Vivekananda the Revolutionary
Most revolutionaries are remembered for one particular revolution: George Washington for the American revolution against British imperial rule, Adam Smith for the creation of modern political economics, Lenin for the Communist revolution in Russia, Einstein for superseding Newton and creating modern physics, Haydn for creating modern musical structure.
Ramakrishna, the Personal God, and the Problem of Suffering
by Pravrajika Shuddhatmaprana This article was originally published in a slightly shorter form in Purushottama, a souvenir publication by Sri Ramakrishna Sarada Sangha, Kolkata, in celebration of the 175th birth anniversary of Sri Ramakrishna. In The Gospel of Sri...
Keeping Our Eyes on the Ball
by William Page Sri Ramakrishna declared that the purpose of human life is to realize God.[1] That is a bold undertaking. Some will say it’s hubristic. What makes us think we’re so great that we can reach up to heaven, grab God by the hem of his robe, and drag him...
Durga Puja
by Devadatta Kali There are basically two ways to the Divine. One, called bhaktimarga, is the path of devotion. It concerns relationship. As devotees we seek a relationship with the divine Beloved, which we cultivate through adoration, love, worship, and...
Vedanta for Agnostics
by John Schlenck In modern times spiritual aspirants are confronted by the dominance of the scientific worldview, based on reason and on data gathered through the senses. Empirical verification is the test of truth. Traditional religious philosophies have been...
Freedom
by James Merryman Imagine arising from a deep sleep on a life raft in the middle of a shoreless ocean and with no memory of the past. Three basic questions would come to mind: Where did I come from? Where am I going? Who am I? Of the three questions, Who...
Ramakrishna’s Realization and Integral Vedanta
by Sister Gayatriprana a. Introduction This article was inspired by an essay in the summer-fall edition of American Vedantist: “Ramakrishna’s Highest Realization: Original Insights from Swami Siddheshwarananda” by Professor Steven Walker. This swami, a disciple of...
Appreciating the Significance of the Opening of the Bhagavad Gita
Some canonical sacred texts open with a real bang, such as: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Gospel of John); “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was without form and void” (Book of Genesis); or “In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy!”, which are Koranic verses that are chanted by Moslems every day at their prayers.
