Book of Daily Thoughts and Prayers [Hardcover]

Swami Paramananda (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 405 pages
• Publisher: Vedanta Center (November 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0911564322
• ISBN-13: 978-0911564327
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 3.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,393,525 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars my favourite daily prayer book EVER, August 13, 2008

By 

T. Tree Walker "startree" (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Book of Daily Thoughts and Prayers (Hardcover)

I first found this book in an antique shop, and fell in love with it - someone had clearly read it daily with incense burning and as i opened the pages the sweet fresh fragrance took me right into the meditative state. And Swami P. has such a way of expressing the thoughts and prayers and inspirations, well, it speaks directly to me. There are ideas that are familiar to 12 step principles, which makes sense as the book was first published in 1927, and the Swami was in part of the zeitgeist out of which came the first 12 step program. There's a strong element of the prayers and daily thoughts about connecting to the source (of the spirit) and being a clear channel, which takes me back to my favourite prayer, the prayer of St Francis. I've found this a fantastic book for starting my day and opening up my spirit and heart, as best i can under the conditions of the day.

Although I am not a hindu (or christian), this text is perfect; and it doesnt insist (to me at least) on a dogma, and i seem to be able to take in what i need and leave the rest without feeling i'll be 'damned'! :)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ecumenical Prayers, October 23, 2011

By 

meow tomcat (British Columbia, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Book of Daily Thoughts and Prayers (Hardcover)

This book is literally thoughts and prayers for every calendar day of the year. Sister Devamata (aka Laura Glen) put together this book patterned after the religious tradition of medieval breviaries and manuals of devotion. She was a disciple of Swami Paramananda, who in turn was a disciple of Swami Vivekananda. She gathered unpublished material of her teacher and expertly arranged them to form a daily spiritual exercise with the sequence: (1) Salient Thought for the Day, (2) Lines to memorize, (3) Lesson, and (4) Prayer.

The prayers have a Christian ring in that words frequently used are, "wilt thou", "thy", "thou art", "thee", "hath" and "O Lord". Each month, however, begins with a quote from the Bhagavad Gita, or Upanishads. Generally speaking the prayers are devotional, with simple, sincere, and direct language in supplication to God who is addressed as Holy Spirit, Infinite Being, All-Pervading One, All-wise One, All-effulgent Spirit, Compassionate One, and so on. Sanskrit words such as Brahman, Atman and Om do not appear. Here is a typical prayer for May 1st:

May the All-compassionate One purify my

mind and cleanse my thought;

May He fill my whole being with His

Divine love and strength.

May He fulfill my one desire and prayer

And make me a worthy dwelling-place for

His holy Spirit.

Sister Devamata (1867-1942)actually met Swami Vivekananda and was a talented writer. Swami Paramananda (1884-1940) came to America in 1906, established a Vedanta Centre in Boston, and stayed on until his passing. The book's printing history from 1926 to the present indicates its enduring attraction. This book is still available from Vedanta Press.