DVD

This title originally came out in 1996 as a videotape. It was pulled from videotapes made from 1989 until the Swami's passing in 1996 and compiled in less than 24 hours so that it could be duplicated in time for his memorial service, a memento for his disciples, students and admirers. 

Most of the episodes show the Swami informally, for example on walks or at Satsang, an unpublicized gathering where only established friends of the Center attended, or on walks in the garden. All scenes were filmed at the Vedanta Society of Sacramento. This film does not present Swami Shraddhananda's introductory or public face but videotaped public lectures are available from the Vedanta Society of Sacramento.*

Running Time: 115 minutes
$14.95 + Shipping (& Taxes in California)

Chapters 
(Running Time: 115 minutes)

1.) Reminiscences of Swami Shivananda, December, 1994
The occasion was the birth anniversary celebration of Swami Shivananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, the second president of the Ramakrishna Order, and Swami Shraddhananda's guru. Swami recounted his experiences with his Guru.

2.) Satsang: On a Quote by William Blake, August 22, 1992
The Saturday morning Satsang generally lasted about 2 hours. Generally 25 to 40 people gathered, all familiar to and with the Society. Tables and chairs were set up and refreshments were served. The conversation was spontaneous. This Saturday morning, he spoke on a William Blake poem.

3.) A Song for M., 1989
As a pre-monastic youth, Swami met M., Mahendranath Gupta, the author of The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. He recounts the incident and the song whose lyrics he recited. Unfortunately, the camera had been turned off when he began the story and misses the brief introduction: M. asked the young man to sing a song; but in those days, Swami was not the singing kind, so M. asked him if he could at least recite some lyrics. At this point, the camera catches the rest of the action.

The rest of the story: This was the our first visit to Sacramento and walk with Swami Shraddhananda. It was his custom to take a break sitting on a bench adjacent to the Krishna Pond. Many wonderful impromptu talks took place there. We asked him to tell the story of his first meeting with M, hoping to get it on film. He said that his doctor had told him that singing could be dangerous to his health, so we begged him not to sing and turned off the camera.

4.) Gospel Reading, September 16, 1995
This is a Saturday night class at the point where Swami's health began to decline. Because his vision was poor, pages of the Gospel were photocopied very large to make them legible. This section is of special interest as both a snapshot of that period and for the conversation that follows the reading.

5.) Satsang: The Guru/Disciple Relationship, March 1994
This Saturday morning, Swami spoke at length about the nature of the guru/disciple relationship after the death of the guru.

6.) Krisna Puja, August 14, 1990
Being a summer festival and Sacramento being very hot in the summer, the Krishna Puja was traditionally observed outdoors at the Krishna Pond, a particularly charming section of the garden having an island with a life-size statue of Krishna surrounded by a pond filled with water lilies, water hyacinths, koi and pond life. In the course of the Puja, dusk turns to night. 

Because of the outdoor setting, remote sound, handheld camera and light, the sound and film quality are not the best, but the subject matter makes this footage worthwhile.