Pravrajika Vrajaprana
Encyclopedia
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 (1999), editor of Living Wisdom (1994). She is the co-author, with Swami Tyagananda
, of Interpreting Ramakrishna: Kali's Child Revisited (2010).
Pravrajika Vrajaprana was born in California in 1952. Vrajaprana graduated from the University of California
, where she also worked briefly as Associate Professor of Literature. She came in contact with Swami Prabhavananda
Vedanta Society of Santa Barbara in 1967, while involved with anti-Vietnam war
activism. In 1977 she joined the Sarada Convent of the Vedanta Society
at Santa Barbara
. She took the first vows of brahmacharya
in 1983 and had final vows of sannyasa
in 1988.
Vrajaprana was a co-speaker with the 14th Dalai Lama
at the Interfaith Conference in San Francisco (2006). She was a panelist in the discussion on Interpreting Ramakrishna at DANAM, held at the annual AAR
meeting 2010.
Vedanta
Vedānta was originally a word used in Hindu philosophy as a synonym for that part of the Veda texts known also as the Upanishads. The name is a morphophonological form of Veda-anta = "Veda-end" = "the appendix to the Vedic hymns." It is also speculated that "Vedānta" means "the purpose or goal...
, the history and growth of the Vedanta Societies
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...
and a nun at Vedanta Society of Sarada Convent.
Her works on Vedanta include, Vedanta: A Simple Introduction (1999), editor of Living Wisdom (1994). She is the co-author, with Swami Tyagananda
Swami Tyagananda
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...
, of Interpreting Ramakrishna: Kali's Child Revisited (2010).
Pravrajika Vrajaprana was born in California in 1952. Vrajaprana graduated from the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
, where she also worked briefly as Associate Professor of Literature. She came in contact with Swami Prabhavananda
Swami Prabhavananda
Swami Prabhavananda was an Indian philosopher, monk of the Ramakrishna Order, and religious teacher.-Biography:...
Vedanta Society of Santa Barbara in 1967, while involved with anti-Vietnam war
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
activism. In 1977 she joined the Sarada Convent of 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...
at Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
. She took the first vows of brahmacharya
Brahmacharya
Brahmacharya is one of the four stages of life in an age-based social system as laid out in the Manu Smrti and later Classical Sanskrit texts in Hinduism. It refers to an educational period of 14–20 years which starts before the age of puberty. During this time the traditional vedic sciences are...
in 1983 and had final vows of sannyasa
Sannyasa
Sannyasa is the order of life of the renouncer within the Hindu scheme of āśramas, or life stages. It is considered the topmost and final stage of the ashram systems and is traditionally taken by men or women at or beyond the age of fifty years old or by young monks who wish to renounce worldly...
in 1988.
Vrajaprana was a co-speaker with the 14th Dalai Lama
14th Dalai Lama
The 14th Dalai Lama is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. Dalai Lamas are the most influential figures in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, although the 14th has consolidated control over the other lineages in recent years...
at the Interfaith Conference in San Francisco (2006). She was a panelist in the discussion on Interpreting Ramakrishna at DANAM, held at the annual 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,...
meeting 2010.
Selected Works
- My Faithful Goodwin. Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1994. ISBN 81-85301-25-5. [Biography of J.J. Goodwin, disciple of Swami Vivekananda.]
- Seeing God Everywhere (editor). Hollywood: Vedanta PressVedanta PressVedanta Press is the publishing wing of the Vedanta Society of Southern California. It publishes a number of important books in Indian philosophy and the Vedanta tradition, both original works and translations of Sanskrit scriptures. Vedanta Press published the bimonthly Vedanta for the West from...
, 1996. - Living Wisdom: Vedanta in the West, (editor). Hollywood: Vedanta Press, 1994. “A Meaningful Life,” 58-62.
- A Portrait of Sister Christine. Calcutta: Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, 1996. ISBN 81-85843-80-5.
- Vedanta: A Simple Introduction. Hollywood: Vedanta PressVedanta PressVedanta Press is the publishing wing of the Vedanta Society of Southern California. It publishes a number of important books in Indian philosophy and the Vedanta tradition, both original works and translations of Sanskrit scriptures. Vedanta Press published the bimonthly Vedanta for the West from...
, 1999. - Review of Kali’s Child: The Mystical and the Erotic in the Life of Ramakrishna. In Hindu-Christian Studies Bulletin, 10, (1997).
- "Contemporary Spirituality and the Thinning of the Sacred: A Hindu Perspective." Cross Currents (Spring/Summer 2000) 248-256.
- "Regaining the Lost Kingdom: Purity and Meditation in the Hindu Spiritual Tradition." In Purity of Heart and Contemplation: A Monastic Dialogue Between Christian and Asian Traditions, ed. Bruno Barnhart and Joseph WongJoseph WongJoseph Wong Wing Ping GBS JP was the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology and the Secretary for the Civil Service in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China....
. New York: ContinuumContinuumContinuum may refer to:* Continuum , anything that goes through a gradual transition from one condition, to a different condition, without any abrupt changes-Linguistics:...
, December, 2001, pp. 23–38. - "The Convert—Stranger in Our Midst: Crossing Borders in Two Worlds." In The Stranger’s Religion: Fascination and Fear, ed. Anna Lännström. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame PressUniversity of Notre Dame PressThe University of Notre Dame Press is a university press that is part of the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States.-External links:*...
, 2004, 169-185. - "Looking In and Letting Go: Viveka and Vairâgya in the Vedanta Tradition." In Asceticism, Identity and Pedagogy in Dharma Traditions, ed. Graham M. Schweig, Jeffery D. LongJeffery D. LongJeffery D. Long is an Associate Professor and Department Chair of Religious Studies at Elizabethtown College, in Pennsylvania, USA. He is associated with the Vedanta Society, DĀNAM and the Hindu American Foundation...
, Ramdas Lamb, Adarsh Deepak. Hampton, VA: Deepak Heritage Books. 2006, 33-48. - "The Guru and His Queer Disciple: The Guru-Disciple Relationship as the Locus of Christopher Isherwood’s Advaita Vedanta." Postscripts: The Journal of Sacred Texts & Contemporary Worlds (November 2010) 243–258.
- Interpreting Ramakrishna: Kali's Child Revisited, co-authored with Swami TyaganandaSwami TyaganandaSwami 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...
. Delhi: Motilal BanarsidassMotilal BanarsidassMotilal Banarsidass is a leading Indian publishing house on Sanskrit and Indology since 1903, located in Delhi, India. It publishes and distributes serials, monographs, and scholarly publications on Asian religion, philosophy, history, culture, arts, architecture, archaeology, language,...
, 2010.