An ancient avenue of Moreton Bay fig trees welcomed Swami Shantamrita for a two day program at a quaint country hall located in the hills outside Byron Bay last weekend.

More than 60 members of the Byron Bay, Gold Coast and Brisbane Satsang groups attended the the first evening program on Saturday, January 2. Many devotees had arrived earlier in the day to help set up the hall. They shared their stories of Amma as they swept the floor, arranged flowers, polished brass, decorated the stage and set up the altar. 

Swami arrived from his visit to Sydney and was warmly welcomed by the waiting devotees. He shared that he had never been to Byron Bay before, although he had heard much about it from when Amma had held programs here, many years ago.

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Swami began the evening with a Satsang that drew comparisons between the current global socio-economic crisis and the individual crisis many us of undergo in our lives. He examined the passage of a personal crisis as a potential path to God, citing the example of Arjuna on the battlefield with Krishna.

"Spirituality can give us the strength to view sorrow as a path to God," Swami explained.

"Arjuna had the same personal crisis 5000 years ago. Arjuna perceived himself as the limited ego but he turned to Krishna for help. Krishna doesn't give him any guidance until Arjuna sees that he needs help. He takes Krishna's advice and has a massive paradigm shift, transcends the challenge and wakes up to face his problems. This is what Amma is doing with us."

Swami explained that after we meet Amma, a personal crisis often ensues but if we ask Amma for help, She will guide us through.

After the talk Swami sang bhajans, led the group in meditation and answered questions, leaving the devotees smiling in bliss.

A warm and humid Sunday morning saw the devotees reassemble to set up for the much anticipated Bhagavati Seva puja. The hall became a centre of activity from 12pm with Swami and the devotees working for the next seven hours, cleaning brass, making flower garlands, petalling roses, measuring then cutting banana leaves and making the padman.

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This divine, multicoloured centre piece for the evening puja was completed with intense concentration by the devotees as they chanted their mantras. At 7pm the puja lamps were lit and a divine silence filled the hall as the scent of incense coated the air. More than 20 devotees had signed up to receive the benefits of the puja, however, the 70 people  who filled the country hall that night were profoundly blessed by merely being present.

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All the devotees felt gratitude Amma had sent one of her Swamis to Byron Bay, heralding Her own visit to our sunny Australian shores in April. Jai Ma!