Spiritual

The Amritapuri ashram in India was the first spiritual center that was established by Amma. Amma lives there today along with two thousand residents who come from all over the world. Today Amma has spiritual centers established all over the world. These centers provide an ideal environment to meditate, perform selfless-service supporting Amma's innumerable humanitarian activities and gives solace and peace to all who come in search of some comfort.

Speaking about Amritapuri ashram in India, Judith Cornell, the  award-winning writer in her book, ' Amma - Healing the Heart of the World' says - 'Amritapuri Ashram is a center where Amma has a thousand arms of compassion stretching worldwide to help nurture human beings spiritually, mentally, and physically.'

Swamini Krishnamritaprana, Amma's senior lady disciple said that the ashram is like a miniature of the whole world, but in a controlled atmosphere. " It's a place where you have to face and work through the problems that come up, because there's no one to run to. This fact is very beneficial, because people learn to work through their psychological processes (mental processes) more quickly."

A definite requirement for the spiritual life is getting rid of desire for physical comfort. Swamini Krishnamritaprana said, " Mother is a good example. She is just as happy to lie down on a bare, cement floor as on a fancy bed - it's all the same to her. She has peace of mind in all situations. Someone once gave her a car to travel around in, but if She has to walk or catch a bus, that's just as good. Detachment is to use the things that God has provided, but if they are not there, or if they are taken away from you, you have to be able to surrender them easily."

Apart from these spiritual centers,the Brahmasthanam temples that are consecrated by Amma's divine resolve is a great blessing from Amma to all humanity.

It has to be mentioned here that Amma travels around the world for more than 8-9 months in a year and sits day after day receiving all who come to her for comfort, in a loving embrace. Amma's hug should not be mistaken to be an ordinary one. Those who have experienced it alone can understand the truth of this statement.

Brahmasthanam Temples
Brahmasthanams
The influence of vedic astrology, the planetary placements in one's natal chart, has been a part of Indian culture for centuries. Hindu custom not only takes into account the effects of the various planets on an individual's life, but also the relationship between an individual's karma (past actions) and these planetary locations. Hindu philosophy further embraces the belief that potential negative effects of planetary placements can be mitigated through various means. The Brahmasthanam Temples were created by Amma as one way to reduce the effects of these negative influences in our lives. Through faith and devotion and certain spiritual practices, it has been found that many bad effects can be erased by good actions. At the Brahmasthanam temples a special form of worship, called a puja, is performed to enable the individual to reduce life's potential negative influences.

Puja is ritualistic worship involving images and symbolic representations of the divine as a means to express our faith and devotion to God.

When pujas are performed with love and concentration, positive forces are created around us which work to eliminate the negative forces. Performing puja also enables us to experience more clearly our own divine nature. Normally puja is performed only by priests trained in the science, but Amma has introduced a unique form of puja which all individuals may be taught to perform.

The pujari (priest conducting the puja) sits with the people and explains to them what they must do for each step. Some of the common pujas performed include those to mitigate the effects of Mars, Rahu, and Saturn. Pujas can be done for the specific individual, for other loved ones or for the welfare of the world. At each of the temples, a daily puja is done for planetary peace.

Vedanta Vidyalayam:
Amrita Vedanta Vidyalayam
At the Amritapuri Ashram, a Vedanta Vidyalayam has been established. Vidyalayam is the sanskrit word for school, and Vedanta is a Hindu non-dualist philosophy that embraces the concept of one all-pervading reality (Brahman). Thus, the school teaches the goal of life to be reunion with this divine consciousness.

Through the school, the monastic members - Brahmacharins and Brahmacharinis - of the M.A.Math are given rigorous training on Vedanta philosophy, religious texts such as the Bhagavat Gita, instrumental music, bhajans (devotional singing), ceremonial worship, Sanskrit study, meditation and yoga. As an extension to their formal training, these individuals also look after all the Ashram work - from cooking to computers. This enables them to put into practice the principles learned and fully experience these teachings. In a one year period, they will spend at least three to four months in intense spiritual practices, and the rest of the period they are able to apply the newly acquired wisdom in selfless service. Classes are also conducted to almost 700 Indian and foreign residents on scriptures, Indian culture and heritage, religion and spirituality, yoga, devotional singing, instrumental music and meditation. The Ashram library, which contains many important religious resources, rare books and manuscripts, is available for public use.