Path of Realization - A Study in Comparative Religion (An Old and Rare Book)

This book is the beacon light that shows path to the seekers after the transcendental knowledge. In this book Swami Abhedananda has discussed about different aspects and goals of different religions and has asked men to chose the right path to approach the highest truth in this life.

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– Acquinted with many distinguished savants including Prof. Max Mueller and Prof. Paul Deussen– Landed in New York, and took the charge of the Vedanta Society in 1897–Became acquainted with Prof. William James, Rev. R.H. Newton, Prof. W. Jackson, 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. James, the chairman of the Cambridge Philosophical Conference and the professors of Columbia, Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Berkeley 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 for seventeen times– Was appreciated very much for his profundity of scholarship, intellectual brilliance, oratorical talents, charming personality and nobility of character– A short visit to India in 1906– Returned again to America in 1906– Came back to India at last in 1921– On his way home joined the Educational Conference, Honolulu– Visited Japan China, the philipines, Singapore, Kualalumpur and Rangoon– Started on a long tour and went as far as Tibet– Established centres at Calcutta and Darjeeling– Left his moral frame on September 8, 1939.

It is with a mixed feeling of joy and sorrow that the publisher venture to offer to the reading public in this neat little volume seven of the unpublished lectures of Swami Abhedananda delivered in America; joy, because of its long looked-for emergence from the press, and sorrow on account of the passing away of the Swamiji maharaj to whom it can no longer be presented.

Be that as it may, the publishers have one solace at least and that is, they claim to have placed before the seekers after Truth the impassioned utterances which, instead of mystifying the Truth as it being done now-a-days in the name of hazy bizarre mysticism, open new vistas of thought and hold up before our mind’s eye the evershining true ideal as envisaged by a Child of Ramakrishna.

Intellectual apprehension of the Reality in its fullness is impossible unless the Truth is revealed in our loftiest intuitive experience and that is the key-note of the philosophy delineated in these pages. But though intuition has been placed on a higher level than reason, reason is neither annulled nor contradicted. For intuition transcends reason and in the act of transcending fulfils it and completes it. Truth is supra-logical and its intuitive apprehension does not mean going against the fundamental principles of thought or the canons of logic. Intellect has its place in any systematic presentation of views philosophical. And in these lectures the profound thinker marshals his arguments and presses his conclusion to a logical end without disparaging reason upon which rests the massive structure of any thoughtful production and exhorts his readers following his line of argument not to remain contented with a placid sort of belief in the creeds of their faith.

May these inspiring lectures, coming as they do from the lips of a Man of Realization, help the true and sincere seeker after Truth in unlocking that door which prevents the onrush of knowledge and may the glory of Truth be felt by us all.