A centre of spirituality

Welcome

The Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre of Rio de Janeiro, a non-profit institution affiliated with the Ramakrishna Order of India, is delighted to welcome you. Namaste, and welcome!

Self-knowledge: the most extraordinary achievement of life!

Your first visit

All our meetings are open to the public and everyone is most welcome. If this is your first visit, however, we suggest coming on a Sunday, when we are best prepared to welcome new friends. We look forward to seeing you!

See the weekly programme

A new chapter for Vedanta in Rio

Swami Atmajnananda, head and president of our Centre.

Swami Atmajnananda is now living at our Centre. We all feel very happy and truly blessed by his arrival. Our Centre greatly needs your help to carry out the projects this new chapter requires.

A full Centre with a resident Swami

Be part of this historic milestone for Vedanta in Rio!

Through the dedication of Swami Nirmalatmananda, leader of the Ramakrishna Vedanta movement in Brazil, our Centre has become a full Centre directly affiliated with the headquarters of the Order in India, with Swami Atmajnananda as our head and president. To make this possible, a new house was purchased, and the Centre's original building, dating from 1865, is undergoing a major renovation. Every contribution is most welcome and will make a real difference, as much remains to be done.

Learn more about the projectDonate

It is a great honour and joy for all of us to take part in such an important moment in the history of Vedanta in Rio.

Vedanta is the science of human possibilities

He who has conquered himself is his own friend; one without self-mastery is his own greatest obstacle. We can overcome fear, anger and every kind of oppressive and destructive feeling and conditioning. This is how a more uplifting and effective way of life is built. It is liberating, and it reveals many keys to success in every aspect of our existence: physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual.

Vedanta brings together a set of practices that allow every human being to investigate their true nature in a sustained way, opening a positive path to unfold their inherent potential and to respond constructively, even transformatively, to the demands of life.

The very fact that we feel we are living poorly shows that there is an underlying well-being. If we were not, in essence, fullness itself, we would not be aware of lacking it. And there lies the problem: on the one hand we are fullness; on the other, we do not live that fullness, we do not accept it. Yet it is always with us, hence our need for it and our urgency. Fullness, greatness, is always present in every respect; otherwise we would not be aware of our own limitations.

The front of the ashrama in Santa Teresa, a preserved building from 1865.

This place is so important. How beautiful this place is! So many good things happen here. Being together like this is wonderful, so important. Life may be hard, but being together makes everything easier!

~ Helenita de Sá Earp, aged 92, shortly before her passing ~

What is Vedanta

When our inquiry is deep and thorough enough, we discover that we are this fullness, this greatness, and we wish to express it as freely as possible. We accept this truth and reject its opposite, simply because the opposite means denying what we really are. Expression is life; dullness is death.

This in-depth inquiry into our being, followed by the awakening of our dormant potential, is the most challenging and extraordinary achievement of life!

Read more about Vedanta

Some foundations of Vedanta in practice

A science of the human being in depth

Vedanta may be seen as the philosophy of the human being in depth; you might call it the science of human possibilities. This is the heart of the humanism practised and taught by Swami Vivekananda. It is a science of the human soul, explored and developed more than three thousand years ago in the Upanishads by great sages, among them men, women and even children, scholars, kings and students whose one passion was knowledge and the well-being of humanity.

The goal of life

Vedanta tells us that the goal of human life is the full manifestation of our inner greatness, our real nature, our true Self. When we deny this Self, we face endless pain, suffering, old age and death. But when we seek it sincerely, we attain freedom and fulfilment without limit. Vedanta declares that the goal of human life is the free and conscious manifestation of one's inner greatness through the inquiry into one's deepest being.

The harmony of religions

Vedanta upholds a spirit of harmony, respect and acceptance towards all religions and ways of thinking, an ancient value inherited from the people of India. All religions can live in harmony and cooperation. Truth is one, but the sages call it by different names, using different languages, shades, styles and approaches. The difference lies only in form and structure, not in spirit. Vedanta encourages each person to follow their own religion or philosophy of life with full sincerity and steadfastness, while remembering that what is best for oneself is not always best for others.

Continuous growth

Vedanta holds that our true nature is divine, beyond matter. What some call "sins" we see as actions that do not lead to our spiritual goal: mistakes that must be put right according to their seriousness. It is not healthy to regard oneself or others as sinners, as essentially imperfect; that keeps the focus on our impermanent, imperfect nature and blocks our growth. Instead, think of yourself as eternal, ever pure and perfect in essence. We must learn from our mistakes, overcome them and move on towards our essence.

The oneness of all beings

As we progress, we recognise that we belong to one great family, and further on we realise there is a Oneness among all beings. In essence we are no different from any other person or any animal, good or bad. There is but one body, one mind, one soul, manifesting through countless lives. The spirit is one and never dies, and so is life: one! Immortality is knowing that we are a single Reality, dwelling in all bodies and perceiving through all minds.

Reality is the present

We need not go outside ourselves to know the Truth. All past and future are here in the present. Can anyone see the past? When people think they are seeing the past, they are in fact imagining it in the present moment. To see the future we must bring it into the present, the only reality; the rest is imagination, idea. The present moment is all there is. Everything is here and now! Each moment of infinite time is absolutely complete and all-inclusive. Whatever exists, has existed or will exist is here in the present.

Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this Divinity within by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy — by one, or more, or all of these — and be free.

~ Swami Vivekananda ~

Suggestions for your visit

A few simple suggestions to make the most of your visit. Many opportunities are open to everyone. Yoga is skill in action!

• Punctuality. Please arrive at least 10 minutes before your activity begins.
• Support. Flowers, fruit and non-perishable food are a great help to our activities.
• Volunteering. The Centre is kept running by the selfless service of a few volunteers. Join in!

So many good things happen here

• Satsanga, talks and study. Public talks on specific themes are held on Saturdays and Sundays, preceded by devotional singing by the Gadai Group. Classes on the sacred texts take place once a week, followed by the arati ceremony and meditation. Satsanga and question-and-answer sessions are held on special occasions. Arati, meditation and short readings are part of the regular programme. Everyone is welcome.
• Spiritual counselling. The Swami gives personal interviews to earnest seekers looking for spiritual guidance, normally by prior appointment. Seekers are expected to be familiar with some basic ideas of the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Vedanta literature, through taking part in the ashrama's activities.
• Meditation and arati. The regular arati (evening worship service), followed by devotional singing and meditation, is held in the temple. Everyone is welcome to take part. A small bookshop and a library are kept for the benefit of all devotees.
• Devotional music. The Gadai Group was formed in 2002 to train and lead devotional singing in the temple and at all public events. Many young devotees have taken up this practice. The group performs Vedic hymns, songs in Portuguese and many more in Sanskrit, including traditional songs of the Ramakrishna Order.
• Special events. Vedanta encourages dialogue on interfaith topics, science, the arts, spirituality, self-development and psychology. Scholars from many fields are invited to share their ideas and points of view. These events are held from time to time.
• Volunteer service. The practice of karma yoga is encouraged through volunteer service: shrine care, gardening, kitchen service, general cleaning, office support, audio and video systems, and accounting. Volunteering helps reduce the overall cost of running the ashrama. You are most welcome to join in!
• Prasad — sharing. On Saturdays and Sundays at 6 pm, and on festival days, we pause between activities to share a simple snack: coffee, tea, juice, biscuits, cakes and so on. Feel free to bring something to share too.
• Special celebrations. On special days, such as the birthdays of great saints and divine personalities, we honour their memory and their gift to humanity with special worship (puja) and devotional celebrations: offerings of flowers and food, mantras, devotional songs and contemplation.
• Outings with visitors. When we receive visiting swamis and their companions, we take them to see the sights of Rio, the Marvellous City.
• Service to others. Our Centre runs a small programme supporting families in need with food baskets, and on specific occasions collects donations for people affected by public emergencies. This work can grow a great deal with everyone's involvement.
• Further courses. Our Centre offers other affordable courses related to our ideals, aimed at personal development and helping to maintain our space.

Opening times

No booking is needed. Just arrive 10 minutes before the scheduled time. All times are Brasília time (UTC−3).

Contact

Address: Rua Paula Matos 162, Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro – RJ – Brazil, postcode 20251-550

Telephone:+55 21 2224-3295 · WhatsApp:Send us a message · Email:[email protected] · Website:www.vedantarj.org.br

Arise! Awake! And stop not till the goal is reached.