Sister Gargi
Sister Gargi | |
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![]() Sister Gargi | |
Born | Marie Louise Burke June 23, 1912 United States |
Died | January 20, 2004 San Francisco,United States | (aged 91)
Nationality | American |
Other names | Pravrajika Prajnaprana |
Occupations |
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Known for | Research onSwami Vivekananda |
Sister Gargi(Bengali:[sisterɡaːrɡiː] ;June 23, 1912[1]– January 20, 2004), bornMarie Louise Burke,[2]was a writer and an eminent researcher onSwami Vivekananda,[3]and a leading literary figure of the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda movement.[4]Gargi was introduced to the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda movement in 1948 by Swami Ashokananda. She is known for her six-volume work,Swami Vivekananda in the West: New Discoveries.[5]HerNew Discoveriesare considered as indispensable for Swami Vivekananda research.[6][7]
Biography
[edit]Marie Louise Burke was born in 1912 in the United States.[2][8]
Religious life
[edit]In 1948, she was introduced to the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda movement bySwami Ashokananda.[5]In 1957,Advaita Ashramapublished her biography ofSwami Vivekananda,Swami Vivekananda in the West: New Discoveriesin two volumes, well known in theVedantacircles,[3]and the book was later greatly expanded and published in six volumes in 1983—87.[9]She also wrote articles in Vedanta journals.[2]
In 1974 in India, Burke became a nun when she took her vows ofBrahmacharyafrom theRamakrishna Order.At that time, she was given the monastic name "Gargi" (this name was inspired byVedic scholarGargi). In 1983, Burke was awarded the first Vivekananda Award by theRamakrishna Orderfor her research works on Swami Vivekananda.[5]Later she took her final vows ofSannyasa,and was given the name Pravrajika Prajnaprana.[3]
The convents at theVedanta Society of Northern Californiaand theVedanta Society of Southern Californiaare the only two sanctioned convents of the Ramakrishna Order, and only a few dozen women have taken final monastic vows, since the convents were established in the 1950s. In India, a separate Order was established for women:Sri Sarada Math.
Burke continued writing even in her 90s and continued living at Convent of theVedanta Society of Northern Californiain San Francisco.[5]She died on January 20, 2004, after suffering from cancer, at the convent.[3][4]
Author
[edit]Gargi was encouraged to write by her teacher, Swami Ashokananda. He asked her to write about Swami Vivekananda, but told her she could write about himself when she was finished with her work on Vivekananda.[5]
Swami Vivekananda in the West: New Discoveries
[edit]Swami Vivekananda in the West: New Discoveries,a series of biographical books, were Gargi's most prominent work. This series of book were first published in two volumes in 1957. In 1983-87, these series was republished in six volumes.[9]Swami Vivekananda spent a number of years teaching and lecturing in the West (specially in America and England). Gargi researched for many years and then published her findings in these works.[10]
She wrote about Vivekananda's spiritual quest— "Quite literally, he planted the seeds of spirituality deep in the hearts of innumerable human beings, changing the course of their lives forever... He was a prophet who prepared us to meet the modern age, which not only needs philosophy or Vedanta to solve its many and complex problems but requires thousands of spiritually awakened people to put that philosophy into practice and make it a living force in the future history of the world."[11]
Books on Swami Ashokananda
[edit]Gargi wrote multiple books on the life of Swami Ashokananda (1893—1969), a monk of the Ramakrishna Order who spent his life expanding the Ramakrishna—Vivekananda movement in northern California. Ashokananda was Gargi's teacher, who initiated her into the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda movement in 1948.[5]
In 2003 her bookA Heart Poured Out: A Story of Swami Ashokanandawas published. In this book, she discussed the life of Swami Ashokananda. She explained the reason of writing a book on Ashokananda in this book's preface—[12]
Why, then, have I tried to write about Swami Ashokananda, who habitually dwelt in high altitudes of the Spirit where we cannot or think we cannot, follow? I write about him because in whatever height he had has moorings, his heart beat in tune with that of every human being who aspires upward, and he led us with a firm and unerring hand into his own realm, where, he was convinced, we all belong. In short, I have written about him because he was an authentic spiritual teacher whom each of us can benefit by knowing.
In the 2004 bookShafts of Light: Selected Teachings of Swami Ashokananda for Spiritual Practice,Gargi presented Swami Ashokananda ideals and selected teachings.[13]The 2003 bookA Disciple's Journal: In the Company of Swami Ashokanandahad autobiographical components.[14]
Other books
[edit]Swami Trigunatita: His Life and Workwas published from Vedanta Society of Northern California in 1997. In this book, she discussed the life and works of Ramakrishna Order monkSwami Trigunatitananda.In the bookVedantic Tales,published from Advaita Ashram in 2000 she narrated tales ofVedantaand ancient India.[5]Gargi's 2003 bookA Disciple's Journal: In the Company of Swami Ashokanandatells of her personal experiences during her spiritual instruction from Swami Ashokananda, from 1950 until his death in 1969.[15]
Awards and honours
[edit]- 1983, Vivekananda Award
Selected works
[edit]- Swami Vivekananda in the West: New Discoveries6 volumes, translated into Bengali asPaschatye Vivekananda(6 volumes),Advaita Ashrama,Kolkata.
- Swami Vivekananda: Prophet of the Modern AgeISBN81-87332-04-2
- A Heart Poured Out: A Story of Swami Ashokananda.Kalpa Tree Press. 2003.ISBN978-0-9706368-1-2.
- Shafts of Light: Selected Teachings of Swami Ashokananda for Spiritual Practice.Kalpa Tree Press. 2004.ISBN978-0-9706368-3-6.
- Swami Trigunatita: His Life and Work.Vedanta Society of Northern California. 1997.ISBN978-0-9612388-3-4.
- Vedantic Tales.Advaita Ashram. 2000.ISBN978-81-7505-136-2.
- A Disciple's Journal: In the Company of Swami Ashokananda.Kalpa Tree Press. 2003.ISBN978-0-9706368-2-9.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"Library of Congress Authority Record: Burke, Marie Louise, 1912-2004".Library of Congress.Retrieved29 June2013.
- ^abcPravrajika Vrajaprana (1 May 1994).Living Wisdom: Vedanta in the West.Vedanta Press. p. 285.ISBN978-0-87481-055-4.Retrieved21 June2012.
- ^abcd"Sister Gargi dead".The Hindu.2004-01-22. Archived from the original on March 22, 2010.Retrieved2013-06-05.
{{cite news}}
:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ab"Sister Gargi passes away"(PDF).Prabuddha Bharata(109).Advaita Ashrama:56. March 2004.RetrievedJune 5,2013.
- ^abcdefg"About the Author".Kalpa Tree Press.Retrieved2008-12-15.
- ^Chaturvedi Badrinath (1 January 2006).Swami Vivekananda: The Living Vedanta.Penguin Books India. pp. 417–.ISBN978-0-14-306209-7.Retrieved9 June2013.
- ^"New Discoveries".vivekananda.net.Retrieved9 June2013.
- ^"Article on Sister Gargi".
- ^abChattopadhyaya, Rajagopal (1999).Swami Vivekananda in India: a corrective biography(1st ed.). Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. p. 326.ISBN8120815866.
- ^"Books on Vivekananda".Vivekananda Foundation.Retrieved5 June2013.
- ^Dr. Shivendra Kashyap and Er. Richa Lohani.Motivational Leadership.Vivekanand Swadhyay Mandal. pp. 29–.ISBN978-81-923019-1-4.Retrieved9 June2013.
- ^Marie Louise Burke (2003).A Heart Poured Out: A Story of Swami Ashokananda.Kalpa Tree Press. p. Preface.ISBN978-0-9706368-1-2.Retrieved5 June2013.
- ^"Shafts of Light".KalpaTree.Retrieved10 June2013.
- ^Marie Louise Burke (2003).A Disciple's Journal: In the Company of Swami Ashokananda.Kalpa Tree Press. p. preface.ISBN978-0-9706368-2-9.Retrieved10 June2013.
- ^"Disciple's Journal In the Company of Swami Ashokananda".Vedanta Press and Catalog.Retrieved29 June2013.