Ramakrishna and Vivekananda - General Knowledge of Modern India
The religious men of the 19th century neither supported any sect nor showed any new way of salvation. He gave the message of divine consciousness. According to him, in the absence of divine consciousness, traditions become rigid and repressive and religious teachings lose their transformative power.Ramakrishna Mission (1836-1886 AD)
Ramakrishna Paramhansa was the priest of the Dakshineswar temple near Calcutta. After coming in contact with leaders of other religions, they accepted the sanctity of all kinds of beliefs. Almost all the religious reformers of his time, including Keshavchandra Sen and Dayananda, came to him for religious discussions and for guidance.Read More History: Ram Mohan Roy And Brahmo Samaj - General Knowledge of Modern India
Contemporary Indian scholars, whose faith in their own culture was shaken by the challenge presented by the West, that the teachings of Ramakrishna again strengthened the sense of faith in their own culture.
In order to propagate the teachings of Ramakrishna and put them into practice, his dear disciple Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897 AD. The purpose of the mission was social service because he believed that the best way to serve God is to serve human beings.
From the time of its inception, Ramakrishna Mission was established as a powerful center of mass activities. These public activities included works like providing assistance in times of disasters like floods, droughts and epidemics, setting up of hospitals and establishment of educational institutions.
Vivekananda (1863–1902 AD)
The character of Vivekananda was completely different from that of his Guru. He studied Indian and Western philosophies but did not get peace of mind until he met Ramakrishna. His mind was not only connected with spirituality, but the then circumstances of his motherland also used to stir his mind. After traveling all over India, he found that conditions like poverty, filth, lack of mental enthusiasm and lack of hope for the future were prevalent everywhere.Vivekananda clearly said that- “We ourselves are responsible for all our poverty and downfall.” He gave a message to his countrymen to make efforts for their own liberation. Took the responsibility of drawing their attention to the weaknesses. He inspired them to struggle for life and to take a new form through death, to have compassion for the poor, to provide food to the hungry and to awaken the people at large.
Vivekananda participated in the World Assembly of Religions held in Chicago, USA in 1893 AD. The speech given by him there deeply influenced the minds of the people of other countries and increased the prestige of Indian culture in the eyes of the world.