by Esther Warkov
The second edition of Remembering Sri Sarada Devi’s Disciple: Swami Aseshananda As We Knew Him is now available to read online. This new edition includes reminiscences collected after the publication of the book, which was published in 2010. The online version is posted on www.VedantaWritings.com, a sister website to www.VedantaVideo.com, which offers free viewing of lectures and retreats by Swamis of the Ramakrishna Order, and others. As an online book, it allows for new contributions to be added in the future.
Swami Aseshananda (1899 – 1996) was immersed in the great monastic tradition of the Ramakrishna Order. He was initiated by Sri Sarada Devi, knew direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, and served as Swami Saradananda’s personal secretary. After serving in Varanasi, Madras, New York, Boston, and Southern California, Swami Aseshananda was appointed the swami-in-charge of the Vedanta Society of Portland, Oregon.
Remembering Sri Sarada Devi’s Disciple: Swami Aseshananda As We Knew Him bears testimony to the life-transforming power of this exemplary teacher through the words of the monks, nuns, disciples, and devotees who knew him.
In the words of reviewer John Schlenck (OBM), the publication provides “… a living sense of the swami as he touched and transformed the lives of those who came to him. In their immediacy and variety, these reminiscences provide a rounded, multi-textured portrait of the swami; in their remarkable candor and directness, they bring us a genuine, living person, not an edited, air-brushed saint. The endearing human qualities and eccentricities are all there, along with deep spirituality and inspired teaching.” Read the complete review in American Vedantist.
The online publication includes historic photos, a broadcast video interview with Swami Aseshananda, The Lotus and the Flame: Monastic Teachings of Swami Aseshananda, letters, and other archival material.
Watch a short introductory video about the new edition and read on the Vedanta Writings page. To contribute or add to an existing reminiscence, please contact esther_warkov@comcast.net.
Esther Warkov, Ph.D., lives in Seattle, Washington. Before retiring, she worked as an ethnomusicologist and music instructor. Esther is Co-founder and Executive Director of Stop Sexual Assault in Schools (SSAIS.org). Email her at esther_warkov@comcast.net
