Upasani Baba: Taught that women are capable of faster spiritual evolutio

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

 

Some time back someone in this group posted something to the effect

that God "only comes in the form of a "male human body" (not sure who

said it, but I think the person said it was something that Meher Baba

said. Personally, I do not think Meher Baba EVER said such a thing.

I was telling this to a friend of mine who is on the yogi path (many

many hours of tapas/meditation), who traveled extensively with Shri

Shivablayogi when he was in the body, and he told me, I think, that

Meher Baba at one poinit even had a female teacher. He said Meher

Baba *NEVER* said such a thing.

 

When I asked the poster to please post the entire paragraph or

whatever he was quoting from, he never responded.

 

This morning I was trying to find something in my book, "DAUGHTERS OF

THE GODDESS, The Women Saints of India" by Linda Johnsen, and came

across this passage from the chapter, "Contemporary Hindu Women

Saints":

 

"In the past century, some of India's foremost spiritual giants have

acted to redress a seeming gender imbalance in their tradition, even

when it has meant coaxing reluctant female disciples into the

limelight. One after another, major Indian teachers have passed

their spiritual mantle to women disciples.

 

Early in the l900's the controversial tantric adept, Upasani Baba,

reinstituted the Vedic tradition of _kanyadin_, a sort of Hindu

convent, and encouraged women to practice Vedic rites without the

supervision of male priests. He taught that women are capable of

faster spiritual evolution than men, and that male devotees needed to

cultivate "feminine" qualities like egolessness and purity in order

to progress. He passed his lineage to the laate Godavara Mataji, who

presided over the Kanya Kumari Sthan in Sakori.

 

Ramakrishna (world renowned devotee of the goddess Kali) passed his

spiritual authority to his wife, Sarada Devi; Paramahansa Yogananda

(who carried the Kriya liineage to the West) to the American-born

Daya Mata; Shivananda (yogi and prolific author of Rishikesh) to the

Canadian Shivananda Radha; Swami Paramananda (the first swami to

settle in America) to his niece, Gayatri Devi; Swami Lakshmana (one

of the peerless Ramana Maharshi's premier disciples) to the

rebellious young Mathru Sri Sarada; Dhyanyogi Madhusudandas (long-

lived exponent of kundalini yoga) to Anandi Ma; and Swami Muktananda

(world travelling ambassador of Siddha Yoga) to Gurumayi

Chidilasananda.

 

Papa Ramdas, one of the most homey of the popular Indian saints of

this century, shared his mission with his spiritual consort, Krishna

Bai. Sri Aurobindo, the influenctial philosopher/saint of

Pondicherry, deferred to the French woman Mirra Alfassa Richard, whom

he called "The Mother" and who administered Aurorville, the community

he founded in India, after his passing. Meera Ma (borin in l960 in

Chandepall, Andhra Pradesh), who had visions of Aurobindo since her

childhood, has moved to Germany where Euopean students have given her

a warm welcome. Her legend continues to grow. And to everyone's

surprise, the arch conservative shankaracharya of Sringeri empowered

a woman (Lakshmi Devi Ashram, Jewish by birith) to found the first

American temple to the Divine Mother in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania."

(p. 22-23)

 

 

Blessings,

 

Kathy

 

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