The aim of the Association was to spread the truths that Ramakrishna, for the good of
humanity, had preached and taught through the example of his own life, and to help
others to put them into practice for their physical, mental, and spiritual advancement.
The duty of the Association was to direct, in the right spirit, the activities of the
movement inaugurated by Sri Ramakrishna for the establishment of fellowship among
the followers of different religions, knowing them all to be so many forms of one
undying Eternal Religion.
Its methods of action were to be: (a) to train men so as to make them competent to
teach such knowledge and sciences as are conducive to the material and spiritual
welfare of the masses; (b) to promote and encourage arts and industries; (c) to
introduce and spread among the people in general Vedantic and other ideas as
elucidated in the life of Sri Ramakrishna.
The Ramakrishna Mission Association was to have two departments of action: Indian
and foreign. The former, through retreats and monasteries established in different parts
of India, would train such monks and householders as might be willing to devote their
lives to the teaching of others. The latter would send trained members of the Order to
countries outside India to start centres there for the preaching of Vedanta in order to
bring about a closer relationship and better understanding between India and foreign
countries.
The aims and ideals of the Ramakrishna Mission Association, being purely spiritual
and humanitarian, were to have no connexion with politics.
Swami Vivekananda must have felt a great inner satisfaction after the establishment of
the Association. His vision of employing religion, through head, heart, and hands, for
the welfare of man was realized. He found no essential conflict among science,
religion, art, and industry. All could be used for the worship of God. God could be
served as well through His diverse manifestations as through the contemplation of His
non-dual aspect. Further, as the great heart of Ramakrishna had embraced all of
mankind with its love, so also the Ramakrishna Mission was pledged to promote
brotherhood among different faiths, since their harmony constituted the Eternal
Religion.
Swami Vivekananda, the General President, made Brahmananda and Yogananda the
President and the Vice-president of the Calcutta centre. Weekly meetings were
organized at Balaram's house to discuss the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the
Vedanta scriptures, and religious subjects in general.
Even now Swami Vivekananda could not completely convince some of his brother
disciples about his new conception of religion, namely, the worship of God through the
service of man. They had heard Sri Ramakrishna speak time and again against
preaching, excessive study of the scriptures, and charitable activities, and exhort
aspirants to intensify their love of God through prayer and meditation in solitude.