Daya Mata

Sri Daya Mata

Sri Daya Mata (Sanskrit for Mother of Compassion),^[1] born Faye Wright, (January 31, 1914 – November 30, 2010) was the president and sanghamata (mother of the society) of the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF)^[2] of Los Angeles, California, and the Yogoda Satsanga (YSS) Society of India for over 55 years.^[3][4]

Wright was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to a prominent family of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).^[5] Her ancestors were among the original Mormon pioneers^[5][6] to the Salt Lake Valley. Her grandfather, Abraham Reister Wright, was an architect of the LDS Church's Salt Lake Tabernacle.^[7][8] She has been listed as a "Famous Utahn" by the Utah Office of Tourism.^[9]

Daya Mata first met Paramhansa Yogananda in 1931, and joined Yogananda's ashram that year. After Yogananda's death, and the passing of his successor Rajarsi Janakananda, Daya Mata became the third president of YSS/SRF in 1955.^[10]

Daya Mata's brother Richard Wright served as Yogananda's personal secretary for many years,^[11] appearing in his Autobiography of a Yogi. Her mother was also an SRF member. Daya Mata (Faye Wright) and Ananda Mata (Virginia Wright, Daya Mata's sister) served on the SRF Board of Directors.^[12]

Daya Mata authored three volumes: Only Love': Living the Spiritual Life in a Changing World,^[13] Finding the Joy Within You: Personal Counsel for God Centered Living,^[14] and Enter the Quiet Heart: Creating a Loving Relationship with God.^[15]

At the time of her 2010 death, Sri Daya Mata had been president of Self-Realization Fellowship since 1955. She had been living with her sister in a Sierra Madre house purchased in 1966 and commuting to SRF headquarters in Mount Washington. She was one of the first women to lead a worldwide religious organization and monastic order.^[16]

She died on the evening of November 30, 2010, in Los Angeles.

Quote

“

The best way, by which we can truly appreciate what the great ones like my blessed Gurudev and Ananda Mayee Ma and other holy ones have to give us, is to become like them. I finish by saying that the only mission of such holy beings is to rouse in us the desire to find the Beloved within ourselves.

”

Sri Daya Mata ^[17]

“

The true strength of Self-Realization Fellowship — its ability to grow and adapt and serve in the new millennium — lies in the effort of each of us to live in the spirit of Guruji. And of course, for me that means one thing — the immortal words he spoke to me just before his passing: 'When I am gone, only love can take my place. Be so drunk with the love of God, night and day, that you won’t know anything but God; and give that love to all.'

”

Sri Daya Mata ^[18]

References

1. ^ Daya Mata
2. ^ Articles of Incorporation from 1935
3. ^ Hevesi, Dennis (Dec. 3, 2010) "Sri Daya Mata, Guiding Light for U.S. Hindus, Dies at 96". The New York Times. Retrieved 12-06-2010
4. ^ SRF biography
5. ^ ^{a b} http://www.yogananda-srf.org/tmp/about_notitle.aspx?id=2860 Self-Realization Fellowship - Memorial Service for Sri Daya Mata]
6. ^ Her grandfather and father figure in the book Conquerors of the West: Stalwart Mormon Pioneers
7. ^ "Spiritual Leader Sri Daya Mata Dies in US". (Dec. 2, 2010) Deccan Herald. Retrieved 12-02-2010
8. ^ Salt Lake Temple
9. ^ Official welcome to Utah website, General Information. Retrieved 12-02-2010
10. ^ Served as president of Self-Realization Fellowship since 1955
11. ^ Secretary
12. ^ Dwapara Yuga and Yogananda: blueprint for a New Age, ISBN 978-0615181318
13. ^ Daya Mata. Only Love: Living the Spiritual Life in a Changing World. Self-Realization Fellowship Publishers. ISBN 0-87612-216-0. 
14. ^ Sri Daya Mata. Finding the Joy Within: You: Personal Counsel for God Centered Living. Self-Realization Fellowship Publishers. ISBN 0-87612-288-8. 
15. ^ Sri Daya Mata (1998). Enter the Quiet Heart: Creating a Loving Relationship with God. Los Angeles: Self-Realization Fellowship. ISBN 0-87612-175-X. 
16. ^ "Return of the Swami". http://www.rickross.com/reference/selfreal/selfreal2.html. Retrieved 2011-01-04. 
17. ^ MEETING BETWEEN Sri DAYA MATA AND Sri MA.
18. ^ Sri Daya Mata: A Glimpse Into the Life of Our Sanghamata

External links

• Self-Realization Fellowship website
• Kriya Yoga
• Personal Glimpse into A Nun's Daily Life
• Sri Daya Mata credentials by Sri Anandamayi Ma, an Indian Saint
• Non partisan Kriya Yoga Lineage
• Yogananda.es (spiritual community honoring Yogananda: forums, chat, etc.).

Persondata
Name	Mata, Daya
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	January 31, 1914
Place of birth
Date of death	November 30, 2010
Place of death