VALLIKAVU (KOLLAM) : Touching upon a range of contemporary subjects and issues, Mata Amritanandamayi delivered the benedictory address during her 64th birthday celebration on the Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Engineering College campus here on Monday. Amma said spirituality is not against acquiring wealth or fulfilling desires. The only thing spirituality insists is it should be done through righteous means. “Spirituality is not against acquiring wealth or fulfilling desires. That is a misconception. There is nothing wrong in acquiring wealth or fulfilling desires. Spirituality only insists these should be done through righteous means. If we reject values and centre our mind and thoughts only on money, all our love will be fake. Earn money to live, don’t live to earn money,” said Amritanandamayi.
On currency demonetisation, Amritanandamayi said though the idea is to eliminate black money and corruption, it should have to be considered only as an external step. According to her, goals could be achieved only if one shows the willingness to shed two things internally - one’s selfishness and ego. She laid stress on the need for a development model based on culture and respect to nature.
“Though it is laudable the nation is planning a giant leap on the development trajectory, it should be ensured the developments are sustainable and based on culture and respect to nature,”she said. Amma said progress that keeps culture or nature at bay would not survive in the long-run. Calling on her followers to have a perspective change, Amritanandamayi said one should learn to see the world through one’s heart and not through ego.
According to her, when one starts looking through the eyes of one’s heart, one could not only see the world with childlike innocence but also starts to forgive and forget. “Those around us are actually our own images in which we can see the reflection of our own faults and shortcomings. We must understand it’s only the eyes of our heart that could ever be able to see God,” said Amritanandamayi.
Amrita Kuteeram
As part of the Amrita Kuteeram free housing project for the poor, keys of 37 newly constructed houses were handed over to the beneficiaries by Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala. Another scheme to impart health worker training to at least one woman in each of the Math’s adopted villages, was also launched on the occasion.
A total of 13 trained health workers presented certificates of appreciation by K C Venugopal MP. The occasion saw the announcement of the completion of the construction of 10,000 toilets in the state by the Mata Amritanandamayi Math. As part of the celebrations, the Math presented sarees to four lakh people. Community wedding of 54 couples, along with presentation of clothes and jewellery were carried out on the occasion.
Marthoma Church Senior Metropolitan Philipose Mar Chrysostom, in his inimitable style, remarked going by the impact of various welfare programmes launched by the Math, there would soon be very few needy in the country.