From 1976
through 1980 I corresponded with the great woman saint of India, Sri Anandamayi Ma. I had
decided to write her as a friend of mine had recently done so and received a reply. To my
surprise a letter came back from her within a few months. Swamis
Atmananda and Nirvananda helped with my communications. I planned to visit Ma in India but somehow could not get the resources
together to bring it about. I also wrote a few articles for their magazine Ananda Varta.
Contact with Ma inspired me more into a Vedantic and Hindu mold. Her energy would come in
waves, almost like an electrical force, encouraging me to deeper practices.
Mas energy opened up devotional potentials for
me, not merely for the Goddess but also for Shiva and Rama. I began to look into Bhakti
Yoga, chanting and devotional meditation. Images of Hindu deities appeared in my mind.
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