Book Reviews The Inspired Life of Sarah Ellen Waldo
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or some time, American women d e vo t e e s h ave b e e n w r i t i n g biographies of Swami Vivekananda’s Western women disciples. These biographies include books on the lives of Sister Christine, Sister Nivedita, Josephine MacLeod, Sara Bull, and Charlotte Sevier. The authors deserve heartfelt praise from every Vedantist. Without them, we would not know things about Swami Vivekananda that we learn only by reading the lives of his disciples. Now we have a full-length biography of Sarah Ellen Waldo. She is notable for having transcribed the Inspired Talks, and was one of the fortunate twelve who attended the famous retreat at Thousand Island Park in 1895. She also edited Raja-Yoga and wrote numerous articles for Vedantic journals. Swami Vivekananda thought so highly of her that he initiated her into brahmacharya and commissioned her to teach. As a recorder of Swamiji’s lectures (in longhand), she was second only to J.J. Goodwin (a professional stenographer who wrote in shorthand).
This book is divided into two parts: a biography (174 pages) and four appendices (191 pages) containing her written works.
Biography Like many religious figures, Ellen Waldo’s external life was largely uneventful. She was born in Newton, Massachusetts, in 1845, to Charles F. Waldo and his wife Sophia. She moved with her family to England in 1853 when she was almost eight years old. Her father was a dry goods merchant who relocated as his business dictated. The family returned to the United States in 1877, 24 years later, when Ellen was 32. They settled in Brooklyn. The authors note that because she spent her formative years in England, Ellen may have felt more English than American. She had widespread intellectual and cultural interests, and by the time she returned to America, Transcendentalism (pioneered by Ralph Waldo Emerson, a distant relative), was in full swing. On the east coast, all sorts of New Thought/New Age groups were springing up. They were rooted in Christianity, but drew heavily from the mystical traditions of Asia, notably Hinduism and Buddhism. Ellen did not join Transcendentalism, but did join a popular healing movement called Mind Cure. It was related to the Christian Science of Mary Baker Eddy, and held that “the power of divine wisdom could cure any illness.” Ellen
July 2021
Published by Advaita Ashrama, 5, Dehi Entally Road, Kolkata-700 014. Email:.mail@advaitaashrama. org.2019, hardcover, pp.405 with chronology, bibliography, endnotes, index, four appendices, and 36 photos. Rs.250.
43 The Vedanta Kesari
PA G E D O N O R : S R I T I WA R I A K , J A B A L P U R
by Amita Salam & Judy Howe Hayes.
