Today I take the opportunity to read from my favorite Christian book, which is the imitation of Christ, a collection of writings by Thomas Acampus.

Now this book, it's not just mine, it's a universal favorite among Christians too.

Among all sects and churches in Christianity, It's considered wonderful spiritual reading.

Somebody said it's next to the Bible in its popularity. I don't know about that, but certainly

it's almost as good as reading the Bible itself because what Thomas S.

Campes has done in this book is his artfully, just put the teachings of the Christ,

the Bible itself has artfully arranged it in a beautiful flow.

The author Thomas Kempes was a monk, a Catholic monk who lived around 600 years ago, German,

and lived a very quiet, very quiet monastic life.

He lived to be more than 90, which was a long life in those days, especially in the medieval times.

And he wrote a number of books.

He was very revered in his life,

very prayerful, austere, studious, devout life. And it comes through in his, you know, in the book,

these are the words of the Christ, but at the same time the spirit of the author who has

written this and arranged it, it comes through, the devout nature of that life.

He wrote some other books also, which are not as well known, but this book is certainly very famous.

Another reason why we love it so much is Swami Vivekananda himself.

He loved this book. This was one of his favorite books.

When he traveled across the length and the breadth of India as a wandering monk,

often he carried just two books.

The Bhagavad Gita and this book, The Imitation of Christ.

He liked it so much that he actually started translating.

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