THE ROAD TO WISDOM SWAMI VIVEKANANDA ON Holier than Thou Il here was a certain king who hada huge number of courtiers, and each one of these courtiers declared that he was ready to sacrifice his life for his master, A sannyasin came to the king. The king said to him that there never was a king who had so many sincere courtiers as he had. ‘The king said the Sannyasin could test it if he liked. So the Sannyasin declared that he would make a great sacrifice by which the king’s reign would be extended very long, with the condition that there should be made a small tank into which each one of his courtiers should pour a pitcher of milk, in che dark of night. the king smiled and asked his courtiers to come to him, and told them what was to be done. They all expressed their joyful assent to the proposal and returned. In the dead of night, they came and emptied their pitchers into the tank, But in the morning, it was found full of water only. The courtiers were assembled and each one of them had thought there would be so many pitchers of milk that his water would not be detected. Unfortunately most of us have the same idea and we do our share of work as did the courtiers. There is so much ictea of equality, says the priest, that my little privilege will not be detected. So say our rich men, so say the tyrants of every country. Priestcraft is in its nature cruel and heartless. That is why religion goes down where priestcraft arises. Says the Vedanta, we must give up the idea of privilege, then will religion _>"s AK RP- Sanjiv Goenka Group Growing Legacies come. Before that there is no religion at all. Let us work for that knowledge which will bring the feeling of sameness towards all mankind. You think that because you talk a little more polished language you are superior to the man in the street. Remember that when you are thinking this, you are not going towards freedom, but you are forging a fresh chain for your feet And, above all, if the pride of spirituality enters into you, woe unto you. It is the most awful bondage that ever existed. Neither can wealth nor any other bondage of the human heart bind the soul so much as this. “lam purer than others”, is the most awful idea that can enter inte the human heart. In what sense are you pure? The God in you is the God in all. If you have not known this, you have known nothing. How can there be difference? It is all one. Every being is the temple of the Most High; if you can see that, good, if not, spirituality has yet to come to you. ‘rom The Complete Works of Swarni Vivekananda, (Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 2616), 1.41719 ESCVol. 122, No.10 October 2017 Managing Editor Swami Muktidananda Editor Swami Narasimbananda Associate Editor and Design Sumi Divyakripanande Production Editor Suwani Chidekananda Cover Design Subbabrata Chandra General Assistance Swanti Vimobananda Circulation Indeajit Sinha Topas Jana EDITORIAL OFFICE Prabuddha Bharara Advaiea Ashrama PO Mayavaii, Via Lohaghar Dr Champawat 262 524 Useaalehand, India Tel: o1- 969099819 [email protected] pb@ advaitaashrama.org Printed and Published by Steanni Vibbatmananda PUBLIGATION OFFICE Advaiea Ashrama 5 Dehi Entally Road Kolkata 700 014 ‘West Bengal India Teli g1- 33-2289 0898 2284 0210 / 2286 6450 / 6485 [email protected] INTERNET EDITION srirwadvaitaashramaorg JPRABUDDHA BuARATA or AWAKENED INDIA Amonthly journal of the Ramakrishna Order started by Swam! Vivekananda In 1896 Contents ‘Traditional Wisdom ‘This Month Editorial: Defining Death Sister Nivedira’s Unpublished Lericr and Family Papers Sareda Sarkar Gems of Memories: Reminiscences of Swami Saradeshananda Swarti Shublatmananda Saga of Epic Proportions Swami Sandarshanananda Balabodha: Nididhyasana ‘Traditional Tales: Karma Yoga Reviews Manana Reports 679 680. 681 683 706 72. 73 ad 723Subscribe to Prabuddha Bharata * Become a Patron Subscriber and support the rich legacy left to all of us by Swami Vivekananda; patrons’ names are published in Prabuddha Bharata. * Prabuddha Bharata subscribers receive 10% discount on all Advaita Ashrama Publications. + Send remittances in favour of Prabuddha Bharata’ only by bank draft or cheque to Advaita Ashrama, 5 Dehi Entally Road, Kolkata 700 014, India. Or, subscribe online at www.advaitaashrama.org. For bank transfer or other queries, please contact us by email at [email protected] * Please note that we do not accept out station cheques. 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Your Name is enclosed herewith by draft/money order Send my gift subscriptions to: Address PIN Emait address PhoneNo Date Details of DDSHARE YOUR LEARNING EXPERIENCE ! GIFT JPRAB UDDHA HARATA or AWAKENED INDIA TO LIBRARIES PRABUDDHA BHARATA UBRARY INITIATIVE Let meny more benefit from the thought- provoking contents read by you every month in Prabuddha Bhareta. Join the Prabuddhe Bharata Library Initictive by gifting ¢ life subscription to ¢ library. You can either gift it fo the library of your choice or to the library selected by ws. Come, sponsor as many libraries cs you can and spread the ethos of Indian Culture. Prabuddha Bharata Library Initiative: Name of Sponsor Beneficiary Library 236. Sti Hara Kasturi Memorial Trust, Kolkata. Vasavi Vidyanikethan PU College, Bengaluru. 237. Sri Hara Kasturi Memorial Trust, Kolkata. Mahishadal Girls College, Purba Medinipur. Prabuddha Bharata Patron Subscribe: 635, R Chandrasekhar, Chennai 636, Aditya Malpani, Nanded, Send my gift subscriptions to: PLEASE PRINT IN BLOCK LETTERSie ee am eeu wld eyPPE TIS TE Pages 592 | Price%300 | Packing & Postage: 40 i Life of Sri Ramanuja Swami Ramakrishnananda Rare and blessed is the occasion when a saint, an illumined soul, Swami Ramakrishnananda, a direct-disciple of Sei Ramakrishna, undertakes the task of writing a biography of an Acharya, a world-teacher, Sti Ramanuja. No writer, however erudite and accomplished, can bring to his work that reveiling insight which a saint does by virtue of his illumination. From this point of view, the biography of Sri Ramanuja in Bengali. authored by Swami Ramakrishnananda, is a unique work. Whether one belongs to the ranks of orthodox followers or eo those of the heterodos, going through the pages of this book, one would surely feel the devotional fervour the author had for Sri Ramanuja. It will communicate the transforming power of the erent life of a mighty and magnanimous world-teacher written by an illustrious apostle of another great world-teacher. The book: was translated into English by Swami Buddhananda, This new edition in new layour, interspersed with more than 150 colour phorogeaphs, annotated with many addidonal notes, and additional appendices, is brought out to commemorate Sti Ramanuija’s 1000¢h Birth Year. Sister Nivedita and Sri Aurobindo Prema Nendakumar i i i i I i | Sister Nivedita and Sri Aurobindo awakened the fire of nationalism | in Indians in the first decade of the twentieth century. ‘This book, | authored by Smt. Prema Nandakumar, briefly yet powerfully | narrates the interaction and influence of Sister Nivedita had with | and on Sti Aurobindo, and how the two powers combined w | become a lighthouse of future nationalism. | Pages 136 | Price 775 | Packing & Postage: 725, Please write Sri Ramakrishna Math, 31, Ramakrishna Math Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004, India Phones: 044-24621110, Email: publicationéchennaimath.org Buy books online at istore.chennaimath.org and eBooks at www.vedantaebooks.org+: (0240} 297 6013, 297 7099, B45 2114 RAMAKRISHNA MISSION ASHRAMA ‘[email protected] (endqatrs: Ravana Mino, abe ah (ora = win rkmaurangabad.or ‘Swami Vivekananda Marg (Beed Bypass), ‘AURANGABAD - 431.010. ‘The Universal Temple of Bhagwan Shri Ramakrishna (Under Construction) ‘An earnest Appeal for generous donations Dear Sir/ Madam, Please accept our greetings and bestwishes Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Aurangabad located on Swami Vivekananda Marg (Bed Bypass) is a branch center atillated to Headquarters, Belur Math (near Kolkata), This ashtama is conducting various service activities in the field of heath, education, child welfare, as well as spreading, spiritual message of eternal religion as propounded by Shri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda. This ashrama hastaken upa new project of erecting a temple of Shri Ramakrishna. The work was ‘commenced in December 2003 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2017. “The temple will be a unique and imposing monumental structure of its kind in entire Marathwada region in general and Aurangabad city in particular. it will add a cultural and spirttual dimension 70 the historical chy of Aurangabad. it will be a great atraction and a place for worship, prayet, mediation and inspiration for the local people. It is also expected that the good number of general public visiting Aurangabad city as tourists for visting world heritage sites such as Ellora & Ajanta and pilgrims for visiting Ghiishneshwar Jyotiring, Shirdi, Paithan etc. will include visitto the temple in their tinerary, itis aimed for ‘the benefizo“one and all without distinction of caste, creed, and nationality. The estimated cost ofthe entire projact is Rs. 20 Crores. So ar Rs. 18.00 Crores have bean spent through public contribution. The balances amount of Rs. 05.00 Crores Is neaded to complete the construction of the Temple. We earnestly appeal to you to donate generously for this noble cause. Your support will Indeed goa long way in our endeavor to erect this magnificent architectural edifice in the memory of Shri Ramakrishna who was the unique harmonizer of all the religions of the world and who dedicated his life to bring peace and welfare of mankind. We value your help and co- operation immensely. verano ‘Temple Hall for Prayer and Meditation : 70%. xt. Seating Capacity. 459 (Swami Vishnupadananda) ‘Avaltorium (Ground Floor) : 80. x 57. Seating Capacty-600 ‘Secretary and Makarana marble, Ceiling of the Temple Hall will be done in Teak Wood ciclo We accept Online donations. You may please credit your donation directly on our Online State Bank of India, MIT Branch, Aurangabad, A/c No. 30697728250, (Branch Code : 10791, IFSC Code:- SBINO010791) We request Online donors fo Intimate us, on our email Id ([email protected]) his / her full Postal Address, Amount, PAN & Mobile Number. This is vary important. Kindly Note: 4). Cheque /D.D. shouldbe draven infavour of Ramalaishna Wission Ashrama’, Aurangabad, 2}, Donations are eliible for tax exemption under section£0-G of -T.Act 1961,CONTRIBUTE TO THE PRABUDDHA BHARATA CORPUS FUND! Contribute your mite to the Prabuddha Bharata Corpus Fund and. actively participate in this venture to propagate Indian culture, values, philosophy, and spirituality. Could there be a better way to show your appreciation? You can send your contributions by cheque or drafts favouring “Prabuddha Bharata’to5 DehiEntally Road, Kolkata 700014, India or make your donations online at wiw.advaitaashrama.org. All Name of the Donor: donations are exempt from Income tax 541. Madhuri Kumar Das, Kannur. under section 80G. 342. Sitanshu S Ganguly, Kolkara, An artist's impression of our proud | eee eee Quite natur ee Set ARC Se oe ren eRe ee Ty ee MNS Sica) wn ot enacts ton : SeaOctober 2017” Nora Toe We suartaaerrateaaaraaa aad car wate wat feted Tri Wiyfeeteratiat aera we watt | seeeiictaad wea aT ee TAQ wa: vies: wege WH: Yaa Wa Spree FET! ofa: ree Ue | TOT RATATAT ATT PAATTRATRT ATTA RATATAT, ATT upafirefangatte | Vg.ett Tasraad va esha ubhapa-aeveaivam-vid-atmany-eva-abhidhyayaty-atmany-eva yajatit dbyanams prajogasthans mano vidvad-bhishex¢ans manah-putima-uchcbbishtopabatam- ity-anena tat-pavayet. Mantram pathatt. Uchchhishtochebhishtopabatam yachcha papena dattam roritasitakad-va vasoh pasitrans-agnih savitashcha rashmayah pinatianhans maria dushkritancha yadanyat. Adbhih purastad paridadhati. Pranaya svaha-apanaya svaha vyanaya- suaha sarpanayasvah-odanaya svah-cti panchablir-abbijubon. (69) “Therefore, indeed, one who knows that this has both these, breath and the sun, as one’s self meditates only on one's self, sacrifices only to one’s self Such meditation, the mind absorbed in such practice, is praised by the wise. One should purify the impurity of one’s mind with the verse, “What has been defiled by the leavings. One reads the verse. ‘Leavings or what has been defiled by leavings and what has been given by a sinner or what is rendered impure by a still birth, may the purifying power of Vasn, Agni, and of Saviteis rays purify my food and any other that may be evil’ First before taking one’ food, one swathes one’s breath with water. Hailto the pranc breath, hailto the «pana breath, hail to the vy.2na breath, hail tothe sareana breath, hail to the wdana breath. With these five invocations, one offers the oblation. (6.9) PB October 2017, 679THIS MONTH EATH IS ONLY FEARED, not much D thought upon ordinarily. How to de- fine death and how to understand its cause? [s it possible to overcome it? ‘These and related issues are discussed in Defining Death. Sister Nivedita’ life and teachings are rem- nants of a bygone era that beckon us to ignite our lives with at least an iota of inspiration that revo- lutionised that glorious life. Hers was an unbe- lievably active life and newer and newer material is being discovered even today, after 150 years of her birth. Sarada Sarkar, researcher and history teacher from Croydon, UK has relentlessly pur- sued all connections of Sister Nivedita and has established contact with her living relatives. To one such relative, Chris Orpen, she sent the Janu- ary 2017 issue of Prabuddha Bharata, which was focussed on the theme ‘Sister Nivedita: Offered to India. Orpen wrote to Sarada Sarkar with full of appreciation and also with rare archival mater- ial on and by Sister Nivedita. The facsimiles of that material and their transcription is being pro- vided in Sister Nivedita’s Unpublished Letter and Family Papers. These papers include Sister Nivedita’s letter to her sister Mary or May Wil- son; two letters by Dr Jagadish Chandra Bose to May Wilsons three letters by Abala Bose, wife of Dr Jagadish Chandra Bose, to May Wilson; and many other important materials. Swami Saradeshananda was an illumined beacon among the disciples of Sri Sarada Devi. His spiricual wisdom and insight have inspired the lives of countless spiritual aspirants. Swami Shuklatmananda, a monk at Ramakrishna 680 Mission Sevashrama, Haridwar, served Swami Saradeshananda for ten years from 1978 to 1988 in Vrindavan. He shares with the readers his pre- cious and blissful experiences in the holy com- pany of Swami Saradeshananda in the sixth instalment of Gems of Memories: Reminis- cences of Swami Saradeshananda. Swami Sandarshanananda, a monk at Rama- krishna Mission Ashrama, Narendrapur, Kol- kata, in the tenth instalment of Saga of Epic Proportions, shows how Sister Nivedita sup- ported Dr Jagadish Chandra Bose. Many wonderful nuggets of wisdom con- tained in ancient scriptures are difficult to under- stand, In Balabodha, such ancient wisdom is made easy. This month’s topic is Nididhyasana. Understanding this word is necessary to under- stand this process, which is the important third step of spiritual life. Same action, if done with different motives, could create different results and hence we should not have any expectation while doing anythingas shown in the story Karma Yoga. This story is this month's Traditional Tales and has been translated from the Tamil book drulneri Kathaigal. Constantine Sedikides, Professor of Psych- ology, University of Southampton, UK and Ste- ven J Spencer, Associate Professor and Chair, Social Psychology Division, University of Wa- terloo, Canada and secretary and chair-elect of the executive committee of the Society for Ex- perimental Psychology, have edited the book ‘The Self. From this book, we bring you this month's Manana. PB October 2017EDITORIAL Defining Death EFINING DEATH is akin to defining life. D One does not mean anything without the other. There are various perspectives from which to look upon death. Death could be defined as the disconnection from the body, vital breath, mind, and so on. You suddenly dis- connect and die. This is an interesting perspec- tive on death. You don't die in realicy; you just disconnect yourself from the body. This means that birth is connecting oneself to a body. Birch does not mean that you come into existence. You already exist. You always exist. Birth is just an as- sertion of your ignorance. When an intelligent person becomes ignorant, she or he takes birth. ‘That is what the scriptures say. When you are full of knowledge and suddenly you become a fool, you take birth! You come to this world. Even ‘with your pristine purity and innate knowledge, suddenly you think yourself attached to the body, you get yourself connected to this body because of delusion, because of maya and then you take birth. So, what is death? Disconnecting from the body. And death is of course destruction, de- struction in the dualistic sense of the term; de- struction of duality. You have destruction only when you have a sense of construction, when you have a sense of creation. ‘The very idea of creation isan abhorring idea in Advaita Vedanta. What can you create? This is an illusion. There is no creation at all. All that you see is because of your ignorance. ‘he entire universe that we see is of a variegated nature and is nothing but a reflection of our ignorance or reflection that PB October 2017 is born out of our ignorance. So, death is de- struction. Death could also figuratively mean the loss of wealth and honour. People who do Death is desi .. The more one desires, the more would one die. not have wealth have no problems. ‘Those who have wealth, have enough problems! As the body and vital energy are material, so is wealth. So if a person can identify oneself with the body, itis as dumb as identifying oneself with one’ bank balance. Apparently, it may seem that it is al- right ifa person is alive and is identifying oneself with the body, but if somebody identifies one- self with the bank balance, itis wrong, But seen from a higher perspective, both are the same. Your identification with your bank balance or with your body is essentially of the same nature. ‘That is also death. Death could also be defined as dissolution. Now, this is from a larger, macro, perspective. From an individual perspective, micro, perspec- tive, my body is ¢he body. Advaita Vedanta holds that both the macro and the micro are one’s own creation; this world does not exist as one sees it, Ir is because of one’s ignorance that one pro- jects it so. When the world will die, there will be dissolution. ‘The very concepts of birth and death come out of ignorance. If you do not have ignorance, you will not have the concept of death. Death is a creation that is born out of ignorance. Death is natural action and natural knowledge. It is 6814 Prabuddha Bharata mundane that I will die, that I am yawning, that Tam abont to fall asleep, because of some bor- ing talk that is capable of inducing sleep when tranguillisers cannot! Death is also born out of desire. This appears to be ironical. We all desire to live long. How is it that death is born out of desire? ‘the very desire which makes you yearn for a long life is ignorance, and that very desire will propel you towards death. ‘This is of course a more practical definition of death. Desire will propel you to indulge in sense pleasures and thereby you will wear out your body and mind and end up dying quickly! The more desires you have the more taxed you willbe. You will be tax- ing your body and mind and senses and you will die sooner. Death could also be defined as hunger. There could be many interpretations of this definition. ‘The simplest one would be something like this. If you are hungry and you are not provided food, you will dies death out of starvation. Death is considered by many to be something that is evil. ‘This is predominantly a Judeo-Christian con- cept. Eastern traditions do not consider death to be evil. From the perspective of Advaita Vedanta, it is evil because it is ignorance. It is because of ignorance that one thinks of death. To exhaust all the accumulated effects of one’s actions, one needs to identify with a body. So, death is evil because it takes away the opportunity of using the body. Death can also be defined as darkness. Death brings fatigue, that is, when one nears death, all energy is lost. No one can actually claim to have the first-hand experience of death. Near- death experiences are not the same as death it- self. Much like the experience of the knowledge of Brahman, the experience of death also cannot be expressed, albeit for a quite different reason! Zombies still are just a figment of imagination! Death can also be seen as the superimposition 682 of ignorance. I n, which is brought out of ignorance. Death essentially occurs because of the idea of duality. It occurs because one perceives difference, because one differentiates oneself from the universe and identifies with a particular body. Death is there- fore the identification with the body, as was, said earlier. ‘As seen earlier, death is desire. The more one desires, the more would one die, some deaths occurringin the same lifetime! Hence, everyone should desire less and less. That could setall of us on the path to immortality. ‘Though death remains to be the only cer- tain thing in any life, what exactly brings about death has been the field of inquiry for scientists, and philosophers alike. Presently, all explan- ations of the death of a life-form are at best, postmortem ratiocinations of an unknown, phenomenon. In spite of there being no dearth of cultural, religious, and mythical studies on. death, attempts to ensure a peaceful exit from life are relatively news particularly for the ter~ minally-ill patients. Death is a huge irony, huge dichotomy that goes unnoticed. The biggest wonder of death is that it is not at all noticed, at least not one’s own death. Every one of us here is certain of our life, which is the least certain thingin our lives. ‘The most certain thing, death, is torally un- cared for, unplanned for, and goes unnoticed. Everyone clings on to the body and hasa strong desire to live. It becomes difficult to give it up. Death is a big delusion as is birth. The delusion that somebody loves yon, that you love some- body—all these delusions, all these illusions within the bigger illusion of this world—ap- pear because of this desire to live, the desire to survive. ‘The only way to go beyond death is to go beyond duality, go beyond ignorance, and to do away with ignorance. es a superimpo: PB October 2017Sister Nivedita’s Unpublished Letter and Family Papers Sarada Sarkar cial for so many reasons, mainly because 115 years ago, on this day; Swami. Vivekananda started his joumey to eternity. However, the postinan wanted a signature, so the post was re- turned in myabsence. Mr Chris Orpen sends me a parcel of their family papers. Sol rushed to the post office, My heart was beating heavily, Lknew thar in a few moments, I will tonch the history, feel the warmth, smell the fragrance of the Sri Ramakishna era, where everyone belonged to Ramakrishna-Vivekananda. Let me describe Mr Chris Orpen. A very sharp and intelligent man, who even at the age of eighey-seven, owns a good sense of humour and a clear memory of past. He is the grandson of Mrs Mary Wilson, Sister Nivedita’s sister. Mr Orpen lives in South Africa. However, both of his sons are here in the United Kingdom and are extremely well established and respected in the British society. He wrote the following email on 28 June 2017: ‘Dear Sarada, ‘You kindly senc the referenced document! to myson Prof A G Orpen some time ago, and he passed it on to me as he was aware of my inter- est in my great-aunt Margaret Elizabeth Noble, better known as Sister Nivedita. Thave read much of the document (about a third of the 330 pages)—not all but enough [: was 4 Tony 2017, theday which is very spe- PB October 2017, fo” From Let: Mary isabel Noble (Mother of Sister Nivedita, Richmond Note Brother), Sister Nivedita, ‘and Mary Noble (Sister) to nore a few minor differences between what is recorded in that document, things I remem- berbeing cold by my ‘Gammer’ [grandmother] Mary ( May) Lonise Wilson, and other irerns of interest which T have picked up from cor- respondence between my late aunt Ruth Olvve Wilson (Grancy) [May had two daughters, Margaret Bose Wilson and Ruth Olave Wil- son] and her first cousin Isabel Whimey (nee Noble and daughter of Richmond Noble, younger brother of Nivedita and May) inclad- ing the relationship with Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose and May's immediare family, ‘That corres pondence and few other pieces (some hand- written by Nivedita) which only recently came into my possession and I have bundled them all together and will postit to you, when [know to what address I should send it. 1, Trecall being told by my Gammer that she and her elder sister were sent to a school 683,684 Prabuddha Bharata (I thought seemingly wrongly) in the Lake District for the ‘children of impecunious or impoverished children of clergymen’ which I now find from your document was The Crossley Heath School in Halifax which was in the main actually an orphanage and founded by members of the Congregational ‘Church. There she [May Wilson] told me they received more religion than food, chat it was extremely strict, and that it had not been a happy time for her. She was, when I knew her, in her sixties and early seventies, a slightly built lady with a very erect posture, one which she gotasa child when required to sitar the table erectly, with a ribbon tied round her chest to ensure that she did so. In some of the correspondence it is noted that she [May] promised Sister N [Nived- ia] never to reveal anything of their time at that school. They were I believe very close and trusted one another completely. I sus- pect thar either she was ashamed, or more likely, she wished to avoid sympathy (which Igather she never sought). Myaunt Grancy (Ruth] said char she had never been aware that her mother May had ever lived in Lan- cashire prior to her father {Ernest Wilson moving his business from Bradford to Man- chester in the early 1900s. So well-kept was their understanding. I know she was eight when she [May] firse went to that school and Sister N was ten. Their brother Rich- mond (grandfather to Selenda Gerardin, who you know) was sent to stay with their grandparents (the ‘Hamiltons) who were very religious and members (I think of the Anglican Church of Ireland) where he was required each and every day to read alter- nate chapters of the Holy Bible wich his grandfather. Result, no doubt that he had become an experton the Bible. Asan aside, during World War I he was one of the only commanders from his regiment to survive the batcle of the Somme and he came away with forty pieces of shrapnel in his body. He was also an expert on Shakespeare and the music associated with the Bard’s plays. Where their mother [Sister Nivedica's mother] wasat that time I do not know, she had hada very hard life having lose several other children at young ages anda husband who was only thirty-four when he died. Sister N’s father was a devout non-con- formist Christian Wesleyan or Methodist minister who whilst originally apprenticed to the linen trade only wanted to enter the church, He approached the Church of Ire- land for assistance with his studies and was refused help from thar quarter, and he was eventually given help by the Congregational Church which was also non-conformist to go to Oxford. It is therefore not surprising that Sister Nand May were both sentto the Heath Crossley School in Halifax, a Con- gregational Church sponsored school. He must later have joined the Wesleyan chusch first in Oldbury Yorkshire, and later in Tor- ringcon, Devon where he was when he died (like his daughter Sister N, ministering to the sick). In much of the writings you sent, there is mention made of the support given by Sis- ter N’s grandparents to Home Rule for Ire- land, a face in some doubs according to my ‘Aunt Grancy and her cousin Isabel Whit- ney (vide correspondence which I will send you). Their view is consistent with the Ham- ilton’s very strong Protestant beliefs bue who knows as there are other contrary opinions. Lam fascinated by the connection of the family with Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose. It seems there was aclose relationship between Nivedita and Sir Jagadish in thar she edited much of his writings. In addition he is well famed for his work on early methods of de- recting radio signals. He was very friendly with my grandparents May and Ernest Jowert Wilson, and gave his name to my ‘mother who was named at her baptism as PB October 2017Sister ivedita’s Unpublished Lester and Farnily Papers 0 ‘Margaret Bose Wilson, He was also named. as her godfather! Another connection is the face that my grandfather Emest Jowett Wi son, a scientist/engineer had been working on things to do with radio. Ihave a cartoon drawn by a Mr RH Facey which shows him in his workshop with pictnres in the background of Marconi, Edison, Bell, and another with a question mark indicating a possible place for him in that august com- pany. There are a few letters from Sir J C Bose and from his wife Abala to Mrs Wile son (May) after Nivedira’s death and also ro my aunt who was a young gitl ac the time, ‘This is further evidence of their friendship. My gtandfather died in 1926 and Sir J C Bose, [think in 1937.7 From the correspond- ence it seems he (Sir C) was naturally dev- astated by Nivedite’s passing. 5. Lalso have another similar (original water- colour) RH Facey cartoon, which shows my grandfather [Ernest Jowett Wilson] reading bookcalled 1sM and a figure hold- ing a document ‘Swami’ and a bloodstained dagger over his head. I have made a copy of ivand attached it to the other documents. [ was ar first perplexed by the cartoon until, on reading further about Vivekananda’s teaching tharall ismnslead ro fanaticism and in time, to disaster I began to understand the carcoon’s significance. It would seem that other members of my family were also influenced by him. Tamsure that much of the above is no new to you nor to others who have written about Nivedita nor about Sir J C Bose other than to add some personal torches to the story of afas- inating Woman and an interesting scientist. As noted above, I will gladly pose the documents recently acquired by me to youso please let me have an address in the UK where I am at the moment. ‘Yours sincerely cm w Orpen PB October 2017, Thisis the eranscript of Grancy’s lewer to her cousins: [Page 1] MMSRIFKERS Buicekant Street, Swellendam 674. on Rs 4 8597 (My Mother's Birthday—and Mothering Sunday). Dear Cousins, Thave been more than disturbed by the Jetters and also in the beginnings of the two books—the Lizelle Reymond? and the Barbara Foxe.' I feel thar while the latter may have a de vorion for the Yoga and modern devorionsand the desite for medications, that she has missed Watercolour Cartoon by RH Facey Showing Ernest Jowett Wilson Reading a Book titted si"a. SN a ott etre cone Se © TOT ce crete = etaen for ature AB Coceert 7) etianety one sip we five arb. pane herpaae aid yt go to Hnéia 6 sation, 7 ¢ eabe oaule of FORTIS Of “Giscacion aed otepivig. Crainy wae etait St oe pert ever steed to “pother fuld ne thee abe rad baeer dd thetenarante gerdet, Tye U7 tteed (anon the weed) toad #0 Inera bar post t0 take over the Pobberel£ ond Kicecnard noood 4 Wiableden aod eep hese fr! GPa. ‘hte meant acericloes for OPURR peoole for Nivedita 8 nustory box ported thet the dtd ¢ vonderrul thing. 1 cannot ‘tepin te te11 you ot the wendertil préple We bane t0 or neane beenine of Aunt Wargerstis ise but T wonder robe wautd react Yanda? bapecialy 90 the American Felis press coved ber death tron exbaustin. TLL go eoroain ay eoerd seen, bad send you a ‘protizregh Of Grenoy to the west beautitei Mellie Vellece®, eather bos, dosbtiess the height of fashten’ then, Ihr: 40 many of Wireditels lecters'to me, and pictures Of the wonderts! Nivedtee school tn cajcutte, bit I never eeplote alt £ vant t0\de, ; : Page» Unputiished etter of Ruth Olave Wilson (Grancy) to Her Cousins Dated 8 May 1077. couron what the intention of Nivedita really was. Inher own belief—rightor wrong—Nived- ita became Hinduism. She was one with Kali and Swami Vivekananda, Her very eatly belief in che furtherance ‘of education for children came from varions sources, The children themselves—Margaret, Mary, and Rich, all were richly endowed with a thirst for knowledge, and came from people who spent more time thinking and reaching chan in eating, ‘The gicly home in Wimbledon was an oasis for keen mental brains. Tknovr quite a lor of thar period, and all in all, [ehink thar Aunt Margaret was the very ripe plum, be the dedicared teacher, devoree, saint, and gospeller thar she was. 686 "They do not come often, and Sister Chris- tine, ete were never in the same category, as Margaret weveR thought of what she might reap out of all she gave. She had, though, this terrific GIVING gift. Once she had studied enough and realized thar India needed her— she gave herself co India forever. (Page 2] ‘All the same, I feel that Margaret was ready for wider fields, and thar the Swamiji was shrewd enough to realize that first class lay at his feer and he took advantage of what he needed most—a real true devotee. Nivedita was—I believe—starved for nat- ural love (except my mother, who adored her) and that, unwillingly grear emotions came into play, and she was ready 10 give herself, heart PB October 2017and soul into what was so badly needed and asked of her. have always felt thar this must have been. when heaven and earth nce? when Nivedita and the Hindu woman first walked together in the streets of Caleurca. ‘Make no mistake, Aunt Margaret did not go to India on a wave of cheap emotion, [twas a result of MONTHS of deep thought, discnssion and misgiving. Granny was rigid in her views, bur Mother told me thar she never ever stood in Aunt Margaret way, and neither did their ‘avant garde’ friends of the Wimbledon time, My Mother was secretary to WT Stead (whom she adored) and had to leave her post to take over the Pastorelli and Montessori. at ‘Wimbledon and keep house for Granny. This meant sacrifices for OTHER people for Nivedita to travel to her future. History has proved that she did a wonderful thing. I cannot begin to tell you of the wonder- ful people who came to our house because of ‘Aunt Margaret ... but Iwonder how she would react today. Especially, as the American Yel low Press cansed her death from exhaustion. | will go throngh my papers soon and send you a photograph of Granny in the most beanti- ful ‘Nellie Wallace’ feather boa, Doubdless the height of fashion then, [have so many of Ni- vedita’s letters to me, and pictures of the won- derful Nivedita school in Calcurra, bur I never complete all I want to de, [Incomplete] ‘These are the transcripts of the two newly found unpublished lerters of Sir Jagadish Chan- dra Bose to Mrs Wilson or May Wilson: 1 (Page 1] 93 Upper Circular Rd 2852 My dear Mrs Wilson, Tend an account of the Memorial Meeting. PB October 2017 GB ep fa~ Cae BA 25. 4.10 fee Ine Whim, ON ee Stns eee EE Preimaint tmeebes Jor wke tt Les the hat om lz bene Vea er car Unpublished Letter of Or CBose to Mrs May Wilson Dated 8 March 1912. Youwill see how she had won the heart of India, representatives from every part of which came to do her honour. The speakers are the leading men of India. You will see how universally be- loved she is. “We all know how she was like a torch-light to others, waste and destruction to herself Thus washer life consumed [Page a] through. excessive loye and service. Perhaps no life could have been more enviable; and he called when life was at che highest point of ac- tivity, surrounded by love and her memory call ing forth ever growing devotion. ‘When this is the feeling of those who knew her from outside, what must it be of those whose lives she couched deeply? Can anything small or commonplace ever satisfy then? One 687Pages2and3 Unpublished Letter of Dr JC Bose to Mrs May Wlson Dated 28 March 1032. may forgec bur that means forgetting all thacis worthwhile in one'slife. [Page 3] There was only one, who stood for truth and strength, and for no compromise. It was easy to haye faith for thar when she was near. Never did life and its possibilities appear so greacasin those last few years, which appeared outwardly as defeat, Who would care for any success com- pared to thar strenuons life in defeat? God be with you and yours, ‘Yours sincerely, JC Bose 688 2 {Page 1] 123.915 ‘My dear Mrs Wilson, “The difficulty of having my laboratory ata distance is the cost of supervision. After me my, nephew will rent my house, which will go for the upkeep of the laborarory. He will also be able to supervise, There is no help for it, and 1 shave written for closing with the purchase of Jand next ro my house, I shall then go on with the building. All this is troublesome. Worst of all would be the rules and regulations for the continuance of the institution. Thave N’s diaries for the last five years. Then PB October 2017,there is @ special one in which she had put in chronological order the letters she received from me describing the birth of an idea and all about my research. There is no one else who could use the material, she alone had the patience to fol- ow the intricacies of my thought and could have made the history of my work interesting, About the Menoin Ido not know whether you will understand me when I say thar in sev- eral things she was greater chan her [Page 2] teachers. You saw her while she was struggling 1 get more and more light. We knew her afier she had attained, What is known ordinarily as ‘religion’ is nothing. She learnt how to throw away her life for an idea, it was we who re- strained her. Do not misunderstand me. To the monks of the Order, religion is some daily ob- servance, in which life's hard duties form little part in which the life and struggle of the nation has no connection, It was because of her bum- ing love for all who had been dispossessed, that she rook all the burden of the great sorrow thar weighed down the nation, And out of despait, ‘people heard from her the message of life. No one knows whar her service has been, no one can do justice to it, There are a few like Ara- binda Ghose who could have borne testimony to what she did. Though she was like a child ignorant in many things, too trusting, and per- hhaps a little superstitions, yee we felt awed by the purity and greamess of her life. No one can awrite her life, So itis best to be contented with new publication of her correspondence, [Page 3] I will send you copies of correspondence. Thave (@) Mrs Ole Bulls () Mine 3) Will get Mr Durt’s (4) Willalso try Dighys ‘Mr Ratcliff will get his own, Cheyne, PB October 2017 Page Unpublished Letter of Dr J CBase to Mrs May Wilson Dated 12 May 1933. 689Pages Unpubtished Letter ofr J CBose to Mrs May Wison Dated 13 May 1913. Koomaraswami (I do not like theman!), Hayell (he iva fine man), Geddes. ‘You may get Miss Longfellow’s and Miss Lamb's through Miss MacLeod. will write to the chicks soon. God bless them. It is no use imagining impossibilities. I -wor’t live long to see them grown. I shall be happy to chink thacat east one of them will live we fine anda worthy niece. ‘Yours sincerely, JC Bose These are the transcripts of the three newly found unpublished letters of Mrs Abala Bose to ‘Mrs Wilson or May Wilson: 1 [Page 1] 93 Upper Circ. Road. 4th Jan api ‘My dear Mrs Wilson, 690 Pages Unpublished Letter of Mrs Abala Bose to Mrs May Wls00 Dated 4 January 1912. Your letters are so welcome and comfort~ ing. They make us feel that Nivedita is with us still, and your assurance that all was well with her since she was with us is very soothing for it seems that she ftom the other worldis telling us that. We loved her dearly and she was most pre- cious to us but moments of indifference come and stab my heart. [Page a] Not intentional indifference but we were so used to take [sic] everything from her. Noc that she ever felt anything, but I feel now why did. Teven let a single occasion pass without show- ing her my love. In this yery room from which Tam writing how offen she came and waited for us, In my heare [loved her very much and tried to serve her in deeds and I hope she knew. ‘Of course she knew but she did not know how much for I never expressed icin words, Dear friend, I daresay I repeat things butit is so com> forting to be able PB october 2017Payes 2and2 Unpublished Letter of Mrs Abala Bose to Mrs May Wilson Dated 4 tanuary 1912. [Page 3] tell you everything for you will understand. Sometimes the longing te have her dear pres- ence isinrense—nor thar she isever far from ns. Our house s full of her—her very presence we feel everywhere—Bur it would be so blessed 19 hear her loving words. People high and low, whoever, once came in her contact never forgot sher—and we who lived with her intimatelyand whom she served with such devorion—how ean vye live without her—often before we went to Darjeeling, we Page 4] had a talk abour who will die first buc I never thought she would go so soon, PB Octeber 2017 Lady Minto has written a beautiful letter co Christine which T want ro send to you. Chris tine hasat hist come eo Calcutta and means to take up the work. ‘We really do not know whar to make of her. She is difficule co deal with, With Nived- ita one always knew where one stood but i is beyond us to understand Christine. To the last, she wrote she was not coming to Calcueea but all of a sudden, she came here and I hope she ‘means to stay. [Written on the top of Page 1] ‘With much love, ‘Yours loving, Abala Bose 691Unpublished Letter of Mire Abala Bose to trs May Wilson Dated 4 Janwary 1972 2 [Pages] 14th Dec ‘My dear Mrs Wilson, Your loving letrer was most welcome. ‘Your grief and ours can never abate, Daily we miss her more and more. ‘The sorrow seems to deepen daily. We were almost growing to- gether s0 to say—she always being the leader. Thousand ‘might haves’ are torturing us daily. ‘We did what ordinary people do foreach other bur never more, We took everything from her asour right [Page 2] and never gave anything in return. ‘The misery of whac we could have done to prolong her life 692 Page Unpublished Letter of rs Abate Bose to Mrs May Utzon Dated 14 December. is intense. How thoughtless we are. We never think of these things in time. Are we not like children? She gave and gave never thinking of herself—if she thought a litle we would not shave lost her. We tried our best to make her work less but we could easily have kept a horse and taken her for drives, thus giving her some fresh air. She was worth our spending all we hhad—but we were thoughtless. Never did we [Page 3] do half the things we could have done. We thought she was ours for life. T cannot express to youall that we feel, She was so much to both of us. My poor husband is like a log now—he is dragging himself on in a way. His life is so Jonely—He does not find anyone to whom he can talk even on science. And there she was playing with him, laughing with him, crying PB oaeber 2017,Unpublished Letter of Mrs Abala Bose to Mrs May Wilson Dated14 December. with him and working with him! Even in Dar- jeeling when she lay ll Tused to tell her how she hhasspoiled him and that nobody could do what she does for him and what patience she had with him, She had filled our lives with every- thing goed and noble—our happiness was not [Page 4] complete without her, now where shallwe go? ‘You will understand the hunger of our heart, s0 it is a comfort to write to you. Beinig unde~ monstrative and shy I never showed how much Lloved her—the pity of it! She did so long for some demonstration—oh if I had her again how I would show! Does she know? God knows, so she must now too. Dear Mrs Wikon, never mind me bucwrite PB October 2017, tomyhnsband as often asyoucan find time for he isso fearfully lonely. Next year I shall try ro go t England and perhaps seeing you and the children may brighten him up a litle, ‘With much love, Yours lovingly, Abala Bose § [Page] My dear Mrs Wilson, 1 fully realize that it has been a great priv- ilege to have lived with him and known so many beautiful thoughts and met so many good people, Whether he loved me or not, my 693Unpublished Letter of Mrs Abala Bose to Mrs May Wilson Dated 14 December, husband has been wonderfully good ro me, for Twas not the wife he should have married. Bur when he matried me, he imagined all sorts of things, and never dreamt he would become so great. [loved him and loved everyone belong- ing to him, so it was never an effore with me to live with hispeople, or those he loved. Now he is in Gods hand, May He give him peace. Yes, his was a saint's death, ‘They say he never knew, it came so snddenly and he was always afraid of the struggle ar the end, had some letcerswritten to Nivedita by Tan- tine anda few others, which have been taken by ‘one of the Swamis who is preparing life [ chink. for he stid he had many letters senc by Tantine, ‘My dear Mrs Wilson, you andT areso very dif ferent, You deserved all the stars andI think there wwas no happiness for Nivedita without you. She 694 ‘was with you—you were twin souls, Asforme, lid not deserve my stars—pray that I may be as selfless as Nivedita—thatisas much as can now. ‘Yours lovingly Abala Bose ‘The papers sent by Orpen were in two dif- ferent packs, one was written by Sister Nivedita and the other was about Nivedica by her family members, The first set was a twelve-page, around 1500-word manuscript written by Sister Nived- ita, It was the story “Hag-Ridden, which has been already published in The Complete Works of Sister Nivedita? However, the version that hasbeen published and the version in the manu- script have some differences. It could have been that Sister Nivedita had later herself edited the manuscript. However, I reproduce here the ori- ginal manuscript for the record. The following is the text of this manuscript: [Page 1] HAG-RIDDEN A Study in Grey JANET NUTTALL MERBALIST “The cottage, over whose front door hung this sign, nestled by the roadside, skirting Thorn- burg Moor, ata distance of some five hundred yards from its nearest neighbour. A descent of several steps led down to its entrance, and a shaky-looking fence railed in the pit thus cre- ared, while in the window lay dusty looking bunches of dried mine, sage, cammomile, and other disagreeable and more or ess dangerous items of the stockin-trade. Even had there been Parisian bon-bons, however, no urchin from the hamlet nearby would have have flartened his nose against the pane, The cottage had an evil name, and the children shunned it, So did their elders, save when interest pressed. PB October 2017Pages Unpublished Letter of Mrs Abata Bose to Mrs May Wilson [Page 2] Old mother Nuttall cocksand hens,and her donkey clogged on the moor behind the house, got a wide berth for feeding-ground, and in no “Thomburg houschold,saveand except the viear- age, would eggs and chickens from her poultry: yardhave been eaten, without fear of dire results. Allover the parish, andamong the scattered, habitations on the moor-side, as well asby sery~ ant girls and boys as far as Bermerside Market- town seven miles off, Janet Nuttall was known asa ‘wise woman: Yer even those who rook no step in life without consulting her, and who PB October 2017, ” enjoyed no boon without paying her tribute, did not love her: They feared her, and shrank from her contempt. Foricwas very evident, that the old woman despised those who made use of her oceult powers, "To some, it seemed that she had tome down’ in life and burly Farmer Wilson, who [Page 3] came te her one moming fer help in recovering silver watch he had dropped in the course of a four-mile walk on a dark night, involnntar- ily, to his own great amazement, changed the 695Pages and2 “Hag Ridden; Original Manuscript Writen by Sister Nivedita “Mother’ of his rough address into ‘Madam’ as ‘he stood before her. And subsequently when he found the missing chronometer in a heap cof straw, beside the very gate she had indicated to him, instead of dispuring her fee, as he had shrewdly foreseen himself doing, he was 100 delicate even to mention money to the lonely woman, and paid dhe uttermost farthing sev- eral times over during the course of the winter, in sacks of poraroes,lefe quietly inside her door. Nevertheless, twas from no pride of origin chat the scom of Janet Nutall sprang. Neither was it a pluming of herself, or her talents, and {east ofall, the triumph of the charlaran over the dupe. Whatever the nature of the old woman's gifts might be, she at any rate, believed in them fally. Once, and once only, she had been almost tenderin their exercise. Itwas when poor Anne ‘Willder had come to herto learn the fate ofher sailorlover, and had 696 [Page 4] hidden her face on the oldwoman’s knee, in her agony of teror and maidenly shame. Gently the ‘withered hand had been laid on the golden head, and the fail figure in its high-backed chair had grown erect and queeniy for a moment, while the darkeset grey eyes dilated ro a distant vision. But the words thar fell from the parted lips, swere few and bitter. My lass, my lass, weep no more for your laddie, He'll never come home again! In che Wise Woman, there had sprung up 2 sndden throbbing sense of kinship, yer she had not softeried her message. To her eyes, the fig- ure of young Davey, in his deep sea-grave, lying among tangled weeds, and already half buried in the ooze of the ecear-floor, was as real as if she herself were on the spor, and she told the ‘worst bluntly. Indeed, disappointment rather than pity had been her strongest PB October 2017Pages sands “Hag Ridden; Original Manuscript Written by Sister Nivechta fellas the donkey rounded the shoulder of the Jill and disappeared into the dell where'Thorn- burg Church was situated, It was the honr and the light the old wornan loved. Under the low ‘Churchyard-wall, [Page 7] brown leaves had drifted, and in the tree-tops the wind, char was only a breeze higher up, gathered fever and tossed about huge branches. ‘moaning its weird sleep-song over the dead, ‘A lych-gate—of ancient pattem, bur recent dare—formed the entrance to the Churchyard, and to a post of this structure, Fanet fastened. her donkey, s she dismounted and passed into the enclosure. To her, the silent place was alive with friends; a delicate flush warmed her wrinkled Features, as she entered. Heer eyes-beautiful, 698 deep secing—shone with suppressed excite- ment, while the customary look of batiled stir- ringon her face. was heightened into passionare yearning for the nonce. Fromgrave-fortto grave-fort, thebent old fig- ure passed, stoppingat each, asif eo talk with die invisible, and choosing with marked preference [Page 8] new-turned soil. Her eyes strained eagerly into the gather- ing dusk, and gradmally her air of expectation changed to an expression of disappointment, mounting to despair. ‘Fh my bairn, my bait, she cried at lst, ‘Will ye not come home? Not on your own birthnight? Not to your own old mother? My hd, mylad! Two years [saw myself carrying your coffin, and well I marked thar on this day ye would slip your fetrers. And now its PB October 2017,g SF ye tld ar “Hay Rideeo; Original Manuscript Written by Sister Nivedita the third year and ye havens’ come, Oh! Don't say that in the Goed Land ye never mind ye of yerold Mother! My lad, my lad, my own lad? A something of untamed gueenliness per- tained however to Janet Null, and not in the darkening God's acre, could she feel sufficiently alone to indulge her private grief. “Friends, she said mastering a sob, and tum- ing courteously to addeess empty space, it’sill- [Page 9] biding in a Churchyard, in wind and rain, Come back with me toa warm hearth. A bit of shelter anda friendly word's abvays heartsome, and may help ye on to the Good Land? “The Vicar, passing, as she climbed into her cart, called out ‘Good-night, Janet, and mut- tered to himself, ‘must have been wandering about among the graves again, poor old body! She grows more and more daft every day! PB October 2017, Strange, though, about Farmer Wilson's sil ver watch!” But Janet neither saw her pastor, nor heard his salutation, Her attention was en- grossed by thar silent crowd, who to her eyes snrrounded her, and joumeyed with her in her market carco her lonely home, ‘Hours passed away, and long after she con- ceived her strange visitants te have departed, Janet Nurall sat before the fire, and bent her piercing gaze on the glowing coals. Her proph- etic mood was on her and at times like this, she believed firmly in her own insight into the future. "Yes, she said—speaking in a low broken voice, and with evident anviery—‘there ye come, Jane Hayward, [Page 10] asking my help. Well, well, ye'll get yer wish, 699Pagesgand10 “HageRiddeo; Original Manuscript Written by Sister Nivedita woman, but ye were better without itifye only knew! ... And you, Henry Morris, what do ye seek.? A key? Isee it ! Hurry me not, man. Ir'll be found—all in good rime—here, pull away something—i'sa drawer, a drawer with a brass ringin front of it, and here's the keys... Yes, yes, an’ here's another... She had forgotten herself utterly by this time, in her eager muttering, but now she gave a smothered scream as some vision seemed.ro come upon her witha sense of recognition. ‘Ah, ‘here youare again, with the coffin in your arms, you-—Janet Nurrall! Letme see, let me see!’ and ‘craning her neck, the old woman totrered ro her feet, as if by peering further inte the fire, she could indeed bring the future nearer to her eyes. "Yes, it’s the same coffin’ she went on, ‘the very same, and the same day! Mybey! Mybey! ‘There's the name npon i, surely, why no, there's no name, the plare’s a looking-glase, and, I've joo looked into it—myselfY She fell back into her chair, with a moan of horror, and at that mo- ment. from the Church steeple in the village, rang our eleyen strokes. [Pages] On the south side of one of the great bridges, a man—wearing the clothes and the closely cropped hair of a discharged convice— crouched with folded arms, gazing moodily at the pavement in front of him. There was a lear space there, which seem to be antomat- ically respected by passing pedestrians, and in the middle of it hadbeen thrown—a black cor- tonglove. Already, the man had him huddled there an ‘hour or more, with his glowering eyes fixed on the sordid challenge at his feet, when the sound of Big Ben booming out eleven reverberared PB October 2017Pages mand: “Hag Riden; Original Man ascrpt Witten by Sister Nivedita across the river, and struck down into the cor net where he lay. ‘As the last stroke died on the listening air, a curious change suddenly came over his face, and ‘he rose and stretched himself. Tam a free man’ he said slowly, asif in the light of a new world, and tock in one deep breath after another. ‘The river, ramming blackin the distance, had Jost its fascination of death and darkness all at once. He bent with a shamefaced movement to lift the theatrical emblem he had himself cast down a while ago."Iam free, he repeated, ‘Tam free. Snrely all this while, I have been hag-rid- den? Irwas the moment of the soul’ liberation, and for the first [Page 12] time, and at forty years of age, John Nuttall turned with a spring in his step, to carve out a fife and character for himself, PB Octeber 2017 Te-was a grim bacde that had been a-fight- ing thar last hour, between an old woman on ‘Thornburg Moor-side, and her son in a Lon- don slum. Trhad ended now however. He went forth wo be his own man fer good or evil, and she sleptin her chair by her lonely fireside, chat sleep from which there is no awaking. “Thnswas another chapter added to the Tra- gedy of Motherhood, ‘The next sec of papers was an obituary of Sis- ter Niveditads mother Mary Isabel Noble. This handwritten manuscript has the following beau- tiful words: [Paget] GRANT HER, O LORD, ETERNALREST, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON HER, 7olSister Nvecita’s Mother’ Obituary: Pager [Page 2] In memory of our beloved Mother MCARY ISA- REL NoRLE. Born at Belfast May 16th 1845, died atBurley.inWhifed'e [Burley-in-Whartedale|® Jan 26th 1909. Her ashes were buried in our father’sgrave in Torrington North Devon. 1909. [Page 3] Cloisters of Light It was noon on Easter Eve when we bore to its fast long home in our Father’ grave the sacred dust which to us had symbolised all the love and benediction of motherhood. Some few of those who had stood beside her av the same spot in her hour of bitter sorrow, thirty-two years ago, were here again, with heads bated, and [Page 4] voices hushed, ro welcome her back to the place of endless rest, So there, on the sunny slope, they lie henceforth—the two we loved! jou Sister Nivedita’s Mother’ Obituary: Page 2 “Together ac last for ever, even as in this garden of the blessed dead. About hem year by year mild flowers will bloom and sweet briar shed its fra- agrance. And ever the circling pines will ‘make a doister-court, chantingday and night, for chese and all departed souls. Keep them in ‘Thine own presence, O Lord God. Andler light perpetual shine upon them! Among the papers, therewasa page, probably from a diary, that was amazing, [thought that it ‘was a paper chat was used for wrapping other let ters, To my surprise there was an ashvatvba leaf, also known as bo leaf or peepial leaf Ficus rs- Uégiona—from the 19 008and as the heading says, ic is the ‘Prasad of Kedar and Badri. Jai Kedar Nath Swami Ki Jai! Jai Badri Bissal Lal Ki Jai! “The salntations of the pilgrims on the road. Prasad of Kedar and Badri This bo leaf was picked up in the bazaar at Kordwara, which isa long rectangle, with three terraced bo trees running down the middle. A PB October 2017Sister Nivedita’: Mother's Obituary:Page 3 ile or ewo away, fies the railroad, and there our wonderful pilgrimage ended. Iwas road along which went first the Buddhist apostles, then the coreries of Asoka, then the messengers of the Early Sin. Then came the doctrine of the Mother, conflicting with the Gupra worship of Sathya Narain, Then Sankaracharya with Ved- anta Aphorisms. And worthy Ramannjas Vaish- navism. Jai! Jai! Jai!” In the papers, was also there, a leccer written by Siscer Nivedita to her youngest sister, Mrs. May Wilson. This the text of the lecter: [Pages] C/o Mrs. Allen South 81, Terrington 1908, Good Friday Night. ‘My sweet Nim, ‘We went to Papas grave this evening and planted wild primroses and violets there. Mrs. Bull and Dr. Bose and I. Ir was Dr. Bose’s plan and he thoughcof the violets and found the sod af roots for the place. PB October 2017, Re __ Wie jab Ioan er bak ae “of enless vest. epee. onthe sunny slope they le -_penteforty tye fae me loud ! et forever, even arinthi, guden of pethasd | eb. Mbt them year ty year el fomers ail Moor 216 seer bein hi fragrance Ind coerthe Circling pines till make a vemarl, chanting Dayar night ose ar alldepartiS sorte oT Keep thom inThine oun presence OLenssen, Ale ight perpetual shine aren them! Sister Nivedita’s Mother's Obituary: Page 4 “The sun sec so wonderfully behind the pine trees, But thatwasbehind his head. The part of, a grave you know is towards the [Pages] dawn and the east. Papa is not there, dear. But the place was so sacred to me still, for I fele that it was the spot of your grear sorrow and our brothers farewell to home for such long weary years. Bur I have tied hard not te feel that our loved one has any [Page 3] special tie to that sweet spot. Death is really the ceasing to he able to think of the prisoning body, It lets one go free inco utterly new condi- tions, I feel sure. And the pain we had in our Ioneliness was afterall a thing to make light of, Inisover now. And we would not remember it. So the sweer, serene (Page 4] spiritis wo be given peace and freedom from our old sorrow—is he not? Andtthe grave is only asa shelfon which was once laida folded vesnure. eis alla dream—life as well as death, And they who dosAshvatthe leafor BoLeat seelife in the hands of this death, to them belong eternal peace, Hurts none else, Hurts none ‘else. Your own, Peggy. Lam also giving here, rare photographs of Sis- tet Nivedita with her mother, brother, and sister, and that of her mother and father. T obtained copies of these photographs from Selenda Gerar- din when she cameto India in 2014 and donaved these photographs, among many other archival items, to the Ramakrishna Sarada Math. ‘The evening of + July this year felcso fulfilling and blissful for me vo have received such a unique prasad from the previons century. Asmy fingers touched the sacred “Bo Leaf” my whole body shivered and I got goosebumps. I had a feeling of walking down the roads of the past. Was the leaf picked up by Sister Nivedica herself or did 704 Sister Nivedita’ Mother, Wary isabel Noble cand Father, ame! Richard Noble 7 the Himalayan breeze gently blow the leaf down, or was ivafier a severe stormy night that the leaf “, was found by Sister Nivedita? Did she take the | leaf to touch the lotus feet of Swamiji? Did she couch che leaf on her forehead as a Hindu ges- ure? When did she puvivin the diary, day or night? Who else were here in the pilgrimage? ‘Though Kotdwara is nowa busy town in Uttara- khand, I am cluclessabout whathappened then. ‘The evening sun in the ewenty-first ceneury remained silent, peaceful, serene, and wuly spir- itual with Sister Nivedicas handwritten letters and didn’t answer any of my questions. 08 Notes and References 4. The document mentioned here refers to the Jan- uary 2017 issue of Prabuddha Bharata: ‘Sister Nivedita: Offered to India’, Pmibudéha Bharata, 2/1 (January 2017). Sir Jagadish Chandra Rose passed away on 23 ‘November 1937 in Giridih. See Lizelle Reymond, The Dedicated (Madras: Samata, 1985). See Barbara Foxe, Long Journey Home (London: Rider, 1975). . See Hag-Ridden’, The Complete Works of Sister Nivedisa, 5 vols (Caloutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1995) 374-8. Burley-in-Wharfedale is a village and civil par- ish in the county of West Yorkshire, England. PB october 2017,Pages ands Unpu blished etter of Sister Nivedita to her youngest sister, Mrs. May Wilson PB October 2017 29Swk: ‘How can we advance in spir- M irual life? Saradeshananda: ‘Live a spotless monastic life and so much fame and prosperity will come that yon will be hardly able ro han- dle, Only ewo-four monks are enough co ran a centre, And you dorrtneed to deliver bigleceures to build an ashrama. les living the life of asadhu thar gnarantees real functioning of an ashrama. A lite bit of celebration, music, and discussion on the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda should be enough. Now it seems tharweare leaning more towards name and fame rather than preaching the ideals of Sri Rama- Asishna and Swamiji. Ihe trend, itappears tome, is more towards doing something pompous by blaring microphones or by blazoningon various periodicals and newspapers! You can accomplish. 706 Gems of Memories: Reminiscences of Swami Saradeshananda Swami Shuklatmananda (Continued from the previous isstre) such more by regularly holding classes in differ- ent places of an area. ‘Still our centres arerior distributed evenly. Even leavingaside our centres abroad, in ourown coune «ry [India], one third of the Orde’s monastic man- power is employed in West Bengal alone, while in other states theres hardly any. And see how people are waiting co listen to Sri Ramakrishnas words. Let there be a few model educational centres in the whole country, Now we should not be bent upon building new centres, rather we should con- centrave on the preaching work more and more. "The whole world has been waiting with parched throat, sit were, to receive the ideals of Sri Rama- krishna. Twenty to twenty-five monks are crowded together in each of our educational centres. It is high time we scattered Sri Ramakrishna’ ideals all over the world in an orderly manner’ Saradeshananda once asked a monk coming from one of the Ramakrishna Mission centces abroad: "You have been there for so many years. Do you think thar those who accept Sri Rama- krishna ideal are people of sveady character in their society? ‘Monk: ‘Yes Maharaj itis true. Those closely associated with the ashrama are surely people of integrity in their society? PB October 2017Gems of Memories: Reminiscences of Swami Sarcdeshananda » Saradeshananda: “Then know for sure that youte in the right direction, I is not that you have vo gather too many people and make a fuss. Even if'a handful few are attracted to Sti Ramakrishna’ ideals and they ury wo lead a pure life, you should consider your efforts amply re- warded, I think what the West needs today is an emphasis on family life, chac is, mutual love and affection amongst the family members. People are gradually turninginwo machines; indeed, seli- ishness is dragging people down to the level of bruves. This Thave found out by asking many of them. Compared to others, Sti Ramakrishna’ devotees are more in touch wich their parents and relatives. In fact, such bonds among the fam- ily members are of paramountimportance today in che country both for the interest of the indi- vidual as well as for the sociecy’s interestatlarge’ In the same room, there were two beds placed side by side—one for Saradeshananda and another for his attendant. In the later years of his life, he found it difficult wo move from his bed. $o, all the devotees. including women, were allowed inside his room, He would ask some of them, out of courtesy, especially the women devotees from abroad, to sit on the chair of on the bed beside his. However, they almost always chose to sit on the floor. Some of them chose to sit on the attendane’s bed as instructed by him. ‘When [expressed ny reservations in thismavter, he gravely said: ‘As long as my body permitted, T always went outside vo meet chem, but T am almost on my deathbed now. And they say thae there is no law in deathbed, Hook upon them as my mother. Didn't you have mother and sisters in your house? They will come wo my room and siton the bed, ifneed be. Ifyou feel uneasy, you may please roll your bed during the daytime. If you still have any misgivings, you may leave. I dort need your service?Swami Saradeshanancas Shrine Devotees could come anytime to meet Sa- radeshananda. He would always give them a lit- ule prasad, usually sugar candies. Sometimes, he would give them water in his own glass. One incident comes to my mind. During one of the celebration days, arrangements were made for the women devotees to sit for partaking prasad on the veranda of the building where Sa- radeshananda stayed. The nurses of the ashrama also came. One of them needed a spoon, as she had bruised her finger. A monk asked me for the spoon, but I did not have any, except the spoon used by Saradeshananda. So I was disinclined to give him the spoon. Overhearing our conver- sation, from inside the room, Saradeshananda admonished me severely, and asked me to give the spoon at once. Reluctantly, I carried ont his order. Laterhe called me and told: ‘See, they are 708 in the place of our mother. Try to see them in this light. Otherwise you can never escape the snares of maya by harbouringany kind of hatred towards them? T remember one incident that Sarade- shananda narrated to me during a conversation. ‘Once, he was going to some place and saw-a boy, crying bitterly, going in the opposite direction. ‘After some time, he suddenly realised that the road that lay in that direction was completely flooded with water, Without further delay he rushed to the boy and saw that his apprehen- sion was right. The little fellow was floundering helplessly in water. He immediately picked him up from water. A life was thus saved! ‘Once seeing a north Indian sadhu in Puriliv- ing on simple stale rice—rice cooked overnight and soaked in water—Saradeshananda asked the sadhu as w how he managed without rot, the food they were accustomed to. ‘Ihe sadhu replied: “Yon see, any food, no matter which country ic belongs to, itis food afer all. One can indeed live on any food, Ie is just a mavter of getting used to it’ Later Saradeshananda told me in this regard: ‘I have travelled to so many places without any money. But I never thought of where my next meal would come from and I find you always finicky about food. What's this? You should never criticise any food unless you become ill by eatingit? Being overly enthusiastic about playing bad- minron with the doctors, we prepared a court and brought all the accessories—rackets, shuc- les, and badmincon net, But as soon as Sa- radeshananda came wo know of it, he strongly forbade me to participate. He said: ‘If you would liscen co me, don’c go there, You're a brahmachari and they are all householders. All sorts of discussion will go on there. That will be detrimental for your monastic life. And more- over, as they stay just a furlong away, women PB October 2017Gems of Memories: Reminiscences of Swami Saradeshananda a from their homes can come and see the games’ ‘When I ied oo feebly puc up an argument, he said: ‘Don't go, I'm telling this for your wellbe- ing. Proximity with the householders blunts the sense of discrimination and chac surely invites danger in monastic life. Afterwards you'll have nothing but to repent? Later, heeding to his words, I did not go to play badminton. ‘One woman devotee was very devoted co Saradeshananda. She decided not to marry. He was also affectionate towards her. She would often ask me if he needed anything for his personal use, Thac woman's father tried sev- eral times to persuade her to marry but to no avail. Later, seeing no other way out, he came to Saradeshananda with another monk, and asked him to permnade her to marry. He never PB October 2017, Swami Saradeshanandia along with Swami Vireswarananda yielded to his request. When the woman came co him, he cold her: ‘Don’t be a puppet in others’ hands. Do what you like, You are ma- mnre enough to decide for yourself? Later, she led an unmarried life. Once a brahmachari happened to tell him: [cold everybody that I would not marry even when I was in eighth standard’ Rather, stardled Saradeshananda said: ‘Never say this again. You just wor't know when vanity would creep in. Beware! Pride goes before destruction."* And moreover, who can know maya’ plays?” (io be continued} References 15. See “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spitit before a fall’ (Proverbs 16:18). 799Saga of Epic Proportions Swami Sandarshanananda (Continued from the previous issue) WAMIJI CAME TO PARTS at the end of July S 1900. Bull and Macleod were then in Paris. Dr Bose along with his wife reached Paris in August. Nivedita probably arrived there from the US before all others in June. Swamiji and the rest used to meet at Mr Leggett’ place. Accordingly. all of them witnessed Bose’ spectacular success at the Science Congress there. On 3 September Swamiji wrote an amusing letter to Mrs Leggett, sister of Miss Macleod—she was in the US at that moment—giving a graphic description of the fin and enjoyment everybody, including the other delegates of the Congress, was having in her house in Paris, in which he specifically men- tioned about Prof. William James taking parc. After the Bradford lecture, when Bose had his operation and was having postoperative rest, Nivedita had some interesting conversation with him. Butbefore that also, deeply impressed by his conversation, Nivedita wrote to Miss Macleodon, 1 November 19002'T cannot tell you Dearest what these friends [Boses] are becomingin their perfect oneness with our inspirations.” The talk ‘was very, touching’ to her. He planned what a few of them ‘could do for Indian education in 10 years, if they ‘had absolute power’ (1394). He said: ‘We would have such primary schools—a 4 years’ course— and such a secondary—another 4 years—and then by a fine system of scholarships, we would feed the universities’ (ibid.). She then asked him: “What would you do in the primary schools?" He said explaining that his‘aim would not be to pro- duce a man of science—but to produce perfect 710 men of science’ ( id). She was happy that Bose was dwelling on the ideas of the Bhagavadgita. She saids ‘It has been good to hear Dr. Bose talk un- guardedly for hours together—giving story afer story of the tremendous renunciations of the In- dian past (ibid.), With a great enthusiasm she said to Macleod: ‘Can you realise that that conversa- tion marks an epoch in my life?’ (ibid.). On 15 November, writing to Miss Macleod, Nivedita mentioned that she was spending a lot of time ‘over the Tata Scheme, and Dr. Bose’s papers’ (1.399). Incidentally, “Tata Scheme’ was another affair in which Nivedita was involved since it was also concerning the future of Indian science. There is an emotional outburst about ‘Swami’ dear ‘blessings of the howling dervishes were the first he ever sent me without asking, and made me feel the happiness of being indeed achild. As I grow clearer and clearer about the terrible and strenuous future of life, I find that I lean more and more on that relation towards him, To him one need never be anything more than a child. To him one owes nothing—un- less everything is anything!—bur life. Being that, and owing thas, holding thar sweetest of all relationships, che world is before one—every souls free to be served by one—nothing is shut off—even no degree of love—I am surprised to find—is forbidden to one (ibid). ‘This seems to be a charter that she had re- ceived from Swamiji, which freed her from all fet- ters yet retained the love of child undiminished. Te surely gave her now sense of emancipation to PB October 2017Saga of Epic Proportions 8 be able to mingle with the Boses and love Bose freely withourany hunch that Swamiji might take it ina different light. Without ending the letter there, it appears that she held it fora while before posting and wrote again on 22 November to add a few things more. She informed: ‘I am staying with the Boses. Every day is filled with work. On the 1stof Dec. or thereabouts he has to go for his operation’ (ibid.). Drawing to the end of the let- ter, she gave a strain of her whim perhaps, saying: “Tell Swami have only one wish in the world and that is to live a nun’ life perfectly. But every day the golden apple of my desire seems to slip fur- ther out of my hands. Will he bless me and give it me?(1.401). By these words she showed that she couldn't forget that she was deprived of sannyasa and it was still pricking her conscience maybe it had happened due to her own shortcoming. By the middle of December 1900 Jagadish Chandra Bose had his operation done. But it was a real challenge before the surgeon, for his life was in question. The chances for his survival were thin, Mrs Bull and Nivedita were obviously under great tension in that situation and did apply all their strength and efforts to bring him back at any cost. The Boses naturally felt deeply indebted to them for their unstinted services with such affection and dedication. Patrick Ged- des wrote: ‘Afver Bose’s attendance at the Inter- national Science Congress at Paris in 1900, and subsequent cares, his health broke down, and he was in imminent danger, when Mrs. Bull, hear- ingof this, came over from the Continent, found him an expert surgeon and helped to nurse him back to health. From this time a deep friendship grew up, and Bose found in her anew the great qualities of his own mother.” She gave some other interesting pieces of news to Mrs Bull on 22 November, one of them being the news of her meeting with Rhys Da- vids as well as the news of their invitation to PB October 2017 tea at the Royal Asia that Bose was absent then in view of his health condition. She dished out the information that Prof. Rhys Davids was ‘going to help about the Tata Scheme?" In 1898 Jamsetji Tata proposed a big donation to the Indian government for a postgraduate research institute, which ought to have Indians ina large number. Swamiji had sup- ported the idea and showed his interest. Nived- ita accordingly got connected to it obviously. Her intention was to establish a genius like Dr Bose in this centre for higher research, which would function free of direct control of the im- perialist government. ‘The proposal was not ul- imately acceptable to the government. Nivedita, nevertheless, worked hard for its accomplish- ment, without giving up hope. Her letter of 29 November to Bull contained much about Bose’s work. Society. She was sorry “The and paper—only—is under weigh. I is tremendous, and makes me feel that Annun- ciation lilies are only a beautiful scientific dia- gram of magnetic and other curves, as this man sees them, You will not be surprised that hours 1pass sometimes in making scientific drawings or calculations—or thinking things oucand he will say ar the end ‘Another day wasted! Why am Iso lazy?'—and yet not a minute has been wasted, really. They made me spend yesterday morning on the sofa. On Monday I got into she circuit of this tremendous mind, and sat for hours making drawings with collapse as the re- sult, No wonder it rakes him days to geta paper well on the loom (ibid.). (To be continued) References 38. Letters of Sister Nivedita, ed. Sankari Prasad Basu, 2 vols (Calcutta: Nababharat, 1982), 1393. 39. Sir Patrick Geddes, The Life and Work of Sir Ja- gadis C. Bose: An Indian Pioneer of Science (Lon- don: Longmans and Green, 1920), 221. 40. Letters of Sister Nivedita, 1.403. JuBALABODHA Ancient Wisdom Made Easy Nididhyasana PIRITUAL PRACTICE consists of three Serene ‘manana,and nididhyasana. ‘Since the Upanishads exhort one todo Nidi- dhyasana, its necessary to know the meaning of this word and what exactly is meant by the practice of nididhyasana. Thisisa Sanskrit word. Sanskricis classical language like Greek, Latin, and Persian. And in Sanskrit, as in most classical languages, most words are derived from a stem of root. ‘The word nididhyasana is derived from the root diyai, which means to think, imagine, con- cemplate, meditate, recollect, call to mind, and brood. Nididhyasana means profound and re- peated meditation. Nididbyasana follows manana. It is the stream of ideas of the same kind as those of Brah- man, the ultimate Reality, and excludes ideas of a different kind, like those of the body, mind, senses, and the intellect. Nididhyasana means understanding the meaning of the scriptures on the basis of the relation between the words and the sense in which they are expressed. This is done by a person who has already acquired the complete knowledge of the meaning of the scriptures through the stages of shriavana and manana along with the spiritual disciplines of shama, dama, shraddba, titiksha, uparati, and samadhana. Nididhyasana does not mean sim- ple meditation, though that is the etymological meaning, Nididhyasana means knowledge that has liberation or moksha as its aim and has no expectation. Itis the culmination of the practice of shravanaand manana, and is an indirect intu- ition of Brahman. 72 Shravanais the principal because itis the con- sideration of a means of knowing and manana and nididbyasana are subsidiary because they only help to accomplish the fruit of shravana, thatis, the knowledge of Brahman. Itis also said that shravana and manana should be performed till the knowledge of Brahman manifests itself and nididhyasana is the final limit of perform- ing shravana and manana. These two are said to culminate into nididhyasana after the repetition of the two, Shravanaand mananaare co-existent and nididhyasana is their culmination and the precedent of the knowledge of Brahman. Nididhyasana is different from the medita- tion on a symbol or upasana, Here, one fixes the stream of ideas on the principle, Brahman, to determine its true nature. The purpose of nidi- dbyasanais to attain a direct vision of Brahman, by discarding everything else. After the rising of this knowledge, nothing else needs to be done, because one gets moksha. The metaphys- ical knowledge that results from mididhyasana results in immediate moksha or liberation. Nididhyasana can also be defined as the flow of uninterrupted knowledge arising from the medi- tation on Brahman. However, it is not the medi- tation or concentration on something separate as that would mean that there is a difference be- tween Atman and Brahman, which are identi- cal in reality. And so, nididhyasana should be understood to be becoming one with Brahman. It is the realisation, comprehension, or under- standing of the ultimate Reality after the analysis of the meaning of the Vedantic passages. 08 PB October 2017TRADITIONAL TALES Karma Yoga NCE IN VARANAST, two young men O were walking through the Hanuman Square, They saw ewo young women drowning, Seeing this, they jumped into water. ‘They rescued and brought vo shore those two women, who were about to drown. ‘The rescued ‘women thanked the young men. ‘One young man asked the young woman he had rescued to marry him. He believed that this world was the only truth. The other young man looked upon women elder to him ashis mother, PB October 2017, those of his age as sisters, and women younger to him as his danghters. Hence, he said to the young woman he had rescued: ‘Sister, God has provided me the opportunity wo do a good deed. Ihave done my duty’ He believed that God alone was tne. Externally, boch the men did the same act of rescuing life, but they differed in their at- titudes. Hence, they gor different results of the same work. Work that is done expecting results leads to bondage. Work that is done with the 71346 Prabuddba Bharata idea that one is the instrument of God and with an attitude of surrendering the fruits of the work to God, leads to liberation. Moreover, only one who is leading a spiritual life can serve the world with purity. Else, one cannot prevent the influ- ence of selfish incerests. Sti Krishna says in the Bhagavadgita: “Your right is for action alone, never for the results. Donor become the agent of the results ofaction. “May you not have any inclinations for inaction" 714 Sri Ramakrishna says: ‘A boat may stay in water, but water should nocstay in boat. A spirit- ual aspirant may live in the world, but the world should not live within him.” ow References 1. Gita, 2.47. 2. Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna (Madras: Rama- krishna Math, 1971), 276, PB Odaber 2017REVIEWS For review in PRABUDDHA BHARATA, publishers need to send twe copies of their latest publications Classical Philosophy: A History of Philosophy without Any Gaps, Volume + Peter Adamson Oxford University Press, Great Clarendon Street, Oxford ox2 épp, UK. wwwglobaloup.cont. 2014. £20. 368 pp. Him. 158 9780199674534 nthony Kenny (b. 1931) and Thomas Nagel (b. 1937) being sombre do not care for the Inter- niet. Hence, their serious tomes will languish in. i- braries of philosophy departments most of which have already shut shop, There are few takers for philosophy. Adamson is Incid like Bertrand Rus- sell 1872~1970) and William Durant (1885-1981). ‘What availeth a philosopher if she or he cannot take sophia to the masses? ‘Adamson is not afraid to refer us to the on- line Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (317) is smitten with podcasts, and has his own podcast, (xi). These show his readiness to be scrutinised by an international audience which determines a scholar’s originality. And Adamson is original in his approach to classical philosophy. His dub at- titude makes philosophy come alive (207). That does not mean that Adamson is not sezious about the details of doing philosophy: ‘Simplicity, they say, is a virtue. Butis it really? .. modern attempts to provide a unified theory of physics [are naive? (243). Who would have thought that in a book about ancient philosophers we will have scien- tists and their reductive thinking mocked? Ar- istotle’s Physies (243~9) is a necessary antidote to these reductionists. English literature students at Yale are dis- gusted that they have to read white male writers, at least so was their stance dur- ing early June a0r6. (See http://www. washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/2/ PB october 2017 yale-students-white-male-writers-hostile-cnl- ture/> accessed ox September 2017). Chapter 42 (300-8) of this book thankfully deals with an- cient women philosophers and finally points to Luce Irigaray (307-8). If only someone could find Chaucer's female peers! Professor Adamson's genius lies in connecting the ancient world with our zeitgeist. Writers like Adamson are needed if bright students are to see the value of being philosophers in a world which pays McDonald’s employees more than philoso= phy adjuncts. Subbashis Chattopadhyay Psychoanalyst Assistant Professor of English Narasinha Dutt College, Howrah An Essay on Man Alexander Pope Edited by Tom Jones Princeton University Press: 4 Wile liam Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540-3237, Usa. swan press priace- tonedu 2016. 924.95. 248 PP. HB. 1sEN 9780601159312. he Psalmist in the Old Testament asks God: “What is man, that thon art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? (Psalms #:4). Jesus in the New Testament answers the Psalmist that man is the proper concern of God (Matthew 6:26, 6:28-30). Later Thomas of Aquinas (1225~7 4) will write The Treative on Man (Summa Theologiae, 1265-74, Prima Pars, Ques- tons 75~89/102). "This is the beginning of Euro- pean modernity and not as erroneously thought, the start of Scholastic quiddities. Neither did Shakespeare (1564-1616) nor earlier, Geofftey Chaucer (c. 13.43/45-1400) in- angurate Early Modernism. Chancer, contrary to established criticism, in The Canterbury Tales 715a8 Prabuddha Bharata (1387-1400) gives in to despair regarding the human condition and frankly, gives up on man (See ‘Physician's Tale’, ‘Pardoner’s Introduction’, ‘Pardones’s Prologue’, and ‘Pardoner's Tale’). Shakespeare’s Hamlet's exclamation: ‘What a piece of worke is man’ ends in nihilism and despair: ‘And yet to me [Hamlet], what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me; no, nor Woman. neither’ (Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2). ‘The true heir to Aquinas is Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463-94) since in Oration on the Dig- nity of Man (1486), Mirandola till the end of his tract defends man and never gives up on human- ity. Much lates, Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) will extol humanity in his Gulliver’s Travels (1726) and Alexander Pope will pick up the traces not only of the Psalmist but of the entire Old Testament, including Qobeleth, the New Testament, Aquinas, Chaucer, Shakespeare, and of course, Pico della Mirandola to write his magnum opus An Essay on Man (1733-4). Itis this work which will later exert its power on the likes of Immanuel Kant (172.4~ 1804) and neo-Kantians like Susan Neiman (b. 1955). Neiman's Moral Clarity (2009) shows how Kant was influenced by Pope and depicts Nei- man’s love for An Essay on Man. Princeton University Press got Tom Jones to introduce and annotate Pope’s work and it is a wake-up call to those eighteenth century liter- ary scholars who have fixated on Pope's The Rape of the Lock (1712) to the exclusion of all his other works. Jones's Introduction’ is itself the best essay today in print about Pope's poem anda manifesto for the primacy of Enlightenment literatuse in an academia deadened with catchphrases. Jones writes: “The poem [An Essay on Man] has been used as a tool for thinking by philosophers and politicians from the middle of the eighteenth cen- tury to the present. Ithas beena practical resource for understanding where humans are placed in the world, what kind of beings they are, and what they should do ... Consequently it is surprising that the poem has not figured more prominently in the productive confrontation of literary and cultural studies with social theory and postwar European philosophy that has left such a strong mark on the university study of literature’ (xvii). This is not ‘surprising’ because the academic 716 discourse on cighteenth century literature has been tainted by subaltern historiography, minor philosophical concerns, and an inertia expansively commented on by Alexander Pope in The Dun- ciad (1728). Hopefully Professor Jones's thorough glosses will force inert humanists to re-scrutinise Pope's entire corpus. The art of glossing literary texts isnowa lostartand yet itis precisely this tech- nique of glossing that should be taught to literature students in English major classrooms instead of harrying them to inane quick-fix seminars, which in most cases do not further the cause of deep schol- arship. Enlightenment ideals are needed now what with Recep Tayyip Erdogan (b. 1954), Ali Bongo Ondimba (b. 1959), and their ilk clinging to polit- ical power throughout the world. Tellingly, Jones notices Pope’s concern with man’s animality and. animal’s humanity (ibid.). In a certain sense, Alex- ander Pope is one of the pioneers of ‘animal studies, much discussed within the humanities today. In his ‘Introduction’ to this edition, Jones notes that Arthur O Lovejoy in 1936 saw the ‘corres- pondences between Immanuel Kant’s Universal Natural History and Theory of the Heavens (1755) even before Maynard Mack (1909-2001; see May- nard Mack, Alexander Pope: A Life ( New York: Norton, 1969)) did while researching the life of Pope (civ). This eye for detailed academic sleuth- ing makes Jones's ‘Introduction’ by far the most advanced and original work by any researcher working today on Enlightenment literature. In 2017 it does little good to keep on going roundand. round about the question of Swift and Pope being satirists and making a hue and cry about whether they were Horatian, Juvenalian, or Varronian sati- tists. That work has been done masterfully by the late Tan Jack (1923-2008) in his Augustan Satire: Intention and Idiom in English Poetry, 1660-170 (1952) and later by Northrop Frye (1912-1991) in his Anatomy of Criticism: Four Essays (1957) ‘Tom Jones is in the line of literary scholars worldwide who understand that literature is not philosophy; neither is philosophy, licerature. Jones is in the line of Edward Mendelson who is editing WH Auden's (1907-73) corpus and Princeton University Press's publishing both Jones and Men- delson shows the clarity of thought of the pub- lisher since few try today to reclaim the domain PB October 2017Reviews of the literary for literature students and scholars. Jones's edition under review reminds this reviewer of Auden’s lines: “The gaunt and great, the famed for conversation / Bhished in thestare of evening as they spoke / And felt their centre of volition shifted’ (WH Anden, “The Garden’ in The Quest). The ‘gaunt and greai{s]’ among self-ap- pointed literary gatekeepers may be forced to shift “their centre of volition’ to literature since Jones's work performs the act of literature so urgently needed. That is, only if the gaunt aca- demic greats take the trouble to deeply read Jones's edition of 4x Essay on Man within their busy seminar-schednies. For Pope’s An Essay on Man sees into the heart of dystopias: But still this world (so fitted for the knave) Contents us not. A better shall we have? A kingdom of the just then let it be: But first consider how those just agree. ‘The good must merit God's peculiar care: But who, but God, can tell us who they are? One thinks on Calvin Heaven’s own spirit fell; Another deems him instrument of hells If Calvin feel Heaven's blessing, or its rod. ‘This cties there is, and that, there is no God. ‘What shocks one part will edify the rest, ‘Nor with one system can they all be blest, ‘The very best will variously incline, And what rewards your virtue, punish mine. ‘Whatever is, is right. This world, “tis true, ‘Was made for Carsar—but for Titus too: And which more blest? who chained his country, say, Or he whose virtue sighed to lose a day? (8.4~5) Pope, as is seen from the quotation, indeed rereads the Bible, the Reformation, vide Calvin above, and clases Early Modernism. What began in pre-Talmudic times ends with the Enlighten- ment within the Western history of ideas. This world ‘so fitted for the knave’ will march into a “retreating world” prophesied by Wilfred Owen (4893-1918) in his poesn Strange Meeting (ao18) if ‘one ignores Jones's scholarship, Pope's satires, and especially, his An Essay on Man. Subbashis Chattopadhyay PB October 2017 a Moral Clarity: MORAL A Guide For CLARITY Grown-Up idealists S'S Susan Neiman Princeton University Press: 41 Wile QD ietsceec tcc. Ne aes 08540-5247, USA. wn» press prince: ini’ romedu, 2009, $3750. 480 pp. PB. ISBN 97806911 43897. Kant argued that happiness isn’ta matter of wishful thinking, but a matter of reasons rights. Many Enlightenment thinkers held Christianity responsible for systematically decreasing our expectations of happiness, but Socrates wasn’t much better. Kant saw that the problem was older than Christian asceticism, it goes as deep as metaphysics ever does, Because we long to believe that, appearances to the contrary, the world is the way that it should be, we use one or another trick to Fool ourselves thatitis. A disconnect between happiness and virtue? Just an illusion, said many Greek and Roman philosophers. When you look closer, they turn out not only in harmony, but identical. Epicureans thought ‘virtue was happiness. Kant thought bath views were attempts to escape the double pain of disconnection: We are neither as good nar as, happy as we ought to be (174). I the face of insurmountable evil in the form of the Shoah (Fer an understanding of Shoah, see Shmuel Trigano, The Democratic Ideal and the Shoah: The Unthought in Political Modernity (New York: State University of New York, 2009)), Susan Neiman asserts the need for clear thinking, about what Aristotle termed ‘eudaimoniat (For an understanding of ‘eudaimonia, see Martha Nuss- baum, The Fragility of Goodness: Luck and Ethics in Greek Tragedy and Philosophy (Cambridge: Cam- bridge University, 1986), 334-5). Neiman is not the first philosopher teying to search for meaning, qua happiness in life; this search for happiness has heen the concern of thinkers in the last century as well as in this century. Tris strange that Neiman has been seen mostly in relationship with Hannah Arende (1906-75). FZ50 Prabuddha Bharata For instance, Bernard G Prusak is incorrect in reading both Neiman and Arendt, while he reads Neiman on Arendt in his essay ‘Arendt and. the “Banality” of Evil: A Note on Neiman’ (See accessed ox September 2037). What Prusak fails to understand is that Arendt was a brilliant structuralist while Neiman is a bril- liant phenomenologist and is the most receptive reader of Arendt today. Like Prusak, many have failed to see the genius of Neiman since she, as Prusak points out in his derogatory essay, chooses to put Arendt forward in her works. The humil- ity inherent in Neiman’s work misguides many. A parallel can be drawn between John Milton (1608-74) and Alexander Pope (1688-1744). A cursory reading of Pope, who is read extensively by Neiman in her book under review here—for tance, see the index entry on Pope in page 466 of this book—makes one feel that Pope is lash- ing out at Milton; but deeper contemplation of Pope shows that he is aware and respectful of the contribution of John Milton to the cause of free~ dom and rebellion in a world choking under the pressures of Puritan excesses in the England of Milton's times. We will return to Neiman’s phe- nomenological antecedents ina moment. Neiman excels at abstract thinking in contrast to Arendt, which quality is not to be found in any other neo-Kantian writing today. We will have the chance to assess why itis important to see Neiman, asa theologian, even though in her entire corpus she never sees herself as a theologian. In fact, in the book under review she is sceptical of God-talk: and sees herself as an heir to the European En- lightenment, which was the first sustained attack on God in Europe; during the European Renais- sance religious discourses were scrutinised and not God per se. In this book she repeatedly stresses the useless- ness of seeking certainties in life, in seeing the world in black and white, thereby shifting from Kant’s stress on the categorical imperatives to amore phe- nomenological understanding of our zeitgeist. Yer as will be shown, she is in the continuum of think- cers beginning with Edith Stein (1891-1942) in the last century to Jiirgen Moltmann (b. 1926) and Jo- hann Baptist Metz (b. 1928) on the one hand and. 718 to Eleanor Maccoby (b. 1917), Janet Taylor Spence (1923-2015), and Elizabeth Loftus (b. 1944) on the other hand, The interaction of Maccoby, Spence, and Lofius with the thought of Neiman is beyond the scope of this review. Later we will passingly show the need for Lofius's work in understanding Neiman. It is not hard to see her relationship to Emmanuel Lévinas (1906-1995), Eliezer Wiesel (1928-2016), Victor Frankl (1905-97), and Martha ‘Nussbaum (b. 1947), and recently to another neo- Kantian, Bettina Stangneth (b. 1966). ‘Nussbaum is not concerned per se with theod- icyas Neiman is, but she rereads Aristotle, Bettina Stangneth is more in the line of Hannah Arendt. ‘The difference between Neiman on the one hand and Arendt and Stangnethis best proven through. analogy: while the former is a pure mathemat- ician, the latter two are applied mathematicians, as it were. The present book, in a very Husserlian sense, problematises morality and critiques Kant’s imperatives in a comprehensible language. While Husserl is often indecipherable; Neiman is emi- nently readable without being reductionist. In this book and elsewhere, Neiman is the true heir to a very specific domain within psychology and philosophy; the problem, or the lack, of em- pathy. Lack of empathy and what we can do about itis what the book under review is all about. This is because moral clarity is well-nigh impossible ina world where genocides are the norm and the Hitler-event has enacted a total amnesia on think- ers post-Shoah, It is interesting to note that many survivors of the Shoah became psychoanalysts and thus tried to reconstruct their experiences in the concentration camps (See H M Reijzer, 4 Dangerous Legacy: Judaism and the Psychoanalytic Movement (London: Karnac, 2011)). ‘Neiman too tries to see evil or the lack of in- nocence in this book but like all others before and after her, she is rendered speechless by Hitler, she does not speak of the Shoah explicitly: ‘Rousseau is quite clear: the savage may be noble, but he isn't yet free. Rousseau’s vision of happiness was not of aman who turned his back on civilization, but one who longed to improve it. ... Perhaps there wasa sort of garden, Kant said, where humankind had wanted for nothing, and had no knowledge of evil. Bucif each of us had lost in leaving that state, PB October 2017Reviews 5 the species as a whole has gained. However you may yearn for the womb’s shelter, you don't really want to return to it. The loss of innocence was the price of reason, and the Enlightenment had no doubt that reason was worth it’ (179). Notice that Neiman is using textual registers that clearly demand a more nuanced reading of this text than has been done so far. She suffers an anxiety, to speak in classical psychoanalytic terms, with her past; and resists the need for the safety of the womb. Therefore, we can safely say that she like Hans Jonas (1903-93) is involved in a strug- gle with the symbolic past: a past which she has inherited and thus memory studies come into the forefront, vide Sigmund Freud and Elizabeth Lof- tus,a past which is so horrific that she has to speak up for reason; yet always struggling to articulate the need for uncertainty throughout this book. For instance, she quotes John Dewey in page 216 of this book to prove her point that there is little value in our infantile craving for absolutes. ‘The European Enlightenment thatis eventually the precursor to structuralism and modernism is so important to Neiman precisely because she ‘wants to scrutinise the Shoah and understand the psyches of those who calmly carried on the po- groms of the Jews. There is no true poststructur- alist object of critical enquiry; in fact structuralist movements too within the humanities and the social sciences are just long shadows of the En- lightenment. This is the psychoanalytic resistance/ rejection to/of a return to the womb effected by genocide studies’ scholars globally. Neiman resists the urge to stereotype unlike Daniel Goldhagen (b. 1959), who thinks all Germans are demonic or that Hitler and his cronies were demons. When people face evil in its purest form, they naturally try to explain it. This effort to under- stand evil makes Neiman a theologian since only a theologian speaks of theodicy and evil. There- fore, Neiman’s connection to Edith Stein is easy to understand. We have to see Neiman not merely as she sees herself: an heir to Hannah Arendt; a liberal moral philosopher who is schooled in John Rawls (1921-2002), and critiques social in- justice through her readings of Immanuel Kant. ‘The term moral philosopher comes up repeatedly when we search her on the Internet. In fact, in her PB october 2017 persistence in reading the Bible and repeatedly mentioning God, she is in the line of the great theologians of our day and before us. She may be an avowed neo-Kantian, but in the final analy- sis she is of the school of Moltmann, Metz, and even Gustavo Gutiérrez (b. 1928). Itmay be unfair to see her work within a continuum of Christian thinkers but in her engagement with suffering in this book and throughout her corpus, we see that she is informed by hesed, unlike Julia Kristeva whom this reviewer has also reviewed in this issue of this journal. Also keeping in mind that Hitler and his con- spicuous attendant lords were mostly men and contemptuous of women, itis startling that those systematically unmasking the Nazi-eventare now mostly women, Neiman is therefore to be seen alongside Janet Taylor Spence and Eleanor Mac- coby. The book under review is therapeutic in s0 far as good philosophising is not very different from good talk-therapy. This reviewer is sceptical of any attempt to call Neiman only a moral phil- osopher. This reviewer has steered clear ofall that is to be found on Neiman even in the dark web. Reading online makes Neiman out be an anxiety- ridden marginal Jew and a philosopher who is too bothered with the Shoah, yet someone who is critical of our collective obsession with Hitler. But reading this book as against surfing online is an eye-opener: her work is just too complex to be slotted into meaningless categories. ‘Neiman’s corpus resists what is known as com- modity-fetish and leads us from the anxiety-ridden restless economy of the Pharaoh to the restful econ- omy of the God of the Shema (See Walter Brue- ggemann, Sabbath as Resistance: Saying No to the Culture of Now (Louisville: Westminster Jobn Knox, 2014)). Brueggemann (b. 1933) has articulated this restless economy of the Pharaoh in his corpus.Susan, Neiman’s book under review and her entire corpus isan effort to resist the Pharaoh's life negating econ- omy. Neiman's intellect leads us to Yahweh's peace or Sabbath/Shabbat/shavat. It is sefteshing to find her successfully resisting the cultural logic of late capitalism and reinstating the truths of Stein and Jonas mentioned above. ‘The neo-Nazis at Char- lottesville would do well to study Neiman. Subbashis Chattopadhyay 71952 Prabuddba Bharata This Incredible Need to Believe Julia Kristeva Trans. Beverley Bie Brahic Columbia University Press, 6x West 62 Street, New York, N¥ 10023, usa. rurascup.cobumbidtedt, 2011. $14.95 4136 pp. BB. ISBN 9780231147859. an’s (1934-2012) The Duterpersonal World of the Infant (1985) is more relevant today since syllabi framers globally are pushing the study of Jacques Lacan (1901-81) and Julia Kristeva (b. 1945) in disciplines ranging from women’s studies to religions studies. This is akin to the legitimisation of quack medical doctors, whose only source of medical information is the Internet. Lacan, one suspects, is a victim of his own bombast and thus finds many takers, because hardly anyone seems to understand his Seminars (1951-63). ‘The danger of doling out either Lacan or Kris- teva's contentions about the human psyche to a non-dlinical audience is to deprive bath the non- clinical or non-practising reader and the clinically ill patient of medications and proper therapy. Just because Shoshana Felman (b.19 42) and Elizabeth Wright (See her Speaieing Desires can be Dangerous: The Poetics of the Unconscious (Cambridge: Polity, 1999)) applied psychoanalytic techniques to liter- ary texts, it does not mean that literature or artis the proper object of psychoanalytic studies. How isit possible for those without clinical training to vouch for or against psychoanalysis? It is within this simultaneously farcical and dangerous aca- demic zeitgeist that Kristeva’s book under review and her corpus need to be assessed. We need to stop teaching psychoanalytic techniques to those who might potentially fuel the anti-psychiatry movement through their ignorance and lack of clinical encounters. Or we have to first teach the- orists the importance of heeding the latest guide- lines of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and also more importantly, teach them to heed the warnings of the Centers for Dis- ease Control and Prevention located in the US. RD Laing (1927-89) and Lacan harmed men- tally ill patients by denying them medication. 720 Knowing Lacan's Meditations on Optics (195.4) will not help a child with antism-spectrum disorders. “This reviewer once met a very intellectual saciclo- gist, whose son is autistic, with ADHD, and due to her readings in psychoanalysis she thinks Ritalin, methylphenidate hydrochloride, cannot improve her son's quality of life! She lectures on the autis- tic, contiguous, position with no regard for brain anatomy. On questioning it was found that she does not know of Thomas H Ogden's (b. 1946) valuable insights regarding the antistic-contigu- ous position (1989), which builds on the works of earlier psychoanalysts who worked with and on children, Ogden is a trained medical doctor who specialised in psychiatry and would not hesitate to prescribe drugs for this sociologist’s son. Kristeva shines only in two of her books: Powers of Horror: i Essay on Abjection and Hatred and Forgiveness. But for these two books, she too. is relevant only so far as obscurity is the norm of being incinded in learned discussions and mind- less essays, which has nearly finished the study, practise, and effectiveness of psychoanalysis. Psy- choanalysis is mistakenly thought of as anti-reli- gious and solely concerned with the libidinal. This isbecause the global culture-brigade is not reading. thelikes of Robert Kennedy SJ aka Harada Roshi (b. 1933), or for that matter, the Spiritual Bxer- cises (1522-4) of StIgnatius of Loyola (1491-1556). Much earlier, in the East, Gautama, the Buddha (c. 500 cx) taught the art of deep-listening or what we now term, psychoanalysis. The connection(s) between Buddhism, the Spiritual Exercises of StIg- natins of Loyola, and classical psychoanalysis have been already established and have been found to constitute one harmonious continuum of heal- ing the psyche. Kristeva's own context as a white woman academic ensconced as the mater familias of contemporary psychoanalysis allows her the ar- rogance of neglecting the Eastern roots of Western psychoanalysis. When Kristeva nowhere mentions St Ignatine’s Spiritual Exercises’s contribution to the analyst and analysand dyad, maybe it is unfair oexpect her to acknowledge the contributions of Eastern spirituality and dhaunic traditions’ con tribution to contemporary psychoanalysis, Kris- teva, in short, effects white colonial hegemony on the discipline of psychoanalysis, PB October 2017Reviews 53 Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) never wrote: ‘T dream of helping ... mothers and those who as- sist them (gynecologists, obstetricians, midwives, psychologists, analysts) and to refine or know= Jedge of this passion, pregnant with madness and sublimity. Mothers today are in need of such a discourse’ (47). Kristeva being narcissistic, in the Freudian sense, dreams utopias in this book. Frend knew that medical science will make his theories redundant. Kristeva unlike Freud, having no med- ical training keeps penning her phantasies. Her failure to understand the heart of motherhood has forced her to write such meaningless essays onthe Virgin Mother of God, Mary: Srabar Mater (1977). Kristeva has this to say of motherhood: “This subliminatory cycle [the mother-child dia- lectic] is not without subliminatory perversity’ (48). Donald Winnicott (1896—1971), Carl Rog- ers (1902-87), and later, Virginia Satir (x916— 88) have more effective therapeutic solntions to issues of familial attachment than Kristeva has been able to formulate in her entire career. She just keeps reworking the unnecessarily libidinal aspects of Freud's work. ‘The problem that faith poses, which Soren Ki- erkegaard (1813-55) understood, eludes Kristeva. ‘Thus she finds it ‘incredible’ that someone can be set aflame by the love of/for God. ‘The vocation to enter into communion with God or Brahman is an anthropomorphic call, by saguna Brahman: Kristeva can never conceive of this call. How can she? She has never felt the passion which moved Swami Vivekananda to toil constantly for human- ity or the inner urge which forced El Salvadorian Jesuits to become martyrs for the cause of justice fueled by hesed! In this book and elsewhere, Kris- teva does not take into account hesed, rahamim, or hén. She shows no understanding of God as _ginesthe oiktirmones (Luke 6:36). Kristeva's poseur as a humanist lies in her stress (21-3) in integra~ tion, in the guise of advocating multicultural- ism, she advocates the erasure of individuality. Kristeva’s failure is in understanding the value of the inter-cultural. Cultures come into being, not throngh the praxis of perfection of culture studies mediated by psychoanalysis, but through hesed. There is no hesed informing this book under review. PB October 2017, Kristeva provides clichéd insights about Mar cel Proust (35) and Céline (38). The book under review proves that Kristeva is not selfactuaiised. She is still stuck within the Tei Quel group where she began her writing. Kristeva's literary style is bad and to her, writing style matters. She is a failed novelist, who churns out bad novels and enidite essays which have little to do with reality. Kristeva and Sudhir Kakar (b. 1958) have jointly spoilt the reputation of both Frend and psycho= analysis. Kakar's Young Tagore: The Makings of a Genius (0014) is an insult to both psychoanalytic studies and to Tagore himself. Only when we are rid of Lacan and books like the one under review, will we be able to offer proper treatment to those in need of medication and what classical psycho- analysis has to offer those traumatised. Father Harada Roshi and Daniel Stern need to be tanght rather than Kristeva. Subbashis Chattopadhyay “Sy Teresa, My Love: 2° Antmagined Life of C~ the Saint of Avila—A Novel ‘=, Julia Kristeva fiody oi Columbia University Press, 61 West 462 Street, New Yorks NY 10023, 84. ee | tow cup.columbianedis 2014. $40. 648 BP. HB. ISBN 9780231149600, ‘Teresa of Avila is one of the most studied and ‘emulated Christian mystic. She is an extraor dinary role model to be followed by a monastic religious, because she not only gives step-by-step instructions for the ‘interior’ life, but also guides life in a monastic community. She is one of the very few mystics who have recorded in detail their experiences. This record has helped and continues to help numerous mystical aspirants. However, this record has also had an effect that St Teresa conld have hardly imagined: it has been made a subject of ‘psychoanalytic investigation’ and worse, turned into an “imagined life’ that mas- querades as a ‘novel! ‘The novel is nat seen, because there is none. ‘What Julia Kristeva presents in this book is an qu54 Prabuddha Bharata unanswered soliloquy, supposedly in front of St Teresa, made ‘scholarly’ by interspersed passages from the saint herself and also from numerous studies on her and psychoanalysis. The reader gets the jolt of life when Kristeva brands St Teresa as ‘one who was ‘unrepentantly carnal... moved by an insatiable desire for men and women’ (9). From then on, Kristeva’s stand becomes clear and all her laborious work with a word-by-word analysis of St Teresa's writings with the Spanish original given alongside, becomes meaningless, as they are bereft of the ‘passion’ for God, which is qu opposite to the ‘passion’ Kristeva portrays here. Kristeva assumes just too many roles! While her credentials as a philosopher, feminist, author, and psychoanalyst is generally acknowledged by the academia—though her qualifications to be a psychoanalyst, and whether she actually does psychoanalysis is highly doubtful—her being a mystic and interpreter of sacred texts is indeed a new phenomenon! This high-handed attirude has resulted in passages such as this: "So, while its true that Judaism contains veins of mysticism, that the Upanishads relish sensual joys and annihilation in the sounds of the language, that Muslim Sufism reveals Being and its impossibility together, and that Zen koans are peerless propagators of the Void, it was in Christianity that mystics male and female were to find their royal road. Like Saulon the road to Damascus’ (41). Itis only the omniscient genius that Kristeva , can authoritatively proclaim the ‘sensual joys and annihilation’ of the Upanishads, though nu- merous scholars who have devoted their entire lives to the study of Upanishads have never found. anything even remotely sensual in these sublime texts! One can only glean the vast ignorance that Kristeva flaunts when she denies any presence of mysticism in Judaism, the Upanishads, Sufism, or Zen Buddhism! ‘One could write an equally voluminous book if one were to properly critique the book under review. Kristeva ends her volume with a chapter titled ‘Letter to Denis Diderot on the Infinitesi- mal Subversion of a Nun’. What is ‘subverted! is the not so subtle subtext that this book is indeed. for the ‘faithless and lawless’ (594). This book has a play, ‘Dialogues from Beyond 722 the Grave’ in four acts, which is at best incon- clusive and vague. Psychoanalysts self-appoint- ing themselves to ‘investigate’ saints’ lives forget that there is a sublime ‘desireless’ passion, just as there is an ‘asexual’ orientation. The popular- ity of this book is alarming as one is concerned with the number of people that are getting a bi- ased perspective. Kristeva clears her objective: ‘The point is neither to submit to the intellect, nor to substitute it with restless thought and imagination, but to construct a new expression that constitutes the Teresian discourse suspension of the intellect, while also eluding that illusory, misleading, mystificatory imagination. A different imagination—let’s call it the imaginary—is ready to “Ay about", to soar free of Teresa, to free her in turn, to deliver her even from God; since God is in “the very deep and intimate part” of her, and it’s this that she seeks to liberate and be liberated from (22). Really? St Teresa of Avila wants to be ‘liberated from’ God? Obviously, the clinical psychologist Sylvia Leclercq, through whom Kristeva dissects the life of St Teresa, is assuming too much! When Leclereq/Kristeva says that St Teresa added to ‘mystical theology ... her neuropsychic pathology and her feminine sensuality’ (231), she completely misses the point! Wading more than six hundred pages of undecipherable ext that presupposes knowledge of Christian mysticism, psychoanaly- sis—especially Lacan—and the antics of Kristeva, what does the reader get? Frustration at having not understood the cerebral vomit of a scholar, supposedly holding the mecca of academia, and is left with an unnamed angst to ‘regain’ schol- arship to really understand this book! As away from the saint’s life as it can get, this tome canbe safely kept aside for those who believe in theoris- ing and sexualising spiritual endeavours, who pro- claim: “The experience reconstructed by Teresa’s works amounts to a laboratory of masochismand sadism, of which the nun herself became rapidly aware’ (179). Editor Prabuddha Bharata PB October 2017MANANA Exploring thought-currents from around the world. Extracts from athought-provoking book every month. The Self Eds. Constantine Sedikides and Steven J Spencer Psychology Press, 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 0017, USA. 2014. xii F364 PP. $54.95. PB. ISBN 978M38006195, HILOSOPHERS AND PSYCHOLOGISTS Pe: long been interested in understanding the nature of the self. As the various chap- ters in this book demonstrate, psychologists have Jeamed a great deal, although many questions re- main, Chief among these is how activity in the brain gives rise w the unitary and coherent sense of self that exists acrovs time and place. Recently, researchers have started to use the methods of nenroscience in their efforts to explore questions about the self. The advent of imaging techniques cover the past two decades has provided research- erswith the capacity to study the working brain in action, thus providing a new window for examin- ing previously intractable mental states, including the phenomenological experience of self. In this chapter, we describe neuroimaging workon three primary aspects of self: the cognitive self (i.e. self knowledge), the effective self (i.e. self-esteem), and the executiveself (ie. self-regulation). We do not intend this to be an exhaustive review of the neurobiology of self. Rather, our goal is to dem- ‘onstrate how studying the brain can inform psy- chological research on various aspects of the self. Ont overall approach to thinking about the self follows a social brain sciences perspective. ‘This approach merges evolutionary theory, ex- perimental social cognition, and neuroscience to elucidate the nenral mechanisms that support so- cial behavior. From an evolutionary perspective, PB October 2017, the brain is an organ that has evolved over mil- lions of years to solve problems related to sur- vival and reproduction. Thove ancestors who were able to solve survival problems and adapt co their environments were most likely to reproduce and pass along their genes. Whether the self truly ivan adaptive mechanism isopen to some debate, although there is considerable evidence that the symbolic self provided considerable advantages over the course of evolution, such as facilirat- ing communication and cooperation with group members. From the social brain sciences perspec- tive, just as cere are dedicated brain mechanisms for breathing, walking, and talking, the brain has evolved specialized mechanisms for process- ing information about the social. world, includ- ing the ability to know ourselves, to know how others respond to us, and to regulate our actions in order to avoid being ejected from our social groups. Humans area social species who rely on other group members for survival, From a func- tional perspective, the possession ofa selfallows people to be good group members, thereby avoiding rejection and enhancing survival and reproduction. Here we consider the various brain mechanisms thac give rise vo the human self. ‘There are two basic approaches for studying brain regions important for self: studying the im- paired brain and imaging the healthy brain. By examining the psychological consequences of 72356 Prabuddha Bharata brain injuries, we can begin to identify the contri- butions of those specific regions to various aspects of the self. For instance, patient studies have pro- vided a wealth of evidence regarding abnormalities in the processing of bodily information—feel- ing of possession over limbs can occur even after those limbs have been removed from the body, as in phantom limbs. Similarly, damage to right pari- etal regions can render patients unable to maintain a representation of the let side of the body. In terms of the phenomenological aspects of self itis apparene that the frontal lobes are crucial, as various disorders of self reflect discurbances in frontal lobe functioning. For example, a dimin- ished capacity for self-awareness has long been known to be characteristic of those with frontal injuries. According to Wheeler, Stuss, and Tulving (1997), those with frontal lobe damage have difli- culty reflecting on personal knowledge, implying that injury to this brain region interferes with the ability co process self-relevant information. We hasten to add that that there is no specific ‘self” spot of the brain, no single brain region chat is re- sponsible for all psychological processes related to self Rather, psychological processes are distributed throughout the brain, with contributions from multiple subcomponents determining discrete ‘mental activities that come together to give rise to the human sense of self. Various cognitive, sensory, ‘motor, somatosensory, and affective processes are essential to self, and these processes likely reflect the contribution of several cortical and subcortical regions. Here we consider how neuroimaging can provide new data relevant to these components of self. We focus especially on our own research to demonstrate how we have used functional neuro- imaging to better understand the self. The Cognitive Self The self-concept consi about ourselves, including things such as name, ts of all that we know 724 race, likes, dislikes, beliefs, values, and even whether we possess certain personality traits. According to Baumeister (1998), the capacity of the human organism to be conscious of itself is a distinguishing feature and is vital to selfhood Given that self-knowledge plays a critical role in understanding who we are, researchers have long debated whether the brain gives privileged status to information that is slf-relevant oralter- d about the self is treated in the same manner as any other type natively if information proces of information. This is the key issue underlying the question of whether self is ‘special’ in any meaningful way. ‘A seminal study by Timothy Rogers and colleagues (1977) found a memory advantage for information encoded with reference to self. They found thatasking people to make personal judgements on trait adjectives (e.g., ‘Are you mean?’) produced significantly improved mem- ory for the words than if the participants were asked to make semantic judgements (e.g, ‘Define the word mean?’). This self-reference memory enhancement effect has been observed in many contexts, such as when people remember infor- mation processed with reference to self better than information processed with reference to other people. The overall picture that emerges is that self-relevant information is especially mem- orable. Indeed, even people who can remember very little can often remember information that is selfrelevant. For instance, patients who suffer from severe amnesia (resulting from brain injury, developmental disorders, or Alzheimer’s disease) retain the ability to accurately describe whether specific traits are true of the self. Klein provides the example of patient K C, who showed a pre- jentify his ‘new’ personality traits after becoming profoundly and undergoing a radical personality change following a motorcycle accident. served ability to accurately amnesi PB October 2017REPORTS Celebration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Sister Nivedita Baranagar Math held ewo programmes compris- ing talks and culeural programmes on 26 and 27 November 2016, which were attended altogether by 310 people. Chandipur Math held a public meeting on 28 October attended by about 150 persons. Chennai Math has produced a Tamil drama on Sister Nivedita in association with a drama troupe. First staged on 11 September, the drama was watched by about 500 people. Dehradun centre conducted cultural competi- tions from 10 to 13 November in which 850 stu- dents from 35 schools of Dehradun participated. Jaipur centre conducted a spiritual retreat on 27 November which was attended by 75 people. Jalpaiguri Ashrama held a discourse on Sister Nivedita on 28 October attended by 70 people. Jamtara Math conducted a special programme comprising procession, speeches, and cultural programmes on 28 October in which about 100 students and others participated. Kadapa centre held a youths’ convention on 18 November at- tended by more than 1,000 youths from 16 col- leges in and around Kadapa. Kanpur Ashrama held a doctors’ convention on 6 November par- ticipated by about so doctors. Malliankara- nai centre held two programmes at Arpakkam and Kadalmangala villages on 9 and 31 October which were attended altogether by 220 people, ‘mainly students. Mysuru centre conducted pro- gramme on 28 October which was attended by about 500 people, mainly students and teachers. Ponnampet centre held a workshop on 21 No- vember on the theme ‘Role of soldiers in main- taining the sovereignty of our country’ which was attended by 380 people. Puri Mission Ashrama PB october 2017 conducted a youths’ convention on 26 Novem- ber attended by 150 youths. Ranchi Morabadi centre held a farm women empowerment pro- gramme on 15 November in which 314 members of self-help groups and 3o farmers took part. Vi- jayawada centre held two youths’ conventions on rand 12 November in which altogether 1,250 youths participated. ‘The centre also held a par- ents’ and teachers’ convention on 13 November which was attended by 355 people. News of Branch Centres ‘The newly constructed kitchen-cum-dini on Babupara campus of Ramakrishna Mission, Imphal was inaugurated on December. On 9 December 1916, Swami Brahmanandaji Maharaj had laid the foundation stone for the temple at Nettayam sub-centre of Ramakrishna Ashrama, Thiruvananthapuram, In commemo- ration of that event, the Ashrama held a five-day spiritual retreat programme from 9 to 13 Decem- ber 2016 in which about 100 devotees took part. Asa part of the first phase of its centenary celebration, Ramakrishna Math and Rama- krishna Mission Sevashrama, Garbeta held day programme from 16 to 21 December which included a devotees’ convention, a fair, an exhibition, and a colourful procession. Thou- sands of people attended the programmes. Ramakrishna Mission Calcutta Students’ Home, Belgharia, held the concluding phase of its year-long centenary celebration from 24 to 26 December with public meetings, cultural programmes, and marayana sev, feeding poor people. Swami Suhitananda, then General Secre- tary, Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mis- sion, presided over the public meeting held on 25 asi 725se Prabuddha Bharata December. A good number of monks, hundreds of devotees, and about 300 alumni attended the celebration. Students of Ramakrishna Mission Vidya- pith, Purulia won s gold, 8 silver, and 2 bronze medals in the Purulia Districe Annual School Athletic Meet held on 22 November. ‘The team was adjudged the best participating team. Two teams representing Tamil Nadu state, which had two students of Coimbatore faculty centre of Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, won the under-i9 and above-19 na- tional level football cournaments conducted by the Rural Games Federation of India in Meerut from 9 to 13 November. The teams also won the Rural Games International Football rourna- ments held in Bhutan from 1 to 4 December. Relief Winter Relief: 9,876 blankets were distributed to poor people through the following centres: India: Bhubaneswar: 500, from 30 November to 23 December 2016; Burdwan: 150, from 10 to 22 January; Chandigath: 270, from 1 November to 30 December; Cooch Behar: 389, in January; Gurap: 160, from 1 to 11 December; Guwahati 423, from 15 December to 22 January; Jaipur: 300, from 17 December to 1 January; Kamar- pukur: 1.980, from 10 December to 17 January: Kanpur: 200, on 11 December; Khetrit 50, on 22 January; Kothar: 350, on 5 December; Lue- know: 600, from 11 to 26 December; Narottam Nagar: 517, from 5 to 15 January; Puri Math: 700, from 24 November to 2 January; Puri Mission: 300, from 15 November to 19 January; Shimla: 100, from 12 to 30 December; Vrinda- ban: 800, from 7 to 21 January; Bangladesh: Chandpur: 100, on 19 January; Dinajpur: 1,092, from 20 December to 28 January; Mymensingh: 895, in December and January. Besides, the following centres distributed 726 various winter garments, mentioned against their names, to needy people: Bagda: 724 sweaters from 18 December to 4 January. Chandigarh: 758 sweaters, 770 jackets, and 500 mufflers from 1 November to 18 December. Chapra: 210 jackets and 220 sweaters from 13 to 21 December. Cooch Behar: 220 sweaters and 129 sweatshirts in the month of January. Darjeeling: 2,480 sweaters and 10,143 jackets from 15 August to 25 Decem- ber. Deoghar: 1751 sweaters from 7 to 31 Decem- ber. Ghatshila: 1,034 sweaters, 675 sweatshirts, and 1018 mufflers from 15 October to 8 Janu- ary. Jamshedpur: 399 sweaters and 100 mutllers from 5 to 31 December: Kailashahas: 529 sweat- ers from 15 November to 9 January. Kamarpukur: 40 shawls on 25 December. Kankurgachhit 356 sweaters from 13 November to 9 January. Limbdi: 247 sweaterson 19 January. Lucknow: 3111 sweat ers from 11 to 26 December. Mysuru: 422 sweaters and 91 sweatshirts from 20 November to 13 Janu- ary, Nagpur: 1070 sweaters and 575 jackets from 3 September to 12 January, Narottam Nagar: 395 sweaters and 2.40 sweatshirts from 5 to 27 Janu- ary. Patna: 599 sweaters and 614 sweatshirts from 29 October to 10 January, Purulia: 975 sweaters from 18 to 24 December. Rajkot: 3844 sweaters, 137 jackets, and 132 sweatshirts from 26 July to 1 October. Ramharipur: 201 jackets, 856 sweaters, and 214 sweatshirts from 15 September to 3 Octo- ber. Ranchi Morabadi: 3,021 sweaters and 2,840 jackets from 18 September to 15 January. Ranchi Sanatorium: 885 sweaters from 26 November to 13 January. Sargachhi: 631 sweatshirts and 450 muf- flers from 17 November to 31 December. Shyamla Tal: 1,500 sweaters, 850 sweatshirts, 1,698 jackets, and 849 coats from 30 September to 14 December. Vrindaban: 1,600 sweaters on 20 December. 08 Correction « August 2077, p. 612: Read ‘Dwipen- dranath, son of Dwijendranath—the eldest brother of Rabindranath’ instead of ‘Dipendranath, son of, Jatindranath—the elder brother of Rabindranath. PB October 2017WORKS OF SWAMI ABHEDANANDA Abhedananda in india (in 1906) 100,00 | [ Ramakrishna Kathamnita and An Intraduction to the Philosophy — a - eee Jone || Religion ofthe 20th Century 15.00 A Study of Heliocentric Science 1000 A ee etonend Ged an Attude of Vedanta Towards Religion 50.00 |] Repdon Revenant ar set Bhagavad Gitz, ihe Divins Mensage Science of Psychic Phenomena 60.00 (in 2 parts) 300.00 || SeitKnowiedge 60.00 Christian Science and Vedanta 10.00 || Steps Towards Perfection 20.00 Complete Works of ‘Songs Divine 25.00 ‘Swami Abhedananda (eleven vols.) 2000.00 | } Spiritual Sayings of Ramakrishna 65.00 Divine Heritage of Man 40.00 } | Spiritual Unfoldment 25.00 Doctrine of Karma 6000 || Swami Vivekananda and His Work 7.00 Epistles 96,00 | | Thoughis on Philosophy and Religion 60,00 Goddes Durga :The Divine Energy 1500 | | Thoughts on Sankhya, Buddhism and Great Saviours of the World 12000 |] _ Vedanta 50.00 How to baa Yogi 60,00 || True Psychology 440,00 Human Attection and Divine Love 15.00 Waele uoeaae foo, ie oF Eos saan {| Releots Churhianty 15,00 3 Women's Piace in Hindu Religion 70.00 Lestess Frog My Disty 50.00 J Works of Swami Abhedananda Life Beyond Death 100.00 |] "(in 2parts) Abridged 500.00 My Life Story 98.00 |] Yoga, Its Theory and Practice 80.00 Mystery of Death 120.00 | Yoga Psychology 100.00 Path of Realization 60,00 || Vedanta Philosophy 45.00 WORKS OF SWAMI PRAJNANANANDA ‘An Enquiry into Psychology, Philosophy of Progress and Soul and Absolute 100.00 |} Perfection 70.00 Christthe Saviour and Christ Myth 140,00 || Sangitasara Samgraha of Form and Function of Musicin Ancient Sri Ghanasyamadasa 5000 India (2 vols.) 700.00 |] Thoughison Yoga, UpanishadandGita 70.00 History of Indian Music (2 vols) 400.00 || The Philosophical ideas of saJivanmukta Subjecttolgnorance 45.00 |] Swami Abhedananda 200.00 Music ofthe South Asian Peoples 250.00 || The Social and Historical Values of Music of The Nations 200.00 |} Ragas and Raginis 200.00 GOCE MAb a Dye R WN OG u nh OU ae on AECL A DULY ee aru Os Roc ©:033 2543 2001 & +91 86973 25156 ‘960 N z= - TOWARDS A BRIGHTER TOMORROW 12> lean a EE a [a = - The Peerless General Finance & Investment Company Limited + Peerless Financial Products Distribution Ltd. * Peerless Hospital & B K Roy Research Centre » Peerless Financial Services Ltd. » Peerless Hotels Ltd. + Peerless Funds Management Co. Ltd. * Bengal Peerless Housing Development Co. Ltd © Peerless Trust Management Co. Ltd. {a joint venture with West Bengal Housing Board) © Peorless Securities Ltd. The Peerless General Finance & Investment Company Limited Poertess Bhawan, 3 Esplanade East, Kolkata 700 069 Ph 083 2048 3001, 2048 9247 Fax; 033 2248 5197 Website: vwvwpeertess.co in E-mail feedback @peerless.co.in CIN: Ue6010WB1932FL.C007490, Fy eeSRUMIRVAIVV AIRS FINVAC BUN AINA + Consultant and Government licenced Engineers + Engaged in the electrification of National Capital Region (Delhi Under BSES Rajdhani and Yamuna Power Ltd & Greater Noida under Noida Power Company Ltd) ea crt oe CPEal lp Sri RamakrisHna Math Phone : 0452-2680224, Reserve Line, Madurai — 625 014, ( Cell: 08618162822 Tamil Nadu Email : [email protected], Dear Well Wisher, This is an appeal to raise funds for a new building in ‘Ramakrishna Meth Sarada Vidyalaya’ school campus, by the Grace of God! ‘We pray the Almighty and write this letter for your knowledge about our service to our neighbourhood. 1. Every morning we provide free food for 120 poor students at our ‘Math Premises. 2. We offer free Health care service for the poor é& sick people through Allopathy & Homeopathy clinics, held in our Math Premises. 3. Free Medical camps are held: a. Free Bye - Care camp on the third Sunday of every month, b. Free Accupunture Camp on the third Sunday ef every month, ¢. Free General Medical Camp (once in a fev months) Sarada Vidyalaya School: Sti Sarada Vidyalaya mm by Sri Ramakrishna Math is a co-educational Nursery and Primary school in which 545 students are getting educated. Free Tuition Center: We run Free Tuition Classes for students of all levels from government school (Std III to XII) every ever- ing in our Sarada Vidyalaya campus. We feel happy to share with you the service rendered to the poor students - an approximate amount of Rupees 5 Lakhs is being spent on Scholarship that is granted to the poor students for higher education. Neep or 4 New Hatt ror Our SERvIcE Ground Flo Here arises the need; for a big hall to accommodate students of all levels in the evenings and also of the primary school in the mornings. We also need the same to run the Free Medical camps. Hence we, have plarmned to build a Multipurpose Hall of about 2500 Sq.feet area. An amount of Rupees 55 Lakhs is estimated to be spent to build this new Multipurpose hall. They can orly be achieved through generous con tribution from devotees and well wishers. Arreat For Donations We believe in your kind and gerierous support to complete this pro- ject successfully: Your donations for our charitable — educational service ‘will enable our attempt to continue our journey in the service of the poor. All donations, big or small, will be thankfully accepted and acknowl edged. If you wish, we will be displaying names of major donors~ Rupees One lakh é ebove, in marble slabs in the new building. Donations may be sent by means of Cheque/DD in favour of “Ramakrishna Math, Madurai”, to the above address. or The Bank details Account Name: Ramderishna Math, Account No: 32314981922, Bavk:State Bank of India, Branch:Narayanapuram, Madurai - 625014. IFSC Code:SBINGO11063 (Please inform us through email, if money send by NEFT/RIGS). Donation to-usis exempted from income-tax under section &1-G of the Income Tax Act. Ipray to Divine Mother Sri Sri Meenakshi and Sti Sri Sundareswar of Madurai, and also to Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna, The Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda for all of you. Acceptmy loving Namaskars and best wishes once again. Yours in the service of the Lod, Swami Kamalatmananda Zh a63 ‘emote Tee HS CAIN Facer TITS) TPA aap tales wilerst ¥ =I, sacettoaT ay’ eS det Fame $8) TT 38) Get aise wy ee 30) BS OTT vB Root i eer awl Rasareete 201 a Raa ‘3a SHES: 8! OFS ea ol drefrremreir drome ey auavoneenes amend 81 wll eater seta dal Og are Ce FE) 22) OMe ETE (HA) et aetna Rewer 01 ge (fia etMTRT 26] Berewitey bl cates dee etawer atten UN 2.) fig ote CTEA) ee] cogs area at ogra RR ROT ER | ETCH ee 0 Rt LUTE RT 01 ea aT RE SAA ‘ea ated Ht at Serre aR RTT Tg sitet met ART CARROT ev) te TAR 301 OF. ce UBER set Raat | TENT 291 See at ooree meta gel Ree 80] -afPreera er are er S81 gE Bemmente core erga OSES Peewee -oettieareT seer MPR TARTS aero eae 0 FAR eT aTeERtN - APT AT HCP auratats met ater Te ae, eet eer TRS — aT whee Hee Rca atta te qn eer Bea ore ar SAU RCT - RATT Works of Punyadarshan Mahendra Nath Dutta (second brother of Swami Vivekananda) Allied Publications Religion Philosophy, Psychology: 1. Energy 2. Mind 3. Metaphysics 4, Ego 5. Ethics 6. Action 7. Biology 8.Mentation 9. Theory of Sound 10. Theory of Light 11. Theory of Vibration 12.Theory of Motion 13.Lectures on. Philosophy 14. Cosmic Evolution-Part-L & Part It 15.Thoughts on Religion 16. Logic of Possibilities 17. Natural Religion 18. Triangle of Love 19. Formation of the Earth Social Sciences : 1. Lectures on Status of Toilers 2. Homocentric Civilisation 3. Society 4. Society and Education & Society and Woman 5. Reflections on Society 6. Federated Asia 7. New Asia 8. Nation 9. Toilers’ Republic 10. National Wealth 11. Temples and Religious Endowments 12. Rights of Mankind 13. Lectures on Education 14. Status of Women: 15. Status of Toilers 16. Reflections on Women 17. Social Thoughts Art & Architecture: L. Dissertation on Painting 2. Principles of Architecture Literary Criticism, Epic etc. : 1. Appreciation of Michael Madhusudan and Dinaband&c Mitra 2, Language and Grammar & Rhetoric 3. Dissertation on Poetry 4. Nala and Damayanti 5. Kurukshetra ‘Translation : 1. Reflections on Sri Sri Ramakrishna 2. Childhood of Swami Vivekananda 3.Nari Adhikar (Hindi) 4. Manab Kendrie Sabhyata (Hindi) Allied Books : L. Dialectics of Land Economics of India by De. Bhupendra Nath Duta A.M.Brown) DPhil(Hamburg) The Mohendra Publishing Committee 36/7, Sahitya Parished Street, Kolkata 700006. WE. India cell no: 9830439224 9874725737 9831752001‘We want to lead mankind to the place where there is netther the Vedas, nor the Bible, nor the Koran; yet this has to be done hy fiarmonising the Vedas, the Bible and the Koran. Mankind ought to be taught that religions are but the varied expressions of THE, RELIGION, which is Oneness, so that each may choose the path that suits him best. Swami Vivekananda ABP Letters of Sister Nivedita Vols. 1 e& 2 — compiled & edited by Sankari Prasad Basu No real history of India dealing with the late nineteenth and early twentieth century shall ever escape the indelible impact that Sister Nivedita left on many areas of the country’s national life. Her letters in these two volumes, besides revealing the magnificence of her brilliance and personality, tell the unique story of her love and sactifice for a far off land that she lovingly adopted as her ‘own, 1897 to 1911 the intervening years of growing turbulence in Indian history are the backdrop of nearly nine hundred letters Sister Nivedita wrote to her family, friends and acquaintances all over the world. These letters were painstakingly researched and collected by Prof. Sankari Prasad Basu, a noted researcher and writer during his time, over a period of two decades from Indian, European, and American sources. The letters throw fresh light on the history of an important age and its most representative personalities. For eager and inquisitive minds Nivedita’s letters are invaluable source- Yol. 1 Pages: 751 Vol. 2 Pages: 676 material on many counts, as they reveal for the first time various Set Price: % 800 unknown and startling facts about India during the Curzons, Mintos Packing & Postage: & 150 and Hardinges; draw us to the India of Vivekananda, Rabindranath and Aurobindo; and allow us a real picture of India groaning under Total Prices & 950 the imperialistic rule and yet rising to a great purpose. Please write to: ADVAITS ASHRAMA, 5 Dehi Entally Road, Kolkata 700 014, India Phones: 91-33-22890898 / 22840210 / 22866483, Email: [email protected]Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this Divinity within, Strength is life, weakness is death. Fear nothing, stop at nothii You will be like lions. We m rouse India and the whole world. Never say, “No} never say, “I~ cannot, for you are infinite, — —Swami Vivekana ( 2 el ula Future P445, Hemanta Mukhopadhyay Sarani, 4th Floor, Kolkata, 700029 www.dreamzgroup.co.inThe incessant rain in Uttarakhand has brought about destruction on a large scale this year. However, with the grace of Sri Sri Thakur and Sri Maa the ashrama thas been spared from any damage. ‘Meanwhile in this ancient land of pilgrimage this ashrama carved ‘out in Shi Shri Thakur's name has found a place in the hearts of many devotees. Lovers of pilgrimages, the Himalayan people, have accepted this new place of worship (established in 2014) dedicated to Thakur Maa Swamiji with love, respect and devotion, ‘Therefore, taking the future into consideration theneed {sto earmark the sliding zones and butld strong retaining walls For this purpose, the estimated cost will be approximately 30 lakh rupees. We appeal to all devotees to please donate generously towards this venture. May Thakur Maa Swamiji shower their choicest blessings on each one of you. This is my heartfelt prayer. Yours in the ford ‘Swami Sarvatmananda Secretary For Communication Ramakrishna Sarada Ashram, Dak Banglow Road, PO Devaprayag Tehri Garhwal Uttarakhand. Pin- 249301 Phone - 09410520939, 9897452084 E-mail id: [email protected] ‘Cheque / D.D May Please Be Drawn in Favour of Ramakrishna Sarada Ashram, Devaprayag For online Donation: ‘Our CBS A/C Punjab National Bank, Devaprayag A/C 0625000100098104 \iFS code - PUNB - 0062500) State Bank of India Devaprayag A/C No 3093283 1669 (IFS code -SBIN 0014135) (All donations are exempted from Income Tax U/S 80G of the LT. Act 1961)“Hay Ridden; Original Manuscript Witten by Sister Nivedita [Page s] feeling, when the girl fled from her suddenly, with a wild shriek, and took ro herbed in high fever. For Janet Nurrall’s own life was spent in a fruitless search, and from her position of des- pair, she looked down upon the merely happys as from a mountain-height. ‘The fact that other people would have re- garded the object of her efforts as a chimera, and their field of pursuit as an insane delusion, conld no way lessen the bitterness of inward failure for her. She could tell a county yoltel if his sweetheart was true to him; bu whether a certain convict prison still held the son, who forty years ago, had lain in her arms, she could not see, Neither could she, by her gifs, discover the true perpetrators of the erime for which she believed thar he unjustly suffered. PB Octeber 2017 Tt was this deep knowledge of pain thar ‘made Janet Nuttall haughty to those whese [Page 6] souls did noclie with hers in the abyss; itwas the awful tragedy of suspense in her own life that made her urter remorselessly the thing she saw, Im her own way, and on her own plane, the ‘Wise Woman of Thomburg Moor was of the number of those who thirst after Truth ar any cost, One afternoon, late in November—a month during which Janer’s calm was always somewhar broken—she was driving her empry cart home across the moor frem Bermerside ‘Market. Jewas a time of cold grey weather, the breeze whistled among frozen rushes in the pools by the road-side, and stirred the with- ered bracken on the expanse beyond, ‘Twilight 697Sear creat ie TOM CRe Westar m tcl iscard everything that weakens TOURER ein ae ke (ORI umes ¢ —Swami Vivekananda if , eee Kt LABS Ere oat a Wetec ts Ingredients and Intermed er ere ee eee Shen ree te eee Cee a cen ‘Managing Editor: Swami Muktidananda. Editor: Swami Narasimhananda. Printed by: Swami Vibhatmananda ‘at Gipidi Box Co., 38 Chatu Babu Lane, Kolkata 700 014 and published by him for Advaita Ashrama (Mayavati) from Advaita Ashrama, 5 Dehi Entally Road, Kolkata 700 014, on 1 October 2017.