Ma Jaya Stories

Ma Jaya teaches from a depth of wisdom and practicality which allows us to return again and again to turn over the words, and bring them into our moment. Ma is a consummate story teller, using words to paint a picture or illustrate a point that otherwise might be hard to grasp. These stories are often simple but profound. Enjoy!

MOTHER KALI VISITS THE VILLAGE: In ancient times, once a year Kali Mother Herself, in Her ferocious form, would roam the villages and the ashrams. She would bless by Her footsteps every single blade of grass, every stone, every shadow, every leaf, and every single star in the sky. She would bless the darkness and send a prayer to day when it finally came. She would sit at the feet of Lord Hanumanji, and together they went to each home and each individual person, and they took a little bit of what they did not need... more

TARA - LADY OF THE STARS: All of you have within you a star that must be given birth to. It is like the movie “A Star Is Born.” At your birth, you are born with a star of the Mother’s heart waiting to emerge. It is only when you acknowledge this star that the Mother Tara can come to you and prepare you for death of the ego... more

THE SADHU AND MOTHER LAXMI: One time there was a sadhu who wanted desperately to know the truth of the universe.  So he ran to the forest and the jungles. He called on Mother: “Please Mother Laxmi, teach me. Teach me of liberation. Let me be free from the chains of life and death.” ... more

THE BIRTH OF TANTRA: A great king had a beautiful daughter. When she became a bright young woman, he sent her and her handmaidens to serve Lord Shiva to entice him out of his meditation so he would awaken to the world’s needs. This young woman was Parvati.... more

HOW THE CRESCENT MOON GOT STUCK IN SHIVA'S HAIR: I close my eyes and imagine the Ganga as she used to be, flowing across the higher heavens. She came to Earth to liberate sixty thousand ancestors of the great King Bhagiratha.  Afraid of her thunderous force, the king asked Lord Shiva to catch her in his jetta locks so the Earth would not shatter... more

THE TREE OF THE BLACK MOTHER: Inside of us all, there is a great tree of life. This tree can also be called the tree of desire, or the tree of lust. On the other hand, it can be called the tree of the Mother ... more

THE SPARROW AND THE BLUE JAY: One time there was a sparrow and a blue jay. The blue jay said to the sparrow, “Let’s race. I know millions of flight patterns to reach that little island we will race to.” ... more

THE DEVOTEE AND THE SMOKE: One time a devout Hindu loved to go to a special temple of goddesses, many different aspects of the Mother. Every day he brought to the Mother a lot of incense and camphor. He would burn it before Her... more

THE LADY ON THE BEACH: I just heard a story of a young man jogging on the beach each day and seeing an old woman picking up seashells and putting them in a brown paper bag. This had gone on for many months. They just nodded to each other as he jogged past her...more

THE QUEEN AND THE FISH: There is an old Indian folk tale about a queen of long ago who gave up everything to find God. She ran to the forest and lived like a sadhu. At first this was fine, praying and being close to nature. She did puja many hours a day, sitting by a rippling stream... more

FOREST OF BLISS: One tine, a long time ago, in the blessed Kashi Forest of Bliss – a name that was once given to Kashi – the great god Vayu was approached by the lord of all the yogis, Lord Shiva himself... more

ONE MAN'S PRAYER: I just heard a story about a man in a concentration camp who was praying out loud.  His friend asked him, “What are you praying?”  The praying man said, “I am thanking God for not making me like them!”

MOTHER EARTH AND THE SAGES: One time the Earth Mother asked of a group of sages, “Who will help me to head off the storms that may destroy the Earth?” In those times there were the great Goddesses and Gods that protected the Earth from the so called ‘negative’ demons - in other words, the negative and the positive that live inside of all of us... more

ILLUSION (MAYA): The Mother Maya sends an illusion that is very difficult to spot as one travels on this spiritual path. This is the mental illusion of the mind’s heart. The mind gives the impression that it is the heart feeling, when it is only the monkey mind... more

GANESHA: Ganesh is the favorite of the gods and goddesses. He is the elephant headed god. He, who is the son of Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati, is loved beyond love. Ganesha is revered as the keeper of the Mother Earth and the protector of the Goddess in all her many forms. It was Ganesh who wrote down the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita with one of His tusks. That’s why one tusk is missing on statues... more

Ma Jaya's Sacred Art: Creation series