Vedanta and Ramakrishna (Set of 2 Books)

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This set consists of 2 titles:

  1. Vedanta and Ramakrishna (An Old And Rare Book)
  2. Ramakrishna Lives Vedanta
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Item Code: BKNA340
Author: SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA
Publisher: Ramakrishna Mission Institute Of Culture, Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam, Tirupparaitturai
Language: ENGLISH
ISBN: 8187332239, 8180851850
Pages: 928
Cover: Paperback and Hardcover
Other Details 10.00x6.50
Weight 990 gm
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Fully insured
Shipped to 153 countries
Shipped to 153 countries
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100% Made in India
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23 years in business
Book Description
This bundle consists of 2 titles. To know more about each individual title, click on the images below.
Ramakrishna Lives Vedanta

Introduction

The various civilization of the world are all in fact the surging manifestations of ideas. They are the outcome of human thoughts, feeling and aspirations. Social institutions and human achievements originated in the seeds of urges within. Then they steadily grew into the trees of accomplished facts. The ways in which the world and the things in it are made use of by man are determined by the prompting for self-expression. Now among the prevailing civilization the oldest of the old and at the same time the youngest of the young is the civilization of India. This is so because Vedanta is the seed of the tree of life of this ancient land. Vedanta is the Sanatana-beejam, the eternal seed, because of its being identical with Reality. The Indian aspiration has always been the search for the Real in the midst of the non-Real, for Enlightenment in the midst of ignorance, for Immortality in the midst of death. The translating of this supreme aspiration into action may have varied in degree from age to age, but the attempt has not been abandoned at any time; and so India lives through eternity even as her Ideal persists through eternity.

During the last few centuries Vedanta living in our country had sunk to the lowest ebb. Consequently the national life had put on the appearance of a spent up force. The Vedanta philosophy existed as mere intellectual gymnastics in the hands of a few savants scattered over the country. A ghost of Vedanta in the shape of dialectical display and purposeless wrangling could alone be met with occasionally. The flow of the Vedantic life and blood of the nation had almost become frozen.

When this great country had shrunk into this dormant state, Sri Ramakrishna came to give force and drive to the nation life. Its original worth, potentiality and possibilities have all been revealed by this Resuscitator. He condenses in himself the sublime aspirations, the awe-inspiring endeavours and the spiritual achievements of the people of this country ranging over thousands of years. He proves though his personal example that the sublimest of truths pertaining of life are the simple. He infuses the hope and the confidence that these truths are all intensely practical. It is by living for the greatest of the ideals and by making it a part and parcel of its life that a nation rises to divine eminence. To catch the national ideal from Sri Ramakrishna and to fully follow him is the immediate duty of the Indian. And he has to do it consciously and tenaciously. Verily on this rests the emerging again of the ancient glorious India.

This book is no biography of Sri Ramakrishna but a comprehensive study of the Vedantic principles put into practice by him. Nor is this book an attempt at presenting, in the light of the life of this holy man, the Vedantic principles in graded and developing stages. There is in it no such thing as the progressive presentation of the Vedanta philosophy. No sequence therefore need be sought in the chapters following one another. Each chapter in fact consists of a theme complete in itself; so much so, a study and application of it is sufficient to provide light for guiding an aspirant through the maze of life. A thorough-going study of every additional chapter presents a new phase of Vedanta and augment its practice. A complete mastery of the book constitutes practical Vedanta in its entirety; and even an intellectual grasp of it should be able to rid the student and the Sadhaka of all doubts and conflicts.

In order to follow this book closely it is not necessary that a readers should be well acquainted with the biography of the Paramahamsa. Incidents in his life bearing on certain issues are told and retold in order to clarify those issue. Some of the incidents are presented in different settings in order to bring the chosen themes in relief. This repetition of some facts in varying ways for different theses should prove refreshing. Pondering over each theme is what is needed, not a mere perusal of it.

These articles were originally written in Tamil as editorials of the "Dharma-Chakram", the monthly organ of Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam, Tirupparaitturai, Tiruchirappali District. Some of them were subsequently rendered into English and published in the 'Prabiddha Bhatara' and the 'Vedanta Kesari' Now they are all thoroughly revised and brought out in the form of this book consciously or unconsciously modern man is aspiring for universalism. He has outgrown the God-fearing gospel. There is nothing here or hereafter to frighten him into submission. He is not enamoured of a God given to favouritism, to whimsical likes and dislikes. He no longer wants to be tethered to sectarianism, to inherited religions or to anything like a national religion, specially when it runs counter to the truths that he has realized through a diligent study of nature. He has become an enlightened votary of hard of hard facts persistently presented to him by the cosmos. Through a searching study of the working of the universe he has developed a scientific frame of mind, which alone is competed to enter into the realm of Vedanta. It is at the juncture of a psychological crisis that Ramakrishna and Vivekananda have come with the message of Vedanta, the Ancient Wisdom. Vedanta kills superstition. It demolishes the narrow walls of bigotry and fanaticism. It delivers man from all shackles born of ignorance. It leads the aspirants to Life Eternal, Love Infinite and Light Absolute. What the enlightened man has been searching for, Ramakrishna and Vivekananda have come to offer. Vedanta will be the future religion of humanity. There is no provision in it for selection and segregation. Vedanta as lived and demonstrated by Ramakrishna is what needs to given to the modern man.

It is the message that makes one a messenger. It is for carrying the message that the messenger is honoured. But if people choose to laud the messenger and ignore the message they sadly miss the point. Vivekananda took care to see that the message of Vedanta was properly delivered, while the messenger of it, Ramakrishna was ever kept in the background, even to the point of being unnoticed. In this no loss is incurred, nor is there any straying from the path. But if one chooses to adore Ramakrishna and to ignore the Vedanta he offers, great is the loss to that one. Such an act of putting the personality in the forefront however piously done will go to nullify the advent of the Master. There is a drift and tendency today to ardently worship Ramakrishna the messenger and to cast to the winds the message he carried. On the occasion of the celebration of the centenary of Vivekananda, we deem it a fitting offering to the Master and to people to present the Vedanta as lived by the Master. In this prayerful attitude is this book released.

Contents

Service To Fellow – Beings

 
Chapter I
Page
Priesthood   1
  Master in Varying Settings – Inherent Tendency – The Priestly Function – A hazardous Profession – The Paramahamsa's Mode – The Temple Providentially Designed For Him – Worshipper Lost in worship – worship Crossing Scriptural Tradition – Attitude to Paid Office – A Slap on the Patron's Cheek – Types of life Careers.  
 
Chapter II
 
Scriptural Authority   27
  Function of Scripture – The Paramahamsa's Approach – The Spirit of the Scriptures – Total Dependence on Divinity – The Sanctity in Temples – Yogic Experience – The Power of the Mantra - Sanctified Food – Wounded Physique – The Three-fold Authority.  
 
Chapter III
 
Brahmanahood   50
  Our National Ideal – Worth Related to Birth – A life given to Worship – Subordinate to One – Humility Born of Greatness – The Compassionate One – Unknown to Poverty – Life Raised Above Competition – The Truly Twice – Born.  
 
Chapter IV
 
God-Knowledge   82
  Responding to Higher Urge – Revealing Incidents – Knowledge: Secular and Sacred – The Paramahamsa's Schooling – Language in the Spiritual Field – The Paramahamsa's Universalism – The Way of the Great Ones.  
 
Chapter V
 
Sense-Sublimation   106
  The Gate Ways of the Senses – Is Senses-Control Necessary? – The Way of Sense-Control – The right self-control – The Negative way – The Way of The Paramahamsa – Gates to the Beyond.  
 
Chapter VI
 
Swami Vivekananda   135
  Complementary Entities – The Inseparable Two Today – The Divine Longing in the Master – Narendra's Graces – The Seer Sees – Getting into Disciplehood – One Testing The Other – The Fulfilment.  
 
Chapter VII
 
Sri Sarada Devi   165
  Mind-Impresses – Providentially Espoused – A Life Untouched by Woridliness – Life Training – Unison in the Ideal – The Climax of the Unison – Spiritual Mother to Mankind.  
 
Chapter VIII
 
    196
  What Constitutes Our Society – The Paramahamsa's Interest in the World – Love for the Lowly – The Paramahamsa's Alter-ego – The Enlightened Ones Serve On.  
 
Chapter IX
 
Antipathy To Advertisement   214
  Dharma – The Law – Advertisement Everywhere – Its Omnipotence – Is Advertising Amoral? – Life – Intense But Unadvertised – Lost to the World In God-Lunacy – Bees Seek the Blossom – What Hurt the Paramahamsa – A Supplication of His – Warning a Devotee – Swami Vivekananda Also shuns Advertisement.  
 
Chapter X
 
A Model Householder   233
  Two Types of Teachers – The Greatness of the Family Life – Self-mastery in Household Life – The Paramahamsa's Matrimony – Ideal Helpmate – Seeking Wealth – Mutual Adoration – Hospitality – Progeny.  
 
Chapter XI
 
Sex Ideology   255
  The Social Structure – Is Woman a Snare? – Is not Man a Snare? – The Basic Way – The Example of the Paramahamsa – In Ataman is no Sex.  
 
Chapter XII
 
Monasticism Recharged   275
  The Plan of Nature – The Penance of Siva and Sakti – The Asceticism of Sri Rama and Sita – The Asceticism of Sri Ramakrishna and His Spouse – Monasticism Defined – The Ascetic Children of the Paramahamsa – The Glory of Monasticism.  
 
Chapter XIII
 
Religions Harmonized   301
  Basic Unity – The Movements – Means and Methods – Hazardous Paths – One Reality Labelled Divirsely – The Four Great Paths – Faiths of Alien Origin – Atheism so called – The Great Lesson.  
 
Chapter XIV
 
Society Recast   326
  The Way of the Enlightened – Are The Lowly Really Low? Tradition Has Its Place – Slum Becomes Sanctuary – The Philosopher's Stone.  
 
Chapter XV
 
Spiritual Ministry   347
  The Mystic World – Mantra-Mind Affinity – Self-effort – Types of Initiation – The Paramahamsa Pattern – The Vedantic Way – The Duty of The Disciples.  
 
Chapter XVI
 
Life Education   378
  An Imposed Alien System – Ramakrishna Revolts – The Truly Educated – Education for Subordination – Antithetic to National ideals – Education for Selfishness – Dedication.  
 
Chapter XVII
 
The instituted Religions   400
  Triads in Religions – The Goal – The Paths – The Instrument – Religions Compared – The Way of Viewing The Guru – Types Among Seekers – Limitations of Instituted Religions.  
 
Chapter XVIII
 
Established In Perfection   429
  The Descent of the Divine – Creeds Contained in Beliefs – The Ten Incarnations – Classification of the Great Ones – Perfection from Boyhood – The Yuga Dharma – The Sanatana Dharma – Purity of Mind – The Real and the Apparent – Brahman In itself.  
Glossary   470

 

Sample Pages










Vedanta and Ramakrishna

From the Jacket

Swami Swahananda, a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order of India, is the minister and spiritual leader of the Vedanta Society of Southern California. He joined the Ramakrishna Order in 1947 and received sannyasa, final vows, in 1956.

After joining the order, he served in the Madras Math and, later, as editor of the Order's scholarly publication, the Vedanta Kesari. He came to the United states in 1968 as the Assistant Minister of the San Francisco Vedanta Society and was later appointed head of the Vedanta Society of Berkeley, California. Immediately prior to coming to this country, the swami was head of the Delhi Centre, the premier centre of the Ramakrishna Order in the capital of India.

In December of 1976 he was transferred to Hollywood, the headquarters of the Vedanta Society ;of Southern California, where he remains the minister today.

In the late 1980s he was invited to lecture in Moscow and provide spiritual guidance. The swami gives lectures regularly at the Vedanta branch centres in Southern California. He also lectures in many places throughout North America.

Swami Swahananda is the author of many books and articles on religious life and spirituality including: Meditation and Other Spiritual Disciplines; Hindu Symbology and Other Essays, and Service and Spirituality. The present book, Vedanta and Ramakrishna, is a collection of some of his articles and lectures.

Publisher's Note

We are happy to bring out this book, Vedanta and Ramakrishna, by Swami Swahananda, Minister-in-charge of the Vedanta Society of Southern California, the Vedanta Centre of Greater Washington, D. C., and the Vivekananda Retreat at Ridgely. Most of the articles in this book have been previously printed in different journals, and the rest are based on lectures given by the swami at different places.

According to the author, Pamela (Prem) Reid helped to transcribe and edit the material, and without her zeal and labour of love this book would not have seen the light of day. Also, Amrita, Evelyn, Richard, and others helped to go through the material and arrange it, and they gave suggestions for improvement. Fritz Peters (Niranjan) designed the cover. We are thankful to all of them.

This book is meant to popularize the message of Sri Ramakrishna, and thus some repetitions have been retained for the sake of clarity. However, we are sure this book will be appreciated by readers, as his previous books have been.

**Contents and Sample Pages**



















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