This compilation by Advaita Ashrama, a publication centre of Ramakrishna Math, is a documentation of selected notes and utterances of Swami Vivekananda about himself and his work. These are arranged chronologically so as to form what may be called a near autobiography of the saint.

With historical-critical analysis and dialogical even-handedness, the essays of this book re-assess the life and legacy of Swami Vivekananda, forged at a time of colonial suppression, from the vantage point of socially-engaged religion at a time of global dislocations and international inequities. Due to the complexity of Vivekananda as a historical figure on the cusp of late modernity with its vast transformations, few works offer a contemporary, multi-vocal, nuanced, academic examination of his liberative vision and legacy in the way that this volume does. It brings together North American, European, British, and Indian scholars associated with a broad array of humanistic disciplines towards critical-constructive, contextually-sensitive reflections on one of the most important thinkers and theologians of the modern era.

An intimate portrait of the little-known aspects of Swami Vivekananda’s life. Wandering mystic, India’s spiritual ambassador to the West and founder of the Ramakrishna Mission, Swami Vivekananda awakened India’s masses to the country’s spiritual richness while stressing the importance of scientific inquiry. These aspects of Swamiji’s life have been well chronicled by Swamiji himself, through his letters, speeches and writings; his own brothers who between them have written more than a hundred books; his co-disciples, disciples and others whose lives were enriched by their interactions with him; and, more than a century after his death, followers who had only read or heard of the magnetic personality of this revered teacher. Gleaned from all these sources, through painstaking research Sankar’s biography focuses on the personal life of the saint: What was Vivekananda like as a man? What role did his mother play in his life, both before and after he renounced all family ties? Could he reconcile the duties of a monk with the duties of an eldest son? What prompted him to promote Vedanta and biriyani in the West? Did the long drawn battles over family property affect his health and cut short his life? Did his sister commit suicide? Why did his brother not write a single letter for six years when he was wandering around the world? What was Swamiji’s favourite dish and what fruit did he like the least? What was his height? Where did he have his second heart attack? How much did the Calcutta doctor charge him at his chamber? Sankar’s composite picture of the monk as man has sold over one lakh copies in Bengali and this translation brings the unfamiliar Vivekananda to a larger readership.

The Vedanta was an inseparable part of Swami Vivekananda’s personality. He lived and breathed this philosophy while preaching it to India and the west. While Vivekananda’s landmark address at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893 established him as modern India’s great spiritual leader, his popularity and appeal is attributed to his ability to integrate his human side with his profound spiritual side. In this beautifully written biography, Chaturvedi Badrinath liberates Vivekananda from the confines of the worship room and offers an unforgettable insight into the life of a man who was the very embodiment of the Vedanta that he preached.

Swami Vivekananda has revealed himself with even greater appeal in his intimate and informal conversations with his disciples than in his preaching in public. In these talks published by Advaita Ashrama, a publication house of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, he gives directions about spiritual practice and meditation, discusses the highest philosophy, and in the next breath discusses the problems of national regeneration, social reform, educational ideals, and other such topics.

“The Powers Of The Mind” is a speech delivered at Los Angeles, California, on January 8, 1900 by Swami Vivekananda explained his thoughts on the Powers of the Mind. This book brings together that speech for followers everywhere in his exact words.