Joseph A. Fitzgerald - The Original Gospel of Ramakrishna

M or Mahendranth Gupta (1854-1932) was a devoted householder disciple of Shr Rmakrishna. He was the headmaster of various schools, where he also taught English, philosophy, economics, and other subjects. Following Rmakrishnas death in 1886, he dedicated the rest of his non-professional life to the completion of his master work, The Gospel of Rmakrishna .

Swm Abhednanda (1866-1939) was a direct disciple of Shr Rmakrishna. In 1897 he traveled to America to become the head of the Vedanta Society in New York. He stayed in America until 1921 teaching and lecturing. In addition to his work on The Gospel of Rmakrishna , he was the author of several books on Indian philosophy and religion.

Joseph A. Fitzgerald studied Comparative Religion at Indiana University, where he also earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree. He is an award-winning editor whose previous publications include Honen the Buddhist Saint: Essential Writings and Official Biography , The Essential r nandamay M: Life and Teachings of a 20th Century Saint from India , The Way and the Mountain: Tibet, Buddhism, and Tradition , An Illustrated Introduction to Taoism: The Wisdom of the Sages , and The Wisdom of Ananda Coomaraswamy (with S.D.R. Singam) . He lives with his wife and daughters in Bloomington, Indiana.

Alexander Lipski (1919-2009) was Professor of History and Religious Studies at California State University, Long Beach from 1958 to 1984. He was a Professor Emeritus from 1984 until his passing. He is the author of Thomas Merton and Asia: His Quest for Utopia , and is the editor of Bengal: East and West . His classic Life and Teaching of r nandamay M was recently incorporated into The Essential r nandamay M: Life and Teachings of a 20th Century Saint from India .

Swm Viveknanda (1863-1902) was the closest and most famous disciple of Shr Rmakrishna. He was one of the first Indians to introduce and popularize Hindu philosophy, especially the Vednta , to a Western audience. A speaker at the Parliament of the Worlds Religions in Chicago in 1893, he also delivered many other addresses in America and Europe. He founded both the Ramakrishna Mission and the Ramakrishna Order, which in America is known as the Vedanta Society.

Titles in the Spiritual Masters: East & West Series by World Wisdom

The Essential Shinran: A Buddhist Path of True Entrusting ,
edited by Alfred Bloom, 2007

The Essential Sri Anandamayi Ma: Illustrated ,
by Alexander Lipski and Anandamayi Ma, 2007

The Essential Swami Ramdas: Commemorative Edition ,
compiled by Susunaga Weeraperuma, 2005

Frithjof Schuon: Messenger of the Perennial Philosophy ,
by Michael Oren Fitzgerald, 2010

The Golden Age of Zen: Zen Masters of the Tang Dynasty ,
by John C.H. Wu, 2003

Honen the Buddhist Saint:
Essential Writings and Official Biography ,
edited by Joseph A. Fitzgerald, 2006

Introduction to Hindu Dharma: Illustrated
by Jagadguru His Holiness Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati
Swamigal, Sankaracharya of Kanchi,
edited by Michael Oren Fitzgerald, 2008

The Laughing Buddha of Tofukuji:
The Life of Zen Master Keido Fukushima ,
by Ishwar C. Harris, 2004

Messenger of the Heart: The Book of Angelus Silesius ,
by Frederick Franck, 2005

The Original Gospel of Ramakrishna:
Based on M.s English Text, Abridged ,
revised by Swami Abhedananda,
edited and abridged by Joseph A. Fitzgerald, 2011

Paths to Transcendence: According to
Shankara, Ibn Arabi, and Meister Eckhart ,
by Reza Shah-Kazemi, 2006

Samdhong Rinpoche:
Uncompromising Truth for a Compromised World:
Tibetan Buddhism and Todays World ,
edited by Donovan Roebert, 2006

A Spirit of Tolerance: The Inspiring Life of Tierno Bokar ,
by Amadou Hampat B, edited by Roger Gaetani, 2008

The Sufi Doctrine of Rumi: Illustrated Edition ,
by William C. Chittick, 2005

Timeless in Time: Sri Ramana Maharshi ,
by A. R. Natarajan, 2006

Other Titles on Hinduism
by World Wisdom

A Christian Pilgrim in India: The Spiritual Journey of Swami
Abhishiktananda (Henri Le Saux) ,
by Harry Oldmeadow, 2008

The Essential Sri Anandamayi Ma:

Life and Teachings of a 20th Century Indian Saint ,
by Alexander Lipski and Sri Anandamayi Ma, 2007

The Essential Swami Ramdas: Commemorative Edition ,
compiled by Susunaga Weeraperuma, 2005

The Essential Vedanta: A New Source Book of Advaita Vedanta ,
edited by Eliot Deutsch and Rohit Dalvi, 2004

A Guide to Hindu Spirituality ,
by Arvind Sharma, 2006

Introduction to Hindu Dharma: Illustrated
by Jagadguru His Holiness Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati
Swamigal, Sankaracharya of Kanchi,
edited by Michael Oren Fitzgerald, 2008

Lamp of Non-Dual Knowledge & Cream of Liberation:
Two Jewels of Indian Wisdom ,
translated by Swami Sri Ramanananda Saraswathi, 2003

Paths to Transcendence: According to
Shankara, Ibn Arabi & Meister Eckhart ,
by Reza Shah-Kazemi, 2006

The Power of the Sacred Name:

Indian Spirituality Inspired by Mantras ,
by V. Raghavan, edited by William J. Jackson, 2011

Timeless in Time: Sri Ramana Maharshi ,
by A.R. Natarajan, 2006

Tripura Rahasya: The Secret of the Supreme Goddess ,
translated by Swami Sri Ramanananda Saraswathi, 2002

Unveiling the Garden of Love: Mystical Symbolism in
Layla Majnun & Gitagovinda ,
by Lalita Sinha, 2009

The Wisdom of Ananda Coomaraswamy:
Reflections on Indian Art, Life, and Religion ,
edited by S.D.R. Singam and Joseph A. Fitzgerald, 2011

Shr Rmakrishna
Calcutta, December 10, 1881

Rmakrishnas birthplace of Kmrpukur

Holy Mother (Srad Dev)
Calcutta, November 1898

Mahendranth Gupta, or M Dakshineshwar, February 23, 1927

Swm Abhednanda (Kl)

Swm Viveknanda (Narendra)
Belagaum (Western India), 1892

Group of Rmakrishnas disciples, Calcutta, 1902: From left to right: Swms Triguntta (Srad), Shivnanda (Trak), Viveknanda (Narendra), Turynanda (Har), Brahmnanda (Rkhl), and below, Sradnanda (Sarat)

Kl, the Divine Mother.
Rmakrishna worshipped this image in the Dakshineshwar temple.