About 60 people joined the celebration of Amma's 59th birthday in Vancouver, BC. The celebration included worship of the guru's feet, or pada puja, recitation of Amma's 108 names, a reading from Amma's teachings and heartfelt devotional singing, and the evening ended with a delicious dinner and a raffle for prizes.
Suneeti, one of our coordinators, began the evening with this introduction:
Welcome to this auspicious evening of Amma's birthday satsang. I remember hearing Amma say many years ago that she didn't want anyone to celebrate her birthday or make a fuss about it. However, she said, if it helps people to remember God, then let them celebrate it. And I think that is exactly what does happen. Every year, satsang groups all over the world come together and make a bit of a special event out of Amma's birthday. More people come out to celebrate, and it creates this opportunity for us all to spend time together remembering God. For many, it can also inspire us to recommit or reconnect to our spiritual practices.
By the evening's end, this certainly came true.
