Brahmajna Ma
Sri Brahmajna Ma was an Indian advaitin saint from East Bengal. What little is known about her reveals her as an illumined soul who was established in non-dual realization. Like Ramana Maharshi, she had no guru, but attained enlightenment through her own efforts at self-inquiry.
Life
Brahmajna Ma was named Kadambini Devi by her father Abhaya Charan Chakravarti. She was born in the small village of Bitara, in the Tipperah district of East Bengal, and married at the age of eight, according to the prevalent custom, to a young Brahmin of the nearby village Putia. Her husband died before she was ten years old. She attained final realisation in 1912, after which she travelled to various places in India. She died in Deoghar, Bihar in 1934.Autobiography
Brahmajna Ma did not want any biography written about her. She herself dictated the following as the complete biography of her life:Teachings
Some selected teachings:- Brahma is the only Reality—all else is unreal. Men are eager in their search for happiness in unreal worldly objects and do not want to know the truth of the Self, though in that alone lies real happiness and bliss, for man's mind is infatuated with desires.
- By the term dharma I understand the effort to cross the sea of this world of creation. That one has come into this world is a wrong notion; to give it up and return to the origin is dharma.
- Enjoying sexual pleasures is like taking a sweetened ball of poison. Nothing covers the Self as much as this. The more this desire fades away, the thinner will be the cover.
- Men consider sexual instinct as bad in its gross manifestation. Decrying it in this way is not going deep enough, for they still enjoy the inclination inwardly. As long as this state of mind continues sexual impulse will not be checked. To understand that there is no real pleasure in it is the correct understanding.
- The thought of death brings about renunciation. For an aspirant the thought of death is a means of advancement.
- The more one gives up the more one gets. When all is given up, ALL is achieved.