A glorious bequeathment to humanity – 125 years of the Ramakrishna Organisation
By Swami Atmeshananda
The Vedanta Centre in Springfield Lakes, Qld celebrates 125 glorious years of the establishment of its parent organisation – the Ramakrishna Mission (https://belurmath.org/). Established in India on 1st May 1897 by the illustrious Swami Vivekananda, the organisation has been a beacon light to many people throughout the years. ‘Swami’ (Hindu monk) Vivekananda lived a short life of 39 years, yet laid down the spiritual and legal infrastructure for the organisation which, he said, will last for at least 1000 years!
The Ramakrishna Mission Movement was founded in the name of Sri Ramakrishna (SRK), the 19th-century mystic and spiritual guru of Swami Vivekananda, 11 years after his demise. Sri Ramakrishna practiced in his own life, various religious paths and came to the conclusion that ‘paths may vary, but the goal is the same, namely, realization of perfection in life’ (cf. Be ye, therefore perfect, even as your father in heaven is perfect – Matthew 5.48).
The role played by Sri Sarada Devi (SD, 1853-1920), the wife of Sri Ramakrishna, is pivotal in the first two decades of this organization, especially after the demise of its founder, Swami Vivekananda. She was not only the the spiritual mother of the monks and the followers, but her talents in organizational management, interpersonal skills, and unwavering moral support to the monks of the organization were phenomenal. She did not receive any formal education, yet she was the very personification of discipline and keen common-sense guiding the organisation.
Ramakrishna Mission was founded on a radical idea: the monks would not be confined to the monastery but participate in activities for the welfare of society while remaining detached from all benefits/recognition that may accrue from this involvement. The traditional monastic orders saw this as a complete abandonment of their basic goal of a totally contemplative life. At the same time, many social organizations and common citizens ridiculed the idea of a religious organization trying to provide social services, something that could be delivered much better by professional NGOs and governmental agencies. But it was the genius of Swami Vivekananda that was encapsulated the motto of the organizations mission- ‘For the salvation of our individual selves and for the welfare of all beings’.
The service aspect is guided by the Bengali axiom that Swami Vivekananda was fond of – Śiva jñāne jīva sevā (serve all beings with the realization that they are manifestations of the divine).
The Vedanta Centre in Springfield Lakes follows the above principles and serves the community through various activities: food to the needy, free grocery hampers, relief in times of calamities like the recent COVID pandemic, giving financial assistance to individuals when possible, providing spiritual counseling and guidance, conducting character-building workshops for children and youth, scriptural classes and multicultural events to benefit the community. More activities will be included in the future.
