August 4th, 2011

“Hang on my beautiful gays, my men and woman who dare to be different, you are not different you are just following your heart. . . . History will continue being made, I promise you.” These are the words with which Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati addressed California’s November 5, 2008 vote against marriage equality.

Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati—or, simply Ma, as her followers affectionately refer to her—leads the Kashi Ashram of Sebastian, FL, which practices an interfaith philosophy. Based in Hindu traditions, but drawing on Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, and even Atheism, Ma Jaya claims her teachings are inspired by a 1972 “experience of Christ” in which she was told to “teach all ways, for all ways are mine.”

At the cornerstone of this interfaith teaching is universal love and acceptance. According to Ma Jaya, who cites her own spiritual teacher, the soul has no gender. Following this concept from the beginning of her work in the 1970s, Ma Jaya has been an outspoken LGBTQ rights activist, supporting marriage equality by performing spiritual weddings—regardless of gender—for over thirty years. In a 2004 interview, Ma Jaya explained, “I see no difference between love between a man and a man, and a woman and a woman or anybody who is not harming another human being. Why is the religious right so afraid of other people who want to live like anyone else? I don’t understand it.”

The spiritual leader is not without her critics, however. In the nineties, local Florida papers published a few articles investigating claims that Ma was extorting or misleading her followers. At the time, many members lived, worked, and attended school on-site, feeding the mystery and suspicion. Interestingly, much of the “published proof” offered by critics comes in the form of Letters to the Editor—open letters written by everyday citizens, not journalists with sources.

Most Kashi followers—both current and former—dismiss these critics as vengeful individuals with a grudge. In any case, the Ashram has undergone extensive changes in the past decade, however, becoming less of a residential compound and more of a yoga school, retirement community, and retreat center. Service is at the core of Ma’s teaching; Kashi opened The River Fund, a food bank and community center in Brooklyn that served over 100,000 underprivileged New York City residents last year. “Kindness,” Ma has said, is the only religion one must follow. For LGBTQ youth and for their supporters, this message is essential.

“What I know for sure is that there is no god, no goddess that will look at you at death and say ‘Are you gay? Are you a lesbian? Are you transgender? Are you anything in between?’ Oh my god, you will never be judged. Ever.”- Ma Jaya’s 25 January 2008 World AIDS Day podcast.

You can check out Kashi Ashram here, follow Ma Jaya on Twitter, and download her podcasts on iTunes by searching “The Teachings of Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati.” If you are interested in getting involved with The River Fund, you can check out their website here.

POSTED IN: News, Religion