Address: Rijksweg 141, 9423PA, Hoogersmilde KvK nummer: 40411683 E-mail: vedanta.nederland@gmail.com Telephone: (0031) 0592-865283
Ramakrishna Vedanta Vereniging Nederland is a registered charitable, not-for-profit religious and spiritual organisation. Called "Vedanta Centrum" for short, this organisation is a branch of the worldwide Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. The headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission [also called Ramakrishna Order] is Belur Math. Belur Math [www.belurmath.org] is located in Howrah District near Kolkata in India. While centres in India are called "matha" [মঠ], meaning "monastery" or Math in its English form, Centres outside are called Vedanta Societies. The Vedanta Societies follows the ideals of the Ramakrishna Order, which are the ideals of Vedanta. Vedanta comes from the word Veda, which means all knowledge. Vedanta means the "culmination of all knowledge", which is spiritual knowledge. Thus, the Vedanta Centres are houses of spiritual knowledge. Vedanta Societies are the centres of spiritual, cultural and moral knowledge and spiritual seeking. Vedanta Centres, thus, are the houses of true love, universality, and harmony. The purpose of the Vedanta Centre is to practice and propagate the universal ideals of Vedanta and Ramakrishna. Vedanta Centres help people know, understand and emulate the universal ideals of Vedanta, as taught and represented by Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda. What are the universal ideals of Vedanta, or Sanatana Dharma, or of the Ramakrishna Movement? The universal ideals are the following: (a) Whatever religion, country, race or group you may belong to, your life's goal is to attain perfection. (b) What is Perfection? Perfection means to know who you are. You are not merely the body. You are not just your thoughts. You are divine. You are infinite. Your divinity is hidden within due to ignorance. The goal is to remove the coverings of ignorance and to know who you really are. (c) By concentrating on your higher nature or Self, you attain peace and lasting happiness. (d) Your goal, whatever your affiliation, is to know who you are, or, to know God. (e) You can do this by any means--meditation, prayer, repetition of God's names, yoga, service, etc. (f) You may believe in God's forms or you may not--that is your choice. This is because, no creature can limit God and say, "O God! You should be this alone and not that." (g) Oneness of all living beings, because of the spiritual Oneness, is the fundamental principle of Vedanta.
IF YOU WISH TO HELP US: Our bank details: ING BANK ACCOUNT: Ramakrishna Vedanta Vereniging Account number: NL77 INGB 0009 3130 59 The Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission are twin institutions, inspired by Sri Ramakrishna and Holy Mother, founded by Swami Vivekananda, and run by monks (sannyasins). The twin institutions run 210 centres worldwide (as on 2020). The Organisation runs numerous hospitals, colleges, schools, and so on, and conducts immense social welfare activities. The monks undergo thorough training for years to conduct numerous activities for the spiritual benefit of themselves as well as for the good of the world. The goal of the monks is God-realisation. All work is done as service to God in the human being. All work is worship, and all living beings are manifestations of God. The monks worship and pray, meditate and work, study and discriminate between the Real and the unreal, and respect all religions as different paths to the one Supreme. For details about the Ramakrishna Order of monks, please visit www.belurmath.org.
In accordance with these Vedantic ideals, our Vedanta Centrum in Holland conducts day-to-day activities for the good of all. Prayer, worship, meditation, courses, spiritual retreats, yoga, all form part of our Centre's activities. All are welcome. The first-ever European novice was Henry J van Haagen. Henry van Haagen, along with J.J. Goodwin and Miss Ellen Waldo, received the vows of brahmacharya from Swami Vivekananda on February 20 1896. The Ramakrishna Vedanta Society of Holland was started in Amsterdam on 18 February 1986, on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Sri Ramakrishna. It was affiliated to the Ramakrishna Order in 1990. A monk of the Ramakrishna Order resides here as president and spiritual leader, conducting diverse activities for the benefit of all sections of society--irrespective of race or nationality, religion or culture. For, Vedanta is for all.
In 1906, Dr J.H. Mees, with Mrs Mees, visited Belur Math, the Headquarters of the Ramakrishna Order. They met the Direct Disciples of Sri Ramakrishna including Swami Brahmananda. Dr Mees wrote the book, The Message of Sri Ramakrishna.
In 1906, Protestant Minister, Dr. Louis A. Bähler(1867-1941) wrote the book Ramakrishna: En Hindoe Heilige in de 19e eeuw. Dr. D.H. Mees and his wife, who visited Belur Math in 1906 and wrote the book, "Message of Ramakrishna"
Douwe Ter Laan and Elly Ter Laan from Waganengen had close contact with many senior monks and visited Belur Math and India several times.
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Nikola Tesla en Swami Vivekananda |