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PRESS REPORT
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PRESS
REPORT - NOVEMBER 2, 2007
SWAMI
ADISWARANANDA,
SPIRITUAL LEADER TO HUNDREDS, DIES AT 82
In an unassuming townhouse
on Manhattan's Upper East Side, there one finds the
Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center of New York, where spiritual leader Swami
Adiswarananda lovingly tended his flock for 39 years.
Tall in stature, and exuding confidence in the ancient Vedic texts he
explicated, the Swami was known for his razor-sharp intellect, sparkling
sense of humor, and inner generosity.
He conducted services and classes thrice-weekly, often taking a few lines
from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, and weaving them into a
personal discourse filled with practical tips on modern living.
He was widely read, and knew what was going on in every field of endeavor,
from medicine to computers. Despite his vast knowledge, he remained a
humble man who called little attention to himself. A monk of the
Ramakrishna Order, he did everything in the name of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri
Sarada Devi, and Swami Vivekananda.
Under his ministry, services were a harmonious blend of East and West
-with organ music Sunday mornings, hymns to Sri Ramakrishna Tuesday
evenings, Vedic chanting on special occasions, and Christmas carols.
Neighborhood residents who sometimes wandered into services were struck by
the austere beauty, the uplifting atmosphere, and the feeling that
truth-seekers of any religion were always welcome.
One visitor remarked, "He was a spiritual giant and a brilliant speaker.
He would make you realize the truths of the Indian sages in your heart,
and make you want to live them. But what I will miss most is his sense of
humor and kindly manner. He was a beautiful, noble soul."
When news of his sudden illness was announced at Tuesday service, many
followers wept openly. Later, official word came that after a massive
brain hemorrhage on Monday, the Swami passed peacefully into
unconsciousness, and died Wednesday, October 31, 2007, at 2:20 PM.
Swami Adiswarananda was born in 1925 in West Bengal, India. After being
fully ordained as a monk in 1963, he served the Ramakrishna Order in
various capacities as a teacher of religious subjects, and journal editor
of Prabuddha Bharata at the Advaita Ashrama at Mayavati, in the
Himalayas. In 1968, he was sent to New York to assist Swami Nikhilananda,
the founder of the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center of New York. In 1973,
Swami Adiswarananda assumed the role of minister and spiritual leader of
the Center.
An authority on meditation, spiritual practice, Yoga and Vedanta
philosophy, he has written and edited several books, including
Meditation & Its Practices; Vedanta Way to Peace and Happiness; The Four
Yogas; The Spiritual Quest and the Way of Yoga; Vivekananda, World
Teacher.
A
frequent speaker at colleges and cultural centers, he showed a keen
interest in interfaith activities, and sat on several interfaith advisory
boards. Speaking at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine on January 25,
1993, he said:
"The Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893 envisioned the
harmony of religions and unity of humankind. One hundred years have
passed, yet the dream of unity and harmony continues to prove elusive.
Religious intolerance and misunderstanding keep the world divided and
stand in the way of a harmonious world culture. Wherever we look, we find
pain and suffering, disunity and despair. The acts of hatred and violence,
committed in the name of God and religion, are disgraces of human history.
The need for unity and mutual understanding has never been greater than it
is today. We live in a world which is neither Eastern nor Western, where
every one of us is heir to all of civilization. The vision of a new world
order requires a new world outlook, based upon respect for and
understanding of other religious traditions."
In his own ministry, Swami Adiswarananda emphasized the need to develop
good character, to understand the nature of the mind and the senses, to
practice restraint and philosophical discrimination, to work unselfishly,
and to fix one's mind on God.
In her recent book, Your Soul’s Compass, internationally known
author and speaker, Joan Borysenko, wrote: “Swami Adiswarananda – head of
the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center of New York and a wonderfully clear
teacher of Vedanta (an ancient Indian philosophy of self-knowledge) – told
us that when people are in doubt about their dharma or purpose, they
should ask the nearest sage. We loved that advice.” She also wrote:
“Swami Adiswarananda’s discussion of the yogic paths, and the goals and
milestones on the journey to self-realization, is a must for any person
with a sincere interest in the perennial spiritual wisdom… Swami’s books
are guidebooks to liberation, and gifts to the world.”
Swami Adiswarananda was
always an uncompromising truth-seeker, and never an object of idolatry;
but his followers loved and revered him, and remember basking in the
warmth of his inner light.
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