This book is based on the notes of weekly lectures given by Swami Yatiswarananda at Ramakrishna Math, Bangalore. The Swami, a Vice-President of the Ramakrishna Order, was an illustrious disciple of Swami Brahmananda. He was a well-known spiritual figure in the Neo-Vedanta movement and did 17 years of pioneering work (1933-1950) in spreading Vedanta in Europe and USA.
Those who die, merely suffering the woes of life like cats and dogs, are they human beings? The worthy are those who, even when agitated by the sharp interaction of pleasure and pain, are discriminating and, knowing them to be of an evanescent nature, become passionately devoted to the Atman. This is all the difference between human beings and animals.
-Swami Vivekananda