About the Book:

The Bases of Indian Culture is the Commemoration Volume dedicated to the sacred memory of Swami Abhedananda, the direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and spiritual brother of Swami Vivekananda.

The volume contains various thoughtful writings of different scholars and renowned writers of India and abroad. It contains articles on philosophy, psychology, religion, mysticism, logic, literature, science, education, music, dance, drama, painting and sculpture, together with philosophies of Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda and Swami Abhedananda.

This cultural volume is a unique contribution to the domain of Indian thought and culture, and will enlighten the minds of them who are in persuit of knowledge and wisdom.

From the Jacket:

The writings and speeches of Swami Abhedananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, were spread over a long period of spiritual ministration both in America and in India. His deep philosophical insight and unfathomed spirituality attracted the learned and the intelligentsia. All his writings and speeches are available in one set of eleven volumes entitled THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SWAMI ABHEDANANDA, the last volume being a guide to the Complete Works, edited in full by the most renowned philosopher and writer Swami Prajnanananda, a direct disciple of Swami Abhedananda. We invite all lovers of philosophy, religion and culture to avail of the golden opportunity of collecting this set without delay.

Preface:

THE BASES OF INDIAN CULTURE is a Commemoration Volume, published on the occasion of the holy birth-centenary celebration of Swami Abhedananda, one of the direct disciples of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.

In the year 1966-67, when the birth-centenary of the great Indian saint, Swami Abhedananda, was being celebrated in a befitting manner in the Ramakrishna Vedanta Math, Calcutta, and in all its branches as well as in different Maths, Ashramas and Institutions of the Ramakrishna Order, a Publication Committee was set up for publishing his various writings and speeches. It was proposed in this Publication Committee to bring out also a cultural commemoration volume under the auspices of the Ramakrishna Vedanta Math, Calcutta, with a view to depicting the various aspects of cultural, religious and philosophical heritage of India and other eastern countries.

Though belated, we are gratified to offer this volume to the lovers of cultural and socio-religious aspects of India and other countries at large.

Precious and thoughtful articles contributed by many experts and experienced writers have made this volume thorough, informative and valuable to the seekers after knowledge, and particularly to the lovers of religion and culture of the Orient. The volume is divided into different sections beginning with a short life-sketch and teachings of Swami Abhedananda, in whose sacred memory it has been dedicated.

In Vol. No. I, has been given the life of Swami Abhedananda, his spiritual teachings and in Vol. Nos. II to IX, the topics like concept of philosophy, the Upanishadic thoughts and essence, Sankhyian thoughts, a critique and spiritual practice of Advaita Vedanta, comparative study of the commentaries the Brahmasutras, maya in Advaita Vedanta, Brahman as Sachchidananda, Advaita views on causality, real, unreal and illusory, concept of intuition, a phenomenological study of Providence, ground work of Mathematical philosophy, Vishishtadvaita philosophy, Indian psychology, nature and validity of inference, Buddhism in Tibet, Islam and its broad principles, Sufism and Vedanta, Jainism, mantra, tantra and yantra, Sakti-worship in the South, philosophy of Tripura-rahasya, etc., have been dealt with besides topics like education, science, religion, mysticism, socio-religious thoughts of Swami Vivekananda, study of literature of the nineteenth century, art of drama, music of the North and the South in different periods, classical and folk types of music, dance, Indian painting and sculpture, etc. The Vol. No. X has been devoted to the discussions on Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and his spiritual message, and the Ramakrishna movement in the West. The Vol. No. XI begins with the discussions on Swami Abhedananda, his personality and his works in the East and the West. The articles are well-written and thoughtful as these came out from the pens of the renowned thinkers and professors, both of India and of abroad.

We are indebted to all the learned writers who have generously contributed their thoughtful articles to this cultural commemoration volume. We are also grateful to Messrs George Allen and Unwin Ltd., London, for giving us permission for reproducing the article., The Upanishadic Thoughts and Essence, written by Swami Prabhavananda of Califormnia, U.S.A., in the first edition of this cultural volume. We offer our gratitude to the authorities of the Indian Museum, Calcutta, this volume, We are thankful to them who have generously helped us in proof-reading and many other subjects, and many other subjects, and especially to Sri Suresh Chandra Chowdhury of Calcutta.

We hope that different topics discussed in this volume in comparative way and synthetic vision will act as the beckon light towards the broad cultural aspects of India. In 1906-07, when Swami Abhedananda delivered a series of lectures on India and Her People, comprising India's education, cultures, literature, philosophy, religion, etc., in the Brooklyn Institute of the Arts and Sciences in U.S.A., he saw the vision of the glorious picture of India, and that vision was somewhat fulfilled when the book, India and Her people, was published and won the hearts of the people of the East and the West, irrespective of caste, creed and colour, and it is to mention in this connection that this volume, The Bases of Indian Culture, is an outcome of that vision.

THE EDITORS