Shri Ma Anandamayi (1896-1982) was born as one who had already realized the Self in past lives, and who did not need to return to Earth for more perfection (jivanmukta). No one ever saw her with an instructor. By just living the day-to-day life of an ordinary householder, she showed others that it was possible to live as one united with God, while attending to the needs of her husband. For her, everyday life and religion or spiritual practice are ONE, there is no separation. This is the path to union with God, and we will see below through her life and teachings how this is possible. From time to time, great souls come back to Earth only for this purpose.

As Ma grew up, by herself she started on a spiritual practice (sadhana) which, people around her could see, brought her up a very high level, mainly through the repetition of God’s name, and spontaneous yoga postures or asanas. After repeating God’s name, “Sometimes she lay for many hours absolutely still and totally absorbed in an inner bliss. At such times her body emanated a radiance which was visible to onlookers.”

“Sri Ma lived the life of a pilgrim on the path of spiritual endeavour for nearly six years; during this time she initiated herself and proceeded thereafter in a more systematic manner. Bholanathji (her husband) realized that he was in the presence of a very special embodiment of Divine Power. He himself accepted the much-coveted initiation from Sri Ma within the first year of this manifestation. Thereafter their relationship acquired a new dimension – that of Guru and disciple, although Sri Ma never changed in her attitude of complete obedience and deference to Bholanathji’s wishes.

Referring to this period of her life, Sri Ma has said, “Sadhanas by which man endeavours to attain self-realization are of endless variety, and each variety has innumerable aspects. All these revealed themselves to me as a part of myself”. In later years she had occasion to talk about her experiences in select gatherings of ascetics, scholars or other seekers of Truth. The pandits have marvelled at her knowledge of all tenets of faith, in all their doctrinal details. Sri Ma has said that even so she has not talked about one thousandth part of all that was revealed to her during her years of intensive sadhana. Sometime in 1922 she became maunam – that is silent. This silence came as a mark of the fulfillment of sadhana. After the period of maunam (silence), she began to converse with visitors on religious topics.” (All these quotations are taken from Sri Ma Anandamayi’s website.)

Here are her teachings which are simple, clear and precise – very suitable for everyday life, with no need for erudition.

Shri Ma Anandamayi’s Teachings

From Mother as Revealed to Me, by Bhaiji

Her instructions are of a universal type meant for all men, yet their real import is not always comprehended by people like us. Still, when some of her words illumine the mind of a particular person, what he realizes by his own limited knowledge finds expression in his life according to his own capacity to move forward. It is not easy to imagine how infinitely various are the streams of water flowing from the Himalayas to plains of India through glaciers, cataracts, rivers, streamlets and springs, enriching and fertilising many sterile tracts. Although the Himalayas do not lose anything by sending out these perpetual streams, the welfare of the world is being secured by them. It is similar in the case of Mother and her devotees.

The Divine Presence of Anandamayi Ma | Life Journey of Bliss Permeated Mother

The central theme of all her words and expressions is this: Life and religion are one. All that you do to maintain your life, your everyday work and play, all your attempts to earn a living, should be done with sincerity, love and devotion, with a firm conviction that true living means virtually perfecting one’s spiritual existence in tune with the universe. To bring about this synthesis, religious culture should be made as natural and easy as taking our food and drink when we are hungry and thirsty.

Just as a mother nourishes her child with all possible care and affection and makes him grow up into a healthy boy and a handsome youth, so you will find the subtle touches of the Divine Mother shaping your inner life and making you reach your full height and stature.

Mother says: “Just as there is a definite time-table for work at school, office or the shop, so should we set apart for divine contemplation a few minutes out of the twenty-four hours of every day, preferably in the morning and evening. One must make a fixed resolve that this little time shall be dedicated to God throughout life. During this period no worldly activity should be allowed to encroach upon the contemplation of God.

A fixed time for prayer or meditation must be allotted to all the members of the family including the servants. If this practice is continued for long, divine contemplation will become a part of your nature. Once the habit is established, the future course of your life will be made quite easy. You will feel the flow of the mysterious Divine Grace feeding all your thoughts and giving you new strength. You get a pension or bonus after years of hard work, so that you need no longer earn your livelihood. In the spiritual realm the reward for good, sincere and selfless work is even far greater and can be obtained more easily.

Those who amass money, store it up in a hidden chamber of their house, add to this store what they can save from time to time, and keep a constant watch over their treasure. So also reserve a little corner of your mind and heart for God and always steal an opportunity to add to your stock in the shape of the invocation of His name or some pious work or divine thought.

One day Mother was showing the various ways of saluting God and said: “Lose yourself altogether when bowing down to God with a single-minded devotion and you will obtain joy and power in proportion.

In this connection she added: “There are two kinds of pranamas : Offering to Him your whole body and mind with all thoughts, desires, sense-impressions, love, affection, devotion, just like emptying the contents of a full pitcher to its last drop. The other way is like scattering face-powder through the minute holes of a powder-box : the major portion of your thoughts and desires is kept back in a hidden chamber of your mind, and only a little dust is allowed to escape.”