Roar of the Ganges cover
Spirituality & Religion

Roar of the Ganges

bySwami Tadatmananda Saraswati

A Silicon Valley engineer's transformation into a Vedanta teacher in the Himalayas — memoir and accessible philosophical introduction in one.

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Language
English
Binding / Format
Paperback
ISBN
9789347691478
Pages
—
Published
—
Category
Spirituality & Religion

Overview

In the late twentieth century, a successful American computer engineer arrived in Rishikesh and did not leave. Roar of the Ganges is the account of how that crossing happened — how a person formed by Silicon Valley's logic and certainty encountered Vedanta and found it could hold more than he expected.

Swami Tadatmananda Saraswati writes from inside that transformation, describing ashram life in the Himalayas with specificity: the daily routines, the other seekers who passed through, the sadhus whose company shaped his understanding, and his extended engagement with Swami Dayananda. Woven through the memoir are core Vedantic teachings — on the nature of the self, on the relationship between the individual and the absolute — rendered in language that is clear without being reductive. Sanskrit concepts are explained rather than assumed.

The Hindu called his treatment of scriptural teaching 'clear'; the Indian Review of Books found the Vedantic doctrines 'expressed in simple language which appeals to our reason.' The book works both as memoir and as introduction — an entry point to Vedanta for readers who come from outside its tradition, written by someone who made that crossing himself.

-:ABOUT THE BOOK:- A fascinating story of the transformation of a young, successful American computer engineer into a Hindu sannyasi and teacher of Vedanta. This book gives a real flavor of ashram life in the Himalayas along with interesting character sketches of seekers and sadhus. Skillfully woven into this tale are some of the most important teachings of Vedanta. The clarity of the author's vision and his personal writing style easily lead to penetrating insights into a subject usually considered mysterious and inaccessible. This book is a valuable introduction to Vedanta in a contemporary manner, without compromising on its traditional contents. "He talks about the lifestyle in the ashrams in Rishikesh, his interaction with Swami Dayananda, his discussions with the inmates of ashrams... His expression on the teachings of our scriptures are clear. It is really an interesting experience to learn the experiences of the author." -The Hindu "It is fascinating to read about his intense spiritual life and to see complex Vedantic doctrines being expressed in simple language which appeals to our reason." Indian Review of Books

Author

Swami Tadatmananda Saraswati

Swami Tadatmananda was born in 1953 to Christian parents in the suburbs of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He grew up during the tumultuous 1960's, a time of antiwar protests, experimentation with drugs, and spiritual exploration. After getting married and receiving a degree in electrical engineering, he moved to California and worked in the computer field. There, his marriage soon ended but he found the opportunity to practice meditation and yoga under the guidance of several teachers from India. In 1981, he met Swami Dayananda, a traditional teacher of Vedanta. He studied Vedanta and Sanskrit under Swami Dayananda's tutelage and went to India for further studies in 1986. He then left his home and successful career to move to Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, an ashram in Pennsylvania's Pocono mountains, to undertake a three-year residential course in Vedanta, meditation, and Sanskrit taught by Swami Dayananda. Soon after the course, he assumed the responsibility for managing Arsha Vidya Gurukulam. In 1993, he was initiated as a sannyasi, a Hindu monk, by Swami Dayananda on the banks of the Ganges River in Rishikesh. He then began to teach at Arsha Vidya Gurukulam and throughout the United States, giving lectures, seminars and meditation workshops for various organizations, temples, universities and industries. In 2000, with the blessings of his guru, Swami Dayananda, he established his own ashram, Arsha Bodha Center in Somerset, NJ, where he continues to teach.

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