The Connection between the Ramakrishna Vedanta Movement and Swedenborgianism

A few weeks ago we were lucky enough to host a talk by the wonderful Rev. Pravrajika Mataji, and she inspired us all with wisdom, presence and deep understanding of spiritual truths.

Many people may not realise that there is an unusual and quite important connection between the Ramakrishna Order, of which Mataji is a senior Nun, and the Swedenborgian movement.


The Ramakrishna Order was first brought to the West by Swami Vivekananda, an extraordinary person of truly impressive personality, towering intellect and great spiritual depth. The Swami came to America in 1893 as a Hindu representative to the Chicago Parliament of the World’s Religions.

It is not overstating it to say that the Swami stole the show, with his colourful robes, oratorical skills and great good looks. He received standing ovations at his talks, and introduced to the West the words of the Bhagavad Gita, that greatest of Indian spiritual classics.

As is well known in Swedenborgian circles, the man behind the establishment of the first World Parliament of Religions in Chicago (and let’s not forget that it is taking place in a couple of months in Melbourne) was brought about through the efforts of one Mr. John Bonney, a prominent attorney and passionate Swedenborgian. It was his conviction of the presence of a common religious culture amongst all the world’s peoples that led him to establish the Parliament, and it was his words that opened and closed the great event, surely one of the most momentous in the history of inter-cultural understanding.


It seemed perfectly poetic that on the eve of the December 2009 World Parliament of Religions, we once more have a gathering of Swedenborgians paying rapt attention to another monastic disciple of Ramakrishna, one of India’s greatest spiritual masters.

Another great Swedenborgian scholar is Wilson Van Dusen. In an intriguing paper called THE SAME SUPREME DOCTRINE IN SWEDENBORG, HINDUISM, AND BUDDHISM he sets out some of the intriguing parallels between the spiritual writings of Swedenborg and the doctrines of Hinduism, the most ancient of mankind’s spiritual traditions. Though Swedenborg had no contact with the great religious texts of the East that we know of, he certainly had access to the great wisdom of God that is available to all, irrespective of race and religion. Van Dusen says that, like the Hindus, Swedenborg saw the importance of a direct experience of God, an experience which will encourage people to deepen their spiritual lives and arrive at the truly universal spiritual understanding of one-ness.