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 | This article uses texts from within a religion or faith system without referring to secondary sources that critically analyze them. (July 2014) |
Abhayananda (born 1842), born Marie Louise, was the first woman initiated into Vivekananda's mission. She was also the first American female and a female Westerner to have become a swami monk.[1]
Louise was initiated by Vivekananda at Thousand Island Park in 1895. She was given the monastic name Abhayananda. She later disassociated herself from Vivekananda and preached philosophy, retaining the same name. Abhayananda claimed to be the only female swami in the entire world.[2]
There were many other Westeners who, in the first half of the century, became Hindu disciples/sannyasis/gurus: others included the Mother (b. Mira Alfassa, Paris, 1878), perhaps the first Westener to become a guru in India; Swami Abhayananda (b. Marie Lousie) one of the only three Westeners whom Vivekananda, in 1895, initiated as sannyasis—the other two being Leon Landsberg/Swami Kripananda and Dr Street/Swami Yogananda.[3]
- ^ "Marie Louise AKA Swami Abhayananda - Frank Parlato Jr". Vivekananda.net. 1912-08-10. Archived from the original on 2015-02-22. Retrieved 2015-02-22.
- ^ Oldmeadow, Harry (2004). Journeys East: Western Encounters with Eastern Religious Traditions. World Wisdom. ISBN 978-0941532570.
- ^ Oldmeadow, Harry (2004). Journeys East: 20th Century Western Encounters with Eastern Religious Traditions - Harry Oldmeadow - Google Books. World Wisdom. ISBN 9780941532570. Retrieved 2015-02-22.