Stories Of Vedanta Monks

Stories of Vedanta Monks presents the reminiscences of the Second-Generation Monks of the Ramakrishna Order. The monastic disciples of Sri Ramakrishna constitute the first generation; their disciples in turn constitute the second. The second-generation monks had not seen Sri Ramakrishna. Nevertheless, they met many of the first-generation monks who had lived with Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, and Swami Vivekananda. Just as the direct impact of the Holy Trio on the life and character of the first-generation monks is marked and distinct, so is the impact of the first generation of monks on the second. They are repositories of invaluable information about Sri Ramakrishna, his monastic disciples, and the glorious traditions of the Ramakrishna Order. The author, Swami Chetanananda, had close associations with some of these monks and has put on record the information that he gathered from them. In and through the life events of these monks, we find brahmavidya (Knowledge of Brahman) pervading their thoughts, speech, and actions in so many ways. The behavioural standards set by them and sacred traditions followed in the Ramakrishna monasteries also stand revealed. When carefully protected and passed on to the next generation, it is these living traditions and practices that become the conduit for the spiritual force and Divine knowledge that emanated from Sri Ramakrishna to pass on and enrich one and all. Published by Advaita Ashrama, a publication branch of Ramakrishna Math. Belur, this is volume 1 of the reminiscences and is a translation of the Bengali title ‘Prachin Sadhuder Katha – Vol. 1

This book published by Advaita Ashrama, a publication house of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, presents the teachings of Vedanta in an easy-to-read form through captivating stories from the Upanishads, the Puranas, and inspiring anecdotes from the lives of Shankaracharya, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, and a few other seers of Truth.

The biographies of twenty-eight of the principal lay disciples of Ramakrishna. Includes new material about Ramakrishna previously unavailable in English.

This is a compilation of 134 reminiscences of Swami Ranganathananda, presenting his multi-faceted personality in an inspiring as well as interesting manner. The Swami, in his long monastic career of about eight decades, had contributed in diverse fields, of which the most significant and notable one, for which he was reputed all over the world, was his contribution as the cultural and spiritual ambassador of India to the world. A very colourful picture of the Swami thus emerges out of the pages of this book. Published by Advaita Ashrama, a publication house of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, India.

This book discusses the traditional modes of monasticism and compares them with the modern monastic way of life as seen in the Ramakrishna Order. With the changing times, monasticism too has to grow and assume new forms to adapt to the new situations. Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda brought about this change in the outward form of Indian monasticism without deviating from the eternal principles. Here the readers will get an overview of monasticism in general, and the Ramakrishna monasticism in particular. Published by Advaita Ashrama, a publication house of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, India.