Sri Ramakrishna was born in Kamarpukur in 1836. Over the last century, this village in the Hooghly District has maintained the peaceful simplicity of rural Bengal. He was named Gadhadhar by his parents. He experienced spiritual ecstasy from his childhood through various events and he was a truly an incarnation of the Supreme Almighty. He was just seven years old when his father died. This incident greatly impacted him. He focused more on reading and hearing the holy stories recorded in the Puränäs. And he grew intrigued in the wandering monks and religious pilgrims who stopped at Kamarpukur. These holy men, who preserve India’s spiritual history and embody the ideal of renunciation and devotion to God, entertained the little child with stories from Hindu epics, saints, and prophets, as well as personal experiences. He, for his part, retrieved their water and fuel and served them in a variety of ways. Meanwhile, he watched them meditate and adore. Gadadhar underwent the Sacred Thread Ceremony when he was nine years old.
In 1847, Rani Rashmoni build a temple of great goddess Kali (Bhavatarini) on the Ganga’s eastern bank in Dakshineswar, four miles north of Calcutta. In the center of a rectangular paved courtyard stood the massive temple of Kali, as well as another dedicated to Krishna and Radha. There was also a magnificent garden with two tanks and a giant banyan tree, which played an important role in Sri Ramakrishna’s life. The installation of the goddess Kali was scheduled for May 31, 1855. Rani appointed Ramkumar as the head priest. After a few days, Gadadhar moved in with his brother to the sacred temple-garden of Dakshineswar, where he felt at ease and had more opportunity to pursue his spiritual activities.
The presence of Hriday, nephew of Sri Ramkrishna, enlighted him as he was his companion of his trouble and enjoyment. Mathuramohan Biswas son in law of Rani Rashmoni had a eye on Sri Ramkrishna and his activities. This was a key moment of the entire scope of the history that occurred in Dakshineswar. Sri Ramakrishna was now appointed priest of the Radha-kanta temple, with Hriday assisting Ramkumar in dressing and decorating Kali’s figure. Sri Ramakrishna, on the suggestion of his elder brother, received the requisite initiation from Kenaram Bhattacharya, a Brahmin in Calcutta known for his devotion and experience. It is reported that as soon as the sacred Mantra was pronounced in his ears, Sri Ramakrishna, overcome with religious zeal, shouted and fell into deep concentration, which astounded the Guru. Ramakumar began asking his brother to take over the devotion of the Divine Mother on occasion, while he worshiped at the shrine of Radha-kanta. Ramkumar was getting older and decided to return home for a change.as a result, Sri Ramakrishna was permanently assigned the task of leading Kali worship. But Ramkumar would never see his home again; he died a few kilometers north of Calcutta. His death was a huge shock and revelation for the young priest. It happened at a time when he was becoming increasingly aware of the world’s fleeting nature, and all of his energies were now directed toward the pursuit of something real and imperishable. God’s realization became the young aspirant’s one consuming passion. He would cry profusely like a child when denied the Mother’s vision, and he would exclaim, “O Mother! Where art Thou?” His devotion showed a pathway of how we can realize the presence of God. In 1859 he was married to Sarada Mukhopadhyay, a young girl from the neighbouring village of Jayrambati. Sri Sri Ma was divine herself and along with Sri Ramkrishna showed us the way of spiritual realization. Sri Ramakrishna thought Sri Sri Ma to be the embodiment of the Divine Mother and performed the Shodashi Puja. She was a devout follower of her husband’s teachings and took on the role of mother to his pupils with ease.
Ramakrishna’s devotion for humanity was enormous. He frequently stated that humans were the highest expression of God. Ramakrishna’s pupils witnessed this love directly, and the monastic order he established became the first in India to serve humanity. One of the Ramakrishna Order’s most important beliefs is to serve God in humanity.
Bhairavi Brahmani, visited Dakeshineswar in 1861 and initiated Sri Ramakrishna into tantra sadhana. Later, he learned vatsalya bhava from Jatadhari, a Vaishnava monk, and then madhura bhava. In 1864, he was admitted into sannyasa by Tota Puri, a Vedanta monk, and achieved nirvikalpa samadhi, the ultimate of spiritual training. In such state, the aspirant understands he is one with Brahman, the ultimate reality. Sri Ramakrishna began practising Islam in 1866, guided by a Sufi named Govinda Roy.
Sri Ramakrishna met many notable persons of his period, such Michael Madhusudan Datta, Devendra Nath Tagore, Dayananda Saraswati, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Dr. Mahendralal Sarkar, Bankim Chatterjee and others. In 1875, Sri Ramakrishna met the Brahmo Samaj’s chief, Keshab Chandra Sen. Many people learned about the saint of Dakshineswar from Keshab’s writings in Brahmo journals. Between 1879 and 1885, monastic and lay devotees visited Sri Ramakrishna. He trained them so they could carry out his goal, and he appointed Swami Vivekananda as leader.
Sri Ramakrishna passed away on August 16, 1886, at a garden house in Cossipore, leaving behind his disciples and his teachings which has paved a pathway in realization of God. His disciples created the Ramakrishna Mission which is a glorified institution of Vendata philosophy all over the world. His simple life and simple words in form of examples created a divine manifestations among the mankind, through which we realize the presence of God.
Reference : various resources and books from Ramkrishna Mission, RAMAKRISHNA As We Saw Him (Swami Chetanananda)
