Recent Biographies of Ramakrishna – a Study
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Christian and Hindu Swami Ranganathananda Moulding Our
358 MARCH - APRIL 2011 Monastic Spirituality: Christian and Hindu Swami Ranganathananda Moulding Our Lives with Sri Ramakrishna’s Teachings Swami Bhuteshananda Divine Wisdom MASTER: "Once a teacher was explaining to a disciple: God alone, and no one else, is your own.' The disciple said: 'But, revered sir, my mother, my wife, and my other relatives take very good care of me. They see nothing but darkness when I am not present. How much they love me!' The teacher said: 'There you are mistaken. I shall show you presently that nobody is your own. Take these few pills with you. When you go home, swallow them and lie down in bed. People will think you are dead, but you will remain conscious of the outside world and will see and hear everything. Then I shall visit your home. "The disciple followed the instructions. He swallowed the pills and lay as if unconscious in his bed. His mother, wife, and other relatives began to cry. Just then the teacher came in, in the guise of a physician, and asked the cause of their grief. When they had told him everything, he said to them: 'Here is a medicine for him. It will bring him back to life. But I must tell you one thing. This medicine must first be taken by one of his relatives and then given to him. But the relative who takes it first will die. I see his mother, his wife, and others here. Certainly one of you will volunteer to take the medicine. Then the young man will come back to life.' "The disciple heard all this. -
Sri Ramakrishna & His Disciples in Orissa
Preface Pilgrimage places like Varanasi, Prayag, Haridwar and Vrindavan have always got prominent place in any pilgrimage of the devotees and its importance is well known. Many mythological stories are associated to these places. Though Orissa had many temples, historical places and natural scenic beauty spot, but it did not get so much prominence. This may be due to the lack of connectivity. Buddhism and Jainism flourished there followed by Shaivaism and Vainavism. After reading the lives of Sri Chaitanya, Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and direct disciples we come to know the importance and spiritual significance of these places. Holy Mother and many disciples of Sri Ramakrishna had great time in Orissa. Many are blessed here by the vision of Lord Jagannath or the Master. The lives of these great souls had shown us a way to visit these places with spiritual consciousness and devotion. Unless we read the life of Sri Chaitanya we will not understand the life of Sri Ramakrishna properly. Similarly unless we study the chapter in the lives of these great souls in Orissa we will not be able to understand and appreciate the significance of these places. If we go on pilgrimage to Orissa with same spirit and devotion as shown by these great souls, we are sure to be benefited spiritually. This collection will put the light on the Orissa chapter in the lives of these great souls and will inspire the devotees to read more about their lives in details. This will also help the devotees to go to pilgrimage in Orissa and strengthen their devotion. -
Reminiscences of Swami Prabuddhananda
Reminiscences of Swami Prabuddhananda India 2010 These precious memories of Swami Prabuddhanandaji are unedited. Since this collection is for private distribution, there has been no attempt to correct or standardize the grammar, punctuation, spelling or formatting. The charm is in their spontaneity and the heartfelt outpouring of appreciation and genuine love of this great soul. May they serve as an ongoing source of inspiration. Memories of Swami Prabuddhananda MEMORIES OF SWAMI PRABUDDHANANDA RAMAKRISHNA MATH Phone PBX: 033-2654- (The Headquarters) 1144/1180 P.O. BELUR MATH, DIST: FAX: 033-2654-4346 HOWRAH Email: [email protected] WEST BENGAL : 711202, INDIA Website: www.belurmath.org April 27, 2015 Dear Virajaprana, I am glad to receive your e-mail of April 24, 2015. Swami Prabuddhanandaji and myself met for the first time at the Belur Math in the year 1956 where both of us had come to receive our Brahmacharya-diksha—he from Bangalore and me from Bombay. Since then we had close connection with each other. We met again at the Belur Math in the year 1960 where we came for our Sannyasa-diksha from Most Revered Swami Sankaranandaji Maharaj. I admired his balanced approach to everything that had kept the San Francisco centre vibrant. In 2000 A.D. he had invited me to San Francisco to attend the Centenary Celebrations of the San Francisco centre. He took me also to Olema and other retreats on the occasion. Once he came just on a visit to meet the old Swami at the Belur Math. In sum, Swami Prabuddhanandaji was an asset to our Order, and his leaving us is a great loss. -
VII. the Swami Swahananda Era (1976-2012)
Ramakrishna-Vedanta in Southern California: From Swami Vivekananda to the Present VII. The Swami Swahananda Era (1976-2012) 1. Swami Swahananda’s Background 2. Swami Swahananda’s Major Objectives 3. Swami Swahananda at the Vedanta Society of Southern California 4. The Assistant Swamis 5. Functional Departments of the Vedanta Society 6. Charitable Organizations 7. Santa Barbara Temple and Convent 8. Ramakrishna Monastery, Trabuco Canyon 9. Vivekananda House, South Pasadena (1955-2012) 1. Swami Swahananda’s Background* fter Swami Prabhavananda passed away on July 4, 1976, Swami Chetanananda was assigned the position of head of the A Vedanta Society of Southern California (VSSC). Swamis Vireswarananda and Bhuteshananda, President and Vice- President of the Ramakrishna Order, urged Swami Swahananda to take over the VSSC. They realized that a man with his talents and capabilities should be in charge of a large center. Swahananda agreed to leave the quiet life of Berkeley for the more challenging work in the Southland. Having previously been in charge of the large New Delhi Center in the capital of India, he was up to the task and assumed leadership of the VSSC on December 15, 1976. He was enthusiastically welcomed, and soon became well established in the life of the Society. Swami Swahananda was born on June 29, 1921 in Habiganj, Sylhet in Bengal (now in Bangladesh). His father had been a government official and an initiated disciple of Holy Mother. He had wanted to renounce the world and become a monk, but Holy Mother reportedly had told him, “No, my child, but from your family two shall come.” (As well as Swahananda, a nephew also later joined the Ramakrishna Order). -
Balancing Inner and Outer
Editorial Balancing Inner and Outer As the Holy Mother Sesquicentennial Year nears its conclusion, this is perhaps a good time to take stock of what we have learned from Holy Mother’s life and teachings. As spiritual aspirants, we gain a great deal of inspiration for our interior life from her teachings on devotion, work, knowledge, self-effort and self-surrender. From her life, we see how a person living in domestic circumstances can be pure and non-attached as well as loving and concerned. She played her part faultlessly, showing how the highest ideals can be made practical in the workaday world. In some ways her workaday world was a very different place from ours. She did not face the stress of the modern workplace or such a dizzying pace of technological change. But Holy Mother’s world did include terrorism, including state terror, political upheaval, and social stress. Great teachers do not always give us specific answers to specific external challenges. Rather, they give us examples and principles that help us to make the right decisions as we respond to our own particular challenges. We have to engage in our own struggle in our own circumstances. One thing is clear: Holy Mother never attempted to escape or run away from difficulties. Think of her life in the cramped, stuffy Nahabat, without toilet facilities, with fish for her husband’s delicate stomach splashing water all night from a pot hung from the ceiling. Think of her difficulties in Kamarpukur after the Master’s passing, with hardly enough to eat or wear and the constant criticism of her neighbors. -
The Vedanta Kesari the LION of VEDANTA a Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of the Ramakrishna Order Since 1914
nd 102 Price: ` 10 YEAR OF PUBLICATION The Vedanta Kesari THE LION OF VEDANTA A Cultural and Spiritual Monthly of the Ramakrishna Order since 1914 Swami Akhandananda’s statue at Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Sargacchi, West Bengal March 2015 India's Timeless Wisdom Trees laden with fruits bow down. Clouds full of water at the beginning of rainy season come down and down. The good persons remain humble even in prosperity, because this is the very nature of those who are disposed Editor: SWAMI ATMASHRADDHANANDA Managing Editor: SWAMI GAUTAMANANDA Printed and published by Swami Vimurtananda on behalf of Sri Ramakrishna Math Trust fromThe No.31, RamakrishnaV edanta K Mathesari Road, ~ 2 Mylapore, ~ MARCH Chennai–4 2015 and Printed at Sri Ramakrishna Printing Press, No.31 Ramakrishna Math Road, Mylapore, Chennai–4. Ph: 044–24621110 The Vedanta Kesari 102nd YEAR OF PUBLICATION VOL. 102, No. 3 ISSN 0042-2983 A CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL MONTHLY OF THE RAMAKRISHNA ORDER Started at the instance of Swami Vivekananda in 1895 as Brahmavâdin, it assumed the name The Vedanta Kesari in 1914. For free edition on the Web, please visit: www.chennaimath.org CONTENTS MARCH 2015 Gita Verse for Reflection 85 Editorial The Glorious ‘Present’ Moment 86 Articles A Few Women Disciples of Swami Vivekananda 94 Prema Nandakumar Bringing Vedanta into Daily life 99 Swami Abhiramananda Down the Memory Line—The First Centenary Celebration of Sri Ramakrishna’s Birth 102 Swami Sambuddhananda Five Pointers for Good Governance: Swami Vivekananda’s Ideas and the Politics -
Spiritual Conversations with Swami Shankarananda Swami Tejasananda English Translation by Swami Satyapriyananda (Continued from the Previous Issue)
2 THE ROAD TO WISDOM Swami Vivekananda on Significance of Symbols—III n the heart of all these ritualisms, there Istands one idea prominent above all the rest—the worship of a name. Those of you who have studied the older forms of Christianity, those of you who have studied the other religions of the world, perhaps have marked that there is this idea with them all, the worship of a name. A name is said to be very sacred. In the Bible we read that the holy name of God was considered sacred beyond compare, holy consciously or unconsciously, man found beyond everything. It was the holiest of all the glory of names. names, and it was thought that this very Again, we find that in many different Word was God. This is quite true. What is religions, holy personages have been this universe but name and form? Can you worshipped. They worship Krishna, they think without words? Word and thought worship Buddha, they worship Jesus, and so are inseparable. Try if anyone of you can forth. Then, there is the worship of saints; separate them. Whenever you think, you hundreds of them have been worshipped all are doing so through word forms. The one over the world, and why not? The vibration brings the other; thought brings the word, of light is everywhere. The owl sees it in the and the word brings the thought. Thus the dark. That shows it is there, though man whole universe is, as it were, the external cannot see it. To man, that vibration is only symbol of God, and behind that stands visible in the lamp, in the sun, in the moon, His grand name. -
Handbook of Hinduism Ancient to Contemporary Books on the Related Theme by the Same Author
Handbook of Hinduism Ancient to Contemporary Books on the related theme by the Same Author ● Hinduism: A Gandhian Perspective (2nd Edition) ● Ethics for Our Times: Essays in Gandhian Perspective Handbook of Hinduism Ancient to Contemporary M.V. NADKARNI Ane Books Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi ♦ Chennai ♦ Mumbai Kolkata ♦ Thiruvananthapuram ♦ Pune ♦ Bengaluru Handbook of Hinduism: Ancient to Contemporary M.V. Nadkarni © Author, 2013 Published by Ane Books Pvt. Ltd. 4821, Parwana Bhawan, 1st Floor, 24 Ansari Road, Darya Ganj, New Delhi - 110 002 Tel.: +91(011) 23276843-44, Fax: +91(011) 23276863 e-mail: [email protected], Website: www.anebooks.com Branches Avantika Niwas, 1st Floor, 19 Doraiswamy Road, T. Nagar, Chennai - 600 017, Tel.: +91(044) 28141554, 28141209 e-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Gold Cornet, 1st Floor, 90 Mody Street, Chana Lane, (Mohd. Shakoor Marg), Opp. Masjid, Fort Mumbai - 400 001, Tel.: +91(022) 22622440, 22622441 e-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Flat No. 16A, 220 Vivekananda Road, Maniktala, Kolkata - 700 006, Tel.: +91(033) 23547119, 23523639 e-mail: [email protected] # 6, TC 25/2710, Kohinoor Flats, Lukes Lane, Ambujavilasam Road, Thiruvananthapuram - 01, Kerala, Tel.: +91(0471) 4068777, 4068333 e-mail: [email protected] Resident Representative No. 43, 8th ‘‘A’’ Cross, Ittumadhu, Banashankari 3rd Stage Bengaluru - 560 085, Tel.: +91 9739933889 e-mail: [email protected] 687, Narayan Peth, Appa Balwant Chowk Pune - 411 030, Mobile: 08623099279 e-mail: [email protected] Please be informed that the author and the publisher have put in their best efforts in producing this book. Every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the contents. -
The Vedanta Society of St
The Vedanta Society of St. Louis Swami Chetanananda – Minister and Spiritual Teacher RAMAKRISHNA ORDER OF INDIA July-August 2019 Sunday Services 10:30 a.m. July 7 Early Years of St. Louis Vedanta (video) By First Vedanta Students (1939-1957) 14 Reminiscences of Holy Mother and Swami Brahmananda (video) Swami Bhuteshananda 21 Teachings of Ramakrishna Swami Nirakarananda 28 The Message of the Bhagavad Gita (video) Swami Swananda August 4 Reminiscences of Ramakrishna’s Monastic Disciples (video) Swami Bhuteshananda 11 Satsang Swami Nishpapananda and Swami Nirakarananda 18 How to Cope with Dryness in Spiritual Life (video) Swami Prabuddhananda 25 Reminiscences of Swamis Shivananda and Vijnanananda (video) Swami Lokeswarananda Special Event 10:30 a.m. July 4, Thurs. Vivekananda Festival (205 S. Skinker) Chanting, meditation, symposium, music. Lunch 12:45 p.m No Classes Tuesday or Thursday (Summer Break) Membership in the Society is open to all who accept Vedantic teachings. The Society maintains a rental library for members and stocks books for sale. www.vedantastl.org YouTube: VedantaSTL ALL ARE WELCOME More Than Anyone Else Mother always wanted to feed her children with good items. The first devotee to arrive got the best things, the next got the best of what remained during his turn and so on. Every one was happy and felt that Mother ‘loved him more than anyone else.’ The same love and unbounded affection of Mother to every devotee would sometimes reveal a unique experience in their minds. Nalini Babu tells: “I went one day with Shyamdas Goswami of Beldihar to see Mother. The moment we saw her, she said, ‘Oh, how much distance you have walked! How many difficulties you have faced! First, take some water!’ Keeping both of us near her, she fed us with puffed rice and sandesh. -
Taking Our Temperature
Editorial Taking Our Temperature In the current issue of American Vedantist, we present different perspectives on the Vedanta movement in the West, from Swami Vivekananda’s pioneering work to new models for the future. These perspectives offer a variety of views about the role of Vedanta in the West: how it was presented in the beginning, how it is being lived out in most of our centers at present, and what are our hopes for it in the future. Is Vedanta a universal philosophy independent of any particular religion? Or is it a sophisticated form of Hinduism? How has Vedanta in the West changed since Swami Vivekananda’s original presentation? Do Vedanta Centers in the West have social responsibilities with regard to the surrounding society? Should they undertake social service activities as the Ramakrishna Mission does in India? Have the centers become Hindu temples and cultural centers for a mostly Indian immigrant population? Does it matter? How should they serve what is now an American minority of members? Do native- born Americans, including the children of Indian immigrants, have different needs from the immigrants themselves? Is Indian culture an obstacle to prospective new Western Vedantists? We encourage you, our readers, to send us your opinions on these questions. From its inception, one of AV’s main objectives has been to foster a sense of community among Vedantists in the West through the sharing of views and experiences. Such sharing can encourage us to reexamine our own lives, and can also contribute to strengthening our combined efforts. We have inherited a legacy of high spiritual idealism. -
Ramakrishna Literature Vis-A-Vis the Brahmos
RAMAKRISHNA LITERATURE VIS-A-VIS THE BRAHMOS RUCHIRA MITRA Research Scholar, PP ENG 0054 Rayalaseema University, Andhra Pradesh [Ex HOD, English, Shadan Degree College for Boys, Hyderabad Ex Lecturer, Post Graduate College, OU, Secunderabad] (AP), INDIA. Much of the present day traumatic situation is attributed to people moving away from spiritual readings. But, it is quite difficult to get reliable accounts of saintly lives because they are heavily dependent on miracles and adulation. Neither the matter nor the manner of portrayal carries noteworthy spiritual instruction or any literary merit. In such situation one eminent exception is the contemporary literature based on the life and teachings of the 19th century Hindu saint Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. His contact with the influential Brahmo leaders brought about the genesis of Ramakrishna literature. These are authentic contemporary accounts of the saint’s life and teachings. The writings of the Brahmo admirers of Ramakrishna gave rise to the subsequent literature authored by writers of repute in the last hundred years. This article discusses the mutually enriching relationship between the saint Ramakrishna and the enlightened Brahmos that subsequently gave birth to the vast literature known as Ramakrishna-Vivekananda literature which occupies the pride of place in spiritual literature as they have become very much part of mainstream literature. Key Words: Ramakrishna, Brahmo, Brahmo Movement, Bridge To Eternity, Biography INTRODUCTION The present day “secular” world, full of strife and violence, calls for situating spiritual values in the field of mainstream literature: this is because much of this traumatic situation is attributed to people moving away from spiritual readings. But, it is quite difficult to get reliable accounts of saintly lives. -
Films and Videos on Tibet
FILMS AND VIDEOS ON TIBET Last updated: 15 July 2012 This list is maintained by A. Tom Grunfeld ( [email protected] ). It was begun many years ago (in the early 1990s?) by Sonam Dargyay and others have contributed since. I welcome - and encourage - any contributions of ideas, suggestions for changes, corrections and, of course, additions. All the information I have available to me is on this list so please do not ask if I have any additional information because I don't. I have seen only a few of the films on this list and, therefore, cannot vouch for everything that is said about them. Whenever possible I have listed the source of the information. I will update this list as I receive additional information so checking it periodically would be prudent. This list has no copyright; I gladly share it with whomever wants to use it. I would appreciate, however, an acknowledgment when the list, or any part, of it is used. The following represents a resource list of films and videos on Tibet. For more information about acquiring these films, contact the distributors directly. Office of Tibet, 241 E. 32nd Street, New York, NY 10016 (212-213-5010) Wisdom Films (Wisdom Publications no longer sells these films. If anyone knows the address of the company that now sells these films, or how to get in touch with them, I would appreciate it if you could let me know. Many, but not all, of their films are sold by Meridian Trust.) Meridian Trust, 330 Harrow Road, London W9 2HP (01-289-5443)http://www.meridian-trust/.org Mystic Fire Videos, P.O.