Santi Devi is a mystic who through her presence and teaching awakens Divine consciousness. She has been graced with the illumination of her essential Being as well as experiences that have revealed the true nature of reality. She is devoted to serving all beings on their journey to Self-realization. Santi teaches meditation, pranayama and bhakti yoga as well as conducting Satsang and Darsha.
The following excerpts from Santi Devi's website to help describe where she is coming from:
Fear is an invitation to Fearlessness! Our world is evolving. The recent global economic challenges have inspired anxiety and fear. Our standard of living and way of life feels threatened. What was once appeared dependable and immune to loss has fallen. We feel overwhelmed and helpless, our very survival feels compromised. The illusory nature of the temporal world has revealed itself. What appears as real one moment disappears the next, thus is the nature of Maya.
The Ego is intolerant of anything that creates a sense of vulnerability. It readily enlists fear, intimidation, ultimatums, anxiety and depression as the means to control our thoughts and behavior. It seeks to dominant our experience, as well as destroy our sovereignty. We avoid fear at all cost so we allow the Ego to persecute us into submission. What happens when we stop fearing the fear? When fear is no longer resisted, when we actually allow it to be, something quite miraculous occurs…
Fear is a great ally in Awakening, it is the tool of liberation. For when we bow to our fear, when we surrender to the unknown that is life, we are no longer trying to escape.
As institutions, governments, corporations, political figures and economies rise and fall, do not judge, analyze or anticipate the outcome. No assessment or commentary is valuable or necessary. Accept what Is. We do this by being receptive to life, by receiving all that we experience with equanimity. Abide in a state of non-resistance. In doing so, you will align yourself with the flow of the Divine.
The only constant in the universe is change.
The tree comes forth from the seed, the seed bears fruit that ripens, it eventually falls to the ground and decays. Why? For it has fulfilled its purpose. Why mourn, why fear? As the fruit lies rotting, it enriches the soil from which the seed will root and grow. Do not attach yourself to the ebb and flow of cyclical phenomenon. Go within and be still. Contemplate, what is enduring and what is subject to change?
See each and every experience as a gift from the Source of your own true Being! It is intended to Awaken you, to foster trust and faith in yourself and in the Grace that is Life.
Now sit quietly and observe your breath, until it becomes natural and rhythmic. Abide in the Silence. Let that Silence become the spaciousness of your experience. Whatever arises is absorbed in the spaciousness of your Being. No resistance, no effort, no will, no judgment. Be where you are. Repeat within, I Am Divine, I Am Divine, I Am Divine
Identity Posted by Santi Devi You are not your body, your mind, or your emotions.The truth is, you are an expression of the infinite Source. This Source is pure consciousness. It is the energy that gives rise to creation. Creation is consciousness. It is our true nature.
From the perspective of the moment, there is no past, no future…only now, only what Is.The true reality is pre-existent and independent of your thinking, it is transcendent. At any moment you can experience it by waking up, by bringing your awareness to “what Is”.
This only requires a shift in your attention, a willingness to be present, to relax into the moment. All that is required to Awaken is the unswerving devotion and desire to realize your true nature, to be at One with the Absolute. You are all that you seek, be still and know the Truth.
Meeting Amma- Darshan The Sanskrit term darshan means, "vision", and it is used to describe the meeting with a holy person, especially a Self-Realized master. Amma's darshan in unique. As the embodiment of supreme motherhood, she welcomes every person who comes to her, listens to his or her problems, offers advice and guidance, and brings reassurance to a troubled heart. Over time, Amma's popularity has risen to the point where in India she has been known to individually hug over 50,000 people in one day, sitting sometimes for over 20 hours.
Amma travels all around the world to receive all her children around the globe. Timothy Conway, Ph.D., author of the book Women of Power and Grace, describes Amma as "one of the most glorious lights to appear in the history of religion. Just her stamina - embracing these millions of people one by one, day after day, without a break, all over the world is some kind of divine gift. No mere human resources could accomplish this."
As Judith Cornell, an internationally acclaimed speaker, and an award winning writer, in her book, "Amma Healing the Heart of the World", says, "For eleven years, I had simply perceived Amma, as a sweet 'Hugging Saint.' As my limited vision expanded, it was awesome to discover that Amma was one of India's most illustrious sages. She heals on a massive scale - Far beyond that of any saint or healer, I had ever known or read about."
One of Amma's senior disciples says, "Mother is an extraordinary saint, in the number of people she intentionally instills spirituality into - even to extent of hugging every single person who comes to her. Basically, every one is potentially what Mother is. Mother's presence is invoking that reality (of divinity) within that person."
Mother Meera was born on December 26, 1960 in the village of Chandepalle in southern India. She soon showed herself to be an unusual child: by the age of three She would report "going to various lights." Her parents treated Her as an exceptional child and loved Her very much. Her family was not especially religious and She was not brought up in any tradition.
Her real parents were the spiritual guides that She met in vision; it was from these that She received the love and help She needed. The state of samadhi was constant for Her.
Under the auspices of Her uncle, Mr.Reddy, She lived for some time in Pondicherry, where Her extraordinary presence attracted considerable attention. She married a German in 1982 and he stays with the Mother. She presently lives in Thalheim, a quiet village in Germany.
Although She has not sought publicity, thousands of people from all over the world come to receive Her darshan*, her silent bestowal of grace and light through Her gaze and touch.
The unique gift of Mother Meera to the world is to make available for the first time in the history of the Earth the radical transformative Light of Paramatman, the Supreme Being. In this time of crisis and growing spiritual hunger, the Mother offers Her children a direct transmission of Light that dissolves all barriers and changes the entire being. This Light can be received by all who are open, whether or not they have met Mother in the body.
The Divine Mother is in a body, offering in this hardest of times a path of joy and transformation, a chance to open to Her blessing, to receive and work with Her light, to change ourselves and the world in which we live.
www.yogananda-srf.org Locations worldwide. International headquarters in Los Angeles, California, USA.
SRF was founded by Paramahansa Yogananda who brought the original Kriya Yoga to the West. Daya Mata (Faye Wright) from Salt Lake City is now president of Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF). Faye Wright's monastic name, Daya Mata, means "Mother of Compassion." Daya also means kindness.
Dr. Binay R. Sen, the former Ambassador of India to the United States and Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, stated once: "Those who, like myself, were privileged to have met Paramahansaji find reflected in Daya Mataji that same spirit of divine love and compassion that so impressed me on my first visit to the Self-Realization Center almost forty years ago (Calcutta, October 20, 1990)."
Her book, "Only Love," shows Daya Mata in a deep state of Samadhi (Holy Communion) on page 152. Yogananda's "Autobiography of a Yogi" also shows Daya Mata in deep blissful communion with the Divine.
Ma YogaShakti is a teacher, philosopher and Guru. She has received her M.A. degree in Political Science. For her educational role in Yoga, which she began as early as 1959, and for demonstrating the unity of Bhakti, Gyaan, Karma and Radja Yoga, she has received several honorary titles.
She is a spiritual teacher (Guru) whose all-embracing wisdom, love and compassion are beyond human limitations. She looks at the world as one unit, as a revelation of God. She is the embodiment of love and is ready to adapt herself to any circumstance. She transforms the lives of her students and devotees by her silent and unconscious influence. The most dominant trait in her character is her motherly love, a love stronger than one's own. Her commanding presence, her courtly manners and her passion, make her popular.
Apart from her spiritual power, the mere human aspects of her life are enough to make her an exemplary Master. Mataji (as she is affectionately called) is doing laudable service for the upliftment of many aspirants looking for spiritual guidance. Mataji has opened ashrams in India and America, and she has been greatly instrumental in the spread of Yoga throughout the west. Her teachings produce a mass effect on humanity. She is always in a whirlwind of work, and wants yogic knowledge to be spread and known by all, believing firmly that Yoga helps man to face and bear the stress and strain of modern life.
There are many techniques in Yoga which, when practised under an expert guide, give positive results for physical, mental and spiritual growth, thereby unfolding unused and latent powers. The secret techniques are essentially revolutionary. Innumerable benefits for the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of man are derived. Yoga is a practical art because as the meaning (adaptation) shows, it makes man master of his soul, mind, body and senses. This is why the ancient Rishis of India evolved this supreme art of adaptation or Yoga. To be Yogic is to be disciplined, religious and self-transcendental.
Mataji has travelled extensively in India and abroad carrying the message of Yoga to people everywhere. Her deep knowledge of Yoga, both in its scientific and experimental aspects, her modern outlook, her infinite love and compassion for all who come in contact with her, have earned her the devotion of a huge following of disciples of Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. She believes that, for each individual, spiritual salvation lies in following one or more of these paths according to one's inclination and abilities. It is here that her vast knowledge of Yoga, her experience of human nature and her deep spiritual insight enable her to become a true guide, philosopher and friend to the aspirant in his quest for spirituality.
Aisha is a woman who has undergone an extreme spiritual awakening. In being awake, her body became directly placed in the fire of integration with Presence. In the beginning of this integration, Aisha went through periods with a paralyzed body, trances and deaths of the mind and personal settings in various ways. Now the integration of the Presence is no longer visible to the world. Yet still it keeps deepening.
Since Aishas awakening, her life has been dedicated to serving the world as Love. She travels the world giving Satsang, individual sessions, retreats etc. Her teaching is not a teaching by ear, as much as it is the direct affection and direction of the heart when it meats Presence itself.
All people - from physical disorders to spiritual seekers, meet Love and freedom with Aisha. She receives every soul, and invites all to come to be with her. No spiritual tradition, no religion, no agenda - just pure Presence.
Read more of Aisha's journey, see meeting places and people's experiences with her on www.theself.eu.
"....During that time I became dedicated to humanity - and spent some years traveling the world passing on the Presence of Self in gatherings. The end of that story was of course Truth-realization. Enlightenment.
Through many major changes in my life, I now live completely free. In full Power and amusement of my own existence, I enjoy the constant play and teaching of mastering higher and higher states of consciousness. Traveling has been replaced by being there for people in the serious pursuit of Truth.
Devi Amma
Devi Amma speaks with great familiarity about the various forms of God, and the ancient Sages and celestial beings, for it seems they visit her on a regular basis. “There are many levels of angels,” she said to one questioner. “They look very beautiful, so beautiful! When they reach the highest level of angel, they become almost as beautiful as Lord Jesus.”
Devi Amma’s life story is amazing. When she was 15, her uncle died unexpectedly, and the tragedy led her into deep introspection on the meaning of life. In the spontaneous meditations that followed, she began hearing the sound “OM”, and soon after this, a blazing sun of spiritual light appeared in her room. From within that effulgence gradually emerged the form of a divine man with a radiant aura, who introduced himself as the ancient Sage Agastya, the first of the great Rishis.
Devi Amma says, with all humor and humility, that in a previous incarnation she was Agastya’s daughter.
Agastya declared that he was Devi Amma's Guru, and began appearing before her on a daily basis, instructing her in meditation and the secrets of spirituality, and by the age of 20 she had attained Enlightenment. One night, Sathya Sai Baba unexpectedly appeared in her room, His form repeatedly changing into the form of Lord Subramaniam (her family’s chosen Deity) and then back into the form of Sai Baba, thus revealing His oneness with God.
Some years later, when she finally saw Sai Baba in person, she had the same experience: “Sai Baba - Subramaniam! Sai Baba - Subramaniam!” She says that while Agastya is her Guru, Sai Baba is the Poornavatar, and is now working through her to bless and uplift humanity.
Little Heart
Another great devotee of Sai Baba is an Australian woman who calls herself “Little Heart.” She says she attained union with Baba through the path of Love, and now sees God everywhere, and is always aware of her true Being as all-pervading Consciousness. She lives near Baba’s Brindavan ashram, writes beautiful books, and gives sage advice, so to speak, to those with questions.
In a recent interview with her, she said, among other things, "A Poornavatar like Baba doesn't exactly come along at every tick of the clock!" We are indeed fortunate to be alive at this time, and be aware of His presence on the Earth!
Having lived a very full life in the world before coming to Baba, including two marriages and two divorces, Little Heart is in an unusually good position to know the struggles Westerners go through in making the transition to a life of spirituality. I always find it encouraging to meet a Self-Realized Westerner. (Yes, it is possible...!)
Sai Lakshmi Ma
Then there is Sai Lakshmi Ma, who says that in 1980 Baba came into Her body and has never left. In the several hours I (a Sai Baba devotee) spent in her presence, I witnessed a steady stream of delightful miracles. As soon as she placed a garland on the altar, amrit began trickling from a large photo of Baba. Then she held her palm towards Baba’s photo, and it was instantly filled with amrit, which was passed out to all. I had brought her a bag full of grapes and laid it in front of her altar; five minutes later she opened the bag, and showed me that a number of the grapes were now half-eaten, a sign that Baba had received the offering directly! She held up to Baba’s photo some bananas which my friend had brought, and after ten seconds, showed us that each banana now had clear teeth marks in the skin! Another friend of mine put three laddus (sweets) on the altar in a bag. A few minutes later Sai Lakshmi Ma indicated he should open the bag - and one of the laddus had a large bite taken out of it! (The specially blessed food was passed out to all.) Necklaces handed to her for blessings were returned a minute later, smelling of rose perfume or dripping with amrit. Empty containers passed to her would be returned miraculously filled with vibhuti or kumkum. When questions were asked, her responses seemed to indicate that she was hearing Baba’s answer directly and then passing it on. I was told that many people have received healings through her prayers to Baba.
Although it isn’t clear whether or not she is fully Self-Realized, the miracles were definitely genuine. At the very least, she is a great servant of God, and an extraordinary channel for Sai Baba’s blessings.
Vasantha Sai
There is also an elderly woman in Madurai named Vasantha Sai, who has attained God-Realization through her intense devotion to Baba, whom she considers to be “the reincarnation of Sri Krishna.”
She says that Baba has told her internally that she is the reincarnation of Radha, the childhood consort of Lord Krishna. This identity has been confirmed by several ‘palm-leaf prophecies.’ She is now giving subtle help to many seekers and, as a true Saint, does indeed have an Enlightened aura.
