The Mother Guru

From a spiritual family to the head of a sect, Chidvilasananda rose to be the head of Siddha Yoga Path. Malti Shetty, born today, was her guru's favourite and succeeded him in the position of mother of the followers.

Gurumayi of Siddha Yoga; Image Source: Pinterest

Sixty-six years ago, in Mangalore was heard the first cry of a baby girl today. Her parents were devotees of Guru Muktananda and from the very beginning, Malti Shetty's upbringing was done in a manner to raise her as a devotee of the Guru. While families visit parks for picnics on weekends, hers would visit the Ashrams.

At 14, Malti was initiated into Muktananda's followers. She left the material world behind and took the life of a student learning spirituality. She left her home and started living in the ashrama as a disciple and yoga student. It was her well-received education that she became a favourite of her guru. Malti's ease in English communication was an opportunity to accompany her guru on all journeys around the world. She would translate what he said and became his voice.

At 27, Shetty became a sannyasin. She became a part of the Saraswati order of monks. She took on the name of Swami Chidvilasananda which meant bliss of consciousness. Muktananda accepted both Shetty and her brother, Swami Nityananda as his successors. Shetty came to be known as Gurumayi, the one immersed in the Guru.

When Muktananda died, the sibling duo was promoted as the spiritual heads of Sidha Yoga Pith. For a few years, both led together but then the brother left his post. While many say it was his own choice, a considerable number believed that he left in the event of violence opened on him by Chidvilasnanda and her followers. Gurumayi wanted to post for herself and the best way to get to the leading position was to remove her brother from the scene. The controversy unfolds in many ways and there are as many opinions as there are faces. Gurumayi became the sole spiritual head of the Pith. Then began the journey of the spiritual head. There were lectures and promotions of her ways in the world. Awareness was raised about the Shaktipith. Eventually, she took it to global levels and became the face of Sidha Yoga in the world. She not only opened the world of knowledge for this generation but also for all those who will come later. Chidvilasananda's books on spiritual discourses took limelight immediately after they were written. Not only her ideas but her voice in the form of mantras were recorded in cassettes and left for posterity.

Where there is religion and spirituality, it is only natural to expect that there will be service to society. The PRASAD project begun by her was a humanitarian initiative to promote self-reliance and offered health and education facilities to those in need. The organisation has done thousands of eye surgeries for free around the globe.

Not only her ideas, but the spiritual society also works to promote the religious ideas that have been in the society for ages. She began an Indological Research Institute and started the Agama Press. This to preserve the endangered texts of clerical India so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Gurumayi's efforts to gain followers went beyond this society. All those who have been put aside by society because of their acts are taught the path of Sidha Yoga under the Prison Project. Six thousand incarcerated people around the globe have chosen the right path over the wrong one through her teachings.

Gurumayi Chidvilasananda continues to teach the world the better path today as her followers increase every day and her teachings are making the world a better place to live in step by step.