Vedanta Catalog Newsletter October 2022
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Monday night, October 24, starting at 10pm, we will celebrate Kali Puja. The concept of God as Mother may seem strange to westerners, but it's a rational approach to the manifestation of the Divine. Mother Kali is not what one imagines a typical Hindu woman to be. She is neither gentle, bashful, nor subservient toward her husband. She moves around in the nude, her hair is disheveled, and she gets intoxicated from drinking the blood of
demons. Kali is a goddess who fights alone. And if she wants help, she accepts it from other females,but does not seek it from men. Whenever the male gods are unable to subdue the demons in battle, they ask the great Mother Goddess for help. With all that as a background, Mother Kali is first and foremost a mother goddess, and is regarded as our mother. We are Her children, playing at her knees. You can view the Kali Puja live. 10pm PST. Monday night at https://youtu.be/Ir8z2D7lWPY |
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Kali the Mother 111 pages, Indian paperback $3.95 This small book was written by Sister Nivedita, one of Swami Vivekananda western disciples.She writes about Mother Kali in the flowery Victorian style, which was common for that era.It's a good quick introduction.
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Kali: The Black Goddess of Dakshineswar 318 pages, US paperback $22.95 |
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Most major religions do not acknowledge the feminine power of God. Nevertheless, this passionate and mysterious power of God strikes a special chord in most people's hearts. The Dakshineswar Temple in India is devoted to the worship of Ma Kali, and this book tells you all about the temple and how Kali is worshiped. "This book will help clear the misunderstanding about the
Hindu Goddess Kali. the author's rational and devotional approach makes her work authentic and inspiring." Sw. Chetanananda -Vedanta Society of St. Louis
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Kali Puja Live:In Praise of the Divine Mother CD about 42 minutes US audio CD $14.95 Songs recorded live during Kali Pujas in Laguna Beach,
CA at Kali Mandir. These songs and chants capture the soulful longing for the Divine Mother by artists from a variety of musical and spiritual disciplines. These selections were chosen for their passion rather than for their technical perfection.
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Kali Kirtan: In Praise of the Divine Mother CD
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Recorded live before the awakened image of Ma Dakshineswar Kali at the Kali Mandir. Spirited devotional singing.
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Kali the Mother Prose by Swami Vivekananda |
The stars are blotted out,
The clouds are covering clouds.
It is darkness vibrant, sonant.
In the roaring, whirling wind
Are the souls of a million lunatics
Just loose from the prison-house,
Wrenching trees by the roots,
Sweeping all from the path.
The sea has joined the fray,
And swirls up mountain-waves,
To reach the pitchy sky.
The flash of lurid light
Reveals on every side
A thousand, thousand
shades
Of Death begrimed and black — Scattering plagues and sorrows,
Dancing mad with joy,
Come, Mother, come!
For Terror is Thy name,
Death is in Thy breath,
And every shaking step
Destroys a world for e’er.
Thou “Time”, the All-Destroyer!
Come, O Mother, come!
Who dares misery love,
And hug the form of Death,
Dance in Destruction’s dance,
To him the Mother comes.
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From Previous Book Newsletters |
by Swami Chetanananda Review by a long-time US devotee Thank you Sw. Chetanandaji!This is the most recent addition to my Sw. Chetanananda collection. At least for the non-Bengalis in the
West, he has been amazing and consistent source of the history of the great RK tradition; that too in a most readable fashion. This book is no exception. In fact, it has the advantage of having a lot of his personal experiences in the content. Plus this book describes the RK holy men in a more contemporary setting, and that is an interesting vantage point as well. One also gets a sense for how the large Belur organization functions to manage this spiritual
enterprise. |
384 pages, Indian hardback $19.95
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Sample Article Headline
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How to Get Along with Others by Swami Bhaskarananda 128 pages US paperback $9.95 The book offers practical advice on getting along with others using common sense and ancient Hindu wisdom. The book is written as a practical guide to trouble-free living.
The advice will have a strong ring of truth to those of us in the West, even if it reflects Hindu culture. The idea is that one should understand the gunas to get along with
others. The author gives general rules on how to interpret and deal with people, depending on the the manifestation of the gunas within them. The book is filled with much useful information. |
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Interpreting Ramakrishna: Kali's Child Revisited 410 pages. Indian paperback $25.95 This book is a response to a controversy. Jeffrey Kripal wrote a doctoral dissertation saying that Ramakrishna's spiritual experiences were powered by Ramakrishna's homoerotic libido. His dissertation
was later published in the book, "Kali's Child". As Huston Smith writes in the foreword, "To put the best face I can on Kripal's unfortunate book, perhaps it can serve as an object lesson on the way cross-cultural discussions should not proceed. I sincerely commend the authors of this book for their self respect in standing up to Kali's Child wisely, and with dignity."
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From Darkness to Light:
Selected Writings from Prabhudda Bharata Volume 1: 500 pages, Indian hardback
Volume 2: 456 pages, Indian hardback
2-Volume Set: 956 pages This two-volume compilation commemorates the 125th Anniversary
of the founding of Prabuddha Bharata. It is a collection of the magazine's best and most important articles.
Volume I consists of 4 parts:
Part 1 includes articles written by the spiritual giants of the Order, the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna.
Part 2 contains articles written by the disciples of the direct disciples.
Part 3 has articles written by well-known Indian nationalistic leaders. Part 4 has writings by prominent personalities
of national and international fame.
Volume II is a collection of of Prabuddha Bharata editorials over the years. These editorials speak directly to the spiritual issues of the times and beyond. Volume 1: 500 pages. $24.95 Volume 2: 456 pages, $24.95 Two Volume Set: 956 pages, $42.95
Please also see: Prabuddha Bharata DVD 1896-2009
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From our publication center in Chennai, India, we offer a complete set of six books on Hinduism, a $44.00 value for $28.95. Books included: A Primer of Hinduism The Six Systems of Hindu Philosophy Hindu Gods and Goddesses Hinduism by Swami Vivekananda The Essentials of Hinduism Hinduism thru Questions and Answers
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More Titles From Previous Newsletters |
Ramakrishna As We Saw Him
Edited and Translated by Swami Chetanananda
These are the very personal memories of devotees who knew and and interacted with Sri Ramakrishna, including his original monastic disciples. The stories help us to understand what it was like to be in the presence of this great soul.
572 pages, US paperback $22.95
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Ramakrishna and his Divine Play
by Swami Chetanananda
Here is a highly recommended biography of the great Indian saint Sri Ramakrishna. It was re-translated after the trustees of the Ramakrishna Order saw a need for a new translation of the original work, Ramakrishna: The Great Master. Swami Chetanananda was their perfect choice since he is a Bengali by birth, and is fluent
in American English after living in the USA for over 50 years 1007 pages large US hardback $39.95
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Sri Ramakrishna: A Divine Life in Pictures
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by Swami Chetanananda
Join Swami Chetanananda as he takes us on a spiritual and pictorial journey tracing the life and footsteps of Ramakrishna through rural Bengal where he was born, to then British Calcutta and the sacred Dakshineswar Temple by the banks of the Ganges where Ramakrishna spent his most important years. We see many photographs of the Dakshineswar Temple that will be of special interest for devotees, especially those who haven't been there in person in India.
This book is a collection of high quality photographs that show where Sri Ramakrishna lived and visited. It's easily the best picture book on Sri Ramakrishna that we have ever offered. You will see a wide variety of archival prints and photographs from the 19th century to the present with 639 photographs--both color and black and white--this new biography of Sri Ramakrishna is a delight to behold.
232 pages, large US hardback $39.95
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