[Advaita-l] Advaita-l Digest, Vol 91, Issue 5

[Ajit Gargeshwari]

On Sun, Feb 5, 2012 at 12:35 AM, Ajit Gargeshwari <
ajit.gargeshwari at gmail.com> wrote:

> Dear List,
>
> http://www.belurmath.org/home.htm
>  The main goals and objectives of these twin organizations, based on the
> principles of Practical Vedanta<http://www.belurmath.org/vedantaindianculture.htm>,
> are:   To spread the idea of the potential divinity of every being and
> how to manifest it through every action and thought.
>
>  To spread the idea of harmony of religions based on Sri Ramakrishna's
> experience that all religions lead to the realization of the same Reality
> known by different names in different religions. The Mission honours and
> reveres the founders of all world religions such as Buddha, Christ and
> Mohammed.
>
>  To treat all work as worship, and service to man as service to God.
>
>  To make all possible attempts to alleviate human suffering by spreading
> education, rendering medical service, extending help to villagers through
> rural development centres, etc.
>
>  To work for the all-round welfare of humanity, especially for the uplift
> of the poor and the downtrodden.
>
>  To develop harmonious personalities by the combined practice of Jnana,
> Bhakti, Yoga and Karma. Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission are twin
> organizations which form the core of a worldwide spiritual movement (known
> as Ramakrishna Movement or Vedanta Movement), which aims at the harmony of
> religions, harmony of the East and the West, harmony of the ancient and the
> modern, spiritual fulfillment, all-round development of human faculties,
> social equality, and peace for all humanity, without any distinctions of
> creed, caste, race or nationality.   RAMAKRISHNA MATH is a monastic
> organization for men brought into existence by Sri Ramakrishna<http://www.belurmath.org/sriramakrishna.htm>(1836-1886), the great 19th century saint of Bengal who is regarded as the
> Prophet of the Modern Age.
>
> RAMAKRISHNA MISSION is a registered society in which monks of Ramakrishna
> Math and lay devotees cooperate in conducting various types of social
> service mainly in India. It was founded by Sri Ramakrishna's<http://www.belurmath.org/sriramakrishna.htm>chief apostle, Swami
> Vivekananda <http://www.belurmath.org/swamivivekananda.htm> (1863-1902),
> one of the foremost thinkers and religious leaders of the present age, who
> is regarded as 'one of the main moulders of the modern world', in the words
> of an eminent Western scholar A. L. Basham.
> Although Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission are legally and
> financially separate, they are closely inter-related in several other ways,
> and are to be regarded as twin organizations. Please see above the vision
> and mission of Ramakrishnan mutt. From this it is clear that neither are
> they supportors of Sringeri or any other Mutt.  Many say Shankarcharyas
> teachings traditionally are  represented by four or five mutts ( But most
> scholars who have written well on advaita over the past thousand years or
> more have not explicitly stated in their works that they have any direct
> connection with these mutts though many may have). The mutts or the seers
> have never proclaimed themselves to be the sole custodians of Sampradaya.
> Sampradaya learning can be got by anybody who has correctly learnt the
> traditional methods of Advaita. Every Guru who teaches is a custodian of a
> Sampradaya.
>
> Shankaracharya orhis disciples in their works have not talked about Mutts
> but have evolved their teachings to a much grander world or Cosmic stage
> and have effectively in the process tried to answer their critiques as and
> when relevant.
> So let us Discuss about Madusudhan and his views on Bhakti and Vedanta
> than talking about matters which are irrelevant.
>
> Regards
> Ajit Gargeshwari
>
>
>