Friday, January 16, 2009

Jnana Yoga or The Psychology of Eating and Drinking

Jnana-Yoga

Author: Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda, India's first spiritual and cultural ambassador to the West, came to represent the religions of India at the World Parliament of Religions, held at Chicago in connection with the World's Fair (Columbian Exposition) of 1893. His message of the unity of humankind and harmony of religions was embraced by the public and press of the time as representing the essence of the Parliament. The Swami wished to create a bridge between the East and the West by bringing to America the gift of India's ancient spirituality, in exchange for the scientific and industrial outlook of the West. After four years of traveling and teaching in America and Europe, the Swami returned to India, where he is revered as a "Patriot Saint." The government of India has declared his birthday a national holiday. In 1976 on the occasion of the American Bicentennial, Swami Vivekananda was honored by the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery as one who came to America from abroad during the past 200 years and made a significant impact on its spiritual development.

Upon his return to India, Swami Vivekananda founded The Ramakrishna Order of India in the name of his teacher, Sri Ramakrishna, who is regarded as the Prophet of Harmony of Religions. The Order is the pre-eminent religious organization of modern India. More than 1000 monks of the Order serve throughout the world. While in the West the work is mainly in the form of conducting worship, teaching, writing and lecturing, in India the Order is widely known for its vast charitable activities -- running hospitals and schools, rural uplift, and extensive relief work in times of emergency. The Swamis of the Order work tirelessly in the spirit of "Service of God in Man," regarding the service of all people as a veritable form of worship.

The Centers of the Order in America, often referred to by such names as Ramakrishna or Vivekananda Centers, or Vedanta Societies, were first organized by Swami Vivekananda for the propagation of the Swami's teachings. Today there are Centers in many of America's major cities, including New York, Boston, Providence, Chicago, St. Louis, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Berkeley, Sacramento, and Hollywood. Because of their belief in the underlying truth of all religions, the Centers of the Ramakrishna Order are at the forefront of the Interfaith Movement. (Publisher's comments written by Swami Adiswarananda, Spiritual Leader, Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center of New York).

What People Are Saying

William James
The man [Vivekananda] is simply a wonder for oratorical power....the Swami is an honor to humanity.


Jawaharlal Nehru
His whole life and teaching inspired my generation......he brought his great spirituality to bear upon his patriotism and thus his message was not confined to India only, but was for the whole world. I pay my homage to his memory.


Mahatma Gandhi
My homage and respect to the very revered memory of Swami Vivekananda..after having gone through [his works], the love that I had for my country became a thousandfold.


S Radhakrishnan
This book brings together the main teachings of Swami Vivekananda in an easily accessible and readable form. I hope that in these days of uncertainty and confusion of mind Vivekananda's teachings may prove an enlightenment to many troubled souls.
— (S. Radhakrishnan, author, philosopher, and former Vice-president of the Indian Republic)


Chistopher Isherwood
[Vivekananda is] one of the very greatest historical figures that India has ever produced. When one sees the full range of his mind, one is astounded.


F. S.C. Northrop
To convey Hindu meanings in English words is exceedingly difficult. The difficulty arises from the fact that the reader inevitably reads modern western, rather than ancient Hindu, meanings into the English words. The problem of any expositor or translator, therefore, is that of so wording the English translation of the Hindu doctrines that the Western philosophical or psychological meanings of the English words will not be introduced to the reader. Especially in his exposition of Jnana-Yoga, Vivekananda showed himself to be the expert in this.


William James
William James

The man [Vivekananda] is simply a wonder for oratorical power . . . the Swami is an honor to humanity.


Romain Rolland
Romain Rolland on Swami Vivekananda (from the back cover).

His words are great music, phrases in the style of Beethoven, stirring rhythms like the march of Handel choruses. I cannot touch these sayings of his, scattered as they are through the pages of books at thirty years' distance, without receiving a thrill through my body, like an electric shock. And what shocks, what transports, must have been produced when in burning words they issued from the lips of the hero!


S. Radhakrishnan
S. Radhakrishnan, author, philosopher, and former Vice-president of the Indian Republic

This book brings together the main teachings of Swami Vivekananda in an easily accessible and readable form. I hope that in these days of uncertainty and confusion of mind Vivekananda's teachings may prove an enlightenment to many troubled souls.


Christopher Isherwood
Christopher Isherwood, author

[Vivekananda is] one of the very greatest historical figures that India has ever produced. When one sees the full range of his mind, one is astounded.


Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru

His whole life and teaching inspired my generation . . . . he brought his great spirituality to bear upon his patriotism and thus his message was not confined to India only, but was for the whole world. I pay my homage to his memory.


Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi

My homage and respect to the very revered memory of Swami Vivekananda . . . after having gone through [his works], the love that I had for my country became a thousandfold.


F.S.C. S. C. Northrop
F.S.C. Northrop, Yale University

To convey Hindu meanings in English words is exceedingly difficult. The difficulty arises from the fact that the reader inevitably reads modern western, rather than ancient Hindu, meanings into the English words. The problem of any expositor or translator, therefore, is that of so wording the English translation of the Hindu doctrines that the Western philosophical or psychological meanings of the English words will not be introduced to the reader. Especially in his exposition of Jnana-Yoga, Vivekananda showed himself to be the expert in this.




Table of Contents:

    Look this: The Knee SourceBook or Healthy Eating for Life to Prevent and Treat Diabetes

    The Psychology of Eating and Drinking

    Author: Alexandra Logu

    Our fascination with eating and drinking behaviors and their causes has resulted in a huge industry of food-related pop science. Every bookstore, every magazine stand, every grocery store checkout counter is filled with publications about how to get your child to eat vegetables, how to tell if someone has an eating disorder or, most commonly, how to lose weight. But the degree to which any of these is based on scientific research is very limited. In contrast to the literature for the general reader, the scientific research on eating and drinking behaviors is usually too technical for the general reader.The Psychology of Eating and Drinking is a unique volume; a textbook that can be comprehended by the general educated reader. Just as in her past editions of this book, Alexandra Logue grounds her investigation into the complex interactions between our physiology, our surroundings, and our eating and drinking habits in laboratory research and up-to-date scientific information. The chapters move from the general---hunger and thirst, taste and smell, and eating behaviors---to the more specialized---overeating and overdrinking, anorexia and bulimia, and alcohol use. In each case, Logue provides a brief synopsis of the most historically influential scientific research and then relates this history to the most up to date advances. This method provides the reader with a general introduction to the physiology of sensations related to eating and drinking and how these sensations are influenced by the individual's social surroundings. The Psychology of Eating and Drinking provides the general reader and student with a biological and psychological framework to understand hisor her eating behaviors.



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