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Synopsis Vivekananda appeared on the American scene at the Parliament of Religions during the World's Columbian Exhibition in Chicago in 1893. in his very first speech, he began with the words "sisters and Brother of America." This warm and sincere greeting, addressed to an audience of several thousand, stirred his listeners who responded with an ovation of several minutes. Here was a man with a message of tolerance, a plea to end bigotry, and appeal to recognize the equal truth of all religions, and an assertion of the innate divinity of every man, woman, and child. It was a new message for America. Such affinity developed between Vivekananda and Americans that he stayed in the West from 1893 to 1897, and came a second time from 1899 to 1900, teaching to one and all. We have compiled this book of Vivekananda's teachings, Living at the Source, in order to commemorate his appearance at the Parliament of Religions, and to make known his contribution to the living stream of spirituality in America. It is in keeping with Vivekananda's embrace of the whole of America that some fifty Vedantins from all parts of the country worked on the material for Living at the Source. This group not only selected Vivekananda's words from the eight volumes of The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, but many of them also participated in other tasks in the preparation of this book. In view of the fact that the quest for self-knowledge has so many different starting points, the chapters of Living at the Source do not follow any particular order. The reader could just as well begin with "The Human Condition" as with "Who Am I?," "Work as Self-Transformation," or any other chapter that captures his or her interest. Indeed, to readers who prefer to think independently, a set chapter order may not be at all appealing. Rather, they may want to browse through Living at the Source to discover for themselves their own way to self-knowledge. In any case, it is possible to form a practical philosophy based on these selections from Vivekananda's works.