imported>Riquix: /* Biography */

2021-07-08T05:42:40Z

Biography

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{{About|the writer Marie Louise Burke|the actress Marylouise Burke|Marylouise Burke}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Sister Gargi
|image = Marie Louise Burke.gif
|image_size = 150px
|caption = Sister Gargi
|birth_name = Marie Louise Burke
|birth_date = June 23, 1912
|birth_place = United States
|death_date = {{death date and age|2004|1|20|1912|6|23}}
|death_place = [[San Francisco]], United States
|other_names = Pravrajika Prajnaprana
|known_for = Research on [[Swami Vivekananda]]
|occupation = {{flatlist|
* Nun
* writer
* researcher
}}
|nationality = American
}}
'''Sister Gargi''' ({{IPA-bn|sister ɡaːrɡiː|lang|gargi.ogg}}; June 23, 1912<ref name=LOCAuthorityRecord>{{cite web|title=Library of Congress Authority Record : Burke, Marie Louise, 1912-2004|url=http://lccn.loc.gov/n85137993|publisher=Library of Congress|access-date=29 June 2013}}</ref> – January 20, 2004), born '''Marie Louise Burke''',<ref name="Vrajaprana1994"/> was a writer and an eminent researcher on [[Swami Vivekananda]],<ref name="hindu"/> and a leading literary figure of the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda movement.<ref name=pb05/> Gargi was introduced to the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda movement in 1948 by Swami Ashokananda. She is known for her six-volume work, ''[[Swami Vivekananda in the West: New Discoveries]]''.<ref name="kalpa">{{cite web|url=http://www.kalpatree.com/mlb.html|title=About the Author|publisher=Kalpa Tree Press|access-date=2008-12-15}}</ref> Her ''New Discoveries'' are considered as indispensable for Swami Vivekananda research.<ref name="Badrinath2006">{{cite book|author=Chaturvedi Badrinath|title=Swami Vivekananda: The Living Vedanta|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qo1X96E0JPAC&pg=PA417|access-date=9 June 2013|date=1 January 2006|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=978-0-14-306209-7|pages=417–}}</ref><ref name="ND Vn">{{cite web|title=New Discoveries|url=http://www.vivekananda.net/NewDiscoverieshtml|publisher=vivekananda.net|access-date=9 June 2013}}</ref>

==Biography==
Marie Louise Burke was born in 1912 in the United States.<ref name="Vrajaprana1994"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Article on Sister Gargi|url=http://www.gurusfeet.com/guru/sister-gargi}}</ref>

===Religious life===
In 1948, she was introduced to the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda movement by [[Swami Ashokananda]].<ref name="kalpa"/> In 1957, [[Advaita Ashrama]] published her biography of [[Swami Vivekananda]], ''[[Swami Vivekananda in the West: New Discoveries]]'' in two volumes, well known in the [[Vedanta]] circles,<ref name="hindu"/> and the book was later published in six volumes in 1983—87.<ref name="Swami Vivekananda in India : a corrective biography">{{cite book|last=Chattopadhyaya|first=Rajagopal|title=Swami Vivekananda in India : a corrective biography|year=1999|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishers|location=Delhi|isbn=8120815866|pages=326|edition=1st}}</ref> She also wrote articles in Vedanta journals.<ref name="Vrajaprana1994">{{cite book|author=Pravrajika Vrajaprana|title=Living Wisdom: Vedanta in the West|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aWDuPEVKdCcC&pg=PA285|access-date=21 June 2012|date=1 May 1994|publisher=Vedanta Press|isbn=978-0-87481-055-4|pages=285}}</ref>

In 1974 in India, Burke took her vows of ''Brahmacharya'' from the Ramakrishna Mission. At that time, she was given the monastic name "Gargi" (this name was inspired by [[Vedic scholar]] [[Gargi]]). In 1983, Burke was awarded the first Vivekananda Award by the [[Ramakrishna Mission]] for her research works on Swami Vivekananda.<ref name="kalpa"/> Later she took her final vows of ''[[Sannyasa]]'', and was given the name Pravrajika Prajnaprana.<ref name="hindu"/>

Burke continued writing even in her 90s and continued staying at Vedanta Society of Northern California in San Francisco.<ref name="kalpa"/> She died on January 20, 2004 after suffering from cancer, at the convent of the Vendanta Society in San Francisco.<ref name="hindu">{{cite news|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/2004/01/22/stories/2004012211301200.htm|title=Sister Gargi dead |date=2004-01-22|work=The Hindu|access-date=2013-06-05}}</ref><ref name=pb05>{{cite journal |title=Sister Gargi passes away |journal=[[Prabuddha Bharata]] |date= March 2004 |issue=109|page= 56|publisher=[[Advaita Ashrama]]|url=http://www.advaitaashrama.org/Content/pb/2004/032004.pdf |access-date=June 5, 2013 }}</ref>

=== Author ===
Gargi was encouraged to write by her teacher, Swami Ashokananda. He asked her to write about Swami Vivekananda, but told her she could write about himself when she was finished with her work on Vivekananda.<ref name="kalpa"/>

==== ''Swami Vivekananda in the West: New Discoveries'' ====
{{Main|Swami Vivekananda in the West: New Discoveries}}
''Swami Vivekananda in the West: New Discoveries'', a series of biographical books, were Gargi's most prominent work. This series of book were first published in two volumes in 1957. In 1983-87, these series was republished in six volumes.<ref name="Swami Vivekananda in India : a corrective biography"/> Swami Vivekananda spent a number of years teaching and lecturing in the West (specially in America and England). Gargi researched for many years and then published her findings in these works.<ref name="Books on Vivekananda VO">{{cite web|title=Books on Vivekananda|url=http://www.vivekananda.org/books.asp|publisher=Vivekananda Foundation|access-date=5 June 2013}}</ref>

She wrote about Vivekananda's spiritual quest— "Quite literally, he planted the seeds of spirituality deep in the hearts of innumerable human beings, changing the course of their lives forever... He was a prophet who prepared us to meet the modern age, which not only needs philosophy or Vedanta to solve its many and complex problems but requires thousands of spiritually awakened people to put that philosophy into practice and make it a living force in the future history of the world."<ref name="Lohani">{{cite book|author=Dr. Shivendra Kashyap and Er. Richa Lohani|title=Motivational Leadership|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hCtP4dJC7RsC&pg=PA29|access-date=9 June 2013|publisher=Vivekanand Swadhyay Mandal|isbn=978-81-923019-1-4|pages=29–}}</ref>

==== Books on Swami Ashokananda ====
Gargi wrote multiple books on the life of Swami Ashokananda (1893—1969), a monk of the Ramakrishna Order who spent his life expanding the Ramakrishna—Vivekananda movement in northern California. Ashokananda was Gargi's teacher, who initiated her into the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda movement in 1948.<ref name="kalpa"/>

In 2003 her book ''A Heart Poured Out: A Story of Swami Ashokananda'' was published. In this book, she discussed the life of Swami Ashokananda. She explained the reason of writing a book on Ashokananda in this book's preface—<ref>{{cite book|author=Marie Louise Burke|title=A Heart Poured Out: A Story of Swami Ashokananda|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nqx5AAAAMAAJ|access-date=5 June 2013|year=2003|publisher=Kalpa Tree Press|isbn=978-0-9706368-1-2|page=Preface}}</ref>
<blockquote>Why, then, have I tried to write about Swami Ashokananda, who habitually dwelt in high altitudes of the Spirit where we cannot or think we cannot, follow? I write about him because in whatever height he had has moorings, his heart beat in tune with that of every human being who aspires upward, and he led us with a firm and unerring hand into his own realm, where, he was convinced, we all belong. In short, I have written about him because he was an authentic spiritual teacher whom each of us can benefit by knowing.</blockquote>

In the 2004 book ''Shafts of Light: Selected Teachings of Swami Ashokananda for Spiritual Practice'', Gargi presented Swami Ashokananda ideals and selected teachings.<ref name="Shafts of Light">{{cite web|title=Shafts of Light|url=http://www.kalpatree.com/sol_excerpts.html|publisher=KalpaTree|access-date=10 June 2013}}</ref> The 2003 book ''A Disciple's Journal: In the Company of Swami Ashokananda'' had autobiographical components.<ref>{{cite book|author=Marie Louise Burke|title=A Disciple's Journal: In the Company of Swami Ashokananda|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hvmgPAAACAAJ|access-date=10 June 2013|year=2003|publisher=Kalpa Tree Press|isbn=978-0-9706368-2-9|page=preface}}</ref>

==== Other books ====
''Swami Trigunatita: His Life and Work'' was published from Vedanta Society of Northern California in 1997. In this book, she discussed the life and works of Ramakrishna Order monk [[Swami Trigunatitananda]]. In the book ''Vedantic Tales'', published from Advaita Ashram in 2000 she narrated tales of [[Vedanta]] and ancient India.<ref name=kalpa /> Gargi's 2003 book ''A Disciple's Journal: In the Company of Swami Ashokananda'' tells of her personal experiences during her spiritual instruction from Swami Ashokananda, from 1950 until his death in 1969.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vedanta.com/store/product148.html |title=Disciple's Journal In the Company of Swami Ashokananda |work=Vedanta Press and Catalog |access-date=29 June 2013}}</ref>

==Awards and honours==
* 1983, Vivekananda Award

== Selected works ==
* [[Swami Vivekananda in the West: New Discoveries]] 6 volumes, translated into Bengali as ''Paschatye Vivekananda'' (6 volumes), [[Advaita Ashrama]], Kolkata.
* ''Swami Vivekananda: Prophet of the Modern Age'' {{ISBN|81-87332-04-2}}
* {{cite book | title=A Heart Poured Out: A Story of Swami Ashokananda | publisher=Kalpa Tree Press | year=2003 | isbn=978-0-9706368-1-2}}
* {{cite book | title=Shafts of Light: Selected Teachings of Swami Ashokananda for Spiritual Practice | publisher=Kalpa Tree Press | year=2004 | isbn=978-0-9706368-3-6}}
* {{cite book | title=Swami Trigunatita: His Life and Work | publisher=Vedanta Society of Northern California | year=1997 | isbn=978-0-9612388-3-4}}
* {{cite book | title=Vedantic Tales | publisher=Advaita Ashram | year=2000 | isbn=978-81-7505-136-2}}
* {{cite book | title=A Disciple's Journal: In the Company of Swami Ashokananda | publisher=Kalpa Tree Press | year=2003 | isbn=978-0-9706368-2-9}}

== See also ==
* [[Eugene Chelyshev]]
* [[Sister Nivedita]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{Swami Vivekananda}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gargi, Sister}}
[[Category:1912 births]]
[[Category:2004 deaths]]
[[Category:Ramakrishna Mission]]
[[Category:American religious writers]]
[[Category:Women religious writers]]
[[Category:Vedanta]]
[[Category:Hindu nuns]]
[[Category:20th-century American biographers]]
[[Category:American women biographers]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in California]]
[[Category:American Hindus]]

Sister Gargi - Revision history

imported>Riquix: /* Biography */