A visit to our shores in 2012 by a great living saint will give joy and hope to many. Margaret Evans previews the visit by Amma in April.

It's hard to imagine a more worldly milieu than the movie industry - and the Indian movie industry at that.

So the life transition from documentary movie director to North American head of one of the world's most loved and respected spiritual organisations is all the more remarkable.

Quietly spoken Swami Dayamrita Chaitanya made the abrupt about-turn in his career 28 years ago when he attended, for the first time, a gathering with the much loved and admired "hugging saint of India", Amma. Such was his disconnect from any sense of a spiritual life, as he freely admits, he went along to her rally with the intention of exposing her as a fake miracle healer. Rather than find the scoop he was anticipating, he was drawn to see Amma a second time - and immediately knew his life was beginning an entirely new journey.

It was her act of licking the sores of a leper - an extraordinary deed that has been well documented - that convinced him that, far from being a fake, Amma was a being of deep compassion and absolute, unconditional love. "Beyond the fact that she did not contract leprosy and he was completely healed, the very act of seeing one human being show so much compassion to another human being touched my life," says Swami Dayamrita.

After another 18 months in which he worked for the organisation, the movie director made the commitment to join it. Speaking by phone from Hawaii where he is engaged in preparing for Amma's upcoming North American tour in June and July, he talks of "coming to Amma". Listening to him, I begin to think that, perhaps, his own experience is not so unusual after all in this age of rampant commercialism and the cynicism and disillusionment it breeds.

The influence of Amma's Embracing the World organisation is now remarkable, and nowhere is this more obvious than in the United States and Canada, where it has established six main centres - two in California including Los Angeles...

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Life’s lessons happen in the simplest and least expected ways. Like a bus ride. Today I took the bus heading west up Sydney’s busy George St and in the space of 10 minutes or so became convinced that city people are seriously underestimated.

They are friendly, thoughtful, aware and considerate - admittedly, it was a small sample and it wasn’t rushhour. But it was busy enough to have people jumping around like a game of musical chairs, offering their seat to anyone who looked older and frailer - and it wasn’t just young people but one or two distinctly middle aged gents who showed this courtesy, including my husband I’m pleased to say. Several passengers even called out to the (amenable) bus driver to wait a little longer to allow an elderly woman to get off. No hassle, no rudeness, just looking out for your neighbour.

For those of us like me who do most of their travelling in the cocoon of their car, it’s refreshing to get out there and mix with real people, not jostle for space on overcrowded roads. Hats off to Sydneysiders - you really are a nice, friendly bunch.

It is an example of altruism that’s alive and well in our society. And as we consider that theme this month, I’d also like to acknowledge all those in the extended NOVA community who contribute in some way every month to keep our long and proud tradition flourishing as we approach our 19th year.

Writers like astrologer Daniel Sowelu (with us since the beginning), Jeremy Hill who finds something new and valuable for us in naturopathy every month, Charmaine Saunders who’s been guiding us in love and friendship for more than 10 years, wholefood cook Jude Blereau who’s provided delicious and healthy dishes for thousands of families via her monthly recipe, Adrian Glamorgan who always writes from the heart on environmental and peace issues, Peter Dingle who’s provided us with some ground breaking research into important health issues, Nicola Silva who brings soul to her perceptions of life, Olivier Lejus who has introduced many of us to the wisdom of the Eastern healing traditions, Chandrika Gibson, another NOVA original who’s returned in recent years with her wise and often serene yoga columns and enlightening advice on holistic health, film reviewer Mary O’Donovan who always makes time for us ...

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by Nova Editor
Margaret Evans