38-661: Dharma Mittra is a guru of modern yoga and a student of Swami Kailashananda . Mittra is known for his Master Yoga Chart of 908 Postures, each asana illustrated with a photograph of Mittra performing the pose. He has been teaching since 1967, and is director of the Dharma Yoga Center in New York City which he founded in 1975. Dharma Mittra was born on May 14, 1939, in Pirapora , Minas Gerais , Brazil . He started studying Yoga in 1958. In 1964, he left
76-878: A Jesuit of Sophia University writes that the Mission monks are a relatively orthodox set of monks who are "extremely well respected both in India and abroad", and that they "cannot be classified as just another sect or cult , such as the groups led by the gurus ". Veliath writes that "of the Hindu groups I have worked with I have found the Ramakrishna Mission to be the most tolerant and amenable to dialogue, and I believe that we Christians couldn't do better, than to cooperate wholeheartedly in their efforts towards inter-religious harmony. The Ramakrishna Mission has received numerous accolades throughout its lifetime: In
114-522: A god, fulfilling the prophecy in the Bhagavad Gita that Vishnu would take on earthly form when the world was threatened by evil. The potential for abuse in the transformed guru-follower relationship is large, and there have been multiple instances of apparent or proven sexual, mental, and emotional abuse by gurus. Anthony Storr has documented, for example, the excesses of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh ; Joel Kramer and Diana Alstad have examined
152-403: A large following; in contrast to the old guru-shishya tradition , the modern guru-follower relationship is not secretive, not exclusive, and does not necessarily involve a tradition. Many such gurus, but not all, teach a form of yoga as exercise ; others teach forms which are more devotional or meditational; many teach a combination. Some have been affected by scandals of various kinds. Before
190-522: A new monastic order. The original monastery at Baranagar , known as Baranagar Math , was subsequently moved to the nearby Alambazar area in 1892, then to Nilambar Mukherjee's Garden House, south of the present Belur Math in 1898 before finally being shifted in January 1899 to a newly acquired plot of land at Belur in Howrah district by Vivekananda. Almost 95% of the monks possess voter ID cards for
228-590: A section of the monks keeping close apolitical relations with freedom fighters of various camps. A number of political revolutionaries later joined the Ramakrishna Order. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her mother went to the Belur Math headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission where Swami Ranganathananda was her guardian. In interviews, current Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described visiting Hindu ashrams founded by Swami Vivekananda :
266-425: A speech made in 1993, Federico Mayor , Director-General of UNESCO , stated: I am indeed struck by the similarity of the constitution of the Ramakrishna Mission which Vivekananda established as early as 1897 with that of UNESCO drawn up in 1945. Both place the human being at the center of their efforts aimed at development. Both place tolerance at the top of the agenda for building peace and democracy. Both recognize
304-573: Is a spiritual and philanthropic organisation headquartered in Belur Math, West Bengal . The mission is named after the Indian Hindu spiritual guru and mystic Ramakrishna . The mission was 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 . The mission bases its work on
342-622: Is continued in post-lineage yoga , which is practised outside any major school or guru's lineage. The concept of the guru, along with mantra and meditation , reached the West in the 1960s with The Beatles' trip to India , for a Transcendental Meditation training course at Maharishi Mahesh Yogi 's ashram in Rishikesh . Modern gurus since then have used the divine status of the traditional guru to claim that they were gods or goddesses. Some asserted they were avatars , earthly incarnations of
380-771: Is evidence both from research in psychology and from the recollections of former devotees like Daniel Shaw, once a senior member of staff in Gurumayi 's Siddha Yoga organisation, that even if a guru is seen to be lying, devotees will ignore the matter and "keep on believing". Ramakrishna Mission Shaivism/Tantra/Nath New movements Kashmir Shaivism Gaudapada Adi Shankara Advaita-Yoga Nath Kashmir Shaivism Neo-Vedanta Inchegeri Sampradaya Contemporary Shaivism/Tantra/Nath Neo-Advaita Hinduism Buddhism Modern Advaita Vedanta Neo-Vedanta Traditional Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission ( RKM )
418-409: Is his exhortation 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
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#1732801027975456-608: Is hung in ashrams and Yoga centers worldwide, as a teaching tool and inspiration for all students of Yoga. His more recent book, entitled Asanas: 608 Yoga Poses was published in 2003. In 2006, he released an instructional Yoga video series entitled Maha Sadhana: The Great Practice . Mittra is also featured as the inspiration and model for Yoga Journal ' s coffee table book , entitled Yoga . Modern yoga gurus Modern yoga gurus are people widely acknowledged to be gurus of modern yoga in any of its forms, whether religious or not. The role implies being well-known and having
494-616: 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 the Mission's Governing Body. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (1836–1886), regarded as a 19th-century mystic, was the inspirer of the Ramakrishna Order of monks and is regarded as the spiritual founder of the Ramakrishna Movement. Ramakrishna
532-850: The Belur Math near Kolkata , the Advaita Ashrama in Almora and the Ramakrishna Mission in Rajkot . His stay at each ashram was brief because he lacked the required college education. Vivekananda has had a large influence in Modi's life. Designed and explained by Swami Vivekananda in his own words: The principal workers of the mission are the monks. The mission's activities cover the following areas: The mission has its own hospitals , charitable dispensaries, maternity clinics , tuberculosis clinics, and mobile dispensaries. It also maintains training centres for nurses . Orphanages and homes for
570-602: The Brazilian Air Force and moved to New York City , to study under his new guru , Swami Kailashananda, known in America as Yogi Gupta. After intensive study of Ashtanga and Karma Yoga , in 1966 he was accepted and initiated as a sannyasi (one who renounces the world in order to realize God). Dharma began teaching in 1967, after spending a decade as a full-time yogi and brahmachari (a celibate religious student who lives with his teacher and devotes himself to
608-647: The Upanishads and Yoga in the Bhagavad Gita are reinterpreted in light of Ramakrishna's life and teachings, and are the main source of inspiration for the Mission. Manifestation of the Atman can be realized through any of the four yogas. The Ramakrishna Mission also believes in the harmony of all religions, i.e. that all religions lead to the same goal if followed properly. After the death of Ramakrishna in 1886, his young disciples organised themselves into
646-589: The Board of Trustees comprises elected members of the Ramakrishna Order who hold senior positions as monks. The appointment of a head is done by the Trustees, who designate the head of a branch centre of Ramakrishna Math. The Ramakrishna Movement comprises four distinct streams. The inclusion of ordinary devotees assuming the role of monks within the Ramakrishna Math constitutes the initial manifestation of
684-452: The Board of Trustees consists of several key positions, including an elected President, one or more vice presidents, a General Secretary, one or more Assistant General Secretaries, and a Treasurer. The individual holding the position of President serves as the highest authority within both Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, overseeing all affiliated branch centres and the central headquarters located at Belur Math. The composition of
722-412: The Math lies in the cultivation of spiritual development and the dissemination of the movement's doctrines. The Mission, founded by Vivekananda in 1897, is a humanitarian organisation that carries out medical, relief, and educational programs. Both organisations have headquarters at Belur Math . The Mission acquired legal status when it was registered in 1909 under Act XXI of 1860. Its management
760-497: The betrayal of trust that is involved. Swami Vivekananda said early in the modern era that there are many incompetent gurus, and that a true guru should understand the spirit of the scriptures, have a pure character and be free from sin, and should be selfless, without desire for money and fame. Following the downfalls of several gurus accused of misconduct, practitioners have publicly debated whether gurus are still necessary. As for how gurus can get away with abuse for so long, there
798-431: The ceremonial waving of lights before the images of a deity of holy person and is performed twice in a day. Their ashramas observes major Hindu festivals , including Maha Shivarathri , Rama Navami , Krishna Ashtami and Durga Puja . They also give special place to the birthdays of Ramakrishna, Sarada Devi , Swami Vivekananda and his other monastic disciples. 1 January is celebrated as Kalpataru Day . The math and
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#1732801027975836-443: The creation of modern yoga , hatha yoga was practised in secret by solitary, ascetic yogins, learning the tradition as a long-term pupil or shishya apprenticed to their master or guru. The ancient relationship was the primary means by which spirituality was expressed in India. Traditional yoga was often exclusive and secretive: the shishya submitted to and obeyed the guru, understanding that lengthy initiation and training under
874-575: The elderly are included in the mission's field of activities, along with rural and tribal welfare work . The mission has established many renowned educational institutions in India, having its own university , colleges , vocational training centres, high schools and primary schools , teacher-training institutes, as well as schools for the visually handicapped. It has also been involved in disaster relief operations during famine , epidemic , fire , flood , earthquake , cyclone and communal disturbances. The mission played an important role in
912-551: The first Vedanta Society in the United States, in New York. He returned to India in 1897 and founded the Ramakrishna Mission on 1 May 1897. Though Vivekananda 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 and respect all the religions of the world, as Ramakrishna, his guru, had taught that all religions are pathways to God. One such example
950-521: 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." The Board of Trustees holds all the authority inside the twin organisation, Ramakrishna Math and Mission. The governing body known as
988-435: The guru can be seen in the case of one of these pioneers, Yogendra , who explicitly rejected the role of traditional guru for a single pupil or shishya . The physical context, too, is transformed along with the nature of the teacher's authority; yoga as exercise is often taught in an urban yoga studio, where the instructor's yoga teacher training stands in for the old guru-shishya relationship. The trend away from authority
1026-475: The guru is poorly understood. Modern yoga practices are often open to everyone, without any sort of initiation into any organisation or doctrine. The modern guru Jaggi Vasudev explicitly rejected "all that traditional whatever"; all the same, some yoga traditions still emphasise and respect a teacher's lineage ( parampara ). For example, Gurumayi 's Siddha Yoga pays careful attention to her predecessors, Muktananda and Bhagawan Nityananda . Another major change
1064-400: The guru was essential for progress. So strong was the guru-shishya relationship that Vivekananda stated that "The guru must be worshipped as God. He is God, he is nothing less than that". The role of the guru in the modern world is radically transformed. Globalisation has extended the guru's reach into environments where they may be a stranger, and where the religion, purpose, and status of
1102-746: The installation of photovoltaic (PV) lighting systems in the Sundarbans region of West Bengal. Due to the geographical features of the Sunderbans , it is very difficult to extend the grid network to supply power to its population. The PV lighting was used to provide electricity to the people who were traditionally depending on kerosene and diesel. The mission is a non-sectarian organisation and ignores caste distinctions. Ramakrishna ashrama 's religious activities include satsang and arati . Satsang includes communal prayers, songs, rituals, discourses, reading and meditation. Arati involves
1140-500: The mission are known for their religious tolerance and respect for other religions. Among the earliest rules laid down by Swami Vivekananda for them was, " Due respect and reverence should be paid to all religions, all preachers, and to the deities worshiped in all religions ." Acceptance and toleration of all religions is the one of ideals of Ramakrishna Math and Mission. Along with the major Hindu festivals, Christmas Eve and Buddha 's birthday are also devoutly observed. Cyril Veliath
1178-640: The movement. The second stream consists of lay devotees who choose not to renounce the world but instead engage in voluntary activities. The third stream is Sarada Math and the Ramakrishna Sarada Mission. The fourth branch is the "Private Ashramas," which operate autonomously and are not administratively affiliated with the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. The aims and ideals of the Mission are purely spiritual and humanitarian, and they have no connection with politics. The mission strives to practice and preach these. The Principles of
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1216-638: The 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 Parliament of the World's Religions held in the year 1893. 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
1254-601: The practice of spiritual disciplines). A celebrated teacher at his guru's ashram , he left in 1975 and founded the Dharma Yoga Center in New York City . He is director of the Dharma Yoga Center in New York City . Dharma Mittra completed the Master Yoga Chart of 908 Postures in 1984, after having photographed himself in 1300 Yoga postures, then cut and pasted the pictures to create the work; by 2003, it had sold over 50,000 copies. The Master Yoga Chart
1292-460: The principles of Karma Yoga , the principle of selfless work done with a dedication to God. The Math and the Mission are the two key organizations that direct the work of the Ramakrishna movement. The Ramakrishna Math, alternatively referred to as the Ramakrishna Order, is a monastic institution associated with the religious movement established by Ramakrishna in 1886. The primary emphasis of
1330-437: The sake of identification and particularly for traveling, as they are forced by governmental authorities to seek a voter ID card. But they generally use it only for identification purpose and not for voting though they are not forbidden to vote. As individuals, the monks may have political opinions, but these are not meant to be discussed in public. The Mission, had, however, supported the movement of Indian independence , with
1368-604: The variety of human cultures and societies as an essential aspect of the common heritage. As of March 7, 2022, the Math and Mission have 261 centres all over the world: 198 in India, 26 in Bangladesh, 14 in the United States, two each in Canada, Russia, and South Africa and one each in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Fiji, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Nepal, Netherlands, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Switzerland,
1406-540: Was a priest at the Dakshineswar Kali Temple and attracted several monastic and household disciples . In 1886, shortly before his death, Ramakrishna gave the ochre cloths of renunciation to his young disciples, who were planning to become renunciants. Ramakrishna entrusted the care of these young aspirants to Vivekananda. After his death, the young disciples of Ramakrishna gathered and practised spiritual disciplines. They took informal monastic vows on
1444-441: Was introduced by Vivekananda; his Ramakrishna Mission set the example of public service in education and medicine, something now practised by many other Indian religious movements. These religions thus shifted from a focus on personal salvation to public altruism. A further radical shift was from spiritual to physical in yoga as exercise , as pioneered by Yogendra , Kuvalayananda , and Krishnamacharya . The transformed role of
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