Swami Adbhutananda was a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. Although he never underwent any formal education, he was a perfect knower of God and a personification of simplicity, straightforwardness and spirituality. This book is a translation of the original Bengali Sri Sri Latu Maharajer Smritikatha written by Chandrashekar Chattopadhyay. It is a charming account of Adbhutananada’s association with Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda and other disciples. It also provides intimate glimpses of his austere life, devotion to God, dispassion towards the world, and intense spiritual practices.
This book is a collection of precious reminiscences of Swami Ramakrishnananda, who was a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna and who pioneered the Ramakrishna movement in southern India. Along with the reminiscences recorded by both monks and lay devotees, the book contains a short biographical sketch of Swami Ramakrishnananda, reports and descriptions of his mahasamadhi, Swami Vivekananda’s letters to the Swami, and appendices containing the accounts of his influences in various places and people. The articles in this book are mainly drawn from the Bengali work Ramakrishnanander Smriti Mala, Tar Patro O Rachanasangraha and from the archives of the monthlies The Vedanta Kesari, Prabuddha Bharata, Vedanta for East and West, and Brahmavadin. This book will help the readers to comprehend Swami Ramakrishnananda’s distinct, grand and saintly personality.
In today’s India, the scene that presents itself before any impartial observer is a welter of conflicting ideologies amidst drift and restlessness. In such a situation, the youth of the country are restive. They seek an answer. Swami Vivekananda’s words, touching upon every facet of our national life, provide answers to questions that agitate both the individual and society. Vivekananda's words are as pertinent today as when they were uttered more than a hundred years ago and his words carry an appeal not just to the people of India, but to the nation of humankind. The book published by Advaita Ashrama, a publication house of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, is a compilation of short excerpts taken from the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda arranged under the following headings: Faith and Strength Powers of the mind Man: The Maker of his Destiny Education and Society Serve Man as God Religion and Ethics India: Our Motherland Other Exhortations The first third of the book presents a brief life of Swami Vivekananda.
Swami Adbhutananda, or Latu Maharaj, was one of the sixteen monastic disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. Swami Vivekananda called him Sri Ramakrishna’s greatest miracle. He remarked upon Latu Maharaj’s uniqueness saying: “Latu progressed so quickly in the spiritual realm that, considering the different circumstances of his background and ours, he is far greater than us. We were all born of high ancestry and came to the Master with an intellect refined by formal education whereas Latu was entirely illiterate. If we did not care to meditate or do other spiritual practices, we could escape such a mood by studying. But Latu had no other recourse. He had to hold on to a single idea throughout his life. Starting from a very ordinary and low state, by keeping his mind unruffled by meditation and other spiritual practices alone, Latu became fit to receive the highest spiritual wealth. This indicates his inner potential power and the limitless grace of our Master.” Published by Advaita Ashrama, a publication house of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, this is an English translation of ‘Sat Katha’ in Bengali by Swami Siddhananda. The translation was completed in 2012 and thereafter serialized in the monthly Prabuddha Bharata. Swami Siddhananda was Latu Maharaj’s attendant and was fortunate to hear the spiritual instructions which flowed from him. He published a number of his talks serially in the Udbodhan magazine under the title Satkatha which later was published in book form.
This is an enlarged edition of our earlier publication, the Apostles of Sri Ramakrishna. The book contains the life and teachings of the sixteen monastic disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. Brief life sketches of some of the lay disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, both men and women, have also been added. Compiled and Edited by Swami Gambhirananda and published by Advaita Ashrama, a publication house of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, India, readers will find in this work invaluable guidance and instructions for enriching their spiritual life, as well as plenty of much needed inspiration.
Meditation empowers us to transcend our material mind-set and touch the Infinite and Eternal. “True meditation transforms the way we see reality.... It touches the place inside us where a spark of the Eternal dwells. Meditation unites us with our true Self.” —from the Introduction The life of meditation is much more than the act of sitting for half an hour or forty-five minutes and looking inward. It is a whole way of life. Through meditation we learn to live in a heightened awareness and walk at all times in the presence of God. Rabbi Yoel Glick brings wisdom from personal experience and Eastern traditions to illuminate and vitalize familiar Jewish rituals, vocabulary and imagery. He provides specific guidelines and practical techniques grounded in Judaism for each stage of the life of meditation, outlining the inner processes we encounter and the questions we face: How does meditation help us connect with the Collective Jewish Soul?What happens in our mind, body and soul when we meditate? How do we resist the pull of a material mind-set and live in expanded consciousness? What does it feel like to reach union with our spiritual source? • How do we remain aware of God’s living presence in our everyday life?
Excerpt: "Liberty is the first condition of growth. Just as man must have liberty to think and speak, so must he have liberty in food, dress, and marriage, and in every other thing as long as he does not injure others."
