The Lengthening Shadow: 125 Years of the Ramakrishna Mission
Prabuddha Bharata|November 2022
ON 1 MAY 1987, in Calcutta, Swami Vivekananda planted the seed that has now blossomed into the vast, unique and indispensable organisation that is the Ramakrishna Mission.
Srinjay Chakravarti
The Lengthening Shadow: 125 Years of the Ramakrishna Mission

In this, the quasquicentennial year of the Mission, it has become necessary to look back at its glorious past and prepare for what should be a golden future of the spiritual movement that bears the name of Sri Ramakrishna, and of the religion, society, and country that have been its birthplace and cradle, and, arguably, of the entire humankind. The Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission together make up the fulcrum on which these are pivoted: it is necessary to understand the impact of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission in respect of the upliftment of humanity, both materially and spiritually!' In Swami Gambhirananda's words:

On 1 May 1897 Swamiji called a meeting of the devotees of Sri Ramakrishna at the house of Balaram Bose in Calcutta where the Ramakrishna Mission Association was formally inaugurated. Its main activities then were the study of Sri Ramakrishna's message and conducting some relief work. It remained in a sort of suspended animation till 1909, when the Ramakrishna Mission took its place as a registered charitable society.²

Why did Swami Vivekananda establish the Ramakrishna Mission when an organisation like the Ramakrishna Math already existed? And what is the difference between these two? Such questions naturally arise, but the answers are not very simple. Partly because of historical necessities and partly on account of spiritual and religious reasons did these twin organisations grow up and spread their wings worldwide.

In his message to the Convention of the Mission in 1980, the then President of the Order, Swami Vireshwarananda, explained:

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The Lengthening Shadow: 125 Years of the Ramakrishna Mission
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The Lengthening Shadow: 125 Years of the Ramakrishna Mission

ON 1 MAY 1987, in Calcutta, Swami Vivekananda planted the seed that has now blossomed into the vast, unique and indispensable organisation that is the Ramakrishna Mission.

time-read
9 minutos  |
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