"I have had the privilege of meeting
several times with Sri Daya Mata.... Anyone who has been in
her presence cannot fail to be affected by the aura of spiritual
peace and serenity that she radiates. Sri Daya Mataji was moved
at a very young age to follow the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda;
obviously, the divine spark of illumination emanating from [him]
had touched her even in youth. She became one of the first followers
of Sri Yoganandaji during his lifetime, and is now his worthy
spiritual successor in carrying his message not only in this
country and my own [India], but across the world."
Chakravarthi V. Narasimhan
Former Undersecretary-General, United Nations
"Nowhere does [Paramahansa Yogananda's]
legacy shine with more radiance than in his saintly disciple
Sri Daya Mata, whom he prepared to carry on in his footsteps
after he would be gone. Before his passing he told her, 'When
I am gone, only love can take my place.' Those who, like myself,
were privileged to have met Paramahansaji find reflected in
Daya Mataji that same spirit of divine love and compassion that
so impressed me on my first visit to the Self-Realization Center
almost forty years ago....It is my hope that the torch [Paramahansa
Yogananda] left, which is now in the hands of Sri Daya Mata,
will light the way for millions who are seeking direction for
their lives."
Dr. Binay Ranjan Sen
Former Ambassador of India to the United States and
Director General of the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations
"For me, as a member of a religious
order, Daya Mata is a shining example of what a life committed
to the service of God and neighbor ought to be. She makes me
think of that great forerunner of Christ, John the Baptist,
who said of himself, 'I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness.
Make straight the way of the Lord.' In her presence there are
no Catholics, Protestants, or Hindus, but only children of the
one Father, God. And each one of them she receives graciously
and has a place for them in her heart. I, a Catholic nun, have
experienced so much her kindness and her interest and encouragement.
I always felt that she treated me as one of her own. For me
she will always be an ideal of what my life as a religious ought
to be ....She radiates God."
A Catholic Sister of Charity
"The tip of a mountain for me has
always produced its own glow, its own radiance. And, for me,
the tip of Mt. Washington has always embodied that special glow
in the person of Daya Mata....May I convey my lasting respect,
admiration, and love, and an acknowledgment that her mission
is unique, even as she is uniquely able to fulfill it."
Dan Thrapp
Former Religion Editor, Los Angeles Times
"One of my unforgettable experiences
in the United States was a visit to the headquarters of Self-Realization
Fellowship (Yogoda Satsanga Society) in Los Angeles...I met
there Sri Daya Mata who personifies love and compassion and
the other timeless values of Indian culture...Her speeches are
not dry academic dissertations on abstract theological principles,
but intensely personal hymns testifying to her ecstatic vision
of the Creator."
Sri Nani A. Palkhivala
Former Ambassador of India to the United States
"I saw in [Sri Daya Mata] a Universal
Mother — an embodiment of divine energy, motherly love
and compassion....Daya Mataji, with her aura, benevolence and
compassion, commanded my reverence to her."
Sri S.D. Joshi
Author, My Encounter with Sages, Scientists and Human Pace
Setters
"As one of the first women in recent
times to be appointed spiritual head of a worldwide religious
movement, [Daya Mata] has been a forerunner of today's increasing
trend toward accepting women in positions of spiritual authority
that have traditionally been reserved for men in most denominations.
In the 35 years she has held that position, many have become
acquainted with her through her global speaking tours, her writings,
and the films and recordings of her talks on the universal ideals
espoused by the great religions of both East and West....
"India's Ambassador to the United
States, Dr. Karan Singh, who recently met with Sri Daya Mata,
has said of her, 'She exudes an aura of love and compassion
which is almost palpable... and it was a joy to see her at the
Mount Washington headquarters of Self-Realization Fellowship
in Los Angeles.'"
Pasadena Star-Review
(March 7, 1990)
"She has been feted by kings and maharajahs,
her rare public appearances attended by thousands, all eager
to hear about her experiences with her guru, Paramahansa Yogananda,
one of the best loved yoga masters of our century....
"Forty years after his death, Paramahansa
Yogananda's work continues to transform lives.... At yoga centers
throughout Europe, Australia, and the Americas, whether they
are affiliated with SRF or not, a large proportion of yoga students
report that they first became interested in meditation after
reading Autobiography of a Yogi....
"How did a shy young girl from Utah
come to be head of one of the most respected yoga organizations
in the world?.... She seems to be on fire with love. As I walk
out of the room, I can't help reflecting that when Yogananda
said, 'Only love can take my place,' he was thinking of Daya
Mata."
Yoga International
(from July 1992 feature article on Sri Daya Mata)
"Mother Daya, head of worldwide Yogoda
Ashrams founded by Sri Sri Yogananda Paramahansa, with her party
called at 8:30 a.m. ....The impression she made on us can never
fade. Humility, magnanimity, spiritual wisdom, reverence, calm
of mind and ardour for truth, flaming innocence and all-embracing
love — and at the top of them all an overall motherliness:
well, when so many virtues unite in one person, the impression
she leaves cannot help being overwhelming."
The Mother, Volume
IV, No. 5, January 1962
(a spiritual magazine published in India),
recounting a visit of Sri Daya Mata to the ashram
of one of India's well-known saints.
