In the quiet, often overlooked corners of spiritual discourse, there exists a voice that demands to be heard: not through the volume of its shouting, but through the sheer weight of its truth. Pooja Sharma, a prominent figure in the Indian transgender (Hijra) community, offers a perspective that strips away the veneer of superficial "wellness" and replaces it with a raw, uncompromising devotion. Her journey is not one of academic theology, but of lived experience, where the body is the battlefield and the spirit is the ultimate victor.
To understand the spirituality of the transgender experience is to understand the concept of the "Invisible Mother." It is a devotion born from exclusion, a faith forged in the fire of being told that God has no place for you, only to discover that you have been resting in God’s lap all along.
The 2020 Lockdown: From Abandonment to the Divine Lap
For much of the world, the 2020 lockdown was a period of inconvenience and fear. For the transgender community, particularly those who rely on social interaction and ritual presence for their livelihood, it was an existential threat. Pooja Sharma speaks of this time with a chilling honesty. Before the world stopped, there was a lingering sense of being "ignored by God." When the temples closed and the streets went silent, the external structures of religion vanished.
It was in this total isolation that a profound shift occurred. Without the distractions of a society that often views the transgender body as either a curiosity or a curse, Sharma describes a transition from feeling abandoned to feeling "held in God's lap."
This is the essence of the Invisible Mother. When the visible world: the world of family, housing, and traditional employment: turns its back, the seeker is forced to look inward. In that void, many find a maternal presence that does not require a temple. This is a devotional breakthrough that transcends dogma. It is the realization that the Divine does not reside in the approval of the priesthood, but in the very breath of the marginalized.
"The Feel": The Ultimate Education
In a world obsessed with degrees, certifications, and intellectual mastery, Sharma proposes a different hierarchy of knowledge: "The Feel." This is not merely an emotion; it is the sixth sense, the intuition, and the "soul-seeing" that develops when one must navigate a world that was not built for them.
"The Feel" is the ultimate education. While a person can study scripture for decades and still lack empathy, a person who lives through the "Feel" understands the interconnectedness of all life through direct vibration. For the transgender practitioner, this intuition is a survival mechanism that matures into a spiritual gift. It is the ability to walk into a room and sense the unspoken energy: the hidden pain, the latent aggression, or the secret longing for grace.
This concept aligns deeply with the core principles of Tantric Journey, where we recognize that the body is an instrument of transmission. True spiritual growth is not found in the memorization of texts, but in the refinement of our internal radar. When we stop trying to "think" our way to God and start "feeling" our way back to the source, the barriers of gender and identity begin to dissolve.
The Paradox of the Red Feet
One of the most striking images in Sharma’s discourse is the paradox of the "Red Feet." In many Eastern traditions, red-stained feet (often using alta or vermillion) signify the presence of the Goddess Lakshmi. When a bride enters a home, her red footprints are seen as a blessing of prosperity. The transgender community is often called upon to dance at births and weddings, their presence technically seen as auspicious.
Yet, there is a biting irony here. The same society that bows to the "Red Feet" of the Goddess often refuses to rent a room to the transgender woman who carries that same divine energy. This housing discrimination is a physical manifestation of a spiritual blindness. People want the blessing, but they reject the vessel.
Sharma’s message is uncompromising: You cannot worship the Mother in the idol while dehumanizing the Mother in the human. To seek the Divine while practicing discrimination is a spiritual dead end. This paradox serves as a mirror for all seekers. Are we looking for a sanitized, comfortable spirituality, or are we willing to recognize the sacred in the "other," even when it challenges our social status or comfort?
The Six Elements of Radical Acceptance
Pooja Sharma’s spiritual framework is built upon the radical acceptance of what she calls the "six elements." These are not abstract concepts, but tangible manifestations of the Divine that require our protection and reverence:
- Water: The lifeblood of the planet, which we must honor rather than pollute.
- Soil: The foundation of our physical existence.
- Animals: Our kin who possess a "Feel" uncorrupted by human ego.
- Special Children: Those who inhabit different mental and emotional landscapes, often closer to the Divine frequency.
- The Transgender Community: Those who bridge the gap between masculine and feminine, serving as living reminders of the soul’s fluidity.
- The Elders: The keepers of history and the "Feel" of previous generations.
By centering the transgender community among water, soil, and animals, Sharma repositions her identity as an essential "element" of the natural world. This is a reclamation of holiness. It suggests that a society is only as spiritually healthy as its treatment of these six elements. When we ignore the "Special Child" or discriminate against the Hijra, we are essentially poisoning our own well.
Transitioning Beyond the Binary
The transgender spiritual path is a journey of transition: not just of the body, but of the consciousness. It is the movement from "What will people say?" to "What does the Divine feel?" This requires a level of courage that few possess. To live as a transgender person in a rigid society is to be in a constant state of ritual sacrifice, shedding the ego’s desire for "fitting in" in exchange for the soul’s need for "being."
At Tantric Journey, we explore how these transmissions of truth can happen even in the modern age. As we discuss in our exploration of digital transmission, the medium may change, but the raw power of the "Feel" remains the same. Whether through a YouTube screen or a physical temple, the truth of the Invisible Mother cuts through the noise.
The Devotional Call
The spirituality of the "Invisible Mother" is not for the faint of heart. It is for those who are tired of superficiality. It asks us to look at the marginalized not as victims to be pitied, but as masters of the "Feel" to be learned from.
Pooja Sharma’s life and words remind us that God is not found in the exclusion of the "other," but in the radical inclusion of all elements. When we finally stop ignoring those whom society has hidden, we find that we have stopped ignoring our own souls.
The Invisible Mother has always been there, waiting in the stillness of the lockdown, in the intuition of the "Feel," and in the red-stained feet of those who walk between worlds. The question is: are we ready to stop looking with our eyes and start seeing with our hearts?
For more insights into the intersection of ancient wisdom and modern identity, explore our blog or learn about our approach to authentic tantra.
Deepen your understanding of the "Feel" and embark on your own path of radical embodiment.
