Though it is true that Swami Vivekananda started the Ramakrishna Mission on 1 May 1897, the origin of the Mission can be traced back to long before that - in the Dakshineswar days of Sri Ramakrishna's life. When Sri Ramakrishna had completed his spiritual practices in the various paths of Hinduism as well as in other religions, he had several realizations about himself and his future mission, one of which was this:

'... as an instrument in the hands of the Mother of the universe, he would have to found a new Communion especially fitted for the liberal faith revealed in his life.'

The Divine Mother also showed him that many devotees would come to him for spirituality.

Since then we have seen Sri Ramakrishna eagerly waiting for these devotees. His longing for them was no less intense than the longing for the Mother that we had seen in him earlier. Sri Ramakrishna himself said: 'A mother never longed for her child so intensely, nor a friend for his companion, nor a lover for his sweet- heart, as I did for them. Going to the roof of the building he would cry: 'Where are you, my dear ones! Come! I can't live without seeing you!' Just as he had wept for the Divine Mother, he would weep for his devotees also all day long, and when it was dark, he would lament, 'Yet another day has passed, but nobody came.' After this, the young disciples who later constituted the Mission as monks or as householders, gradually started coming. Sri Ramakrishna himself said that the Mother had sent them in response to his call. So the Ramakrishna Mission was not man-made. It came into being as part of a Divine plan. It was a revelation.

Among all the disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, Narendranath was the foremost, and his dearest, too. From the very first day, Sri Ramakrishna knew that he would be the carrier of his message. Sri Ramakrishna knew Narendra better than Narendra knew himself. A few days after Narendra's first visit to Dakshineswar, Sri Ramakrishna sent him into Samadhi by a mere touch, and as Sri Ramakrishna said later, while Narendra was in that state, by asking him questions, Sri Ramakrishna came to know everything about him who Narendra actually was and what his mission on earth would be. So we can well assume that at that time, he also came to know that Narendra was the future leader of the organization he had in vision. Because of this, he always treated and taught Narendra in a special way. That is why when Narendra expressed his desire to remain absorbed in Samadhi forever, he was met with a rebuff. A visibly displeased Sri Ramakrishna said to Narendra that he did not expect such 'narrow-mindedness' from Narendra, that he wanted to see Narendra grow up like a large banyan tree to provide shelter and solace to afflicted humanity. We do not come across any other instance when Sri Ramakrishna gave similar instruction to other disciples. This instruction was particularly reserved for the future leader of 'his' Sangha which was to teach mankind to look upon man as the living God, and service to him as worship. Indeed, for the leader of such a Sangha, even the bliss of Samadhi should be considered a lesser goal!

FORMATION

Though the beginning was at Dakshineswar, with the coming of the intimate disciples like Narendra, Rakhal, Baburam and others, the Sangha coalesced at Cossipore around the deathbed of Sri Ramakrishna. At Dakshineswar, the disciples used to come once or twice a week, mostly on holidays. They did not have much scope for knowing each other intimately. The relationship among them was more or less formal. But at Cossipore, to attend on an ailing Sri Ramakrishna, they had to stay together round the clock and therefore came very close to each other. This development of intimacy among the disciples has been nicely expressed in Holy Mother's words. She says: So long (i.e. prior to Cossipore days), the disciples used to address each other as Mr so-and-so, but now (at Cossipore) they began to be on first-name terms. Along with the service of Sri Ramakrishna, the disciples did intense spiritual practices here. They had a single mind, a single goal, and they belonged to a single family as it were, with Sri Ramakrishna at its centre. Swami Saradananda says that the bond of love that grew among the disciples at Cossipore could rarely be found even among the members of the same family, and that not only Sri Ramakrishna alone, but Narendra's wonderful personality also was a factor behind this.

Just as the Sangha was crystallizing, Narendra also was emerging as its leader, gradually, but unmistakably, by virtue of his rare qualities of head and heart. Sri Ramakrishna must have been happy to see his dearest disciple coming up in that role. In fact, he was responsible for both - for the formation of the Sangha as well as for the shaping of its leader, though apparently he was playing a passive role - a dying man confined to his bed. As the last days were approaching, he was all the more restless about the Sangha. He would frequently say to Sarada Devi: 'If only I could bind them together before my departure!' Often he would call Narendra alone and instruct him in private about his future responsibilities. Just two days before his passing away, he said to Narendra in the presence of all: 'See Narendra, I place the responsibility for all these boys on you, for you are the most intelligent and powerful. Love them as much as possible and see that they do not go back home, but stay together at one place, engaging themselves in intense spiritual practices.

After Sri Ramakrishna's passing away, his monastic disciples began to live at a dilapidated house at Baranagore, which was rented with the financial help of one of Sri Ramakrishna's householder disciples, Sri Surendranath Mitra. There they spent their days in extreme hardship. Even the bare necessities of food and clothes were hard to get. Still there was no laxity in their spiritual practices. Narendra provided continuous inspiration to them, by his own example and also by drawing their attention repeatedly to Sri Ramakrishna's extraordinary life. When Narendra talked about Sri Ramakrishna, even the seemingly insignificant words or deeds of the Master would shine in a new light, and leave his brother-disciples enthralled.

But Narendra did not stay at the monastery for long. He went out as a mendicant monk travelling the length and breadth of India. During these travels, he discovered India in its entirety, with both its strong and weak points. He discovered that India's vitality lay in its spirituality. Had then India lost its spirituality? Was that why the country was almost dying? No - Swamiji saw that spirituality was still there in India. Only it had been the monopoly of the recluse. For long the truly spiritual men had chosen to stay away from the world, so the majority of people had no clear idea of what spirituality actually meant. What the common man practised as religion was mostly superstition and casteism. Swamiji felt that to reawaken India, religion must become a dynamic force in people's day-to-day life. The sacred must permeate the secular. The Vedanta of the forest must be carried to the doors of everyone so that a teacher could be a better teacher, a student a better student, and a clerk a better clerk. But who would accomplish this task? Such a task required tremendous courage and sacrifice, and above all, absolute purity of character, which, only the monks could have. Among the traditional monks there were many who were ready to weep for God but would shudder at the name of doing the same for man. To relate spirituality in any way with man and nation was something unthinkable to them, but the need of the hour was exactly that - the men of God must come close to the men of this world.

In the face of such a situation, Swamiji surely remembered his brother-disciples, about whom his Master once said that nowhere in the world one would find such monks, that each one of them was equal to a thousand monks. Why Sri Ramakrishna was so keen for an organization Swamiji now realized all the more and became restless to make it a reality. This was expressed in the letters he wrote to Mr Pramadadas Mitra at this time. Most probably Pramadadas Mitra was not in favour of monks staying together at one place. In reply to one his letters, Swamiji wrote that he had no other way than to try to establish an Order, even if that meant being a 'servant' to his monastic brother-disciples, for that was the explicit instruction of his Master to him.

Meanwhile, Swamiji came to know that a Parliament of Religions was going to be held at Chicago in America. Presuming that it would be a good opportunity for him to place India's message to the world, Swamiji sailed for the West. Several native kings, and particularly some young men of Madras, helped him a lot in this. The Parliament took place in September 1893. By virtue of his oratory and charismatic personality, Swamiji stole the whole show. He became the central figure of the Parliament. The West paid great tributes to him and through him, to India. Many of their misconceptions about India changed. They realized that the country which could produce a man like Vivekananda must be very rich spiritually and culturally.

For the next three years, Swamiji made a hurricane tour through various parts of America and the West, spreading India's message. People gave him the sobriquet 'The cyclonic Hindu'. But the thought of the organization never left him. He was all the more convinced of its need by seeing its Western examples. In his letters to Alasinga and his own brother-disciples he had repeatedly written about the Sangha, though it was still not clear to him exactly what form the Sangha should take.

THE FIRST STEP

We may say that the first step to fulfil this mission was his participation in the Parliament of Religions in Chicago and thereby the spiritual conquest of the West. Swamiji knew well that the secret of success of the Buddhist Sangha lay in its organized action. While in the West, he was equally charmed by the united and concerted endeavours of its people. Therefore through letters he repeatedly urged his brother-disciples to work conjointly in India. He gave similar calls to Alasinga Perumal and other South Indian devotees and admirers and inspired them to sacrifice their lives in the service of man-god. Later some of his brother-disciples expressed their doubts over Swamiji's plan to serve the suffering humanity as a form of worship. Holy Mother's cleaf-cut verdict, however, removed all their doubts and misgivings. She said, 'Naren is the instrument of Thakur. Naren is preaching the ideal of service only because Thakur wants his all-renouncing children and devotees to work for the good of the world.

RAMAKRISHNA MISSION SET-UP

Swamiji's extensive travel in India and in the West convinced him that 'no great work can be done without an effective organization.' Hence on returning to Calcutta from the West, he convened a meeting of brother-monks, devotees and admirers of Sri Ramakrishna on 1 May 1897 at the house of Balaram Basu at Bagbazar. He explained in his fiery language the necessity and utility of an organization and then said:

This Association will bear the name of him in whose name we have become sannyasis; him, taking whom as your ideal you are leading the householder's life in the field of activity - this Samsara (this world); him whose holy name, and the influence of whose unique life and teachings, have within twelve years of his demise spread in such an unthought of way both in the East and the West. Let this Sangha (Organization) therefore be named the Ramakrishna Mission. We are but the servants of the Master. May you all help in this work!

When this proposal of Swamiji was endorsed by Girish Chandra Ghosh and other senior devotees and monks, the meeting resolved to set up the 'Ramakrishna Mission'. The Ramakrishna Mission thus came into being on the historic May Day with 'Liberation of the self and good of the world' as its motto. For a religious organization it was nothing short of a unique commitment. On this very day Swamiji referred to Holy Mother Sarada Devi as the 'Sangha Janani' or Mother of the Sangha. He said: 'Sri Sri Ma [Holy Mother] is the saviour and sustainer of the Sangha that we are going to set up today; she is the Mother of the organization.'

In fact, after the passing away of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother wept and prayed much to the Master so that his all-renouncing children could have a place to settle in and live an intense spiritual life. Ramakrishna Sangha is the result of that soulful prayer of the Mother.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

A few days after the establishment of the Mission, that is, on 5 May 1897, the second meeting of the Mission was convened. The meeting, after discussion, adopted the aims and objects of the Mission and its methods of action. So far as the aim of the Sangha was concerned, it was decided that it would 'preach those truths which Sri Ramakrishna, has, for the good of humanity, preached and demonstrated by practical application in his own life, and to help others to put these truths into practice in their lives for their temporal, mental, and spiritual advancement.

The meeting also resolved that day 'to conduct in the right spirit the activities of the movement inaugurated by Sri Ramakrishna for the establishment of fellowship among the followers of different religions, knowing them all to be so many forms only of one undying Eternal Religion.'

METHODS OF ACTION

And the Mission's methods of action, it was decided, would be to

Needless to say this programme of the Mission has been translated into action over the years and its scope has widely expanded today. Within India the Mission's special task was to set up ashram as in different parts of the country, preach Vedantic religion and educate the masses, while outside India, it sought to send trained members of the Order to start centres there for the preaching of Vedanta and Indian culture so as to bring the East and the West closer. Swamiji categorically said that the aims and the ideals of the Mission being purely spiritual and humanitarian, it shall have no connection with politics. On 4 May 1909 the Ramakrishna Mission became a registered society and Swami Brahmananda was elected its President.

TRUE MEANING OF SERVICE

It has to be borne in mind that Swamiji's ideal of service is different from dry social work. This ideal has a far greater significance which many could not understand at the beginning when the Mission started functioning. Even the monks of other denominations in India looked down upon this ideal of service. What they failed to appreciate is that service does not mean just giving away foods and clothes and doling out some money to the poor and needy. Service becomes real worship when we are selfless. And only that kind of service will purify our mind and liberate us, and we shall be able to realize that God is the indwelling spirit of us all. We have to remember that it is a great privilege that the Lord has given us the opportunity to serve others. If we remember this and serve even one single person in all humility and with deep reverence, without being prompted by ego and arrogance, our life will be blessed. This is the sum and substance of the dictum - 'Serve jiva as Shiva.' Swami Vivekananda has set before us a unique example by synthesizing the two ideals, namely the liberation of the self and doing good to the world. These two ideals threaded into an inseparable whole are being increasingly appreciated by all and in all sincerity, they are trying to practise them.

THE GIANT BANYAN TREE

Today the Ramakrishna Mission has spread itself as a giant banyan tree with its branches and offshoots operating in many parts of the world. Nourished by the prayer of Holy Mother, consolidated by the fire of renunciation and austerities of the associates of Sri Ramakrishna and enlivened by the spiritual ideals of the Master, the Mission today has struck deep roots everywhere. Its activities have stirred the inner world of man outside India. It has also revolutionized the attitude of Indian sannyasins. The catholicity and universal ideals of the Mission have equally impressed the Western intelligentsia as well as the different sections of the Indian society. In areas such as providing relief, service, mass-education, technical education, awakening of women, setting up a Math for women, promoting village and tribal welfare, agricultural development through scientific method, translating scriptures such as the Upanishads into different languages, providing medical aid and, lastly, bridging the gap between the East and the West, the Ramakrishna Mission has done pioneering work. Many organizations in India and elsewhere have sprung up today which are the direct results of the activities of the Ramakrishna Mission based on Practical Vedanta.