Amma: Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi

Spiritual leader, humanitarian and visionary Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, known throughout the world simply as "Amma", has served the world-community for decades, imparting wisdom, strength and inspiration. Through her extraordinary acts of love, inner strength and self-sacrifice, Amma has endeared herself to millions and inspired thousands to follow in her path of selfless service.

Truly a citizen of the world, Mata Amritanandamayi holds free public programs throughout India, Europe, the United States and Australia, as well Japan, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Canada, Africa and South America. In her talks, she offers words of wisdom and guidance on both personal fulfillment as well as the most pressing matters of our time. From climate change to terrorism, crosscultural tensions to poverty and women's rights, Amma's observations invite each of us to get involved in the process of rebuilding a concerned and caring society.

To this day, Mata Amritanandamayi concludes her programs by embracing each person attending the event. Far from a brief book-signing or walk along the rope line, these personal, one-on-one meetings take up the vast majority of Amma's time. Amma has given this motherly embrace, known as her darshan, to more than 40 million people throughout the world. She has been known to give darshan for more than 22 hours without interruption.

The most personally accessible spiritual leader alive today, Mata Amritanandamayi may well be on a first-name basis with more people than anyone else in the world. When people pour out their hearts to Amma, she offers them emotional solace, spiritual guidance, and concrete solutions to their problems. Receiving Amma's embrace, many feel inspired to offer selfless service to those in need. In this way, this simple yet powerful act as a mother's embrace - has become both catalyst and symbol for the growing international network of humanitarian initiatives that is Embracing the World.