Sister Gargi

Sister Gargi (; June 23, 1912 – January 20, 2004), born Marie Louise Burke, Her New Discoveries are considered as indispensable for Swami Vivekananda research.

Biography Marie Louise Burke was born in 1912 in the United States.

Religious life In 1948, she was introduced to the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda movement by Swami Ashokananda. She also wrote articles in Vedanta journals.

In 1974 in India, Burke became a nun when she took her vows of Brahmacharya from the Ramakrishna Order. 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 Order for her research works on Swami Vivekananda.

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.

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."

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. 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.

In the 2004 book Shafts of Light: Selected Teachings of Swami Ashokananda for Spiritual Practice, Gargi presented Swami Ashokananda ideals and selected teachings. The 2003 book A Disciple's Journal: In the Company of Swami Ashokananda had autobiographical components.

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.

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