Mystic Mother of theWAY

When a young slave girl in a Srinagar brothel first met the wandering teacher Iesous, neither karma nor society suggested she would become one of humanity’s greatest spiritual guides. Yet Mari of Magadha’s journey from exploitation to enlightenment offers profound insights into how divine wisdom flows through our most human experiences. 

In this intimate collection, Japanese fish vendor and Wayist teacher Kaori Mizuki presents Mari’s most transformative poems with deeply personal commentary. Through verses that find sacred truth in brothel cells and fishing boats alike, Mari shows us how light enters through our broken places, how wisdom grows in unlikely soil, and how divine love transforms everything it touches. 

These poems, written across Mari’s journey from India to Jerusalem, reveal how authentic spirituality embraces rather than transcends our complete human experience. They remind us that heaven often speaks most clearly through unwashed hands and unexpected teachers. 

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“There’s something special in how these two distinct and iconic voices came together. Mari’s ancient wisdom flowing through Kaori’s grounded, contemporary perspective creates a unique resonance. The way Kaori’s market-trained eyes see straight to the heart of Mari’s spiritual insights, while her own experiences in two hemispheres (Japan and Mexico) add depth to Mari’s journey – it worked in a way that feels both natural and profound.

What I particularly appreciate is how both voices’ authenticity blend without forcing connections. Kaori’s observations about finding divine wisdom in fish scales and market cats feel as genuine as Mari’s insights about light entering through our broken places, and actually walking with Lord Jesus in the dust of the day. They’re separated by centuries but united by their unflinching attention to how truth reveals itself through ordinary moments.”

Wayist Teacher +Surya