130th Foundation Day of Ramakrishna Mission
Today is the 130th Foundation Day of the Ramakrishna Mission. On this occasion following excerpts are being given here from the book: ‘SRI SRI RAMAKRISHNA KATHĀMRITA – As I have understood’, Volume-2 authored by Ashim Kumar Mukherjee.
“There are several institutions under Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, like Advaita Ashrama, Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture etc. Names of several Branches of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission are prefixed with words like Vedanta Society of New York etc. There are several such Vedanta Societies in USA. Some centres have names not easily identifiable with Ramakrishna Math & Mission like Shanti Ashrama under Vedanta Society of Northern California founded by Swami Vivekananda in 1900. In whatsoever name it may be, all such centres, institutions are Branches either of Ramakrishna Math or Ramakrishna Mission.
Foundation of Ramakrishna Mission
The event leading to the foundation of Ramakrishna Mission is mentioned in The Life of The Swami Vivekananda by His Eastern and Western Disciples. The same is given below:
It was in the afternoon of the First of May 1897, that a representative gathering of all the monastic and lay disciples of SRI RAMAKRISHNA took place at Balaram Babu’s house, in response to Swamiji’s invitation to them intimating his desire of holding a meeting for the purpose of founding an Association. He had long thought and made a plan of bringing about a close co-operation between the monastic and the lay disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, and of organizing in a systematic way the hitherto unsystematic activities, both spiritual and philanthropic, of his gurubhais. When all had assembled, Swamiji opened the meeting by speaking in Bengalee to the following effect: —
‘From my travels in various countries I have come to the conclusion that without organisation nothing great and permanent can be done. But in a country like India, at our present stage of development, it does not seem to me well-advised to start an organisation upon the republican system in which every member should have equal voice, and in which its deliberations should be decided by the majority of the votes of the community. With the West the case is different.
Amongst us also, with the spread of education when we shall learn to sacrifice or to stand above our individual interests and concerns for the good of the community or the nation at targe, then the working of our Association will be conducted on republican principles. Taking these into consideration we should have for our organisation at present a Dictator whose orders everyone should obey. Then, in the fulness of time, it will be guided by the opinion and consent of the members,
“This Association will bear the name of Him in whose name we have become Sannyasins, taking Whom as your ideal you are leading the life of the householders in the field of activity of this Samsara, and Whose holy name and the influence of Whose unique life and teachings have, within twelve years of His passing away, spread in such an unthought-of way both in the East and the West. Let this Sangha, or organisation, be therefore named as the Ramakrishna Mission. We are only the servants of the Master. May you all help us in this work.”
The proposal being enthusiastically supported by all the householder disciples, the future method of work was discussed and some Resolutions were passed, comprising in the main the present principles and the aims and objects by which the movement was to be guided. As originally drawn up they were to the following effect: —
This Association (Sangha) will be known as the Ramakrishna Mission.
The Aim of the Sangha is to preach those truths which Sri Ramakrishna has, for the good of humanity, given out and demonstrated by practical application in his own life, and to help those truths being made practical in the lives of others for their temporal, mental and spiritual advancement.
The Duty of the Mission is to conduct in the right spirit the activities of the movement inaugurated by Sri Ramakrishna for the establishment of fellowship among the followers of different religions, knowing them all to be so many forms only of one undying Eternal Religion.
Its Methods of Action are: —
(a) to train men so as to make them competent to teach such knowledge or sciences as are conducive to the material and spiritual welfare of the masses;
(b) to promote and encourage arts and industries; and
(c) to introduce and spread among the people in general.
The Aims and Ideals of the Mission being purely spiritual and humanitarian, it should have no connection with politics.
Anyone who believes in the mission of Sri RAMAKRISHNA, or who sympathises or is willing to co-operate with the abovementioned aims and objects of the Association, is eligible for membership.
After the Resolutions were passed, office-bearers were appointed. Swami Vivekananda himself became the General President and made Swami Brahmananda and Swami Yogananda, the President and the Vice-President, respectively, of the Calcutta centre. It was decided that meetings would be held at Balaram Babu’s house every Sunday afternoon, when recitations and readings from the Gita, the Upanishads and other Vedanta scriptures with comments and annotations would be given, and papers read and lectures delivered, the subjects being chosen by the President. All these were decided in the two preliminary meetings of the first and the fifth of May, and the first general meeting of members was held on the ninth under the Presidency of the Swami Brahmananda.
For three years the Ramakrishna Mission held its sittings at the above place, and whenever Swamiji was in Calcutta he was present at almost all of them and spoke and sang to the joy of the audience.’”[1]
Reference:
[1] SRI SRI RAMAKRISHNA KATHĀMRITA – As I have understood, Volume-2, by Ashim Kumar Mukherjee, Chapter: Divine Bestowed Organizations Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, Sri Sarada Math and Ramakrishna Sarada Mission. ISBN-13 : 979-8303159419;
