Like Rolling River Free

Like Rolling River Free highlights three central characters: Swami Saradananda, Sara Bull, and Sarah Farmer, who played a critical role in the growth of American spirituality. The author examines Swami Saradananda’s life in detail, weaving together strands from America’s religious and cultural history. In the process, she reveals the importance of two women: Sara Bull, the daughter of a senator and the wife of a famous musician who became one of Swami Vivekananda’s most significant supporters and trusted disciples; and Sarah Farmer, the creator of the Greenacre Conferences. The book details the captivating family history of both Bull and Farmer, providing readers a detailed view of nineteenth-century America. But most striking is the book’s portrayal of Saradananda, who was Sri Ramakrishna’s one of the most influential disciple. His contributions to the Ramakrishna Order provided it with essential guidance and they continue to reverberate today. Join the author as she explores how Saradananda spread a message of religious harmony as you learn about Vedanta, one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy.

The Holy Feet of Illumined Souls on Earth "From dreams awake, from bonds be free. Know the Truth! Thou art He; thou art She." The Rishis of India, knowers of Truth, in seeking the ultimate welfare and highest good for all of humanity throughout the ages, pioneered an unprecedented myriad of religious and philosophical systems. These availed the aspiring soul of a copious network of wisdom pathways, opening inwards to the Light of Nondual Reality. Veda, Tantra, Sankhya. Nyaya. Vaishesika, Purva Mimamsa, Vedanta, Yoga, Buddhism, Patanjala (Yoga), Sikhism, Jainism, Vaishnavism. Shaivism, Shaktism. Sourism, Ganapatya — the list goes on and on. This reveals a universal vision the likes of which was never before seen in any country or conceived of by any other race of human beings. Here is not only one holy book, or merely one divine incarnation, or just a single prophet, but dozens to hundreds of each, all supported, maintained, and lovingly transmitted by countless luminaries stretching back millennia B.C.E. India therefore stands as an exceptional example before the eyes of the world. The main principle which makes her so is realization of and adherence to Truth, as demonstrated and elucidated upon in this book. It is founded upon the natural acceptance of the presence of God as Existence Itself. This Truth was tempered on earth over millennia in the fires of spiritual practice, infusing Vedic philosophy and religion with many important keys concerning the attainment of direct spiritual experience. The subtitle of this book, "Charting the Timeless Wisdom of Mother India," proves itself through 299 charts, all created to transmit the depth and breadth of India's dharmic teachings, and replete with thorough and in-depth commentaries.

Swami Turiyananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, was a rare combination of extreme asceticism, sympathy, devotional fervour, scholarship and modern outlook. This book, by Swami Ritajananda, contains incidents, conversation, and extracts from diaries of disciples on the life and teachings of the great Swami. A fine note on Swami Turiyananda in the midst of the peaceful Shanti Ashrama setting, published in the San Francisco Chronicle, is included in this volume as an appendix. This book will appeal to all spiritual seekers who will find the treasurable spiritual values embedded in the life and teachings of Turiyananda.

Published by Advaita Ashrama, a publication house of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, this is Volume 4 of the nine volume series constituting 'The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda'. In these volumes we have not only a gospel to the world at large, but also, to its own children, the Charter of the Hindu faith. For the first time in history, Hinduism itself forms here the subject of generalization of a Hindu mind of the highest order. What Hinduism had needed was the organizing and consolidating of its own idea, a rock where she could lie at anchor, and an authoritative utterance in which she might recognise herself. What the world had needed was a faith that had no fear of truth. Both are found in the words and writings of Swami Vivekananda. It is the latest gospel of a modern Prophet of religion and spirituality to the mankind.

This is a faithful record of a series of talks given by Swami Vivekananda to a group of his intimate friends and disciples who gathered around him at a quite out-of- the-way cottage in Thousand Island Park on the St. Lawrence river. These talks, not being regular lectures, were taken in long hand and safely preserved by a loving lady disciple, Miss S. E. Waldo. Those inspiring words were first brought out as a book in 1908 by Swami Ramakrishnananda to bring comfort and solace to all souls.The language is simple and concise, appealing straight to the heart and the intellect as well. Swami Vivekananda, known to many as a thundering orator and a convincing debator, is seen here like a peaceful Vedic rishi sitting in the midst of a few ardent souls, mildly disseminating the message of peace and bliss and uttering words of profoundest wisdom.Apart from an introductory narrative by Miss S. E. Waldo, this book also contains prefaces written by Swami Ramakrishnananda and Sister Devamata.

Every religion provides for monastics. Monasticism may be a way of life only for a few, but the spirit of monasticism must animate the soul of every spiritual seeker. This collection of essays explains the ideals of monasticism and its practice in various eastern and western traditions.Contributors include: Swamis Vivekananda, Lokeswarananda, and Swahananda along with western writers Stuart Elkman and Father Gregory Elmer, O.S.B. These articles were originally published in the 1990 Special Number of the Vedanta Kesari and are now presented in book form so that its message may reach a wider audience.

In the pages of this book one comes across a brilliant exposition of the philosophy of Vedanta and its practice through the method of enquiry and discrimination. These lectures were delivered by Swami Vivekananda at London and New York. The great Swami's exposition of this abstruse subject makes its comprehension easy even for an uninformed yet astute reader. Published by Advaita Ashrama, a publication centre of Ramakrishna Math, this is one of the best books dealing with the 'Path of Discrimination' for attaining the summum bonum of human life and hence very important, not only for the seekers of truth, but also for the academicians and students of Vedanta.

Text from all nine volumes of Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda as well some unpublished material is available here. All proceeds are donated to Advaita Ashrama, India