What Life Has Taught Me

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In continuation of Bhavan's Eternal Values Booklets Series 1 to 19, which have received a warm welcome by the discerning public, the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan has pleasure in bringing outs its Eternal Values Booklets Series: 20, by poojya Swami Ranganathanandaji, under the title "what life has Taught me." Swamiji wrote this article in compliance with Bhavan's request. Our humble Pranams and grateful thanks to Swamiji. As is characteristic of Swamiji, it give wholesome food for though and is inspiring.

Swamiji says: "If national maladies exist, our nation has effective remedies. In many countries today, remedies applied are worse than maladies. This truth, yes this truth, and not a false national claim, will make us realize that the present total erosion of values at high levels is a passing phase. We had such experiences before also, and our nation will learn to apply the remedies and build up, during the next century, a progressive, humanistic and peaceful democratic polity and society".

The Bhavan prayerfully offers this volume in our Eternal Values Booklets Series to the public. We are confident it will be widely welcomed.

born in the village Trikkur, Kerala State, on December 15, 1908, Swamiji Ranganathananda joined the Ramakrishna Order, the international spiritual and cultural movement founded by Swamiji Vivekananda, at its branch in Mysore in 1926. He was formally initiated into Sannyasa in 1933 by Swami Shivananda one of the eminent disciples of Sri Ramakrishna and the second President of the Order. After spending the first twelve years in the Order's branches in Mysore and Bangalore, the first six years of which a cook, dishwasher and house-keeper and later as warden of student's hostel, he worked as Secretary and librarian at the Ramakrishna Mission branch at Rangoon – from 1939 1942, and thereafter as President of the Ramakrishna Math and mission, Karachi, from 1942 to 1948.

From1949 to1962, he worked as the Secretary of the new Delhi branch of the Mission, and from 1962 to 1967, he was the Secretary of the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of culture, Calcutta, Director of its Scholl of Humanistic and Cultural Studies, and Editor of its monthly journal

From 1973 to 1993 he was President of Ramakrishna math, Hyderabad and from 1994 to 1998 he was Vice-President of world-wide Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. Now he is its President, and stays at Belur Math.

He has undertaken extensive lecture tours from 19461972 covering 50 countries. From 1973 to1986 he visited annually Australia, U.S.A., Holland and Germany.

In 1986 he was awarded the first Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration.

He has a versatile and facile pen, and has to his credit a number of publication, chief amongst which are : The message of the Upanisads, A pilgrim Looks at the World, Vol. I : Philosophy and Spirituality, Vol. 2 : Great Spiritual Teachers Vol. 3 : Education for Human Excellence and vol. 4 : Democracy for Total Human Fulfillment; (Bharatia Vidya Bhavan's Publications); Human Being in Depth (state University of New York publication) Practical Vedanta and Science of Values (Advaita Ashram publication), 28 video-tapes expounding the entire Gita Sloka by Sloka. 60 titles of audio tapes expounding the ideas of Ramakrishna. Vivekananda and Vedanta.