Famous Indian Gurus of the Late 20th Century
Sathya Sai Baba and Mata Amritanandamayi Ma
Sathya Sai Baba and Mata Amritanandamayi Ma are probably the two most famous and internationally known Indian gurus of the late 20th and early 21st century. They are both from South India (Andhra Pradesh and Kerala) and have established their main ashrams (places of spiritual retreat and pilgrimage) near their birth places.
Sathya Sai Baba (born 1926)
Sathya Sai Baba was born in Puttaparthi, originally a tiny, remote village in rural Andhra Pradesh, South India. His original name was Sathyanarayana Raju. At the age of 14, he declared himself as the reincarnated Sai Baba, a Hindu-Muslim saint from Shirdi, Maharashtra who was virtually unknown in that region. Sathya Sai Baba, as he was soon called, has come to be known as a miracle worker, famous for his materializations of holy ash (vibhuti) and talismans, but also for miraculous healings, bi-locations and other supernatural feats.
Sathya Sai Baba's Teachings
Sathya Sai Baba teaches sanatana dharma and the classic yoga paths with an emphasis on the yoga of devotion (bhakti yoga) and nama smarana (the remembrance of the Divine names). In his ashrams in Puttaparthi (Andhra Pradesh) and Whitefield (Bangalore), there are daily bhajan sessions, in which different aspects of the Divine from the major religions (such as Krishna, Rama, Shiva, Allah, Christ, Buddha, Guru Nanak) are being praised.
Sathya Sai Baba's Darshan
Sathya Sai Baba gives what is traditionally called darshan ("seeing of a holy being or saint") almost every day and has done so for the last 50 years or so, walking among the visitors and devotees and sometimes talking to them. Sathya Sai Baba has declared himself to be an "avatar," a divine incarnation just like Rama and Krishna are regarded as divine incarnations in India.
Sathya Sai Baba’s Social Projects
Apart from his spiritual teachings, Sathya Sai Baba has inspired and initiated many service projects. The Sathya Sai Trust has built and successfully runs several schools, universities and hospitals which are all completely free of charge. The Trust has also launched two massive water projects in different regions in South India. There are also service camps offered by doctors who are Sai devotees where medical treatment is offered free to the needy in several countries.
Mata Amritanandamayi Ma (born 1953)
Mata Amritanandamayi Ma was born Sudhamani in a small village near Kollam in Kerala, South India in 1953. Even as a young girl, she felt great devotion for Krishna and the Divine Mother (Devi). Despite the heavy workload imposed on her by her strict parents who were concerned about their daughter’s unconventional and apparently eccentric behavior, she spend many hours in meditation, devotional singing and other spiritual practices.
Sudhamani’s Transformation into Mata Amritanandamayi Ma
At one point, Sudhamani declared to have had visions of Krishna and Devi. She eventually identified with Krishna and the Divine Mother completely and gave darshan in both bhavas (‘"moods"), during which the Goddess (or Krishna) seemed to talk and bless through her.
With time, the personality of Sudhamani seemed to have become completely absorbed into the divine personality of Mata Amritanandaymayi Ma ("the mother of immortal bliss"), also lovingly called Ammachi ("dear mother") or Amma ("mother") by her devotees. She is regarded as a self-realized spiritual master by her devotees, many even think of her as a divine incarnation (avatar).
Ammachi’s Humanitarian Projects
Ammachi has earned huge respect for her humanitarian and environmental projects in India and worldwide and received several awards such as the Gandhi-King-Award for Non-Violence in 2002. However, her main objective is the spiritual awakening and well-being of mankind.
Ammachi's Darshan
Ammachi is famous for her unique way of giving darshan ("seeing of a holy person"). During darshan, she embraces the thousands of people who come to her for her blessings, sometimes going on for 20 hours without even a toilet break. Ammachi has thus hugged millions of people so far, whispering mantras or words of endearment in their ears while holding them in her arms in a motherly fashion. Ammachi runs an ashram (spiritual pilgrimage center) in Amritapuri, Kerala, India, where visitors are welcome and can take part in communal singing, meditation and service activities.
Summary
Sathya Sai Baba and Mata Amritanandamayi Ma are contemporary South Indian gurus who are very popular in India but also have many international devotees from all religions. Both of them teach the classic Indian sanatana dharma ("the eternal way") but with a very tolerant and universal outlook. They have both initiated and inspired many social projects in India and abroad.
Sources
Murphet, Howard. Sai Baba: Man of Miracles. Red Wheel / Weiser, 1977.
Cornell, Judith. Amma: Healing the Heart of the World. William Morrow & Company, 2001.
Links
You may also be interested in a related article called Famous Indian Gurus of the 20th Century as well as several filmed interviews with followers of Sathya Sai Baba by American journalist Ted Henry.
Mata Amritanandamayi Ma (Ammachi)
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