My first review..., before I write a review on this book, lets see what many eminent Personalities said about vivekanandas works...,
Swami Vivekananda’s writings need no introduction from anybody. They make their own irresistible appeal. I have gone through his works very thoroughly, and after having gone through them, the love that I had for my country became a thousand-fold.
–Mahatma Gandhi
Where can you find a man like him? Study what he wrote, and learn from his teachings, for if you do, you will gain immense strength. Take advantage of the fountain of wisdom, of Spirit, and of fire that flowed through Vivekananda.
His whole life and teaching inspired my generation . . . . he brought his great spirituality to bear upon his patriotism and thus his message was not confined to India only, but was for the whole world. I pay my homage to his memory.
-- Jawaharlal Nehru
I cannot write about Vivekananda without going into raptures. Few indeed could comprehend or fathom him .Swamiji was a full-blooded masculine personality and a fighter to the core of his being. I can go on for hours and yet fail to do the slightest justice to that great man.
If he had been alive, I would have been at his feet.
--Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
’If you want to know India, study Vivekananda. In him everything is positive and nothing negative"
-- Rabindranath Tagore
The thought of this warrior prophet of India left a deep mark upon the United States . . . . I cannot touch these sayings of his . . . without giving a thrill through my body like an electric shock. And what shocks, what transports must have been produced when in burning words they issued from the lips of the hero!"
-- Romain Rolland
The man is simply a wonder for oratorical power...the Swami is an honor to humanity.
–William James, the"Father of American Psychology"
Never before has so authoritative a representative of genuine Hinduism, as opposed to the emasculated and Anglicized versions of it so common in these days, been accessible to American inquirers: and it is certain that the American people at large, will, when he is gone, look forward with eagerness to his return...America thanks India for sending him.
–Mr. Merwin-Marie Snell, President of the Scientific Section of the Parliament of Religions, January 30, 1894
Enough said?...well no... if u want more, read the reviews on amazon....
https://amazon.com/Complete-Works-Swami-Vivekananda/dp/0874810922
I have never seen a rating less than 5/5 anywhere ...
Western Scientists like Nikola Tesla, and Erwin Schrodinger said, they got their inspiration for quantum physics from lectures of Vivekananda....
Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhash Chandra Bose, Rabindranath Tagore, Indira Gandhi,
Sri Aurbindo...the list goes on and on, all this people were Inspired by vivekanandas words...
You will be Inspired too, Infact your outlook on life and religion will change forever...
CONTENTS OF THE BOOK
Its about vedanta and Hinduism in particular and philosophy and religion in general...
and lot of food for the scientific mind...
This book has 4 chapters , one on each of the concepts of BHAKTI, JYANA , KARMA and RAJA YOGAS...
I havent read a better book on these yogas anywhere else, and I read a lot...
It has lectures given by vivekananda in India and Abroad...
The topics being...
Vedanta
Samkhya
Hinduism
Christianity
Buddhism
Islam
Mohammed
Christ
Krishna
Buddha
Vilamangala
Shankara
Ramakrisna
Gita
Various Upanishads
Puranas (stories explaining culture and religion of Hindus)
Patanjali Yoga Sutras
Narada Bhakti Sutras
History of India (world in general)
Problems In India
Future of India
Women of India
Customs of India
Indias contribution to the world
Meditation, Pranayama
Practical Religion
How to practise Religion
Who is a guru, qualifications of a guru
Qualifications of the aspirant
Comparision of different religions and plea for tolerance...
Evolution
Psychology
Art
Music
History
Theology
Human body and Mind
Cosmology
Metaphysics
Poems on god, religion, various teachers, strength and hope...
Answers to questions by and letters written to different people...In India and Abroad.
WHOM THIS BOOK IS FOR
Scientific/Logical minds
People who are looking for Inspiration
People who are looking for scientific basis of religion...
People who are confused about religions and about the path towards god realization
People who want to learn about the essence of various religions
People who want to learn about Hinduism and Vedanta in particular
People who want to know about India
People who want to learn Meditation/Pranayama.
People who want to know about different schools of Philosophy, ( Vedanta, Samkhya, Agnosticm, Nihilism, Oriental, Occidental , Scientific approches)
People who want to learn about history.
People who want to learn about psychology/metaphysics/Logic
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
THIS BOOK IS A ENCYCLOPEDIA OF A SCIENTIFIC/LOGICAL MIND ...I dont care what religion or country you are from...After reading these books, you will understand the real meaning of Philosophy, Psychology, Metaphysics and Religion.
After reading this book you will say....Now I understand what thinking means, I understand now what logic means..what god means, what religion means.
If you are of scientific temperment then you MUST read this book...
The concepts of Metaphysics, History, Psychology and Logic are explained beautifully...
Evolution, Relativity, concepts of Infinity, Natural Selection, Psychology, about body , nervous system, the concepts of Reality, Idealism, Nihilism, Agnostism are explained so well,
Religions, their essence, lives of prophets like ramakrisna, krishna, christ, mohammed, shankara etc are explained....
theory/practise of religion.....The four yogas,
You will get a complete picture of Hinduism, and Vedanta
You will know about different religions, History of different countries...
You will know a lot about India....
You will get a good idea of different concepts in Metaphysics/Psychology/Logic....
You will be very much Inspired...
THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR...
One needs to have an average IQ for understanding the works,
Many people say this book is very difficult for them to understand...
If you are well educated you will get great joy from reading these books.
People who are not Into logical thinking will have difficulty understanding the abstract philosophies.
The language is simple, but not as simple as in a childrens book...
Ofcourse there are many stories, lectures, letters and Q & A, many people can understand...
THIS BOOK CHANGED MY LIFE COMPLETELY...