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In 1963, with only $25 in her pocket and her small stash of belongings packed in the trunk of her Ford, Durga Ma set out to find answers she had sought since childhood. She had completed her BA at the University of Missouri in only three years with an eye to breaking free and satisfying her quest for knowledge and enlightenment.
Working jobs as she traveled westward, her journey came to an abrupt halt when she reached the Pacific Ocean. Within months of arriving in a small town in California, Durga Ma began her first foray into the spiritual world for which she was destined. She had her first experience of samadhi, years before she was to hear the word or discover it described in Sanskrit mystical texts.
Her attempts to find someone who had the knowledge she sought and the mastery to guide her, continued to fail. She became depressed, sought distraction, and completed a Masters degree. Discouraged and in despair, she threw in the towel and gave up. In spite of all this, a few years later samadhi made a surprise return, this time with clues that would take her to the portal of discovery.
Durga Ma found her spiritual master. She did not see bright lights or hear fireworks. She simply recognized the teachings of her master and his lineage as "familiar" and was drawn to pursue them to their end. After so many years of seeking, she was finally on her way.
Now, having attained success after many years of yoga sadhana (spiritual practices leading to union with God), Durga Ma has become a master in her own right. Replacing her original spiritual name, Gandharvi, with the name of the goddess from whom even the gods seek counsel, her students began calling her Durga Ma.
If you were to see Durga Ma on the street today, you would probably not recognize her for who she is. On those rare occasions when she leaves her home, what you would see would be just another woman in her sixties. Having abandoned "uniforms" in favor of moving about incognito, she wanders through life looking at it through a very different set of eyes — eyes that see God everywhere, in you and me, and in all creation. When asked how she felt about having successfully completed her sadhana, she responded, "Oh, there's always more."
The story of her spiritual journey, Living the Mysteries, by Dr. Terry Preston, may be found in
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Durga Ma spends all her time in meditation, study, writing, guiding shaktipat initiates and students, and responding to their emails. She is sustained by donations from her students and well-wishers. Your contributions, large or small, are greatly appreciated.
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