In Love with the Divine Mother- Shree Shree Ma Anandamayee (A Big Book, Profusely Illustrated)

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Swami Nityanand Giri's parents were devotees of Shree Shree Ma Anandamayee, and hence she was associated since her birth with Ma. She would always accompany them on their visits to Ma's ashrams. As a young girl, she decided to join the world of movies and become an actor. She had a successful run for 15 years in Hindi mainstream cinema.

However, she would constantly question herself 'Am I here for this?' She felt that Ma made her go through these early experiences so she could fulfil her desires, and then put them aside. It was only after she entered the spiritual path that she felt her life had actually begun, and she attributes this entirely to the grace of Ma.

Swami Nityanand was inspired to compile her writings into this book, which relates never-before published and precious sayings of Ma. Accompanied by pictures of Ma in Her many moods, it makes this book a treasure to cherish forever.

"I was the same, I am the same. And I shall be the same as long as the dance of creation goes on in the hall of eternity."

These were the words uttered by Ma to Paramahansa Yogananda in 1936 when he visited Her in Calcutta. Someone had asked, "Ma, who are You?" Ma's reply had been, "Whatever you think-I am that."

So, the question arises, "Who is Ma?"

Ma is the one being who both pervades and transcends creation, who is both formless and with form, and is the source and cause of illumination of the three worlds', and enlightenment of a yogin. She is one without a second to whom we approach as Mother, Father, Brother and Friend.

Here, we are talking about Her descent in our midst. She is both the imperishable foundation of manifestation and the phenomenal creation in ceaseless flux. In Her outgoing stream of existence flows both joy and sorrow. Our perception of Her is dependent upon the state in which we are.

In Ma's presence, people shed their inhibitions and flocked around Her. The love that flowed from Her enveloped everyone and everything including birds and beasts, trees and plants. Her eyes saw through everyone and accepted their infirmities and imperfections with understanding and compassion. She responded to everyone as a mother would to her child, with an eagerness to guide him or her from darkness to light.

In the effulgence of Her love, a sadhaka (practitioner of spiritual discipline) surrendered completely to Her. He sees nothing, asks nothing from Her, but the interplay of love frees the sadhaka from worldliness and envelops him in Mother's Divine protection.

So again one asks, who or what actually was Ma Anandamayee?

The three worlds Devotion to God and the gods of Hinduism is known as Bhakti It is an entire realm of knowledge and practice unto itself, ranging from the childlike wonder of the unknown and the mysterious, to the deep reverence that comes with understanding the esotenc interworkings of the three worlds Hinduism views existence as composed of three worlds. the First World is the physical universe, the Second World is the subtle astral or mental plane of existence in which the devas, angels and spirits live, and the Third World is the spiritual universe of the Mahadevas (great shining beings), our Hindu gods. Hinduism is the harmonious working together of these three worlds.