Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda was a prominent disciple of Sri Ramakrishna's. He developed an ardent love of Hinduism and the monastic life. He travelled extensively after the death of his beloved Guru as a missionary, firstly throughout India, then to the West. Of particular note was his opening address at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, where he said " that he was proud to belong to a religion that had taught the world tolerance and universal acceptance." He was the most famous and influential speakers of the Vedanta philosophy and was the founder of the Ramakrishna Math.

After Sri Ramakrishna's death Vivekananda's arrival in the USA has been identified by many to mark the beginning of western interest in Hinduism as a vital religious and philosophical tradition that has something very important to teach the West.

Compiled after his travels are the four books of Yoga as taught by Swami Vivekananda - Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Kharma Yoga and Raja Yoga.