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Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati (May 26, 1940–April 14, 2012) often referred to as 'Ma Jaya', was an internationally known spiritual teacher, visionary, author, and human rights activist born to Jewish parents in Brooklyn, United States. She was the founder of many institutions namely: Kashi Ashram, Kashi Church Foundation, The River School, The River Fund, Kashi School of Yoga, the Village of Kashi, and by the River afforable housing for seniors. She was a widely recognized humanitarian and advocate of the LGBT and the HIV/Aids communities; furthermore,her teachings reached many celebrities including Julia Roberts. After her spiritual awakening as a young adult, she decided to devote her life to humanity and serving others. As a part of this mission, Ma Jaya devoted most of her life to teaching at Kashi Ashram; she was said to have a down-to-earth sense of humor and deep longing to connect with others that helped her teach such a diverse group of students and 'touch peoples' hearts.".

Early Life and Childhood

Ma Jaya was born on May 26, 1940, into an impoverished Jewish family in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn in a cellar apartment in New York. She found love and belonging with the homeless people who lived under the famous Coney Island Boardwalk that was just a short walk from her home. She credits these people as accepting and welcoming of her friendliness as well as one homeless man teaching her a phrase she considered her first spiritual and life lesson which she would carry with her: "there are no throwaway people.". Ma Jaya is out-lived by her brother, Melvin Green, her daughters, Denise Grogan, Desiree Gaskew, and Kwang Mae Cho, her sons, Soo Se Cho and Wang Chun and her grandchildren, Tony Cho, Christina Amundson, Anthony Randon, and Alexa DiFiore, and her great-grandson Jimmy DiFiore.

Spiritual Enlightenment

In 1972, Ma Jaya enrolled in a Jack LaLanne weight loss class in Brooklyn, New York and encountered her self-proclaimed first simple yogic breath and initiation. She said that she had a spiritual awakening in which she encountered Jesus Christ. This moved Ma Jaya to live a spiritually, captivating and humanity-driven life. While, it is said that she tried to live a normal life and raise a family, she was a possessor of rare spiritual gifts and therefore could not; Ma Jaya has said that she encountered Shri Bhagawan Nityananda of Ganeshpuri, and her guru Shri Neem Karoli Baba. By 1973, Ma Jaya was spreading her wisdom and teaching the underlying truths to spiritual paths.

Teachings

Founded in Hindu philosophy and integrated with many other faiths, Ma Jaya's teachings focused on attaining spiritual fulfillment through selfless service to humanity. As a representative of someone who had reached 'inner realization', Ma Jaya taught the power of divinity and its segway to liberation that goes beyond words but alas a powerful manifestation. While encouraging individual spiritual growth, Ma Jaya also emphasized that her ideas and teachings were "not a religion!" but instead, a practicing of kindness and combining of faith and tradition; additionally allowing students to reach deep meditation to access their divine spirits within.

Kashi Ashram

In 1976, Ma Jaya moved to Florida to start Kashi Ashram as a non-profit, tax-exempt 510(c)3 charitable organization which stood as an interfaith community that emphasized spirituality and an interfaith community including shrines and temples to honor tradition; and the core concepts of kindness, compassion and service. Located on 7 miles along the St. Sebastian River and just west of the city of Sebastian, Kashi Ashram attracted a largely diverse group of students and was quite successful; Ma Jaya's unique teachings embraced all while still promoting individualism. Ma Jaya taught for 35 years at Kashi Ashram, drawing from her many publications and teaching her students. Later on, Kashi Ashram affiliates were set up in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Colorado, and Santa Fe.

Controversies

In 1993, after a fire destroyed the Branch Davidian compound section of Kashi Ashram, People Magazine included Kashi Ashram under the title, "It's not just Waco--Cults rule by paranoia flourish under America". As well as a Florida Today investigation revealing Kashi Ashram's role in "bitterly dividing families.". Many former employees and executives of Kashi Ashram have come forward such as the former treasurer to describe brainwashing, intimidation through violence, illegal drug use and more to be realities at Ma Jaya's sites. Furthermore, one of Ma Jaya's earliest students and well known author, Richard Alpert (a.k.a Ram Dass) published "Egg on My Beard" in a 1976 Yoga Mysticism journal in which he slams Ma Jaya's teachings and claims that Ma Jaya's energies came from energizing pills as opposed to spirituality. Physician, Harry Brodie, accuses Ma Jaya of drug use, beginning in 1981 he claims Ma Jaya would use cocaine nightly causing panics and energetic swings. In a 1997 autobiography entitled, It's Here Now (Are You?), Bhagavati Das recalls that while she was trying to leave Kashi Ashram, after a spiritual trip, she was violently encountered by Ma Jaya's followers; "I was beaten until I was bruised and bleeding. Fortunately, they didn't break any bones. I . . . thought, 'We have given the power of God. It's time to leave.'".

Advocacy and International Work

Ma Jaya stood up for human rights and as previously mentioned, the AIDs/HIV community. When the pandemic first erupted, Ma Jaya spoke out at rallies and marches in advocating for those affected and their families. As a key participant of the NAMES Project Memorial Quilt, her organization, Kashi Ashram, delivered parts of the quilt to Africa for the first time as well as presented it at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Cape Town, South Africa. Ma Jaya founded orphanages in Uganda and India; as well as led spiritual talks at spiritual centers around the world.

Publications

Ma Jaya is an author to many publications that encompass her teachings, namely: Deep and Simple Wisdom: Spiritual Teachings of Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati, The 11 Karmic Spaces: Choosing Freedom from the Patterns That Bind You and The River; as well as numerous podcasts: "Ma's River Poem", "Healing Mantra Practice", and "Shakti and the Ego," in which she speaks about her ideas and reads original poems. Ma Jaya also painted paintings depicting gods and goddesses involved in Hindu and Vedic traditions and Kali Natha Yoga; she often times brought these pieces into her teaching.

Honors and Affiliations

Ma Jaya was widely recognized for her work and was a recipient of many awards and honors for her humanitarian work, including:

1. Recipient, Interfaith Visionary Award, 2010 from the Temple of Understanding in New York in honor of their 50th anniversary
2. Recipient of Humanitarian Service Award 2007 from the Gandhi Foundation USA
3. Recipient of title Mata Maha Mandaleshwar from the Ma Yoga Shakti Mission
4. Recipient of the Interparliamentary Paradigm of Peace Award, by 26 parliaments and governments around the world
5. Recipient of the United Foundation for AIDS Award
6. Recipient of the Universal Way Award
7. Inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr.

Ma Jaya had many affiliations, including:

1. Trustee Emeritus of the Council for the Parliament of the World's Religions
2. Advisory Board Member of Equal Partners in Faith
3. Advisory Board Member of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy
4. Advisory Board Member of the Gardner's Syndrome Association
5. Delegate to the United Religions Initiative
6. Member of the Board of Directors of the AIDS care organization Project Response
7. Member of the Parliament's General Assembly

Death and Memorial

Ma Jaya died on April 13th, 2012 at her home in Kashi Ashram due to pancreatic cancer. She was surrounded by her family and several of her students who came to see her shortly before she passed away. A memorial service was held in her honor on Kashi Ashram's birthday in 2012 on May 26th. Earlier on in her career, when Ma Jaya was asked what she wanted to be remembered by, she replied, "non-judgemental".

References

1. "Ma Jaya Bhagavati, spiritual leader of Kashi, dead at 71 | Photo Gallery". TCPalm.com. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
2. ^ https://www.strunkfuneralhome.com/obituary/5899972
3. ^ http://blog.kashiashram.org/ma-jaya/
4. ^ https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/internationally-known-spiritual-leader-ma-jaya-dies-at-71-at-kashi-ashram-148945305.html
5. ^ https://wwrn.org/articles/13457/
6. ^ http://kashipodcast.libsyn.com/
7. https://www.kashi.org/

External links

• Kashi Ashram Spiritual Community Website

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