the master as i saw him: pages from the life of swami vivekananda

Sister Nivedita born as Margaret Noble, grew up in Ireland. At the young age of 28 years, while working as the principal of a London school, she first heard Swami Vivekananda speak. He by then was a world-famous monk and preacher of Vedanta Philosophy.

The year was 1895 (19 years preceding World War I), a time of growing misery and rising disparity between rich and poor in Europe. Sister Nivedita greatly disillusioned by the ＂vulgarity of privilege, and the growing sadness and pain of the dispossessed＂, heard in the Swami ＂a call which would change her life＂.

By age 30 this courageous daughter of the West, had taken to monasticism and sailed thousands of miles across to India, to assist Swami Vivekananda in his work of setting up an educational institution for women in India.

For nearly a year and a half, Sister Nivedita studied Vedanta philosophy, India, her history and customs, under the close discipleship of Swami Vivekananda. It was during these years that she dutifully noted down her interactions with the Swami, and left them as a priceless gift for millions to come later, who would not have this privilege.

She later returned to London for a brief period to gather funds and other assistance for her work in India. When she returned, in 1902, it was time to bid farewell to her guru, Swami Vivekananda, who gave up his body shortly thereafter.

Sister Nivedita was a remarkable lady, whose tremendous love for India shines forth in her numerous books. It was as acknowledgement to her steadfast dedication to India’s upliftment, as well as to her monastic vow of realizing God, that Swami Vivekananda beautifully named her ＂Nivedita - The Dedicated One.＂