Amma's Australian Tour, 12 - 24 April 2012

As announced in our recent email Amma will be coming to Australia for 12-24 April 2012 and will offer a range of free public programs as well as two retreats.

“Amma is the embodiment of pure love. Her presence heals.” – Deepak Chopra

“Amma’s spiritual hugs and charitable works have helped her to become what many consider a living saint.” – Los Angeles Times

Melbourne Programs
Amma will be offering the following programs in Melbourne:

Free Public Programs:

• 12 & 13 April: 10 am and 7.30 pm both days
• 16 April: 7 pm (Devi Bhava program)

Non-residential Retreat:

• 14 - 16 April by prior registration only.

VENUE: All programs will be held at Sandown Racecourse, Multi Purpose Room, 591-659 Princes Highway, Springvale.

VOLUNTEERS URGENTLY NEEDED!
We urgently need your assistance to properly provide for Amma’s program in Melbourne. There are a huge number of jobs to be covered, from very small through to coordinating a whole section so do come and join our team.  Doing selfless service for a great soul like Amma is an incredible opportunity, and the spiritual benefits can be extraordinary.

Seeking volunteers to work as Monitors on Darshan Lines for Amma's Australian Tour 2012.

We are recruiting Darshan Line Monitors to work in Melbourne and other Australian Cities.

If you have experience in this role please contact Vishal douglasbrook@iinet.net.au and list:

1. Your experience - which monitor positions you have worked before.

2. Availability. - which days on Tour can you work - please specify times - morning from 8am - 1pm? Afternoon from 1pm - 4pm. Evening from 5pm - 2am

3. Which other cities in Australia you are able to work at if any

Ways you can help leading up to the Tour

POSTER DISTRIBUTION - POSTERS NOW AVAILABLE!  Please assist by putting posters up in your local area. Leaflets and cards are also available for distribution.  Email us at melbourne@ammaaustralia.org.au or call the office number on 03 9782 9398

SNACKBAR COOKING:  The snack bar last tour raised considerable sums of money for Amma's charities. This tour it is operating again and we are hoping to use only food that is donated, thereby encouraging greater involvement and to maximise the amount of money raised for Amma. We require:
         i) homemade cakes, biscuits, slices, sweet items                                  
         ii) savoury items: sushi, vadas, samosas,
        iii) fresh produce: homemade tomato paste (for pizzas), vegetables (soups), fruit (smoothies)
        iv) bread and bakery items
        v) muesli and yoghurt for breakfast, stewed fruit (plums, peaches etc)

To let us know what you will be providing and for other ways of helping please call Manel on 03 9534 2658 or email her at melbourne@ammaaustralia.org.au

IRONS FOR IRONING SARIS: If you can assist by lending one of three good quality irons to be used backstage on the tour, then please contact Madhumati at melbourne@ammaaustralia.org.au. They need to be delivered to the Ashram before the end of March or taken to Sandown on the 11th April before 9.30am.  They then need to be collected from backstage of the venue towards and before the end of Devi Bhava.

FLOWERS FOR AMMA
Every Tour we rely on the donation of flowers from people's gardens. These may include rose heads for petal use (which are used to wrap lollies in and for Amma to bless people with, large mounts being used during Devi Bhava), also flowers to use in posies, single stemmed flowers for offerings to Amma as well as flowers that are used on the Arati trays and for puja's, for the Altar etc.

We also use fruit in fruit bowls and love using home grown fruit. We can use Tulsi for garlands and posies too.

If you have flowers in your garden that you think might be suitable (we use a large variety) please contact Darshana on the number below (to make sure they are suitable and to discuss transport and delivery days, times etc.) If you don't have flowers in your garden but would like to make a financial contribution towards the cost of flowers, which is a beautiful and sacred offering, you can do so by making a donation to the Tour via the web page, specifying that you would like the money allocated to flowers. If you have contacts for purchase of flowers at a good price we would also love to hear from you! If you would like to be part of the flower team during Ammas Melbourne Tour please contact Darshana.

Please email Darshana at melbourne@ammaaustralia.org.au or phone 0411 234 826 for enquiries.

GREENFRIENDS
This year for the first time we will be having a GreenFriends table during Ammas 2012 Australian Tour to encourage and inspire GreenFriends involvement and activities throughout Australia. If you are passionate about our Mother Earth and environmental education and might have some time to assist at the GreenFriends table during Public or retreat programs please email Darshana at melbourne@ammaaustralia.org.au or phone 0411 234 826.

DISHWASHING: If you can assist by donating tea towels towards the Melbourne program please email Varada at melbourne@ammaaustralia.org.au

PROVIDING ACCOMMODATION FOR THE TOUR GROUP: If you can assist by billeting one or more people for the week in Melbourne and transporting them to and from the program venue, please contact James on 03 9782 9398

ASHRAM & GARDEN: Much assistance is needed over the coming weeks. If you can assist please attend our working bees between 10am and 4pm every Saturday until the tour or for other times please contact Mani on 0425 114 447.

For any general enquiries in relation to the tour please contact Arati on 0418 551 958.
Arati, Merilyn, James & Varada – Melbourne Tour Organisers

ASHRAM DEVELOPMENT - Update

Much has been accomplished in the recent month with the renovation and upgrading of the ashram premises. Internally new plumbing, skylights, rendering of the old dark brickwork, new flooring in the bedrooms and extensive painting has taken place. The result is a vastly improved, more functional, lighter and brighter ashram.

External work has centered on the planned pergola courtyard and is taking shape. Heartfelt congratulations to the team for their tireless work.

Due to the Council requirement to incorporate an arborist's report we have had to modify the plans and this has resulted in a delay to the overall planning approval process. The delay means no new building works prior to Amma's arrival in April. It is however hoped that final planning approval will coincide with Amma's visit and that shortly after tour we will be in a position to commence building works.

Meanwhile preliminary design and engineering work has commenced on the Council required deceleration lane at the ashram entrance and on plans for sewerage, drainage, internal roads and car parking.

Please come and help with all the work both prior to and after the tour. For details phone Mani, the Ashram Manager, on 0425 114 447.

Fund raising is still of paramount importance. To become involved in fund raising activities contact Nava on 0415 966 375.

To make a donation:

You may pay

* On-line:  Donations can be made by credit card (Mastercard or Visa only) through the web site www.ammaaustralia.org.au. Click on the Donation Icon on the home page and choose 'Ashram Fund'. Our donation system can handle periodical credit card payments of once only, monthly, every 2 months or 3 months. Select Frequency and click your choice.

* Direct Debit: Please send an email to macentreaccounts@ammaaustralia.org.au requesting the banking details and requirements.

* By mail: Cheques/Money Orders (made payable to: M.A. Centre (Aust) Pty Ltd 'Australian Ashram Fund').

*To those who have contributed and continue to support the ashram, we are most grateful and hope you will continue your support

Amrita Bala Kendra - 2012  
@ Amma’s Australian Ashram – Carrum Downs

“The training and discipline which are given in youth will create a strong impression in the mind and play a great role in the building of character. Parents should take care not only to feed and fulfill the wishes of their children but also to discipline them, instilling faith and good culture."…Amma


The Amrita Bala Kendra at Amma’s Australian Ashram aims to foster among children:

• an understanding of spiritual values, traditions and principles, and
• how to bring these simple teachings into their daily lives through stories, music, bhajans, arts and crafts, celebration of festivals and service projects.

Basic Policies:

• Parents will need to register children’s names
• Classes will be held twice a month at the ashram on a Sunday from 11.30 – 12.30 p.m.
• An attendance record will be kept for each class.
• There will be a minimum of two adults to oversee activities in each class.
• Class reminders sent to parents of all registered children (and also dates advertised in newsletter)
• Parents are also allowed to be with the children during class if they wish to do so, or alternately may attend satsang during that time
• All parents encouraged to be involved in coordinating a class

The nominated class dates for April 2012:

Other dates will be released after Amma’s 2012 tour.

The Balakendra children will be performing a bhajan session in Melbourne during Amma's 2012 tour, and would like to invite children under the age of 12 to join the group. Please contact Srimayi or Dhanya or email navaamma@gmail.com

Contact: Ashram on 9782 9927

If you would like to sponsor a satsang, perhaps for a special occasion such as a birthday, please contact Udayan  for more information on 9792 0040.

City Satsang in Fitzroy – Friday 18 May, 7.30pm to 9.30pm

NOTE:

• Change of day in the month from 1st to 3rd Friday
• There will be no monthly city satsang in April due to Amma's Tour.

Join us for the monthly satsang in Fitzroy. Come along for a program of chanting, bhajans (devotional singing), and meditation, followed by light refreshments.

Please note the venue has changed from the main yoga room to the room once you come up the stairs, which is the 3rd door on the right of the corridor.

Friday 18 May, 7.30pm to 9.30pm
Location: Dance of Life Yoga Studio, 250 George St, Fitzroy.
Upstairs - 3rd door on the right of the corridor.

Contact: Arati on 0418 551 958

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Selfless service as a spiritual practice:


“Service is also a form of sadhana [spiritual practice]. If you claim that you have attained perfection after doing sadhana sitting in a certain place, Amma will not accept that. Getting out into the world and doing service is very much a part of sadhana. If we want to eliminate the enemies that lurk in the innermost depths of the heart, we have to serve the world. Only then will we be able to tell how effective our meditation has been. Only when someone gets angry with us, will we know whether we still have anger in us.”– Amma

Seva (selfless service) Days

The combination of the new Ashram development and Amma's upcoming tour means that there is currently much work to be done at the Ashram. In particular, we are embarking on a number of exciting projects, which involve improvements to the existing building and preparation for future developments onsite (see picture inset of our enthusiastic volunteers at a working bee in January!). This presents a wonderful opportunity to do seva (selfless service), and to help us along we have planned to have working bees every Saturday between 10am - 4pm between now and Amma's tour in April. If anyone is available to assist, just come to the Ashram – even during the week if that suits you better. 

We would be grateful for volunteers to come and help out on these projects to get them well underway by the time of Amma's visit. 

There are plenty of seva jobs available for anyone interested in this communal project. Lunch will be provided on Saturdays. Please wear old clothes and bring plenty of energy.

The working bees have been well attended so far and various jobs around the Ashram building have been completed such as cleaning gutters, inside and outside painting, gardening, general cleaning and sewing. But much more is to be done. We expect to start on the new building works early March.

For details, contact Mani on 0425 114 447.

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Monthly General Meetings

There will be no monthly general meetings in April or May.

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Satsang: every Sunday, 10am–1pm
Monthly MA Centre and Ashram meeting: Suspended till after Amma’s Tour
Satsang in the city: Every third Friday of the month, 7.30pm to 9.30pm (excl. April)
Seva day: every second Saturday and Sunday of the month, 10am–4pm
Chanting, fundraising dinner and film night in Fitzroy: Saturday closest to full moon each month, 6pm–10pm