Thoughts About Amma
Words cannot describe the relationship I had with my dear mother Yogini Amma. She was the source of the ever-flowing river that is Spirituality. The most valuable lesson that I have learnt from her is that, rituals alone do not get you closer to God. They are mere symbols of your dedication and devotion, without which they are meaningless. I will forever cherish the wonderful memories I have of her, by keeping her alive in my heart and through my actions.- Manjesh Bhargav Malavalli
My Mother
As I have seen, my mother was a Yogi as her name suggests. She was not selfish, she was not attached to the material world (except her family), she was a great follower of Mata Amritanandamayi. She used to always speak about Spirituality. She used to ask questions about this world to Lord Krishna (a Photo placed in our hall). She used to care for every1 in this world (only for the good people). One thing that I have learnt from her is to respect others feelings & ideas. Mom, U will always be there in my heart.- M.S.Akhilesh Bhargav
My Betterhalf
Sow.Yogini Shivaram was in the real sense a Betterhalf, since she was not only a good wife but also an excellent Mother who created an excellent impact on children in moulding their charachter, which is evident from their feedback. She not only talked about spirituality but also lived a highly evolved spiritual life.
This is substantiated by her statement in her Diary, "Human Life is precious gift of GOD which has to be spent usefully & not wasted aimlessly. Literature which can kindle our thoughts to make us follow the path of virtue should be digested as it contains the steps to develop purity of mind and action. True religious life entails avoidance of hatred,jealousy & harsh comments. Real happiness comes out of right conduct. Virtue is of immense strength in the Art of living. There is no greater wealth than righteousness and no misfortune than forgetting it and there by failing to perform one's duties according to the law of virtue". She used to care for the welfare of others also,which is evident from her letters to Amma .Her hospitality was open to one and all irrespective of cast, creed, poor or rich.
Even though I was inclined towards spirituality from my childhood,it was nurtured and strengthened by her strong and deep spiritual understanding and her spiritual way of life. Her Spiritual foundation,Faith in her Guru,her dedication and love were put to test when I went through Kidney Transplant and faced death squarely in its face. She kept her cool againest several odds and came out unscathed.Her dedication and love towards me was so strong and focused,which showed off even in her insignificant activity like signing or writing her name.She never used to write her name without sufixing my name (Yogini Shivaram) even while signing cheques.
I have determined to have my pen name as ShivYogi taking 4 letters from my name and 4 letters from Yogini and sufixing with my name as a tribute to her dedication and love towards me. She is my inspiration for my spiritual journey and I have created a website under my pen name ShivYogi to depict this journey and I am dedicating it to the memory of my beloved Yogini who treaded the path of fire and light-Spirituality. -Shivaram