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Shri Mataji Nirmala Srivastava (or Shrivastava) or Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi (born March 21, 1923 in Chindawara, India) is the founder of Sahaja Yoga. "Shri", "Mataji", and "Devi" are Sanskrit and Hindi terms applied to Indian names when addressing people formally which mean Shri = Mr/Mrs (Senor/Senora) Mataji = Mother Devi = (1) Feminine Qualifier to 'Shri' (2) Goddess hence approximately "Respected Mother Nirmala" or "holy mother Goddess Nirmala Shrivastava".

Background

Nirmala Srivastava was born to Christian parents, Prasad and Cornelia Salve, having descended from the royal Shalivahana dynasty. Her parents named her Nirmala, which means "immaculate."

Srivastava occasionally visited 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 Nirmala married Chandrika Prasad Srivastava and had two daughters.

Srivastava has stated that the potential for all humanity to gain spiritual self awareness was realised on May 5, 1970, which She characterizes as a historical process of en-masse self-realization and inner transformation. Prior to this day it was possible to attain self-realisation as Buddha did, but this required much penence, introspection and meditation before the understanding of the 'self' was attained.

Since the 1970s Srivastava has traveled across the world spreading Sahaja Yoga. She is the founder of Sahaja Yoga International or "Vishwa Nirmala Dharma", an organization for teaching the Sahaja Yoga Meditation.

Activities

Nirmala Srivastava has delivered lectures around the world, given television and radio interviews, and has been the subject of newspaper articles. She also has spoken at the Royal Albert Hall in London during conferences on Sahaja Yoga.

Local honors

She was declared "Personality of the Year" in 1986 by the Italian government. In 1994, the mayor of Brazil's capital city, who sponsored her programs, welcomed her at the airport and presented her with the key to the city. In 1995, the Indian government allowed her a one-hour primetime television series to be broadcast nationally. That year she was also an official guest of the Chinese government, was invited to speak at the International Women's Conference in Beijing, and was awarded an honorary doctorate in Cognitive and Parapsychological Sciences by the Romanian Ecological University. 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.

Criticism

Critics take issue with some of Srivastava's historical claims. They further assail her claim of discovering Sahaja Yoga in May 1970, alleging that records show she was at a Rajneesh meditation camp at the beginning of that month and did not offer "en-masse self-realization" until 1972.

Critics also hold that Srivastava's organization is a cult dedicated to her worship, and assert she claims to be the Supreme Goddess (aka Adi Shakti, or the Holy Ghost) and her followers worship her as such. It is alleged that her followers routinely wash and decorate her feet and then drink the mixture of offered elements (Panchamruta), believed to contain "divine vibrations". They note that once, during one of her appearances at the Royal Albert Hall an ex-member of her group felt it necessary to obtain police protection after claiming to have been threatened by certain Sahaja Yogis for distributing material critical of Nirmala Srivasta.

Other criticisms focus on Srivastava's and Sahaja Yoga's claims that Sahaja Yoga is a "unique method of meditation" for which there is never a charge. Former members claim being charged for an assortment of incidentals that include payment in cash or gifts to worship Shrivastava at Pujas. Supporters maintain that these were truly gifts, made voluntarily.

A Sahaja Yoga school endorsed by Srivastava was purportedly the scene of a sexual abuse scandal by a teacher in 1994.

External links

• Talk About Sahaja Yoga discussion group where all viewpoints are welcome

Official and favourable websites

• Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, founder of Sahaja Yoga
• Biographical Timeline
• Members Blog
• Sahaja Yoga Facts
• Overview of benefits claimed since 5 May 1970
• Articles of interest, Sahaja Yoga

Critical web resources

• Sahaja Yoga Cult - critical website
• Facts & warnings from ex-members - critical website

• New religious movements
• Yogis
• Indian people