Josephine MacLeod (1858 – 15 October 1949) was an American friend and devotee of Swami Vivekananda. She had a strong attachment to

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and was an active participant in the Ramakrishna

Vivekananda Swami Vivekananda (; ; 12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta (), was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. He was a key figure in the intr ...

movement. She was given the nicknames "Tantine" and "Jo Jo" by Vivekananda. She considered Swami Vivekananda to be her friend and helped him with his finances. MacLeod was not a

sanyasin ''Sannyasa'' (Sanskrit: संन्यास; IAST: ), sometimes spelled Sanyasa (सन्न्यास) or Sanyasi (for the person), is life of renunciation and the fourth stage within the Hindu system of four life stages known as '' A ...

, unlike many others such as

Sister Nivedita Sister Nivedita ( born Margaret Elizabeth Noble; 28 October 1867 – 13 October 1911) was an Irish teacher, author, social activist, school founder and disciple of Swami Vivekananda. She spent her childhood and early youth in Ireland. She wa ...

Sister Christine Sister Christine or Christina Greenstidel (17 August 1866 – 27 March 1930) was a school teacher, and close friend and disciple of Swami Vivekananda. On 24 February 1894, Christine attended a lecture of Vivekananda in Detroit, United States which ...

. She was instrumental in spreading Vivekananda's message on Vedanta in the West. She made many contributions to the initial and the later phases of the development of the order of Ramakrishna and Vivekananda. She was a contributor to many causes espoused by Sister Nivedita, the most famous disciple of Vivekananda, including that of contributing financially towards the development of the Indian National Movement especially in

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

and elsewhere in India.

Life

Olea Bull, Betty Laggett and Josephine MacLeod July 1906

Early life

Josephine was born in 1858 in Chicago to John David MacLeod and Mary Ann Lennon. Her father was an American of Scottish descent. The couple had three sons and three daughters. Two of their daughters,

Betty Betty or Bettie is a name, a common diminutive for the names Bethany and Elizabeth. In Latin America, it is also a common diminutive for the given name Beatriz, the Spanish and Portuguese form of the Latin name Beatrix and the English name Beat ...

(1852–1931) and Josephine (1858–1949), became disciples of Swami Vivekananda. Betty married Mr. William Sturges of Chicago in 1876 and had a son named Hollister and a daughter named

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

, who were also intimately connected with the

Vedanta ''Vedanta'' (; sa, वेदान्त, ), also ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six (''āstika'') schools of Hindu philosophy. Literally meaning "end of the Vedas", Vedanta reflects ideas that emerged from, or were aligned with, t ...

Societies and Ramakrishna order. Being unmarried herself, Josephine stayed with Betty and her family. After the death of William Sturges in 1894, Betty married Francis Legett, a businessman of New York, in 1895. Swami Vivekananda attended this marriage in Paris.

Ridgely Manor Ridgely may refer to: Places * Ridgely, Maryland, U.S ** Ridgely Airpark * Ridgely, Missouri, U.S * Ridgely, Tennessee, U.S * Ridgely Township, Nicollet County, Minnesota, U.S. * Fort Ridgely, a frontier U.S. Army outpost 1851–1867 in Minnesot ...

, which later became famous as one of the places to accommodate Swami Vivekananda during his travel to Americas and Europe in 1899, belonged to the Legett family. She was known by several other nicknames, including Joe, Jo-Jo, Yum and Tantine (meaning "Aunty").

Relationship to Swami Vivekananda

Josephine and her sister Betty first heard Swami Vivekananda's lecture on Vedanta philosophy in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

on 29 January 1895. Their friend R. Dora Roetheslesberger had told them about Vivekananda. They had assembled in the sitting room of Vivekananda's apartment, along with many other women and a few men. His lecture impressed her, and she observed at the end of the lecture that the way he presented truth was something unique. She heard his lectures several times over the next seven years. The meeting with Swami Vivekananda and her association with him for the remaining periods of his life in America and India was the most important event in her life according to her.Vivekananda’s Enthralling Voice by Dharitri Kumar Dasgupta, Vedanta Kesari March 2010, page 27, published by Ramakrishna Math, Chennai She was deeply impressed and thereby began to cultivate a relationship which would be long lasting and significant for her. MacLeod became a member of the Vedanta Society established by Vivekananda and pursued the study and practice of Vedanta. This interaction gave her a different perspective of living in "eternity". Vivekananda noted "I simply adore Joe (Josephine MacLeod) in her tact and quiet way. She is a feminine statesman or woman. She can wield a kingdom. I have seldom seen such strong yet good common sense in a human being." MacLeod considered the propagation of Swamiji's message of Indian spirituality in the West as a responsibility. Swami Vivekananda image London 1896

MacLeod was 35 years old when she met Swamiji. She considered the day she met Vivekananda for the first time, 29 January 1895, to be her "spiritual birthday". She said, "It is the Truth that I saw in Swamiji that has set me free; it was to set me free that Swamiji came." As a result of her constant interaction with Vivekananda during his lectures on Vedanta, her devotion to his teachings became so profound that she believed that he was the "New Buddha" and even called him "Our Prophet." MacLeod did not like anyone addressing her as Vivekananda's disciple and would immediately retort that she was his friend. Her niece, later Lady Sandwich, remarked that she was not Swami's friend but "''Him''". Vivekananda held her in great esteem and would write to her on his inner feelings, which he did not share with anyone else, including the brother monks or his " Madras Boys". He noted in one letter that "I can't even in imagination pay the immense debt of gratitude I owe you." On issues of conflict between the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

in India and the

Belur Math Belur Math () is the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, founded by Swami Vivekananda, the chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. It is located on the west bank of Hooghly River, Belur, West Bengal, India. The t ...

in Calcutta, she intervened with officials in the British Government in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

to resolve the issues. When she was in London when Vivekananda was also lecturing there in 1896, the best fruit of every season was delivered to him from an anonymous person. The firm of William Whitley, a popular fruit dealer in London, had been paid for such delivery by an anonymous benefactor. Pineapple, a rare fruit in London which was valued at a quarter per fruit, was delivered to him every day. The benefactor was thought to be MacLeod, as she was in London when the fruit delivery started. She defended Vivekananda's religious ethos when, during her visit to India with him, she stated that "our Swamiji's great exposition of

Vedanta Philosophy ''Vedanta'' (; sa, वेदान्त, ), also ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six (''āstika'') schools of Hindu philosophy. Literally meaning "end of the Vedas", Vedanta reflects ideas that emerged from, or were aligned with, t ...

always favoured than denied the mission of Christ, and left Christians better Christians..." Because MacLeod's efforts in the US and the West were so strong, Swamiji named her a "lady missionary" of the

Ramakrishna Order The Ramakrishna Order (Bengali: রামকৃষ্ণ সংঘ) is the monastic lineage that was founded by Sri Ramakrishna, when he gave the ochre cloth of renunciation to twelve of his close disciples, in January 1886 at the Cossipore Hous ...

promoted by Vivekananda. MacLeod had asked Swmi Vivekananda if she would accompany him to India. His response was, "Yes, come, if you want filth and degradation and poverty and many loin cloths talking religion. Don't come if you want anything else. We cannot bear one more criticism." She went to India and, on being asked what she could do for him (Swami Vivekananda), the latter replied gravely, "Love India". Swami Vivekananda September 1899 Ridgely Manner New York

Swami Vivekananda September 1899 Ridgely Manner New York

Recalling the Swami's lecture on the Bhagavad gita, the foremost of the Hindu scriptures, sometime in 1895, she was quoted as saying, later: ''I saw with these very eyes (she pointed to her own eyes)

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...

himself standing there and preaching the Gita. That was my first wonderful vision. I stared and stared. . . .I saw only the figure and all else vanished''. In 1898, she visited India and traveled with Swami Vivekananda to North India including Almora, Kashmir and parts of Punjab. When in India she used to stay in Belur Math, in the old house along with Sara Bull. She took every possible care of the Swami when he arrived in New York for the second time in 1899 while he stayed in Ridgely Manor or elsewhere in America. Capt. Sevier, who, along with his wife Charlotte Sevier, became disciple of Swami Vivekananda after attending the latter's lectures in London and who established the

Advaita Ashrama Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati, is a branch of the Ramakrishna Math, founded on 19 March 1899 at the behest of Vivekananda,Emma Calve, Père Hyacynthe and Jules Bois. The team traveled through south West Europe to Constantinople, Athens and, finally, to Cairo from where Swami returned to India.

Later life

Following Vivekananda's death in 1902, MacLeod went into depression for two years, after which she devoted the next four decades to the cause of promoting the Vedantic ethos of the Swamiji. In his last letter to her, Vivekenanda wrote, "You have been a good angel to me". In a previous letter, he had written, "and to you, dear Joe, Pranams." Even after the death of Vivekananda, Macleod remained in touch with the Ramakrishna Order and often visited the Belur Math headquarters of the Order and stayed for many days. Macleod was also very close to Sister Nivedita, the disciple of Swami Vivekananda, who dedicated her life towards education of Indian women and towards the cause of revival of Indian Nationalism.Reymond, Lizelle, ''Nivedita, The Dedicated'', page 168, The John Day Co. 1953, She travelled to Japan and introduced Kakuso Okakura, the painter and artist and Prince Oda, a Buddhist Abbot, to Vivekananda. She provided the initial funding of $800 for the establishment of the Udbodhan press, which was used to publish the '' Udbodhan Patrika'', a monthly Bengali magazine of the Ramakrishna Order. Macleod also helped the Ramakrishna Mission in tiding over political crises. In December 1916, Lord Carmichael, the then Lt-Governor of Bengal, made a statement casting aspersions on Ramakrishna Mission. Ramakrishna Math and Mission was always under close surveillance by the government because of the alleged involvement of some of its monks in nationalist activities like involvement with the Anushilan Samity during the Partition of Bengal before they renounced the world, and also because Swami Vivekananda's fiery speeches and ideals inspired many freedom fighters like

Aurobindo Ghosh Sri Aurobindo (born Aurobindo Ghose; 15 August 1872 – 5 December 1950) was an Indian philosopher, yogi, maharishi, poet, and Indian nationalist. He was also a journalist, editing newspapers such as ''Vande Mataram''. He joined the ...

. Swami Saradananda, the secretary of Ramakrishna Mission, under the advice of the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, met the governor who subsequently retracted his statement. However, Ramakrishna Mission was helped by the high level contacts that Macleod had, to form a favorable opinion in government circles. She also persuaded Swami Nityatmananda, a close associate of

Mahendranath Gupta Mahendranath Gupta ( bn, মহেন্দ্রনাথ গুপ্ত) (14 July 1854 – 4 June 1932), (also famously known as শ্রীম, Master Mahashay, and M.), was a disciple of Ramakrishna (a great 19th-century Hindu mystic) and ...

or M, the author of ''

The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna ''The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna'' is an English translation of the Bengali religious text '' Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita'' by Swami Nikhilananda. The text records conversations of Ramakrishna with his disciples, devotees and visitors, recor ...

'', to publish the viewpoints of M on Swami Vivekananda, which later appeared in the fifth volume of the Ramakrishna Kathamrita, the original Bengali version of the Gospel, as an appendix. She was in touch with many contemporary intellectuals, including

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

and

Romain Rolland Romain Rolland (; 29 January 1866 – 30 December 1944) was a French dramatist, novelist, essayist, art historian and mystic who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1915 "as a tribute to the lofty idealism of his literary production a ...

. She helped extensively in spreading the message of Vedanta and Swami Vivekananda's teachings in particular in various European languages including German. Macleod also worked extensively for the cause of advancement of education of women in India, through her regular financial contribution to the school found and run by Sister Nivedita. The French scholar and Nobel Laureate

wrote of Macleod, "(She) never tires of pointing out his (Vivekananda's) beauty, his charm, the power of attraction which was radiating from him." She helped in conducting the first centenary celebration of the birth of Sri Ramakrishna in Calcutta in 1937. Even though closely affiliated with an organization which took a leading role in Hindu renaissance, she remained a Christian in faith. In her own words, she had become a better Christian through the influence of Vivekananda.Vedanta Kesari, March 2010, Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai MacLeod died in California on 15 October 1949. At the time of her death, she was living at the

Vedanta Society of Southern California ''Vedanta'' (; sa, वेदान्त, ), also ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six (''āstika'') schools of Hindu philosophy. Literally meaning "end of the Vedas", Vedanta reflects ideas that emerged from, or were aligned with, t ...

's center in Hollywood.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * *

External links

Reminiscenses of Swami Vivekananda

Books

* Tantine: The Life and Times of Josephine MacLeod, by Pravrajika Prabhuddhaprana * Josephine Macleod And Vivekananda's Mission, by Linda Prugh, publisher Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, * Swami Vivekananda in the West: New Discoveries – By Marie Louise Burke (Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata) * Letters of Sister Nivedita – Edited by Prof. Sankari Prasad Basu (Nababharat Publishers, Calcutta, April 1982) {{DEFAULTSORT:MacLeod, Josephine 1858 births 1949 deaths American people of Scottish descent Disciples and friends of Swami Vivekananda Vedanta Ramakrishna Mission Neo-Vedanta