Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda — Turiyasangitananda translates as the Transcendental Lord’s highest song of Bliss

“I was married to John Coltrane, he had such a beautiful appreciation of all cultures. It was mainly in a musical and artistic way, but even though he was looking at the contributions musically, he also looked at their spirituality.”

From left to right: Ravi, John Jr., Oran, Alice and Michelle

“Following John’s departure, I still had the children to raise. And there was no way I could not do my duty, because God wants us to be dutiful and fulfill our responsibilities and not sit before the Lord in meditation and leave those responsibilities to someone else.”

Alice Coltrane and Swami Satchidananda

“The Eastern philosophy gives the aspirant the opportunity to develop himself. Self–realization, self-actualization, self-fulfillment means you are living to the fullest and highest potential; this does not mean that one is selfish.”

The temple at Sai Anantam ashram established by Alice Coltrane

Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda with some of her students and their families

“One of the directives given to me was to start the ashram. I felt I could serve in any way that God wished. Whatever was ordered, I would have been happy to follow. My idea was to have the availability to seek the Lord, to be able to study spiritual scriptures, and to really immerse myself in living the spiritual life as much as possible.”