Behold the Divine within Mother Nature
8 September 2006 — Amritapuri
On a barren field next to the now almost vacant Srayikkad tsunami shelters two kilometers north of the Ashram, a dozen or so Ashramites and visitors are turning soil and pulling weeds in the morning sun. They are preparing the ground for a new tulasi garden, which will eventually have more than 100,000 plants. It's hard work; there is no shade, and the only tools they have are a few shovels and gloves. "All of the work is done by hand," says Sarvaga, one of the ashramites overseeing the project {news Tulasi garden}. |
 |
 |
About a year, Amma asked Sarvaga to start a tulasi field. It was the first time Sarvaga could remember Amma making such a direct request. "Usually I go to Amma with an idea or project and ask her to bless it. This time it was the opposite—Amma was asking me to do something."
Nearby, Mythili, a devotee visiting from America, is watering small patches of seedlings. There are a few thousand tiny plants—some just popping out of the ground, others an inch or so tall. These will eventually be transplanted to the main field. "It's so auspicious to be working on this project in its infancy. It's hard work, but it's beautiful. All of us share our Amma experiences every day while working. I'm so sad that I'm only here for another week." |
Just south of the Ashram, another group of volunteers is tending to a field of two-foot-high tulasi plants. Gopi, an ashramite from Germany, has been caring for the field. She excitedly points out a batch of tiny saplings that have just sprung up. "The leaves are used to make tea, or are ground up into powder that can be used for medicinal purposes. The seeds are taken to the field in Srayikkad where they are planted."
Nirupama, from Santa Fe, New Mexico, has been coming every morning for the past few weeks. "I feel a strong connection to the plants. Sometimes, while picking the leaves, I eat a few and even imagine that I am first offering them to the Goddess Kali."
Indeed, in India, tulasi is highly revered. It has been used in hundreds of different traditional formulas for the treatment of innumerable disorders.Amma says, "Tulasi leaves are highly medicinal. In ancient India, part of the daily practice was to water the tulasi every morning for her blessings, bowing down with reverence and devotion, worshipping her as an embodiment of the Goddess. We must revive such practices in order to regain the lost harmony of our lives." Through projects such as this, Amma is encouraging a re-awakening of these traditions, allowing us to behold the Divine within Mother Nature, and cultivate an attitude of love and reverence towards all aspects of the creation. |
 |
Back at the Srayikkad field, Sarvaga says that often, children and villagers will join in. At first, the older teenagers were upset because the garden is on a field where they played football and cricket, so they threw sand on the small saplings. But once they understood the nature of the project, some now come and help.
Sheila, who lives near the field, was asked by Amma to assist with the project. Sarvaga recalls when Amma first asked Sheila. "Amma was laughing because Sheila doesn't know English, and I don't know any Malayalam.
"‘How will you communicate?' I remember Amma asking.
"'I don't know,' replied Sheila, 'You put us together!'
Amma's response was quick and filled with wisdom, 'As long as you include me along with each other in whatever you do, everything will be ok.'"
click here for tulasi garden slideshow
—Tulasi
|
Archives 
