Amma performing puja

This past summer Mata Amritananda Mayi Devi, known worldwide as Amma ("Mother" in her native language), and affectionately nicknamed by the press "the Hugging Saint," added the small mid-western town of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, to her already hectic Summer US Tour. Amma is recognized worldwide for her charitable organizations and most recently was awarded the 2002 Gandhi-King Award for non-violence. Jane Goodall, who presented the award, referred to her as, "God's love in a human body."

Located in the heartland of the United States, Mt. Pleasant is 20 miles from Fairfield, Iowa, the home of the Maharishi University of Management (MUM), Maharishi Vedic City, and many local Transcendental Meditators. Fairfield has become a regular visiting place for numerous world-renowned Indian saints, including Shri Ma, Kuruna Mayi, and most recently, Amma. Despite some concerns from the MUM community that yet another saint, not associated with the TM movement or its founder, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, was coming into 'TM territory', the program was well received by both Fairfield residents and those in surrounding communities. In fact, Amma was delighted when approximately 1500 people who had never met her before attended her two-day program to receive her special hugs.

For those who have not witnessed Amma's spellbinding public programs, (or 'darshan', an audience with a living saint) it is difficult to imagine her relentless stamina and grace. Embracing each man, woman, and child on her lap, she blesses everyone equally with caresses, smiles, and soothing words of comfort. Amma cradles AIDS babies, lepers, tough New York cops, and movie stars with the same concern. Amma never fails to meet everyone with equal attention and care, always greeting each person as her own child. She is continually joyful, radiant, and blissful. Amma is always a fountain of continuous giving, an example of unconditional love. Her concern extends equally to the world's wealthy and privileged, whom she perceives to suffer from the same lack of love, heartbreak, and physical and psychological trauma that afflicts the poor. Her message and mission transcend culture, race and religion. Amma is for everyone.

Amma's swamis who accompany her on worldwide tours particularly enjoyed the peaceful Iowacountryside and their brief reprieve from some of the world's largest cities. Swami Amritatmananda, one of Mother's senior swamis, whose celebrity status at Amma's ashram in Kerala affords him little privacy, was able to take his morning walk down Fairfield's Main Street in quiet anonymity.

In crowds of 2000, localMidwestern farmers sat beside East Indian families, Transcendental Meditators and others who had travelled from all around the US and even other countries to see the tiny Indian woman. Among the crowd was the distinguished Chief Wambli Sah Pah (Black Eagle) of the Native American Ponca Tribe of Nebraska. In full headdress, he presented Amma with an Eagle Feather, the highest honor that can be given by the Native American people. "Chief Sah Pah is here," he said, "to receive Amma's blessings on behalf of all the Native American People."

To the delight of the Ammachi Fairfield Satsang Group and others, Amma plans to return to Mt. Pleasant next summer.