Sunday: Hug “the Hugging Saint”
My friend Ed Lee tipped me off to Amma, also known as Mātā Amritanandamayī Devi, also known as “The Hugging Saint”.
Amma is an Indian woman who has millions of followers, some of whom consider her to be an avatar of “The Great Mother.” Me, I’m a agnostic atheist (not sure whether or not I believe in nothing or not) but I’m interested in exploring religions. Particularly, I was interested in Amma’s practice of Darshan - basically, she hugs people.
So early Sunday morning, Jennie CC and I headed down to the spiritual mecca known as The Airport Hilton. Amma was making an appearance in Los Angeles, and promised to hug everybody who wanted one. I figured I was in.
We got there a half-hour early, only to find that hundreds and hundreds of people were there before us. The ballroom was filled with followers of all ethnicities, many wearing flowing linen garments. My slacks and button-down shirt felt suddenly far too western. We were given a ticket marked “R2″ - the group of people we were put in. Amma was starting her hugs with group A1 - so we had a long wait.
Video and photography were not allowed, unfortunately. Although Amma did have her own videography crew there, including the strange sight of what looked to be a monk carrying a steady-cam. When she entered, everybody fell into a hush as she made her way towards the front of the room.
I didn’t want to be inconsiderate so I bowed my head and closed my eyes as a man with a lilting Indian accent lead the room in a guided meditation. However, halfway through the point where we were supposed to embrace the stillness, somebody’s cellphone rang. This was still Los Angeles, after all.
Amma then began her hugging, and Jennie and I wandered around. Amma is without a doubt a great humanitarian (she gave $22,000,000 to tsunami relief) but she also runs a pretty good business. There were tables of stuff to buy - t-shirts, books, cds, DVDs - even Amma dolls with extra Amma Doll Clothes you could buy. There was even a table of fruit and flower gifts you could buy to give to Amma - even though, I assumed, they’d probably be back on the table for the next day’s service.
In the food area there was Amma-approved snacks, tea, popcorn. We decided to get a glass of, I kid you not, “Amba Juice.” There were also people with whiteboards wandering around, asking for workers - it was known as “Seva”, or service. The signs would ask for cooks, or masseuses, or food servers, who would work for free as a spiritual good deed.
Strangest of all was a get-your-picture-with-Amma booth. As I mentioned before, there was no photography allowed. So for a fee of thirty dollars, a woman would take your photo in front of a blue screen, and then photoshop you in to a photo with Amma. Jennie and I watched as a woman got her photo taken hugging a white board that would, after a few mouseclicks, turn into Amma’s ample bosom in a suitable-for-framing photograph.
It took four hours for the numbers to come around towards R2, during which we had plenty of time to people watch. Jennie and I both kept seeing radiant, beautiful, peaceful people. We wanted a piece of that peace. But we had to keep reminding us - these are people who were probably not compatible with us. They were a little too spacey for a couple of cynical Los Angeles entertainment types like ourselves.
When our ticket finally came up, were were put in rows of seats, and then slowly scootched up closer and closer. Behind Amma, twenty or so radiant Indian children sang beautiful (if incomprehensible to me) music. As we got closer, handlers fell upon us, asking us our language of preference, removing our glasses, and asking if we wanted to be hugged together or sepeartely. On our knees, two by two, we moved further upward, the music getting louder and the hundreds of followers to sat at Amma’s feet meditating, chanting, or singing along. The man in front of us collapsed weeping on Amma’s shoulder with sheer joy.
I must admit, as I got closer, I began to get nervous, and finally, a handler moved me into position and Amma hugged me and leaned into me and in a wet, hot voice, spoke into my ear:
“Mo mo mo mo mo mo mo mo mo mo mo mo!”
And as quickly as it started, it was over. Amma handed me something, and a handler whisked me away to where I could get my glasses. Jennie came soon after. Although the experience was interesting, it didn’t move us to tears, or make converts out of either of us. We came away only with what Amma had put in each of our hands: A flower petal and a Hershey’s kiss.
JennieCC wrote:
Our day with Amma highlights the awesomeness that is All New Year. It’s the kind of thing you’d think sounded interesting and would be cool to check out, but you’d have no outside motivation to actually do so. But All New Year brought us there and it was a really fascinating experience.
It was interesting to be around so many people who believe in something so strongly. Everyone was super friendly, welcoming, and full of smiles. There was some seriously positive energy in the conference hall, even in a venue as improbable as an LAX chain hotel. It did feel like we were in a different world. Imagine being able to actually meet (and HUG!) the person that you worship. I can’t imagine! People there were definitely high on their Amma buzz.
The 5 hours we waited to get hugged actually flew by pretty quickly. There was plenty of people watching to do, wandering to be had, and yummy Indian food to eat. One of my favorite moments happened as Opus and I were on a never ending quest to find somewhere to sit (there were over 1,000 people and not enough seats). We happened upon a lower level which could most accurately be described as a kid run. It just naturally came about as the kids needed somewhere to expend their energy. There were beautifully dressed Indian kids literally running in circles, playing games and being silly. It was adorable and made Opus and I wish we could tap into that crazyfun kid energy once again.
As it got closer to our number being called, I started getting really nervous. I didn’t want to offend Amma or do anything wrong. And I really didn’t know what to expect. You definitely get swept up in the moment as you get closer and closer. When it was my turn, I timidly inched towards Amma (who is super cuddly by the way, she’s built to hug), and she yanked me in and positioned me for the hug. And then she hugged me. I really tried to soak in the moment and be as open as possible. I got the mo mo mo mo mo mo in my ear as well. And then after maybe 15 seconds (long hug), she releases you. Someone helped me to my feet and I was definitely very wobbly. I was a little discombobulated for a good 5 minutes or so. I don’t know if it was Amma, the hug, or just the situation itself. But I definitely felt a surge of energy when Amma was done with me.
I had overheard a woman earlier talking about how amazing the hug is and how its healing powers will last you a whole year. Will Opus and I be back when Amma makes another tour through Southern California next year? Probably not, but I’m still grateful for the hug and for the experience. And I’m grateful for All New Year as well.
Posted on 18-Jun-07 at 4:57 pm | Permalink
kbryna wrote:
innnnnteresting.
but sounds like something of a scam.
i’ll hug you for free, and you don’t have to wait five hours, either. no indian food, though. probably no healing powers either, but who knows?
this is a very peculiar and though-provoking New Thing (it’s New to me, too).
Posted on 18-Jun-07 at 5:07 pm | Permalink
JennieCC wrote:
The hugs were free, you didn’t have to pay to be there, and the money made seems to go straight to donating to relief organizations. And I really wanted an Amma doll, they were super cute. I just thought $25 was a little much. But still adorable.
Posted on 18-Jun-07 at 5:19 pm | Permalink
Victoria wrote:
That. Is. Amazing! I would have never actually gone through the effort of going to the airport and waiting. Congrats!
Posted on 18-Jun-07 at 5:58 pm | Permalink
katertot wrote:
I’ve heard of Amma, and thought it was pretty neat that there’s a hugging saint. I’m glad that you went and did this– it does make me glad for all new year and it’s one of the things you do that makes me want to make more efforts to newness and experience in my own every day (Yes, simultaneously).
I wonder if her hugs would be as good if there weren’t all the buildup. I mean, I’m sure she’s always been and will always continue to be an excellent hugger. But JennyCC, if you hadn’t waited for 5 hours, would you have felt the same rush? If people around you hadn’t been as enthusiastic and ecstatic, would you have felt the nervous twitter of excitement as you got in line for… a hug? Isn’t it strange that you were both nervous to get a hug? perhaps the rigmarole and shuffle and positioning… wait, hold on. This woman gets you into HUG POSITION. No way she’s a phoney.
Thousands of people don’t line up to hug a woman because she has a good publicist. It’s probably because he gives damn good hugs. I’m glad you did it.
Posted on 18-Jun-07 at 6:13 pm | Permalink
Ian wrote:
I am all for All New Year and All New Things, but this to me just seems to be an ‘onkly in America’ moment.
I’m really sorry, but if Amma hugged you on the street in LA you would call the police, but because she gets a hall, gives you a ticket and lets you have the option of getting your picture taken with a whiteboard everything is fine.
I was really wanting to hear that at the end of this Amma was really just a very clever pickpocket who gets you into the correct picking position before distracting you with the mo mo song.
This whole situation sounds very Discworld to me.
momomomomo
Posted on 19-Jun-07 at 4:56 am | Permalink
ron cooper wrote:
Free hugs and fundraising to help the world’s poorest people. Thanks Jennie and Opus for entering such an “alien” world with open hearts and minds…. another “flying high” adventure…. love to you guys….. ron (for Opus) dad (for Sweetie).
Posted on 19-Jun-07 at 9:33 am | Permalink
Jenny wrote:
As a devoted reader of all new year, and 12 year follower of said “hugging saint” I can’t help but comment on here (not something I make a habit of, commenting on blogs.) I just called my little sister (also an all new year reader, 12 year follower, and member of Amma’s staff- she works with the “handlers”) and read this all new thing to her- we’re very thrilled, and think it’s great! In response to a lot of questions and comments posted here I have this to say: I have waited for hours for a hug, and I have also been hugged impromptu at the airport- and for me, the buildup is not the point. I never expect anyone to experience what I do, and I have no problem if its not someone’s thing, but it’s always an amazing an incredibly personal experience. I’m also happy just to sit nar her and chill, wthout th hug, bcause I love her that much. She has taken the time to advise me on school, talk to my sister in depth about her new relationship, make fun of my brother, and snap me with her towel and giggle, despite the fact that she is simultaneously hugging thousands of people and running hundreds of humanitarian things at the same time, not to mention helping the other zillion people asking for advice- and man, is her advice better than any I’ve ever gotten from elsewhre!
Ok, devoted rantiness aside…
In the ear she often says “Ma ma ma” or (more likely) “mol mol mol” wich means “son” in her language.
Many of us think that the photoshop thing (new this year) is absolutely the creepiest, most disturbing and idiotic thing we have EVER seen, bar none. I can’t believe people will do it (it personally makes me want to hurl)- but you know what? that’s $30 bucks a pop for starving children, for the hospital, for someone’s education, so I suck up my disgust, because reall, if someone wants one of those creepy-ass pictures hanging on their wall with the end result being new houses for tsunami families, who’s to stop them?
Speaking of the humanitarian stuff, here’s my take on all of the selling of things: Americans have a lot of money, and it turns into even more rupees. That said, how often does the average american say “you know what I feel like doing? unloading X amount of bucks to charity! over and over again, all day long! yeah! woohoo!”? compare that amount to the amount of times the average american will spend a bunch of money on themselves at a store/cofee shop tc? It’s kind of amazing. I’ve seen it, I work (for free) in the Amma shop. I can also vouch for the organization (I work for it here and hav worked for it in India and know evryone quite well)- the reason we ask for so many people to do Seva is that we are a volunteer run organization, and 100% of our proceeds go directly to the humanitarian activities- there are no cuts taken anywhere along the way (Amma uses an example, I think, of when transferring oil from pot to pot it will stick a little each time till there is littl left for the final pot- basically, taking money for ourselves and away from charity- not cool). I mean really, do you think the money comes from nowhere?
Finally, if Amma hugged me on the street in LA, I’d be psyched! (ok, so I’m a wee bit biased) although there are always people like airport security and stuff trying to hug her anyway- she’s kind of like that- even if you don’t go for the whole thing, she’s very warm and snuggly, and smells fantastic and really, if she hugged you on the street you might think it odd, but in more of an “awww” way… I mean for crying out loud, she’s less than 5 feet tall, and sounds like an Ewok- not really vry threatning. She did, however, once give this guy a little tail made out of tissue whil she was hugging him (don’t worry, he’d ben around for a long time and thought it was hilarious)so I guess that could sort of count as pickpockting….
If it were only in America, she wouldn’t be known as “the Hugging saint” wouldn’t be the recipient of the Gandhi-King award for non violence, wouldn’t be speaking at UN conferences,and wouldn’t have to be adding two new countries to her world tour this year because, well, they keep asking her to! (this is not meant as an insult to guy who said that- rather just an “only in America… and Japan and Europe and Brazil and all over India and…” explanation kind of thing)
I think it’s SO RAD that you guys did this as your all new thing, whether you ever come again or not is cool with me- but my old thing is your new thing! wow! Maybe I should try skydiving? anything super old hat to you that you think I should try?
Keep up the all new year- it’s so refreshing, inspiring and… amazingly awesome possum! (I only wish I’d been there in LA to show you around! figures this is the year I skip it..)
Posted on 20-Jun-07 at 12:11 am | Permalink
Amanda Sitko wrote:
Hey, I actually had the chance to get darshaned (hugged) by Amma about 3 years ago. My old roomate from college was married by Amma in front of everyone. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. I am an athiest, but I was very moved by all of the people that were there to see Amma and how peaceful they all seemed. I really wanted to go again this year, but had to work. When you think about it, she is a guru, so for some people, I assume it’s equal to meeting Jesus. It’s cool you kids went. I went simply for the wedding but was totally blown away by the entire thing. I don’t know, I guess all I want to say to those who are sort of making jokes about a hugging saint is that it’s fucking cool and you have to be there to get it.
Posted on 11-Jul-07 at 2:54 pm | Permalink
donal wrote:
i would like to know where she got the 22,000,000 from in the first place? any ideas?
Posted on 22-Oct-07 at 11:24 am | Permalink
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Posted on 20-Jun-08 at 1:58 pm | Permalink