Western Women in the Footsteps of Swami Vivekananda

Saturday, the 1st of May 1897, was an important event in the religious history of India. For on that day, Swami Vivekananda started an organization which was to work as a lever to life humanity from its mundane existence to spiritual heights. To achieve this ideal, he gave to the workers the motto, for the liberation of the self, for the welfare of the world.' In doing so, he blended the secular with the spiritual. This was a departure from the traditional ideal of monasticism in India.

While naming this association 'The Ramakrishna Mission', he said to the monks and devotees present at a meeting that day, "This association will bear the name of him in whose name we have become sannyasis; him taking whom as your ideal you are leading the householder life in the field of activity – this Samsara (this world) -; him whose holy name, and the influence of whose unique life and teachings, have within twelve years of his demise spread in such an unthought-of way both in the East and the West. Let this Sangha (organization) therefore be named the Ramakrishna Mission. We are the servants of the Master. May you all help in this work."

In 1986, people in many countries of the world, and especially in India, remembered Swamiji with a deep sense of gratitude and admiration for founding the Ramakrishna Mission. Meeting were help and speakers paid homage to those who had worked for his mission and stood by him in all his trials and tribulations. Among them were women whose names and lives were not well-known to many. Paying tribute to them, Swamiji wrote to the Maharaja of Khetri in 1894:

Last year I came to this country in summer, a wandering preacher from a far distant country, without name, fame, wealth or learning to recommend me – friendless, helpless, almost in a state of destitution. American women befriended me, gave me shelter and food and treated me as their own son, their brother.

To remember the women of courage and vision who helped Swamiji in "consolidating his Empire on spiritual lines," Samvit, the semi-annual journal of the Sri Sarada Math, Dakshineswara, Calcutta, desired to publish articles on their lives. This series of accounts which appeared in the Samvit between September 1987 and September 1995 have now been reproduced in this book. The articles have been arranged in the chronological order in which these ladies first met Swamiji.

The book is entitled Western Women in the footsteps of Swami Vivekananda and is dedicated to Sister Gargi (Marie Louise Burke) of San Francisco. She has published an immense Six-volume work entitled Swami Vivekananda in the West, New Discoveries. We decided to dedicate this book to Sister Gargi as she has indeed, since1950, walked on the trail left by the footsteps of Swami Vivekananda. She has forged ahead these forty- five years to reveal an inspiring and magnificent image of Swami Vivekananda in the West. Her sincerity of purpose and perseverance, her humility and self-effacement are exemplary. Except for the lives of four or lives of four or five of the Western women depicted in this volume, almost all the writers of these articles culled their information from Sister Gargi's books, for which the Editor of Samvit had received her blanket permission.

The entire works of preparing the manuscript for the press and reading of proofs was done by Saroj Butani and Anita Manchanda in a spirit of dedication, for which we thank them. We also express our gratitude to all the writers of these articles.

In 1986, people in many countries of the world, and especially in India, remembered Swamiji with a deep sense of gratitude and admiration for founding the Ramakrishna Mission were held and speakers paid homage to those who had worked for his mission and stood by him in all trials and tribulations. Among them were women whose names and lives were not well- known to many. Paying tribute to them Swamiji wrote to the Maharaja of Khetri in 1894:

To remember the women of courage and vision who helped Swamiji in "consolidating his Empire on spiritual lines" Samvit, the semi-annual journal of the Sri Sarada Math, Dakshineswar, Calcutta, desired to publish articles on their lives. This series of accounts which appeared in the Samvit between September 1987 and September 1995 have now been reproduced in this book. The articles have been arranged in the chronological order in which these ladies first met Swamiji.