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| May 8, 1931 – August 3, 2017 |
PSALM 23
THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
Sri Sri Mrinalini Mata, Mother of Love and Wisdom - the Fourth Self-Realization Fellowship President's Biography: link to the SRF webpage
Mrinalini Mata
2011 Self-Realization Fellowship Convocation
A special message from the SRF Board of Directors
In Memoriam: Sri Mrinalini Mata
(May 8, 1931 – August 3, 2017)
August 4, 2017
Dear Ones,
On August 3, 2017, our beloved Sri Mrinalini Mataji, president and sanghamata of Self-Realization Fellowship/Yogoda Satsanga Society of India since 2011, peacefully departed from this world. We will miss her deeply. Yet we would want no sorrow to mar the bliss and freedom she is now experiencing in the heavenly realms, where Guruji has welcomed her with boundless joy and pours out to her his divine love and blessings for the faithfulness with which she fulfilled his trust. She was a pure channel for his teachings and the guidance he wished to convey, chosen by him because of her high spiritual advancement from past lives as his disciple and because he knew she had the wisdom and humility to set self aside, seeking only to please God and Guru.
When great souls such as our Gurudeva Paramahansa Yogananda incarnate on earth for a world mission, God often draws to them close disciples from the past to assist them in their work. Mrinalini Mata was surely such a one. From Guruji’s first meeting with Mrinalini Mata when she was only fourteen years old, he recognized that she would play a vital part in spreading the sacred science of Kriya Yoga that he was ordained by God and the Great Ones to bring.
In this quiet, shy young girl, he saw a purity and depth of understanding that would be able to penetrate to the very core of the divinely revealed truths he taught and present them in print with the power and authenticity of his wisdom. He also realized that she had the capacity to be single-heartedly loyal to his ideals and guidance—a disciple to whom he could entrust the polishing of his priceless gems of inspiration, knowing that she would never stray from his meaning but capture its very essence. With great care he trained her personally to succeed Tara Mata in the momentous task of preparing his writings for publication, and to that task she dedicated heart, mind, and soul. All of us who practice Gurudeva’s teachings, and the generations of devotees yet to come, owe her an eternal debt of gratitude for the purity of her attunement with him, and her decades of selfless efforts, which have given us such a wealth of his divine wisdom.
With an understanding ever rooted in Gurudeva’s vast consciousness, Mrinalini Mataji fulfilled multiple roles during her many years in his ashrams. In addition to her lifetime responsibility for editing Guruji’s writings, she served as vice president for many years, working side by side with Sri Daya Mata to aid the growth of Gurudeva’s work in the West and India. She had a special place in her heart for Guruji’s homeland and rejoiced to see his work flourishing there. When she became president of SRF/YSS after Daya Mata’s passing, she guided his society in the same spirit that Daya Mataji expressed in saying: “Not what do I want, but what would Master want.” Their example affirmed the changeless truth that Guruji is in charge of this sacred work, and it will always be so.
The lives of those who have inspired us, and helped us grow spiritually, leave an enduring imprint upon our souls. Through her unwavering devotion to God and Guru, her work with Guruji’s writings, and her deep caring for his spiritual family, our dear Mrinalini Mata will ever be enshrined in our hearts. As we unite in sending her our love, gratitude, and prayers, we can be sure she receives those thoughts, and that we will meet again in God’s light and joy. May our lasting tribute to her be our own efforts to apply the truths in Gurudeva’s writings with zeal and persistence until they become a living, transforming power in our lives. That gift, placed at Guruji’s feet, is the expression of gratitude that will most touch her soul.
On August 3, 2017, our beloved Sri Mrinalini Mataji, president and sanghamata of Self-Realization Fellowship/Yogoda Satsanga Society of India since 2011, peacefully departed from this world. We will miss her deeply. Yet we would want no sorrow to mar the bliss and freedom she is now experiencing in the heavenly realms, where Guruji has welcomed her with boundless joy and pours out to her his divine love and blessings for the faithfulness with which she fulfilled his trust. She was a pure channel for his teachings and the guidance he wished to convey, chosen by him because of her high spiritual advancement from past lives as his disciple and because he knew she had the wisdom and humility to set self aside, seeking only to please God and Guru.
When great souls such as our Gurudeva Paramahansa Yogananda incarnate on earth for a world mission, God often draws to them close disciples from the past to assist them in their work. Mrinalini Mata was surely such a one. From Guruji’s first meeting with Mrinalini Mata when she was only fourteen years old, he recognized that she would play a vital part in spreading the sacred science of Kriya Yoga that he was ordained by God and the Great Ones to bring.
In this quiet, shy young girl, he saw a purity and depth of understanding that would be able to penetrate to the very core of the divinely revealed truths he taught and present them in print with the power and authenticity of his wisdom. He also realized that she had the capacity to be single-heartedly loyal to his ideals and guidance—a disciple to whom he could entrust the polishing of his priceless gems of inspiration, knowing that she would never stray from his meaning but capture its very essence. With great care he trained her personally to succeed Tara Mata in the momentous task of preparing his writings for publication, and to that task she dedicated heart, mind, and soul. All of us who practice Gurudeva’s teachings, and the generations of devotees yet to come, owe her an eternal debt of gratitude for the purity of her attunement with him, and her decades of selfless efforts, which have given us such a wealth of his divine wisdom.
With an understanding ever rooted in Gurudeva’s vast consciousness, Mrinalini Mataji fulfilled multiple roles during her many years in his ashrams. In addition to her lifetime responsibility for editing Guruji’s writings, she served as vice president for many years, working side by side with Sri Daya Mata to aid the growth of Gurudeva’s work in the West and India. She had a special place in her heart for Guruji’s homeland and rejoiced to see his work flourishing there. When she became president of SRF/YSS after Daya Mata’s passing, she guided his society in the same spirit that Daya Mataji expressed in saying: “Not what do I want, but what would Master want.” Their example affirmed the changeless truth that Guruji is in charge of this sacred work, and it will always be so.
The lives of those who have inspired us, and helped us grow spiritually, leave an enduring imprint upon our souls. Through her unwavering devotion to God and Guru, her work with Guruji’s writings, and her deep caring for his spiritual family, our dear Mrinalini Mata will ever be enshrined in our hearts. As we unite in sending her our love, gratitude, and prayers, we can be sure she receives those thoughts, and that we will meet again in God’s light and joy. May our lasting tribute to her be our own efforts to apply the truths in Gurudeva’s writings with zeal and persistence until they become a living, transforming power in our lives. That gift, placed at Guruji’s feet, is the expression of gratitude that will most touch her soul.
Yours in divine friendship,
Brother Achalananda, Vice President
For the Board of Directors of SRF and YSS
Brother Achalananda, Vice President
For the Board of Directors of SRF and YSS
2017 Self-Realization Fellowship World Convocation Memorial Service for Sri Mrinalini Mata
"Achhe Dukkho, Achhe Mrityu"
Rabindranath Tagore
Sung by Lopamudra Mitra
Visiting Saints of India with Sri Daya Mata
by Sri Mrinalini Mata
released 2017
Personal Correspondence from Sri Mrinalini
Mataji
February 17, 2017
Dear One,
A warm thank you for your
loving greetings and gifts at Christmas, and for the donation you so
thoughtfully sent for Guruji's work. I deeply appreciate your selfless spirit
in wanting to express in this way your gratitude to Master, and your caring for
the welfare of his work. I remember how it touched his heart when devotees
reached out to help him in his efforts to share God's love with other receptive
souls, and he surely blesses you, not only for your material gift but for the
gift of your soul's devotion.
It is Master's love and his ideals that unite all of us in his spiritual family, and remind us that that each of us is God's child, equally loved and cherished by Him ~ capable of manifesting His divine qualities. As a wave is part of the ocean, so we are part of Him. That is the message brought to us by all the great souls He has sent to guide and uplift us on the spiritual path. Hold that truth in your heart, and let it be a reminder that you have within you vast resources of strength, wisdom, and understanding to meet all of life's situations with calmness and assurance, and to attain your worthy goals.
Each day can be a new beginning, and a fresh opportunity to become what you want to be. By every effort you make to deepen your connection with God and Guru through faithful meditation and attunement with Them in thought and action, you are taking a step toward manifesting that divine potential within you. I pray that you may feel Them very close, surrounding you with Their love, helping you, and rejoicing at your every victory.
In God and Guru's divine
love and unceasing blessings,
Sri Mrinalini Mata
March 2, 2016
Dear One,
A warm thank you for your
generous donation toward the renovation of the Gyanamata Ashram Kitchen. It is
very selfless of you to think of the needs of Master's work as your own, and I
pray that you may feel God and Guru's blessings for all that you do in the
thought of Them.
Receive also my deepest appreciation for your loving notes and your gifts on several occasions, which express your divine friendship and kindness, born of the love for God and Gurudeva that we share. As this love grows in the heart of each individual devotee, nurtured by meditation and by expressing it in action, it will have an uplifting influence wherever God has placed us in the world.
My prayers are with you that you may become increasingly aware of God and Guruji's presence and watchful care in your life and the lives of your loved ones. During the early years with Master, we saw that he always knew our state of mind, even our thoughts; and often he would respond to an unspoken need or prayer with his divine help and blessings. He is equally interested in the spiritual welfare of each one of us today, and in his omnipresent consciousness, he is closer than we may often realize. As you turn to our Guru with trust, and strive to increase your receptivity ~ by inner communion, devotion, and continually applying his teachings ~ your attunement with his guidance will deepen, and you will feel his loving assurance, "I am always with you in spirit."
Receive my divine love and prayers for you and your dear ones,
Sri Mrinalini Mata
June 19, 2015
Dear One,
Thank you for remembering me on several occasions with your warm greetings and thoughtful expressions of divine friendship. I much appreciate your gifts and the loving kindness of your heart.
Each day I pray deeply for you and for all the dear disciples of our Gurudeva who are the "shining jewels" he speaks of in his Autobiography of a Yogi, "scattered over the earth." As you continue faithfully with your meditations and your practice of Guruji's teachings, you will surely find in your inner relationship with God the soul-fulfillment, security, and joy you are seeking. Our material pursuits in this world may not always bring the desired end, nor lasting results. But our efforts on the spiritual path are never in vain. God ever keeps His covenant with His beloved devotee. Every thought of God, every cry of our heart to know Him, draws His response. "Every word you have whispered to Him He has written in His heart," our Guru said, "and someday He will answer you." Hold always to this beautiful promise.
Be assured of my continued prayers for your dear sister Susie, for you, and your loved ones.
God and Guru's unceasing
blessings,
Sri Mrinalini Mata
February 21, 2015
Dear One,
Thank you for your loving messages and cards, and the sweet gifts and delicious food items you have sent on recent special occasions. We appreciate your thoughtfulness in sending donations for the Lake Shrine Windmill Chapel and the Nun's Kitty, and your loving interest in helping Guruji's work. The outreaching spirit of devotees like yourself enables us to serve his growing spiritual family, and we are grateful for your expressions of divine friendship and caring.
I am very glad your health has been good and my prayers are always with you for your well-being, dear Sharifah, and for your spiritual progress as you continue in your sincere efforts to follow Guruji's teachings. In beginning this new year, hold firmly to your faith in Master's promise that it is possible to find God through these teachings ~ even in this lifetime. As you continue to practice them deeply, you will find ever-new insights and wisdom for daily living, and above all the awareness of God's constant, guiding presence and blessings. The divine consciousness manifest in Christ, Gurudeva, and other enlightened souls will gradually awaken within you through every earnest effort you make to meditate and to apply the spiritual principles Guruji taught. Never underestimate the value of each positive action, not only in changing your own life, but in helping to create vibration of harmony and divine love that spreads its influence wherever you go.
"I shall ever be with you," our Guru said, and he has also promised, "Unknown I will walk by your side and guard you with invisible arms." May you always feel and know that God and Master are watching over you, holding you in the aura of Their omnipresent love and protection.
In God and Guru's unceasing blessings,
Sri Mrinalini Mata
November 12, 2014
Dear One,
Thank you for the generous donation you so thoughtfully gave for Guruji's sacred work on the 35th anniversary of your Kriya Initiation. I deeply appreciate the devotion to God and Master and the loving wish to help us serve Guruji's spiritual family that inspired your gift. May it bring you joy to know that your generosity will aid others in their search for true soul-happiness and security during these challenging times. Master's blessings surely flow out to you for all that you do in the thought of God and Guru.
Let me also take this
opportunity to thank you and your sister Susie for the delicious homemade
treats you sent. I am so sorry to learn that Susie is having some health
difficulties and deeply pray for her and for her doctors, that they may find
the best way to help her.
Be assured of my prayers also that God may guide you in your own spiritual efforts, and help you to feel in an ever deeper way His loving presence in your life. As you have expressed in your poem*, the path to God is a path of love, of unconditional giving of ourselves. Spiritual progress is not so much a matter of what we are experiencing or not experiencing, but of what we are becoming as we persevere in doing our best, in learning the surrender and steadfast devotion that unfailingly bring God's response. Never doubt that He is with you and blesses each effort you make.
In God and Guru's divine love,
Sri Mrinalini Mata
* Poem:
A Little Gift of Love
Sharifah Rosso
August 25, 2014
With Gratitude and Reverence
To Gurudeva Paramahansa Yogananda,
Founder of Self-Realization Fellowship/Yogoda Satsanga Society
of India
Sri Mrinalini Mataji, President and Sanghamata
Tonight slowly approaches end.
Tomorrow is my anniversary,
Thirty-five years since my Kriya Yoga Initiation.
At the sacred Mother Center, where it all began.
After my blest trip to Mt. Washington
A lifetime came and went.
In spite of the karmic accident,
Was it time well spent?
Retrospectively, tears flow gently,
Some regrets, in memory’s introspection.
Nonetheless, perseverance was the encouragement
From the reverend Mother Sri Daya Mata’s correspondence.
Oh, yearning, innocent idealistic Youth!
Yoga anticipation!
Union with the Almighty!
Noble goal: Self-Realization.
Body aches,
Yet, mind still wants Meditation,
Such a refined Science
Subtly enhanced by Guru’s blessing,
Reflowing the astral and causal cycles
Magnetizing the inner sanctum,
Continually, growing,
Wisdom’s chamber gradually expanding,
Perseverance unlocks the Kriya Mystery
Perhaps the bliss anticipated
Once shunned by samskara’s might
Glimpses moments of eternal light.
Perhaps the Beloved will wait
Until body takes its final flight,
Into the all absorbing peace
That knows no time or place?
I learned from the cancer,
That although kriya opens the channels
It is devotion and surrender,
That attracts most this divine lover.
It is the giving, not the taking,
The love genuinely offererd,
That above all, attracts the holy presence
of the Master.
of the Master.
Firm, resolute, divine love,
For Him alone,
Unselfish, constant, undying,
eternal love,
Even when no love at all is felt,
While in the darkness of maya’s world,
When love feels so unknown,
One must give and give and give.
Lifetime upon lifetime if need be,
Ascending the wisdom’s tree,
Even while passing through the gateway to Heaven,
Slower or faster it does not matter,
As spirit ascends to Spirit in cosmic consciousness
In an instant, or whenever,
God and I, and the Master,
That love that brings that Supreme One,
And us, together, in endless Union.
In divine bliss, one with Spirit for all eternity,
As promised by my precious kriya preceptor.
The all-seeing, glorious supreme emissary,
My precious lover of Divine Mother,
Ambassador of the Divine Messengers,
My very own, beloved cosmic Archer.
June 5, 2014
Dear One,
My heartfelt appreciation
for your warm greetings and gifts for Easter and Mother's Day, and the lovely
gladiolas you recently sent and delicious treats. I received your note
regarding good news about your financial and medical situation, and am glad you
will have all that you need, through the grace of God and Guru. They do indeed
help and guide their beloved disciples, and as it is said in the scriptures:
"All things work together for good to them that love God." As you
continue to earnestly follow this path of God and Gurudeva, and Their
teachings, may They ever bless you and your spiritual efforts.
I remember, in the later years of Guruji's life, how tirelessly he worked on his writings, pouring into them such a wealth of divine wisdom, love, and inspiration. For he was thinking of those like yourself, who would come to these teachings, drawn by a deep longing for the Divine. As you read our Guru's words, know that they were meant for you; feel that through them he is speaking to you and guiding you. His writings, permeated with his God-realization, have the power to transform and uplift your consciousness. The more we immerse ourselves in his God-attuned thoughts, the more they will come to our aid when we need the spiritual light and strength they impart. Guruji said, "If you will study these Lessons, you will soon realize a new goal of happiness, inner awakening, and Self-realization... You will feel God."
My prayers are with you that you may experience that soul awakening. Through the inner joy and understanding that unfold from an ever-deeper relationship with God, you can share His love with others and be a positive influence where He has placed you.
Ever in God and Guru,
Sri Mrinalini Mata
February 7, 2014
Dear One,
Your loving greetings and your gifts of the special food items, poinsettia plant, and the beautiful book holder are much appreciated, as is your soul's dedication to God and Guru. And thank you also for the lovely orchid plant you sent for the centennial anniversary of Sri Daya Mataji. How near is that sweet presence of our beloved Ma, as we remember her during this special time and ever receive inspiration from her beautiful life of selfless love and service to Guruji.
Master referred to the relationship between guru and disciple as "love in its supreme form," and as I relive in my mind the years with him, I remember most of all the unconditional love and pure divine friendship that we received from his boundless heart. Though he did not hesitate to correct us when we were wrong, we knew he had full faith in us ~ that we could bare our souls to him and that he would never judge or forsake us, but would always be by our side, encouraging us, and kindling our love and longing for God. Guruji will do the same for you as you attune yourself with him through meditation and absorb deep into your consciousness the truths he taught. If you make him your constant guide in daily situations and, "Master, what would you have me do?" you will realize more and more that in his omnipresent love, he is watching over your spiritual welfare, ever ready to help you as you earnestly reach out to him.
I hope you are keeping well, dear Sharifah. My prayers are with you that God and Guru bless and uplift you as you stay always close to Them and inwardly commune with Them.
Ever in Their divine love,
Sri Mrinalini Mata
May 24, 2013
Dear One,
Thank you for your cards and gifts sent at Easter and for Mother's Day. Your kindness and the support that you give through your divine friendship and prayers is deeply appreciated, as is your heart's dedication to God and guru.
I remember the loving encouragement Guruji gave to all of us who were with him, that we could reach God, we could truly know and commune with Him as the "nearest of the near." We saw in the eyes of our Guru that he had that sublime relationship with God, and he gave us the feeling that if we made the effort we too could find God in this lifetime. Always realize that Master sees that divine potential in you and all his beloved disciples. Keep on with faith, determination, and a joyful spirit, with the assurance that Guruji is always by your side, guiding you and lovingly urging you onward. He has promised, "God will respond to you because you are His own. If you constantly call to Him, He cannot escape the net of your devotion."
Receive my divine love
and my prayers for you and your dear ones, for your spiritual progress and
increasing inner happiness.
God and Guruji bless you always,
Sri Mrinalini Mata
July 18, 2012
Dear One,
Thank you for your greetings at the time of Mother's Day and my birthday, and your loving gifts ~ such a kind expression of the abiding friendship we all share in Gurudeva's spiritual family.
As you continue absorbing Guruji's teachings and striving to live them each day in attunement with him, you ever have his divine blessings and guidance. We who were with Master during his lifetime can never forget the great love he had for all devotees ~ not only those of us present, but all of you who he knew would come in the future, with a sincere desire to seek and to love God. He said, "I know those who are destined to come... who will follow this path steadfastly. I am with them, and they are with me."
I am praying for you that you hold always in your heart the promise of Guruji's omnipresent love, leading you surely to your Divine Goal.
In God and Guru,
Sri Mrinalini Mata
March 14, 2012
Dear One,
Thank you for your warm greetings at Christmastime and the gifts you sent on behalf of ____________ and ____________, and dear Nettie, whom we remember very fondly. I appreciate also the beautiful flowers you sent some months ago, the delicious cake at the time of our beloved Sri Daya's birth anniversary, and the mango for Guruji's mahasamadhi day. Bless you for your thoughtfulness, dear Sharifah. Please convey my appreciation and divine love to the dear ____________.
You have been Gurudeva's faithful chela for many years and I pray that you feel his loving, guiding presence at all times. Let the constant thought of God and Guruji inspire your meditations and uplift you in your activities and your service to others. Know that They are watching over you, with the deepest love and care for your soul's progress and well-being. "You know that I think a great deal of each one of you," Guruji said, "and wish you all to realize what I have realized. I have found in God the greatest mercy and blessing.... Go after God with all your heart and you will find in Him a nest of eternal happiness."
God and Guru's unceasing love and blessings,
Sri Mrinalini Mata
June 10, 2011
Dear Ones of Guruji,
Thank you for the sweet gifts and cards you have sent recently.
I am touched by your thoughtfulness ~ an expression of the divine friendship we
are all blessed to share in God and Gurudeva.
Each of you who is sincerely seeking God is very dear to Guruji's heart, and you can know that his blessings are with you as you continue faithfully on this path. It brings him deepest joy when you are drawing closer to God, for his constant endeavor is to help souls reach their Divine Goal. He said, "I would give my life for a sincere soul."
My prayers are with all of you, that you ever feel the nearness and blessings of our divine Guru.
God and Gurudeva bless you always,
Sri Mrinalini Mata
February 21, 2011
Dear One,
I am glad to learn that your health is improving and will continue to pray for your well-being and happiness. Thank you for the gifts that you so thoughtfully sent on several occasions.
Your generous donation in memory of our Beloved Sri Daya Mata has come to my attention and we are deeply grateful. She would be touched by your divine friendship, and the appreciation your offering expresses in support of Guruji's work. With utmost dedication she gave her life to following his liberating teachings, and to serving his sacred cause for the welfare of his world-wide spiritual family, which she ever held close to her heart. It always meant much to her when others shared that interest and spirit of caring.
In remembering the ways that Daya Mataji's example has encouraged and uplifted you, may you feel a renewed determination to cultivate the loving inner relationship with God that sustained her through the years. Her greatest wish for each of us was that we might know the joy and fulfillment that come from living each day in the presence of the Divine, and nothing would please her more than to see you persevering on the spiritual path with courage, faith, and steadfast dedication. May her life of devotion and selfless service be a continued inspiration to you in your own efforts to draw closer to Divine Mother and to reflect to others Her all-solacing love.
God bless you always,
Sri Mrinalini Mata
April 14, 2010
Dear Sharifah,
Thank you for your lovely card and sweet gift at Easter time. I am glad to know that you are recuperating well and that you felt so deeply the divine friendship and prayers of Guruji's spiritual family.
You can know that God and Gurus are keeping you in Their loving care at all times; They are indeed "taking charge of your life," as you mentioned having experienced during this recent health challenge. Each beloved chela is dear to Them and Their deepest concern and care is for your spiritual welfare and well-being.
My prayers are with you that you may feel God and Master's blessings always, as you spend each day in Their loving presence, inwardly talking to Them, ever keeping Them near.
In divine friendship,
Mrinalini Mata
April 14, 2009
Dear Sharifah,
Thank you fro your lovely Easter card and your gifts of the delicious pie and ginger tea. I much appreciate your kind expressions of divine friendship, in the love of God, Christ, and Guru.
I hope your Easter was a very joyous one, and may each day be a blessed experience of the ever-living presence of God and the Great Ones. Know that you are in Their loving care, and Their blessings are with you as you keep on faithfully with your sadhana, offering your love and loyalty, and the best that you can give in your spiritual efforts. To each dear devotee Guruji has given this divine promise: "I shall ever be watching over each one of you."
In divine friendship,
Mrinalini Mata
January 29, 2009
Dear Sharifah,
Thank you for your card
and thoughtful gifts at Christmastime. I appreciate the kindness you have
expressed and your divine friendship in God and Gurus.
My prayers are with you, that this year 2009 will bring you spiritual fulfillment, peace, and happiness as you faithfully follow this path of God and Gurus. As you keep turning your thoughts and loving devotion to Them throughout the day, remember the promise Guruji has given: "I shall always be watching over each one of you." May you feel His nearness at every moment.
In divine friendship,
Mrinalini Mata
March 26, 2008
Dear Sharifah,
Thank you for your gifts of the cookies and ginger tea, and your lovely Easter card Your thoughtfulness is always much appreciated.
My prayers are with you,
for your health and well-being -- and that you may feel God and Gurus near, and
be filled with the strength and joy that come from knowing that They are ever
looking after you. Guruji has promised his dear disciples, "I shall be
watching over each one of you." Remember that he is leading you onward in
your meditations and your spiritual efforts, to the joyous union with the Divine
that your soul is seeking.
In divine friendship,
Mrinalini Mata
January 14, 2008
Dear Sharifah,
Thank you for your gifts of the ginger tea and delicious marzipan stollen. Your thoughtfulness and your divine friendship are always much appreciated.
As this new year begins, may you hold to our Guru's hand with steadfast devotion, and find in your eternal relationship with him an ever-constant source of strength and joy. Just keep on faithfully in your sadhana, practicing the presence of God and Gurus, keeping Them near in your thoughts, and you will feel Their presence and Their sweet response.
In divine friendship,
Mrinalini Mata
January 24, 2007
Dear Sharifah,
Thank you for the gift you sent as Christmastime - such a thoughtful expression of the divine friendship we all share in Master's spiritual family.
I pray that this new year
be a blessed one for you, filled with the joy of knowing that Guruji is ever
with you, watching over you in his omnipresent love. "You will never be
alone," he has said, "I shall ever be with you, and through Divine
Mother guard you from all harm, and will constantly whisper to you guidance
through your loving self." May you feel that ever-living presence of our
Guru, guiding you and caring for you throughout each day.
In divine friendship,
Mrinalini Mata
January 18, 2006
Dear Sharifah,
Thank you for your Christmas greeting and your gift of the delicious ginger and almond sweets, sent also in memory of dear Nettie, whom we all remember fondly. Your thoughtfulness is so much appreciated.
I am sorry to learn that
you have been ill this year, and my prayers are with you for greater well-being
in the new year. Know that God and Guru especially bless you as you steadfastly
follow this spiritual sadhana -- as you "keep on keeping on," as
Master always encouraged, in spite of life's challenges. It is the true devotee
who continues to offer her love and dedication no matter what life brings, and
you will be much blessed by God and Guruji for that devoted spirit.
I am glad to know that you received inspiration from the Christmas CD and Gurudeva's beautiful talk which was read during that meditation. Whenever you go within to deeply commune with God and Gurus, Their special love and blessings are with you.
In divine friendship,
Mrinalini Mata
February 27, 2004
Dear Sharifah,
My loving appreciation to you for your Christmas greeting and your gift of the CD of beautiful violin music. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, a sweet expression of Guruji's spirit of divine friendship which fills the hearts of his dear disciples.
I pray that throughout this year 2004 you find deep fulfillment and joy through your loving relationship with God and Gurus and your inner communion with Them each day. Guruji has promised to take you to God, and if you ever hold to his guiding hand in all experiences of life, you will find yourself drawing ever nearer to the Divine. As he has said, "Go on and on in Self-Realization, and you will reach the goal. In life and hereafter, I will invisibly be leading you with my love."
In divine friendship,
Mrinalini Mata
January 16, 2001
Dear
Sharifah,
Thank you for your Christmas card and thoughtful gift of the CD of devotional songs sung by your music teacher. Our Guru loved any music that was offered to God from the heart and that inspired listeners with a deeper devotion for Him. I much appreciate your expression of divine friendship in Guruji.
My prayers are with you that God and Master's presence be an ever-constant reality to you. May you feel Them guiding and blessing you in your meditations and daily activities -- filling your heart with Their peace and joy.
In divine friendship,
Mrinalini Mata
January 14, 1999
Dear
Sharifah,
Thank you for your lovely Christmas card, and the Belgian lace you sent in memory of our dear Nettie. I much appreciated your thoughtfulness. And we certainly remember Nettie with special love, for the sweet qualities she expressed and her devotion to God and Guru.
Our prayers are with you that in this new year you may feel Guruji's love in an ever-deeper way, and his guiding presence, leading you on the path to freedom in God. As you inwardly walk with God and Guru, remember Master's promise to each disciple, "I am with you in every way..... Whether
I am in the body or not, I shall stoop down from heaven to make those that will be in tune realize the love of my Father."
Receive
our divine friendship always, in God and Guruji's love and blessings.
In divine friendship,
Mrinalini Mata
January 26, 1998
Dear
Sharifah,
Thank you for your good wishes during the Christmas season, and your gift of the beautiful crystal angel.
In the new year, let each day be filled with the sweet assurance that God and Guru are looking after you. As you meditate, feel Their presence with you as the "nearest of the near, dearest of the dear." May your inner joy and peace ever increase through your communion with Them.
You always have the divine friendship and prayers of your spiritual family here. God and Guruji bless you.
In divine friendship,
Mrinalini Mata
In Eternal Love, Divine Friendship, and Everlasting Gratitude
Pronams
to our
Beloved Sri Mrinalini Mataji
