A message of love, compassion and the
spiritual unity of
humankind from one of India’s
visionary teachers
Vivekananda’s message gives us hope
for the future. His love for humanity gave him the mandate for
his message, and his innate purity gave him an irresistible
power that nobody could match. The same love that was born as
Buddha, the Compassionate One, once again assumed human form as
Vivekananda.
—from the Introduction
At the World’s Parliament of
Religions in Chicago in 1893, a young Hindu monk caused a
sensation. At the utterance of his simple opening
words—“Sisters and Brothers of
America”—the audience broke into spontaneous
applause for Swami Vivekananda. What followed was a stunning
speech about the validity and unity of all religions. In just a
little over a century, Vivekananda’s message has spread
throughout the world.
In this book for spiritual seekers of all
faiths and backgrounds, and for all who yearn for solutions to
the ideological conflicts that threaten our world, Swami
Adiswarananda presents a selection of Vivekananda’s most
profound and inspiring lectures and an intimate glimpse of his
life through newspaper reports from the time, personal
reminiscences from disciples and others close to him, and
impressions of his life and message from world leaders. A
chapter by Swami Nikhilananda, founder of the
Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center of New York, offers a
fascinating view of Vivekananda’s spiritual mission to
America—a mission that brought the ideals of spiritual
freedom and spiritual democracy to the forefront of Western
religious thought.
“This extraordinary collection
touches the heart. Essential for anyone seeking to understand
the evolution of spiritual thought in America.”
—Joshua
M. Greene, historian and author of Here Comes the Sun: The Spiritual Journey of
George Harrison
“For individuals everywhere facing
this fractured and confusing world and seeking the harmony and
solidarity that is their true nature…. Fulfills a vital
need.”
—Nirupam
Sen, Permanent Representative of
India to the United Nations
“Successfully captures the essence
of Vivekananda’s humanistic world view. This collection
will be of tremendous interest to all those seeking an
alternative vision for our own troubled times.”
—Dr.
Michael S. Russo, director of
international education and associate professor of philosophy,
Molloy College
