Hilda Charlton (1906January 29, 1988) was a spiritual teacher, author, dancer, and healer who taught classes in meditation and prayer in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
for 23 years.
Biography
Hilda was born in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, United Kingdom, in 1906, and moved to the United States with her parents when she was 4 years old. She was raised in
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...
and
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. At the age of 18, she began performing as a modern dancer. For the next 20 years, she danced and taught in the San Francisco area.
[
From 1947 to 1950 Hilda toured India as a dancer and stayed in the country for fifteen more years, studying eastern mysticism and meditation. She was guided by great spiritual masters and holy people, including Nityananda of Ganeshpuri, Sri Mahadevanansa of Bombay, and Sai Baba of Puttaparthi.][
Hilda settled in New York City upon returning to America. She became a spiritual teacher at the request of people she met, and over the years her classes grew in size from two people to more than a thousand. The location was moved from a student's apartment to the basement of St. Luke's Church. In 1976, the location was moved to the nave and later to the Synod House of the ]Cathedral of St. John the Divine
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine (sometimes referred to as St. John's and also nicknamed St. John the Unfinished) is the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. It is at 1047 Amsterdam Avenue in the Morningside Heights neighborhoo ...
.[ She was one of the founding members of the ]Hindu Temple Society of North America
The Hindu Temple Society of North America is a nonprofit organization that manages the Sri Maha Vallabha Ganapati Devasthanam temple in Flushing, Queens, in New York City. It is known as the Ganesha Temple after its main deity, Ganesha, and is the ...
, the first traditional Hindu temple in North America.
Her teachings incorporated the fundamental principles of the world's religions. Foremost in her classes, she stressed the importance of a life of giving and forgiving, unconditional love, and remembrance of God.[ Hilda's lectures included poignant stories of her life, practical lessons for everyday living, guidance in prayer, and meditation. Her style combined humor, practicality, and deep insight into the human mind and spirit.
Her teachings had a profound effect on the lives of thousands of people from all walks of life. Alcoholics and drug addicts were known to conquer their addictions, prostitutes left the street, and those afflicted with serious diseases often reported experiencing remission and cure. She took no personal credit for these miracles, giving all credit to God.
She died in New York City on January 29, 1988.][
Hilda taught and shared with many spiritual teachers including ]Ram Dass
Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert; April 6, 1931 – December 22, 2019), also known as Baba Ram Dass, was an American spiritual teacher, guru of modern yoga, psychologist, and writer. His best-selling 1971 book '' Be Here Now'', which has been d ...
in the 70's, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (born Robert Hansen; January 5, 1927 – November 12, 2001) was an American Hindu religious leader known as Gurudeva by his followers. Subramuniyaswami was born in Oakland, California and adopted Hinduism as a young ma ...
and Albert Rudolph ( Rudi).
Books
*''Saints Alive'', by Hilda Charlton ()
*''The New Sun'', by Hilda Charlton ()
*''Master Hilarion'', by Hilda Charlton ()
*''Skanda'', by Hilda Charlton ()
*''Divine Mother Speaks'', by Hilda Charlton ()
*''Pioneers Of The Soul'', by Hilda Charlton ()
*''Hell Bent For Heaven'', by Hilda Charlton ()
References
External links
Hilda Charlton official siteOnline Discussion GroupHilda Charlton on YouTube.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Charlton, Hilda
1906 births
1988 deaths
American spiritual teachers