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Here’s an SBQ summary for “The Making of a Devotee” by Swami Vidyatmananda (John Yale):
Short Summary
Swami Vidyatmananda, a third-generation disciple in the Ramakrishna–Vivekananda lineage, shares his transformation from a busy Westerner to a devoted Vedanta monk. Through personal memoir—diary reflections, spiritual encounters, inner struggles, and role-modeling—he reveals how daily disciplines and heartfelt inquiry shaped his evolution into a true devotee. (ramakrishna.de)
Bullets
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📝 Diary as inner guru: Journaling proved vital, offering self-therapy, clarity, and insights into his shadow self—answers emerging from within.
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👣 Guided lineage: As a spiritual “great-grandson” of Sri Ramakrishna through Vivekananda and Prabhavananda, Vidyatmananda bridges Eastern wisdom and Western heart. (ramakrishna.de)
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📚 Influence of Vivekananda: He admires Vivekananda's call to self-reliance, courage, and spiritual heroism—taking those ideals from study into real-life service. (ramakrishna.de)
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📖 Indirect depiction of sainthood: He portrays the quality of a holy man via the uplifting impact on others—“good vibrations” transmitted, rather than superficial traits. (ramakrishna.de)
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⚖️ Warning against personality cults: Cautioning how discipleship can devolve into control or idol-worship, he highlights his guru’s efforts to prevent this in Western centers.
Quotes
🌀 “Diary‑keeping is a means of extorting the inner answer, of talking with the hidden God.” (ramakrishna.de)
🌀 “Vivekananda is pre‑eminently the prophet of self‑reliance, of courage, of individual enquiry and effort.” (ramakrishna.de)
🌀 “If you throw a stone in a pond the universe isn’t quite the same as it was before… they who seek truth are naturally drawn to him.” (ramakrishna.de)
Would you like to go deeper into how he uses diary practice as spiritual tool, explore his story of resisting personality cults, or compare his journey to that of Christopher Isherwood and Swami Prabhavananda?
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