Meeting Devi Amma in Bangalore

And visiting Ramana Maharshi Ashram in Bangalore

The first weekend of March I was in Bangalore. Doing two things - reading “For those with little dust: Pointers on the teachings of Ramana Maharshi” and battling my anxieties. However, the book gave me company and by evening I visited Ramana Maharshi ashram in Bangalore.

The ashram is within a radius of 10KM from where I stay in Bangalore. I recall passing by the ashram and watching the picture of an old man. I had no clue what Bhagwan had contributed to individuals like me who are with little dust. 

After attaining Enlightenment Buddha’s first impulse was to abide in the effulgence of Bliss but then he reflected:

“Some there are who are clear-sighted and do not need my teachings, and some whose eyes are clouded with dust who will not heed it though given, between these two there are also some with but little dust in their eyes, who can be helped to see; and for the sake of these I will go back among mankind and teach.”

I consider myself with little dust in my eyes. So I realised that visiting the ashram would be a great idea. The Bangalore ashram is a big hall with Bhagwan sitting in the centre. It is a quiet meditation hall and in the evening it hardly had one or two people doing parikrama of Bhagwan in the hall. 

After spending an hour I decided to take a small tour of the place. The ashram is surrounded by a big garden but with the sun setting, I avoided venturing into the place.

On my way back I called up Devi Amma and asked if I could meet her. The old lady who hardly steps out of her temple politely asked me to come on Tuesday evening.

Jubin’s blog introduced me to this saint. He writes:

“You know a saint when you meet a saint. The one who has no expectations, the one who shares unflinchingly, the one whose heart is as open as the universe, the one who doesn’t hold any judgment, the one in whom a personal ‘I’ or ego-sense does not exist. And we were extremely thrilled to meet a living saint-like Devi Amma.”

My auto ride from Jalahalli to Whitefield was a smooth one. I was well guided by her daughter and after a few phone calls and perfecting my direction skills, I landed in front of a two-storeyed building. I was told Amma is waiting for me upstairs. Before I could knock at the door, a tall lean guy opened the door for me with a smile. I stepped into the huge hall and this is what I see.

In one glance I could see almost all gods and saints were waiting for me along with Amma. This is her pooja room and the place where she spends most of her time.

And in the next moment, I saw Amma sitting on a comfortable chair - wearing a saffron colour saree she had a smile on her face. There was no ray of old age on her face. As I went near her she gave me a smile and asked me to sit beside her.

The guy who opened the door was visiting Amma with her partner. After they left Amma had a brief chat with me. She was fluent in English and asked me how are things at my end. I shared my recent experience with Tiruvannamalai.

She had a spark on her face as soon as she heard the name of Arunachala.

“I went there in 2010 and it is a divine place. Now my guru doesn’t allow me to leave this place. I stay here in this room, do my sadhana and meet people like you. I had stopped meeting people for the last two years but recently after my guru advised me I started meeting again - twice in a day.”

After chatting a bit about my life, work and other things she told me a part of her life:

“At the age of 15 I lost someone very close and that impacted me immensely. I kept crying for three days. On the fourth day, I started hearing someone continuously reciting Om. After two days I had the courage to find out who was this person. I saw nothing but light. That night I had a dream of Rishi Agastya and from that day onward I considered him as my guru and devoted my life to him and sadhna.”

After spending some more time I touched her feet and took blessings from her. She also offered me a banana which gave me company on my return journey.

Furthermore, I offered her a small gift for her time and presence - a family pack of Butterscotch icecream.

She had a big smile on her face - “Today’s dinner will be great. Also, go to Arunachala if you feel like it. The beauty of the Ashram is that you need to just go and sit. Rest everything Bhagavan will take care of.”

Bhagavan would say - “Submit to me and I will strike down the mind.” Or, “only be still and I will do the rest.”

And here I am in Arunachala living my life and walking the path shown by Bhagavan of Self-Enquiry.

You might be wondering what did I achieve from meeting Devi Amma. Nothing. I wanted to sit in her presence and enjoy some peace. Which I did.

However, I am amazed by her dedication and love towards her guru. Whether we believe her story or not is an individual choice but what amazes me is that in one night she decided to dedicate her entire life to a guru and love him for the rest of her life. There is immense faith but it can't be without the power of love.

Whether you are finding god inside or outside is an individual journey but without love, it won’t be easy.

It was love that drew me towards Devi Amma and her presence was full of motherly love.