Advaita Ashrama Marks 125th Anniversary

• 08 Apr 2024

Why in News?

Advaita Ashram in Mayavati, a centre of Ramakrishna Math and Mission in Uttarakhand, is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2024.

• A two-day programme was recently held in Mayavati to commemorate the milestone.

Key Points

• The ashram was founded by Swami Vivekananda in 1899.
• The objective of the Ashrama is to study, practice and preach the Advaita philosophy free from ritualistic settings, and also to train others in spreading it.
  • The Ashrama in a short time became a centre point for the best minds of the East and the West. It helped spread the core Advaita doctrine.
• Advaita Ashrama in Kolkata was established 21 years after Mayavati Ashram to meet the growing demand for its publications and journal Prabuddha Bharata.
• Advaita Vedanta is the core of Hindu Dharma, teaching the oneness of existence and solidarity of the human race.
  • For the past 125 years, Advaita Ashrama has been disseminating principles of Advaita ideology through literature published from its Kolkata branch.

Advaita Vedanta

• It articulates a philosophical position of radical nondualism, a revisionary worldview which it derives from the ancient Upanishadic texts.
• According to Advaita Vedantins, the Upanishads reveal a fundamental principle of nonduality termed ‘brahman’, which is the reality of all things.
• Advaitins understand brahman as transcending individuality and empirical plurality. They seek to establish that the essential core of one’s self (atman) is brahman.
• The fundamental thrust of Advaita Vedanta is that the atman is pure non-intentional consciousness.
  • It is one without a second, nondual, infinite existence, and numerically identical with brahman.

Swami Vivekananda

• He was born as Narendra Nath Datta, on 12th January, 1863.
• He was a monk and chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramhansa.
• He introduced Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world and is credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to the world stage during the late 19th century.
• He established Ramakrishna Mission in 1987, named after his Guru Swami Ramakrishna Paramhansa. The institution did extensive educational and philanthropic work in India.
• He also represented India in the first Parliament of Religion held in Chicago (U.S.) in 1893.