Thoughts on Sri Ramakrishna?

[StarryNightshade]

What are everyone's thoughts on Ramakrishna and the Ramakrishna Mission/Order?

The big realization that I've come to about myself is that I tried to force myself into traditional Hinduism. Nothing wrong with traditional Hinduism or those who practice it, but I tried to force myself to fit something that didn't come naturally. Something that should have been liberating or a joy to do became a massive burden. Yeah, this comes as a shock to probably no one, but it finally dawned on me.

In my process of looking into what Ramakrishna taught and the organizations he created, I do like a lot of what he had to say. Particularly about the unity of Hinduism (as practically improbable as that may be), Realization as the ultimate goal of life, and the synthesis of Yogas.

Yes, what he taught, and by extension what the Ramakrishna Mission teaches, isn't traditional Vedanta, but it is still Vedanta. I feel as if it could be a practical Hinduism where devotion and Bhakti to God is of high importance.

 

[Terese]

I remember reading about Ramakrishna a year ago, when i was still trying to grasp Vedanta. Wonder if his spiritual visions that affected him were truly spiritual or just schizophrenia as scientists say.

 

[StarryNightshade]

Wonder if his spiritual visions that affected him were truly spiritual or just schizophrenia as scientists say.

Who knows?

Maybe it's just scientists trying to discredit something they couldn't understand?

Maybe he did truly have these profound visions?

Maybe it ultimately doesn't matter? Rather than focusing on what might have been, we focus on the teachings that are here now.

 

[Vinidra]

What are everyone's thoughts on Ramakrishna and the Ramakrishna Mission/Order?

The big realization that I've come to about myself is that I tried to force myself into traditional Hinduism. Nothing wrong with traditional Hinduism or those who practice it, but I tried to force myself to fit something that didn't come naturally. Something that should have been liberating or a joy to do became a massive burden. Yeah, this comes as a shock to probably no one, but it finally dawned on me.

In my process of looking into what Ramakrishna taught and the organizations he created, I do like a lot of what he had to say. Particularly about the unity of Hinduism (as practically improbable as that may be), Realization as the ultimate goal of life, and the synthesis of Yogas.

Yes, what he taught, and by extension what the Ramakrishna Mission teaches, isn't traditional Vedanta, but it is still Vedanta. I feel as if it could be a practical Hinduism where devotion and Bhakti to God is of high importance.

I like Ramakrishna's teachings, for the most part. I feel like he and Vivekananda get a bad rap that's not really deserved a lot of the time.

As far as trying to force yourself into "traditional" Hinduism, I get that, too. I've had the same problem in the past, as recently as a couple of months ago. It just was *not* working for me, so I kinda started over completely.

But I've essentially rededicated myself to Mother all over again, and she doesn't seem to mind that I'm a bit heterodox, and if she doesn't mind, then I sure don't, either.

Anyway, yes to Ramakrishna, in my book. Also, as an aside, the only thing that ever really made the point of meditation click in my head and the only instructions that ever made any sense to me came from Vivekananda's book on Raja Yoga...which I downloaded for free from the Ramakrishna Mission website.

 

[Bhadr]

What are everyone's thoughts on Ramakrishna and the Ramakrishna Mission/Order?

Well,the organization is primarily meant for those who want to become Sanyasins.

The big realization that I've come to about myself is that I tried to force myself into traditional Hinduism. Nothing wrong with traditional Hinduism or those who practice it, but I tried to force myself to fit something that didn't come naturally. Something that should have been liberating or a joy to do became a massive burden. Yeah, this comes as a shock to probably no one, but it finally dawned on me.

Nothing bad,we all may change our opinions with time.

In my process of looking into what Ramakrishna taught and the organizations he created, I do like a lot of what he had to say. Particularly about the unity of Hinduism (as practically improbable as that may be), Realization as the ultimate goal of life, and the synthesis of Yogas.

Yes, what he taught, and by extension what the Ramakrishna Mission teaches, isn't traditional Vedanta, but it is still Vedanta.

I didn't get what 'unity of Hinduism' means.Is it like all traditions in one tradition?
Probably that won't happen coz practically it won't work out.
Smarta-ism may be closest to the 'unity idea'; rest all are sectarian and have their own distinct flavors.

So you already know that the organization seems to follow Advaita Vedanta of Adi Shankaracharya and that its different from the orthodox variety.
(But their belief is more about unity of all religions.)

Like we all said before,there is no common,ultimate goal called realization.
(And the learned Brahmanas I know do not encourage lot of Vairagya in ordinary householders.)

I feel as if it could be a practical Hinduism where devotion and Bhakti to God is of high importance.

There is no need to be a part of any organization to express Bhakti to God.(Unless you want to become a devotee and worship the individuals who form the trinity of the organization; which happens to be their central practice).

 

[Bhadr]

Who knows?
Maybe he did truly have these profound visions?

I don't know about visions and stuff but Sri Ramakrishna was probably the most famous devotee of Goddess Kali in recent times.

Maybe it ultimately doesn't matter? Rather than focusing on what might have been, we focus on the teachings that are here now.

I agree 100%.

 

[StarryNightshade]

Well,the organization is primarily meant for those who want to become Sanyasins.

Definitely the Order/Math, but I think the RK Mission is one which has both monastics and householders. Kind of like the Chinmaya Mission. I could be wrong.

I didn't get what 'unity of Hinduism' means.Is it like all traditions in one tradition?
Probably that won't happen coz practically it won't work out.
Smarta-ism may be closest to the 'unity idea'; rest all are sectarian and have their own distinct flavors.

From what I gather I think it means that while the varying traditions are very different, we are still Hindu. That Smarthas, Saivas, Vaishnavas, and Shaktas don't have to agree on everything, but are all still Hindu nonetheless.

Note, I made a mistake and wrote "unity of Hinduism", when it should be "Harmony within Hinduism".

So you already know that the organization seems to follow Advaita Vedanta of Adi Shankaracharya and that its different from the orthodox variety.And their belief is more about unity of all religions.

Yep. It's Advaita, but not traditional Advaita. And I'm 100% fine with that.

Like we all said before,there is no common,ultimate goal called realization.
(And the learned Brahmanas I know do not encourage lot of Vairagya in ordinary householders.)

I agree with both points. I was mainly going by what info I saw on sites and pages for varying ashrams and temples. It was something that stuck out positively for me.

There is no need to be a part of any organization to express Bhakti to God.(Unless you want to become a devotee and worship the individuals who form the trinity of the organization; which happens to be their central practice).

That is something else to consider. I don't need to be a part of an organization or even revere anyone specific, but it's good to know of options.

 

[Bhadr]

Definitely the Order/Math, but I think the RK Mission is one which has both monastics and householders. Kind of like the Chinmaya Mission. I could be wrong.

Well,I don't know for sure.

From what I gather I think it means that while the varying traditions are very different, we are still Hindu. That Smarthas, Saivas, Vaishnavas, and Shaktas don't have to agree on everything, but are all still Hindu nonetheless.

Note, I made a mistake and wrote "unity of Hinduism", when it should be "Harmony within Hinduism".

That's ok.

That is something else to consider. I don't need to be a part of an organization or even revere anyone specific, but it's good to know of options.

Oh! Fair enough.

P.S. According to wiki 'Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita' is an authoritative biography.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Sri_Ramakrishna_Kathamrita
I haven't read it but I advise you to read it completely.English translation is there in the below link for download :
http://www.kathamrita.org/kathamrita

Looks like its long but you must read it entirely before taking any decision.

 

[George-ananda]

I think he and his work and mission bring much glory to the spiritual tradition of India.

 

[Vinayaka]

I have met a couple of people ... one who was once a Ramakrishna monk, and the head of one of their centers (Chicago, Swami Bhaskarananada, now deceased). They do excellent work, I believe, from charity top translation sponsoring, etc. Philosophically definitely on the 'liberal' end of things.

As far as Ramakrishna himself goes, and that versus the organisation as it stands today, well, its been over 100 years. Things change. How, I don't know.

 

[StarryNightshade]

I have met a couple of people ... one who was once a Ramakrishna monk, and the head of one of their centers (Chicago, Swami Bhaskarananada, now deceased). They do excellent work, I believe, from charity top translation sponsoring, etc. Philosophically definitely on the 'liberal' end of things.

As far as Ramakrishna himself goes, and that versus the organisation as it stands today, well, its been over 100 years. Things change. How, I don't know.

Yeah, they tend to be on the more liberal side of things theologically. But as a religious moderate, this isn't an issue for me.

The only massive difference I can think of is that Vedanta Centers (the American branches of RK Mission) have been heavily "Protestantized" to the point where there are almost no images or murthis, pujas are only done on special days, and there are benches for people to sit. Then again, just because one follows Ramakrishna or is under the guidance of someone from the RK mission doesn't mean that they have to go to only Vedanta Centers. The Kali Mandir in Laguna Beach, California greatly reveres Ramakrishna and is a proper temple (as far as I can tell).

 

[Bhadr]

The book is online, so I thought I'll see whats there in it and read a bit.I found some things that might be interesting to our members as they are having discussions on these things now.

http://www.kathamrita.org/kathamrita/volume-1-section-1
@Vinayaka ji If you scroll down a bit to chapter 4,in it there is this heading What is jnana? – image worship
@Terese ji ,along with the above heading and following it How to gain love and devotion for God and How to see God
@StarryNightshade Check the stuff under above headings

 

[Bhadr]

I'm reading the book,it seems engaging for two reasons;it speaks of different ways to approach the Absolute and offers an insight into Bengali lives and lifestyle in the 1800s.

@Terese ji , the highlighted part in red might interest you.(Sri Ramakrishna often refers to Brahman as She)

http://www.kathamrita.org/kathamrita/volume-1-section-2

Sri Ramakrishna (to Keshab and others):
“She is the creator of both bondage and liberation. Due to Her maya (illusion), worldly man is bound with the chains of ‘lust and greed.’ And then he is liberated by Her mercy and grace. She is the Being who takes bound souls across the sea of the world by removing their fetters.”

Saying this, Thakur sings a song by Ramprasad in a voice sweeter than the gods of the heavens[19] who sing the glories of the Most High:

In the world’s bustling marketplace, O Shyama, You fly kites that soar on the wind of hope, held fast by maya’s string,
Kites made of bone, nerve, and skin, all fashioned from the gunas three. How intricate is their workmanship!
With worldliness have You imbued their strings, rubbed with a paste of powdered glass to make them sharp and strong.

Among a hundred thousand kites only one or two break free.
And then, O Mother, how you laugh and clap your hands!
Says Ramprasad,
A kite set free will swiftly ride the favouring wind across this world’s ocean and soon alight on the other shore.
“The Mother is always in Her sportive mood.
This world is Her sport.
She has Her own way and She is full of joy.
She liberates only one among millions.”

A Brahmo devotee: “Sir, She can free everyone if She so desires.
Why has She bound us with the chains of the world?”

Sri Ramakrishna:
“It is Her pleasure! It is Her desire to sport with all this. If a player touches the “granny” (in the game of hide and seek), he no longer has to run about. If all the players touch her, how will the game continue? If everyone should touch the “granny,” she would be unhappy. The “granny” is happy for the game to continue. That’s why She (the Mother of the Universe) is happy and claps Her hands when She cuts the string of one or two kites (bound souls) out of a hundred thousand. (All laugh.)

“With a wink of Her eye, She has directed the mind to go and enjoy the world. How can it be the fault of the mind? Again, by Her grace, when She turns that mind from the clutches of worldliness, one is liberated. Then the mind goes to Her lotus feet.”

Thakur sings, assuming the position of a man of the world, expressing his complaint to the Divine Mother:

This is the grief that weighs on my heart: though You, my Mother, are here and I am wide awake, thieves of passion rob my house.
Time and again I resolve to repeat Your holy name, yet at the proper hour forget. Now I understand: this is all Your trick!
As You have not given, so have You not received. Am I to blame? Had You but given, surely You would have received.
Out of Your own gifts would I have given to You.
Glory and infamy, the bitter and the sweet – all these are Yours.
O Mother, ever immersed in your own sweet bliss, why do you break my tender feelings?
Says Ramprasad,
You have given me this mind and turned it, with a wink, to seek enjoyment in the world. And so I wander, as if cursed by an evil eye, taking the bitter for the sweet and the unreal for the real.
“Baffled by Her delusion, man has become worldly. Ramprasad says, ‘You have given me this mind and have turned it, with a wink, to seek enjoyment in the world.’”

 

[sayak83]

What are everyone's thoughts on Ramakrishna and the Ramakrishna Mission/Order?

The big realization that I've come to about myself is that I tried to force myself into traditional Hinduism. Nothing wrong with traditional Hinduism or those who practice it, but I tried to force myself to fit something that didn't come naturally. Something that should have been liberating or a joy to do became a massive burden. Yeah, this comes as a shock to probably no one, but it finally dawned on me.

In my process of looking into what Ramakrishna taught and the organizations he created, I do like a lot of what he had to say. Particularly about the unity of Hinduism (as practically improbable as that may be), Realization as the ultimate goal of life, and the synthesis of Yogas.

Yes, what he taught, and by extension what the Ramakrishna Mission teaches, isn't traditional Vedanta, but it is still Vedanta. I feel as if it could be a practical Hinduism where devotion and Bhakti to God is of high importance.

He is very influential in Kolkata (my home city) and his organization has a good presence in rest of India and in the world. Certainly try them out. Half of my neighbors and family kin have been his followers for their life (rest are Marxists..LOL) . Don't see anything harmful happening there (Belur Matha, Dakhshineswar etc.)

 

[StarryNightshade]

He is very influential in Kolkata (my home city) and his organization has a good presence in rest of India and in the world. Certainly try them out. Half of my neighbors and family kin have been his followers for their life (rest are Marxists..LOL) . Don't see anything harmful happening there (Belur Matha, Dakhshineswar etc.)

That's good to know. For the longest time I was a bit skeptical to check it out, since there are claims that he was an avatar.

But in non-dual schools of Hinduism, the idea of avatars isn't so far fetched. Besides, as far as I can tell, his stories are mostly about his connection to God and the intense devotion he experienced. Not really about any kind of miracles (but I could be totally wrong in that regard).

 

[sayak83]

That's good to know. For the longest time I was a bit skeptical to check it out, since there are claims that he was an avatar.

But in non-dual schools of Hinduism, the idea of avatars isn't so far fetched. Besides, as far as I can tell, his stories are mostly about his connection to God and the intense devotion he experienced. Not really about any kind of miracles (but I could be totally wrong in that regard).

I dislike the word avatara. Seems to be used too often and is too sectarian. I vote we go back to the old and faithful word "Rishi" (the transcendent seers) for such folks.

 

[StarryNightshade]

I vote we go back to the old and faithful word "Rishi" (the transcendent seers) for such folks.

That's got my vote.

 

[Chakra]

He seems like a good and enlightening teacher, for both new converts and advanced mystics.

 

[DeviChaaya]

I am just a tad obsessed with his wife, Shri Sarada Devi. She went through so much and yet she remained faithful and incredibly humble. Anyone who can do that has my vote. It was really Shri Sarada who carried on his legacy once he died; even Vivekananda revered her.

 

[StarryNightshade]

I've read a few chapters of the Gospel of Ramakrisha/Kathamrita and I have to say that I really like what I'm reading so far.

Although unconventional in his teaching methods, I think Ramakrishna still espouses a relatively traditional (if not necessarily "orthodox") view of Vedanta. I don't feel as if though it's watered down, but it's still very easy to understand.

The only hangup I really have is that I'm not Advaitin, but I still find a lot of good in what he says.