Ramakrishna And His Message

Once Swami Vivekananda was asked to write a biography of Sri Ramakrishna. The request embarrassed Swamiji, and he remarked: 'Shall I make the image of a monkey, trying to manufacture that of Shiva?' And this he said, after his return from the West when he was world famous as an orator and writer. In spite of expressing such a difficulty, Swamiji did speak and write about Sri Ramakrishna. And when we recall Sri Ramakrishna's high estimation of his Narendranath, what the disciple said about the Master is of great consequence.

The reminiscences and profound reflections of Swamiji concerning his beloved Master are scattered throughout the eight volumes of The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda and in other literature. To bring them together in one place, as has been done in this book, obviously serves a real need. It is worth adding, however, that Vivekananda's own life was, as it were, Ramakrishna himself in action. Not only in Swamiji's explicit utterances, but implicitly all through his Complete Works Sri Ramakrishna is present, for the mind of the disciple was not other than that of the Master.

The present book, it is hoped, will set at rest any doubt about Swamiji's correct representation of his Master.

The first edition of Ramakrishna and His Message which presents between two covers Swami Vivekananda's reminiscences and reflections concerning his Master, Sri Ramakrishna, was published by the Belur Math.

In order to ensure its larger circulation we are now bringing out the first reprint of this valuable publication at the request of the original publisher.