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Realisation and its Methods
This booklet includes various lectures on the four yogas delivered by Swami Vivekananda in New York, Los Angeles and other locales. While some of the talks are published separately elsewhere, this book brings them together in one place, giving the reader a broader view of Swami Vivekananda's thought.
103 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2004
About the author
Vivekananda
1,881 books1,618 followers"Arise Awake and Stop not til the goal is reached"
Vivekananda left a body of philosophical works (see Vivekananda's complete works). His books (compiled from lectures given around the world) on the four Yogas (Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Jnana Yoga) are very influential and still seen as fundamental texts for anyone interested in the Hindu practice of Yoga. His letters are of great literary and spiritual value. He was also considered a very good singer and a poet.By the time of his death, He had composed many songs including his favorite Kali the Mother. He used humor for his teachings and was also an excellent cook. His language is very free flowing. His own Bengali writings stand testimony to the fact that he believed that words - spoken or written - should be for making things easier to understand rather than show off the speaker or writer's knowledge.
Swami Vivekananda [ স্বামী বিবেকানন্দ ] (1863 – 1902), born Narendranath Datta, was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. He was a key figure in the introduction of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world and is credited with raising interfaith awareness, and bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion.
Born in Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India (present-day Kolkata, West Bengal, India)
Vivekananda left a body of philosophical works (see Vivekananda's complete works). His books (compiled from lectures given around the world) on the four Yogas (Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Jnana Yoga) are very influential and still seen as fundamental texts for anyone interested in the Hindu practice of Yoga. His letters are of great literary and spiritual value. He was also considered a very good singer and a poet.By the time of his death, He had composed many songs including his favorite Kali the Mother. He used humor for his teachings and was also an excellent cook. His language is very free flowing. His own Bengali writings stand testimony to the fact that he believed that words - spoken or written - should be for making things easier to understand rather than show off the speaker or writer's knowledge.
Swami Vivekananda [ স্বামী বিবেকানন্দ ] (1863 – 1902), born Narendranath Datta, was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. He was a key figure in the introduction of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world and is credited with raising interfaith awareness, and bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion.
Born in Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India (present-day Kolkata, West Bengal, India)
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July 3, 2025
This book seemed to be a quick summary of "Vivekananda: The Yogas and Other Works." I recommend reading that work instead, as it explores each yoga philosophy in much more depth. I enjoyed the first sections ("Steps to Realisation" and "Hints on Practical Spirituality") significantly more than the latter ones, with the exception of the final section, "Work and Its Secret".
In our rapidly growing world, it is easy to lose alignment between our values, motivations, and actions. I have found that when this trifecta is totally aligned, I feel fulfilled; otherwise, my gut tells me something is off. Thus, it important to regularly question the nature of our lives and understand the driving forces behind our choices. Every day ought to begin with reflective questions such as "why do I do X,Y, and Z?" Vivekananda's yogic writings offer a variety of spiritual tools to help us answer such questions and make the proper adjustments to our lives.
On a related note, I used to think that working a corporate job and committing to spirituality and/or a faith were mutually exclusive. However, Vivekananda's philosophies (particularly karma yoga), and the Baha'i philosophies with which I am familiar, indicate otherwise: we must seek a balance of material and spiritual growth. Material growth does not equate to selfishness or greed, but rather to the acquisition of any form of wealth, a necessary component of life for the vast majority of people. Vivekananda's approach to spirituality emphasizes self-awareness and the cultivation of a robust moral foundation, both of which are necessary to achieve such a tricky balance.
In our rapidly growing world, it is easy to lose alignment between our values, motivations, and actions. I have found that when this trifecta is totally aligned, I feel fulfilled; otherwise, my gut tells me something is off. Thus, it important to regularly question the nature of our lives and understand the driving forces behind our choices. Every day ought to begin with reflective questions such as "why do I do X,Y, and Z?" Vivekananda's yogic writings offer a variety of spiritual tools to help us answer such questions and make the proper adjustments to our lives.
On a related note, I used to think that working a corporate job and committing to spirituality and/or a faith were mutually exclusive. However, Vivekananda's philosophies (particularly karma yoga), and the Baha'i philosophies with which I am familiar, indicate otherwise: we must seek a balance of material and spiritual growth. Material growth does not equate to selfishness or greed, but rather to the acquisition of any form of wealth, a necessary component of life for the vast majority of people. Vivekananda's approach to spirituality emphasizes self-awareness and the cultivation of a robust moral foundation, both of which are necessary to achieve such a tricky balance.
Displaying 1 of 1 review