Mother of bliss

the long version

"Hindu tradition holds that the Divine Mother can take form as an apparently human being. Moreover, Hindu women throughout the centuries have been considered to be living saints and venerated as such."--BOOK JACKET. "This book examines the life of one such woman, Anandamayi Ma, who by the time of her death in 1982 was widely revered as a saint, guru, and incarnation of God. Drawing on extensive interviews, literature from Ma's community, and a vast array of other sources, Lisa Hallstrom paints a portrait of this extraordinary woman, her teachings, and her continuing influence. In the process, Hallstrom sheds new light on a wide range of important themes in the Hindu tradition, and examines the capacity of a powerful female religious figure to serve as a model for women when she is perceived as divine, and, therefore, beyond gender."--BOOK JACKET.