Books - Sri Ramakrishna
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The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (must read)
Authored by Mahendranath Gupta, a householder disciple of the Master, this book was translated into English by Swami Nikhilananda from the bengali version titled Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita.
The Time Magazine has referred to The Gospel as
"One of the world's most extraordinary religious documents."
Many consider this book the most important spiritual work in the last 150 years. This book has attracted interest from many diverse religious groups. A biography of Ramakrishna is included. Provides an intimate, day to day look at the life of a great and realized master who many consider to be an Avatar (Incarnation of God).

Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the modern Indian nation, who himself penned a foreword to the book Life of Sri Ramakrishna says,

"Ramakrishna was a living embodiment of godliness. His sayings are not those of a mere learned man but they are pages from the Book of Life. They are revelations of his own experiences. They therefore leave on the reader an impression which he cannot resist. In this age of skepticism Ramakrishna presents an example of a bright and living faith which gives solace to thousands of men and women who would otherwise have remained without spiritual light. Ramakrishna's life was an object-lesson in Ahimsa. His love knew no limits, geographical or otherwise. May his divine love be an inspiration to all."
Contains 26 photographs. Hardcover/1052pp
Insights into the book by University Professors and Ministers
Foreword and Preface to the book
The Table of Contents
Pages from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
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Sri Ramakrishna—The Great Master (must read)
Authored by Swami Saradananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna and the first General Secretary of the Ramakrisha Mission, this two volume book in English was translated by Swami Jagadananda from the bengali version titled Sri Sri Ramakrishna Lilaprasanga.
Considered to be among the most important source books on Sri Ramakrishna's life and teachings as well as the most complete biography available on one who has seen God face to face. To quote Swami Vivekananda:
"This man came to live near Calcutta, the capital of India, the most important university town in our country which was sending out sceptics and materialists by the hundreds every year. Yet many of these university men--sceptics and agnostics--used to come and listen to him. I heard of this man, and I went to hear him. He looked just like an ordinary man, with nothing remarkable about him. He used the most simple language, and I thought, 'Can this man be a great teacher?'--crept near to him and asked him the question which I had been asking others all my life: 'Do you believe in God, Sir?' 'Yes,' he replied. 'Can you prove it, Sir?' 'Yes.' 'How?' 'Because I see Him just as I see you here, only in a much intenser sense.' That impressed me at once. For the first time I found a man who dared to say that he saw God, that religion was a reality to be felt, to be sensed in an infinitely more intense way than we can sense the world. I began to go to that man, day after day, and I actually saw that religion could be given. One touch, one glance, can change a whole life. "
(Here is the complete version of My Master as related by Swami Vivekananda himself.)

Even though this book might not serve as an introductory text, one cannot really come to appreciate the Master's life until one has pored through the two-volume book completely. A classic that also gives the reader a detailed rational explanation of many of the prevalent hindu concepts and customs through Sri Ramakrishna's life.

Chapter 1: THE NEED OF THE AGE
This book is truly a rich and valuable account of one of the great souls of the past century. 2 vol. set Softcover/563pp (Indian edition)
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A Portrait of Sri Ramakrishna - Sri Sri Ramakrishna Punthi
-- by Akshay Kumar Sen, a householder disciple of Sri Ramakrishna
Anyone who has read the Srimad Bhagawatam, which is a classic in Bhakti literature explaining God's life in verses, will immediately understand the significance of the Punthi, written in Bengali. It is not without significance that the Punthi is widely recited in the villages of Bengal with the same devotion as other Hindu scriptures. It compliments The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna and Sri Ramakrishna: The Great Master as an authentic source book written by one of Sri Ramakrishna's disciples. An English translation of that book is finally available, nearly a century after it had been composed.
You can buy these books at one of a set of
Vedanta Bookstores Online.
You can get a good sampling of the pages at
The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture.