Ramakrishna Vedanta Society

"I actually went to the Boston Vedanta Society for over a year and I cannot recommend this place as a spiritual home in any way, especially not if you have a disability.. I am disabled and was bullied by a volunteer while waiting for my ADA Paratransit ride home. I spoke to another volunteer who told me the swami had personally ordered this guy to run me off the front steps. "Nobody is to be on the steps after the doors are closed, no exceptions.' I e-mailed the swami and he actually justified the bullying on the grounds that I had a "pattern" of waiting for my ride on the front steps, even though he knew I hadn't found out about this discriminatory rule until several days after the bullying happened. The following week, I was run out of the community altogether, seeminly as a direct result of reporting the bullying. So we're talking about a "spiritual" community where disabled people are not alllowed to wait for their ride home on the front steps of the building- the swami actually condones bulllying in the name of enforcing this rule."

"I have been going on and off for the past 30 years to the temple. I found it to be the most illuminating place I have ever been in! I discovered my spiritual journey through life there. My own experience with the volunteers was nothing but complete kindness."

"I agree with many of the devotees that the volunteer was rude and want to ask the same question is this the teachings of Thakur, Maa and Swamiji? Also, looks like she had came out of meditation, do you behave rudely coming right after meditating? What is meditation, please go take a look. Also, we are devotees, some times we may not know the rules of the Center that does not mean you behave rudely. You can always be polite. It's not the first and first place (Inside and Outside the US) I am visiting Ramakrishna Mission but it is the first place where I was so sorry and depressed after the visit. Last, to the volunteer who spoke rudely....I listen to Khandan Bhav at my home almost every weekend, I work full time and mother of two beautiful God Blessed Kids, and I have read the scriptures too. You had no right to speak with me rudely."

"I’ve enjoyed coming here for many years and found each occasion to be uplifting and enriching. I’ve even brought family and friends, many of whom have shared the same sentiment. The atmosphere is lovely and makes it easy to focus on devotion, and has a quality which is surprisingly uncommon among spiritual places. It may seem a little sobering to a few that are used to completely unrestricted environments where just about anything goes."