Modern Writings on Vedanta

'The Life of Vivekananda and the Universal Gospel' is a biography of Swami Vivekananda written by the French author Romain Rolland in 1920s. In the book, it is evident that the author does not believe that India has had any role in shaping global thought and culture, and nor does he believe that the philosophy of the Upanishads has influenced Western thought in any way. As a rebuttal to Rolland's view on the subject, Swami Ashokananda wrote an article which was published serially in 1931 in the English journal 'Prabuddha Bharata'. Since the article is of great relevance even today, it is being published in a book form under the same title.

The discriminative faculty is the rarest possession of mankind. How can we learn to use it well?

The author, Swami Apurvananda, was a highly revered monk of the Ramakrishna Order. Besides being an intimate disciple of Holy Mother, Sri Sarada devi, he was blessed with the opportunity to live among the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, and serve them in various ways. Originally published as 'Devaloke' in Bengali, this book presents his experiences of living in the company of those divine beings.

The author's memories of holy association with ten of Sri Ramakrishna's direct disciples.

A Vedanta Kesari Presentation

A factual and reverential exposition of the Hindu concept of God, the Mother, through stories, historic references, a philosophical overview, and vivid descriptions of the Dakshineswar Kali temple.

Reflective thoughts on the divine mother of the universe blended with extraordinary insight into the cosmic aspect of the Kali ideal.

A vast collection of letters, relating to Nivedita's public as well as private life, written between the years 1898 and 1911. They give a vivid picture of her struggles to adapt to Indian life, to establish her work for Indian women, and to further India's quest for independence.

The author, Swami Ashokananda, is renowned for his thought-provoking lectures and articles on Vedanta philosophy and its practical application in daily life. This book borrows its title from an inspired utterance of Swami Vivekananda which forms the subject of the Swami’s deliberations presented herein as the first lecture. By his forceful lectures based on deep reasoning, the Swami turns our attention to the Divine within. The lectures and articles included here were earlier published in the Prabuddha Bharata and the Vedanta Kesari, the two English monthly journals of the Ramakrishna Order. The articles included are: Let us be God; God and the other God; Free will or predestination? Thinking versus meditation; The quest for power; Reality as the Supreme person; The great lie; The religion of the future and the future of religion; Sri Sankaracharya: A study; Swami Vivekananda, the Ideal for the modern age.

A colorful and inspirational portrait of Indian monastic life drawn from the author's personal contact with many senior swamis belonging to the second generation of monks of the Ramakrishna Order.