Renowned Buddhist meditation master Dipa Ma and her tale of transforming lives
May 09, 2023
Thimphu [Bhutan], May 9 : Students across the world seeking instruction in meditation flock to a tiny flat in Kolkata that belonged to renowned Buddhist meditation master Dipa Ma, who in her incredible journey transformed the lives of countless people globally.
Practitioners all over the world are still inspired and guided by her life and teachings, according to Bhutan Live.
According to Bhutan Live, she was given the name Nani Bala Barua when she was born in a small hamlet in Bangladesh. She grew up in a devoted Buddhist family, surrounded by feasts and rituals. Despite the fact that her family did not meditate, Nani became quite interested in Buddhism.'
After becoming a mother, Nani was dearly called "Dipa Ma" or "Mother of Light," after her daughter's name, Dipa, which means "light."
Dipa Ma was devastated, bereaved, and bedridden in 1957 after her loving husband died suddenly. She turned to meditation as a coping mechanism for her sadness after trying conventional therapy without success. Her extraordinary path as a renowned Buddhist meditation teacher, changing the lives of countless people all over the world, began with this choice, according to Bhutan Live.
The first retreat Dipa Ma took at a Buddhist monastery in Rangoon made it clear that she had a natural love for meditation. Despite suffering injuries in a terrifying dog attack, she kept up her practice and thought of becoming a Buddhist nun. She made the decision to follow the spiritual path as a householder since she was aware of her obligations as a single mother.
In 1967, Dipa Ma moved to Calcutta (now Kolkata), where she started teaching meditation to female householders, proving that being a wife and mother did not prevent one from advancing spiritually. Many people were influenced by her teachings, and she quickly earned the title of "patron saint of householders, Bhutan Live reported.
She received a teaching invitation from the Massachusetts Insight Meditation Society at the start of the 1980s.
Despite her hectic schedule, Dipa Ma never wavered in her commitment to her pupils, frequently instructing from early in the morning until late at night. Dipa Ma passed away on September 1, 1989, at the age of 78.
