Bhavaprachar Parishad
The history of the Ramakrishna Movement is full of outstanding examples of selfless and steadfast householder devotees. Form the earliest days of the Math and Mission the sustained patronage and financial support of some house holder devotees helped the monastic brotherhood to pulls on in spite of tremendous hardships. But oven more than this were their exemplary lives as well as those of some women devotees, which served as living demonstration of the Movement stands for and which helped to spread its message of hope and joy.It is a wrong notion that the great Masters’ mission is exclusively for the monks of the Order. It is evident from Swamiji’s historic address that the Ramakrishna Movement is the joint venture of the monastics and the laity. In his address before the second Convention of the Math & Mission held in 1980 Swami Vireswaranandaji the tenth President of the Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission gave the rousing call in the same strain. He said, ‘I appeal to all the followers of Sri Ramakrishna to take to the rebuilding of the nation vigorously both individually and by organizing m ore institutions like these in various parts of the country, for the work done by the monastics, though much in itself, is yet very little indeed compared to the needs of the country.’ His interpretation that a person sincerely following the scope of the teachings of the Holly Trio is a member of the sangha has broadened the scope of the Movement. As a follow up measures of the Convention a Bhava prachar Committee was constituted which evolved in two stages the 10 points guideline for the Private Ashrams of the Ramakrishna Movement, subsequently Parishad/Associations have been formed in several areas - - some at regional level, some other at state level and still other at district level.
Non-affiliated Centres
The lay devotees of Sri Ramakrishna are found in almost all parts of India and in some other parts of the world. Wherever they are, they form groups and start Ashrams, study circles, etc. Many of these centres have temples dedicated to Sri Ramakrishna. Some of these centres were originally started under the influence of some of the disciples of Sri Ramakrishna or their disciples. Most of these centres are managed by lay devotees, and function independently of Ramakrishna Math and Mission.
Bhava Prachar Committee
Owing to these common features, the need to bring these Non-affiliated centres closer to the main stream represented by Ramakrishna Math and Mission was being felt for many years. As a first step in this direction an apex committee, known as Bhava Prachar Committee, was formed at the Headquarters of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, in the year 1980. This Committee consists of senior monks of the Ramakrishna Order, with the General Secretary as its ex-officio chairman and another senior monk as its Secretary and Convenor. The Committee functions only in an advisory capacity.
Bhava Prachar Parishads
A Bhava Prachar Parishad is a representative body. Each Parishad is formed by two representatives from each non-affiliated centre in the area. For instance, if there are 10 individual centres in an area, the Bhava Prachar Parishad of that area will have 20 members. Each Parishad has a Secretary-cum-Convenor who is elected by the members of the Parishad from among themselves. He does all the executive work. Apart from the Secretary, each Parishad has one President and one or two Vice-Presidents, who are monks nominated by the Committee at the Belur Math Headquarters.
Functions of Bhava Prachar Parishads
A Bhava Prachar Parishad has three main functions.
1. It provides liaison between monks and lay devotees, that is, between the Bhava Prachar Committee, consisting of monks of the Order at the Headquarters of Ramakrishna Math, and the Non-affiliated Ashramas in a particular area.
2. The Bhava Prachar Parishad coordinates the work of the non-affiliated centres of the area, and provides a common forum for those centres to discuss their problems and exchange their views.
3. Each Bhava Prachar Parishad keeps a watch on the working of the non-affiliated Ashramas under it, and sees whether they follow the ideals and principles of Ramakrishna Movement. The apex Committee at Belur Math has formulated 10 guidelines for the non-affiliated centres. The Bhava Prachar Parishad sees to it that all the Ashramas under it function within the framework of these guidelines. These Ten-point guidelines are given below.
Ten-point Guidelines
To be eligible to be a member of the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Bhava Prachar Parishad, a Non-affiliated centre, also known as a Private centre, will have to abide by the following rules:
1. The Private centre should be registered as a Religious Trust and/or under the Societies Registration Act and must follow the spiritual and ethical ideals and principles of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission and conduct their activities along the lines of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission.
2. The Private centre should have a close rapport with, and a loyal attitude towards, the Math and Mission.
3. The members of the management committee of the Private centre (by whatever name that committee be called) should have no connection whatsoever with politics or political parties. The members should also have no connection whatsoever with groups and organizations that are not approved by the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission.
4. No Swami who has left the Ramakrishna Order for whatever reason (except purely medical) should be allowed to stay in or be associated with the Private centre.
5. The Private centre should maintain proper records and books of its finances and accounts which should be audited annually by Chartered Accountants.
6. The Private centre, besides its other activities, must render some social service, curative and/or preventive, among the poor of the immediate neighbourhood.
7. The Private centre should take up some welfare work among the rural Harijans and/or Girijans and/or other backward communities.
8. The Private centre should pay attention to the youth of the locality. Weekly or fortnightly study circles, annual competition in essay-writing, recitation, music, elocution etc. may be organized. Grown-up boys and girls should have separate study circles. Swami Vivekananda’s birthday, i.e. 12th January, declared as the National Youth Day by the Government of India, should be observed by every centre.
9. Besides holding classes on the scriptures, the centre should arrange for sale of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda literature for propagation of the inspiring message of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Movement.
10. Whenever occasion arises, the Private centre should render relief services to people suffering from calamities. It may be done independently or under the guidance of the Math and the Mission.
The centres under a Parishad should jointly hold an annual celebration. The prominent centres can take up the responsibility of organizing the annual celebration by rotation. Besides the traditional puja, aratrikam, prasad distribution and religious discourses, one day may be devoted exclusively to the cause of the youth and children. Competitions in recitation, elocution, music, etc., held in different centres may have their culmination here. One morning, a procession of devotees and boys and girls of local schools and colleges may be led through the streets of the town/village where the celebration will be held. It should usually be followed by a short public meeting.