She is ever with us, may you feel Her Darshan...

"Sri Anandamoyi Ma (1896 - 1982), also called Anandamayi Ma, was a spiritual teacher (Guru), saint and a mystic from Bengal, and hailed as one of prominent mystics of the 20th century.


"Anandamayi Ma was born Nirmala Sundari on 30 April 1896 to Bipinbihari Bhattacharya and Mokshada Sundari Devie in Kheora, Brahmanbaria District, British India, in what is now Bangladesh. [She] experienced the presence of divine power in herself since childhood and went into a trance (Bhava) on hearing kirtans.

"At the age of thirteen, in 1908, she was married to Ramani Mohan Chakrabarti of Vikramapura, who she called Bholanath and pitaji. She spent 5 years after her marriage at her brother-in-law's home, where she was in a trance-like state much of the time. It was a celibate marriage because whenever thoughts of sexuality occurred to him, Anandamoyi's body would take on the qualities of death and she would grow faint.

"In 1918, they went on to live in Bajitpur, where she became famous for her beauty. Here they stayed till 1924, while Nirmala went deeper into her trances. On the full moon night of August 1922, at midnight, 26-year old Nirmala went through the actions of spiritual initiation - all by herself. Members of Bholanath's family did not respond to his wife's strange behavior as calmly as he did. While his relatives suggested he remarry, he became her first disciple in 1922.

"Nirmala moved to Shahbag with her husband in 1924, where he had been appointed caretaker of the gardens of the Nawab of Dhaka. During this period Nirmala used to manifest the ecstasy that resembled Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. In 1926 she set up a Kali temple in the Siddheshwari area and devoted herself to spirituality. Nirmala underwent a mystic experience while praying in the temple one day. In her trance, she would hold difficult yogic positions for long periods and spontaneously form complex tantric hand positions and gestures. Henceforth, he became known as Anandamoyi Ma, meaning the Joy Permeated Mother.

"In 1932, Anandamoyi Ma went to Dehradun with her husband and started working there. She travelled across the subcontinent to enlighten others. Although she is mentioned in many books about Indian spiritual teachers, she is notably written about in Paramahansa Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi.


"The central theme of her teaching in endless variation is "the supreme calling of every human being is to aspire to self realization. All other obligations are secondary" and "only actions that kindle man's divine nature are worthy of the name of actions". However she did not ask everyone to become a renunciate. ... She did not give formal initiations and refused to be called a guru, as she maintained that "all paths are my paths" and kept telling "I have no particular path" Her way of teaching involved jokes, songs and instructions on everyday life along with long discourses, meditation and reading of scriptures. Cherish the company of those who are helpful to your quest, avoid those who distract you. If you live in this spirit, the help you need will come to you naturally.


"By March 1982, her physical form showed symptoms of an undiagnosed ailment that baffled doctors. She was examined by the best doctors available who could not pronounce an illness in her body or diagnose effectively.

"She died on 27 August 1982 and was buried on the banks of the Ganges near the Kankhal Ashram in Haridwar in North India."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anandamayi_ma


CREDITS:

ANANDAMAYI MA WEBSITES:

Sri Sri Anandamayi (The Ultimate Multi-Media Ma Site)
http://www.anandamayi.org

Short Biography
http://www.geocities.com/ganesha_gate/ma.html

Words of Shree Anandamayi Ma (Translated and Compiled by Atmananda)
http://www.anandamayi.org/books/atmnda.htm


FREE ANANDAMAYI MA ONLINE BOOKS:

Matri Vani (Mother's Words) Volume I (Fragments of Personal Advice and Suggestions)
http://www.anandamayi.org/books/Matrivani.htm

Matri Vani (Mother's Words) Volume II (Fragments of Personal Advice and Suggestions)
http://www.anandamayi.org/books/matrivani2.htm

Mother Revealed To Me (Translation of Bhaiji's "Matri Darshan")
http://www.anandamayi.org/books/MOTHERASREVEALED.htm

As The Flower Sheds Its Fragrance (Diary of a devotee of Ma)
http://www.anandamayi.org/books/flower.htm (less info)