Sri Ramakrishna is regarded as the
Avatar of the modern age by millions
of people around the world.
Being of recent times, his teachings
have been well recorded, as well
of his disicples.
The Ramakrishna Math and the
Ramakrishna Mission have 208
centres all over the world :
157 in India, 15 in Bangladesh, 14
in USA, 2 each in Russia and
South Africa, and one each in
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada,
Fiji, France, Germany, Ireland,
Japan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Nepal,
Netherlands, Singapore, South
Africa, Sri Lanka, Switzerland,
UK and Zambia. There 41 sub-centers
(18 within India, 23 outside India)
under different centres.
Born on 18 February 1836 in Kamarpukur,
a village about 120 kilometres to the
northwest of Kolkata, Sri Ramakrishna
had only the rudiments of school
education. At a young age, owing to
poverty at home, he became the priest
of the Kali temple at Dakshineswar,
newly built by Rani Rasmani. He could
not continue his priestly duties for long,
as he absorbed himself in his spiritual
disciplines.
Possessed as he was by intense
longing for God from his childhood,
Sri Ramakrishna plunged into
intense spiritual practices. After
attaining the realization of God
as the Divine Mother of the Universe,
Kali, he followed the spiritual paths
of different sects of Hinduism and
the spiritual paths of other religions
like:He started as a Bhakti - Devotion
to God as Kali, then Islam, Christianity,
Jñāna (Samadhi) - the way of
knowledge, and finally Karma yoga
as he dedicated himself to pass on
his realizations to Vivekananda,
Sarada Devi and a select number
of disciples. He realized the Ultimate
Reality through all these paths
- thus there was one God!.
His spotless holiness, utter simplicity,
extraordinary spiritual wisdom and
love of God drew people to him like
a magnet, and a number of sincere
seekers gathered around him as
his disciples.
Authors note: Sri Ramakrishna
achivements were very similar to
Sri Ananda Mayi Ma. Both had no
education. Both started as Bhakta's.
And both traversed many spiritual
paths at great speed. The main
difference is that Ma did not even
experience birth into a body! But
all knew from his boyhood that
Ramakrishna was no ordinary child...
Ramakrishna Mission - founded by
Swami Vivekananda:
http://www.rkmdelhi.org/
Sri Sarada Devi:
http://www.rkmdelhi.org/about-us/our-inspiration/sri-sarada-devi/
Swami Vivekananda
http://www.rkmdelhi.org/about-us/our-inspiration/swami-vivekananda/
His major disciples:
http://www.rkmdelhi.org/about-us/our-inspiration/direct-disciples/
Sri Ramakrishna’s main teachings are:
God realization is the ultimate goal
of human life as that alone can bring
man supreme happiness and peace.
God is one, and is known by different
names in different religions and sects.
God can be realized through various
paths taught in world religions. All
religions are true in so far as they
lead to the realization of the Ultimate
Truth. God dwells in all people and
so everyone, without the distinction
of caste, creed or race, should be
treated with respect and
served with love.
Resources:
Gospel of Ramakrishna
http://www.vedanta-nl.org/GOSPEL.pdf
http://www.srinannagaru.com/books/SriRamakrishnaParamahamsa.pdf
https://bhagavadgitausa.com/SayingsOfRamakrishnaParamahamsa.pdf
Section on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Ramakrishna/e/B001ICON0W%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
