Mother Meera is known to thousands all over the world, and my review gets me in trouble with most of them. I am told she is an avatar: someone born enlightened. A friend whose opinion I respect visited Mother and reported a lasting change in his perspective. In dire need of inspiration, I recruited another desperate friend and we booked a flight to Germany.
Mother gives darshan in silence. One kneels in front of her (pranam) at which time she helps the soul, then looks into her eyes (darshan) which helps the personal life. Neither my friend nor I saw or felt anything unusual after attending seven darshans, nor did we notice any effects in the following weeks or months (as some devotees suggested we would). Perhaps we are spiritually dense.
There is a lot of controversy over Meera. Andrew Harvey’s Hidden Journey and Martin Goodman’s In Search of the Divine Mother are third-party accounts. I observed an obvious inner circle of devotees who do their best to create a holy atmosphere around Meera. Everyone tries to act very pious and reverential as they wait like cattle for their turn at darshan. Meera doesn’t talk for well-explained reasons, but silence is often a cover for lack of wisdom rather than an indication of enlightenment. There is no charge for darshan, but rumors of expensive properties and possessions abound.
Visiting Mother Meera was an expensive and disappointing trip for me. She fails my test of logic and feeling. My theory is that from an early age she was told she is an avatar. Much like the young Tibetans who are raised to believe they are reincarnated llamas, she believes she is an avatar. Mother Meera seems like a nice, sincere person, has little to offer a seeker of Truth. Save yourself a trip and bow before the God in your neighbor or within you, instead.
Here is a video that accurately captures what I found in Mother Meera:
Your source for all things Mother Meera:
MotherMeera.com
MartinGoodman.com – Insights from the author of a Mother Meera biography.
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Mother Meera is a spiritual diamond mine. One size, of course, does not fit all but her blessing is subtle and powerful. I was a close friend of Andrew’s and initially fully believed what he said about Mother Meera. In fact, I confronted Mother Meera on this through letters and faxes. Andrew Matousek, a friend of Andrew’s, thought he was delusional. I also knew Lela Landman, who was Andrew’s friend and a promoter. Lela confided in me that Andrew had asked her to bear false witness against Mother Meera! There was a supposed lesbian devotee of Mother who also confirmed homophobia. However, this too was a friend of Andrew whom in fact, had never been to see Mother Meera! Andrew literally put her up to it. I confirmed with other gay devotees, two of whom were overnight guests at Mother Meera’s, that Andrew’s claim were utter nonsense. Andrew Harvey has been dishonest about this event where has acted petulantly and disgracefully. At the time, Andrew was going out with Eryk who later became his husband. Eryk has zero interest in Mother Meera. Andrew is an interesting and brilliant character but he is simply lying about events with Mother Meera. Shameful but true!
Very interesting, thanks for posting.
I’ve always disbelieved it, because it never rang true. Ironically, having been a devotee of Mother Meera for many years, I have recently found myself guided to consider a same sex relationship, so my personal experience is the opposite of Andrew’s claim.
Any criticism of Mother Meera feels like a fist has hold of my heart and is squeezing it, “they wait like cattle” and “silence is often a cover for a lack of wisdom” just kind of hurt somehow, my whole being winced at reading this in a ‘review of spiritual teachers’…so surprised. I’ve met Mother Meera twice now. The first darshan I saw she an endless love, compassion, sea of love beyond description in her eyes that I can only call the Devine. In the second darshan several years later, I had some recent health issues and was struggling emotionally at the time. In her darshan my emotions were heightened almost like they were being surfaced and after my darshan every question I had and every worry was answered somehow and my physical condition had a rush of warmth and began to improve from that moment.
Mother Meera is genuine and absolutely amazing.
Hi Chariss,
Such reactions could be clues. Why do our reactions take certain forms? If you call me a “coward” and I get angry, what does that mean about me?
It simply means you’re an angry cow and make sure you’re not inside a china store :))
A bull, please, definitely a bull. Let’s keep our animals straight.
That’s bull****! Who says a cow can’t be mad or inside a china store, even in India ??
I attended Mother Meera’s Darshan in London this July. Since then I have had an unbelievable change for the better. I have joy for the first time in many years. I ask and I receive. I feel blessed.
Your article reads a bit like an investment journal .. I dont think it´s possible to think about or evaluate anything according to the divine in that kind of way. It is all happening on a totally different level. I met Mother Meera several times but that is not the most important as she also says. Being in resonance with that what is manifesting through her is a matter of a whole life. To me she is a wonderful and graceful being . The organisation is not making any money with the darshan. Noone is forced or recommended to come to see her . It is just like a peaceful and caring play of the divine through human form. To me one of the last truely benevolent and honest spiritual group of people on the planet. Her sayings , and there are a lot , hit you and leave you standing with nothing but the divine face to face. No middle man , no via or practice, but deeply loved by a beautiful presence and always held. You cannot describe it in words. It´s a new consciousness that started to unfold with Aurobindo and The Mother . Mother Meera spent time in their Ashram in Pondicherry. In fact it is a totally new way of spirituality that is beyond the structure of gurus and roles . Beyond our actual understanding , only approachable with the heart . My life profoundly changed to the better since I know her.
Just yesterday I met Mother Meera for the first time. I would best describe my experience as beautiful and peaceful. As her hands rested on my head there was no experience until I was able to look into her eyes. This is were the feeling of love that raidiated from within mother meera’s eyes, left me feeling the love of a young child being look at with adoring love from their mother.
“but silence is often a cover for lack of wisdom rather than an indication of enlightenment.”
Not in your case.
It seems odd that a self professed ‘spiritual seeker’ would miss the real deal, but hey ho.
If something resonates with you, great. If not, move along.
I wonder about this: if mother Meera is divine, why does she need to be in a marriage?
I would believe a deity would be far above the carnal needs of pleasure of the flesh, and the specific emotional attachment to one other, singular individual, instead embracing all of humanity in a platonic fashion.
Can someone please explain this to me? As I’ve found no whatsoever mention of this confusing ambiguity anywhere online.
Hi Julian,
I can’t claim any direct knowledge or insight about this. But from the limited amount I know I can make an educated guess as to at least some possible motives. (I have visited Mother Meera about half a dozen times in Germany, and read much of what has been written about her). I would firstly say that it’s quite likely (my guess) that this is not a normal marriage – there are no children (as far as I know). Whether there is a sexual element again might be there, or might not be. It could be a ‘platonic’ marriage, where her husband married her as an act of service. One real advantage of this is that Meera is able to live in Europe, as (I assume) a German citizen by marriage (or at least gaining residency rights as a result of the marriage). Why might this be important? Again a guess on my part – a mixture of practicality (Europe is a stable environment, and makes it easier for Westerners to visit her compared to India), and also perhaps by being in Germany she could be helping to transform the collective very painful energies of that country.
As I said, I certainly can’t claim any direct knowledge of how the marriage works or the motivation for it (I’ve never heard Meera or those who know her speak or write about it). But above are a few of my educated guesses as to possible reasons, for what its worth!
Our logic is dumb and very limited in order to grasp the Divine we need our intelligence of heart, and in this jurney we need to unwear our ego;meaning leave it aside, and walk in to this path, or in other words: dive in peace and bath in her ocean of Grace.
I think she’s the real deal. I’ve had her hold my head and stare into my eyes during darshan twice. Once last year and today, on my birthday. Both times my mind stopped during darshan and then started again when I got back to my seat. Kind of like it had been rebooted. Seems some people feel nothing at all. Others feel a lot and a few days later claim to remember past lives and what not. Others have a less dramatic experience and feel a sense of peace, of being rebooted and like everything’s going to be all right. I’m one of those. But you might be someone who feels nothing at all, like the first poster. One thing you will not feel, I think, is that you are special or more spiritual than anyone else. She won’t feed that hungry wolf inside some of us and I respect her for that. But some people want that and when they don’t get it I think some of them say they felt nothing at all. But what do I know? Well, I know I like her and I’m glad she makes herself available to us. And FOR FREE…no charge.
I suggest you read Mark Matousek’s new book “Mother of the Unseen World”, which I just picked up in darshan in Boston. Absolutely brilliant, by an absolutely brilliant man. No rational person can read it and possibly believe that Mother Meera is the only one who has experienced her as a bona fide avatar.
Mother Meera is an avatar !!!
I read one of her books – Answers Part II – after a friend recommended it. I actually found a lot of it to be more Indian culture than Vedic Sanatana Dharma tradition. It was very much like she didn’t know much about Vedic tradition, while much of her advise I found actually a bit scary. Like one point that stands out in my mind – if you are being abused in a relationship, stay in the relationship cause its you are the problem, so suck it up. Tell that to someone is is being beat up daily. That is what an abuser says to the victim to keep them from reacting back. So, if Mother Meera is defending abusers ….. I also had the edition that removed the anti-homosexual (Indian but not Vedic) comments. Hmmm. While in the book people would ask questions and the way the book was edited there was not some response from Mother Meera, but her assistant (daughter?) would give an answer out of nowhere that sounded like something she’d read in some book. This person’s answer was nothing like anything said by Mother Meera in the book. It was almost like Mother Meera needed someone to explain or dismiss her statements, since they were not really well educated, or maybe she just wasn’t giving politically correct responses.
I’ve read tons of spiritual books. I read the Bhagavad Gita daily. I’ve followed a couple gurus and now am part of ISKCON. I have to say – when the guru has nothing to say and sits in silence, maybe that’s because if she said something we’d all realize she’s not enlightened, but is just living a comfy life with no job.
“is just living a comfy life with no job.”
That’s funny. People forget how deeply ingrained survival is to all of us. How we make decisions on a daily basis to get ourselves in positions where we can survive better (e.g. marriages which often turn out miserable due to calculated survival choices). Same with belief systems and experiences that seem to corroborate our belief system, allowing to set up a system of survival for self – or maybe like MM, doing ‘nice’ things like smiling at people and looking at them 1-on-1 to make them feel super special and having enough $$ to get by.
Real Yogis don’t need anything, probably lie on the ground or sit under a tree, don’t even care if people come to see them, but bless them anyway if they do come. Will have no possessions and discard all social norms.
I visited Mother Meera with my partner back in the 1990s. We had two darshans. The first evening I cannot say that I experienced anything out of the ordinary, although I was impressed by Mother Meera’s ability to remain steadily focused on the stream of people kneeling before her for over two hours.
On the second evening I went in with very few expectations. My partner and I were among the last to enter the room, and as we looked around for somewhere to sit one of the helpers pointed us towards two chairs almost next to Mother Meeera. That was a very powerful evening. I cannot recall much about actually being in front of Mother Meera but afterwards I was sitting in a state of bliss having all sorts of inner visions for the rest of the evening.
As far as I am concerned, Mother Meera definitely has something although what that might be I do not know.