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| '''Nirmala Srivastava''' (more widely known as '''Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi''') is |
'''Nirmala Srivastava''' (more widely known as '''Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi''') is the founder of ]. | ||
| ==Biography== | ==Biography== | ||
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| In the early 1970s she founded Sahaja Yoga in ]. She says that on ] ] she witnessed the rising of the Primiordial Kundalini at the sea shore, at ] in India. The experience happened after having visited a seminar by ],<ref> Canadian website. "She eventually consented to visit a seminar of a professor of philosophy called Rajneesh, in Nargol, near Bombay on May 4th, 1970. She was shocked to see him loot people under the guise of spirituality"</ref> where she "was shocked to see him loot people under the guise of spirituality". | In the early 1970s she founded Sahaja Yoga in ]. She says that on ] ] she witnessed the rising of the Primiordial Kundalini at the sea shore, at ] in India. The experience happened after having visited a seminar by ],<ref> Canadian website. "She eventually consented to visit a seminar of a professor of philosophy called Rajneesh, in Nargol, near Bombay on May 4th, 1970. She was shocked to see him loot people under the guise of spirituality"</ref> where she "was shocked to see him loot people under the guise of spirituality". | ||
| Judith Coney writes that in a video of the ] meditation camp, Nirmala Srivastava can be seen 'smiling beatifically'.<ref>Coney, Judith (1999) ''Sahaja Yoga: Socializing Processes in a South Asian New Religious Movement'', (London: Curzon Press) ISBN 0-7007-1061-2 p 220</ref> A relevant clip of the video can be seen . Sudhir Kakar wrote that Nirmala Srivastava was "closely associated" with ] in her "apprenticeship years".<ref>Kakar, Sudhir (1984) ''Shamans, Mystics and Doctors: A Psychological Inquiry into India and Its Healing Traditions'', ISBN 0-226-42279-8 p 202 "A demonic guru such as Rajneesh (with whom Mataji in her apprenticeship years was once closely associated) can turn the chakra toward the left side"</ref> | |||
| Later Nirmala Srivastava described the experience as follows: "I saw my kundalini rising very fast like a telescope opening out and it was a beautiful color that you see when the iron is heated up, a red rose color, but extremely cooling and soothing." <ref name="Advent1">Gregoire de Kalbermatten, ''The Advent'' (daisyamerica: 2003)</ref> She has stated that the potential for all humanity to gain spiritual self awareness was realized at this time, which she characterizes as a "historical process of en-masse self-realization and inner transformation". She has proclaimed that she is the incarnation of the ], and is worshiped as such.<ref></ref> | Later Nirmala Srivastava described the experience as follows: "I saw my kundalini rising very fast like a telescope opening out and it was a beautiful color that you see when the iron is heated up, a red rose color, but extremely cooling and soothing." <ref name="Advent1">Gregoire de Kalbermatten, ''The Advent'' (daisyamerica: 2003)</ref> She has stated that the potential for all humanity to gain spiritual self awareness was realized at this time, which she characterizes as a "historical process of en-masse self-realization and inner transformation". She has proclaimed that she is the incarnation of the ], and is worshiped as such.<ref></ref> | ||
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Revision as of 09:56, 4 December 2007
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Nirmala Srivastava (more widely known as Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi) is the founder of Sahaja Yoga.
Biography
Nirmala Srivastava was born on March 21, 1923 in Chindawara, India to Christian parents, Prasad and Cornelia Salve. She says that she is descended from the royal Shalivahana dynasty. Her parents named her Nirmala, which means "immaculate." She says that she was born self-realised.
In her youth Nirmala Srivastava stayed in the ashram of Mahatma Gandhi. Like her parents, she was involved in the Indian independence movement; as a young woman she was a youth leader, and participated in the Quit India Movement.
Shortly before India achieved independence in 1947, Nirmala married Chandrika Prasad Srivastava. They have two daughters, Kalpana and Sadhana .
In the early 1970s she founded Sahaja Yoga in Bombay. She says that on May 5 1970 she witnessed the rising of the Primiordial Kundalini at the sea shore, at Nargol in India. The experience happened after having visited a seminar by Rajneesh, where she "was shocked to see him loot people under the guise of spirituality".
Judith Coney writes that in a video of the Rajneesh meditation camp, Nirmala Srivastava can be seen 'smiling beatifically'. A relevant clip of the video can be seen here. Sudhir Kakar wrote that Nirmala Srivastava was "closely associated" with Rajneesh in her "apprenticeship years".
Later Nirmala Srivastava described the experience as follows: "I saw my kundalini rising very fast like a telescope opening out and it was a beautiful color that you see when the iron is heated up, a red rose color, but extremely cooling and soothing." She has stated that the potential for all humanity to gain spiritual self awareness was realized at this time, which she characterizes as a "historical process of en-masse self-realization and inner transformation". She has proclaimed that she is the incarnation of the Adi Shakti, and is worshiped as such.
In 2004 the official website of Sahaja Yoga announced that Nirmala Srivastava had completed her work. From 1970 to 2004 as Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, Nirmala Srivastava had traveled extensively across the world spreading Sahaja Yoga, giving numerous public lectures, and interviews to newspapers, television and radio. She is the founder of Sahaja Yoga International or Vishwa Nirmala Dharma, a worldwide organization "dedicated to the emancipation of humanity and resolution of its problems from within."
International honours
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She was declared "Personality of the Year" in 1986 by the Italian government. In 1994, the Administrator of Brasilia, Brazil's capital city, who sponsored her programs, welcomed her at the airport and presented her with the key to the city
As an official guest of the Chinese government, Nirmala Srivastava was invited to speak at the Fourth International Women's Conference in Beijing, and was awarded an honorary doctorate in Cognitive and Parapsychological Sciences by the Ecological University Bucharest, Romania. She was given a proclamation by the U.S. Congress in 1997.
She has been recognized and greeted by mayors or city officials in North America, including Cincinnati, Ohio in 1992; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1993; Los Angeles, California in 1993 and 1994; British Columbia in 1994; Yonkers, New York in 1994 and 1996; Berkeley, California in 1997 and Salt Lake City, Utah in 2003.
2007 Indian flag apology
In 2007, two images showing the Indian national flag at the feet of Niramala Srivastava were circulated on the social network Orkut.
Later, Rajendra Kumar, a trustee of Sahaja Yoga Trust issued an apology on behalf of Nirmala Devi stating that the Sahaja Yogis have the "highest and deepest respect" for the National Flag. The apology further stated:
Possibly, at an Independence Day function held abroad, some foreigner Sahaja Yogi brought our Flag and without meaning any disrespect, kept it on the ground. The Flag was respectfully removed immediately on being noticed. Shri Mataji NirmalaDevi asks us all to respect National Flags of all countries. This unintended but serious mistake is greatly regretted. Not even the slightest disrespect to our National Flag will ever be tolerated. To all those whose feelings have been hurt by this wholly unintended and unfortunate error, we express the assurance that we fully share their anguish and we extend our deeply felt and sincerest regrets and unqualified apologies.
References
- http://www.sahajayoga.net/learn-sahaja-yoga-who-is-shri-mataji.html
- H.P.Salve, My memoirs (New Delhi: LET, 2000), chapter 1
- http://www.sahajayoga.net/learn-sahaja-yoga-who-is-shri-mataji.html
- H.P.Salve, My memoirs (New Delhi: LET, 2000), chapters 3 and 4
- ^ H.P.Salve, My memoirs (New Delhi: LET, 2000), chapter 4 Cite error: The named reference "Salve3" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- A message for one and all, The Hindu, April 7, 2003
- About Shri Mataji Canadian website. "She eventually consented to visit a seminar of a professor of philosophy called Rajneesh, in Nargol, near Bombay on May 4th, 1970. She was shocked to see him loot people under the guise of spirituality"
- Coney, Judith (1999) Sahaja Yoga: Socializing Processes in a South Asian New Religious Movement, (London: Curzon Press) ISBN 0-7007-1061-2 p 220
- Kakar, Sudhir (1984) Shamans, Mystics and Doctors: A Psychological Inquiry into India and Its Healing Traditions, ISBN 0-226-42279-8 p 202 "A demonic guru such as Rajneesh (with whom Mataji in her apprenticeship years was once closely associated) can turn the chakra toward the left side"
- Gregoire de Kalbermatten, The Advent (daisyamerica: 2003)
- Invitation to Shri Adi Shakti Puja 2005
- "Shri Mataji has completed Her work"
- Mata Nirmala Devi's Sahaj Yoga Trust apologizes over disrespect to tricolour
Bibliography
- Mataji Shri Nirmala Devi, Meta Modern Era (New Delhi: Ritana Books, 1997) ISBN 81-852-500-19
- Coney, Judith (1999) Sahaja Yoga: Socializing Processes in a South Asian New Religious Movement, (London: Curzon Press) ISBN 0-7007-1061-2
- H.P.Salve , My memoirs (New Delhi: LET Books, 2000)
- Gregoire de Kalbermatten, The Advent (Bombay, 1979: reprint: New York: daisyamerica, 2002) ISBN 1-932496-00-X
- Gregoire de Kalbermatten, The Third Advent (New York: daisyamerica, 2003; Melbourne: Penguin Australia, 2004; Delhi: Penguin India, 2004) ISBN 1-932406-07-7
External links
- Official website of Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, founder of Sahaja Yoga
- Biographical Timeline
- Freedom and Liberation - a film about Shri Mataji by Carolin Dassel, 2006 4 short clips from film
- BBC Radio 4 interview with Shri Mataji and her critics
- "Shri who must be obeyed" The Independent, July 13 2001
- Facts and Warnings from Ex-Members