Swami Ashokananda a leading luminary of Vedanta in the West

Swami Ashokananda - many people have not heard the name. Who is he, they may be asking. He incidentally was named as one of the best intellects of India by an Indian PM to the president of America in the 1950s. Swami Ashokananda was daring enough to attack Gandhiji and his ideals in 1930 in his editorials in Prabuddha Bharat when Gandhiji's popularity was in the zenith and his weird socialist ideals were lapped up by almost every leader true to his salt. Ashokananda ventured into a debate with Gandhiji on his assertions and emerged triumphant. But even his brother monks did not like it, so was the power of Gandhiji at that time. However how prophetic he was. Gandhian ideals were incompatible for India, he wanted the message of strength for India, not weakness of Ahimsa. Years later, he told ruefully to his disciple, "Gandhi was a holy man, but a stupid man. He had his pert hobby, Ahimsa and he put his hobby above his country's interest." He claimed himself to be a disciple of Swamiji and this claim was endorsed by Mahapurush maharaj himself, the then president of Belur math. Swamiji gave him initiation in a dream. Thereafter he took no further initiation from any other guru. He was sent to the Americas in 1930 to assist in the work of Vedanta Society of San Francisco, the second society established by Swami Vivekananda in America and later nourished and nurtured by his brother disciple, the great Swami Trigunatita, who, to the chagrin of the vested interests, had a iron will. Swami Trigunatita established the first Hindu temple in the West which survived the ravages of the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco. He established convent, published a magazine and initiated retreats and many other major work. Like Dadhichi of the puranas, Trigunatita gave his very bones and blood for the Vendata movement in the West. He was killed by the bomb thrown by a lunatic and left his devoted disciples and the work that he had established. Swami Ashokananda took charge much later, but he too had his detractors and he too had an iron will. God tests His men thoroughly before giving them responsibilities for His work and Swami Ashokananda's iron will was tested at every stage. We won over his detractors through his holiness and spiritual power. He established a convent going against the dictum of the headquarters and the board of trustees of Belur Math for giving his American woman disciples a chance to lead a spiritual life, set up a magazine, established a new temple, expanded his work to adjoining areas like Oakland and Berkeley, established a huge and sprawling retreat in Olema and developed a band of devoted spiritual seekers. His great discovery was Marie Louise Burke or Sister Gargi, who became immortal through her 6 volume work on Swami Vivekananda - New Discoveries - a detailed account of Swami Vivekananda's life and activities in America through her meticulous work of finding newspaper reports and other materials to construct Swami Vivekananda's life in America in greater details during the three year period from 1893 to 1896. The first two volumes were edited and guided by Ashokananda who did not live to see all the six volumes. But the fire that he had ignited in his disciple had by them become a conflagration and she could finish her work which had earned her immortality. 

Nobody will know, unless they read the disciple's accounts in A Heart Poured Out, the struggles of Ashokananda, how he had to confront opportunistic devotees, sincere spiritual seekers and men of the world. The struggles that he had to undergo financial or otherwise while expanding the work of the Vendanta society in new areas were enormous. There were Christian fundamentalists who would make his life miserable by opposing vehemently his right to purchase property for a Hindu temple in their town, by taking advantage of the Hinduphobia and general ignorance of the ordinary Americans,. The difficulties and troubles posed by the authorities and their bureaucratic processes, the subversive activities of the madcaps who had opposed him and complained to Belur Math against his ideas, the strange misunderstanding exhibited by the Belur Math trustees about his work, the extreme hard work to set up centres after buying properties, working day and night with a band of devoted disciples to build the temples, build the retreats and the centres, without rest, without any consideration for the physical ailments and pains, defies imagination. Besides he had many mental sufferings, betrayals from the trusted devotees who would leave suddenly, stress of tireless work day and night in lecturing, writing, editing, mentoring, tutoring, teaching, lecture tours, platform work, temple work, rituals - all these were overwhelmingly for one person. However God provides for His devotees. He had assistants, devoted, loyal soldiers who would work tirelessly for him. He also had support from unexpected quarters when he most needed them. When God tests He also sends help and Ashokananda was no exception. He was aided in his work most miraculously. He knew that the divine mother was working out her plan and he was a mere instrument in her hand. He, like a child completely surrendered himself to her feet and worked out her plan, in the process sacrificing his body mind and ego at her altar. Many and varied were his spiritual experiences, they were mind boggling, but outward he had no display of his spiritual greatness. Only those who came in contact with him knew his holiness and purity. He had a gigantic intellect, sans any associated ego. To teach his American students he became an American in every way. Such was his dedication. The last he saw his mother land was in 1934, after that he never left America. His pioneering work is thriving today, like a guiding light he is always shining there.