Sahaja Yoga m e d i t a t i o n
SHRI MATAJI NIRMALA DEVI
FOUNDER OF SAHAJA YOGA
BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD FIGHTING FOR INDIA’S FREEDOM
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi was born on March Shri Mataji was a youth leader during the
21, 1923 to a Christian family in Chindawara, campaign to free India of British rule. In the
India. Her parents were Prasad and Cornelia 1942 Quit India Movement announced by
Salve, direct descendants of the royal Gandhi, she was arrested and put in jail along
Shalivahana dynasty. Seeing the beauty of this with other freedom fighters. Her activities led
child who was born with a spotless brilliance, to expulsion from school. While in jail she
they called her Nirmala, which means was punished by being made to sit on a block
‘Immaculate.’ of ice.
Her parents played a key role in India’s During the tensions which arose during
liberation movement (India had been under Partition, when British India split into India
British rule for 300 years). Her father was a and Pakistan, Shri Mataji showed again and
member of the Constituent Assembly of India again her vision for a world without religious
and helped write the first constitution. He and political fanaticism. She once confronted
was a renowned scholar, master of 14 several British soldiers and her fearlessness
languages, and translated the Koran into made them stop their violence towards her
Marathi. Her mother was the first woman in countrymen. She also sheltered refugees and
India to receive an Honors Degree in protected them from a gang looking for blood.
Mathematics.
As a child, Shri Mataji lived with her MARRIAGE AND MOTHERHOOD
parents in the ashram of Mahatma Gandhi. Shortly before India achieved independence
He saw the wisdom of this child and sought Shri Mataji married C.P. Srivastava, a civil
her advice on spiritual matters, affectionately servant. He distinguished himself with his
calling her Nepali. Shri Mataji showed him integrity and honesty and moved up the ranks
how to order his morning prayers according of the civil service, eventually serving as
the order of the chakras. personal secretary to Prime Minister Lal
Shri Mataji knew from her birth that she Bahadur Shastri.
had a unique gift which had to be made His work with the Indian Shipping
available to all mankind. Her father also Corporation led to his election as Secretary
recognized the significance of her birth and General of the United Nations International
had her study psychology and medicine (at Maritime Organization for 16 years (1974 to
the Christian Medical College in Lahore) to 1989), the longest term so far in its history.
learn a terminology to explain her ancient The IMO is based in London, and during this
knowledge in modern terms. time Shri Mataji, in her role as Mrs. Nirmala
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Srivastava, was known affectionately by the fontanel bone area) were quite astonished
diplomats and heads of state all over the that it worked. Under the instructions of Shri
world. Mataji they tried giving this power to others,
which really gave them the faith that this was
SAHAJA YOGA BEGINS the true spiritual experience that was being
After fulfilling her familial duty of being a prophesized in every religion.
wife and bringing up her two daughters, Shri Since 1970, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi has
Mataji embarked on her universal spiritual kept a busy schedule, travelling around the
mission. world to teach the techniques of Sahaja Yoga
On the 5th of May 1970, on a lonely beach meditation. Shri Mataji has delivered
of Nargol (about 150 km from Mumbai) Shri thousands of lectures and given many
Mataji began an historical process of en-masse television and radio interviews. Amazingly,
Self Realisation through which thousands of without any financial support from any
people could get the connection to their person, Shri Mataji neither charges for Her
Spirit and thereby their inner transformation. lectures nor for Her gift of Self
Realisation.She insists that you cannot pay for
SPREADING OF SAHAJA YOGA your enlightenment and to-date she continues
AROUND THE WORLD to denounce the false, self-proclaimed "gurus"
Shri Mataji tried Sahaja Yoga first on people who are more interested in the seekers’ purse
near to her and noticed they were than their spiritual ascent. Her humanitarian
transformed physically, mentally and work has been recognized around the world
spiritually. She invested her own time and and she has twice been nominated for the
money to talk to people and give them the Nobel Peace Prize.
key to their own spiritual power. Those few Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi has dedicated her
people who started feeling this spiritual life to reclaiming the role of women in the
power, which flowed like a cool breeze over spiritual evolution and to triggering the
their whole body, especially over the palms of spiritual ascent of mankind through Self
their hands and on top of their head (around Realization.
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