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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
Purpose/focus	Educational, Philanthropic, Religious Studies, Spirituality
Headquarters	Belur Math
Region served	Worldwide
Website	Belur Math

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.^[1]

In 1998 the Mission was awarded the Indian government's prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize.^{citation needed}

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. The Mission also manages nearly 50 centers outside India.^{citation needed}

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}

The motto

The Mission is a registered Society laying emphasis 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.^{citation needed}

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.

• Note: The use of the name of Sri Ramakrishna or Swami Vivekananda by any institution does not necessarily imply that it is an affiliated branch centre of either Ramakrishna Math or Ramakrishna Mission.^{citation needed}

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^[2]. 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.

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.

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 the their organization and movement declared a non-Hindu minority religion.^[3] It is possible that this was because they believed there was a danger that the local 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.^[4]

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–)

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]

Major publications

Modern Ramakrishna Institutions

• Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith, Deoghar,India
• Kokuvil Ramakrishna M.V, Sri Lanka
• Kondavil Hindu Maha Vidyalayam, Sri Lanka
• Kondavil Ramakrishna Vidyalayam, Sri Lanka
• Rama Krishna Institute of Moral & Spiritual, Education MYSORE, Karnataka
• Rama Krishna Mission Seva Pratishthan, Vivekananda Institute of Medic Calcutta, WB
• Rama Krishna Mission Vivekananda, Centenary College RAHARA DIST.:, WB
• Rama Krishna Mission Calcutta Students' Home,Belgharia,Kolkata-56
• Ramakrishna Mission Vivekanand College, MYLAPORE. DIST.:Madras, Tamil Nadu
• Ramakrishna Mahavidyalaya, KAILASHAHAR. DIST.:North Tripura, Tripura
• Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama Vidyalaya, Narendrapur, WB
• Ramakrishna Mission Residential, College Narendrapur, WB
• Ramakrishna Mission Shiksha Mandir, BELURMATH. DIST.:Howrah, WB
• Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandir, BELURMATH DIST.:Howrah, WB
• Ramakrishna Sarada Mission, Vivekananda Vidyabhavan, WB
• Shri Rama Krishna B.T. College
• Shri Rama Krishna Missions Vidyalaya, College of Arts and Science , Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
• Shri Rama Krishna Missions Vidyalaya, Maruthi College of Physical Edu, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
• Ramakrishna Mission School, Viveknagar, Along, DIST.:West Siang, Arunachal Pradesh
• Ramakrishna Mission Hospital,Vivek Vihar, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh
• Ramakrishna Mission School, Narottamnagar, Arunachal Pradesh

References

1. ^ Agarwal, Satya P. (1998). The Social Role of the Gita: How and Why. Motilal Banarsidass Publ., p. 243. ISBN 9788120815247. 
2. ^ History of Belur Math
3. ^ Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. Dancing With Siva: Hinduism's Contemporary Catechism. Himalayan Academy Publications, 686. ISBN 0-945497-96-2. 
4. ^ Hinduism Today | Aug 1999

Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith, Deoghar

See also

• Hindu reform movements
• Hindu Renaissance
• Arya Samaj
• Ayyavazhi
• Prathna Samaj
• Tilak Mission

Further reading

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

External links

• Official website of the Headquarters of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission
• Ramakrishan Mission Vidyapith, Deoghar Jharkhand
• Ramakrishna Mission Calcutta Students' Home, Belgharia,Kolkata-700 056
• Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapith, Purulia West Bengal
• Direct Disciples of Sri Ramakrishna
• Is the Ramakrishna Mission Hindu? Article by Dr. Koenraad Elst
• Photos of various Ashrams, Temples, and Charitable institutions of the Ramakrishna Mission in India
• Official website of Ramakrishna Mission Ceylon Branch - rkmceylon.org - rkm ceylon