SHARADA FOUNDATION - WOMEN MONASTIC ORGANIZATION
It was around 2004 that from a Common Divine Spring three streams emerged with separate independent identity. The Common Divine Source received the public recognition with the name BAILUR MATH. This Bailur Math is a Lamp lit by a spark of the already existing brightest flame of Divinity and Spirituality, the well-known Ramakrishna Movement. The three independent streams are the three institutions – Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama (the Men Monastic Wing), Sharada Foundation (the Women Monastic Wing), Sri Ramakrishna Sharada Ashrama (Mission and Service Wing).
We are a group of women devotees living together with the ideal of renunciation (Sannyāsa) and Service to mankind. The basis is, of course, the Divinity of man and pure Spirituality. Though we came together almost as early as 2004, we felt the need to form a Trust and have an official legal identity as a Math/Ashrama, only in 2014. Since then we have the status as a non-profit making Public Charitable Trust and is recognized and registered under IT Dept., Govt. of India with income-tax exemption for donors under Section 80G.
This Foundation is run by three Sannyāsinīs (Mātājis) with other Vānaprasthīs as permanent residential members, who too are renunciates leading pure spiritual life. This organization is an independent unit which is independently registered as a public charitable trust. To know more about men monastic organization, visit www.rkashrambailurmath.org
Inauguration of Ashrama
You can the cherish the memories of Ashrama inauguration from below google photos.
Our Aim & Ideal
The life transforming Divine Life of Holy Mother Sri Sharada Devi is one of absolute purity, of intense faith and devotion, radiating love and peace, of forbearance and compassion, of Motherhood and Divinity. She was an embodiment of love, service and sacrifice, being ever one with Mother Nature and the Society in which we live and also one with the Nation which is our Mother and our life from cradle to grave, and ever one with the entire humanity to which we belong to. These supreme values are the pivot of this Trust. Seeking our own spiritual evolution as also of others around and the urgent need of educating women to live a stress-free and secured life of self-dependence and lasting joy, peace and social security and be of help in building a strong Nation, strong society and a stable social structure — all these have necessitated formation of This Trust. In principles, ideas and ideals as well as goals and activities the organization follows entirely The Ramakrishna Tradition as set by Swami Vivekananda, and thus, is a humble participant in the world encompassing Great Ramakrishna Movement.
Our vision, mission and objectives
It is mainly a retreat centre dedicated to the twin ideals: “for one’s own salvation and for the welfare of the world” (आत्मनो मोक्षार्थं जगद्धिताय च – Atmano Moksartham Jagad Hitaya Ca). They are the twin ideals set by Swami Vivekananda in forming Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission in 1897, which have been responsible in pioneering and leading the Ramakrishna Movement. Under the banner and canopy of the Global Ramakrishna Movement, ours is an independent private organisation exclusively for women renunciates and women monastics. It is a trust recognised by and registered under non-profit making, non-commercial public charitable trust by the IT Dept of the Govt. of India. To be more specific, in our own humble and limited way we are servants of this world and of God, seeking Him and His support in serving this world while trying to see Him in every being.
To realise in one’s own life the message and teachings of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Deva, Holy Mother Sri Sharada Devi and Swami Vivekananda which is specially meant for modern times and help it flow on and reach others is the mission on hand. The teachings of The Holy Trio has the ancient WISDOM, the essence of all ethical, religious and spiritual accomplishments of entire mankind of all times. They contain Eternal values for the constantly changing human nature and society. They ensure everlasting Peace, eternal Bliss and Eternal Freedom, which are realisable by every individual in one’s own life. They give Light to the society at large, establish social equality and radiate love, peace and harmony at every level of human existence. They are universal, applicable to entire humanity irrespective of time, place, caste, creed, race, nationality, religion and conditions of living.
Genesis
i. The Ramakrishna Movement :
The Ramakrishna Movement needs no introduction, being the most significant movement on the world platform that has been influencing all sectors of human life. Its uniqueness and speciality is that it can be adopted and owned by any and every person without any need to leave one’s own path, principles and way of life. And, once owned he/she finds oneness with the rest of the world and one’s spiritual evolution begins – from animal-hood to divine-hood.
This movement is named after Sri Ramakrishna, the celebrated Spiritual Eminence, renowned as ‘Prophet of modern times’ and is worshipped by Hindus as an Incarnation of God. Sri Ramakrishna lived the whole gamut of the spiritual evolution in all possible ways that makes man a ‘GOD’ in reality. He practised all honoured paths to Perfection that man could evolve, reached the common End, giving validity to all paths and showing their common base and common end. Thus his life lived in the broad day light of history is as much valid and valuable as any scriptures on this earth. Apart from spiritual life and spiritual attainments he emblazoned the absolute necessity of ethical and all human values and developments for a peaceful and joyful living in this earth. Many eminent people of that time were astonished by his life and were charmed by his teachings. Hundreds of people received his teachings, got transformed, lived his teachings and gave it to others around. Thus began the Ramakrishna Movement. His message to mankind, of peace, universal love, spirituality and Oneness, was proclaimed and broadcast to the world at large by his chief disciple Swami Vivekananda who, for its implementation and promulgation founded the twin organisations Sri Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. With the formation of twin organisations, the Ramakrishna Movements took a concrete form and got spread in an organised way. Presently they are having 274 branch centres spread all over the world. As per the dream of Swami Vivekananda, “With Holy Mother as the centre of inspiration, a Math is to be established on the eastern banks of the Ganga. As Brahmacharins and Sadhus will be trained in this Math (Belur Math) so in the other Math also, Brahmacharinis and Sadhvis will be trained”, and thus was formed women monastic organization Sri Sarada Math and Ramakrishna Sarada Mission, which has 35 branch center all over the world.
Following their footsteps, thousands of Independent Ashramas and organisations have come into existence. With the ever-widening circle of private Ashramas, service units, followers, devotees, admirers and well-wishers, the Ramakrishna Movement is gaining momentum. Apart from the branch centres of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, there are more than 3000 private Ashramas/units working in India.
This worldwide Ramakrishna-Vivekananda-Movement has made substantial progress in achieving its objectives of establishing universal peace and oneness bound by universal love. The world is responding to the call as an immediate necessity. The basic principle governing peace is harmony. The Movement is trying through its ideology to build up the harmony of science and spirituality, harmony of ancient and modern, harmony of spiritual and secular, harmony of the East and the West, harmony of all religions and religious paths of the world. It is striving to impart spiritual fulfilment and give an impetus to the development of human faculties. Above all, the Movement is committed to serve man and all beings as manifestations of God, totally dissolving all distinctions of caste, creed, race, religion, nationality and linguistic differences.
The eternal and universal principles of ancient Indian philosophy are brought down to the common man’s reach in such a way that it can be applied in practical life to solve social problems and problems of life. In the world torn by political, religious, sectarian, ethnic, racial and linguistic conflicts/differences, the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda-Movement remains as fountainhead of Spirituality that dissolves all differences and showers peace, harmony and joy.
The whole Movement collectively has been contributing to the welfare and progress of humanity by serving the poor, the needy, the sick, the downtrodden, by running schools, collages, orphanages and dispensaries, hospitals, relief and rehabilitation work for the victims of natural and manmade calamities and rural development works. This is the Ramakrishna Movement, and is the driving force behind our Ashrama and the Bailur Math group of instituions and is moving along the same current with the same goal. The Ramakrishna Movement has both monastic and non-monastic organisations. Of the twin organisations (the pioneers of the Ramakrishna Movement) the Ramakrishna Math is purely a men monastic order, while the Ramakrishna Mission is a public association or society open to monks as well as lay people. Similarly, Sri Sarada Math is purely the women monastic order, and Ramakrishna Sarada Mission is a public association or society open to all Sadhvis as well as lay people. The Movement also contains purely non-monastic organisation like the Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari. This Ashrama, Sharada Foundation is the women monastic organization of the Bailur Math group of institutions.
ii. The Ramakrishna monastic Order (Sri Ramakrishna Sannyasa Sampradaya):
Vivekananda came to Sri Ramakrishna as Narendra Nath Dutta when he was 18. Under the loving guidance of the Master, he bloomed into a spiritual eminence. Many youngsters had gathered round the Master. After the Master’s passing away sixteen disciples of the Master headed by Swami Vivekananda formed a monastic brother-hood known as the Ramakrishna Math. Formal monastic vows were taken according to traditional Sannyasa Sampradaya. The ideas and ideals lived and taught by the Great Master Sri Ramakrishna were incorporated and it was rejuvenation and modernisation of Hindu monasticism, it was one of the significant achievements of Swami Vivekananda.
The monastery started at the dilapidated building in Baranagore in 1887 got finally shifted to its own premises in 1899 and became a registered institution as a Trust on 30th January 1901. Though rooted in the ancient monastic tradition of India of the vedic times and forming a part of the Dashanami (ten Orders established by Shankaracharya in 8th century AD), it was thoroughly revised to form a well organised body. Now, at present, the Ramakrishna Order of Sannyasa bears a distinct identity with new pattern of monastic life and disciplines which combines the best elements of the monastic traditions of the East and the West. Similarly as per wish of Swami Vivekananda, in year 1954 was formed and established women monastic order Sri Sarada Math. Sri Sarada Math and the Ramakrishna Sarada Mission, though legally separate, are basically one with the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission, being their counterparts.
Of late, the Ramakrishna Order of Sannyasa has expanded beyond the limits of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, and the Brahmacarya diksha (investiture of formal vows of celibacy) and the Sannyasa Diksha (investiture of formal vows of monasticism) according to the Ramakrishna Sampradaya (Ramakrishna Order) can be had from other external sources.
This Ashrama Sharada Foundation under Bailur Math of group of institutions is independently functioning womens monastic organization under the larger banyan tree of the Ramakrishna Tradition of Sannyasa. This Ashrama is not a branch of Sri Sarada Math and Ramakrishna Sarada Mission, Dakshineshwar, Kolkata but works on the same principles and closely follows the same ideals and ideology.