LET US UNITE THEN TO STRENGTHEN THE RAMAKRISHNA MISSION ... 1
Let us dedicate ourselves everyday to the Ramakrishna Mission and help it bring to fruition its multifarious projects of social welfare and human help. Let this be our spiritual vocation as well in line with the Master's epic pronouncement, 'Shivajnaney jeeva seva', that is, service to living beings in the awareness of the presence of God in them.
Swami Vivekananda was much distressed by the lack of the faculty of combination among Indians which he found so amply in the West where they ran society efficiently through cooperation and combination. The skills of organisation that Swamiji witnessed in America and Europe made him resolve to set up an organisation for raising humanity which he did on returning to India from his triumphant tour of the West. On 1 May, 1897 Swamiji set up the Ramakrishna Mission Association at Balaram Bose's house in Kolkata from where he now launched his world mission on the firm footing of structured organisation. He had laid great emphasis on the lay devotees in assuming their due responsibilities for the running of the Master's Mission under the leadership provided by the monks of the Order. But that never came about in the degree envisaged and hoped by Swamiji. It is time now to fulfil that vision of Swamiji and we must dedicate ourselves forthwith for the cause. Till then our devotions will remain incomplete and our realisations unfulfilled, too.
The monks of the Ramakrishna Order do not earn. They give their life's labour in overflowing love for society, that is, for us, and in return seek nothing. We, the lay devotees, work hard to earn our bread. But, as devotees, we ought not to earn for our subsistence alone but must rather work to support the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission as well. That is our holy duty and therein lies our austerity, our spiritual sadhana. May all be imbued with this spirit of sacrifice and service for the Mission! May Thakur bless all! Jai Ramakrishna!
End of Part 1
To be continued ...
Written by Sugata Bose
Photo : The first monastery at Baranagar, the famous Baranagar Math, dilapidated and haunted, the habitat of Ramakrishna's children immediately after his passing away.
Let us dedicate ourselves everyday to the Ramakrishna Mission and help it bring to fruition its multifarious projects of social welfare and human help. Let this be our spiritual vocation as well in line with the Master's epic pronouncement, 'Shivajnaney jeeva seva', that is, service to living beings in the awareness of the presence of God in them.
Swami Vivekananda was much distressed by the lack of the faculty of combination among Indians which he found so amply in the West where they ran society efficiently through cooperation and combination. The skills of organisation that Swamiji witnessed in America and Europe made him resolve to set up an organisation for raising humanity which he did on returning to India from his triumphant tour of the West. On 1 May, 1897 Swamiji set up the Ramakrishna Mission Association at Balaram Bose's house in Kolkata from where he now launched his world mission on the firm footing of structured organisation. He had laid great emphasis on the lay devotees in assuming their due responsibilities for the running of the Master's Mission under the leadership provided by the monks of the Order. But that never came about in the degree envisaged and hoped by Swamiji. It is time now to fulfil that vision of Swamiji and we must dedicate ourselves forthwith for the cause. Till then our devotions will remain incomplete and our realisations unfulfilled, too.
The monks of the Ramakrishna Order do not earn. They give their life's labour in overflowing love for society, that is, for us, and in return seek nothing. We, the lay devotees, work hard to earn our bread. But, as devotees, we ought not to earn for our subsistence alone but must rather work to support the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission as well. That is our holy duty and therein lies our austerity, our spiritual sadhana. May all be imbued with this spirit of sacrifice and service for the Mission! May Thakur bless all! Jai Ramakrishna!
End of Part 1
To be continued ...
Written by Sugata Bose
Photo : The first monastery at Baranagar, the famous Baranagar Math, dilapidated and haunted, the habitat of Ramakrishna's children immediately after his passing away.
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