Daya Mata
Sri Daya Mata (born Faye Wright) (born January 31, 1914) is the current president and sanghamata (Mother of the Society) of the Self-Realization Fellowship Los Angeles and the Yogoda Satsanga Society in India.
Wright was born in Utah to a prominent family of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church). Her ancestors are said to have been among the original Mormon pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley. Her father, Abraham Reister Wright, was an architect of the LDS Church's Salt Lake Temple.[1] She has been listed as one of Utah's most famous daughters by the government of Utah.[2]
Her interest in spirituality was apparent since childhood. It reached a point of craving when she first met Paramahansa Yogananda in 1931. Braving reluctance from her family, she joined Yogananda's ashram a few weeks later. After the passing away of Yogananda and his successor Rajarsi Janakananda, Daya Mata became the third president of YSS/SRF in 1955.[3]
Her brother Richard Wright was Yogananda's secretary [4], appearing in his Autobiography of a Yogi. Her mother was also an SRF member. Daya Mata (Faye Wright), Ananda Mata (Virginia Wright, Daya's sister), Mrinalini Mata (Merna Loy Brown) and Tara Mata (Laurie Pratt, Yoganananda's editor) are the LDS monastics that dominated the SRF Board of directors from 1955 to the present day.
Daya has written three books - Only Love, Finding the Joy within you and Enter the Quiet Heart.
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