An inspiring account of a western monk and his life’s travels; the ‘stops’ he makes along the way and the wisdom he gathered. Includes many of the Swami’s teachings to different audiences in the United States.
Introduction & Chapter 1 Hinduism – England
Chapter 2 Experience – Chicago and Ganges, MI
Chapter 3 The Goal of all Experience – Chicago
Chapter 4 Why we are what we are – Chicago and Beyond
Sri Ramakrishna lived much of his life seeing God everywhere, experiencing the Divine Reality as an overwhelming reality. Much of it he was unable describe, try as he did. But when he could, his disciples were breathless as he described his experiences, while his face was beaming with indescribable joy.
A collection of the super-sensuous experiences of Sri Ramakrishna, mostly gathered from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna and Ramakrishna: The Great Master.
Preface and Foreword The Visions of Sri Ramakrishna
Introduction
1) To the End of Formal Worship
2) From Dakshineshwar to Kamarpukur and Back
3) Sadhana under the Brahmani
4) Forms, the Formless, and Forms Again
5) From the Pilgrimage to the Vision of Christ
6) The Coming of Disciples- in Vision and in Flesh
Six Lighted Windows is a moving and inspirational remembrance of six of the most dedicated teachers and spiritual guides of the Ramakrishna Order who were called to serve in the West.
Following in the wake of Swami Vivekananda in his mission to America and the West, these remarkable men left their native India to help found monasteries and religious communities in cities as diverse as New York, London, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and even Hollywood. They are Swamis Yatiswarananda, Prabhavananda, Ashokananda, Nikhilananda, Madhavananda, and Ghanananda.
In every instance, their devotion to the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna helped to spread the truth of Vedanta in the Western world.
Having had the rare privilege of serving all these master religious teachers during the course of his own spiritual evolution. Swami Yogeshananda was ideally situated to experience firsthand both the warmth and the profundity of their human presence. His memoirs are an inspiring gift to all followers of Vedanta and a vital document in the history of Vedanta in the West.
Vedanta Media is happy to present the full book read by its author:
The author’s memories of four additional swamis who were alive when Six Lighted Windows was published, but are now deceased.
Here are stories of
Swami Lokeshwarananda (Ramakrishna Institute of Culture)
Swami Aseshananda (Vedanta Society of Portland)
Swami Shantaswarupananda (Vedanta Society of Northern California)
Swami Shraddhananda (Vedanta Society of Sacramento)
These were all marvelous swamis who had a tangible spiritual presence. This book enables you to meet these very different yet spiritually inspiring people.
Vedanta Media is happy to present Four More Lighted Windows, read by its author: Swami Yogeshananda.
“This book unfolded in the following way: in my capacity as an assistant minister of the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society of London, England in 1973, my work often consisted of visits to colleges and to both public and government schools. They would request someone to come to speak on the subject of “Hinduism,”—always Hinduism, not Vedanta. An item of the school curriculum, Religious Studies, was compulsory and had been for many years: it consisted of Bible, dogmas and church history. But at the time we are speaking of the Empire had ended and the Commonwealth was forming, with its policy of open immigration to former members of the Empire. The schools now had to teach many children who were not Christians.
Religious Studies teachers fortunately realized that they could not force their curriculum on children of other faiths, and were agitated over their lack of training in non-Christian religions. The demand for information was pressing. The government engaged Hilton Educational Publications to create a set of small books as primers for middle school children (American junior high school age). The company asked a bona fide representative of the faith–Buddhism, Islam and so on, to produce a simple introductory book for both teachers and students.
A request came to us at the London Vedanta center to produce (within 30 days !) an illustrated booklet on Hinduism, for which we would of course be paid. Swami Bhavyananda asked me to write the text, find a suitable illustrator, and make it quick! The final result: a set of five or six books by faith representatives: “The Way of the Jew,” “The Way of the Christian” etc.
That is how “The Way of the Hindu,” was born and the rather remarkable fact is that it is still being printed and used in British schools today.”
-Swami Yogeshananda
1. Introduction
2. The Way begins at dawn
3. Purification
4. Yoga, purification of mind
5. The Yogas of Love, Work, Wisdom, Purification of Mind
