Here is a newly digitized, high quality copy of rare recording of a lecture by Swami Ritajananda, who at the time of this lecture, was an assistant minister under Swami Prabhavananda in the Hollywood Vedanta Center. The lecture was given on 7/16/1961. The Swami later went on to become the head of the Vedanta Center outside Paris, France.

In 1931 at the age of twenty-five, on the birthday of Sri Rama, the future Swami Ritajananda arrived at Belur Math to join the Order of Sri Ramakrishna. His father opposed this move and appealed to the authorities of Belur Math for the return of his son; but the postulant vigorously rejected all such appeals, even warning his father than he would take up the life of an anonymous, itinerant sadhu if the authorities at Belur Math rejected him because of the disapproval of his family. He obtained his diksha initiation from the then President, Swami Shivananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. He took brahmacharya in 1936 from Swami Akhandananda, another direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, and sannyas in 1940 from Swami Virajananda, a disciple of Swami Vivekananda.

His first post in America was in New York under Swami Nikhilananda, then Hollywood, then to France. He was head of the head of Centre Vedantique Ramakrichna at Gretz, France until his death in 1994.

For more videos of Senior Swamis of the Ramakrishna Order, visit www.VedantaVideo.com