Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (February 1836 – August 16th, 1886), born Gadadhar Chattopadhyaya, was an Indian Hindu mystic, saint, and religious leader in 19th century Bengal. Sri Ramakrishna experienced spiritual ecstasies from a young age, and was influenced by several religious traditions, including devotion toward the Goddess Kali, Tantra, Bhakti and Advaita Vedanta.
As a priest at the Dakshineshwar Kali Temple, his mystical temperament and ecstasies gradually gained him widespread acknowledgement, attracting to him various spiritual teachers, social leaders, and lay followers; he eventually taught disciples, who would later form the monastic Ramakrishna Order. He was generally revered by Bengali elites and within religious circles, which led to his chief disciple Swami Vivekananda founding the Ramakrishna Math, which provides spiritual training for monastics and householder devotees and the Ramakrishna Mission to provide charity, social work and education.
The Teachings of Sri Ramakrishna was first published in 1934. Ramakrishna was both generous and open-minded in outlook, seeking the common links between all major world religions. The main commonality being love Generally terms relating to Hindu practice find their own explanation quite clearly in the context of the text.
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna as translated by Swami Nikhilananda, is also a collection of conversations with Sri Ramakrishna. Profound spiritual truths are described in simple words and vivid stories, revealing the divinity of man and the spiritual foundation of the universe.
Sri Sri Maa Sarada Devi (December 22nd, 1853 –July 20th, 1920), born Saradamani
Mukhopadhyay, was the wife and spiritual consort of Sri Ramakrishna. Sarada Devi is also reverentially addressed as the Holy Mother Sri Sri Maa by the followers of the Sri Ramakrishna monastic order. The followers of the order and devotees across the world worship Sri Sri Maa Sarada Devi as an incarnation of the Adi Parashakti or the Divine Mother. Sarada Devi spent her final years moving back and forth between communities in Jayrambati and Calcutta. Sarada Devi did not write any books but her talks and reminiscences were recorded by her disciples. In 1954, Sri Sarada Math and Ramakrishna Sarada Mission, a monastic order for women, were founded in the honor of Sarada Devi.
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