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Ramakrishna Mission

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Ramakrishna Mission

The Emblem
Motto "Atmano mokshartham jagad hitaya cha," — "For one's own salvation, and for the welfare of the world
Formation 1897
Purpose/focus Educational, Philanthropic, Religious Studies, Spirituality
Headquarters Belur Math
Region served Worldwide
Website Belur Math

Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission are twin organizations which form the core of a worldwide spiritual movement known as Ramakrishna Movement or Vedanta Movement.[1] The Ramakrishna Mission is a philanthropic, volunteer organization founded by Sri Ramakrishna's chief disciple Swami Vivekananda on May 1, 1897. The Mission conducts extensive work in healthcare, disaster relief, rural management, tribal welfare, elementary and higher education and culture through its 114 centers spread across India. It uses the combined efforts of hundreds of ordered monks and thousands of householder disciples. The Mission bases its work on the principles of karma yoga.[2]

The Mission, which is headquartered at Belur Math near Kolkata, India, subscribes to the ancient Hindu philosophy of Vedanta. It is affiliated with the monastic organization Ramakrishna Math, with whom it shares members. As of 2008, the Math and the Mission together have 166 branch centres all over India and in different parts of the world.[1]

Contents

[edit] Management

The Ramakrishna Mission acquired a legal status when it was registered in 1909 under Act XXI of 1860. Its management is vested in a Governing Body. Though the Mission with its branches is a distinct legal entity it is closely related to the Ramakrishna Math. The Trustees of the Math are simultaneously the members of the Governing Body. The administrative work of the Mission is mostly in the hands of the monks of Math. The Mission has its own separate funds, for which it keeps detailed accounts, audited annually by chartered accountants. The Math and the Mission both have their Headquarters at Belur Math.[citation needed]

[edit] The motto

The Mission is a registered Society that emphasise on rendering welfare services undertaken with a spiritual outlook. The service activities are rendered looking upon all as veritable manifestation of the Divine. The Motto of the organisation is Atmano Mokshartham Jagad-hitaya Cha. Translated from Sanskrit आत्मनॊ मोक्षार्थम् जगद्धिताय च it means For one's own salvation, and for the good of the world.[3]

[edit] Math and Mission

Strictly speaking, the Ramakrishna Math is a monastic order, and the Ramakrishna Mission is the part of the organization that carries on activities such as disaster relief, operation of schools and charitable hospitals, and other work. However, because the humanitarian activities of the movement are more well-known than the monastic order, and because the monks of the order perform a great deal of the humanitarian work, "Ramakrishna Mission" is popularly used to refer to both institutions.[citation needed]

[edit] Monastic Order

After the passing away of their Master Sri Ramakrishna in 1886 the young disciples organized themselves into a new monastic order. The original monastery at Baranagar known as Baranagar Math was subsequently moved to two other places before finally being shifted in January 1899 to a newly acquired plot of land at Belur in Howrah district by Swami Vivekananda[4]. This monastery, known as Belur Math, serves as the Mother House for all the monks of Ramakrishna Order who live in the various branch centres of Ramakrishna Math and/or Ramakrishna Mission in different parts of India and the world.

All members of the Order undergo training and ordination (Sannyasa) at Belur Math.

  • A candidate for monastic life is treated as a pre-probationer during the first year of his stay at any centre, and as a probationer during the next four years.
  • At the end of this period he is ordained into celibacy (Brahmacharya) and is given certain vows (Pratijna), the most important of which are chastity, renunciation and service.
  • After a further period of four years, if found fit, he is ordained into (Sannyasa) and given the ochre (gerua) clothes to wear.

[edit] Emblem of Ramakrishna Math and Mission

Designed and explained by Swami Vivekananda given in his own words:

The wavy waters in the picture are symbolic of Karma; the lotus, of Bhakti; and the rising-sun, of Jnana. The encircling serpent is indicative of Yoga and the awakened Kundalini Shakti, while the swan in the picture stands for Paramatman (Supreme Self). Therefore, the idea of the picture is that by the union of Karma, Jnana, Bhakti and Yoga, the vision of Paramatman is obtained.

[edit] Activities

The Ramakrishna Mission has its own hospitals, charitable dispensaries, maternity clinics, tuberculosis clinics, and mobile dispensaries. It also maintains training centers for nurses. Orphanages and homes for the elderly are included in the Mission's field of activities, along with rural and tribal welfare work.[5]

In educational activities, the Ramakrishna Mission has established some the renowned educational institutions in India, having its own colleges, vocational training centers, high schools and primary schools, teacher's training institutes, as well as schools for the visually handicapped.[5] The Ramakrishna Mission has also involved in disaster relief operations during famine, epidemic, fire, flood, earthquake, cyclone and communal disturbances.[5]

Bob Robinson writes, "Unlike more militant Hindu organizations, The mission has consistently advocated and itself displayed a tolerant, friendly attitude towards minority religious traditions and a sympathetic acquaintance with at least of parts of the scriptures of those faiths."[6]

[edit] Awards and Honorable Mentions

  • Bhagwan Mahavir Foundation Award (1996).[7]
  • Dr. Ambedkar National Award (1996).[7]
  • Dr. Bhawar Singh Porte Tribal Service Award (1997-98).[7]
  • In 1998 the Mission was awarded the Indian government's prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize.[8][9][10]
  • Shahid Vir Narayan Singh Award (2001).[7]
  • Pt. Ravishankar Shukla Award (2002).[7]
  • National Communal Harmony Award (2005).[11]
  • The Ramakrishna Mission was selected for an honorary mention of the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Prize for Promotion of Tolerance and Non violence 2002.[12]

In a speech made in 1993, Federico Mayor, Director-General of UNESCO, stated:[13]

I am indeed struck by the similarity of the constitution of the Ramakrishna Mission which Vivekananda established as early as 1897 with that of UNESCO drawn up in 1945. Both place the human being at the center of their efforts aimed at development. Both place tolerance at the top of the agenda for building peace and democracy. Both recognize the variety of human cultures and societies as an essential aspect of the common heritage.

[edit] Controversies

To a large extent, the Ramakrishna Mission has avoided controversies through its policy of non-involvement in politics.

In 1980, however, in an act that caused "considerable debate" within the Order, the Mission petitioned the courts to have their organization and movement declared a non-Hindu minority religion.[14] It is possible that this was because they believed there was a danger that the local marxist government would take control of its schools unless it could invoke the extra protection the Indian constitution accords to minority religions. The Supreme Court of India ruled against the Mission in 1995. The leadership today embraces the Mission's status as a Hindu organization.[15]

[edit] Presidents of the Ramakrishna Mission

The following is the traditionally accepted list of Presidents(spiritual heads) of the monastic order.

  1. Swami Brahmananda (1901–1922)
  2. Swami Shivananda (1922–1934)
  3. Swami Akhandananda (1934–1937)
  4. Swami Vijnanananda (1937–1938)
  5. Swami Shuddhananda (1938–1939)
  6. Swami Virajananda (1939–1952)
  7. Swami Shankarananda (1952–1959)
  8. Swami Vishuddhananda (1959–1960)
  9. Swami Madhavananda (1960–1965)
  10. Swami Vireshwarananda (1966–1985)
  11. Swami Gambhirananda (1985–1988)
  12. Swami Bhuteshananda (1988–1998)
  13. Swami Ranganathananda (1998–2005)
  14. Swami Gahanananda (2005–2007)
  15. Swami Atmasthananda (2007–)

[edit] Prominent monks

Apart from Direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, some of the other notable monks of the order are

  1. Swami Adidevananda
  2. Swami Ashokananda
  3. Swami Budhananda
  4. Swami Nirvedananda[1]
  5. Swami Ghanananda
  6. Swami Jagadananda
  7. Swami Nikhilananda
  8. Swami Nityaswarupananda
  9. Swami Paramananda
  10. Swami Prabhavananda
  11. Swami Premeshananda
  12. Swami Purushottamananda
  13. Swami Shambhavananda
  14. Swami Siddheshwarananda
  15. Swami Tapasyananda
  16. Swami Yatishwarananda
  17. Swami Kirtidananda
  18. Swami Gokulananda [2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "Belur Math". http://www.belurmath.org/home.htm. 
  2. ^ Agarwal, Satya P. (1998). The Social Role of the Gita: How and Why. Motilal Banarsidass Publ.. pp. 243. ISBN 9788120815247. 
  3. ^ Chakraborty, Prof Amalendu (2003). "Swami Vivekananda's Neo-Vedantism". Prabuddha Bharata: Or Awakened India (Advaita Ashrama): p.22. 
  4. ^ History of Belur Math
  5. ^ a b c Vrajaprana, Pravrajika (1994). "Editor's note on Introduction". Living Wisdom: Vedanta in the West. pp. 36–37. 
  6. ^ Robinson, Bob (2004). "Ramakrishna and Vivekananda". Christians Meeting Hindus: An Analysis and Theological Critique of the Hindu-Christian Encounter in India. OCMS. pp. 7-8. ISBN 9781870345392. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=jYsVCItO7tAC&pg=PA7. 
  7. ^ a b c d e "Achievements". http://www.rkmanarainpur.org/webin/web/acheivments.htm. Retrieved on 2008-10-24. 
  8. ^ Wilcockson, Michael (2003). A Student's Guide to A2 Religious Studies for the OCR Specification. Rhinegold Publishing. pp. 138. 
  9. ^ "News and Reports: Ramakrishna Mission Activities during 1998-99". Prabuddha Bharata: Or Awakened India: p.191. 2000. 
  10. ^ "Ramakrishna Mission bags Gandhi prize". Indian Express. Tuesday, September 29, 1998. http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19980929/27250414.html. Retrieved on 2008-10-25. 
  11. ^ "National Communal Harmony Awards 2005 announced". Press Information Bureau Government of India. Thursday, January 26, 2006. http://pib.nic.in/release/rel_print_page1.asp?relid=15149. Retrieved on 2008-10-25. 
  12. ^ "AUNG SUU KYI, INDIA'S RAMAKRISHNA MISSION RECEIVE UNESCO AWARDS.". AsiaPulse News. 2002-10-07. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/comsite5/bin/aml_landing_tt.pl?purchase_type=ITM&item_id=0286-26168877&action=print&page=aml_article_print. Retrieved on 2008-10-25. 
  13. ^ "PROFILES OF FAMOUS EDUCATORS-SWAMI VIVEKANANDA". Prospects XXXIII (2). June 2003. http://www.ibe.unesco.org/fileadmin/user_upload/archive/publications/ThinkersPdf/vivekane.pdf. 
  14. ^ Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. Dancing With Siva: Hinduism's Contemporary Catechism. Himalayan Academy Publications. pp. 686. ISBN 0-945497-96-2. 
  15. ^ Hinduism Today | Aug 1999

[edit] See also

[edit] Further reading

  • Ram Swarup: Ramakrishna Mission in Search of a New Identity. Voice of India, Delhi 1986.

[edit] External links

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Hindu reform movements
Ayyavazhi · Arya Samaj  · Brahmo Samaj  · Divine Life Society  · Gandhism  · Hindutva · ISKCON  · Ramakrishna Mission  · Sri Aurobindo Ashram · Swadhyay Parivar  ·
Topics
Reformers
v • d • e
Gandhi Peace Prize laureates

Julius Nyerere (1995) • A. T. Ariyaratne (1996) • Gerhard Fischer (1997) • Ramakrishna Mission (1998) • Baba Amte (1999) • Grameen Bank, Nelson Mandela (2000) • John Hume (2001) • Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (2002) • Václav Havel (2003) • Coretta Scott King (2004) • Desmond Tutu (2005)
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