The Master as I Saw Him
is a humble and intelligent description of Swami Vivekanada's life through the eyes of a close disciple, Sister Nivedita.
The Master as I Saw Him is famous for its chronicling of intense spiritual experiences. Among the many gripping anecdotes that occur in this book are: Lord Buddha manifesting before Vivekananda as he sat meditating in his room; the bestowing of the boon of "death at will" by Lord Shiva; his hearing of the divine voice of 'the Mother'; his experience of
Samadhi
; the Swami's vision of an ancient
Rishi
chanting Sanskrit mantras in an ancient long-forgotten rhythm; and, his encounter with distressed spirits who had committed suicide.
is now considered to be a classic text.
Review
"It has enough Western interpretation to make it relatable to a Western reader, but without losing the intensity or freshness of this remarkable life - a life instrumental in bringing Indian spiritual traditions to the West. It gives fascinating insights, not only into what it was like to be with Swami Vivekananda in person, but also insights into his teachings. It is moving and often breath-taking, without at any point being sentimental." -Sumangali Morhall
About Sister Nivedita
Sister Nivedita born as Margaret Noble, grew up in Ireland. At the young age of 28 years, while working as the principal of a London school, she first heard Swami Vivekananda speak. He by then was a world-famous monk and preacher of Vedanta Philosophy.
The year was 1895 (19 years preceding World War I), a time of growing misery and rising disparity between rich and poor in Europe. Sister Nivedita greatly disillusioned by the "vulgarity of privilege, and the growing sadness and pain of the dispossessed", heard in the Swami "a call which would change her life".
By age 30 this courageous daughter of the West, had taken to monasticism and sailed thousands of miles across to India, to assist Swami Vivekananda in his work of setting up an educational institution for women in India.
For nearly a year and a half, Sister Nivedita studied Vedanta philosophy, India, her history and customs, under the close discipleship of Swami Vivekananda. It was during these years that she dutifully noted down her interactions with the Swami, and left them as a priceless gift for millions to come later, who would not have this privilege.
She later returned to London for a brief period to gather funds and other assistance for her work in India. When she returned, in 1902, it was time to bid farewell to her guru, Swami Vivekananda, who gave up his body shortly thereafter.
Sister Nivedita was a remarkable lady, whose tremendous love for India shines forth in her numerous books. It was as acknowledgement to her steadfast dedication to India's upliftment, as well as to her monastic vow of realizing God, that Swami Vivekananda beautifully named her "Nivedita - The Dedicated One."
Publisher's note for the printed edition:
in order to be more enjoyable during reading, this book is in 6" x 9" format. In the same spirit, the paper is cream-colored, which causes less fatigue to the eyes than white paper. All our publications are carefully crafted, both in terms of typography as well as design.
Publisher's note for the Kindle edition:
our Kindle publications are carefully crafted, with Table of Contents, Index, Footnotes and References when applicable. A strong emphasis has been put on the typography as well as the design.
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