Conversations with Swami Premeshananda (1884-1967) a disciple of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi.
Question: The infinite knowledge and infinite power that abide in me have taken the form of incarnation: of Sri Ramakrishna and Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, Isn’t that so?
Maharaj: Yes, Brahman without attributes has endowed Itself with attributes through maya. But do you perceive that you are that infinite power? Of course you don’t. You see that you are a human being – you also see the incarnation. Again, when you attain knowledge of Brahman, you see that you had never been, and similarly, incarnations too are untrue. But so long as you think you are this body, and then pray, He responds and helps you.
The fact is that when we pray, our mental powers increase and we feel that there is somebody behind us; and this itself increases our capacity for self-effort. Hanuman Singh’s victory came about this way. 1 Take the case of two students who are equally intelligent, hardworking, and have equal opportunities. One of them works hard throughout the year and then prays to God before the examination; –he will perform well in the exam. However, if the other boy who has not at all studied the whole year, calls upon God just before the exams, it will not help him to do well in the exam. If you don’t put to good use the power that you have up to the last dot, nothing comes out of prayer.
Question: Often I have two ideas about the same thing, and I and don’t know which is good and which is bad. What if I lean towards the bad path, reasoning that it is the better choice?
This story is from the March 2019 edition of The Vedanta Kesari.
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This story is from the March 2019 edition of The Vedanta Kesari.
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Panchakroshi Parikrama of Varanasi
At the snow-capped Kailas, the Divine Lord Shiva was seated with Mother Parvati.
Gadai and the Monks
A fictional narrative based on incidents from the childhood of Sri Ramakrishna.
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We are happy to present what, to the best of our knowledge, is a hitherto unknown interview given by Swami Vivekananda in French language to a newspaper in France. Interestingly the interview was published on 11 September 1900, exactly seven years after Swamiji burst upon the world from the platform of the Parliament of Religions in Chicago. Swami Surarchitananda discovered this interview during an online archive search and Ms. Irina Croitor has translated it into English.
'Pandit Ji Maharaj' Par Excellence: Swami Vipulananda
In 1933, the Annamalai University of Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu was bustling with activity in connection with the imminent visit by the British Governor, George Fredrick Stanley of Madras Presidency. He was to chair the Convocation at the University.
Reminiscences of Sargachhi
All the doctors, teachers, engineers you see, are doing social service. Our education system teaches 'service to the society'- this is the objective side of man.
Mon Ekbaar Hori Bolo... Songs dear to Sri Ramakrishna
Sri Ramakrishna loved songs. There probably was no normal day when he did not sing some songs. His conversations with devotees were interspersed with songs that drove home the point of discussion and intensified the spiritual mood of the gathering. Sri Ramakrishner Priyo Sangeet is a collection of songs that were sung by Sri Ramakrishna or sung in his presence by others. In this section we serialise these songs giving the English and Devanagari transliteration of the Bengali song, along with its English translation.
Freedom vs Technology
Ethics, principles and values that guide ordinary people to do extraordinary work in eternal India
Seven Steps on the Path and other Heart to Heart Talks
BOOK REVIEWS
Tale of Two Realities An understanding of life through the Ramayana and Yogasutra
Beginning with this issue we are serialising Tale of Two Realities which we hope will help readers gain a deeper understanding of life. Our readers are familiar with the author through her The Vedas and Poorva: Magic, Miracles & the Mystical Twelve which were serialised earlier. The illustrations for this series is by Smt Uma Krishnaswami, a well-known artist. The author's note below gives a brief introduction to the series.
Sri Ramakrishna and the Freedom Movement - SWAMI VEDANISHTHANANDA
75th Anniversary of India's Independence The year 2022 is significant for India as it celebrates 75 years of attaining independence from the colonial domination. It was after a long struggle that we could free our motherland from foreign rule and make this "tryst with destiny".
