1984-85 Christianity with Swami Ambikananda

During this time Swamiji increased the worship of Jesus and the Virgin Mary into kirtans and following the urgent prompting of Ambikananda, a number of devotees began to take formal instruction to enter the Catholic church. Some devotees were ‘exempted’ from this path by Swamiji. Others felt unable to do so. But a considerable number did their best to follow the new way.

Kirtan at Kings Cross, December 1984

the Virgin and Sarasvati are affiliated

Swamiji, Dec 1984

The kirtan began with a reading by Ambikananda from a new source, the Catholic stigmatist, visionary and mystic Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824)

Read the discourse from kirtan at Kings Cross

The ‘Grotto Kirtan’ Wales, 17/18 November 1984

Discourse from this kirtan in Wales on 17/18 November

This kirtan took place just after Ambikananda’s fiftieth birthday. Swamiji had asked the hosts to make a reconstruction of St Bernardette’s grotto at Lourdes. He had asked for a play to be performed at the kirtan featuring the apparition of the Virgin Mary to Bernardette Soubirous in 1858.

Truth is the austerity of this age

Kirtan at Kings Cross 16 Feb 1985

The Universal Independent Ashram always celebrated the birthday of their Guru Dev, Sri Ramakrishna, on this day.

At this kirtan Ambikananda read from GSR [ pp. 922-3] about a visit to Sri Ramakrishna at Dakshineswar by Misra, a Christian devotee. Read the disourse

Notes from a visit to Ramakrishna Loka April 4 1985

Kirtan at Exeter Rd, April 6, 1985

This Easter week kirtan held in London became known as the ‘Bliss or Cross’ kirtan because that was the choice Swami Ambikananda offered to devotees at a certain key moment of his discourse. Read the full account.

God is invisible in your heart. You must have faith

Kirtan at Exeter Rd, June 8, 1985,

“You have been tested once, twice, a few times in Hinduism; now we have to touch the coin in Christianity…”. Father Macnamee, the priest who had converted many devotees to Catholicism earlier that year was also at this kirtan where Swamiji spoke of the blessedness of the Virgin Mary. Read the full discourse.