinds of wealth—material and spiritual. Happiness, peace, love, friendship, knowledge and moral values are spiritual wealth. These deserve greater importance because they alone bring true satisfaction and make life meaningful.
Awareness, compassion, effort, surrender
For internal and external transformation, four principles are essential. The first is awareness, the second is compassion, the third is effort, and the fourth is surrender to God. When these four come together, it will mark the beginning of some beautiful chapters in our life.
New Year’s reminds us of the unbroken flow of time. Life is a continuous stream of actions and their results. Destiny is self-created. God has given us a canvas. The pen to write on it is in our hand. Destiny is what we write for ourselves through our actions.
God’s intention is to free us from the bondage of karma. Though sorrow and pain are part of life, the Divine ultimately seeks to uplift us beyond this pair. Therefore, we can never find fault with God. We see only a small fragment of life, while the Divine works on the foundation of perfect wisdom.
Devotion leads to discovery
If one were to ask what is most beautiful in human life, it is devotion, pure love for God. In the vast darkness of sorrow and suffering, devotion is the light that holds our hand and leads us forwards. It is like the sacred river Gaṅgā, which washes away all mental impurities. When one attains pure devotion and pure love, life itself becomes blessed.
Devotion is not mere emotion; it is wisdom. It is inner fulfilment and the discovery of one’s true self. Such devotion becomes possible only for the most courageous. Love awakens from within, and that faith is not blind. That faith is the most luminous. It leads to love and finally to surrender.
Surrender leads to supreme victory
Surrender is not slavery; it is unity. It culminates in supreme victory—oneness. When affection matures into love, and love ripens into surrender, the individual soul merges with the Supreme Soul.
What we need is not a mind that is content with a narrow outlook, but a broad mind that moves forward steadily without faltering. Everyone makes resolutions for the new year, but few follow them. Keep trying continuously. You may fall. If you do, do not lie there lamenting. Make the effort to rise again. Cultivate that spirit and attitude.
Arise by helping others rise
Awaken yourself. Uplift yourself. Help others rise as well. At times, you will have to listen to the sorrows of others, but you can share with them whatever understanding you have gained. That is what we are meant to achieve with this birth.
May the new year be one in which peace and happiness dance across the world. May we be able to realise a meaningful 2026—one that brings us closer to our goal. May divine grace bless all my children to achieve this.
॥ ॐ लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु ॥
Om Lokah Samasthah Sukhino Bhavantu
May all beings everywhere be happy and free
