CultNEWS101 Articles: 10/3/2025

Kingdom of Canada, India,  Amritanandamayi,  La Luz del Mundo

Global News: Richmound mayor describes aftermath of cult raid

"Sewage water continues to seep into a large puddle near the entrance of a purple school-turned-compound that housed members of a cult in the southwest Saskatchewan village of Richmound for the last two years.

Although the "Kingdom of Canada" was driven out earlier this month after a police raid, Mayor Brad Miller says the sewage water — overflow from toilets and sinks inside the building — remains.

"If there's wind, people probably 500 feet away can smell it," says Miller, 64, in an interview.

"If you get it on your hands or whatever, you can smell it for hours. It stinks like you wouldn't believe."

Miller thinks daily about how to keep members of the group out if they return.

'I'm fed up. My family's fed up. If you came out to the southwest, people are just fed up. It's enough. It's scary.'"

The Hindu: Madras High Court orders inspection of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham campus run by Mata Amritanandamayi Math

"The Madras High Court has directed the Forest Department officials to inspect the Mata Amritanandamayi Math-run Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, a deemed university campus at Ettimadai, located at the foothills of Bouluvampatty ranges of the Western Ghats in Coimbatore district, and find out whether it fully complies with the 17 conditions imposed before granting building permission.

A special Division Bench of Justices N. Sathish Kumar and D. Bharatha Chakravarthy directed the jurisdictional District Forest Officer (DFO) to conduct the inspection along with amici curiae T. Mohan, Chevanan Mohan, Rahul Balaji, and M. Santhanaraman on a convenient date to all the parties concerned, and submit a detailed report before the court on or before September 12, 2025.

The orders were passed after senior counsel R. Sankaranarayanan, representing the Math, told the court that the institution was fully in compliance of the 17 conditions imposed by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force) on January 18, 2024, for converting 12.622 hectares of agricultural dry lands for educational purposes, and that it was also open to any inspection.

"If there are any defects, we will cure it immediately," the senior counsel said after the High Court in July this year suo motu impleaded the Math as one of the respondents to a public interest litigation (PIL) petition related to the protection of forests and elephant corridors. The Math was impleaded following a complaint that it had erected a two-kilometre-long electric fence, disturbing free movement of elephants.

Filing an affidavit on behalf of the Math, its authorised signatory G. Gopakumar, 54, residing on the Ettimadai campus, said: "We have erected green solar smart fencing in the border areas of our patta (revenue document related to private land ownership) lands by complying with the technical specifications formulated by the Tamil Nadu Power Fences (Registration and Regulation) Rules, 2023."

He pointed out that one of the 17 conditions imposed by the PCCF permits fencing around the lands in conformity with the 2023 Rules. He also asserted that the institution had provided a 150-metre vacant buffer zone between the lands belonging to the institution and the border of the forest areas in order to ensure free movement of all kinds of wild animals, including elephants.

"We have provided three troughs and supply water through pipelines for drinking by forest animals. We ensure the availability of water at all times. We also allow the existing natural stream running through our patta lands without any obstruction or alteration of direction. We mainly grow forest trees which do not attract forest animals," the affidavit filed by Mr. Gopakumar read.

Stating that Mata Amritanandamayi, a spiritual leader fondly called Amma by her followers, firmly believes in showing compassion towards all living beings, the deponent of the affidavit said, she always promotes harmony in nature and insists on protecting plants and animals too. He also stated that the Math runs educational institutions because she believes that education would eradicate poverty."

El Pais: The secret guard of La Luz del Mundo: A training camp in Mexico reveals the church leader's iron grip

"A security operation arrived at dawn at a plot of land in the municipality of Vista Hermosa, Michoacán, believing they would be facing a cartel. Residents had reported a training camp for organized crime, a specter that remains vivid in the minds of Mexicans after the discovery of the sinister ranch in Teuchitlán in Jalisco. The scene fit all the characteristics. Security forces arrested 38 men and seized what appeared to be high-powered firearms and tactical gear. What puzzled them was that the detainees did not identify themselves as cartel hitmen, but as members of the evangelical church La Luz del Mundo (The Light of the World).

The men were training to be part of a special corps created to protect the church's leader, Naasón Joaquín García, and his immediate family. This is the Jahzer Guard, which traces its origins back to another tactical group, the Jericho Guard, formed by Samuel Joaquín, Naasón's father. Until the raid at the training camp in Michoacán, very little had surfaced about the praetorian guards of La Luz del Mundo. It represents a new thread in the enigmatic web of corruption surrounding the sect, which has already begun to unravel. In the United States, Joaquín has been sentenced in California for child sexual abuse and now faces a new indictment for organized crime and human trafficking in New York.

One of the survivors of the apostle's abuse, Sharim Guzmán, told EL PAÍS that these guards serve to protect the church's leaders and their families wherever they are, and to watch over their homes; they are also tasked with guarding temples and congregant neighborhoods, chiefly Hermosa Provincia, a district in Guadalajara (the capital of the state of Jalisco) created in the apostle's own image — a sort of cultural and political power center of the church."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

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CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources about: cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations, and related topics.

The selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not imply that Patrick Ryan or Joseph Kelly endorse the content. We provide information from multiple perspectives to foster dialogue.

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Worried about the greying of gurudom?

Narayani Ganesh

Speaking Tree Speaking Tree

TOI

January 22, 2023

The greying of Indic gurudom is a matter of concern for some. The names most of us are familiar with are legion, including global celebrity-gurus like the hugging mother, Mata Amritanandamayi; Tibetan spiritual leader, His Holiness The Dalai Lama; the Art of Living founder, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar; Parmarth Niketan’s Swami Chidanand Saraswati; Prasanna Trust founder, Swami Sukhabodhananda; Isha Foundation head, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev; Satsang Foundation head, Sri M, and more. They are all in the league of senior citizens. Then, there are those who are close to 60, like the 57-year-old Baba Ramdev,  the 56-year-old Anandmurti Gurumaa of Rishi Chaitanya Ashram and others.

Is the ageing of Indic gurus something to worry about? Won’t their teachings live on even after their physical body dissolves? Paramhansa Yogananda, Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Sivananda, Swami Chinmayananda, Osho, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Kanchi Shankaracharya, Neem Karoli Baba and so many others, too numerous to list here including Buddhist and Jain masters, Christian and Muslim leaders, who led illustrious lives, dedicating themselves to spiritual quest and guiding seekers to find their paths, are no longer here, in their physical body. Yet their presence is felt in their organisations, ashrams, institutions and their disciples, in their discourses, anecdotes and teachings that inform, guide and bring succour to millions.

These thoughts got triggered by a little communication that informed of a video message from HH The Dalai Lama on ‘The Art of Hope’, to promote the sense of oneness of eight billion human beings who live together on Planet Earth. His four life commitments that he often shares with audiences are: kindness and compassion; religious harmony; preservation of Tibetan culture and environment; and the revival of ancient Indic wisdom. The last is tribute to all the knowledge, carried forward by Buddhists, that transformed the way the people of Tibet view life and living, and which continues to give them the strength, courage and hope to carry on, despite all the onerous challenges that they have been facing since long. And Tibetan spiritual leaders are returning the favour, re-introducing Indic philosophy to Indians and people of the rest of the world.

Tibetan spiritual tradition has held up the theory of rebirth and reincarnation, thereby somewhat providing solace to those who pine for the guru’s presence long after he has left his mortal coils.

The proliferation and penetration of digital technology has enabled spreading messages — of gurus who have passed on — far and wide, ensuring that every corner of the world becomes aware of their priceless teachings and anecdotes.

For those who yearn for the physical presence of these gurus, technology could help create holograms so that each time you listen to a discourse or talk, you can also ‘feel’ the presence of the guru in the room.

Interestingly, there is another dimension to the guru’s presence, such as the belief that sages like Mahavatar Baba get sighted in the Himalayan region and in other places. Now, that is an entirely different aspect to the subjects of mortality and immortality, presence and absence, the here and the hereafter. The truth is that in whatsoever form one envisions one’s guru, realised mentors are like GPS for the soul, directing seekers on the path of liberation that leads to the ultimate destination, of ecstasy.

ganeshnarayani@yahoo.com 

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/toi-edit-page/worried-about-the-greying-of-gurudom/

The Amma Empire: a testimony by one of the hugging saint's first disciples

The Amma Empire: a testimony by one of the hugging saint's first disciples

Jacques Albohair

Mata Amritanandamayi, "the hugging saint," has grown in half a century from an Indian fisherman's daughter in the late 1970s to an international icon revered by millions worldwide.

Having belonged to the inner circle of disciples in the early 1980s, Jacques Albohair (aka Sarvatma) contributed to spreading her message as the first European representative and personal translator until his departure from the movement fourteen years later. He provides here a captivating testimony of his life as an early disciple and an exhaustive and documented investigative analysis of the evolution of the organisation from the simple "family business" to the "global empire" it has become today.

After delivering a critical review of the official biography, he reminds us of the rigorous criteria defining a true Spiritual Master in the light of the founding principles of Hinduism and finally broadens the debate in addressing all seekers in the quest for their autonomy.

In the wake of Gail Tredwell, Amma's former personal assistant's testimony, "Holy Hell - A Memoir of Faith, Devotion and Pure Madness" published in 2013, this book is the second major critical testimony on Mata Amritanandamayi and her movement.



https://www.amazon.com/Amma-Empire-testimony-hugging-disciples-ebook/dp/B09MV7G9CK/

CultNEWS101 Articles: 1/18/2022 (Research Participation Request, QAnon, Extremist, Mata Amritanandamayi, 3HO, Yogi Bhajan, Kundalini Yoga, Religious Fraud, Mental Illness, New Book)

Research Participation Request, QAnon, Extremist, Mata Amritanandamayi, 3HO, Yogi Bhajan, Kundalini Yoga, Religious Fraud, Mental Illness, New Book

Research Participation Request: "The Relationship Between Reproductive Coercion, Psychologically Abusive Environments, and the Extent of Group Identity in a Sample of Those who Have Left Cultic Groups"

Researcher: Ashlen Hilliard, University of Salford, Master's in the Psychology of Coercive Control Program

Did you experience a lack of reproductive choice while in a cultic group? Was your sexual health and well-being affected by the cult? Do you feel that the cultic group used your reproductive health as a means of control?

You are invited to participate in this research project on the relationship between reproductive coercion, psychologically abusive environments, and the extent of group identity in a sample of those who have left cultic groups.

You are eligible to participate if you are an individual 18 and older who self-identifies as someone who has been in a cult or destructive group which you have subsequently left. You identified as a female while you were in a cult or destructive group setting, and you experienced reproductive coercion at that time, which has been defined as: "A behavior that interferes with the autonomous decision-making of a woman with regard to reproductive health. It may take the form of birth control sabotage, pregnancy coercion, or controlling the outcome of a pregnancy" (Grace and Anderson, 2018, p. 371).

Please do not feel pressured or obligated to complete this questionnaire if you may have met me or be aware of my role with the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA).

If you have any further questions or would like any additional information, please feel free to email researcher Ashlen Hilliard at A.J.Hilliard@edu.salford.ac.uk .

Link to survey: https://salford.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/reproductivecoercion

Wired: The Next Wave of Extremist Cults Will Make QAnon Look Tame

"Cult-like extremist movements appear to provide an antidote to the potent mixture of isolation, uncertainty, changing narratives, and fear we have experienced during the pandemic by offering a skewed form of safety, stability, and certainty, along with a cohort of people who are just like us, who believe us and believe in us. As the activist David Sullivan—a man who devoted his life to infiltrating cults in order to extricate loved ones from their grip—pointed out, no one ever joins a cult: They join a community of people who see them. In 2022, this appeal of cults will only grow, and those that arise next year will make QAnon seem like the good old days."

Mata Amritanandamayi Collection

Press Herald: Bath musician opens up about 'cult' experience in new memoir

" ... Someday finally arrived when Blachly, who uses the name Peter Alexander in his musical performances, wrote about his experiences in a 308-page memoir self-published last year.

Now 72 and with many of the people who were part of his previous life no longer living, Blachly felt more freedom to write the memoir than he would have otherwise. The pandemic gave him the time to finish a writing project that began many years ago, and living in an old house with an expansive view of the river gave him the space to think and a place to ponder.

His book, called "The Inner Circle, Book One: My Seventeen Years in the Cult of the American Sikhs," which is available at Gulf of Maine Books in Brunswick, tells the story of his journey as a popular musician in a nationally touring rock band during the Vietnam War and Woodstock era to becoming a close confidant and musical liaison to Yogi Bhajan, a kundalini yoga guru and spiritual leader of the 3HO Foundation.

The organization's name stands for Healthy, Happy and Holy and remains an active nonprofit dedicated "to living a life that uplifts and inspires," according to its website. Although it claims to follow the tenets of Sikhism, a religion that originated in India in the 15th century with more than 25 million followers worldwide, it has been criticized for misrepresenting the religion and denounced by traditional practitioners. A spokesperson for 3HO declined to respond to a reporter's questions for this story. A spokesperson for the Sikh Coalition, a New York-based Sikh-American advocacy group, declined to comment on 3HO.

The organization formed in 1969 and Blachly joined in 1970 at age 20, because he was interested in yoga and a healthier lifestyle. He became deeply involved out of a genuine desire for spiritual understanding and personal peace, he said, and a love of music. As a musician, he achieved respected status in the movement, traveling among Sikh communities in the United States and India while learning to play the sitar, mastering tabla (or Indian hand drum), speaking Punjabi and performing at holy shrines across India, including the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

After Yogi Bhajan died in 2004, many of his followers accused him of rape and sexual misconduct. In his book, Blachly, who has two daughters from an arranged marriage through his association with the spiritual leader, accuses him of manipulation, control and financial malfeasance."

New Book: FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE, Religious Fraud, Mental Illness, and the Collapse of Law & Order

"Victims of abuse often feel very alone, helpless, and hopeless.

Author Paulette J. Buchanan takes the reader through her lifetime of abuse at the hands of her four older brothers. She describes their continuation of abuse into their adult years, in part carried out by their weaponization of the court system to file meritless, harassing lawsuits against her, her husband, and against others. Buchanan details the arduous fight in which she and her husband have been forced to engage in order to finally secure long overdue judgments against these brothers."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

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Intervention101.com to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.

CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families make the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.

CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources.

Facebook

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Selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not mean that Patrick Ryan or Joseph Kelly agree with the content. We provide information from many points of view in order to promote dialogue.

Please forward articles that you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.

Holy Hell: A Memoir of Faith, Devotion, and Pure Madness

Holy Hell: A Memoir of Faith, Devotion, and Pure Madness

"Amma, universally known as "The Hugging Saint," went through a two-decade transformation from a simple fisherman's daughter to an international wonder worshiped by millions. Gail "Gayatri" Tredwell was there every step of the way—from early devotee to head female disciple, ever-present personal attendant, handmaiden, whipping post, and unwilling keeper of some devastating secrets. At age nineteen, when she was a happy-go-lucky, adventurous lass from Australia, Tredwell never imagined that she would soon be trading her free spirit and skimpy clothing for a life of submission in an ankle-length sari. Her eager decision to serve the young "saint" began with innocence and a pure desire to please her new guru. In time, the relationship transformed into virtual enslavement in which Tredwell was on call 24/7 and worked herself nearly to death in the hope of finding God. Because she became fluent in the Malayalam language and had continual intimate proximity to Amma for twenty years, Tredwell is uniquely capable of portraying this famous woman. She tells her tale with straightforward honesty, fairness, and a dash of Aussie snap and wit. Although the guru’s flaws are a necessary part of her story and awakening, she strives to be factual throughout, digging deep to eschew victim frameworks and take responsibility for her own role in accepting the abuse and perpetuating the lies. The book evokes the joys of early devotional life and vibrant images of rural India. Through Tredwell's eyes, we watch a modest and traditional ashram metastasize into a business-oriented, bustling, mega-international organization. We also see how such a dizzying rise created vast opportunity for abuse, deceit, and hypocrisy. Tredwell takes us vividly through her varying stages, starting with naïveté and innocent devotion, then on to dawning awareness and confusion, finally to emotional breakdown and her shocking "enlightenment"—her realization that the liberation she urgently required was is in fact liberation from her own guru. In a gradual yet determined struggle, she managed to untangle herself from the web of myth and indoctrination. Only then was she able to muster her battered but not quite broken spirit and plot her escape. Gail's flight to freedom—her victorious recovery from a life of abuse and disillusionment—displays extraordinary strength and inspiring courage."

Ama Collection

https://www.amazon.com/Holy-Hell-Memoir-Devotion-Madness-ebook/dp/B00GB83S3G

CultNEWS101 Articles: 12/9/2021 (Jehovah's Witnesses, Religious Freedom, Kyrgyzstan, Legal, Amma, Book Review, Love Has Won)

Jehovah's Witnesses, Religious Freedom, Kyrgyzstan, Legal, Amma, Book Review, Love Has Won

RFE/RL: Kyrgyz Court Refuses To Recognize Books Used By Jehovah's Witnesses As 'Extremist'

"A court in Bishkek has refused to deem publications from the Jehovah's Witnesses as extremist, rejecting a step by authorities toward completely outlawing the religious group.

The Birinchi Mai district court in the Kyrgyz capital on December 3 rejected a request by the Prosecutor-General's Office to recognize 11 books, two brochures, and six videotapes belonging to the Jehovah's Witnesses in Kyrgyzstan as extremist.

The materials in question were confiscated in 2019 from the religious group, which has operated in the Central Asian nation for more than 23 years, by the State Committee for National Security (UKMK).

Investigators then concluded that the materials "instigate religious hatred," while the Prosecutor-General's Office asked the court last month to recognize the literature and videotapes as extremist and ban the group's activities in the country."

The Jehovah's Witnesses were officially registered in Kyrgyzstan in 1998. Currently, there are some 5,000 followers of the religious teaching.

The Amma Empire

"Amma, "The Hugging Saint", Mata Amritanandamayi or Amrita, went from a simple Indian fisherman's daughter in the late seventies to an international phenomenon worshiped by millions worldwide.

Jacques Albohair (aka Sarvatma), who belonged to the initial inner circle of disciples in the early eighties, contributed to her early reputation as her first European representative and translator until he quit more than a decade later. He provides a captivating insider testimony of his life as an early disciple and of the development of the organization from the simple "family business" to the "global empire" it has become today.

He delivers a detailed investigative analysis of the philosophy, the ethics, the communication, the practices and the reality of this sprawling organization . He reveals the corruption and deception at the heart of the Amrita-system covering a wide range of fields: economic, fiscal, charitable, educational, sanitary, land and real-estate, ethical and spiritual, in words and deeds. He demonstrates how the guru herself is at the origin of the omnipresent ambiguities and doublespeak. The author's close and intimate personal experience combined with quality testimony, documented evidence and a wealth of sources is nothing short of an eye-opener.

His critical review of the official biography , thanks to his hindsight and experience, is especially enlightening as it lays bare in simple and clear terms the reality of the person, her evolution and realizations.

As a lover of India and a believer of its ancient wisdom, he broadens the debate by clarifying common misunderstandings on some of the founding principles of Hinduism , and explores the criteria of the real spiritual master , of a healthy master-disciple relationship and the means to empower oneself when regaining one's autonomy .

His book caters as well to admirers of India, to cult critics and to devotees in search of answers. In the wake of Gail Tredwell's testimony , Amma's former personal assistant for twenty years, "Holy Hell - A Memoir of Faith, Devotion and Pure Madness" published in 2013, this is the second major critical insider testimony on Amma and her movement .

430 pages, printed and electronic versions available at amazon.com,  amazon.in and other international sites."

The Denver Post: Love Has Won cult leader died from anorexia, substance abuse and colloidal silver use, autopsy report says

"Love Has Won cult leader Amy Carlson died of natural causes after years of alcohol abuse, opioid use, anorexia and chronic ingestion of colloidal silver, a substance that some believe can boost the body's immune system, according to an autopsy report prepared by the El Paso County Coroner's Office.

The report, which was finalized last month, found alcohol, narcotics, marijuana and high levels of silver in the 45-year-old's body. Carlson, who was 5-feet-4-inches tall, weighed 75 pounds when she died, the report said.

The autopsy results were first reported by Guru Mag, an online publication that reports on cults, and were confirmed to The Denver Post by Rising Above Love Has Won, a group that tries to rescue the group's followers.

The autopsy also reported that there were no signs of cancer, despite Carlson's followers saying that she was suffering from it. Her followers, who called Carlson "Mother God," also had said she was paralyzed. Those who follow the cult said there was no sign that she was paralyzed, although the autopsy report does not address that condition."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultEducationEvents.com

CultMediation.com   

Intervention101.com to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.

CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families make the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.

CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources.

Facebook

Flipboard

Twitter

Instagram

Cults101.org resources about cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations and related topics.

Selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not mean that Patrick Ryan or Joseph Kelly agree with the content. We provide information from many points of view in order to promote dialogue.

Please forward articles that you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.

The Amma Empire

The Amma Empire

"Amma, “The Hugging Saint”, Mata Amritanandamayi or Amrita, went from a simple Indian fisherman's daughter in the late seventies to an international phenomenon worshiped by millions worldwide.

Jacques Albohair (aka Sarvatma), who belonged to the initial inner circle of disciples in the early eighties, contributed to her early reputation as her first European representative and translator until he quit more than a decade later. He provides a captivating insider testimony of his life as an early disciple and of the development of the organization from the simple “family business” to the “global empire” it has become today.

He delivers a detailed investigative analysis of the philosophy, the ethics, the communication, the practices and the reality of this sprawling organization . He reveals the corruption and deception at the heart of the Amrita-system covering a wide range of fields: economic, fiscal, charitable, educational, sanitary, land and real-estate, ethical and spiritual, in words and deeds. He demonstrates how the guru herself is at the origin of the omnipresent ambiguities and doublespeak. The author's close and intimate personal experience combined with quality testimony, documented evidence and a wealth of sources is nothing short of an eye-opener.

His critical review of the official biography , thanks to his hindsight and experience, is especially enlightening as it lays bare in simple and clear terms the reality of the person, her evolution and realizations.

As a lover of India and a believer of its ancient wisdom, he broadens the debate by clarifying common misunderstandings on some of the founding principles of Hinduism , and explores the criteria of the real spiritual master , of a healthy master-disciple relationship and the means to empower oneself when regaining one's autonomy .

His book caters as well to admirers of India, to cult critics and to devotees in search of answers. In the wake of Gail Tredwell's testimony , Amma's former personal assistant for twenty years, “Holy Hell - A Memoir of Faith, Devotion and Pure Madness” published in 2013, this is the second major critical insider testimony on Amma and her movement .

430 pages, printed and electronic versions available at amazon.com , amazon.in and other international sites."


https://theammaempire.com/

Sri Ma Anandamayi with Maharishi at the Kumbh Mela, 1965

A short video of Maharishi and Anandamyai Ma sharing the same stage at Kumbha Mela c1965

Maharishi 1981 at ma's ashram?

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
From Ananda Varta, Vol 3 1977

"Maharishi Mahesh Yogi paid a visit to Mataji who received him in the hall in the presence of a fairly large congregation. The Maharshi had brought pandits with him who recited hymns to Devi from various scriptures with remarkable skill and feeling for over an hour. Then Sri Mahesh Yogi talked about his transcendental meditation and his work of spreading it in all countries of the world. Then Sri Ma also had Her say. At the end Kumaris Chhabi Banerji and Pushpa sang exquisite bhajans. The gathering continued until 11.3O p. m. when Sri Mahesh Yogi took his leave, expressing his wish to come for Mataji’s darshana again and again." 

From an unverified report: 
"In 1981 during the Vedic Science course in Delhi, Maharishi sent a large group to the Taj Mahal for a visit. While in Agra, the group heard that the great saint Sri Ananda Mayee Ma was at her place in Vrindavan, which was on the route back to Delhi from Agra. Maharishi enthusiastically said the group should visit her and to take shawls, saris, fruits, garlands, sweets as our gift. The group arrived at twilight and meditated in a group outside her house while waiting for their chance to go up to the roof of the house where she gave darshan. While the group was waiting two giant white birds flew low over her house the celestial quality of the sight made everyone gasp. Dr. Bevan Morris asked the receptionist to inform Sri Ananda Mayee Ma that we were from Maharishi. But the group had to go up in sections of ten as the space was limited. Dr. Morris went up in the last group, and found that Sri Ananda Mayee Ma was sitting deeply withdrawn not paying attention to the people coming and going, and the pile of cloth, flowers, fruit etc. that had been placed in front of her. At that stage she was very elderly, and near the end of her Earth days. It was immediately obvious to Dr. Morris that she had not been told that this was Maharishi's group. He asked the administrator again to please tell Sri Ananda Mayee Ma that these people were sent by Maharishi to see her. The administrator began to speak to her in Bengali and at the point where he said "Maharishi Mahesh Yogi" Sri Ananda Mayee Ma suddenly sat bolt upright and folded her palms together, and then started grabbing fruits and flowers and wrapping them up in packages, and giving them to us to deliver to Maharishi. Then she gave a sublime message of devoted greeting and love to convey to Maharishi. The group upon reaching Delhi delivered this message to Maharishi's great joy. 

On another occasion Maharishi was doing Puja with Sri Ananda Mayee Ma at her place in Haridwar, but finally Maharishi had to go. He told Sri Ananda Mayee Ma, "Ma you stay here and continue, and I will go". She seemed to agree and let him go, but after a few moments got up and followed Maharishi out to the car, walking a little behind him with the sweetness of a small child. There was a mala wala - a garland salesman - with a basket full to the brim with marigold garlands on the street there, and Sri Ananda Mayee Ma pointed to him so that her assistant purchased the whole basket. Then Sri Ananda Mayee Ma took the whole basket to where Maharishi was now sitting in the car, and she tipped the whole basket of garlands through the window into his lap". 

Another unverified report: 
Ma was seated with many devotees in the large hall across the lane from the Ganga side; Maharishi gave a talk to all present not only about Transcendental Meditation but also, I recall, emphasising to Ma’s devotees that such was Ma’s Nature that, if they really wanted to know Her, they needed to transcend, to experience transcendental pure consciousness. Afterwards Ma’s ladies sang very beautifully the Hymn to Narayani from the Durga Saptasati. 
Another occasion: Ma was seated to the right of the deity in the little temple across the lane in Kankhal, with Maharishi seated across from Her. On this occasion, Maharishi and his pundit performed puja and arati to Ma. As Maharishi left, Ma followed him out of the temple with her hands folded in namaskar chanting softly "Namo Narayan, Namo Narayan". Maharishi asked one of his disciples to get some flowers from the flower sellers in the lane. A whole basket was brought and Maharishi walked backwards to his car sprinkling the flowers along the path where Ma walked following him. When Maharishi was about to get into his car, Ma indicated to one of her disciples to get a basket of flowers and tipped the whole basket over Maharishi as he stood there. 
Another story from Farouk Anklisaria, who was an Indian teacher of Transcendental Meditation and a lawyer. Farouk, one day, was arranging a course of instruction in TM for a Justice of the Supreme Court of India. The Justice told Farouk that he was a devotee of Anandamayi Ma and asked if it was still alright that he learned Transcendental Meditation. Farouk told him not to worry since Maharishi and Ma were very good friends. Later, Farouk had the chance to relate this to Maharishi himself. Maharishi swiftly replied: “No, no! Tell him I worship Her!” 


http://www.anandamayi.org/ashram/maheshyogi.htm

A guru's healing touch: My embrace with India's hugging saint

The renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian, Mata Amritanandamayi, is best known for her healing hugs, having embraced a reported 33 million people worldwide. Alison Bone recalls her quest to meet the guru and receive a holy embrace.

Special Broadcasting Service (SBS)
By Alison Bone
17 JAN 2017

It was my first trip to India and I had been lured to Kerala by tales of a pink ashram rising from the jungle, and a female guru known as Amma, who gave loving hugs.

I had never been to an ashram before and arrived at Amritapuri Ashram expecting silence, stillness and smiles. I found a bustling, pastel pink mini metropolis bursting out of the palm groves. Hordes of Indians piled off buses, while westerners sheathed in white swept the pathways.

A pretty and plump woman of diminutive stature with a dazzling smile, Amma, was born into a family of poor fishermen. Ridiculed as a child for her eccentricities and habit of hugging strangers, she has risen to become one of India’s most revered female gurus.

Ridiculed as a child for her eccentricities and habit of hugging strangers, she has risen to become one of India’s most revered female gurus.

Her spiritual teachings of love and peace have struck a chord worldwide, but it’s her unique darshan (giving) in the form of loving hugs, that draws the masses. Around 3,000 people live at the ashram at any one time, and it receives up to 15,000 visitors a day, all drawn to the enigmatic Amma, lovingly referred to as ‘Mother’.

Making my way to the packed auditorium, I joined the queue for a hug. Through the throng I could just make out Amma on the stage, dressed in a white sari and flower garlands. Devotees, both western and Indian, seemed to form a guard around her, and as I finally got close, I overheard two of western women bickering. “It’s my turn to sit next to mother,” one of them said, “you sat next to her yesterday.”

Then it was my turn, and nothing else mattered, as this serene, beautiful woman – who smelled of flowers and seemed oblivious to the madness around her – took me in her arms and gently rocked me.

Hindu teacher Mata Amritanandamayi, UN Gandhi Prize 2002, known worldwide as 'Mother Compassion' hugging local residents in Barcelona, Spain.

She radiated love and I found myself sighing deeply, burrowing into her arms like a child. I felt a little dazed as I walked away. It’s not like the hug changed my life or anything, but to have received such strong, unconditional love from a total stranger was one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life, perhaps even a little miraculous.

I was assigned to a bunk room with an elderly German lady who had taken a vow of silence (it said so on her badge) and a rapturous young Swiss woman who spent her time sitting cross legged on the floor, praying to a photo of Amma. There is something about mother,” she told me, “I can’t explain it, but I need to be near her.”



I soon realised that ashram life wasn’t for me. Everyone seemed so sombre and serious, which I found odd when Amma overflowed with joy, but I stayed a few days because I was fascinated. Each afternoon I watched her receive the faithful. Some in wheelchairs, others clutching photos of a loved one. Many wept tears of joy as they stumbled away from her embrace. She hugged for hours without a break and I marvelled at her patience and stamina. How could one woman give so much?

Her answer, “Where there is true love, everything is effortless.”

As is often the way with India's gurus, Amma has attracted some controversy, although far less so than some of her more illustrious counterparts. In her book, Holy Hell: A Memoir of Faith, Devotion and Pure Madness, ex-disciple, Gail Tredwell, who lived with Amma for 15 years, makes allegations including fits of behind the scenes. The claims have been refuted by the ashram as foundationless, with Ashram representative Sudeep Kumar, stating "the allegations were surprising and defy common logic'.

Anyway, it seems to me that even the most holy and virtuous need to blow off steam sometimes. While the words divine, saint and godly are often used to describe Amma, she is surely a mere mortal and thus subject to human foibles.

Her answer, “Where there is true love, everything is effortless.”

While her hugs seem generous, even life-changing for some, it’s her humanitarian work that is the most tangible. Her network, Embracing the World raises upwards of twenty million dolllars each year through donations and merchandising – from photos of her feet ($50) to her signature perfume. These days you can even order blessings online. The results are staggering; 45,000 houses built across India, 100,000 women helped to start their own businesses, 2.6 million people given free medical care, 1 million trees planted and the list goes on.

After the Boxing Day Tsunami devastated parts of Kerala, Amma’s relief operation was under way within hours, and 46 million dollars eventually channeled to victims. Inspired by Amma’s own selflessness, an army of volunteers, from top level adminstrators all the way down the chain, including westerners, mean that money raised goes direct to the needy.

As Nobel Peace Prize winner, Professor Muhammad Yunus, puts it, “Amma has done more work than many governments have ever done for their people. Her contribution is enormous.”

http://www.sbs.com.au/topics/life/culture/article/2017/01/12/gurus-healing-touch-my-embrace-indias-hugging-saint?cid=inbody:faith-and-polygamy-which-religions-permit-plural-marriage