Ram Dass of "Love Serve Remember Foundation" shared a beautiful statement from his Guru, Neem Karoli Baba, that summarizes the benefits gained in feeding people - "When I asked my guru to raise my kundalini, he said, "feed people."
Today Sri Krishna completed 57 days of feeding some twenty odd school children as they stayed back for extra classes. Krishna and his wife cooked, packed, delivered and served the children daily with participation from Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia (AVM), Thondu Seivom (TS), Amudha Surabhi (AS) and other individuals and good samaritans, in terms of cash and kind.
Krishna also feeds the homeless on the streets of Kuala Lumpur regularly under his "Pothigai Meals on Wheels" program. Following in his steps, TS under the leadership of Bala Chandran Gunasekaran started doing their part to bring food to the poor, hungry and homeless in conjunction with every Jayanthi of a Siddha. Tonight TS hits the streets again as it is Sundarananthar's Jayanthi.
Rakesh from Guduvancheri, Chennai with his "Thedal Ulla Thenikalaai" (TUT) have begun feeding the poor on the streets in their vicinity regularly with participation in cash and kind from AVM. See http://tut-temple.blogspot.my/2017/08/avm-tut.html#gsc.tab=0 The next feeding program is scheduled for 16/9/2017 in and around Velachery at lunch time.
Besides feeding TUT is also engaged in cleaning up the premises of temples or Ulavarapani and conducting prayers. Next they would be doing this service at the Guduvanchery Mamarathu Vinayagar Temple on 17/09/17.
Malarvathy and her family represented AVM, TS and AS in Kallar Ashram hosting an annadhanam in conjunction with the recent Pournami Puja. This feeding program was instructed by "Aiya" recently where all AVM, TS and AS family members were asked to contribute towards the cost of the annadhanam. Next "Aiya" has asked us to carry out annadhanam for 3 consecutive days at Pothigai.
Another annadhanam is scheduled for tomorrow at the Kampong Sireh Home for the Old and Mentally Challenged together with a Motivational Talk to boost the spirits of the inmates and bring some cheer to them.
Supramania Swami wanted to feed 1000 people in his hometown of Tiruvannamalai after he completed his 60 day mauna virutham in 2006. But he went into samadhi just days into his virutham. With assistance from his family members, Jnana Jhothiamma led the annadhanam program that Swami wanted to put together in 2013, finally fulfilling Swami's wish. I met her in Trichy immediately after she completed serving food in Tiruvannamalai. She shared all that took place.
Jnana Jhothiamma wrote to me later, recapping the events.
Dear Shan, we had fed that day nearly 2000 Sadhus. Half way on the Grivalam path suddenly Deva, and I, noticed a huge congregation of Sadhus approaching us. We were very apprehensive if there would be enough food.. Already nearing 900 sadhus, ordinary people and kids have been fed near Aadhi Parashakthi Amma's temple...
I told Deva, "We are not doing it. The Divine's hand is there. They will take care. So drop your worry. We are doing their service and they are with us."
I could identify some Divine souls/sadhus, by their gaze. Some touched my hand, some placed their hands on my head, while some others whispered a mantra or two..when I gave them the food packets.
But amongst them, I saw a very handsome lad, who wore ordinary clothes and not a monk's attire. There was something different in him... he kept watching me from a distance, went straight to Supramania's Swamy's wife, took some water from her and when she handed over to him the food packet, he seemed to avoid it... then when that huge crowd dispersed after taking the food packets...he came straight to me and with both hands stretched... asked me food.... I gave him on a leaf, throughout the time, his gaze was so sharp and even after taking. the food, kept looking deep into my eyes... smiled and left. Not a word he spoke. I saw his eyes sparkle with happiness..
Dr.Ram (Subramaniam) too narrated this incident to Deva and me while we were traveling to Trichi to receive you and your family at the airport.. as he was operating the camera throughout. Ram says that only one pic of that lad was left behind from the many pics he captured of that lad....whose mannerisms and gestures were very unusual and strange...
I realized that many Siddhas too had come to partake our food.. even in the form of a dog, whose unusual behavior and movement caught all our eyes. The dog too did not eat at all, till the end of the path and finally while we were nearing the end of the path I gave him some food.. he was coming behind the van and our car, right from the time we started from Amma's Temple.
When you asked me a couple of weeks back, if I could Identify Subramania Swamy or any Saintly Souls... it was only based on these experiences I told you, that many Siddhas too had come in human form to partake of our Annadhanam.
Jnana Jhothiamma shared her experience in serving people on such a massive scale on video when she dropped in at AVM after a few days.