5 Influential Women Spiritual Masters Who Transformed Lives
Although the domain of spirituality seems male-dominated, many women feature on the list of famous spiritual leaders and have a good following. They have earned respect among the common masses, helped several spiritually inclined individuals on their journey towards enlightenment, and through their speeches and writings, these female spiritual gurus have spread knowledge around the world. Their life and work have broadened the understanding of many about various aspects of spiritualism, such as finding life’s purpose, seeking the divine, pursuing success and growth, achieving joy and peace and walking the path to spiritual enlightenment. Due to social media, most of them have a prominent presence online. They have travelled across the globe to impart knowledge, they have influenced many through their teachings, their work has helped many to achieve self-transformation, and they have touched several lives. Here is a look at 5 famous women spiritual gurus.
Anandmayi Ma
Believed to be an incarnation of goddess Durga, she was an Indian ascetic, teacher and mystic. Her teaching revolved around the idea that the supreme calling of every individual is to aspire for self-realization. She believed that everyone is correct in their own standpoint and never advised the same spiritual methods to everyone. She used to guide people of all paths and religions. She did not like being called a guru. She advised how to lead a God-centred life.
Her method of teaching included jokes, songs and instructions about daily living, coupled with meditation and long discourses. It is said that since a young age she was seen detached from the material world and immersed in the divine. Today, she has many active followers in India. Learn more about her here.
Sarada Devi
She was the wife and spiritual consort of Indian saint Ramakrishna, who called her Sarada Devi and the incarnation of the Divine Mother of the Universe. She spent a long time in pilgrimages, meditation and sadhana and guided young students of Ramkrishna. The group of disciples she guided was led by Swami Vivekanand, who accepted Sarada Devi as his guru and joined the Ramakrishna Order.
Sri Sarada Math and Ramakrishna Sarada Mission is based on her life and ideals. She was instrumental in popularizing the Ramakrishna Movement. She advocated the practice of meditation, said that the mind is everything and it is only the mind that feels pure or impure. She said that to have peace of mind, one must see their own faults and that to achieve salvation, one requires to have complete devotion towards their guru.
Mirra Alfassa
Her followers call her ‘The Mother’ or Shri Maa, and she is one of the highly revered spiritual gurus, and an occultist and yoga teacher. She had occult experiences since childhood, and had visions during youth. Her notable works include the development and management of Sir Aurobindo Ashram, establishment of a school in that ashram, and the building of Auroville, an experimental township aimed at uniting humanity.
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
She was the founder and guru of Sahaja Yoga, a new religious movement in which practitioners attain a state of self-realization through kundalini awakening, and with it, the practitioner also experiences thoughtless awareness. She called herself a divine incarnation or an avatar of Adi Shakti. She set up a house for the rehabilitation of destitute women in Delhi and an international music school in Nagpur. She travelled to various regions, giving public lectures, pujas and interviews to media.
Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi
Known as Amma, she is an Indian Hindu spiritual leader, guru and humanitarian. She is the chancellor of the Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, a multi-campus, multi-disciplinary deemed university in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi appreciated her for giving the biggest contribution to Swachh Bharat Mission, and she has received the Vishwaratna Puraskar and is its first recipient.
Her unique way of giving darshana is hugging people, which is why she is known as the hugging saint. She advocates the importance of meditation, karma yoga, selfless service and cultivation of qualities like compassion, forgiveness and self-control. She has recorded over 1000 bhajans in 35 languages and composed many bhajans. According to her, devotional singing is a spiritual practice. Her humanitarian work spans many areas like food, shelter, healthcare, education, disaster relief and environment.
These were some prominent names among famous female spiritual gurus who have proved to be powerful leaders in the fields of spirituality and religion and mentored several individuals on their spiritual journey and helped them attain self-realization, eternal peace and joy.