Swami Tyagananda
Encyclopedia
Swami Tyagananda is a Hindu monk of the Ramakrishna Order
and presently the head of the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society in Boston
. Currently he is also the Hindu
chaplain
at MIT and Harvard. He is also a member of American Academy of Religion
and the Society for Hindu-Christian Studies. He has presented papers at academic conferences and he gives lectures and classes at the Vedanta Society
, MIT, Harvard, and other colleges in and around Boston
.
as a monk in 1976, after graduating from the University of Bombay, India
.
Swami Tyagananda has served in the following monasteries:
Swami Tyagananda was the editor
of the English language journal
Vedanta Kesari
based in Chennai
, India
. for eleven years. He has translated and edited ten books, including Monasticism: Ideals and Traditions (1991), Values: The Key to a Meaningful Life (1996) and The Essence of the Gita (2000).
Swami Tyagananda also wrote the paper Kali’s Child Revisited or Didn’t Anyone Check the Documentation, in which he examines a list of what he calls "serious errors" that he had found in Jeffery Kripal's book, Kali's Child
. Copies of Kali's Child Revisited were distributed at the annual meeting of the AAR
and published in journal Evam.
Other scholars such as Lola Williamson from University of Wisconsin, Madison
, expressed the view that Swami Tyagananda’s criticisms in Kali's Child Revisited "indeed go to the heart of things".
In 2010, Tyagananda co-authored the book Interpreting Ramakrishna: Kali's Child Revisited with Pravrajika Vrajaprana
which further discusses these issues.
In a departure from Hindu traditions, Swami Tyagananda conducts a special service during Christmas Eve
. The event begins with the garlanding an image of Madonna and Child. The Nativity story from the King James Bible is then read out loud, followed by the Sermon on the Mount
and a homily on Jesus
' life. The 139th MIT Commencement ceremony in 2005 began with Swami Tyagananda's invocation in Sanskrit
and English.
Ramakrishna Order
The Ramakrishna Order is the monastic organization founded by Sri Ramakrishna and his disciple Swami Vivekananda. It encompasses the twin organizations Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, both headquartered at Belur Math near Kolkata, India....
and presently the head of the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. Currently he is also the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
at MIT and Harvard. He is also a member of American Academy of Religion
American Academy of Religion
The American Academy of Religion is the world's largest association of scholars in the field of religious studies and related topics. It is a nonprofit member association,...
and the Society for Hindu-Christian Studies. He has presented papers at academic conferences and he gives lectures and classes at the Vedanta Society
Vedanta Society
The Vedanta Society of Southern California, with its headquarters in Hollywood, was founded in 1930 by Swami Prabhavananda. The society is a branch of the Ramakrishna Order, and maintains subcenters in Pasadena, Santa Barbara, San Diego, and Trabuco Canyon...
, MIT, Harvard, and other colleges in and around Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
.
Biography
He joined the Ramakrishna OrderRamakrishna Order
The Ramakrishna Order is the monastic organization founded by Sri Ramakrishna and his disciple Swami Vivekananda. It encompasses the twin organizations Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, both headquartered at Belur Math near Kolkata, India....
as a monk in 1976, after graduating from the University of Bombay, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Swami Tyagananda has served in the following monasteries:
- MumbaiMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
1976-1980 - Belur MathBelur Math' or Belur Mutt is the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, founded by Swami Vivekananda, a chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. It is located on the west bank of Hooghly River, Belur, West Bengal, India and is one of the significant institutions in Calcutta...
1980-1982 - New DelhiNew DelhiNew Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
1982-1983 - ChennaiChennaiChennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
1983-1997 - BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
since 1998
Swami Tyagananda was the editor
Editor in chief
An editor-in-chief is a publication's primary editor, having final responsibility for the operations and policies. Additionally, the editor-in-chief is held accountable for delegating tasks to staff members as well as keeping up with the time it takes them to complete their task...
of the English language journal
Literary magazine
A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry and essays along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and letters...
Vedanta Kesari
Vedanta Kesari
Vedanta Kesari is a spiritual and cultural monthly in English being published from Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, since 1895.-History:...
based in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. for eleven years. He has translated and edited ten books, including Monasticism: Ideals and Traditions (1991), Values: The Key to a Meaningful Life (1996) and The Essence of the Gita (2000).
Swami Tyagananda also wrote the paper Kali’s Child Revisited or Didn’t Anyone Check the Documentation, in which he examines a list of what he calls "serious errors" that he had found in Jeffery Kripal's book, Kali's Child
Kali's Child
Kali's Child: The Mystical and the Erotic in the Life and Teachings of Ramakrishna is a book on the Indian mystic Ramakrishna by Hindu studies scholar Jeffrey J. Kripal, published in 1995 by the University of Chicago press...
. Copies of Kali's Child Revisited were distributed at the annual meeting of the AAR
American Academy of Religion
The American Academy of Religion is the world's largest association of scholars in the field of religious studies and related topics. It is a nonprofit member association,...
and published in journal Evam.
Other scholars such as Lola Williamson from University of Wisconsin, Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, expressed the view that Swami Tyagananda’s criticisms in Kali's Child Revisited "indeed go to the heart of things".
In 2010, Tyagananda co-authored the book Interpreting Ramakrishna: Kali's Child Revisited with Pravrajika Vrajaprana
Pravrajika Vrajaprana
Pravrajika Vrajaprana is a writer on Vedanta, the history and growth of the Vedanta Societies and a nun at Vedanta Society of Sarada Convent.Her works on Vedanta include, Vedanta: A Simple Introduction , editor of Living Wisdom...
which further discusses these issues.
In a departure from Hindu traditions, Swami Tyagananda conducts a special service during Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
. The event begins with the garlanding an image of Madonna and Child. The Nativity story from the King James Bible is then read out loud, followed by the Sermon on the Mount
Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount is a collection of sayings and teachings of Jesus, which emphasizes his moral teaching found in the Gospel of Matthew...
and a homily on Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
' life. The 139th MIT Commencement ceremony in 2005 began with Swami Tyagananda's invocation in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and English.