ramakrishna mission ramakrishna mission ramakrishna mission (rkm) is a hindu religious and spiritual organisation headquartered in belur math, west bengal. the mission is named after an indian spiritual guru ramakrishna paramahamsa and founded by ramakrishna's chief disciple swami vivekananda on 1 may 1897. the organisation mainly propagates the hindu philosophy of vedanta–advaita vedanta and four yogic ideals – jnana, bhakti, karma, and raja yoga. ramakrishna missionemblemabbreviationrkmformation1 may 1897 (1897-05-01) calcutta, british indiafounderswami vivekanandatypereligious organisationlegal statusfoundationpurposeeducational, philanthropic, religious studies, spiritualityheadquartersbelur math, west bengal, indialocation265 branch centrescoordinates22.37°n 88.21°e﻿ / 22.37; 88.21area served worldwidepresidentswami smarananandaaffiliationsadvaita vedantawebsitebelurmath.org part of a series onadvaita schoolsclassical advaita vedanta bhāmatī vivarana shaivism/tantra/nath kashmir shaivism (pratyabhijna) nath (inchegeri sampradaya) new movements neo-advaita nondualism conceptsclassical advaita vedanta atman brahman avidya ajativada mahāvākyas satchitananda om tat tvam asi three bodies aham cause and effect kosha neti neti kashmir shaivism pratyabhijna so'ham practices guru meditation svādhyāya sravana, manana, nididhyasana jnana yoga rāja yoga "unfoldment of the middle" self-enquiry moksha moksha anubhava turiya jivanmukta sahaja textsadvaita vedanta prasthanatrayi (principal upanishads, brahma sutras, bhagavad gita) advaita bodha deepika dŗg-dŗśya-viveka vedantasara of sadananda panchadasi ashtavakra gita gaudapada mandukya karika adi shankara upadesasahasri attributed to shankara vivekachudamani atma bodha aparokshanubhuti advaita-yoga yoga vasistha yoga yajnavalkya nath avadhuta gita kashmir shaivism shiva sutras of vasugupta pratyabhijnahridayam neo-vedanta works by vivekananda inchegeri sampradaya dasbodh teachersclassical advaita vedanta gaudapada adi shankara mandana misra sureśvara vāchaspati misra padmapadacharya amalananda chandrashekarendra saraswati vidyaranya bharathi tirtha advaita teachers contemporary swami vivekananda swami sivananda swami chinmayananda swami dayananda shaivism/tantra/nath gorakshanath matsyendranath neo-advaita ramana maharshi nisargadatta maharaj h. w. l. poonja vijnanabhiksu influences mimamsa nyaya samkhya sramanic movement yoga hinduism vedas upanishads vedanta buddhism precanonical buddhism madhyamika yogacara buddha-nature monasteries and ordersclassical advaita vedanta dashanami sampradaya gaudapadacharya math sringeri sharada peetham govardhana pīṭhaṃ dvāraka pīṭhaṃ jyotirmaṭha pīṭhaṃ modern advaita vedanta divine life society chinmaya mission arsha vidya gurukulam neo-vedanta ramakrishna mission scholarship academic paul deussen daniel h. h. ingalls richard de smet eliot deutsch sengaku mayeda max müller hajime nakamura patrick olivelle anantanand rambachan arvind sharma non-academic david godman categories advaita advaita vedanta vishishtadvaita vedanta advaita shaivism kashmir shaivism inchegeri sampradaya nondualism neo-advaita teachers hindu philosophy part of a series onhinduism hindus history timeline origins history indus valley civilisation historical vedic religion dravidian folk religion śramaṇa tribal religions in india traditions major traditions shaivism shaktism smartism vaishnavism list deities trimurti brahma vishnu shiva tridevi saraswati lakshmi parvati other major devas / devis vedic: agni ashvins chandra indra prajapati pushan rudra surya ushas varuna vayu post-vedic: dattatreya durga ganesha hanuman kali kartikeya krishna kubera radha rama shakti sita vishvakarma concepts worldview cosmology mythology puranic chronology ontology tattvas subtle elements panchikarana gross elements guṇas supreme reality brahman nirguna saguna om satcitananda god ishvara god in hinduism god and gender meaning of life dharma artha kama moksha stages of life brahmacarya grihastha vanaprastha sannyasa three paths to liberation bhakti yoga jnana yoga karma yoga liberation mokṣa-related topics: paramātman maya karma saṃsāra mind ātman (self) anātman (non-self) sūkṣma śarīra (subtle body) antaḥkaraṇa (mental organs) prajña (wisdom) ānanda (happiness) viveka (discernment) vairagya (dispassion) sama (equanimity) dama (temperance) uparati (self-settledness) titiksha (forbearance) shraddha (faith) samadhana (concentration) arishadvargas (six enemies) ahamkara (attachment) ethics niti śastra yamas niyama ahimsa achourya aparigraha brahmacarya satya damah dayā akrodha arjava santosha tapas svādhyāya shaucha mitahara dāna sources of dharma epistemology pratyakṣa (perception) anumāṇa (inference) upamāṇa (comparison, analogy) arthāpatti (postulation, presumption) anupalabdi (non-perception, negation) śabda (word, testimony) practices worship, sacrifice, and charity puja ārtī prarthana śrauta temple murti bhakti japa bhajana kīrtana yajna homa tarpana vrata prāyaścitta tirtha yatra tirthadana matha nritta-nritya dāna seva meditation tāpas dhyāna samādhāna nididhyāsana yoga sadhu yogi yogini asana sadhana hatha yoga jnana yoga bhakti yoga karma yoga raja yoga kundalini yoga arts bharatanatyam kathak kathakali kuchipudi manipuri mohiniyattam odissi sattriya bhagavata mela yakshagana dandiya raas carnatic music pandav lila kalaripayattu silambam adimurai rites of passage garbhadhana pumsavana simantonayana jatakarma namakarana nishkramana annaprashana chudakarana karnavedha vidyarambha upanayana keshanta ritushuddhi samavartana vivaha antyeshti festivals diwali holi shivaratri navaratri durga puja ramlila vijayadashami-dussehra raksha bandhan ganesh chaturthi vasant panchami rama navami janmashtami onam makar sankranti kumbha mela pongal ugadi vaisakhi bihu puthandu vishu ratha yatra philosophical schools six astika schools samkhya yoga nyaya vaisheshika mimamsa vedanta advaita dvaita vishishtadvaita achintya bheda abheda shuddhadvaita dvaitadvaita akshar-purushottam darshan other schools saiva kapalika pasupata pratyabhijña vaishnava pancharatra charvaka gurus, sants, philosophers ancient agastya angiras aruni ashtavakra atri bharadwaja gotama jaimini jamadagni kanada kapila kashyapa patanjali pāṇini prashastapada raikva satyakama jabala valmiki vashistha vishvamitra vyasa yajnavalkya medieval abhinavagupta adi shankara akka mahadevi allama prabhu alvars basava chaitanya chakradhara chāngadeva dadu dayal eknath gangesha upadhyaya gaudapada gorakshanatha haridasa thakur harivansh jagannatha dasa jayanta bhatta jayatīrtha jiva goswami jñāneśvara kabir kanaka dasa kumārila bhaṭṭa madhusūdana madhva matsyendranatha morya gosavi mukundarāja namadeva narahari tirtha nrusinha saraswatī nayanars nimbarka prabhākara purandara dasa raghavendra swami raghunatha siromani raghuttama tirtha ram charan ramananda ramanuja ramprasad sen ravidas rupa goswami samarth ramdas sankardev satyanatha tirtha siddheshwar sripada srivallabha sripadaraja surdas swaminarayan śyāma śastri tukaram tulsidas tyagaraja vācaspati miśra vadiraja tirtha vallabha valluvar vedanta desika vidyaranya vyasaraja modern aurobindo bhaktivinoda thakur chinmayananda dayananda saraswati jaggi vasudev krishnananda saraswati mahavatar babaji mahesh yogi narayana guru nigamananda nisargadatta maharaj prabhupada radhakrishnan r. d. ranade ramakrishna ramana maharshi sai baba sarasvati satyadhyana tirtha siddharameshwar maharaj sivananda swami rama tirtha swami ramdas swami samarth swami shraddhanand tibbetibaba trailanga u. g. krishnamurti upasni maharaj vivekananda yogananda texts sources and classification of scripture śruti smṛti ācāra ātmatuṣṭi scriptures timeline of hindu texts vedas rigveda yajurveda samaveda atharvaveda divisions samhita brahmana aranyaka upanishad upanishads rigveda: aitareya kaushitaki yajurveda: brihadaranyaka isha taittiriya katha shvetashvatara maitri samaveda: chandogya kena atharvaveda: mundaka mandukya prashna vedangas shiksha chandas vyakarana nirukta kalpa jyotisha other scriptures bhagavad gita agamas (hinduism) other textspuranas vishnu purana bhagavata purana devi bhagavata purana nāradeya purana vāmana purana matsya purana garuda purana brahma purana brahmānda purana brahma vaivarta purana bhavishya purana padma purana agni purana shiva purana linga purana kūrma purana skanda purana varaha purana mārkandeya purana itihasas ramayana mahabharata upavedas ayurveda dhanurveda gandharvaveda sthapatyaveda shastras, sutras, and samhitas dharma shastra artha śastra shilpa shastra kamasutra brahma sutras samkhya sutras mimamsa sutras nyāya sūtras vaiśeṣika sūtra yoga sutras pramana sutras charaka samhita sushruta samhita natya shastra panchatantra divya prabandha tirumurai ramcharitmanas yoga vasistha swara yoga panchadasi stotras and stutis kanakadhāra stotram shiva stuti vayu stuti tamil literature tirumurai divya prabandham tirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai thiruppugal tirukkural kamba ramayanam five great epics eighteen greater texts eighteen lesser texts aathichoodi iraiyanar akapporul abhirami anthadhi thiruvilaiyadal puranam vinayagar agaval society varna four varnas: brahmana kshatriya vaishya shudra varna-less: dalit varna-related topics: jati other society-related topics: discrimination persecution nationalism hindutva organisations reform movements other topics hinduism by country balinese hinduism hindu culture architecture calendar iconography mythology pilgrimage sites hinduism and other religions jainism and hinduism / and buddhism / and sikhism / and judaism / and christianity / and islam criticism glossary outline hinduism portal apart from religious and spiritual teaching, the organisation carries out extensive educational and philanthropic work in india and abroad. this aspect came to be a feature of many other hindu movements. the mission bases its work on the principles of karma yoga, the principle of selfless work done with a dedication to god. the ramakrishna mission has centres around the world and publishes many important hindu texts. it is affiliated with the monastic organization. vivekananda was greatly influenced by his guru (teacher) ramakrishna, who also believed in universalism. overview universal temple at sri ramakrishna math chennai the math and the mission are the two key organisations that direct the work of the socio-spiritual-religious ramakrishna movement, influenced by 19th-century saint ramakrishna paramahamsa and founded by his chief disciple vivekananda. also referred to as the ramakrishna order, the math is the movement's monastic organisation. founded by vivekananda in 1897, the math primarily focuses on spiritual training and the propagation of the movement's teachings. the mission, founded by vivekananda in 1897, is a humanitarian and spiritual organisation which carries out medical, relief and educational programs. both the organisations have headquarters at the belur math. the 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 math. the elected trustees of the math also serve as mission's governing body. vedanta societies comprise the american arm of the movement and work more in purely spiritual field rather than social welfare. history ramakrishna paramahamsa swami vivekananda at the parliament of religions ramakrishna paramahamsa (1836–1886), regarded as a 19th-century mystic, was the inspirator of the ramakrishna order of monks and is regarded as the spiritual founder of the ramakrishna movement. ramakrishna was a priest in the dakshineswar kali temple and attracted several monastic and householder disciples. narendranath dutta, who later became vivekananda, was one of the chief monastic disciples. according to vrajaprana, shortly before his death in 1886 ramakrishna gave the ochre cloths to his young disciples, who were planning to become renunciates. ramakrishna entrusted the care of these young boys to vivekananda. after ramakrishna's death, the young disciples of ramakrishna gathered and practised spiritual disciplines. they took informal monastic vows on a night of 24 december 1886. after the death of ramakrishna in 1886, the monastic disciples formed the first math (monastery) at baranagore. later vivekananda became a wandering monk and in 1893 he was a delegate at the 1893 parliament of the world's religions. his speech there, beginning with "sisters and brothers of america" became famous and brought him widespread recognition. vivekananda went on lecture tours and held private discourses on hinduism and spirituality. he also founded the first vedanta society in the united states at new york. he returned to india in 1897 and founded the ramakrishna mission on 1 may 1897. though he was a hindu sadhu and was hailed as the first hindu missionary in modern times, he exhorted his followers to be true to their faith but respect all religions of the world as his guru ramakrishna had taught that all religions are pathways to god. one such example is his exhortion that one can be born in a church but he or she should not die in a church meaning that one should realise the spiritual truths for themselves and not stop at blindly believing in doctrines taught to them. the same year, famine relief was started at sargachi by swami akhandananda, a direct disciple of ramakrishna. swami brahmananda, a direct disciple of ramakrishna, was appointed as the first president of the order. after the death of vivekananda in 1902, sarada devi, the spiritual counterpart of ramakrishna, played an important role as the advisory head of a nascent monastic organisation. gayatri spivak writes that sarada devi "performed her role with tact and wisdom, always remaining in the background." administration the ramakrishna mission is administered by a governing body, which is composed of the democratically elected trustees of ramakrishna math. the headquarters of ramakrishna math at belur (popularly known as belur math) serves also as the headquarters of ramakrishna mission. a branch centre of ramakrishna math is managed by a team of monks posted by the trustees, led by a head monk with the title adhyaksha. a branch centre of ramakrishna mission is governed by a managing committee consisting of monks and laypersons appointed by the governing body of ramakrishna mission whose secretary, almost always a monk, functions as the executive head. the scope of the administration follows the detailed rules made by swami vivekananda when he was the general president of ramakrishna mission. these rules were formed when the monastic brothers in 1898 wished that there should be specific rules for the work of the ramakrishna mission (as the ramakrishna movement is commonly known). they were dictated by swami vivekananda to swami suddhananda, between 1898 and 1899, and has been accepted as the consensus of the opinion of all the monks of the ramakrishna mission then, consisting of all the disciples of sri ramakrishna and their disciples. later for clear and formal legal confirmation of these rules, a trust deed was registered by swami vivekananda and many of the other disciples of sri ramakrishna, during 1899 – 1901. motto and principles the aims and ideals of the mission are purely spiritual and humanitarian and they have no connection with politics. the mission