Love the foundation of the Order

The foundation of this Order is love and respect amongst its members. Revered Swami Shivananda used to say: “Sri Ramakrishna bound us through love, and this organization is built through this bond of love. As long as this bond remains intact, the Oder will run smoothly.” Speaking personally, we could come here leaving our hearth and home only due to the attraction of the selfless love of revered Swamiji and other monks, and being charmed by their love we are living under their shelter. I don’t think there is any difference of opinion about this. … If we fail to maintain mutual respect and love for one another, we are sure to reap disastrous fruits in the near future. The work of the Order should be performed through love and not merely under the weight of rigid rules and regulations. Otherwise, dissatisfaction and aversion to work arise in the minds of the workers, the master-servant relationship is formed amongst them, and work, instead of being performed as a spiritual practice becomes a source of bondage. … Therefore I earnestly request the administrative heads of the Math and Mission and heads and managers of the branch centres that along with rules and regulations, they should make love also a basis of conducting the work of the organization. Workers too, in their turn, should show proper respect to the seniors and perform their allotted work with the feeling that they are doing the work of Sri Ramakrishna and Swamiji. Then alone will our lives be peaceful, and the work of the Order will also go on smoothly.

Swami Achalananda
Monks’ Conference, 1946
Monastic Disciples of Swami Vivekananda, 294–5