Go Forward (Letters to Spiritual Seekers)

Go Forward is a collection of letters and notes written by Swami Premeshananda (1884-1967), A highly respected monk of the Ramakrishna Order and disciple of the Hloy Mother, Sri Sarda Devi.

Premesh Maharaj, as he was known, was responsible for encouraging many young people, both men and women, householders and monastics, to lead lives dedicated to the ideals of spirituality and service. He did this not only through personal contact, but also through his wonderfully inspiring letters, many of Which are included in this collection. These letters present of a man of great spiritual realization, whose Life was filled to the brim with the ideal of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda as well as the Teaching of the Bhagavad Gita.

That the secret to world peace and universal religious understanding is at present contained in the spiritual teachings and practical applications of the ideal of Neo-Vedanta as realized by Sri Ramakrishna and explained by Swami Vivekananda is something that any reasonable person can understand. One of the aphorisms that we find in the message of Sri Ramakrishna is that we must become inspired to reach the ultimate goal: attaining Self-realization and working for the welfare of humanity through renunciation and service. Swamiji presented the scientific and logical commentary to this aphorism, and the Ramakrishna Order is the laboratory for the realization of this truth.

The Ramakrishna Order is the body of Sri Ramakrishna himself; the spiritual teachers of the Order represent images of Sri Ramakrishna alone; and every monk is a spark of his spiritual fire.

Of the many spiritually inspiring monks of the Order, one was Swami Premeshanandaji Maharaj. Many other divine lives have been set ablaze by the flame of the lamp of his life. His spiritual touch and inspiration have clearly left their mark on the experiences of those who came in contact with him. Even in his absence, his letters, instructions, and explanations of different scriptures continue to inspire many spiritual seekers to attain the life divine. All who have read his collected letters, earlier published in two volumes (in Bengali) and in the two-volume English translation, Go Forward, have felt inspired by them. For many, these have now become part of their daily study.

It is a matter of great fortune for us that Swami Suhitanandaji Maharaj, formerly Swami Premeshanandaji’s devoted attendant and currently one of the trustees and assistant secretaries of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, has graciously presented us with more unpublished letters, as well as portions of letters and writings. We have endeavoured to publish this third volume, relying mainly on these materials. We hope that all will respectfully receive this volume, like the previous ones.

The Udbodhan Office has continued to help us in the publication and circulation of these books. For this we offer our respectful gratitude to the monks of Udbodhan.