nirantara

washingtontimes ! Amritanandamayi, known by her followers as "Amma," which means "mother" in many Indian languages, is marking her 50th birthday with a four-day celebration that started Wednesday. Among the participants Wednesday was Yolanda King, daughter of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King. "The most profound thing about her is she doesn't preach from the platform of one religion. She touches everybody. So Christians love her, Muslims love her, everybody loves her," Mrs. King said in an interview. "Outsiders might find it crazy. But those who have experienced her hug know that they go back transformed," said Mr. Parr, 50, who runs a film archive in San Francisco. "As we make more and more money, we are less and less in control of things. Peace comes from living for others. Life is all about showing love. Once she hugs, you know," Mr. Parr said. A maternal figure who hugs her devotees in a gesture of blessing, Amritanandamayi, whose full name means "Mother of Absolute Bliss," travels most of the year, meeting people from several cultures and religions. Some devotees have quit their careers and traveled to dusty Indian villages where she works, although her organization, the Amrita Ashram, does not give the number of full-time participants. "After September 11, there is a big change. People know that Amma's message of love is the answer," said Elizabeth Rose Raphael, a 40-year-old writer based in New York.