Our dear Sister Vinita, a Self-Realization Fellowship nun for more than 45 years, passed away serenely on August 23, 2024. Sister Vinita, whose monastic name means “modest, unassuming, and humble,” was known for her calm and loving nature. She entered the SRF monastic community in 1977, and received her sannyas vow (the final vow of renunciation) in September 1997 from Sri Daya Mata, third president of SRF/YSS.
A private memorial service was held at the Mother Center on September 16, 2024, during which these inspiring words from Brother Chidananda, president and spiritual head of SRF/YSS, were shared:
“On this special occasion of honoring and celebrating the life of our dear Sister Vinita, we all feel the deep love, respect, and divine friendship we had for her, and that she silently exuded for everyone. She has left this earth plane so suddenly and seemingly too soon, but the call of God and Gurudeva has drawn her home according to Their divine wisdom and the fulfillment of her purpose in this life. We can visualize her soul being showered with blessings for all the good she did while on earth, for the many lives she touched in the ashram and beyond, and for the steadfast spiritual efforts that she made in following our Guru’s path of enlightenment and freedom….
“I always admired the inner strength and spiritual dignity she expressed in trying to do what was right and noble, and most importantly, in striving to be in tune with the will of God and Guru. Through her quiet humility, deep understanding of the spiritual path, and loving surrender to the Divine, she set a beautiful example of one who had truly dedicated her life to God and Guru.”
Born Dency Anne Tucker on September 23, 1947, in Boston, Massachusetts, Sister Vinita was raised Episcopalian, and faithfully attended Sunday school as a young girl. She wrote in a family scrapbook that at the age of thirteen she had the distinct thought: “Either there is a God or there isn’t. If there is a God, the only thing to do is to dedicate my whole life to Him. If there isn’t a God, I should become an atheist.” Though for a time she would inwardly declare herself an atheist, her disbelief later changed when as a young adult she was given a book on Eastern thought. Of that moment, she wrote in her family scrapbook, “I was…awakened from atheism, realizing anew that God is real.”
Sister Vinita graduated magna cum laude from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City with a Bachelor of Arts in French. She then studied to become a certified Montessori school teacher, and afterwards worked for several years teaching 3 - 6 year-olds. In her late twenties she read Autobiography of a Yogi, and wrote, “I trusted the author, Paramahansa Yogananda, from the very first page, sensing that this man knew God and could show me how to know Him.” Within two years, she joined the monastic community of Self-Realization Fellowship.
Though innately reserved, Sister Vinita was also fun-loving and had a keen sense of humor. She loved the outdoors and enjoyed taking nature walks with her sister nuns. All who knew her were inspired by the humility and steadfastness that were hallmarks of her life; as well as by her willingness to fulfill any responsibility, regardless of how large or small. While living at the SRF International Headquarters atop Mt. Washington in Los Angeles, Sister Vinita served in and significantly contributed to many areas important to the SRF work.
She possessed a deep wisdom, kindness, and grace, reaching out with generosity to all who came to her for spiritual guidance. An ordained SRF minister, Sister Vinita conducted inspirational lectures and devotional services on the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, led spiritual retreats for SRF members and friends throughout the United States and Europe, and served as a spiritual counselor for our membership and many of the younger nuns.
Please join us as we send our deepest love and gratitude to Sister Vinita, who is now enjoying God’s haven of eternal bliss and peace.
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April 02, 2025
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Thank you for your loyal service to God and Masters!!!
May Sister Vinita's beautiful soul rest in absolute bliss.She was gracefulness personified .
:orange_heart:
She glided serenely through this life as she glided serenely into the Next...may we all follow her example in this life and into the celestial arms of God, Guru and Daya Ma. Thank you, dear Sister for your seva and love.
Indeed Sister Vineeta has set an example for us, with her exemplary life of complete surrender. I can visualise her soul ascending upward to her haven in God with Our Guru welcoming her and all angelic souls showering petals of :two_hearts: Love. Still, I don't know why my eyes are teary.
Om Guru:pray:
What a shock to have seen this notification .
I am certain that she is being looked after by our beloved Guruji .She had such a beautiful calm aura about her .
Thank you sister for all the selfless work and love you have given to all who crossed your path in this life .
Sister Vinita was drawn to this path by Guruji and turned her from atheist to God oriented soul. She had perfected her life in following Gurujis wishes. Pranams to Sister Vinita
.Jai guru.
Sister, your quiet humility, wisdom and gracious kindness have a lasting impression on all of us who know you through your online meditations. We miss you and look forward to meeting you in the astral :pray:
Bless be her soul she is dancing in heaven :pray::tone_light::pray::tone_light::pray::tone_light::pray::tone_light::pray::tone_light:
Surely must be enjoying Guru's company in the astral world. May this noble soul keep providing us as example of humility and enthusiasm. Thanks
Love, prayers and Godspeed to the beautiful soul of the Sister. I so wish I would have met you, but I'm happy to know that you're with Master now.
Thank you for your humble, loving presence in the here and the beyond, very dear Sister Vinita.:pray::pray: You are such a joy to everyone :pray::pray:
:pray::tone_medium_light:♥️:rose::nose::tone_medium_light:Jai Guruji . Has guided Vinitas beautifull soul and all of us who are blessed to take his guidance. Eternally grateful.
Thank you, Sister Vinita. :pray::tone_medium_dark::purple_heart: JAI GURU
Wishing sister Vinita a life of Divine perfection further with Guruji in the astral plane. Jai Guru
Deepest love and gratitude to Sister Vinita. Jai Guru. Om Guru :pray:.
Love and Light to you, Sister Vinita.
The sudden passing of sister Vinita is a surprise as she was at the Greenfield retreat, VA during the 2024 convocation and I happened to visit one day and feel blessed to have spent time with her and have lunch and get to know her. She is humility personified and quietly poured out her blessings with silent gaze of her eyes.
I saw Daya Mata in my sleep the previous night and when I saw Sister Vinita in the morning I knew I'm seeing one of Daya Mata's own and she made me aware of that blessing. Thank you sister for everything.
Dear Sister Venita, May the eternal blessings of God and our Gurus be with you! Thank you for all of your steadfast service and contribution to Masters worldwide work. My condolences to your family and friends.
Prayers for the divine soul.Jai Guru.:pray::tone_light::om_symbol::pray::tone_light:
Sending from our heart loving vibrations of gratitude to Sister Vinita and all dear SRF monks and nuns for being there serving and inspiring us all. Jai Guru:pray:
In Masters Service, Jai Guru, namaste ❤️:raised_hands::tone_medium:
:pray::tone_medium:Many Pranaams with love, gratitude and goodwill to the sacred soul of dear Sister Vinita :pray::tone_medium: Jai Guru.
:rose: Thank you, dear Sister, for your lifetime of service to God, guru, and all of us. May you feel the outpouring of love showering your soul as you now rest in the arms of Divine Mother. :rose:
Peace be with you .... with all of you. JG
Love and Blessings to Sister Vinita. Thank you and bless you for your love and service to God and Guru and all the prayers for the members. It would have been a great honor to have met you. To freedom of God and Guru….
Dear Sister May you rest in the eternal peace of God’s love and grace and enjoy your time with Guru in Heaven.
All my love and gratitude for your presence on this world Sister Vinita :pray::tone_medium:
Dear Sister Vinita
You will continue to serve Master and the Great Ones with your recorded meditations online. I remember you so well. You always left a deep impression upon me as we passed each other in silence at Mother Center.
Your life story is so inspiring.
May your spirit soar onward with Him.
Thank you
Prayers for her Soul! Jai Guru!:pray:
Jai Guru :pray::orange_heart:
Om Shanti
Dear Sister Vinita I don’t remember ever meeting you in person, only in you tube.But one thing I know, “I Know You “
Thank you Sister for your unconditional love, support, dedication and services.
God and Gurus blessings and celebration in astral world.
Seems like you are helping other souls in astral world.
Our love and regards to you our dear sister!
Love :pray::pray::pray::om_symbol:️❤️:rose::pray::pray::pray:
I send my love and gratitude to Sister Vinita. She is a beautiful inspiration to all of Master’s devotees. Sister Vinita, thank you for your dedication, your service, and your example. You uplifted all of us.
Dear Sr Vinita
Just learned of your passing from this plane and sending you my heart’s love and gratitude especially for our meeting at Greenfield Retreat. It was so affirming and life changing. I will never forget how we laughed together in pure joy. God speed your blissful journey dearest One of God.
Dear Sister Vinita
Your inspiration continues and is rippling through us who come to this Memoriam and as such to the world.
Much love and gratitude to you!
Thank you Dear Sister for your selfless service :pray::tone_light::pray::tone_light::pray::tone_light:
Blessings to you, Sister Vinita. Thank you for all you have done in your life. I didn't have the pleasure of meeting you or talking with you in this incarnation, but our souls surely recognize each other. Jai Guruji! Jai Ma! :om_symbol:️:pray:❤️
I am so honored that I had a chance to meet and spend time with her at the Seabeck retreat in 2023. Today I am celebrating her life and am grateful to learn more about her through our beloved Brother Chidanandaji’s words. May she feel showered in Master’s Love and Divine Presence as she expands into the astral realms! Jai Guru!
Much love to Sister Vinita :pray::tone_light::heartpulse:
Dear Sister:
Thank you for your loving service and words of wisdom. :pray::pray::pray::pray:
I have never had the chance to meet you in person, unfortunately. But now your precious and loving soul is visible to me. I would like to greet you from soul to soul and would like to send much love to you! Now you are with Sri Daya Mata and Guruji in eternal peace, love and joy! ❤️:orange_heart:
Sister Vinita, thank you for your service to God and for your devotion to Paramahansa Yogananda and his wonderful teachings. God bless you. Pray for us.
Un sorriso e uno sguardo celestiali, la dolcezza che traspare e arriva dentro di noi. Grazie per essere stata qui sulla terra a servire Gurudeva e i suoi figli.
Tanto amore a te cara sorella e a tutta la comunità dei monaci.
Dearest Sister Vinita, May you be in joy and peace with God and Guruji. I had the joy of meeting with you a number of times. You were very supportive, loving and wise. Thank you for your selfless service and example of kindness and humility to us all, for your inspiring talks and meditation services and all you did for us all for so many years. May Divine Mother and Guruji bless you deeply, always. We shall remember you in our prayers and hold you in our hearts with all our love and gratitude.
Peace and light for sister Om Guru
Dear beloved mother,
May god bless you as a eternal soul.
Indeed such a sweet, pleasant, loving presence she always had.
Thank you sister for all the meditations you led and your sweet counsel that was always sweet and encouraging.
Enjoy the peace of the astral world :pray:
Grateful for Sister Vinita, sending Love and Light, grateful for the understanding she gave❤️:pray::tone_medium_light:
Sister Vinita was indeed modest, humble and unassuming. I met her in person only once. She was very quiet, but supported what a fellow nun was saying with the most innocent laugh I've ever heard. Subconsciously, I 'boxed' her in that image of a sweet child. Until later when I heard her give a talk with keen intelligence and deep understanding. What an amazing personality!
Such sweet love she infused into SRF for so many years. Jai Guru.
Jai Guru, Love & Prayers for Sister Vinita.
I will think of Sr. Vinita with love in my heart and send it to her. I never have met her in this world but yet feel love for her. We will meet later in Divine Mothers World. Jai Guru. :wilted_rose:
I imagine, Guru saying, 'Look at her no matter what she remains "modest, unassuming and humble'. Sister Vinita, what an achievement to emulate!. I always wanted to meet her. The grace of the great ones be always with you. JG
Om Shanti :pray::tone_medium_light: dear Sister Vinita, love and gratitude as you enjoy God’s haven of bliss.
Om guru
It was her sacred moment to be reunited with God and our Gurus. Blessings to dear Vinita who enriched and touched my life. I will remember her voice and her eyes, reflecting beauty, light and Master’s love. Om, Christ, Gurus…:dove_of_peace:️
Sending her thoughts of peace, love and gratitude ♾️:om_symbol:️:white_heart::pray:
Radiant energy is always alive with the greater everlasting light. From joy she came, in joy she lived, and in sacred joy she has returned. Jai Gurudev.
Blessed is Sister Vinita to have peacefully reached Guru’s abode:pray::tone_medium:
I am inspired by the positive and good thoughts in this comments section for the dear Sister. I have meditated with her many times via YouTube and it is incredible to see only peace, love, and thought of her passing as a blessed event rather than dreadful and sad event. Master has indeed transformed so many Souls and enlarged our understanding of death. God Bless all the Monks and Nuns of our Master’s work.
Our Beloved Sister strolls amongst the Great Ones, drinking Peacefully Divine Light, feeling a Love inconceivable, remembering all whose Life she touched. What a fine example of Devotion.
Beautifully articulated and so Heart felt Dear Brother
Thanks for sharing :smiling_face_with_closed_eyes:
In Masters :two_hearts: Love
Chris
:om_symbol::pray:May God and Guru bless her soul.
I remember seeing Sister Vinita at Convocation a few years ago. I thought she was very graceful.
Om Shanti :pray::pray:
Sister Vinita possa il tuo amore aiutarci a tutti i devoti a fare progressi e realizzare anche noi le nostre anime.
Gratitude for continuing a masters work may you be blessed ❤️
Om shanti:pray:
:rose:
Que la Madre Divina y los Gurus la acojan en su amor eterno. Jai Gurú :pray::om_symbol:️
Sister Vinita blessed us with her presence last year at the Seabeck Retreat. She checked my Kriyas and was so gentle and sweet. Her eyes and gaze sent me striaght to the astral. Was a beautiful soul! Thank you for your service to Master's chelas, to which you were a most special one! Deep gratitude and love.
Meant to say IS a beautiful soul and you ARE a most special one! Another special soul in Master's universe now!
Dearest Sister Vinita , love you soo much, I miss you. Yet I am Happy for you, as all our DEAR ONES ARE WElCOMING &BLESSING you to ENTER THE ASTRAL WORLD. MAY DIVINE MOTHER, LINE OF GURUS BE with you ALWAYS & HELP u to Reach HIGHER LEVELS. GODBLESS u & Please PRAY for all of us . LOVE u . MAY your SOUL REST IN PEACE. OM OM OM .JAIGURU :pray:with Regards.
Que el padre celestial te abrace y cobije en su seno.
Bendiciones y gozo eternos.
Om, shanti, amén
Sending our deepest gratitude to dear Sister Vinita for all her many years of service to Master's work. We were blessed to be in Front Royal during Convocation week where Sister led some of the meditations. I will forever remember her radiant, loving smile and the warm words of encouragement she gave us as we departed. Such a beautiful soul! Surely she now is floating in the sea of God & Guru's endless divine love & joy.
May God envelope you in his eternal love and bliss forever Sister Divine!
May she join the divine company of God and Gurus.
May God and Gurus welcome Sister Vinita into the Divine Kingdom of Love and Light
May God and Guru rest her Soul in peace and in eternal joy
God and Gurus bless her deeply :pray:
Om Shanti.
Much love and gratitude for her life, her service, and her devotional meditations.
Jai Guru
Om Shanti :pray: :om_symbol:️
Querida Sister:
Que seu exemplo de humildade possa nos inspirar sempre.
Obrigada pela linda missão!
Que a Mãe Divina te sempre.
Que la luz de la Madre Divina, los Gurus y El Maestro la iluminen el camino y la acojan en su amor.
God and Guru bless all the monastics for their loving service and blessed example for all Gods devotees and all Gurudevas family. We are blessed to have you at the SRF YSS monastics order. You are all a bright light and hope and help for this world. Much Love to you all and especially today to sister Vinita.
May God & Gurus bless our beloved sister. Sending my love to Sister Vinita..Om Shanti
God and Guru dev bless her soul and liberate her from the cycle of birth and death.
It’s a great loss for our family of SRF/YSS.
May God & Gurus bless her soul & her family.
Jai Gurus :hibiscus::pray:
This is a very great joy to know the biography of monastics ..... eagerly waiting to know about life of beloved Sister Vinita
My. Love and gratitude to Sister Vinita ❤️ ❤️
She gave the best meditations. Sister Vinita will be missed.:pray::tone_medium_dark::two_hearts::star2:
What an auspicious time she or Master selected for her to go.. Around Janmastami with so many long meditations and commemorations ... With Joy all around .... With astronomical conjunctions approximating the time of Krishna's birth over 5000 years ago!
My Love and Gratitude to this beautiful soul. May God and Guru bless her soul.
May God & Guru bless the departed soul for onward journey of peace & harmony. May her soal merge in the His ocean of love n joy.
Thank you sister. Your face is so radiant with God's love. May God and Gurus bless your final journey. Om Shanti. Om Shanti. Om Shanti.
May God and Guru bless her in the eternal path.
Sister is special and sweet. She is such a dear. Sending my love to Sister and Srf. May God and Gurus bless Sister and embrace her into their fold.
Jai Guru :pray::tone_medium:
Sending love and Gratitude to Sister Vinita:pray:
May God bless her with open arms. :pray:
Jai Guru , she will continue to guide and inspire us along with all the beloved Gurus
My Love and Gratitude to this beautiful soul.
May her soul enjoy the bliss with Guruji.
Jai Guru!
So beautiful to think of Sisterji with Gurudeva serenely passing into the arms of the Beloved after sharing her sweetness and serenity with all of us down here. Sending her such gratitude and love! :pray::tone_medium_dark::orange_heart::star2:
God bless, it's always hard to lose one of masters long time monastics, they are all beautiful souls dedicated to Christ and gurus ❤️:rose::pray::rose:❤️
Sending my soul love and gratitude to Sister Vinita . Your sweetness and kindness will always be in my heart!
She was calmness incarnate. Her voice so soothing. My heart is expanding knowing she has merged with Guru in the sea of eternal love.
My wife Dr Jayshree and I pray that our Dearest beloved Guruji will make her soul part of His group. God bless the soul.
"May the soul of this holy being rest in eternal peace. Their selfless service and spiritual guidance will be deeply missed..May their legacy of love, compassion, and wisdom continue to inspire us."
"May the divine light that guided this saintly soul now welcome them home. May we strive to follow their example of devotion and kindness."
"This saintly person's departure leaves a void in our lives, but their teachings and blessings will forever remain with us. May they be eternally revered.
Love,respect and gratitude to sister Vinita.Very beautiful loving soul.:om_symbol::om_symbol::om_symbol:
Que el gozo te acompañe siempre aun el el paraiso Om Shanti paz Amen
May God & Guru Ji Bless her soul in the eternal world.
Om Shanti :om_symbol:
May God and Guru bless sister in her ascension journey.
Jai Guru:pray:
Sister Vinita had such a peaceful, calm presence. My wife and I will honor her memory by following her guided meditation videos (from the 2021 and 2022 SRF Convocations). She is surely enjoying the sweet company of God and Gurus!
What a terrific idea!…I will do the same…Jai Guru!!!…:pray:
Jai Guru ❤️:raised_hands::tone_medium:
What a beautiful, loving soul! Sister Vinita will be missed. Knowing now what her monastic name means, how perfectly she embodied that! I remember fondly being on retreat with her as our retreat leader in Encinitas; she always shared Master's wisdom, encouragement, and guidance so sweetly and with such depth that you could feel it was coming from inner experience. Our souls' gratitude to you for your life of devotion and service, Sister Vinita!
Such a rare flower on Earth’s garden.
Sending my love to Sister Vinita and to SRF.
What an amazing life here that I am sure she must have had! Thank you for always remembering the Monastics. They are all such special people and important for us all.
I always love hearing their stories and their wisdom. Peace and Blessings to all and to Sister Vinita. Thank You!
Thank you for always reminding these very Special and Wonderful people. I love knowing about all the Monastics! Sending my love and Gratitude to Sister Vinita. :om_symbol:️❤️
I can only begin to imagine the Divine reception in her honor when she arrived in the higher realms. She devoted so many years of service to Guruji and SRF!!!