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Shree Maa: The Life of a Saint
The biography of this woman saint describes the extraordinary experiences of an enlightened being. Knowing her divinity from childhood, Shree Maa left home at an early age to reside in the seclusion of the Himalayas and devote her life to spiritual practices. Having realized her ultimate unity with God, she has dedicated her life to sharing wisdom and inspiration.
304 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 1997
23 people want to read
About the author
Satyananda Saraswati
380 books242 followersSwami Satyananda Saraswati was a sannyasin, yoga teacher and guru in both his native India and the West. He founded the International Yoga Fellowship in 1956 and the Bihar School of Yoga in 1963. He has authored over 80 books, including the well-known Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha, recognised internationally as one of the most systematic yoga manuals today. Since its first publication by the Bihar School of yoga in 1969 it has been reprinted seventeen times and translated into many languages.
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July 7, 2023
THE LIFE STORY OF THIS FAMOUS INDIAN SPIRITUAL FIGURE
Swami Satyananda Saraswati wrote in the Introduction to this 1997 book, “She knew from her birth that she was divine. One of her most difficult realizations was the understanding that everyone was not so gifted as to have God Consciousness all the time, nor were they all endowed with the capacity to go into deep meditative states, called in Sanskrit ‘samadhi,’ any time they choose. Can you imagine a life that never had any doubt of the fact that you came to this world as a divine messenger with a divine mission? Her first recollection was the sound of the voice of the nineteenth century saint Shree Ramakrishna, who she considers to be her guru, saying, ‘Oh, you came again. Much more needs to be done in this Age of Darkness. You’ve got to show what divine life means, what is spiritual practice or sadhana and what is sacrifice.’ With that instruction her sojourn on planet earth began.
“Shree Maa is one of the great women saints in contemporary history. She has been the subject of numerous books, and articles, interviews, and stories in newspapers and magazines. She has inspired and contributed to the authoring of more than three dozen books in a dozen languages and has been the author of numerous songs which have been recorded on CDs and cassettes. Her picture stands on the altars of uncountable worshippers around the world. Yet she shuns publicity, prefers the solitude of her own spiritual discipline, loves the quiet regularity of her rhythm of worship, cooks and sews for her ever-expanding family of devotees, and sits for prayer, worship and meditation, ten, twelve, fourteen hours a day, every day of her life. Her advice is sought by politicians, leaders of industry, businessmen, educators and simple household people. Yet she remains the simple, objective friend of the universe, who wants nothing for herself but to share her life of prayer with all. She is Shree Maa, the Holy Mother of Kamakhya, and this is her story.”
The back cover of the book explains, “After decades of meditating in the caves of the Himalayas, her love of God led her around the world to share the wealth that she found. Descended from the family of the famous singer Ramprasad, Shree Maa continues the tradition of total absorption in God. She conducts herself with such grace. She is a poet, an artist, an excellent singer, and her universal philosophy creates harmony wherever she goes. She is a divinely inspired saint respected by people of every religious heritage in every corner of the world. Goodness transcends all sectarian boundaries, and Shree Maa is known as kindness incarnate. Her life of prayer and mediation has been so exemplary. She feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, heals the sick, all within the regularity of her worship, as a demonstration of her love for God.
“She transforms a life of tolerating responsibilities into one of appreciating opportunities, from bearing burdens and fulfilling obligations into enjoying the privilege to love: not just the love of o0ur families, not just the love of our friends, not even just the love for God, but the love of all life. Her story of a woman conducting spiritual practices all alone in the caves of the Himalayas is an inspiration to all. And from the solitude of her meditation to creating a worldwide community to share her wonderful spiritual legacy is an epic for modern readers. Her life is an inspiration to people who are tired of self-imposed limitations which demand that we accept mediocrity. Shree Maa teaches us how to go beyond.”
This book will be of great interest to those studying this modern religious saint.
Swami Satyananda Saraswati wrote in the Introduction to this 1997 book, “She knew from her birth that she was divine. One of her most difficult realizations was the understanding that everyone was not so gifted as to have God Consciousness all the time, nor were they all endowed with the capacity to go into deep meditative states, called in Sanskrit ‘samadhi,’ any time they choose. Can you imagine a life that never had any doubt of the fact that you came to this world as a divine messenger with a divine mission? Her first recollection was the sound of the voice of the nineteenth century saint Shree Ramakrishna, who she considers to be her guru, saying, ‘Oh, you came again. Much more needs to be done in this Age of Darkness. You’ve got to show what divine life means, what is spiritual practice or sadhana and what is sacrifice.’ With that instruction her sojourn on planet earth began.
“Shree Maa is one of the great women saints in contemporary history. She has been the subject of numerous books, and articles, interviews, and stories in newspapers and magazines. She has inspired and contributed to the authoring of more than three dozen books in a dozen languages and has been the author of numerous songs which have been recorded on CDs and cassettes. Her picture stands on the altars of uncountable worshippers around the world. Yet she shuns publicity, prefers the solitude of her own spiritual discipline, loves the quiet regularity of her rhythm of worship, cooks and sews for her ever-expanding family of devotees, and sits for prayer, worship and meditation, ten, twelve, fourteen hours a day, every day of her life. Her advice is sought by politicians, leaders of industry, businessmen, educators and simple household people. Yet she remains the simple, objective friend of the universe, who wants nothing for herself but to share her life of prayer with all. She is Shree Maa, the Holy Mother of Kamakhya, and this is her story.”
The back cover of the book explains, “After decades of meditating in the caves of the Himalayas, her love of God led her around the world to share the wealth that she found. Descended from the family of the famous singer Ramprasad, Shree Maa continues the tradition of total absorption in God. She conducts herself with such grace. She is a poet, an artist, an excellent singer, and her universal philosophy creates harmony wherever she goes. She is a divinely inspired saint respected by people of every religious heritage in every corner of the world. Goodness transcends all sectarian boundaries, and Shree Maa is known as kindness incarnate. Her life of prayer and mediation has been so exemplary. She feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, heals the sick, all within the regularity of her worship, as a demonstration of her love for God.
“She transforms a life of tolerating responsibilities into one of appreciating opportunities, from bearing burdens and fulfilling obligations into enjoying the privilege to love: not just the love of o0ur families, not just the love of our friends, not even just the love for God, but the love of all life. Her story of a woman conducting spiritual practices all alone in the caves of the Himalayas is an inspiration to all. And from the solitude of her meditation to creating a worldwide community to share her wonderful spiritual legacy is an epic for modern readers. Her life is an inspiration to people who are tired of self-imposed limitations which demand that we accept mediocrity. Shree Maa teaches us how to go beyond.”
This book will be of great interest to those studying this modern religious saint.
April 30, 2023
It is an interesting book. As the title says, its cardinal focus is on Shree Ma, a simple, sincere and humble soul, who has risen to the greatest heights of spiritual attainment. (I am saying this based upon my little knowledge of Mahatmas' accounts of their success in their spiritual journey).
The author gives some insights into his own struggles for spiritual success, perseverance in attaining his lifelong goal, and the various efforts that he put in all his life in regard to god-realisation.
The first half of the book is about Shree Ma and the author's experiences with the former. The narrative is honest, without any hyperbolic embellishments, which one invariably encounters in hagiography and works that lavishly glamorise and lionise their idols.
As I got into the second half of the book (before I got to the devotees' accounts of their experiences, that is) at several places the author had referred to himself in the third person. My suspicion is, that part of the narrative must have been written by someone else who was making references to the author. (If the work had been properly proofread, some of these and grammatical solicisms could have been easily avoided).
Maybe, if the author had concentrated more on what made Shree Ma "Shree Ma", giving the readers intimate details about her epiphanies and realisations, and about his own discoveries during his arduous spiritual journey, the book would have become a must-read like "Autobiography of a Yogi" for every aspirant.
It is one of the biographies that everyone sincere about emancipation should read to gain better insights into their own struggles.
The author gives some insights into his own struggles for spiritual success, perseverance in attaining his lifelong goal, and the various efforts that he put in all his life in regard to god-realisation.
The first half of the book is about Shree Ma and the author's experiences with the former. The narrative is honest, without any hyperbolic embellishments, which one invariably encounters in hagiography and works that lavishly glamorise and lionise their idols.
As I got into the second half of the book (before I got to the devotees' accounts of their experiences, that is) at several places the author had referred to himself in the third person. My suspicion is, that part of the narrative must have been written by someone else who was making references to the author. (If the work had been properly proofread, some of these and grammatical solicisms could have been easily avoided).
Maybe, if the author had concentrated more on what made Shree Ma "Shree Ma", giving the readers intimate details about her epiphanies and realisations, and about his own discoveries during his arduous spiritual journey, the book would have become a must-read like "Autobiography of a Yogi" for every aspirant.
It is one of the biographies that everyone sincere about emancipation should read to gain better insights into their own struggles.
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