Author: Christopher Isherwood
Publisher: Advaita Ashram
Year: 1994
Language: English
Pages: 348
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8185301182
Description
This new Life of Sri Ramakrishna by a writer of world-wide repute, enjoys certain advantages over the other two biographies of Sri Ramakrishna, written by the great Western savants Max Muller in 1898 and Romain Rolland in 1929.
This is the story of a phenomenon. I will begin by calling him simply that, rather than 'holy man', 'mystic', 'saint', or 'avatar'; all emotive words with mixed associations which may attract some readers, repel others... With these words, Christopher Isherwood introduces the subject of his biography. He does not attempt to interpret the life of Ramakrishna, but is content to state the facts incorporating all available data.
Unlike earlier foreign biographies of Ramakrishna - Max Muller and Romain Rolland - Isherwood did not write of him as a distant admirer, but as a devotee who enjoyed an advantage over them; for he had at his disposal more material, collected through a careful study of not only Ramakrishna literature, but also Hindu religion and philosophy, besides two visits to India.
His prose is easy and flowing, not a word is wasted, and everything is seen in precise and day-light-clear shape. His style impresses itself on the reader's mind as expressive of a calm conviction, unmixed with emotion.
Contents
CHAPTER I
The Story Begins
CHAPTER II
The Birth of Ramakrishna
CHAPTER III
The Boyhood of Ramakrishna
CHAPTER IV
How Ramakrishna Came to Dakshineswar
CHAPTER V
Early Days at Dakshineswar
CHAPTER VI
The Vision of Kali
CHAPTER VII
The Marriage of Ramakrishna
CHAPTER VIII
The Coming of the Bhairavi
CHAPTER IX
Some Visitors to Dakshineswar
CHAPTER X
Tota Puri
CHAPTER XI
Mathur
CHAPTER XII
Sarada and Chandra
CHAPTER XIII
Keshab Sen
CHAPTER XIV
The Coming of the Disciples
CHAPTER XV
Naren
CHAPTER XVI
The Training of Naren
CHAPTER XVII
The Young Monks
CHAPTER XVIII
Some Great Devotees
CHAPTER XIX
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
CHAPTER XX
The Last Year
CHAPTER XXI
The Story Continues
Bibliography
Notes on Illustrations
Index