Anandamayi Ma and Her Devotees: The Spontaneous Path
Setting the Scene
In the ashram of Anandamayi Ma, devotees gather around the radiant presence known as the “Bliss-Permeated Mother.” Her very being emanates an otherworldly joy and spontaneity. Unlike traditional gurus who teach systematic practices, Ma embodied a path of complete spontaneity—Kheyala, the divine will expressing itself moment to moment. Devotees from all walks of life sought her guidance, drawn by her infectious laughter, profound wisdom, and the palpable atmosphere of divine play (lila) that surrounded her.
The Dialogue
On the Nature of Spontaneity
Devotee: “Ma, you always speak of Kheyala—this spontaneous divine will. But we need practices, don’t we? We need discipline and techniques to reach God.”
Anandamayi Ma: “This body does what comes to it spontaneously. There is no ‘doing’ here—everything happens of itself. You say you need practices, but who is practicing? Find out first who this ‘I’ is that wants to practice.
When a child plays, does it follow a technique? No! The play is spontaneous, joyful, natural. In the same way, when you are ripe, devotion flows like a river to the ocean. The river doesn’t try to reach the ocean—it simply flows according to its nature.
But understand—this spontaneity is not license for the ego to do whatever it likes. True spontaneity comes when the little self has been offered completely to the Divine. Then, every action becomes worship, every breath a prayer.”
Devotee: “But Ma, we are not like you! We are bound by habits, desires, karma. How can we become spontaneous?”
Anandamayi Ma: “Who told you that you are bound? This is only a thought! The Self is eternally free. You are always That—you have never been anything else. But you have forgotten, so practices may help you remember.
Do japa, do meditation, do kirtan—but not as a burden, not as a duty. Do them playfully, as a child plays with toys. And one day, the play itself will drop away, and you will realize that the Player and the play are one.”
On Complete Surrender
Devotee: “Ma, what is true surrender? We hear so much about it, but how does it actually happen?”
Anandamayi Ma: “Surrender means to give up the idea that you are the doer. You think ‘I am doing this practice,’ ‘I am progressing,’ ‘I am spiritual’—all this is ego masquerading as spirituality.
True surrender is like a leaf falling from a tree. The leaf doesn’t decide where to fall—it simply surrenders to the wind. In the same way, surrender yourself completely to That which breathes you, moves you, lives you.
This body has never had any desire, any preference, any resistance. Whatever happens is perfect. If people come, they come. If they go, they go. If this body eats, it eats. If it doesn’t eat for days, that too is fine. This is surrender—complete acceptance of what is.”
Devotee: “But Ma, doesn’t surrender make us passive? Don’t we need to make effort?”
Anandamayi Ma: “Make effort, yes! But know that even your effort is His will. You are not separate from God—how can you act independently? The wave is not separate from the ocean.
So do your practices with full vigor, with complete dedication. But simultaneously, surrender the fruits of your action. Let God decide what should happen. Your job is only to remember Him constantly, to offer everything to Him.
This is the secret: Act as if everything depends on you, but surrender as if everything depends on God. Because both are true—you must make effort, and the effort itself is grace.”
On the Purpose of Life
Devotee: “Ma, what is the purpose of human life? Why are we here?”
Anandamayi Ma: “You are here to realize that you were never born and you will never die. This body appears and disappears, but You—the real You—is eternal, unchanging, ever-free.
The purpose of human life is Self-realization. Every other purpose—wealth, fame, pleasure, even good deeds—is secondary. Not worthless, but secondary. Use them as stepping stones, but don’t mistake them for the goal.
You have been given this precious human birth—don’t waste it! Every moment is an opportunity to remember God. Every breath can be a prayer. Every action can be worship. Whether you are sweeping the floor or studying scriptures, whether you are working in an office or sitting in meditation—in all these, remain conscious of the Divine Presence.
The world is not an obstacle to realization—it is the field where realization unfolds. Your family, your work, your relationships—all are given by God for your spiritual growth. Accept everything as His gift, His teaching, His grace.”
On Suffering and Joy
Devotee: “Ma, why is there so much suffering in the world? How can we bear it?”
Anandamayi Ma: “From the absolute standpoint, there is no suffering. The Self is pure bliss—Ananda. But from the relative standpoint, suffering appears when we forget our true nature and identify with the body-mind.
The root of all suffering is the sense of separation—the feeling that ‘I am separate from God, from others, from the universe.’ When you realize that all is One, that everything is a manifestation of the same Divine Reality, where is suffering?
But don’t try to escape suffering by running away from life. Face it, accept it, and in the very heart of suffering, you will find God. Many people come to God through suffering—it becomes their greatest blessing because it breaks the ego’s pride and opens the heart.
This body has experienced what you call pain, but there was no suffering because there was no identification with it. Pain was simply a sensation—it came and went like clouds passing across the sky. The sky remains untouched.”
Devotee: “Ma, you are always in bliss. How can we experience this bliss?”
Anandamayi Ma: “You ARE bliss! You don’t need to experience it—you need to stop covering it up! Your true nature is Sat-Chit-Ananda—Existence-Consciousness-Bliss. This is not something to be attained in the future; it is what you are right now.
But you cover this innate bliss with thoughts, desires, fears, attachments. These are like clouds covering the sun. The sun is always shining—you just need to remove the clouds.
How to remove them? Through remembrance of God, through service, through devotion, through self-inquiry. There are countless paths because there are countless types of people. But the essence is the same: turn your attention away from the temporary and toward the eternal.
And laugh more! Why so serious? This is all God’s play—His divine lila. Enjoy it! Dance in it! Don’t carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Let God carry everything—He is carrying it anyway!”
On Different Paths to God
Devotee: “Ma, there are so many paths—karma yoga, bhakti yoga, jnana yoga, raja yoga. Which one should we follow?”
Anandamayi Ma: “All paths lead to the same goal—like rivers flowing to the ocean from different directions. Choose the path that suits your temperament, but don’t think your path is superior to others.
Some are naturally devotional—let them follow the path of love and devotion. Some are intellectual—let them follow the path of knowledge and self-inquiry. Some are active by nature—let them follow the path of selfless service. Some need formal practices—let them follow the path of yoga and meditation.
But understand: these divisions are artificial. In truth, all paths merge. A true devotee automatically gains knowledge. A true jnani naturally serves others. A true karma yogi develops devotion. So don’t be rigid—take the best from all paths.
The most important thing is sincerity. Whether you are doing japa or service, meditation or study, do it with your whole heart. God looks at the purity of intention, not the sophistication of the practice.”
Devotee: “Ma, can we attain realization without a guru?”
Anandamayi Ma: “The Guru is essential—but the Guru is not limited to a physical form. The real Guru is the Divine itself, manifesting through various forms and situations to guide you.
This manifestation may come as a human teacher, or it may come through a book, a dream, a sudden insight, a child’s words, nature’s beauty—anything can become the Guru’s voice when you are ready to listen.
But yes, having a realized teacher in physical form is a great blessing. The Guru can see where you are stuck, can give you the precise teaching you need, can transmit grace through mere presence. Don’t underestimate this blessing if you receive it.
Yet remember: the external Guru is meant to awaken the internal Guru—your own Higher Self. The outer teacher points the way, but you must walk the path yourself.”
On Death and the Afterlife
Devotee: “Ma, what happens after death? Where do we go?”
Anandamayi Ma: “There is no death! Only the body dies, and even that is just a change of form—like taking off old clothes and wearing new ones. The real You never dies because it was never born.
After the body falls, what happens depends on your state of consciousness at death. If you are identified with the body-mind, you will take another body according to your karmas and desires. If you are established in the Self, you merge into the infinite like a river merging into the ocean.
This is why it is so important to practice remembrance of God now, every day. Make it your habit to think of God—then, at the time of death, this habit will carry you. Whatever you think of in your last moment, that you will become.
But don’t be afraid of death! It is just another experience in the Divine play. Whether you are in a body or out of a body, you are always in God, always held by infinite love. There is nowhere you can go where God is not.”
Devotee: “Ma, should we be afraid of our karmas?”
Anandamayi Ma: “Karma is like the wake behind a boat. The boat has already passed—the wake cannot change its direction. In the same way, your past karmas will bear fruit, but they need not bind you if you don’t identify with them.
Accept whatever comes as God’s will. If pleasure comes, receive it with gratitude but without attachment. If pain comes, accept it with equanimity, knowing it too will pass. In this way, you exhaust your karmas without creating new ones.
More importantly, sincere devotion to God burns karmas like fire burns paper. When you surrender completely to the Divine, the Divine takes responsibility for your karmas. This is the grace of God—it can override any karma.”
On Living in the World
Devotee: “Ma, should we renounce the world to reach God?”
Anandamayi Ma: “External renunciation is not necessary for everyone. The real renunciation is internal—renunciation of the ego, of desires, of the sense of doership. You can live in the world and yet be free of it.
This body lived as a householder for many years, performing all duties. Yet there was never any sense of being a wife, a householder, a woman. There was only awareness of the One playing all these roles.
So fulfill your duties—to your family, your work, your society. But do them with detachment, as worship offered to God. Don’t run away from responsibilities—that is cowardice, not spirituality. Face life fully, but remain centered in the Self.
However, if genuine dispassion arises and you feel called to renounce worldly life, then do so with a full heart. Don’t suppress a genuine spiritual calling for the sake of social conventions. But be honest with yourself—make sure it is true vairagya (dispassion) and not just escapism.”
Devotee: “Ma, how should we treat others—especially those who hurt us?”
Anandamayi Ma: “See God in everyone—in the saint and the sinner, in the one who praises you and the one who criticizes you. All are forms of the One.
When someone hurts you, remember that they are playing a role in the Divine play—perhaps to teach you patience, or forgiveness, or detachment. Thank them silently for the lesson!
This doesn’t mean you should be a doormat. Protect yourself if necessary, speak truth firmly if required. But do it without hatred, without vengefulness. Let your actions come from clarity and compassion, not from ego and anger.
And always pray for everyone—even those who seem like enemies. Your prayer may be the very thing that transforms them. At the least, it will transform you, softening your heart and opening you to grace.”
Key Teachings
1. The Path of Spontaneity (Kheyala)
Anandamayi Ma’s central teaching was the supremacy of spontaneous divine will over calculated spiritual practice. This doesn’t mean abandoning practice, but rather allowing practice to arise naturally from one’s inner nature while surrendering all sense of personal doership to the Divine.
2. Complete Surrender
True surrender means relinquishing not just actions but the very sense of being the doer. It’s accepting whatever arises—pleasure or pain, success or failure—as perfect manifestation of divine will. This surrender paradoxically contains the highest form of spiritual effort.
3. Divine Play (Lila)
Life is God’s play, and we are both actors and audience. Taking it too seriously creates suffering, while recognizing its playful nature brings freedom. This doesn’t diminish life’s significance—it reveals its true nature as divine expression.
4. Innate Bliss
Our true nature is Ananda—pure bliss. We don’t need to create or attain this bliss; we only need to stop covering it with thoughts, desires, and identifications. The path is one of uncovering rather than achieving.
5. Integration of Paths
While traditional yoga recognizes different paths (karma, bhakti, jnana, raja), Anandamayi Ma taught their essential unity. A genuine seeker naturally incorporates elements of all paths, as they are different facets of the same diamond.
6. Living in the World
Spirituality isn’t about escaping life but transforming one’s relationship to it. One can be fully engaged in worldly activities while remaining inwardly free, treating all actions as worship and all relationships as opportunities for spiritual growth.
Practical Applications
Daily Practice
- Constant Remembrance: Make it a habit to remember God in all activities—not just during formal meditation but while cooking, working, traveling, speaking
- Spontaneous Devotion: Allow your spiritual practice to be joyful and natural rather than rigid and forced
- Surrender Practice: Begin each day by surrendering yourself to the Divine Will, accepting whatever unfolds
- See the Divine: Practice seeing God’s presence in all people and situations
- Maintain Joy: Cultivate lightness and laughter even while being sincere in your spiritual practice
Attitude Transformation
- Replace effort with effortless effort—act fully while surrendering results
- Replace seriousness with playfulness while maintaining depth
- Replace judgment with acceptance while maintaining clarity
- Replace attachment with love while maintaining engagement
- Replace fear with trust in divine grace
Questions for Contemplation
- What would it mean to live spontaneously while remaining aligned with divine will rather than ego’s whims?
- How can I make my daily activities—work, relationships, routine tasks—into forms of spiritual practice?
- Where am I still holding on to the sense of being the doer rather than surrendering to the flow of life?
- What clouds are covering my innate bliss? What specific thoughts, desires, or fears am I identifying with?
- Can I see the divine play even in difficulties and challenges? What if suffering itself is grace in disguise?
The Significance of This Dialogue
Anandamayi Ma represented a unique expression of spirituality that transcended traditional categories. She wasn’t learned in scriptures, didn’t follow any systematic practice, and didn’t establish any particular method—yet her very being radiated enlightenment and attracted thousands.
Her teaching emphasizes accessibility: you don’t need to be a scholar, renunciate, or accomplished yogi to realize God. What’s needed is sincerity, surrender, and constant remembrance. The spontaneous path she embodied shows that enlightenment is our natural state, not something foreign to be acquired.
In modern times, when many are drawn to spirituality but feel constrained by traditional structures, Anandamayi Ma’s teaching offers a refreshing alternative: find your own natural way to God while honoring all authentic paths. Make your entire life your spiritual practice. Be fully in the world while remaining rooted in divine consciousness.
Her infectious joy and laughter remind us that spirituality need not be grim and austere. The Divine is bliss itself—seeking it should be the most joyful adventure, not a burdensome duty. This teaching is particularly relevant in our stress-filled age, offering a way to transform life’s challenges into opportunities for grace.
Most profoundly, Anandamayi Ma embodied the divine feminine principle—nurturing, accepting, spontaneous, all-embracing. In a spiritual landscape often dominated by patriarchal structures, her presence reminds us that realization transcends gender and that the path of devotional surrender, often associated with the feminine, is equally valid and potent as the path of intellectual discrimination.