There are no “Alien Hindus”

Shree Maa, Hinduism Today

April 1990, Vol 12, Number 4

In spite of Hinduism’s persistent attempt to teach and demonstrate the realization that all existence is pervaded by One Supreme Divinity, and that “I” am, at the least, a part of that Oneness, even still, the selfishness of egotism makes men create divisions which expand their individual authority. Now a new concept of “alien Hindu” has evolved, a concept which can only serve to further divide men. Religious experience has nothing to do with race or geography. It is the essence of awareness, the unifying attitudes and values which go beyond experience.

Hinduism does not mean being Indian. Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and Jews all live in India. It has nothing to do with the color of one’s skin, nor the origin of one’s birth. Charvaka was as much a Hindu as was Ramanuja or Shankara. Every spectrum of thought and opinion has been accommodated with respect under the bannerhead of Hinduism. According to the Tantra Sara, “Who abhors violence and division in every form, who always practices harmonious behavior, who is a lover of Wisdom, who respects all teachers of Wisdom, who practices one-pointed meditation, such a one may be said to be a Hindu.”

Devi Mandir is located in a suburn of cosmopolitan San Francisco bay Area, where we serve Hindus from around the world. They come in all colors from many countries both East and West, speaking many languages, and yet they all have one thing in common: when they enter into the temple, they leave all thoughts of divisions and become simply children of God, children of the Divine Mother and the divine Father, members of the family creation.

No child is alien to the Mother. Every child, fair or dark, wise or foolish, talented or unskilled, belongs equally to the Mother. Anyone who would support an ideology of division or discrimination because of color or race is actually acting with disregard to the basic principle of our religious creed.”

Now many Hindus are battling racial discrimination in their adopted homes around the world. How foolish it would be for us to the practice the same in reverse, by excluding our own allies, who even go farther than we might imagine in trying to make their lives conform to our religious heritage.

Hinduism is becoming a moving force around the world. Is it prudent to create divisions within by discrimination between the faith of those who were born into the religion and those who have accepted its principles because they understand it from a thorough study? By acknowledging the validity of our religious teachings and their practical applications in life, people are really working for world peace and enlightenment. Shall we discriminate against them because they are practicing what we preach?

Rather, true Hindus will bow down with respect to the wise of every generation who demonstrate the principles of faith, devotion and surrender, the real fruits of religious inspiration. We will demonstrate the wealth of our heritage by joyously sharing with all who so desire, and we will overcome discrimination by our mutual respect and openness, as well as using the talents and skills which we individually possess.

In the name of dharma, manifesting the ideal of perfection, the solutions we seek are universal. In the name of ahimsa, the battles we fight are within. In the name of God, let us realize the ultimate harmony and peace in the universe.

I send you all blessings of wisdom, peace and joy!

From Yoga International. September/October 1994 Most of the people in the cars ahead of us on the narrow, twisting California road are tourists, visiting the region’s many wineries. But my […]

Shree Maa: A Saint Comes to Chicago

By Sharon Steffensen

from YOGAChicago; September – October 1998; Vol. 5, No. 5

Chicago was blessed when Shree Maa came to visit early this summer. Originally from Digboi, India, in the Arunachala Range of the Himalaya Mountains, she has lived in California since 1984 but has begun to travel in the U.S. only since last year. She is a poet, an artist, an excellent singer, and healer. She feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, and heals the sick as part of her worship, as a demonstration of her love for God.

Shree Maa teaches that every home is an ashram, a place of worship, that all actions can be service to God and expressions of devotion, and that life itself is worship. Following is a story about Shree Maa’s life with an accompanying message from Maa.

She knew from her birth that she was divine. Her first recollection was the sound of the voice of Ramakrishna, the 19th century Bengali mystic whom 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, and what is sacrifice.” With that instruction, she began her life’s work.

Shree Maa’s birth was predicted by Swami Bhuvananda Saraswati, a great saint and religious leader from the northeast corner of India where her family lived. She never cried. Her parents never knew when to feed her or change her diapers. At the age of three she began practicing the Sun Salutation, reciting mantras and making offerings.

When she was seven, Shree Maa began to wander into the forests to visit sadhus, seekers who had renounced the material world in pursuit of a spiritual life. By the time she was nine, she knew every tree in the forest and spent most of her free time in meditation.

Shree Maa was loved by all who knew her and was popular with both faculty and fellow students. In her community she became involved with social service organizations, organizing fund-raisers and festivals for worship or celebration.

Throughout her high school and college years, Shree Maa became more and more introspective until her family became concerned that she was spending too much time in meditation. When their pressure became too great, Shree Maa made plans to run away. After writing a note and packing a few belongings, she reached for the door and looked up at a picture of Jesus that hung over the door. Looking into his eyes, she heard a voice deep within her saying, “I am with you always. You don’t need to run away to find me.”

Shree Maa returned to her shrine room and sat in solitude. She looked at the picture of Ramakrishna blessing her from her altar, and suddenly she heard his voice: “You must finish your college education. I have much work that must be done by you, and to accomplish that, you must be educated.”

After college, Shree Maa spent years wandering in the Himalayas, impervious to fear of the pythons, bobcats and Bengal tigers that roamed the area. She had few possessions other than the simple clothing she wore, and sometimes went for days at a time without food. Her body weight reduced to little more than 60 pounds. People who saw her in deep communion with God for hours and days at a time called her the Goddess of the Mountain, the Goddess of the River, or simply Shree Maa, the Respected Holy Mother.

She experienced such deep samadhi, for prolonged periods, that she radiated an aura of illumination. When she returned to the awakened state, often there would be many people from nearby villages who had heard of the meditating yogini in the forest and left their homes and jobs in nearby villages to sit with her.

Stories told by the villagers made Shree Maa famous and her capacity as a spiritual messenger grew. Soon there was a continual stream of politicians, government workers, businessmen, farmers, villagers, and housewives flocking to see her wherever she went.

When she expressed a desire to travel throughout India, her disciples and devotees from the railway colony provided her with a first class railway pass to cover all her expenses. On one of those journeys, she visited The Ramakrishna Mission in Calcutta, where she stayed in the former house of Shree Sarada Maa, Ramakrishna’s wife. There is a striking physical resemblance between the two women, and even their voices are the same. Devotees would gather outside the house to receive Shree Maa’s blessings. In the evenings she would share spiritual inspiration and stories. Often she would sing. Most of the time, however, she would sit with her eyes closed, totally absorbed in her love for God, and others would join her in meditation.

In 1980, she met Swami Satyananda Saraswati, an American who had been living in India for 20 years. They traveled together with Maa’s devotees throughout India, and in 1983, when she received an instruction from Ramakrishna to go to the U.S., Swamiji came with her. They established a temple in Martinez, California, and lived a simple life dedicated to daily worship.

As word spread of Shree Maa’s presence, thousands came to seek her blessings. In 1992, a new home, Devi Mandir, was found for the temple in Napa Valley, California, open to the public on Sundays. When she received instruction again from Ramakrishna to step out from her seclusion and begin sharing her love and wisdom in person throughout the world, she began a tour, which included Chicago this past summer.

Chicago was blessed to have her.