Call Sri Natha Devi a working-class guru. Her folksy sanctuary — a hub of spiritual traditions including Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and Sufism — has brought awards of appreciation from civic leaders....

"Sometimes we hear gunshots in the night," said Sri Natha Devi, 52, a pleasant, bookish woman with wire-rimmed glasses and braided hair. "I tell people, 'Don't be afraid. Pray for those causing the shooting and those who might be harmed by it.' "

And so they pray. Some men, but mostly women, gather in her living room. Clad in loose-fitting clothing made of white cotton, they sit on pillows in a circle, chanting mantras and offering prayers in English and Sanskrit.