Patrick Zeis Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, affectionately known as Amma, stands among the most recognizable spiritual figures in contemporary Hinduism. From an early age, she displayed an unusual depth of compassion, wisdom, and devotion—qualities that would eventually draw millions of followers from around the world and earn her the nickname “The Hugging Saint.” Through the simple yet profound act of embracing those who come to see her, Amma has offered comfort and connection to more than 20 million people while sharing a message rooted in selfless service, love, and spiritual awakening. From her headquarters at the Amritapuri Ashram in Kerala, she has overseen extensive humanitarian initiatives and received international recognition for her philanthropic work, including the United Nations’ Gandhi-King Award for Non-Violence.
The Life of Amma
In September 2002, at the United Nations European Headquarters in Geneva, Mata Amritanandamayi Devi received the Gandhi–King Award for Nonviolence—an honor commemorating the legacies of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The recognition symbolized not only a lifetime of humanitarian service, but also the unlikely arc of a life that began in profound poverty along India’s southwestern coast.
She was born in 1953 in Parayakadavu, a small fishing village on the backwaters of Kerala. The region was defined by subsistence labor, fragile livelihoods, and limited access to education. Her family depended on the sea for survival, and material hardship shaped daily life. From an early age, the child who would later be known simply as Amma—“Mother” in Malayalam—displayed an unusual sensitivity to the suffering around her.
When her mother fell ill, Amma left school at the age of nine to care for the household and help support her seven siblings. Much of her day was spent collecting food scraps and discarded provisions from nearby villages—an experience that brought her into intimate contact with illness, hunger, and social neglect. What she witnessed left a deep impression. Rather than turning inward, she responded instinctively with acts of care, often giving away her own food or clothing to those she believed were in greater need.
Such behavior drew criticism and punishment within her family and community. In the social environment of rural Kerala at the time, a young girl wandering freely and offering help outside prescribed roles was seen as inappropriate. Marriage was expected; renunciation was not. Yet Amma remained inwardly resolute, refusing arranged proposals and continuing her quiet acts of service despite opposition.
Over time, neighbors began seeking her counsel. Her singing of devotional hymns—simple, emotionally charged bhajans—became a gathering point for others. What drew people was not doctrine or philosophy, but an atmosphere of maternal warmth and acceptance. By her early twenties, visitors were traveling from other regions of India to meet the young woman whose compassion appeared boundless.
In 1981, at the age of twenty-eight, Amma formally established Mata Amritanandamayi Math (MAM) with a small group of disciples living in her family home. The organization would become the structural foundation for both her spiritual community and her expanding humanitarian work. Over the following decades, MAM developed educational institutions, hospitals, disaster-relief programs, housing projects, and feeding initiatives across India and internationally.
Amritapuri—once a quiet fishing village—gradually transformed into a functioning ashram community. It now serves as the global headquarters for MAM and for Embracing the World, the umbrella network through which Amma’s charitable projects operate worldwide.
Central to her public presence is the practice for which she became globally known: offering darśana through an embrace. In Hindu traditions, darśana refers to the sacred exchange that occurs when one beholds a holy being or deity. Amma reinterpreted this ancient concept through physical touch, greeting each person individually with a prolonged hug. Over the decades, millions have received her embrace during public programs held across India, Europe, the Americas, and Asia.
Despite international recognition—including listings by global spiritual publications and invitations to address interfaith and humanitarian forums—Amma has remained rooted in the rhythms of ashram life. Her daily schedule continues to revolve around devotional singing, meditation, personal instruction, and direct engagement with those who come seeking comfort or guidance.
Her life’s work stands not as a rejection of the world, but as an immersion within it—an expression of spirituality grounded in service, relationship, and responsibility.
Three of Amma’s Most Influential Works
Unlike many influential spiritual teachers, Mata Amritanandamayi Devi—known around the world simply as Amma—has never been defined by her writing. Instead, her teachings have been conveyed through decades of compassionate service, spiritual guidance, and the millions of embraces that earned her the nickname “The Hugging Saint.” From her Amritapuri Ashram in Kerala, Amma has inspired a global humanitarian movement while inspiring millions of spiritual seekers. The following three books offer some of the most influential introductions to her life and philosophy, preserving her teachings through recorded talks, question-and-answer sessions, and the reflections of her closest disciples.
Messages from Amma (2004):
Compiled with Amma’s blessing by psychiatrist Dr. Janine Canan, Messages from Amma: In The Language of the Heart gathers some of the most memorable teachings delivered throughout her decades of public ministry. Organized around themes such as love, grace, ego, and selfless service, the collection reflects the warmth and accessibility that have made Amma one of the world’s most beloved contemporary spiritual teachers. Enhanced by rare photographs, the book serves as an inviting entry point for readers discovering her message for the first time. Canan writes in the introduction:
Like her love, Amma’s words flow directly from the heart. Her speech is direct; and just as she wastes not a moment when she acts, she wastes not a word when she speaks. Her words are profound, often piercing, and sometimes deceptively simple. A short passage may contain truth sufficient for a lifetime. In this confused and turbulent world of ours, agitated by fear and animosity, marked by self-centeredness and violence, and starved for the all-embracing wisdom of the Mother, Amma’s words come as a healing balm.
The Eternal Truth (2014):
Unlike many books on Hindu philosophy that rely heavily on scholarly interpretation, The Eternal Truth presents Amma’s teachings as they naturally emerged through dialogue with her followers. Covering subjects ranging from the nature of the Self to the importance of compassion and spiritual discipline, the book presents spontaneous answers to questions posed by devotees during satsang. Ultimately, the collection brings to life Amma’s remarkable ability to communicate ancient wisdom with warmth, simplicity, and contemporary relevance. The editors write in the introduction:
Amma’s path is the middle path. For Amma, everyone is her child. She accepts and embraces everyone and does not coerce anyone. Amma does not tell anyone that “this is needed and that is not.” Amma will never say that one should convert others. It is possible to love everyone and everything without conversion. This is the feeling, the mental attitude that we should awaken. This is true religion.
The Irresistible Attraction of Divinity (2019):
Written by Amma’s foremost monastic disciple, Swami Amritaswarupananda Puri, The Irresistible Attraction of Divinity offers a deeply personal reflection on four decades spent in her presence. Rather than a conventional biography, the book combines firsthand memories, spiritual insights, and reflections on Amma’s teachings to illuminate the profound influence she has had on generations of devotees. The result is both a tribute to Amma and a compelling meditation on the transformative relationship between guru and disciple. Amritaswarupananda Puri writes in the introduction:
In Amma, we see an entirely different dimension of this love. She has raised it to the state of transcendence, beyond all limits. Thus, Amma is a Brahmavid, a knower of the absolute consciousness, where knowing and being are one and the same. Permanently established in the state of sahaja samadhi (the highest spiritual realization), Amma has come to help others who are in search of the Truth. In her we see the immeasurable profundity and the mystifying expansiveness of supreme love.
20 Inspirational Amma Quotes
When going to bed recollect the day’s activities and try to discriminate between the good and bad.
Never be depressed seeing the obstacles on your path. You have the lamp of faith with you. Light it.
Be like the honeybee who gathers only nectar wherever it goes. Seek the goodness that is found in everyone.
The attitude ‘I will only accept success’ is wrong. Learn to also accept the responsibility of defeat.
The purpose of Yoga is for our inner well-being. It does not belong to any particular faith or religion.
Meditation increases your vitality and strengthens your intelligence… your mental clarity and health improve. You acquire the patience and fortitude to face any problem in life. So, meditate! Only through meditation will you find the treasure you are seeking.
May the tree of our lives be rooted in the soil of love, may good deeds be the leaves, kind words be the flowers, and peace be the fruit. May the world flourish as one family, united in love. May we thus be able to create a world in which peace and contentment prevail.
Thoughtless words, non-discriminative actions, anger and impatience always create problems.
Having the freedom to decide how to act, we should exercise the faculty of discrimination to choose the right actions and attitude.
It is pure love and selfless service that sustains this universe.
We must cultivate a spiritual culture that respects and worships the sanctity of all beings.
Patience, constant enthusiasm and firm determination are necessary factors for success.
Traveling by bus, we see many things on the way and just let them pass by. Watch the thoughts of your minds in the same way.
Never forget God. Never forget your real Source. Never move away from the real center within you.
In times of tragedies, our duty is to lend a helping hand to those in grief and thus light lamps of kindness and compassion.
Grace is the factor that brings the right result to your actions, at the right time and in the right proportion.
Lessen the quantity of unnecessary thoughts and allow more space for the energy of love to flow within you.
If we penetrate deeply into all aspects and all areas of life, we will find that hidden behind everything is love.
Do your work and perform your duties with all your heart. Instead of ‘I love you,’ say ‘I am love.’
Look upon others as being part of yourself.
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