Swamis and Brahmacharins of Ramakrishna Mission

Swamis of the Ramakrishna Mission - we are about two thousand today. Every year on the average more than forty keep entering into our midst. A few leave and some, say about ten, disappear into death. We rejoice on their entry, and sorrow a bit when they leave the fold. But when the last ten go, we do both,  grieve. and rejoice. - grief at their going and a  sensation of happiness over a life well-lived.

I pay my respects to five of them now. I knew them in varying degrees ranging from little to nothing. Mind you, I said, we number about two thosand, and we stay dispersed all over the globe. We are each immersed in our business but there is a common blood coursing through all our bodies and minds and that goes by the name of Ramakrishna Vedanta. This blood is no inert physical blood but a living energy  bringing pulsating news of one to another.

This group of monastic brothers has been declared to be the present physical body of Sri Ramakrishna.

When you look at somebody you almost always look at his face, other parts just a bit, and many parts not at all. There are many well-known names in our group who are like the face of this body, but there are many, many others who form the most of the body, the heart, brain and other vital organs. And these  are the ones hold the face forward. They are all called the Swamis and Brahmacharins of the Ramakrishna Mission.

Today I salute Swami Jnanaghanananda,  Swami Anuktananda, Swami Jagannathananda, Swami Jnanarupaanda and Brahmachari Nityachaitanya of Hollywood