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More Reviews of A HEART POURED OUT |
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“This beautifully produced book is a labour of
love. Sister Gargi, well known for her works on Swami
Vivekananda, was initiated by and served Swami Ashokananda
for the last years of his life. It tells the story of
an extraordinary life of dedication—wholehearted
and complete dedication to the mission started by Swami
Vivekananda on behalf of Sri Ramakrishna.. . . In this
short review it is impossible to do justice to a tome
of over 400 pages. Sister Gargi’s style of writing
is, as ever, clear, tempered, and elegant. So it is a
highly readable and deeply inspiring book as well as a
testament to a great soul and his life.” |
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—Vedanta |
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“There is never a lapse in the book’s ability to hold
one’s attention. And just as those in the Swami’s circle
of association were “stretched mentally, emotionally,
and spiritually,” the reader feels similarly challenged.
The author’s style and narrative talent, rendered more
powerful by the depth of love for her teacher, affords
the reader this opportunity. Be it from accounts of his
laughter ringing down the hall; or by his impassioned
words, which were nuggets of spiritual gold; by his quick
wit; or by his personal spiritual experiences—the reader
is “stretched” mentally, emotionally, and spiritually
by this rich, multifaceted portrait.” |
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—Sri Sarada Society Newsletter |
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"Sister Gargi has given us an exhaustive yet engaging
account of the life and work of Swami Ashokananda (1893—1969),
a monk of the Ramakrishna Order who came from his native
land of India to America and taught at the Vedanta Society
of Northern California, one of the oldest and best-established
institutions of the yoga tradition in the West.
Swami Ashokananda
forbade the author, who was his devotee, from writing
about him until her "other work" was finished; she went
on to write the six-volume series Swami Vivekananda in
the West: New Discoveries and other works before turning
to this, the book she wanted to write in the first place,
at age 90. This rare account is well worth the wait." |
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—Yoga
Journal |
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"When Marie Louise Burke met Swami Ashokananda in 1948
she knew that she had found her Guru. She is the renowned
author of the classic six-volume series on the world-famous
Swami Vivekananda, Sri Ramakrishna's foremost disciple.
Now she has brought her talent for research and lively
writing to her Guru's biography as well. As an insider
she had first-hand experience of Swami Ashokananda, his
teachings, his training of disciples, and the many amazing
ups and downs of his pioneering efforts in bringing Vedanta
to the West.
The story begins with the Swami's boyhood in India and
his becoming a monk of the Ramakrishna Order. A disciple
of Swami Vivekananda, he was blessed to serve several
of Sri Ramakrishna's great disciples. Swami Ashokananda's
life journey (1893—1969) was marked by brilliant scholarship,
passion, courage and demonstration of the highest spiritual
ideals. For the last four decades of his life he labored
in the West as founder of the Vedanta movement in Northern
California. Sister Gargi, now in her nineties, has inspired
thousands with her writings; once again we owe her a debt
of loving gratitude." |
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—Light of Consciousness |
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"This book just proves that you are never too old to
accomplish your dreams. Written at 90 years of age, Sister
Gargi paints a moving, soul-stirring biography of her
mentor and spiritual teacher, Swami Ashokananda. . . .
This engaging story tells the inside story of one disciple,
Sister Gargi, and the relationship this extraordinary
teacher had on herself and his students in their day-to-day
spiritual training. This book allows us the opportunity
to use the teachings of this spiritual teacher to strengthen
our lives with purpose, courage and wisdom." |
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—One! |
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"A longtime disciple of the swami, she tells the journey
of a monk (1893—1969) of the Ramakrishna Order who developed
the Vedanta movement in northern California. The spread
of this Eastern religion in America can be traced in many
ways to his dedication and commitment. For students of
comparative religion, this will provide many insights." |
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—Bookviews |
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"Sister Gargi has written a remarkable book: on one level,
an adoring apprecation of her beloved guru, and on another
level, the story of a powerful and very human man who
remained '. . . unsinkable to the very end' for the sake
of his mission to the New World." |
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—Vedanta Kesari |
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"A most resplendent and awe-inspiring picture . . . a
fervent tribute to her very beloved spiritual teacher." |
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—Samvit |
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"Sister Gargi conveys Swami Ashokananda's spiritual fervor
as she discusses how he presented Vedanta as a philosophy
and religion of infinite hope with its powerful messages
about universality, harmony, and infinite affirmation." |
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—Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality &
Health |
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"This is an engaging biography that takes the reader
on a powerful journey into the story of Swami Ashokananda
(1893-1969), a monk of the Ramakrishna Order who developed
the Vedanta movement in Northern California. Gargi met
him in 1948 and became his disciple and it is through
her vivid insider's account that we learn about the
relationship of this extraordinary teacher to his students
in their day-to-day spiritual training." |
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—Arizona Networking News |
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"A Heart
Poured Out is the first-time telling of the life of Swami
Ashokananda as a brilliant pioneer of Vedanta in the West.
The teachings of Swami Ashokananda are a welcome addition
to the literature of the Vedanta movement, and further
illuminate the history of the spread of Vedanta in the
West". |
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—Common
Ground |
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"Sister Gargi's new book is a soul-stirring account of
Swami Ashokananda, a brilliant and accomplished spiritual
teacher in the West. Written in impeccable prose, A Heart
Poured Out reveals the Swami's extraordinary spiritual
stature with candor, integrity, and wit. This powerful
new biography will inspire general readers while informing
students of religious studies." |
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—Huston
Smith, author of The World's Religions and Why
Religion Matters |
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"Sister Gargi has written a remarkable book: on one level,
an adoring appreciation of her beloved guru; on another
level, the story of a powerful and very human man who
remained '…unsinkable to the very end' for the sake of
his mission to the New World." |
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—Gerald
James Larson, author of India's Agony over Religion,
and Rabindranath Tagore Professor of Indian Culture
and Religion, University of Indiana |
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"A Heart Poured Out succeeds in achieving two separate
but closely related objectives. First, it provides a vivid
portrait of a Hindu monk who was one of the most powerful
and successful pioneers in the Vedanta movement in America.
Hagiography is always a problematical genre because readers
who never knew the saintly individuals who are its subjects
can never fully appreciate the personal impact that such
figures had on those who knew them. Still, Sister Gargi
succeeds to a remarkable degree in making palpable the
combination of spiritual insight, intellect, energy, austerity,
generosity, and humor that were all facets of Swami Ashokananda's
character. Second, the book offers an illuminating insider's
view of the history of one of the major centers of the
Vedanta movement during a critical period of its growth
from the 1930s to the 1960s. The lively picture that it
draws not only of the sacrifice and hard work required
to build up such an organization, but also of the hard
realities that often stand in the way of doing so, will
be of interest even to readers who have no connection
with the Vedanta Society of Northern California." |
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—Jerome J. Pollitt, Sterling Professor Emeritus
of Classical Archaeology and History of Art, Yale University,
and author of Art and Experience in Classical Greece
and President of the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center,
New York |
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"I have gone through the whole book with great interest
and enjoyment. . . . I was naturally very eager to know
more about Swami Ashokanandaji and [Sister Gargi's] book
gave me an interesting feast of information about the
Swami. . . . My hearty congratulations." |
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—Swami Gautamananda, Head of Ramakrishna Math,
Madras, India |
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"[Sister Gargi's] language, style, and exhaustive treatment
of Revered Swami Ashokananda's saintly life and thought
have a special attraction and appeal . . . of great help
in understanding Ramakrishna-Vivekananda-Vedanta ideology." |
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—Swami Mumukshananda, Head of Advaita Ashrama,
India |
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". . . a masterly tribute by Sister Gargi to her guru."
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—Swami
Yuktatmananda, Editor, Prabuddha Bharata |
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"I cannot express how happy I am to receive A Heart Poured
Out. Of the Swamis in the West, the talks and Writings
of Swami Ashokanandaji are dearest to me; so clear, rational
and inspiring. The pleasure of reading his biography written
so lovingly and beautifully by Gargi is indescribable." |
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—Swami Dayatmananda, Head of the Ramakrishna
Vedanta Centre, U.K.
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"What we have here is the "downstairs" Swami, a priceless
gift of humor and humanness. . . . Completing the reading,
I wondered what book I could pick up next-for after this
one, all seemed dull and flat." |
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—Swami Yogeshananda, author of Six Lighted
Windows |
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"A Heart Poured Out is a triumph, a blessing, a work
of art, and . . . a pure joy to read." |
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—Pravrajika Vrajaprana, author of Vedanta: A Simple
Introduction |
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". . . so true and so vividly presented that it is almost
like something experienced just yesterday!" |
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—Pravrajika Nirbhayaprana, San Francisco |
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"I was bowled over by this biography of a man of God
who walked among us for a time. If you have never met
a living saint, you have no idea how such a one combines
power and love and humor in such a way as to make you
KNOW your own divinity. Swami Ashokananda was such a man
of GOD, and if you read A Heart Poured Out you
cannot fail to be blessed by his uncommon presence and
enlightened by his remarkable teachings. Sister Gargi's
book is a masterpiece of spiritual literature." |
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—"A reader from San Francisco (Marjorie Kewley)," Amazon.com
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"Gargi's book is a great, absorbing delight!" |
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—Linda Prugh, author of Josephine MacLeod and Swami
Vivekananda's Mission |
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"A Heart Poured Out is a winner!-I couldn't put
it down." |
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—William Page, Hong Kong |
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