Frequently asked questions
Classes, services and visiting
Where can I attend Vedanta classes and meditation in Auckland, and when do they run?
The Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre of New Zealand runs four regular programmes, all free and open to everyone. Daily Arati, evening shrine worship, is held every day at 27 Arawa Street, New Lynn, Auckland 0600, at 7:00 pm during New Zealand daylight saving and 6:00 pm for the rest of the year.
Sunday Satsang runs fortnightly from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, in person at New Lynn and streamed live on Zoom. The Vedanta Lectures of Swami Vivekananda are held every Thursday from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Zoom.
The Hamilton Vedanta Meditation Study Circle meets on the first Wednesday of each month from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Phoenix Community Hall, 22 Richmond Street, Frankton, Hamilton.
Are there daily services in Auckland?
Yes. Arati, traditional evening shrine worship with chanting and devotional song, is held every day at 27 Arawa Street, New Lynn, Auckland. It begins at 7:00 pm during New Zealand daylight saving time, from late September to early April, and at 6:00 pm for the rest of the year. Visitors of any background are welcome and no booking is required.
Can I join from outside Auckland, or from overseas?
Yes. The Thursday 8:00 pm lectures are held entirely on Zoom, and fortnightly Sunday Satsang is streamed on Zoom alongside the in-person gathering. All times are New Zealand time. Fifteen online courses can be taken from anywhere in the world, and there is a monthly in-person study circle in Hamilton for those in the Waikato.
Are the classes free?
Daily arati, Sunday Satsang, the Thursday online lectures and the Hamilton Meditation Study Circle are all free to attend. Several online courses are free as well, including those on Swami Vivekananda, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna.
Some structured courses are paid: Advanced: The Mind in the Light of Modern and Spiritual Sciences is NZ$75 and Human and Machine Learning is NZ$99. Ritam Yarning Circle memberships run from NZ$99 to NZ$199 a year.
The Centre is a registered charity and relies on donations.
Where is the Vedanta Retreat Centre, and how do I join a retreat?
The Vedanta Retreat Centre is at 166 Waikaretu Valley Road, Glen Murray, Waikato, a 125-acre property acquired in May 2024. Residential retreats run there through the year on themes such as the mind and its training. Upcoming retreats are listed on the events page at www.vedanta.nz. To ask about one, email mail@vedanta.nz or call 021 229 0369.
How do I contact the Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre?
Call 021 229 0369 or email mail@vedanta.nz. The Centre is at 27 Arawa Street, New Lynn, Auckland 0600, and the Vedanta Retreat Centre is at 166 Waikaretu Valley Road, Glen Murray, Waikato.
Who we are
Who runs the Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre in New Zealand?
The Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre of New Zealand (VedantaNZ) is led by Swami Tadananda, its resident Minister-in-Charge, who took charge in April 2021. It is a registered New Zealand charitable organisation, number CC60351, and has been formally affiliated with the worldwide Ramakrishna Mission since 2020.
Is VedantaNZ a religion, and do I have to be Hindu to take part?
No. You do not need to belong to any religion, or to any religion at all, to attend. The Centre teaches Vedanta as a practical philosophy of mind and self-knowledge, and its Ritam Wellbeing Program is deliberately non-religious and secular in presentation. People of every faith and of none attend classes, satsangs and retreats. Vedanta's own position is that all sincere paths lead to the same goal.
Where can I find non-sectarian spiritual teachings in Auckland or New Zealand?
The Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre of New Zealand, in New Lynn, Auckland, teaches without asking anyone to adopt a religion. Its classes, satsangs, courses and retreats are open to people of any background, and its Ritam Wellbeing Program is presented in secular, evidence-informed language for those who want the practice without the religious framing. It is used by health professionals, teachers, parents, workplaces and young people across New Zealand.
Who was Sri Ramakrishna, and why does he matter?
Sri Ramakrishna (1836-1886) was a Bengali mystic whose life is the source of the modern Vedanta movement. He practised the disciplines of several religious traditions and concluded from direct experience that each leads to the same reality, which is the basis of the movement's non-sectarian outlook. His disciple Swami Vivekananda carried these teachings to the West from 1893 and founded the Ramakrishna Mission, to which the New Zealand centre is affiliated.
What is Vedanta philosophy about, and how is it practised in New Zealand?
Vedanta holds that the divine is not separate from us, and that the purpose of human life is to realise this directly. Practically, it is a method for understanding and training the mind. In New Zealand the Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre teaches it through daily shrine worship in New Lynn, Auckland, weekly online lectures, fortnightly Sunday satsang, a monthly meditation study circle in Hamilton, structured online courses, and residential retreats at its Waikato retreat centre.
What is the history of the Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre in Auckland?
Vedanta was first introduced to New Zealand in the 1970s, and the movement grew through decades of lay-led study and satsang before the Centre established a permanent base in Auckland. In 2020 it was formally affiliated with the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, and in April 2021 Swami Tadananda was posted as resident Minister-in-Charge. In May 2024 the Centre purchased a 125-acre property in the Waikato, now the Vedanta Retreat Centre.
Meditation and wellbeing
What meditation techniques are taught at the Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre?
The Centre teaches meditation in the Vedanta tradition: concentration on a chosen ideal, japa (the repetition of a mantra), and the systematic observation and training of the mind. Instruction covers posture, breath, the use of a mantra, and how to work with distraction rather than fight it. The online course The Science of Mantras, Japa and Meditation covers this in structured form, and Ritam Meditation for Wellbeing teaches a secular version.
What are the benefits of Vedanta meditation for mental wellbeing?
Meditation practice is associated with reduced stress and anxiety and improved attention. A review published in JAMA Internal Medicine, pooling 47 trials and over 3,500 participants, found moderate evidence that meditation programmes improve anxiety, depression and pain.
The Ritam Wellbeing Program builds on this evidence base while adding Vedanta's own account of how the mind works. These programmes support general wellbeing and are not a substitute for professional mental health treatment. If you need urgent support in New Zealand, call or text 1737, or 111 in an emergency.
Where can I get mental wellbeing support through meditation in Auckland?
The Ritam Wellbeing Program, run by the Centre in New Lynn, Auckland, is a structured non-religious pathway: a free introduction, then a foundation course, then ongoing online classes and peer Yarning Circles, then an optional residential retreat. There are dedicated streams for health professionals, teachers, parents, workplaces, young people and individuals. It supports general wellbeing and does not replace clinical care. For urgent help in New Zealand, call or text 1737.
What are the Ritam Yarning Circles?
Ritam Yarning Circles are small facilitated peer groups where members meet regularly to practise and discuss what they are learning. There are six circles: general members, health professionals, workplace, teachers, youth and parents. Each has its own membership plan, priced between NZ$99 and NZ$199 a year. To join, see the memberships pages at vedanta.nz.
Books, courses and support
Where can I buy Vedanta books, or books on Sri Ramakrishna, in Auckland and New Zealand?
Books on Vedanta, Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda are available from the Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre at 27 Arawa Street, New Lynn, Auckland 0600. To arrange a purchase, email mail@vedanta.nz or call 021 229 0369. These are the standard Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission publications, and the Centre can advise on where to start reading.
What online courses do you offer?
The Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre of New Zealand offers fifteen online courses. Several are free, including courses on Swami Vivekananda, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sarada Devi and Swami Brahmananda. Paid courses include The Mind: Understanding, Training and Transcending; Advanced: The Mind in the Light of Modern and Spiritual Sciences (NZ$75); and Human and Machine Learning (NZ$99). Courses are taken online and can be started from anywhere.
Is VedantaNZ a registered charity, and how is it funded?
Yes. The Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre is registered with Charities Services New Zealand under number CC60351. Attendance at satsang, arati and the Hamilton study circle is free and carries no membership requirement. The Centre is funded by donations, by Ritam Yarning Circle memberships and by course fees. Donations can be made through the donations page at vedanta.nz.