John Schlenck: A Personal Reflection
John Schlenck: A Personal Reflection by Br. Shankara (Gary Kemper) Interim Coordinating Editor, American Vedantist Resident Minister, Vedanta Center of Atlanta John Schlenck was a great devotee of Ramakrishna-Holy Mother-Vivekananda Vedanta, deeply committed to its...
Christopher Isherwood and Vedanta
by Anna and Jon Monday Christopher Isherwood is a multifaceted character, each facet with its own fan base. While most popularly known as a celebrated writer, the creator of the source materials for some blockbuster musicals and films, and a vanguard of gay rights...
Reminiscences of Direct Disciples of Sri Ramakrishna by Swami Shraddhananda
From the Monastery Notebook of Swami Yogeshananda [Posted by permission of the author.] Swami Shraddhananda, born in East Bengal (now Bangladesh) in 1907, was a disciple of Swami Shivananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. He joined the Ramakrishna Order in 1930...
The Ras Lila
by Russell Atkinson There is a Hindu doctrine that the universe and life are the outcome of a joyful creative spirit at play. Evolution is play and our human life is too. They call it the Ras Lila—divine play. I suppose it must seem, at best, a poetic piece of fantasy...
God’s Play and the Problem of Evil
by John Schlenck Proponents of the play (Lila) theory of the universe are sometimes accused of not taking evil and suffering seriously enough. In The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna[1], a young visitor to Ramakrishna[2] protests, “But this play of God is our death.” The...
Reminiscences of Swami Prabuddhananda
Swami Prabuddhananda, Minister-in-Charge of the Vedanta Society of Northern California, San Francisco since 1970, passed away on July 2, 2014 at the age of 84. He was born in Karnataka state, India, in 1929, and joined the Ramakrishna Order in his early 20s. Before...
Tributes to Beatrice Bruteau
American Vedantist remembers with gratitude the service Beatrice Bruteau rendered as co-editor and contributor from the journal’s inception in 1995 until 2007. Beatrice was one of the most significant spiritual philosophers of our time. She passed away on November 16....
Mahatma Gandhi and the Bhagavad Gita
by Uma Majmudar, Ph.D. No other book or scripture influenced Gandhi, shaped his character, and transformed his life as profoundly and permanently as did the Bhagavad Gita. Among the many books he read, “Gita” alone became an unfailing source of strength and solace to...
