Leaves from My Diary

Swami Abhedananda, the illustrious apostle of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Deva, spent a quarter century in the West in order to preach Vedanta and teachings of his Master. The diary written by himself during the period from 6th August 1897 to 3rd May 1899 in America, contains many significant incidents of historical importance in regard to Vedanta Movement, many unknown facts of the West, his association with a number of scholars and great personalities, chronological description of his daily life and above all his own viewpoints of life. These invaluable documents, collected from the 'Complete Works of Swami Abhedananda', Vol.10 now being published as a separate book, will surely make one feel in direct company with the great soul and will guide us in the path of our life. It may also be considered as an essential companion for the researchers on the life and contribution of the great saint Swami Abhedananda.

SWAMI ABHEDANANDA, an apostle of Sri Ramakrishna-Born October 2, 1866-Spent his early life among the brotherhood in Baranagar monastery near Calcutta in severe austerity-Travelled barefooted all over India from 1888-1895-Acquainted with many distinguished savants, including Prof. Max Muller and Prof. Deussen-Landed in New York and took charge of the Vedanta Society in 1897-Became acquainted with Prof. William James, Rev. R. H. Newton, Prof. Josiah Royce of Harvard, Prof. Hyslop of Columbia, Prof. Lanmann, Prof. G. H. Howison, Prof. Fay, Mr. Edison, the inventor, Dr. Elmer Gates, Ralph Waldo Trine, W. D. Howells, Prof. Herschel C. Parker, Dr. Logan, Rev. Bishop Potter, Prof. Shaler, Dr. Jaynes, the chairman of the Cambridge Philosophical Conference and the Professors of Columbia, Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Barkeley and Clarke Universities- Travelled extensively all through the United States, Canada, Alaska and Mexico-Made frequent trips to Europe, delivering lectures in different parts of the Continent-Crossed the Atlantic seventeen times-Was appreciated very much for his profundity of scholarship, intellectual brilliance, oratorial talents, charming personality and nobility of character-Made a short visit to India in 1906-Returned to America-Came back to India finally in 1921-On his way home joined the Educational Conference, Honolulu-Visited Japan, China, the Philippines, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Rangoon Started on a long tour and went as far as Tibet in 1922-Established centres at Calcutta and Darjeeling-Left his mortal frame on September 8, 1939.

"LEAVES FROM MY DIARY" is an illuminating record of the activities and achievements of Swami Abhendananda in America and Europe in the propagation of Truth as embodied in the Upanishads and in the life and teachings of Sri Ramakrishna.

Born at Ahiritola in the northern part of Calcutta, on 2nd of October, 1866, Kali Prasad, as the Swami was then called, received the rudiments of education at a school in the neighbourhood, known as Jadu Pandit's School. Subsequently he joined the Oriental Seminary, which towards the middle of the nineteenth century, was a nursery of great men and Rasik Lal Chandra, the father of Kali Prasad, who was a veteran teacher of English in that Institution, was held in high esteem for his ripe scholarship, his lofty character and, above all, for his magnetic personality. The enthusiastic teacher was never weary of sowing seeds of future greatness in the minds of his pupils among whom may be mentioned the names of Krishna Dal Pal, Girish Chandra Ghose, Amrita Lal Bose. Young Kali Prasad inherited in an ample measure his father's insatiable thirst for knowledge, deep devotion to truth, resolute will-to- follow the right in scorn of consequence. To that high-souled lady, Nayantara Devi, his mother, who was rich in the abundance of her faith in the goodness of God he owes his vision beyond the world of something unworldly, his longing for the Great Unknown, behind the mysterious veil of phenomena the Great Unknown which is at the same time the most assuredly known in one's own self-consciousness.

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