Ramakrishna Movement

After delivering his message in thundering words to the West, Swami Vivekananda, the messenger of energetic action, returned to India in February, 1897. He felt a need for an organization where the monks and the householders work together to remove the sufferings of the people. On the first of May, 1897, Vivekananda established the Ramakrishna Mission with twin ideals as its motto: “ Liberation of the Self and welfare of the world.”

All the service activities of the Ramakrishna Mission have one central truth behind them: Worship of the Divine in living beings. Work done in any other spirit fortifies selfishness and egotism of man. Vivekananda preached Vedanta, neo-Vedanta. What are the highlights of this neo-Vedanta? The old philosophy said, “The world is an illusion, samsara (worldly life) is terrible and every thing is Maya.” Such life-negating attitude made people impervious to the miseries, poverty and sufferings of other fellow beings. Vivekananda said, “ God has become this world and all beings. See Him in everything and everyone. If you can find God in images why not in human beings. So worship God hidden in all beings. This is the easy way to reach God. Be good and do good, it is the whole of religion” Vivekananda gave a new positive, constructive turn to Vedanta and made it down-to-earth religion.

A hundred years ago the Ramakrishna Mission was established to translate into action the teachings of Ramakrishna and Vivekananda. In this short period in history, the Ramakrishna Movement has become worldwide phenomenon. Its centers are spread not only in India but in many countries of the world. All centres try to mitigate the sufferings of the needy and helpless and at the same time awaken people to their innate divinity. The centres of the Ramakrishna Mission are in France, Russia, America, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Switzerland, Japan, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Fiji, Singapore and also in some other countries. The Mission embraces in its comprehensive sweep the following activities: Spread of man-making and character-building education, rural reconstruction, work among the tribal and backward people, economic and social uplift of the masses, education of women, relief work in times of natural calamities, healthcare through hospitals. Along with these works go the publication of spiritual books and preaching.