THE LIFE OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

BY HIS EASTERN AND WESTERN DISCIPLES

VOLUME II

Advaita Ashrama
(Publication Department) 5 Dehi Entally Road CALCUTTA !! !"#

PREFACE Volume One of The Life of Swami Vivekananda (Revised and Enlarged Fifth Edition) was released to the public on Swami Vivekananda's birthda in !anuar "#$%& 'ow( within the short period of two ears( we are happ to publish Volume )wo( in which the stor of Swami*i's life and activities in +ndia and abroad is continued& ,s mentioned in the -reface to Volume One( much published as well as unpublished material has come to our hands in the past five decades( particularl relating to Swami*i's life and work during his two visits to the .est& For this the chief source has been /arie 0ouise 1urke's two painstaking research volumes2 Swami Vivekananda in AmericaNew Discoveries and Swami Vivekananda: His Second Visit to the WestNew Discoveries, both published b us& She has also supplied in a substantial wa valuable material from her hitherto unpublished archives to the enrichment of this edition& .e are deepl indebted to her for her read response and help& .e wish to take this opportunit to repeat our gratitude to /rs& 3ertrude Emerson Sen of ,lmora and Shri Sankari -rasad 1asu of the 4niversit of 5alcutta for providing us with invaluable material in their possession( hitherto unpublished& Several persons( monastic and la ( have e6tended their helping hand in the preparation of this edition( for which we remain grateful to each and ever one of them& )his volume also contains a 3lossar ( a 1ibliograph ( an +nde6( and a few illustrations( which enhance the usefulness of the book& +t is our fond hope that this volume also will be received with warmth b the admirers( followers( and students of Swami*i( as its predecessor (Volume One) has been in the past two ears& 8 Au ust !"8! #a$avati -ublisher

CONTENTS -REF,5E 78 )9E 1E3+''+'3 OF ,/ER+5,' .OR: 7; )9E F+RS) V+S+) )O E'30,'< 7$ ES),10+S9+'3 )9E ,/ER+5,' .OR: 7# 1,5: )O 0O'<O' ?" @% 1,5: )O 0O'<O' ?7 @" )O.,R<S +'<+, ">7 @7 )R+4/-9,0 /,R59 )9RO439 5EA0O' ,'< SO4)9 +'<+, @@ RE5E-)+O' +' /,<R,S @= 1,5: )O 1E'3,0 @> +' 'OR)9 +'<+, ? " @8 +' 'OR)9 +'<+, ? 7 @; 0+FE ,) )9E /,)9 @$ )R,+'+'3 OF )9E <+S5+-0ES ,) ,0/OR, @@% @# +' :,S9/+R 2 ,/,R',)9 ,'< :S9+RB19,V,'+ =% 5O'SE5R,)+O' OF )9E /,)92 +)S S5O-E ,'< +<E,0S =" ,/O'3S) 9+S O.' -EO-0E C" =7 ,/O'3S) 9+S O.' -EO-0E C7 =@ 9,0FB.,A ,5ROSS )9E .OR0< == SE5O'< V+S+) )O ,/ER+5, C " => SE5O'< V+S+) )O ,/ER+5, C 7 =8 )9E -,R+S 5O'3RESS ,'< , )O4R +' E4RO-E =; V+S+) )O /,A,V,)+ =$ , )R+- )O E,S) 1E'3,0 ,'< 0+FE ,) )9E /,)9 =# )O.,R<S )O )9E E'< >% /,9,S,/,<9+ 8=>

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" 26 THE BEGINNING OF AMERICAN WORK +n the last da s of !anuar "$#>( Swami Vivekananda established himself in lodgings at >= .est @@rd Street in the cit of 'ew Aork& +t was a poor and unfashionable neighbourhood( but he was tired and disgusted with the fame he had acDuired( and he felt that the interest he had awakened was not what he wantedE to his mind it was too superficial& 9e desired earnestBminded followers whom he could teach freel ( while living in a place of his own& )hus he announced that he would hold classes free of charge in his own Duarters& /an came( some from curiosit ( others in earnest sincerit ( Fto learn the ancient teachings of +ndia and the allBembracing character of its philosoph &&& and( above all( to hear the constant lessons of the Swami on worldBwide universal tolerationF& /iss Sarah Ellen .aldo of 1rookl n( who became one of the Swami's foremost disciples( writes as follows( taking up the thread of her narrative( from the time of his lectures before the 1rookl n Ethical ,ssociation& , few of those who had heard him in 1rookl n now began to go to the place where he lived in 'ew Aork& +t was *ust an ordinar room on the second floor of a lodging house& )he classes grew with astonishing rapidit ( and as the little room filled to overflowing it became ver picturesDue& )he Swami himself sat on the floor and most of his audience likewise& )he marbleBtopped dresser( the arms of the sofa and even the corner washBstand helped to furnish seats for the constantl increasing numbers& )he door was left open and the overflow filled the hall and sat on the stairs& ,nd those first classesG 9ow intensel interesting the wereG .ho that was privileged to attend them can ever forget themG )he Swami so dignified et so simple( so gravel earnest( so eloDuent( and the close ranks of students( forgetting all inconveniences( hanging breathless on his ever wordG

7 +t was a fit beginning for a movement that has since grown to such grand proportions& +n this unpretentious wa did Swami Vivekananda inaugurate the work of teaching Vedanta philosoph in 'ew Aork& )he Swami gave his services free as air& )he rent was paid b voluntar subscriptionsE and when these were found insufficient( the Swami hired a hall and gave secular lectures on +ndia and devoted the proceeds to the maintenance of the classes& 9e said that 9indu teachers of religion felt it to be their dut to support their classes and the students too( if the were unable to care for themselves( and the teachers would willingl make an sacrifice the possibl could to assist a need disciple& )he classes began in Februar " "$#>( and lasted until !uneE but( long before that time the had outgrown& )heir small beginnings and had removed downstairs to occup an entire parlour floor and e6tension& )he classes were held nearl ever morning Hfrom eleven to one o'clockI and on several evenings in ever week& Some Sunda lectures were also given( and there were JDuestionK classes to help those to whom the teaching was so new and strange that the were desirous to have an opportunit for more e6tended e6planation& +t is touching to find the Swami teaching ,mericans in tile fashion of the ancient gurus& )hough man who attended his classes had ample mone ( he would charge no fees or teaching& Religion( to his mind( should( be given free( for it is something not to be bartered but realiLed& +n addition to his regular classes( visitors flocked to him constantl ( some treating him with great personal reverence( others scrutiniLing his character and his theoriesE still others were newspaper reporters and editors of magaLines( interested in his name and teachings& )he Swami now felt that he was carr ing on his message slowl ( perhaps( but surel and on right rioting& ,s we have seen in an earlier chapter( he had grown tired of moving here and there( spreading his message( over a wide areaE he had wanted for man months to teach and give intensive training to a Fselect fewF& 'ow at last he was able

,ccording to her reminiscences( !osephine /ac0cod attended the Swami's class for the first time on !anuar 7#( "$#>& (See %eminiscences of Swami Vivekananda, "#8=( p& 7@@&)

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@ to do so& Formerl ( he had stood in the limelight of public attention( and to a superficialBminded person that might have spelled success& 1ut the Swami knew better( for he had the sann asi's instinct for sounding the realit and true worth of things& Others in his position might never have ventured to break with the lecture bureau and thereb incur financial lossE nor would the have readil abandoned the surroundings and invitations of persons of wealth and social position for the simple and et intense life that he deemed necessar for giving 'his message& +ndeed( he far preferred his simple fare to the most sumptuous of meals( though seldom did he lack the opportunit to dine out& F+ am doing well(F he wrote to /rs& 9ale on Februar "$( Fonl some of these big dinners kept me late and + returned home at 7 o'clock in the morning several da s& )onight + am going to one of these& )his will be the last of its kind& So much keeping up the night is not good for me& & & & 1etween HtheI Swells and <elmonico's Han Epicurean restaurant of 'ew AorkI and .aldorf H9otelI dinners m health was going to be in*ured& So + Duickl turned a thorough vegetarian to avoid all invitations&F 1ean soup and barle rice( cooked in his poor Duarters was( b choice( the Swami's general diet& F+ am ver happ now(F he had written to /rs& 1ull a few da s earlier& F1etween /r& 0andsberg Hlater Swami :ripanandaI and me( we cook some rice and lentils or barle and Duietl cat it( and write something or read or receive visits from poor people who want to learn something( and thus + feel + am more a sann asin now than + ever was in ,merica&F )rusting in )ruth and in 3od( knowing that he was being guided( he now worked strenuousl on& 9e gave his whole time to teaching b means of talks and lectures( and regularl ever da he trained some chosen followers to Duiet the mind in the silence of meditation& )eaching his students how to meditate( he would himself drift into the meditative state( often so deepl that he could not readil be brought back to normal consciousness( and one b one his students would steal Duietl awa & .hen the Swami emerged from such

= states( he would feel impatient with himself( for he desired that the teacher should be uppermost in him( rather than the ogiE he tried hard therefore to avoid such incidents& .hile meditating privatel with one or two( he would instruct them how to bring him back b uttering a /antra or a divine name should he be carried b the force of meditation into Samadhi& Often he would he found singing Sanskrit h mns in gentle tones( or murmuring to himself some of the great verses of the Vedas and the 4panishads& 9e literall radiated spiritualit & +ndeed( the same atmosphere of ecstas and insight that hovered about the /aster at <akshineswar now hovered about the Swami in these strange surroundings in a farBoff land& ,n atmosphere of benediction( of peace( of power( and of ine6pressible luminosit was felt b all who came to his classes& +t is interesting to read the description of the Swami written b an Edger 3& 1eall( /&<& for the &hreno'o ica' (ourna' of 'ew Aork& )he following is an e6tract from the article( which was reproduced in part in the )ndian #irror of October >( "$#>2
Swami Vivekananda is in man respects an e6cellent specimen of his race& 9e is five feet eight and a half inches in height and weighs one hundred and sevent pounds& 9is head measures twent one and threeBfourths inches in circumference b fourteen from car to car across the top& 9e is thus ver well proportioned as regards both bod and brain& 9is instincts are too feminine to be compatible with much con*ugal sentiment& +ndeed( he sa s himself that he never had the slightest feeling of love for an woman& ,s he is opposed to war and teaches a religion of unmi6ed gentleness( we should e6pect his head to he narrow in the region of the cars at the scat of combativeness and destructiveness( and such is the case& )he same deficienc is much marked in the diameters a little farther up at secretiveness and acDuisitiveness& 9e dismisses the whole sub*ect of finance and ownership b sa ing that he has no propert and does not want to be bothered with an & .hile such sentiment sounds odd to ,merican cars( it must be confessed that his face( at least( shows more marks of contentment than the visages of Russell Sage( 9ett 3reen( and man others of our multiBmillionaires&

> Firmness and conscientiousness are full developed& 1enevolence is Duite conspicuous& /usic is well indicated in the width of the temples& )he prominent e es betoken superior memor of words and e6plain much of the eloDuence he has displa ed in his lectures& )he upper forehead is well developed at causalit and in comparison to which is added a fine endowment of suavit and sense of human natureF& Summing up the organiLation( it will be sectG that kindness( s mpath ( and philosophical intelligence( with ambition to achieve success in the direction of higher educational work are his predominant characteristics& 1eing a graduate of the 5alcutta 4niversit ( he speaks English almost as perfectl as if he were a native of England& +f he does no more than continue the development of that splendid spirit of charit ( which was displa ed at the .orld's Fair( his mission among us will certainl prove eminentl successful& )he Swami's 'ew Aork classes( held during the first part of "$#>( dealt largel with Ra*aB oga and !nanaB oga& )hrough Ra*aB oga he taught the students the path of practical spiritualit ?how to acDuire inner control of the senses( how to still the mind( how to subordinate sense impulses to reason( in short( how to spiritualiLe the whole personalit & 9e held regular classes in which he taught the students to concentrate the mindE for meditation( he held( was the ke to spiritualit & )he Swami himself spent long hours in meditation( sitting crossBlegged on the floor in ogi fashion& 9e was indeed preBeminentl fitted to teach the practices of meditation& 9aving lived in a constant atmosphere of spiritual austerit with his /aster( having practised man forms of meditations under his guidance( his life a Froaring fire of spiritualit F( and his mind informed with all the details and intricacies of the different states of meditation( he was Dualified to know the tendenc of each disciple and to develop each according to his special tendencies( giving each a special ideal and a special form of meditation& )hus( under his s stematic and alwa s inspired guidance( the students undertook ph sical and spiritual e6ercises b which eDuilibrium of bod and mind could be established& )he learnt how to overcome ph sical consciousness and to discover divinit

8 withinE the learnt that religion was not a Duestion of belief but of practice and realiLation& +n order that the might achieve success and avoid ph sical and mental disorders ?even insanit ?in the practice of Ra*aB oga( the Swami en*oined his students to lead absolutel pure lives and to cat simple( Sattvika food& )hus his classes took on the aspect of monastic gatherings( permitting the highest flights of philosoph and of spiritual recollectedness& 9e warned his students against the occult( pointing out that ps chic powers were impediments to real spiritual progress and onl diverted one from the right path& +ndeed( he was vehement in his denunciation of sects or persons who subordinated spiritualit to the acDuirement of such powers& 9e knew that a man becomes divine if he strives to be soE for this reason he said( following the manner of his own /aster( FSeek onl after one thing( and that( 3odG F 1ut inspired teacher though he was?a prophet whose utterances were themselves scriptures( as the passage of time was ampl to prove( he et did not forsake the ageB old +ndian tradition in which all valid preaching is firml laid on the foundation of the authentic Sanskrit scriptures& )hus( as he settled down in 'ew Aork for a season of intensive teaching( he felt the need of books unavailable in ,merica& Earlier( he had sent to +ndia for the necessar volumes and e6pected them to arrive b midBFebruar of "$#>& FSister +sabelle has sent me the French books and the 5alcutta pamphlets have arrived F he wrote to /rs& 9ale on Februar "$( Fbut the big Sanskrit books ought to come& + want them badl &F ,nd in the same letter2 F:indl tell bab to send me a little Sanskrit book which came from +ndia& + forgot to bring it over&F )he Swami waited impatientl E but it was not until /a that almost all scriptures he needed for his classes( as well as for his own pleasure( arrived in 'ew Aork& F+ have plent of books now to read from +ndia(F he wrote to /rs& 9ale on /a "8( Fand + will be Duite engaged this summer&&&& , large package of books also + e6pect soon?the original 4panishadsE there is no dut on them&F

; ,part from the purel academic and ps chological character of his teaching of both !nanaB and Ra*aB oga( the Swami was a man who put into practice what he preached& 9e was a scientist and a m stic in one& ,s a m stic( his mind constantl concerned itself with supermundane realities& 9e was alwa s solving problems of thought in relation to the vision of the soul& ,nd here in the .est( as the )eacher( he spoke as he did because he felt and had realiLed what his voice gave forth so eloDuentl E whatever he taught he said that he had himself seen* ,nd his scientific turn of mind gave him a deep insight into the ps cholog and rationale of oga e6ercisesE he was therefore a careful anal Ler of his own e6ercises as well as those of his disciples& 9is counsel was to test ever thing b reason& .hile his more intimate disciples stud were concerned with the spiritual rather than the academic side of religious stud ( his description of the anatom of the nervous s stem and of its relation to the brain( his statements about the relation between states of mind and nervous changes drew the attention of a number of noted ,merican ph sicians and ph siologists( several of whom championed his theories( avowing that though his statements were bold( the contained ideas concerning the functions of the bod which were worth of careful investigation& 9is claim that meditation brought about the e6tension and development of human faculties and produced supernormal e6periences( hitherto classified as miraculous phenomena( interested the foremost ,merican ps chologists( particularl -rofessor .illiam !ames of 9arvard 4niversit & ,side from holding dail classes at his Duarters on )hirt third Street( the Swami occasionall spoke to small gatherings elsewhere& +n Februar of "$#>( for instance( he was invited to hold classes at the home of a /iss 5orbin( the daughter of /r& ,ustin 5orbin( a wealth and sociall prominent railwa magnate& F9ere is a ver rich railwa gentleman called /r& 5orbin(F he wrote to /rs& 9ale on Februar "$2 F9is onl daughter( /iss 5orbin( is ver much interested

$ in me& ,nd though she is one of the leaders of the =%%( she is ver intellectual and spiritual too in a wa &&&& 1ehind her parlour she has a long arbour with all sorts of palms and seats and electric light& )here + will have a little class ne6t week of a score of longBpockets&F 1ut these classes( which the Swami held on Sunda s in /iss 5orbin's conservator ( lasted less than a month& 9e cared nothing for rich or poorE he cared onl for earnestness in those who attended his classes( and this Dualit he found( perhaps( more prominent in those who came to his own poor Duarters than in the FlongBpocketsF who came to /iss 5orbin's& +n an case( the Swami wrote to /rs& 1ull on /arch 7"2 F+ went to /iss 5orbin's last Saturda H/arch "8I and told her that + would not be able to come to hold classes an more& .as it ever in the histor of the world that an great work was done b the richM +t is the heart and brain that do it ever and ever and not the purse&F +t is probable that the Swami held other classes outside his rooms& On ,pril "% he wrote to /r& Francis 0eggett( regretting an invitation for the following da 2 F)omorrow + have a class at /iss ,ndrews at =% .& #th Street&&&& /iss ,ndrews came to tell me that she cannot b an means stop the class tomorrow or even give notice to the members who are about fift or si6t in number&F were concerned with the spiritual rather than the academic side of religious +n addition to his classes( the Swami( as has been seen( sometimes gave public lectures in 'ew Aork& ,t first( these were given( as he wrote to /rs& 1ull( in large downstairs rooms of the lodging house& +n Februar and /arch( he lectured twice on F)he Vedanta -hilosoph F at the home of a /rs& ,& 0& 1arber at $;" Fifth ,venue& )hese two lectures( (to which the Swami referred in a letter as Fthe 1arbar 9ouse lecturesF) constituted parts of a heterogeneous lecture series given under the auspices of /rs& Ole 1ull and were more or less private and invitational& 9e spoke also before public gatherings( notabl before the -eople's 5hurch in 'ew Aork (known also as the <i6on Societ )( whose progressive leader( the Reverend )homas <i6on( had recentl resigned from an orthodo6 1aptist pastorate to establish his own independent

# church Fon a broad and popular platformF& )he Swami was also invited to lecture before the /etaph sical Societ at 9artford( 5onn&E he accepted( and spoke on FSoul and 3odF on /arch $& Of this lecture the Hartford Dai'$ Times wrote2 9is lectures are more in consonance with those of 5hrist than those of man soBcalled 5hristians& 9is broad charit takes in all religions and all nations& )he simplicit of his talk last night was charming& +n /a ( and perhaps also in ,pril( the Swami lectured in the /otts /emorial 1uilding( a small hall at 8= /adison ,venue( 'ew Aork& Onl two titles of these talks are at present known& F)he Science of ReligionF and F)he Rationale of Aoga' )he Swami no doubt gave other public lectures during the first part of "$#>& F+ have a good man lectures planned ahead in 'ew Aork( which + hope to deliver b and b (F he wrote to /rs& 9ale on Februar "$& 1ut unfortunatel ( we have at present no e6act records or notes of an of his talks( private or public( delivered during this period& Aet his lectures and classes lived vividl in the memories of those' who heard them& /iss 0aura 3lenn( who in later ears was to be known as Sister <evamata( recalled in her article F/emories of +ndia and +ndiansF her first hearing of Swami Vivekananda& )he time was probabl the spring of "$#>E
One da ( as + was walking up /adison ,venue( + saw in the window of the 9all of the 4niversal 1rotherhood a modest sign sa ing2 F'e6t Sunda at @ p&m& Swami Vivekananda will speak here on '.hat +s VedantaM' and the following Sunda on '.hat +s AogaM' F + reached the hall twent minutes before the hour& +t was alread over half full& +t was not large( however?a long( narrow room with a single aisle and benches reaching from it to the wallE a low platform holding reading desk and chair at the far endE and a flight of stairs at the back& )he hall was on the second store and these stairs gave the onl wa of access to it?audience and speaker both had to make use of them& 1 the time three o'clock had arrived( hall(( stairs( windowBsills( and railings( all were crowded to their

"% utmost capacit & /an even were standing below( hoping to catch a faint echo of the words spoken in the hall above& , sudden hush( a Duiet step on the stairs and Swami Vivekananda passed in statel erectness up the aisle to the platform& 9e began to speakE and memor ( time( place( people( all melted awa & 'othing was left but a voice ringing through the void& +t was as if a gate had swung open and + had passed out on a road leading to limitless attainment& )he end of it was not visibleE but the promise of what would be shone through the thought and flashed through the personalit of the one who gave it& 9e stood there?prophet of infinitude& )he silence of an empt hall recalled me to m self& Ever one was gone e6cept the Swami and two others standing near the platB form& + learned later that the were /r& and /rs& 3ood ear( ardent disciples of the Swami& /r& 3ood ear made the announcements at the meetings& +ndeed( to his listeners it would often seem as if the veils that blind the spiritual vision were rent( and the Swami would stand before them a veritable knower of the Self& ,nother person who wrote of the profound impact of his lectures of this period was the wellBknown author and poet Ella .heeler .ilco6& Referring to her meeting with the Swami in an earl month of "$#>( she wrote as follows in the New +ork American of /a 78( "#%;2
)welve ears ago + chanced one evening to hear that a certain teacher of philosoph from +ndia( a man named Vivekananda( was to lecture a block from m home in 'ew Aork& .e went out of curiosit (the man whose name + bear and +)( and before we had been ten minutes in the audience( we felt ourselves lifted up into an atmosphere so rarefied( so vital( so wonderful( that we sat spellbound and almost breathless( to the end of the lecture& .hen it was over we went out with new courage( new hope( new strength( new faith( to meet life's dail vicissitudes& F)his is the philosoph ( this is the idea of 3od( the religion which + have been seeking(F said the man& ,nd for months afterwards he went with me to hear Swami Vivekananda e6plain the old religion and& to gather from his wonderful mind *ewels of truth and thoughts of helpfulness and strength& +t was that terrible winter of financial

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disasters( when banks failed and stocks went down like broken balloons and businessmen walked through the dark valle s of despair and the whole world seemed tops turv ?*ust such an era as we are again approaching& Sometimes after sleepless nights of worr and an6iet ( the rN would go with me to hear the Swami lecture( and then he would come out into the winter gloom and walk down the street smiling and sa ( F+t is all right& )here is nothing to worr over&F ,nd + would go back to m own duties and pleasures with the same uplifted sense of soul and enlarged vision&

.hen an philosoph ( an religion( can do this for human beings in this age of stress and strain( and when( added to that( it intensifies their faith in 3od and increases their s mpathies for their kind and gives them a confident *o in the thought of other lives to come( it is good and great religion& )he flow of life in the .estern world interested the SwamiE when his hours were not emplo ed in meditation( in private or class teaching( in lecturing( or in repl ing to various correspondents( the were consumed in the pursuit of secular knowledge( which he absorbed and turned to spiritual account& )hus da after da ( living in the midst of the turbulent metropolis of 'ew Aork( he was in a constant atmosphere of intense recollectedness and deep intellectual work& )hat he maintained the meditative habit throughout his .estern life was remarkable( for disturbances were innumerable& Aet one sees him in his 'ew Aork retreat( in the morning or the evening Duiet( or at dead of night meditating& ,nd apart from his meditation practices and meditative states( he was often lost to the outer world& 9is face often took on that farBoff look( showing his mind withdrawn from all mortal concerns and merged in the thought of the ,bsolute& .hile those about him would be talking vivaciousl ( it would be noticed that his e es would grow fi6ed( his breath would come slower and slower till there would be a pause( and their a gradual return to consciousness of his environment& +t is said of him2 9is friends knew these things and provided for them& +f he walked into the house to pa a call and forgot to speak( or if he was found in a room( in silence( no one disturbed him( though he would someB

"7 times rise and render assistance to an intruder( without breaking the train of thought& )hus his interest la within( and not without& )o the scale and range of his thought his conversation was of course our onl clue& ,s time went on( the Swami found himself winning( to a greater and still greater e6tent( the confidence( the respect( and even the reverence of large numbers of people in ,merica& /an of these devoted themselves heart and soul to his work and became his followers in a definite sense( while a number of liberalBminded 5hristian clerg men greatl admired him and stood behind his cause& Aet( in spite of the appreciation of the beaut of his character and of the grandeur of his mission and teachings( the path before the Swami was never a smooth one& .ith his great veneration for !esus the 5hrist( which all who knew him were aware of( it is almost unbelievable that he was continuousl persecuted b sectarian and bigoted 5hristians( who( not satisfied with criticiLing his work and philosoph ( made attacks upon his character& +n the last chapter we have seen how virulent were the Swami's detractors and how the were subdued onl b the public recognition in +ndia of his .estern work& 1ut though his critics became powerless to harm him( the never entirel abandoned their efforts to do so& For instance( we have seen that in the earl part of "$#> the 1rookl n followers of Ramabai( the 5hristianiLed 9indu social reformer( publicl denounced the Swami because of his denial that the 9indus regularl mistreated their child widows& 1ut if the Swami was never without his detractors( he was also never without his defenders?those who recogniLed his intellectual and spiritual genius( his impeccable purit & +t had been( for e6ample( <r& 0ewis 3& !anes( -resident of the 1rookl n Ethical ,ssociation( who had championed him against the ladies of the Ramabai 5ircle( using his pen as his lance in strong and telling letters to the editors of the leading 1rookl n newspapers& Even before settling in 'ew Aork( the Swami had( of course( made ardent admirers and disciples of man distinguished persons& +t was his earnest desire to initiate a

"@ few as sann asis and to train them so that the would he fitted to carr on his ,merican work in his absence& )wo had alread become Fhis proclaimed disciplesF( though the had not as et received actual initiation into Sann asa& )hese were /adame /arie 0ouise (whose last name is not known) and 0eon 0andsberg( the latter of whom lived for about two and a half months with the Swami in his 'ew Aork Duarters on .est )hirt Bthird Street( helping him with the organiLational aspect of his work& )he description of these two followers of the Swami is best given in the New +ork Hera'd a few months after the received Sann asa in the summer of "$#>& )o Duote from the paper2
)he Swami ,bha ananda is a Frenchwoman( but naturaliLed and twent Bfive ears resident of 'ew Aork& She has a curious histor & For a Duarter of a centur she has been known to liberal circles as a materialist( socialist&&&& )welve months ago she was a prominent member of the /anhattan 0iberal 5lub& )hen she was known in the press and on the platform as /me /arie 0ouise( a fearless( progressive( advanced woman( whose boast it was that she was alwa s in the forefront of the battle and ahead of her times& )he second disciple is also an enthusiast& .ith that skill which Vivekananda shows in all his dealings with men( the 9indu has chosen his fast disciples well& )he Swami :ripananda( before he was taken into the circle and took the vows of povert and chastit ( was a newspaper man( emplo ed on the staff of one of the most prominent 'ew Aork papers& 1 birth he is a Russian !ew( named 0eon 0andsberg( and( if it were known( his life histor is probabl as interesting as that of Swami ,bha ananda&

,mong the man people who were devoted to the Swami's teachings at this time were /rs& Ole 1ull of 5ambridge( whom we met in the preceding chapter( <r& ,llan <a ( /iss $& Ellen .aldo( /iss /ar -hillips( -rofessor . man( -rofessor !ohn 9enr .right( a <r& Street( who was later to take the vows of Sann asa from the Swami and be known as Swami Aogananda( and man clerg men and other la men of note& /r& Francis 0eggett( /rs& Sturges (later /rs& Francis 0eggett)( and /iss !osephine /ac0eod( wellBknown societ

"= people of 'ew Aork( were numbered among his most intimate friends and helped him in various wa s& <r& and /rs& Egbert 3uernse ( at whose house in the Fifth ,venue the Swami often sta ed( looked upon him as a son& )he ,ustin 5orbins were also among his followers( as was the internationall famous singer( Emma )hursb & )he members of the <i6on Societ before which( as we have seen above( he was invited man times to lecture( became champions of his ideas& +n the second week of ,pril the Swami went on invitation to /r& 0eggett's countr homeE Ridgel /anor on the 9udson River in 'ew Aork State( for about two weeks& )he trip did him goodE he en*o ed the countr side and the mountains( and /r& 0eggett's large estate& On his return to 'ew Aork( he was surprised to find that /r& 0andsberg( who had been sta ing with him( had left without leaving an information behind& ,bout this the Swami wrote to /rs& 1ull2 F-oor 0andsberg has gone from this house& 'either has he left one his address& /a the 0ord bless 0andsberg wherever he goesG 9e is one of the few sincere souls + have had the privilege in this life to come across&F )he Swami also wrote to /iss /ar 9ale on ,pril 77( F0andsberg has gone awa to live in some other place( so + am left alone& + am living mostl on nuts and fruits( and find it ver nice and health too&F /r& 0andsberg( however( was to reappear later at the )housand +sland -ark( where he was initiated into Sann asa b the compassionate Swami( and named :ripananda& .ith the e6ception of this vacation in ,pril( his classes continued steadil from the end of !anuar through the month of /a & F)he classes are going on with a boom(F he wrote to /rs& 9ale on ,pril 78( Jalmost ever da + have one and the are packed full&F 1ut from a financial point of view( the work was not at all successful& +ndeed( it hardl could have been( for( as was said earlier( the Swami charged nothing for( the classes in his rooms( and although some of his followers were wealth ( most were poor and could make onl few and small contributions( barel enough to maintain the classes themselves& )he mone earned from

"> his public lectures( moreover( was meagre( for the lectures had Fto go through so man handsF& )he rent of a hall( for instance( took a large toll& FFinanciall ( the winter's work was no success at all(F he wrote to /rs& 9ale on /a "8 towards the close of the season& F+ could barel keep m self up& 1ut spirituall HitI was ver great&F ,nd the Swami's students( poor though the were( came forward to keep the classes going& F/ pupils have come round me with help(F he wrote to /rs& 1ull in /a ( Fand the classes will go on nicel now no doubt&F 9e was happ that it was so& F+ was so glad at it( because teaching has become a part of m life( as necessar to m life as eating or breathing&F )he spiritual aspect of his work was( of course( the Swami's main concern& 9e could readil have commanded a large following had he wanted( but his greatest endeavour during this period was the training of those deepl earnest souls on whom he could count to carr on his work& )his was the ear of his hardest work and highest hopes in this direction& 9e went to the ver heart of things in his efforts to make at least a few '/en and women see his vision and become free& 9e did not believe in e6ternal( successE he was trul read to wait even for centuries& 9is immediate hope( however( was to break down religious sectarianism and superstition( to do( awa with spiritual dependence( and to place before men the truths of the ,dvaita Vedanta?truths which make one stand on one's own feet( afraid of nothing( desirous of nothing( indifferent to the blows of fate& 9e wanted each individual to realiLe the One Realit ( both within as the immeasurable Self( and without as the divine oneness of all life& )he Swami was also eager to spread the ideals underl ing the highest spiritual realiLations of all religions( making of each Saviour and .orldBteacher a refulgent torchlight of truth& 9e himself could worship at all altars( seeing the same light within the forms of ever religious belief& 9is personalit was literall saturated with all great ideals and his spiritualit was of unlimited richness( the treasures of which he freel distributed&

"8 9e deplored the narrowness of creedal religions& F/ /aster used to sa that these names as 9indu( 5hristian( etc&( stand as great bars to all brotherl feelings between man and man(F he wrote to /rs& 1ull in a letter dated /arch 7"( "$#>& 9e further wrote2
.e must tr to break them down first& )he have lost all their good powers and now onl stand as baneful influences under whose black magic even the best of us behave like demons& .ell( we will have to work hard and must succeed& )hat is wh + desire so much to have a centre& OrganiLation has its faults( no doubt( but without that nothing can be done& ,nd here( + am afraid( + will have to differ from ou?that no one ever succeeded in keeping societ in good humour and at the same time did great works& One must work as the dictate comes from within( and then if it is right and good( societ is bound to veer round( perhaps centuries after one is dead and gone& .e must plunge heart and soul and bod into the work& ,nd until we be read to sacrifice ever thing else to one +dea and to one alone( we never, never will see the 0ight&

,s we have seen in the preceding chapter( the Swami alread had a centre( but the Vedanta Societ that he had founded in 'ew Aork in 'ovember of "$#= was still a bare nucleus( a committee of his friends( who attempted to help him in various wa s& 9e evidentl hoped it would grow into a fullBfledged( though loosel organiLed( societ to represent his universal and unif ing teachings?and later on it was indeed to do so& +n the mean while( however( the Swami( living and working in the freedom of the true sann asi( read to sacrifice ever thing( even his life( for his cause( did not easil suffer an attempt to restrict his independence of action& 9e found that some of his helpers( devoted and well meaning as the might be( interfered in his method of carr ing out his work& -erhaps some stilted 1oston lad would ask him? he who had shaken the ver soul of the -arliament of Religions and was a born teacher of men? to take elocution lessonsG ,nother would worr him about how to organiLeE another would sa 2 Swami( ou must do so and soE ou must live in better surroundings( ou must fashiona,'e in order to reach

"; and influence societ peopleE or another2 ou must pacif the 5hristian ministers& ,t all this the Swami would become fierce with indignation and e6claim( F.h should + be bound down b all this nonsenseGF 9e would come out with words of power( revealing the stuff he was made of& +n a letter dated Februar "( "$#>( he wrote to /ar 9ale2
<ream no moreG& Oh( dream no more( m soulG +n one word + have a message to give( + have no time to be sweet to the world( and ever attempt at sweetness makes me a h pocrite& + will die a thousand deaths rather than lead a *ell Bfish e6istence and ield to ever reDuirement of this foolish world( no matter whether it be m own countr or a foreign countr & Aou are mistaken( utterl mistaken if ou think + have a work, as /rs& 1ull thinksE + have no work under or be ond the sun& + have a message( and + will give it after m own fashion& + will neither 9induiLe m message( nor 5hristianiLe it( nor make it an FiLeF in the world& + will onl m BiLe it and that is all& Li,ert$, /ukti( is all m religion( and ever thing that tries to curb it( + will avoid b fight or flight& -oohG + tr to pacif the priestsG Sister( do not take this amiss& 1ut ou are babies and babies must submit to be taught& Aou have not et drunk of that fountain which makes Freason unreason( mortal immortal( this world a Lero( and of man a 3odF& 5ome out if ou can of this network of foolishness the call this wor'd* )hen + will call ou indeed brave and free& +f ou cannot( cheer those that dare dash this false 3od( societ ( to the ground and trample on its unmitigated h pocris E if ou cannot cheer them( pra be silent( but do not tr to drag down again into the mire with such false nonsense as com-romise and becoming nice and sweet& + hate this world( this dream( this horrible nightmare with its churches and chicaneries( its books and blackguardisms( its fair faces and false hearts( its howling righteousness on the surface and utter hollowness beneath( and above all( its sanctified shopkeeping& .hatG measure m soul according to what the bondBslaves of the world sa M -oohG Sister( ou do not know the sann asin& F9e stands on the heads of the VedasGF sa the Vedas( because he is free from churches and sects and religions and prophets and books and all of that ilkG Such words show the Swami's spirit2 bent on giving his

"$
message( bent on working for the world( not according to its terms but in his own light& +n a letter to /rs& 1ull( he wrote on ,pril ""( "$#>2 /iss 9amlin wants me to be introduced to the Fright kind of peopleF& )his is the second edition of the Fhold ourself stead F business( + am afraid& )he onl Fright sort of peopleF are those whom the 0ord sends?that is what + understand in m life's e6perience& )he alone can and will help me& ,s for the rest( 0ord bless them in a mass and save me from themG

9e went on to sa that even though he lived in poor Duarters( the right kind of people did come to him( even she who had criticiLed him& )hen he launched into an eloDuent appeal to 0ord Shiva( in which he dedicated himself entirel to the will of the 0ord( writing in anguish and burning love2 F0ord( since a child + have taken refuge in )hee& )hou wilt be with me in the tropics or at the poles( on the tops of mountains or in the depth of oceans&O& )hou wilt never leave me( never&&&& ,nd ma + never( never seek for help from an being but )hee&F ,nd a few da s later he writes( F)he less help from man( the more from the 0ord&F ,nd again( three da s later& F+t is the dut of a teacher alwa s to turn out the 'right sort' from the most unrighteous sort of persons&&&& )hrough the merc of Ramakrishna m instinct 'siLes up' almost infallibl a human face as soon as + see it& & & &F <issatisfied with those who mistook what he meant b the term ForganiLationF and who did not catch his spirit( thinking( perhaps( that he wanted to Fmake a successF of his work( he wrote in this regard to his .estern disciple Swami ,bha ananda in the autumn of "$#>2 .e have no organiLation( nor want to build an & Each one is Duite independent to teach( Duite free to preach whatever he or she likes& +f ou have the spirit within( ou will never fail to attract others&&&& +ndividualit is m motto& + have no ambition be ond training individuals& + know ver littleE that little + teach without reserveE where + am ignorant + confess it as such &&& + am a sann asin& ,s such + hold m self as a servant( not as a master in this world&

"# ,nd he adds that whether people love him or hate him( the all alike are welcome& 9e sa s that he seeks no help( nor re*ects an ( that he has no right to he helped and that if he is helped b others it is their merc & 9e avers that when he became a sann asi( he did so with his whole' mind welcoming an thing( even starvation and the utmost miser & 3raduall his disciples came to understand his ideal& -ossessed with the .estern consciousness of the necessit of e6ternal organiLation( it took some time for them to see that what he desired was a spiritual rather than a temporal organiLation( a union of noble( pure( persevering( and energetic souls( bent on personal realiLation and moved to work b a genuine interest in and love for humanit 2 9e carried on his work in this spirit( resolutel re*ecting interference& 1 the month of !une "$#>( the Swami began to feel himself wearing out& 9is work had been e6ceedingl strenuousE lecturing both privatel and publicl ( and alwa s at a tension( he had become e6haustedE his nerves were racked( his brain tired( his whole bod overta6ed& 9e longed for a brief period( of rest and recuperation& 1ut personall ( he was satisfied& 9is message was being kindl received( and he had a few hundred followers( man of whom he had never seen( +n his rushing hither and thither over the 4nited States the previous ear( he had ever where sown his ideas& )hough it might be that he received no credit for them( he saw that the were being echoed from pulpits and rostrums( and he was satisfied that the ideals of the Sanatana <harma were spreading and percolating through the whole thoughtBworld of ,merica& On !ul #( "$#>( he wrote to the Ra*a of :hetri2 F+ have planted a seed in this countr E it is alread a plant( and + e6pect it to be a tree ver soon& + have got a few hundred followers& + shall make several sann asins( and then + go to +ndia( leaving the work to them& )he more the 5hristian priests oppose me( the more + am determined to leave a permanent mark on their countr &F )o have impressed the ,merican nation with a new thought( to have propagated new ideas among those who were bred

7% and brought up in a different ideal of life and religion( had been no eas task& ,nd to have done so within two ears was all the more wonderful& )he Swami had( no doubt( the <ivine -ower behind himE he had intense sincerit ( great abilit ( and unwear ing perseverance& ,bove all( he had RealiLation& )hat was the secret& 9aving almost e6hausted himself b the uninterrupted work of class and public lecturing( the Swami in the beginning of !une "$#>'( accepted the invitation of /r& Francis 0eggett to his fishing lodge( 5amp -erc ( beside a lake in the .hite /ountains of 'ew 9ampshire& )here he rested for nearl two weeks( reading the 3ita and meditating alone for hours together in the silence of leaf birch and maple woods& F)his is one of the most beautiful spots + have ever seen(F he wrote to /rs& 1ull on !une ;& F+magine a lake( surrounded with hills covered with a huge forest( with nobod but ourselves& So lovel ( so Duiet( so restfulG ,nd ou ma imagine how glad + am to be here after the bustle of cities& +t gives me a new lease of life to be here&&&& + will meditate b the hours and da s here and he all alone to m self& )he ver idea is ennobling&F 9is one idea was to he in communion with the 9ighest( and indeed this was a time for him of profound e6perience& )he stor was later told b /iss !osephine /ac0eod( who( with her widowed sister( /rs& .illiam Sturges( was also a guest of /r& 0eggett( that one da a workman found the Swami l ing on the shore of the lake ?to all appearances dead& Rushing to the spot( /r& 0eggett and the two women did ever thing in their power to rouse him& Failing( the were about to give up( when signs of life appeared( and graduall he returned to normal& )he Swami had presumabl entered into Samadhi& +t is little wonder that he came forth from the solitude of 5amp -erc a veritable avalanche of spiritualit ( read to make his disciples realiLe man forms of )ruth at but a glance( a touch( or wish& 1efore he had left for 5amp -erc ( his students had e6pressed their eagerness for him to return at once to 'ew Aork and continue his work of teaching& 1ut being too tired( he had

7" demurred at prolonging his classes through the hot summer months& /an of his students( moreover( had arranged to leave the cit for seaside or mountain resorts& )he problem( however( solved itself& One of his 'ew Aork students owned a small cottage at )housand +sland -ark( a village situated on .ellesle +sland( the second largest island in the )housand +sland group of the St& 0awrence River& She offered the use of the cottage to the Swami and as man students as it would accommodate& )his plan appealed to him( and he agreed to *oin the students there after his brief visit to 5amp -erc in 'ew 9ampshire& (,nd this he was to do( as it turned out( on !une "$&) 9e said that those who were willing to put aside all other interests and devote themselves to stud ing the Vedanta( travelling more than three hundred miles to a suitable spot( were the ones reall in earnestE he would recogniLe them as disciples& 9e did not e6pect man would take so much trouble( but if an responded( he would do his share in helping them on the path& ,nd indeed the classes he was to hold at )housand +sland -ark would outshine in spiritual inspiration even those he had held in 'ew Aork& 1ut it should be mentioned here that other students of Swami*i's( though less fortunate( were also earnestE for to their credit the continued to hold the 'ew Aork class b themselves& 9e was much pleased b it& FOur class in 'ew Aork is going on(F he was to write to &1ett Sturges on !ul 7#( Fthe have bravel carried it on( although + was not there&F On /a 7$ the Swami wrote to /rs& 1ull( telling her that he had an invitation to speak at a -arliament of Religions at )oronto( 5anada& F+ will go thereF( he said( Ffrom )housand +sland -ark and return& & & &F )he trip would not have been a long one( )oronto being on the north shore of 0ake Ontario( some hundred and fift miles from the effluence of the St& 0awrence River( where the )housand +slands were clustered& )he invitation( however( was later cancelled& On !ul "@ the Swami was to write to /rs& 1ull from )housand +sland I-ark2 F)he )oronto affair has fallen through( because the

77 clerg men ob*ected to a heathen& )here is one invitation from the 5hristian 4nion of Oak 1each Ha small resort town near 'ew Aork 5it I& + do not know whether + will go there& ,s + intend to go to 5hicago in ,ugust( + ought to give to the people here all the time + can&F For this same reason( the Swami declined an invitation to visit the 3reenacre 5onferences that summer& 9e wished to devote all the time he could to those lo al and deepl earnest students who would follow him to the retreat at )housand +sland -ark& +n an earlier letter to /rs& 1ull( he had written on ,pril 7>2 F+ want to manufacture a few ' ogis' out of the materials of the classes( and a bus fair like 3reenacre is the last place for that( and it H)housand +slandsI is Duite out of the wa ( and none of the curiosit seekers will dare go there&F +t should not be thought( however( that Swami*i did not consider the Fbus fairF of 3reenacre a worthwhile undertaking( deserving of encouragement and support& .ith characteristic magnanimit ( he had written to /rs& 1ull on Februar "=( "$#>& F9ow can + e6press m gratitude to ou for what ou have alread done for me and m work( and m eternal gratitude to ou for our offering to do something more this ear& 1ut + sincerel believe that ou ought to turn all our help to /iss Farmer's 3reenacre work this ear& +ndia can wait as she is waiting centuries and an immediate work at hand should alwa s have the preference&F Feeling that a special sanctuar should he prepared for the )housand +sland -ark retreat( /iss <utcher( the student to whom the cottage belonged( built as a love offering to her )eacher a new wing that was nearl as large as the original cottage 7& )he house was ideall situated on high ground( overlooking a wide sweep of the beautiful 'river with man of its farBfamed )housand +slands& )he town& of 5la ton could be diml discerned on the 'ew Aork shore( while the 5anadian shore bounded the view to the north& )he cottage stood on

.e are indebted to /iss .aldo for her charming description of )housand +sland -ark and of the Swami's so*ourn there& )he following narrative is based on her reminiscences

77

7@ the side of a hill( which on the north and west sloped down abruptl towards the river and a little inlet that la like a small lake behind the house& )he house was literall Fbuilt upon a rockF( and huge boulders la all around it& )he new wing stood on the steep slope of the rock like a great lantern tower with windows on three sides( three store s deep at the back( and onl two in front& )he lowest room was occupied b one of the students& )he one over it opened out of the main part of the house b several doors( and being large and convenient became the classroom( where for hours each da the Swami gave the students informal instructions& Over this room was the one devoted e6clusivel to the use of the Swami& +n order that it might be perfectl secluded( /iss <utcher had supplied it with a separate outside staircase( although there was also a door opening upon the secondBstore piaLLa& )his upstairs piaLLa pla ed an important part in the lives of the students( as all the Swami's evening talks were given here& .ide( room ( and roofed over( it e6tended along the south and west sides of the cottage& /iss <utcher had the west side carefull screened off b a partition( so that none of the strangers( who freDuentl visited the piaLLa to see the magnificent view it commanded( could intrude upon their privac & Ever da ( immediatel after the evening meal( the all repaired to the upper piaLLa and awaited the coming of the Swami& 'or had the long to wait( for hardl had the assembled than the door of his room would open and he would Duickl step out and take his accustomed scat b his door& )here ever evening the beloved )eacher would commune with the disciples who sat silent in the darkness( eagerl drinking in his inspired words& )he place was a veritable sanctuar @& ,t their feet( like a sea( waved the leaves of the

/iss <utcher's cottage( sanctified b the Swami's sta ( was acDuired b the RamakrishnaBVivekananda 5entre of 'ew Aork in <ecember "#=; and e6tensivel restored without interfering with the original design& +t is now used as a summer retreat b the Swamis of the Ramakrishna Order and the students of Vedanta& +t has been dedicated as FVivekananda 5ottageF( and Swami Vivekananda's room has been set apart as a shrine for the devotions of the retreatants&

7= treetops( for the entire place was surrounded b thick woods& 'ot one house of the large village could be seenE it was as if the were in the heart of some dense forest( miles awa from the haunts of men& 1e ond the trees spread the wide e6panse of the St& 0awrence( dotted here and there with islands( some of which gleamed bright with the lights of hotels and boarding houses& ,ll these were so far awa that the seemed more like a pictured scene than a realit & 'ot a human sound penetrated their seclusionE the heard but the murmur of the insects( the sweet songs of the birds( or the gentle sighing of the wind through the leaves& -art of the time the scene was illumined b the soft ra s of the moon( and her face was mirrored in the shining waters beneath& )he Swami alwa s spent two hours with them and more often much longer& One glorious night( when the moon was about full( he talked to them until it set below the western horiLon( apparentl as unconscious as were his listeners of the lapse of time& +n this scene of enchantment( Fthe world forgetting( b the world forgotF( the devoted students spent seven blessed weeks with their beloved )eacher( listening to his words of inspiration& Speaking of the Swami and his sta /iss $& E& .aldo( one of the students( writes2
)o those who were fortunate enough to be there with the Swami( those were weeks of everBhallowed memor ( so fraught were the with unusual opportunit for spiritual growth& 'o words can describe what that blissful period meant (and still means) to the devoted little band who followed the Swami from 'ew Aork to the island in the St& 0awrence( who dail served him with *o and listened to him with heartfelt thankfulness& 9is whole heart was in his work( and he taught like one inspired& Of these talks it was not possible to take notes& )he are preserved onl in the hearts of the hearers& 'one of us can ever forget the sense of u lift( the intense spiritual life of those hallowed hours& )he Swami poured out all his heart at those times his own struggles were enacted again before usE the ver spirit of his master seemed to speak through his lips( to satisf all doubts( to answer all Duestioning( to soothe ever fear& /an times the Swami seemed hardl conscious of our presence( and then we almost held our breath

7>
for fear of disturbing him and checking the flow of his thoughts& 9e would rise from his scat and pace up and down the narrow limits of the piaLLa( pouring forth a perfect torrent of eloDuence& )he Swami did not appear to address us directl ( but rather seemed to be speaking to himself in words of fire( as it were( so intense were the ( and so convincing( burning into the ver hearts of his listeners( never to be forgotten& 'ever was he more gentle( more lovable than during these hours& +t ma have been much like the wa his own great /aster taught his disciples( *ust allowing them to listen to the outpourings of his own spirit in communion with himself&

+t was a perpetual inspiration to live with a man like( Swami Vivekananda& From morning till night it was ever the same( we lived in a constant atmosphere of intense spiritualit & Often pla ful and funBloving( full of merr *est and Duick repartee( he was never for a moment far from the dominating note of his life& Ever thing could furnish a te6t or an illustration( and in a moment we would find ourselves swept from amusing tales of 9indu m tholog to the deepest philosoph & )he Swami had an ine6haustible fund of m thological lore( and surel no race is more abundantl supplied with m ths than those ancient ,r ans& 9e loved to tell them to us( and we were delighted to listenE for he never failed to point out the realit hidden under m th and stor and to draw from it valuable spiritual lessons& 'ever had fortunate students greater cause to congratulate themselves on having so gifted a )eacherG )hose ideas were new and strange to us( and we were slow in assimilating them( but the Swami's patience never flagged( his enthusiasm never waned& +n the afternoons he talked to us more informall ( and we took usuall a long walk& 1 a singular coincidence *ust twelve students followed the Swami to )housand +sland -ark( and he told us that he accepted us as real disciples and that was wh he so constantl and freel taught us( giving us his best& ,ll the twelve were not together at once( ten being the largest number present at an one time& )wo of our number subseDuentl became sann asins&&&& )he ceremon of initiation was impressive from its e6treme simplicit & , small altar fire( beautiful flowers and the earnest words of the )eacher alone marked it as different from our dail lessons& +t took place at sunrise of a beautiful summer da and the scene still lives fresh in our memories&&&&

78 On the occasion of the consecration of the second sann asin( the Swami initiated fives of us as 1rahmacharinis& +t was decided( when the went to )housand +sland -ark( that the would live as a communit ( each doing his or her share of the housework in order that no alien presence should mar the serenit of the household& )he Swami himself was an accomplished cook and often prepared for them delicious dishes& Ever morning( *ust as soon as the various tasks were over (and often before)( the Swami called the students together in the large parlour that served as a classroom and began to teach& Each da he took up some special sub*ect( or e6pounded from some sacred book( such as the .ha avad/0ita, the 4panishads( or the Vedanta/Sutras of V asa& +n these morning lessons the point of view presented was sometimes that of pure dualism as represented b /adhva( while on another da it was that of the Dualified nonBdualism taught b Ramanu*a( known as Vishishtadvaita& /ost freDuentl ( however( the monistic commentar of Sankara was taken up( but because of his subtlet he was more difficult to understand& So to the end Ramanu*a remained the favourite among the students& Sometimes the Swami took up the .hakti/Sutras of 'arada& )he are a short e6position of devotion to 3od( which gives one some conception of the loft 9indu ideal of real( allBabsorbing love for the 0ord( love that literall possesses the devotee to the e6clusion of ever other thought& +n these talks the Swami for the first time spoke to them at length about Shri Ramakrishna( of his dail life with the /aster and of his struggles with his own tendenc to unbelief( which at times drew tears from his /aster& ,s the da s and weeks passed b ( the students began to reall understand and grasp the meaning of what the had heard( and the gladl accepted the teaching& Ever one o the students there received initiation b /antra at the hands of the Swami( thus becoming his disciples( the Swami assuming towards them the position of the guru&

7; /rs& Funke speaking of her delightful e6perience at )housand +sland -ark writes as follows2 .e Hshe and /iss 5hristine 3reenstidelI had no chance to meet him in a personal wa at the time Hduring his first visit to <etroitI( but we listened and pondered& in our hearts over all that we heard him sa ( resolving to find him sometime( somewhere( even if we had to go across the world to do it& .e lost trace of him completel for one ear and a half and thought that probabl he had returned to +ndia( but one afternoon we were told b a friend that he was still in this countr and that he was spending the summer at )housand +sland -ark& .e started the ne6t morning( resolved to seek him out and ask him to teach us& ,t last after a wear search we found him& .e were feeling ver much frightened at our temerit in thus intruding upon his privac ( but he had lighted a fire in our souls that could not be Duenched& .e must know more of this wonderful man and his teaching& +t was a dark and rain night( and we were wear after a long *ourne ( but we could not rest until we had seen him face to face& .ould he accept usM ,nd if he did not( what then could we doM +t suddenl seemed to us that it might be a foolish thing to go several hundred miles to find a man who did not even know of our e6istence( but we plodded on up the hill in the rain and darkness( with a man we had hired to show us the wa with his lantern& Speaking of this in after ears( our guru would refer to us as Fm disciples( who travelled hundreds of miles to find me( and the came in the night and in the rain&F .e had thought of what to sa to him( but ' when we realiLed that we had reall found him( we instantl forgot all our fine speeches( and one of us blurted out( F.e come from <etroit and /rs& -& sent us to ou&F )he other said( F.e have come to ou *ust as we would go to !esus if 9e were still on the earth and ask 9im to teach us&F 9e looked at us so kindl and said gentl ( F+f onl + possessed the power of the 5hrist to set ou free nowGF 9e stood for a moment looking thoughtful and then turning to his hostess who was standing near( said( F)hese ladies are from <etroit( please show them upstairs and allow them to spend the evening with us&F .e remained until late listening to the /aster who paid no more attention to us( but as we bade them all goodnight we were told to come the ne6t morning at nine o'clock arrived promptl ( and to our great *o were accepted b the /aster

7$ and were cordiall invited to become members of the household& +n a letter to a friend at this time she writes2 So here we are?in the ver house with Vivekananda, listening to him from $ o'clock in the morning until late at night& Even in m wildest dreams + could not imagine an thing so wonderful( so perfect& )o be with VivekanandaG )o he accepted b himG Oh( the sublime teaching of VivekanandaG 'o nonsense( no talk of FastralsF( FimpsF( but 3od( !esus( 1uddha& + feel that + shall never be Duite the same again for + have caught a glimpse of the Real& !ust think what it means to listen to a Vivekananda at ever meal( lessons each morning and the nights on the porch( the eternal stars shining like Fpatines of bright goldFG +n the afternoon( we take long walks( and the Swami literall ( and so simpl ( finds Fbooks in the running brooks( sermons in stones( and good (3od) in ever B thing&F ,nd this same Swami is so merr and funBloving& .e *ust go mad at times& 0ater& .e have been soaring on the 9eights( since + last wrote ou& Swami tells us to forget that there is an <etroit for the present that is( to allow no personal thoughts to occup our minds while taking this instruction& .e are taught to we 3od in ever$thin from the blade of grass to man??'even in the diabolical manF& Reall ( it is almost impossible to find time to write here& .e put up with some inconveniences as it is so crowded& )here is no time to rela6( to rest( for we feel the time is A too short as the Swami leaves soon for England& .e scarcel take time to arra ourselves properl ( so afraid are we of losing some of the precious *ewels& 9is words are like *ewels( and all that he sa s fits together like a wonderfull beautiful mosaic& +n his talks he ma go ever so far afield( but alwa s he comes back to the one fundamental( vital thing?FFind 3odG 'othing else matters&F " especiall like /iss .aldo and /iss Ellis( although the whole household is interesting& Some uniDue characters& One( a <r& .ight of 5ambridge Hof 'ew AorkI(& a ver cultured man( creates much merriment at times& 9e becomes so absorbed in the teaching that he( invariabl at the end of each discourse( ends up with asking Swami*i( F.ell( Swami( it all amounts to this in the end( doesn't itM + am 1rahmanE + am the ,bsolute&F +f ou could onl see Swami's indulgent smile and hear him answer so gentl ( FAes( <ockie( ou

7# are 1rahman( ou are the ,bsolute( in the real essence of our being&F 0ater( when the learned doctor comes to the table a trifle late( Swami( with the utmost gravit but with a merr twinkle in his e es( will sa ( F9ere comes 1rahmanF or F9ere is the ,bsolute&F Swami*i's funBmaking is of the merr t pe& Sometimes he will sa ( F'ow + am going to cook for ouGF 9e is a wonderful cook and delights in serving the FbrithrinF& )he food he prepares is delicious but for F ours ' too hot with various spicesE but + made up m mind to cat it if it strangled me( which it nearl did& +f a Vivekananda can cook for me( + guess the least + can do is to cat it& 1less himG ,t such times we have a whirlwind of fun& Swami*i will stand on the floor with a white napkin draped over his arm d la waiter on the dining cars( and will intone in perfect imitation their call for dinner?J0ast call for' the dining cah& <inner served&F +rresistibl funn & ,nd then( at table such gales of laughter over some Duip or *est( for he unfailingl discovers the little idios ncrasies of each one?but never sarcasm or malice?*ust fun& Since m last letter to ou when + told ou of Swami*i's capacit for merriment( so man little things have occurred to make one we how varied are the aspects of Vivekananda& .e are tr ing t take notes of all that he sa s( but + find m self lost in listening and forget the& notes& 9is voice is wondrousl beautiful& One might well lose oneself in its divine music& 9owever( dear /iss .aldo is taking ver full noF of the lessons( and in that wa the will be preserved& Some fair must have presided at our birth?5hristine's and mine& .e do not( as et( know much of :arma and reincarnation( but we are beginning to see that both are involved in our being Nt into touch with Swami*i& Sometimes + ask him rather daring Duestions( for + am so an6ious to know *ust how he would react under certain conditions& 9e takes it so kindl when + in m impulsive wa sometimes rush in where angels fear to tread& Once he said to someone( F/rs& Funke rests me( she is so naive&F .asn't that dear of himM One evening( when it was raining and we were all sitting in the living room( the Swami was talking about pure womanhood and told us the stor of Sita& How he can tell a stor G Aou see it and all the characters become real& + found m self wondering *ust how some of the beautiful societ Dueens of the .est would appear to him? especiall those versed in the art of allurement?and before

@% + took time to think( out popped the Duestion and immediatel + was covered with confusion& )he Swami( however( looked at me calml with his big( serious e es and gravel replied( F+f the most beautiful woman in the world were to look at me in an immodest or unwomanl wa ( she would immediatel turn into a hideous( green frog( and one does not( of course( admire frogsGF & & & ,Vow he has closed the class for the morning( and he has turned to me( F/rs& Funke( tell me a funn stor & .e are going to part soon( and we must talk funn things( isn't itMF .e take long walks ever afternoon( and our favourite walk is back of the cottage down a hill and then a rustic path to the river&&&& Sometimes we stop several times and sit around on the grass and listen to Swami's wonderful talks& , bird( a flower( a butterfl ( will start him off( and he will tell us stories from the Vedas or recite +ndian poetr &&&& Recalling those wonderful da s at )housand +sland -ark( /iss 5hristine 3reenstidel (later Sister 5hristine) wrote of them at some length& 9er memoirs read in part2 ,ll that winter Hin 'ew AorkI the work went on( and when the season came to an end( earl in the summer( this devoted group was not willing to have the teaching discontinued& One of them owned a house in )housand +sland -ark on the St& 0awrence River( and a proposal was made to the teacher that the all spend the summer there& 9e consented( much touched b their earnestness& 9e wrote to one of his friends that he wanted to manufacture a few ogis out of the materials of the classes& 9e felt that his work was now reall started and that those who *oined him at )housand +slands were reall disciples&&&& Earl in !une three or four were gathered at )housand +sland -ark with him and the teaching began without dela & .e came on Saturda ( !ul 8( "$#>& Swami Vivekananda had planned to initiate several of those alread there on /onda & F+ don't know ou well enough et to feel sure that ou are read for initiation(F he said on Sunda afternoon& )hen he added rather sh l ( + have a power which + seldom use the power of reading the mind& +f ou will permit me( + should like to read our mind( as + wish to initiate ou with the others tomorrow&F .e assented *o full & Evidentl he was satisfied with the result of the reading( for the ne6t

@" da ( together with several others( he gave us a /antra and made us his disciples& ,fterwards( Duestioned as to what he saw while he was reading our minds he told us a little& 9e saw that we should be faithful and that we should make progress in our spiritual life& 9e described something of what he saw( without giving the interpretation of ever picture& +n one case( scene after scene passed before his mental vision which meant that there would be e6tensive travel apparentl in Oriental countries& 9e described the ver houses in which we should live( the people who should surround us( the influences that would affect our lives& .e Duestioned him about this& 9e told us it could be acDuired b an one& )he method was simple at least in the telling& First( think of space?vast( blue( e6tending ever where& +n time( as one meditates upon this space intentl ( pictures appear& )hese must be interpreted& Sometimes one sees the pictures but does not know the interpretation& 9e saw that one of us would be indissolubl connected with +ndia& +mportant as well as minor events were for us nearl all of which have come to pass& +n this reading( the Dualit of the personalit was revealed? the mettle( the capacit ( the character& 9aving passed this test( there can be no selfBdepreciation( no lack of faith in one's self& Ever momentar doubt is replaced b a serene assurance& 9as the personalit not received the stamp of approval from the one being in the world &&& M Of the wonderful weeks that followed( it is difficult to write& Onl if one's mind were lifted to that high state of consciousness in which we lived for the time( could we hope to recapture the e6perience& .e were filled with *o & .e did not know at that time that we were living in his radiance& On the wings of inspiration( he carried us to the height which was his natural abode& 9e himself( speaking of it later( said that he was at his best in )housand +slands& )hen he felt that he had found the channel through which his message might be spread( the wa to fulfil his mission( for the guru had found his own disciples& 9is first overwhelming desire was to show us the path to /ukti( to set us free& F,hF( he said with touching pathos( F+f + could onl set ou free with a touchGF 9is second ob*ect( not so apparent perhaps( but alwa s in the undercurrent( was to train this group to carr on the work in ,merica& On his own little veranda( overlooking the treetops and the beautiful St& 0awrence( he often called upon us to make speeches& +t was a tr ing ordeal& Each in turn was called upon to make an attempt& )here

@7 was no escape& ,t these intimate evening gatherings often he soared to the greatest height as the night advanced& .hat if it was two o'clock in the morningM .hat if we had watched the moon rise and setM )ime and space had vanished for us& )here was nothing set or formal about these nights on the upper veranda& 9e sat in his large chair at the end( near his door& Sometimes he went into a deep meditation& ,t such times we too meditated or sat in profound silence& Often it lasted for hours and one after the other slipped awa & For we knew that after this he would not feel inclined to speak& Or again the meditation would be short( and he would encourage us to ask Duestions afterwards( often calling on one of us to answer& 'o matter how far wrong these answers were( he let us flounder about until we were near the truthE and then in a few words( he would clear up the difficult & )his was his invariable method in teaching& 9e knew how to stimulate the mind of the learner and make it do its own thinking& <id we go to him for confirmation of a new idea or point of view and begin( F+ see it is thus and soF( his FAesMF with an upper inflection alwa s sent us back for further thought& ,gain we would come with a more clarified understanding and again the FAesMF stimulated us to further thought& -erhaps after the third time when the capacit for further thought along that particular line was reached( he would point out the error?an error usuall due to something in our .estern mode of thought& ,nd so he trained us with such patience( such benignit & +t was like a benediction& +t was a strange group?these people whom he had gathered around him that summer at )housand +slands& 'o wonder the shopkeeper( to whom we went for direction upon our arrival( said( FAes( there are some Dueer people living up on the hill( among whom is a foreignBlooking gentleman&F )here were three friends who had come to the Swami's 'ew Aork classes together?/iss S(& E& .aldo( /iss Ruth Ellis( and <octor .ight& For thirt ears( the had attended ever lecture on philosoph that the had heard of( but had never found an thing that even remotel approached this& So <octor .ight gravel assured us( the newcomers&&&& &&& .e in our retirement seldom saw an one e6cept now and then someone who came for the view& )he conditions were ideal for our purpose& One could not have believed that such a spot could be found in ,merica& .hat great ideas were voiced thereG .hat an atmosphere was created( what power was generatedG )here

@@ the )eacher reached some of his loftiest flights( there he showed us his heart and mind& .e saw ideas unfold and flower& .e saw the evolution of plans which grew into institutions in the ears that followed& +t was blessed e6perience?an e6perience which made /iss .aldo e6claim( F.hat have we ever done to deserve thinMF ,nd so we all felt& )he original plan was that the should live as a communit ( without servants( each doing a share of the work& 'earl all of them were unaccustomed to housework and found it uncongenial& )he result was amusingE as time went on( it threatened to become disastrous& Some of us who had *ust been reading the stor of 1rook Farm felt that we saw it reBenacted before our e es& 'o wonder Emerson refused to *oin that communit of transcendentalistsG 9is serenit was evidentl bought at a price& Some could onl wash dishes& One whose work was to cut the bread( groaned and 'all but wept whenever she attempted the task& +t is curious how character is tested its these( little things& .eaknesses which might have been hidden for , lifetime in ordinar intercourse( were e6posed in a da of this communit life& +t was interesting& .ith Swami*i the effect was Duite different& ,lthough onl one among them was ounger than himself( he seemed like a father or rather like a mother in patience and gentleness& .hen the tension became too great( he would sa with the utmost sweetness( F)oda ( + shall cook for ou&F )o this 0andsberg would e*aculate in an aside( F9eaven save usGF 1 wa of e6planation he said that in 'ew Aork when Swami*i cooked( he( 0andsberg( would tear his hair( because it meant that afterwards ever dish in the house reDuired washing& ,fter several unhapp e6periences in the communit housekeeping( an outsider was engaged for help( and one or two of the more capable ones undertook certain responsibilities( and we had peace& 1ut once the necessar work was over and we had gathered in the class room( the atmosphere was changed& )here never was a disturbing element within those walls& +t seemed as if we had left the bod and the bodil consciousness outside& .e sat in a semicircle and waited& .hich gate to the Eternal would be opened for us toda M .hat heavenl vision should meet our e esM )here was alwa s the thrill of adventure& )he 4ndiscovered 5ountr ( the Sorrowless 0and opened up new vistas of hope and beaut & Even so( our e6pectations were alwa s e6ceeded& Vivekananda's flights carried us with him to supernal heights& .hatever degree of realiLation

@= ma or ma not have come to us since( one thing we can never forget2 .e saw the -romised 0and& .e( too( were taken to the top of -isgah and the sorrow and trials of this world have never been Duite real since& &&& .hen he saw how deep the impression was which he had made( he would sa with a smile( F)he cobra has bitten ou& Aou cannot escape&F Or sometimes( F+ have caught ou in m net& Aou can never get out&F /iss <utcher( our hostess( was a conscientious little woman( a devout /ethodist& 9ow she ever came to be associated with such P group as gathered in her house that summer would have been P m ster to an one who did not know the power of Swami Vivekananda to attract and hold sincere souls& 1ut having once seen and heard him( what could one do but followM .as he not the +ncarnation of the <ivine( the <ivine which lures man on until he finds himself again in his lost kingdomM 1ut the road was hard and often terrif ing to one still bound b conventions and orthodo6 in religion& ,ll her ideals( her values of life( her concepts of religion were( it seemed to her( destro ed& +n realit ( the were onl modified& Sometimes she did not appear for two or three da s& F<on't ou see(F Swami said( Fthis is not an ordinar illnessM +t is the reaction of the bod against the chaos that is going on in her mind& She cannot bear it&F )he most violent attack came one da after a timid protest on her part against something he had said in the class& F)he idea of dut is the midda sun of miser scorching the ver soul(F he had said& F+s it not our dut (F she began( but got no farther& For once that great free soul broke all bounds in his rebellion against the idea that an one should dare bind with fetters the soul of man& /iss <utcher was not seen for some da s& ,nd so the process of education went on& +t was not difficult if one's devotion to the guru was great enough( for then( like the snake( one dropped the old and put on the new& 1ut where the old pre*udices and conventions were stronger than one's faith( it was a terrif ing( almost a devastating process& For the first time we understood wh all religions begin with ethics& For without truth( nonBin*ur ( continence( nonBstealing( cleanliness( austerit ( there can be no spiritualit &&&& 5ontinence?5hastit 2 )his sub*ect alwa s stirred him deepl & .alking up and down the room( getting more and more e6cited( he would stop before someone as if there were no one else in the

@> room& F<on't ou see(F he would sa eagerl ( Fthere is a reason wh chastit is insisted on in all monastic ordersM Spiritual giants are produced onl where the vow of chastit is observed& <on't ou see there must he a reasonM )he Roman 5atholic 5hurch has produced great saints( St& Francis of ,ssisi( +gnatius 0o ola( St& )eresa( the two 5atherines and man others& )he -rotestant 5hurch has produced no one of spiritual rank eDual to them& )here is a connection between great spiritualit and chastit & )he e6planation is that these men and women have through pra er and meditation transmuted the most powerful force in the bod into spiritual energ & +n +ndia this is well understood and ogis do it consciousl & )he force so transmuted is called O*as and is stored up in the brain& +t has been lifted from the lowest centre of the :undalini the /uladhara to the highest&F )o us who listened( the words came to our remembrance2 F,nd +( if + be lifted up( will draw all men unto me&F & & & 9ow touchingl earnest Swami Vivekananda was as he proposed this sub*ect& 9e seemed to plead with us( as if to beg us to act upon this teaching as something most precious& /ore( we could not be the disciples he reDuired if we were not established in this& 9e demanded a conscious transmutation& F)he man who has no temper has nothing to control(F he said& F+ want a few( five or si6( who are in the flower of their outh&F & & & +t is needless to repeat the formal teaching( the great central idea& )hese one can read for oneself& 1ut there was something else( an influence( an atmosphere charged with the desire to escape from bondage?call it what ou will?that can never be put into words( and et was more powerful than an words& +t was this which made us realiLe that we were blessed be ond words& )o hear him sa ( F)his indecent clinging to lifeF( drew aside the curtain for us into the region be ond life and death( and planted in our hearts the desire for that glorious freedom& .e saw a soul struggling to escape the meshes of /a a( one to whom the bod was an intolerable bondage( not onl a limitation but a degrading humiliation& J,Lad( ,Lad( the FreeK( he cried( pacing up and down like a caged lion& Aes( like the lion in the cage who found the bars not of iron but of bamboo& F0et us not be caught this time(F would be his refrain another da &&&&
.e seemed to be in a different world& )he end to be attained was Freedom?Freedom from the bondage in which /a a has

@8
caught us( in which /a a has enmeshed all mankind& Sooner or later the opportunit to escape will to all& Ours had come& For during these da s ever aspiration( ever desire( ever struggle was directed towards this one purpose?consciousl b our )eacher( blindl ( unconsciousl b us( following the influence he created

.ednesda ( !une "#( marked the beginning of the regular f disciples at )housand island -ark& 9e came on this first morning with the 1ible in his hand and opened it at the 1ook of !ohn( sa ing that since the students were all 5hristians( it was proper that he should begin with the 5hristian scriptures& )hough not all the talks of the Swami during his sta at )housand +sland -ark were written down( some were( and these have been embodied in the book known as )ns-ired Ta'ks* +t is to /iss .aldo that the followers of the Swami are indebted for these immortal words( and the title of the book was well chosen( for those talks were inspired indeed& )he Swami threw light upon all manner of sub*ects( historical and philosophical( spiritual and temporal& +t was as if the contents of his nature were pouring themselves forth as a grand revelation of the man Bsidedness of the Eternal )ruth& 5ertainl the seven weeks at( )housand +sland -ark were one of the freest and the greatest periods in the Swami's life& 9e was there in the uninterrupted stillness of the island retreat( in an atmosphere similar to that in which his /aster had lived and taught in the <akshineswar da s of old& )here the walked in the woods or along the riverE there he happil studied the huge Sanskrit tomes that he had earlier sent for to +ndia& ,nd there on the banks of the St& 0awrence( in a mood of supreme ecstas ( he one da entered while meditating into 'irvikalpa Samadhi as he had done in the da s of blessed 'memor at 5ossipore& )hough at the time he spoke of it to no one( he reckoned this e6perience as one of the most e6alted in his life& )he whirlwind of spiritual rhapsod and ecstas that had swept the souls of devotees in <akshineswar on the bank of the 3anga( swept here anew the souls of other devotees&

@; in the island retreat of the beautiful St& 0awrence River( and the spirit of the /aster and the realiLation of the Swami burned constantl in vast( ignoranceBdestro ing flames& +n a letter dated ,ugust "$#> to ,lasinga -erumal( he wrote( in the glor of his realiLations at )housand +sland -ark2 F+ am free( m bonds are cut( what care + whether this bod goes or does not goM &&& + have a truth to teach( "( the child of 3od& ,nd he that gave me the truth will send me fellowBworkers from the earth's bravest and best&F 'ow and then the /O':& in him would come out in protest against his surroundings and distraction& 9is poem F)he Song of the Sann asinF( considered b some to be his masterpiece( was written in such a state of protest and spiritual fervour& 9e had received a letter criticiLing his determination to work among the people instead among the rich& ,s we have seen earlier( the Swami had long since rebuffed such attempts to interfere with his work( but *ust as the sight of a butterfl or a flower was occasion for an e6alted discourse( so the slightest attempt to bind him down to the dictates of societ could arouse in him the lion of renunciation and call forth a grand roar of freedom( FOne afternoon(F /rs& Funke wrote( Fwhen he had been telling us of the glor of renunciation( of the *o and freedom of those of the ochre robe( lie suddenl left us and in a short time he had written his 'Song of the Sann asin'( a ver passion of sacrifice and renunciation&F )he Swami sent the poem b return mail in repl to the letter that had evoked it& )hree verses selected from that great song afford an insight into the ardour and the power &of his spirit of sann asa and the profundit of his realiLation2
$tri%e o&& thy' (etters' )onds that bind thee do*n+ ,& shinin- -old+ or dar%er+ baser ore. Love+ hate/-ood bad/and all the dual thron0no*+ slave is slave+ caressed or *hipped+ not &ree. (or &etters thou-h o& -old+ are not less stron- to bind. Then o&& *ith them+ sannyasin bold' $ay/

QQOm )at Sat( OmRR

@$
1eed then no more ho* body lives or -oes+ 2ts tas% is done3 Let 0arma &loat it do*n. Let one put -arlands on+ another %ic% This &rame. say nau-ht3 4o praise or blame can be 5here praiser+ praised/blamer+ blamed/are one3 Thus be thou calm+ sannyasin bold' $ay/

FOm )at Sat( OmGF

(e* only %no* the Truth3 The rest *ill hate And lau-h at thee+ -reat one. but pay no heed3 6o thou+ the &ree+ &rom place to place+ and help Them out o& dar%ness+ 7aya8s veil3 5ithout The &ear o& pain or search &or pleasure+ -o )eyond them both+ sannyasin bold' $ay/

FOm )at Sat( OmGF= .ith ,ugust 8( "$#>( ended the Swami's inspired talks and divine companionship at that blessed island in the St& 0awrence& On the following da he left for 'ew Aork& +n the letter written b /rs& Funke that we have Duoted from earlier( she wrote of that last da 2 .ednesda ( ,ugust ;th& ,las( he has departedG Swami*i left this evening at # o'clock on the steamer for 5la ton where he will take a train for 'ew Aork and from there sail for England& )he last da has been a ver wonderful and precious one& )his morning there was no class& 9e asked 3& H5hristineI and me to take a walk as he wished to be alone with us& ()he others had been with him all summer( and he felt we should have a last talk&) .e went up a hill about half a mile awa & ,ll was woods and solitude& Finall he selected a lowBbranched tree( and we sat under the lowBspreading branches& +nstead of the e6pected talk( he suddenl said( F'ow we will meditate& .e shall he like 1uddha under the 1o .hen the original manuscript of the poem( written in pencil( surfaced at the cottage at )housand +sland -ark in September of "#>>( it was found that on the back of the third page was written in Swami Vivekananda's hand& F)o 9is 9ighness the /ahara*a 1ahadoor of :hetri&F .hen sending the poem to ,lasinga -erumal( the Swami wrote to him on !ul @%( "$#>( F')he Song of the Sann asin' is m first contribution to our *ournal&F )he poem was first published in the September 7$("$#> issue of the .rahmavadin 1!:23*
=

@# )ree&F 9e seemed to turn to bronLe( so still was he& )hen a thunderBstorm came up( and it poured& 9e never noticed it& + raised m umbrella and protected him as much as possible& 5ompletel absorbed in his meditation( he was oblivious of ever thing& Soon we heard shouts in the distance& )he others had come out after us with raincoats and umbrellas& Swami*i looked around regretfull ( for we had to go( and said( FOnce more am + in 5alcutta in the rains&F 9e was so tender and sweet all this last da & ,s the steamer rounded the bend in the river he bo ishl and *o ousl waved his hat to us in farewell and he had departed indeed& ,nd while leaving the islands he said( F+ bless these )housand +slandsF& )he Swami had been e6hausted when he had left 'ew Aork at the end of the season's work& Aet after barel two weeks' rest at 5amp -erc ( he had once again entered upon the strenuous task of continual teaching& ,gain he gave utterl of himself( letting no moment of his attention lapse from the instruction and training of these students who had come to the retreat( though most of them were novices on the spiritual path( new to its ps chological demands and trialsE and none were his own countr men& ,nd et the were all his ownE for all mankind had become his own& F.hat little can he done for m brethren HbrotherBdisciplesI and m work is all the help + want from ou now(F he wrote to /rs& 1ull from )housand +sland -ark in connection with the help she had been giving his famil & F'ow for the world that gave me this bod ?the countr that gave me the ideas( and humanit which allows me to be one of them& )he older + grow( the more + see behind the idea of the 9indus that man is the greatest of all beings&F ,nd it was to man?not to an particular individual or nation?that he gave himself& 1ut despite the Swami's overflowing( impersonal love for all humanit ( despite his monistic vision and intense spirit of renunciation( he never failed in deep personal tenderness and affection for his friends& Even in his most e6alted moods lie was intensel human& +n his correspondence with /rs&

=% 9ale one finds him endlessl an6ious over the dela ed arrival in 5hicago of the shawls( mats( carpets( Rudraksha beads( and so on sent b the Ra*a of :hetri and the ") <ewan*i of !unagadh as gifts for his devoted friends& F.h do ou not write to me about the dut if ou had to pa it(F he wrote to /rs& 9ale from )housand +sland -ark( when a bundle from +ndia finall came& F+ insist upon pa ing it m self& )he Ra*a's things seem to come ver Duick& + am so glad too HasI + will have something to present to /rs& 1agle ( /rs& 1ull( etc&F )he Swami had given himself tirelessl to the teaching of his students( and it is small wonder that when his work at )housand +sland -ark came to a close( he was again e6hausted& One indication of this is that he slept soundl through the night on the train *ourne back to 'ew Aork( even though at one point the engine was derailed& F+ did not know an thing of it(F he wrote to 5hristine 3reenstidel( on ,ugust # from 'ew Aork& 9ow dead asleep with e6haustion he must have beenE for the derailing of an engine could not have been a silent or smooth eventG F,fter the hard work at the )housand +slands( + am taking a few da s Duiet and preparation for m departure(F he wrote to /rs& 1ull on the same da & )he Swami's departure was( of course( for -aris with /r& 0eggett and thence on to England for strenuous preaching work& )hough his bod seemed e6hausted( he went on and on( serving humanit ( as his /aster had long before ordained and as his universal( unending love now demanded&

=" 27 THE FIRST VISIT TO ENGLAND 9aving finished his great work of training and initiating disciples at )housand +sland -ark( the Swami returned to 'ew Aork on ,ugust $( "$#>( and prepared to sail for France and thence to England( where his longBheld idea of carr ing his message to the English people was to be fulfilled& )he Swami's first& known invitation to visit England had come to him from /iss F& 9enrietta /uller( who in "$#@ had spoken at the )heosophical 5ongress at the -arliament of Religions( and met the Swami there& +n the latter part of "$#=( her adopted son( ,ksho :umar 3hosh( who( it so happened( was a disciple of the Swami's( e6tended an invitation to him on behalf of /iss /uller to visit 0ondon and there he her houseBguest& On October 7;( "$#=( the Swami wrote from .ashington( <&5& to ,lasinga -erumal( F,ksho :umar is in 0ondon& 9e sent a beautiful invitation from 0ondon to come to /iss /uller's& ,nd + hope + am going in !anuar or Februar ne6t&F ,s we know 'however( it was not until later that the Swami left ,merica& /eanwhile( a second invitation had come to him from /r& E& )& Sturd ( an Englishman and erstwhile )heosophist( who had lived for a time in +ndia& .hile undertaking religious austerities at ,lmora( a hill station in the 9imala as( /r& Sturd had become intimatel known to Swami Shivananda( and had heard from him about his brotherBdisciple( Swami Vivekananda& Returning to England( /r& Sturd had begun in /arch of "$#> to correspond with the Swami( who was then in 'ew Aork& 0earning from /iss /uller that she had invited the Swami to 0ondon and that he was coming( /r& Sturd also sent his own cordial invitation( urging the Swami to visit England and he his guest& 9e assured him that 0ondon was a great field for his work& ,round this time( /r& Francis

=7 0eggett invited the Swami to accompan him on a vo age to -aris( where he and his fiancSe( 1esse /ac0eod Sturges( were to be married& )he Swami's response to these invitations was characteristic& On !ul ;( "$#>( he wrote to /r& 0eggett2 FSince leaving -erc ( + have invitations to come over to 0ondon from une6pected Duarters( and that + look forward to with great e6pectations& + do not want to lose this opportunit of working in 0ondon& ,nd so our invitation( coupled with the 0ondon one( is( + know( a divine call for further work&F On ,ugust "; he and /r& "(eggett sailed from 'ew Aork &b S& S& Touraine, reaching I-aris on the twent Bfourth after a delightful trip& )he ocean vo age rested his nerves and brain( which had been e6hausted b his strenuous work of nearl two ears in ,merica& <uring his sta of more than a fortnight in -aris( he acDuired in his wonted wa as much information as possible( asking( stud ing( observing& /rs& Sturges and her sister( /iss /ac0eod( both of whom knew -aris well( conducted him on various tours of the cit ( taking him to its museums( churches( cathedrals( and art galleries& 9e was pleased to note how artistic instincts were highl developed in the French nation& )he tomb of 'apoleon and other memorials of that great man( which were scattered ever where in -aris( filled him with admiration& 9e was introduced to some of the enlightened friends of his companions and discoursed with them on themes that ranged from the most learned of studies to the highest of spiritual sub*ects& )he became his friends and en*o ed his compan ( for in himself he combined the historian( philosopher( wit( and engaging conversationalist& 1ut though the Swami had come to -aris for recreation( thoughts of his work and mission were never far from his mind& *ust before sailing from ,merica he had received a letter from his disciples in +ndia( warning him that missionar activit was strong against him in his native land and that articles and pamphlets were appearing( criticiLing his life( his teaching( and his conduct& Evidentl the missionaries had

=@ been criticiLing his eating habits in the .est( and some orthodo6 9indus( as well as some members of the 1rahmo Sama*( who had read such criticism had become opposed to him and had attacked him in strong terms& 'aturall he was ve6ed& On September #( the da before his departure for 0ondon( he wrote to ,lasinga from -aris2 " am surprised ou take the missionaries' nonsense so seriousl & & & +f the people in +ndia want me to keep strictl to m 9indu diet( please tell them to send me a cook and mone enough to keep him& )his sill ,ossism without a mite of real help makes me laugh& On the other hand( if the missionaries tell ou that + have ever broken the two great vows of the sann asin?chastit and povert ?tell them that the are ,i 'iars&&&& ,s for me( mind ou( + stand at nobod 's dictation& + know /A mission in life( and no chauvinism about meE + belong as much to the world as to +ndia( no humbug about that&&&& .hat countr has an special claim on meM ,m + an nation's slaveM &&& + see a greater -ower than man( or 3od( or devil( at m back& + reDuire nobod 's help& + have spent all m life helping others& & & & <o ou mean to sa + am born to live and die one of those casteBridden( superstitious( merciless( h pocritical( atheistic cowards, that ou find onl amongst the educated 9indusM + hate cowardice + will have nothing to do with cowards or political nonsense& + do not believe in an politics& 3od and truth are the onl politics in the world( ever thing else is trash&&&& )his letter shows the Swami as the true sann asi( free and fearless& 9e was like another prophet scourging the -harisees of his own land& 1eing of little minds( some of the Swami'sBcountr men even allowed themselves to take seriousl the slanderous statements of those who worked against him with a view to breaking the backbone of the burgeoning 9indu renaissance& +ndeed( b this time 5hristian missionar activit in +ndia against him had reached a high pitch& 1ut he was a strong man( and he could be a strong adversar when necessar & 9e had to beE for otherwise his religion( his people( his name( and his teachings would have been discredited b malicious opponents& 9e had literall to fight his wa for recognition&

== ,nd when his character was attacked( he was( for the sake of his teaching( uneDuivocal in his replies& Sometimes( however( he felt like a child and would weep in solitude( pra ing to the /other for protection and for help& On one occasion( during his earl da s in ,merica( he was actuall seen in tears( reading a baseless assertion against his character& .hen asked &wh he wept( he had replied( FOhG 9ow deep is the wickedness of the world and to what lengths men go( in the name of religion( to cast aspersion upon another worker in 3od's vine ardGF 'ow he was bound for EnglandG 9e was with both e6pectations and apprehension& 9e had often dreamed of visiting the great metropolis of 0ondon( particularl to preach 9induismE et he wondered how the 1ritish public would receive him? a 9indu belonging to a sub*ect race( come to preach to them his religion( which the had known of onl in misrepresented forms from uns mpathetic critics& 0ater on( this uncertaint would give place to wonder and gratification at his singular and immediate success& /eanwhile( the ver sight of 0ondon thrilled him& 9e was received b friends( among them /r& Sturd and /iss 9enrietta /uller& ,t first he sta ed as a guest at /iss /uller's place at !uan <uff 9ouse( Regent Street( 5ambridge& ,fter a few da s( he moved to /r& Sturd 's house at 9igh View( 5aversham( Reading( some thirt Bsi6 miles b rail southwest of 0ondon& F/r& Sturd F( the Swami wrote to a brotherBmonk( Fis a ver nice gentleman( a staunch Vedantist( and understands a smattering of Sanskrit&F )he Swami lived with /r& and /rs& Sturd in the ancient town of Reading for si6 weeks& <uring this time he paid visits to ever place of historic or artistic interestE he held long philosophical discussions with his host( helped him to stud Sanskrit and to translate the Narada/.hakti/Sutras into English and write a commentar on them& )he Swami spent September and most of October living Duietl in Reading& F+ have not done an visible work Aet he wrote to /rs& 1ull on September 7=( )he 0ondon Season is not open et& )hen again /r& Sturd wants to go

=> slowl ?and build on a sure foundation rather than make a good deal of noise for nothing& So we are slowl moving on&&&& So far it is all right& .aiting for the ne6t wave& ',void not and seek not?wait for what the 0ord sends'( is m motto&F From the ver beginning he was surprised to find that the English people received him warml and gladl & 9is comment on this is all too revealing of the treatment he had been accorded in ,merica b some ,mericans and earlier in +ndia b some of the 1ritish& F+ have found alread several retired 3enerals from +ndia(F he wrote in earl September from ReadingE Fthe were ver civil and polite to me& )hat wonderful knowledge of the ,mericans that identifies ever black man with the 'egro is entirel absent here( and nobod even stares at me in the street& + am ver much more at home here than an where out of +ndia&F ,nd at a later date( !anuar 8( "$#82 F)he English people received me with open arms and + have ver much toned down m ideas about the English race&&&& Some of the best men of England belong to the English 5hurch and some of the highest in position and fame became m truest friends&F +t was not until October that one or two of the Swami's newl made friends arranged for him to give& a public lecture in 0ondon on the evening of the twent B second at -rince's 9all in -iccadill ( /r& Sturd bearing the ma*or part of the e6penses& )he lecture( entitled FSelfB:nowledgeF( was a tremendous success& /en he rose to speak( he faced a large gathering of people( representing all walks of life and comBprising some of the best thinkers in 0ondon& F9e electrified the audience b his grand and powerful orator F( one listener wrote& ,nd the ne6t morning the *ournals were filled with complimentar comments& )he Standard wrote2 Since the da s of Ram /ohan Ro ( with the single e6ception of :eshab 5handra Sen( there has not appeared on an English platform a more interesting +ndian figure than the 9indu who lectured in -rince's 9all&&&& +n the course of his lecture( he made some remorselessl disparaging criticism on the work that factories( engines( and other inventions and books were doing for man( cornB

=8 pared with halfBaBdoLen words spoken b 1uddha or !esus& )he lecture was evidentl Duite e6temporaneous( and was delivered in a pleasing voice free from an kind of hesitation& The London Dai'$ 4hronic'e wrote2 Vivekananda( the popular 9indu monk( whose ph siognom bore the most striking resemblance to the classic face of 1uddha( denounced our commercial prosperit ( our blood wars( and our religious intolerance( declaring that at such a price the mild 9indu would have none of our vaunted civiliLation& ,fter an interview with the Swami( one of the correspondents of the Westminster 0a5ette wrote the following under the title F,n +ndian Aogi in 0ondonF2 &&& )he Swami Vivekananda is a striking figure with his turban (or mitreBshaped cap) and his calm but kindl features&&&& 9is face lights up like that of a child( it is so simple( straightforward and honest& <uring the course of a long discussion( the Swami told this interviewer wh he had renounced the world and adopted the sann asi's life& 9e mentioned the name of his /aster( and said that he had come to organiLe no sect( to teach no sectarian doctrine( but to give the general outline of the universal principles of the Vedanta and to let each appl them to his own concrete forms& F+ am the e6ponent of no occult societies(F he said( Fnor do + believe that good can come of such bodies& )ruth stands on its own authorit ( and truth can bear the light of da &&&& + propound a philosoph which can serve as a basis to ever possible religious s stem in the world( and m attitude towards all of them is one of e6treme s mpath ?m teaching is antagonistic to none& + direct m attention to the individual( to make him strong( to teach him that he himself is divine( and + call upon men to make themselves conscious of this divinit within&F )he correspondent of the Westminster 0a5ette wrote of the Swami's ideals and of his success in ,merica and concluded b reBmarking( F+ then took m leave from one of the most original

=; of men that + have had the honour of meeting&F )hus( after the Swami's 0ondon lecture( the public were informed of his status and his teachings( and scores gathered at his Duarters( seeking instruction( or desiring to satisf their curiosit & +t was a novel and( satisf ing e6perience for the Swami to have the English people endorse his teaching and his character b this demonstration of enthusiasm& ,nd though his sta in 0ondon e6tended hardl more than a month from his lecture at -rince's 9all( it was during this time that he laid a strong foundation for future work and made a deep &and lasting impression upon those whom he met& +ndeed( his teaching work in England began with this 0ondon lecture of October 77& ,ccording to a letter the Swami wrote to +ndia towards the end of October( he intended to give a parlour talk around this time in the 5helsea residence of the Reverend 9& R& 9aweis( the wellBknown and highl popular canr;on of St& !ames's( /ar lebone( who had heard him speak at the -arliament of Religions in "$#@ and who greatl admired him& )he Swami also held a number of class talks during the last &week of October at a /r& 5hemier's and sometime during this same month spoke in /aidenhead( a town some twent miles west of 0ondon( where /iss 9enrietta /uller had arranged a lecture for him& On October 7# he took lodgings of his own for a month in 0ondon at $% (now 8") Oakle Street( 5helsea& F+ had eight classes a week apart from public lectures(F the Swami wrote later on in regard to this period( Fand the Hhis classesI were so crowded that a good man people( even ladies of high rank( sat on the floor and did not think an thing of it&F +n addition to his classes( the Swami now and then lectured at clubs( societies( and private drawingBrooms& .e learn( for instance( that on 'ovember > he spoke on F+ndian -hilosoph and .estern Societ F at the 1alloon Societ ( to a select group of scientists from various fields( all of whom were men of erudition and culture and held in common an interest in aeronautics& -robabl reporting on this same lecture

=$ the )ndian #irror of <ecember "( "$#>( wrote in part2 ,t the weekl meeting of the 1alloon Societ ( an address on F/an and Societ in the 0ight of VedantaF was given b Swami Vivekananda&&&& 9e said that religion was the most wonderful factor in the social organism& +f knowledge was the highest gain that science could give( what could be greater than knowledge of 3od( of the soul( of man's own nature( which was given b the stud of religionM +t was not onl impossible that there should he one religion for the whole world( but it would be dangerous& +f the whole of religious thought was at the same level( it would be death to religious thoughtE variet was its life& )here were four t pes of religion?(") the worker HactiveI( (7) the emotional( (@) the m stical( and (=) the philosophical& Each man unfortunatel became so wedded to his own t pe that he had no e es to see what e6isted in the world& 9e struggled to make others of the same t pe& )hat religion would be perfect which gave scope to all the different characters& )he Vedanta religion took in all( and each could choose what his nature reDuired& On 'ovember "%( the Swami spoke on F)he 1asis of Vedanta /oralit F before the Ethical Societ of /oncure 5onwa at South -lace 5hapel& /r& 5onwa ( an ,merican( had been a wellBknown 4nitarian minister and an active abolitionist in the 4nited States& 9e was also the author of man novels( biographies( and articles& 4nder his long and brilliant leadership( the South -lace 5hapel( where( :eshab 5handra Sen had had his first 0ondon hearing( had outBdistanced even 4nitarianism in its liberal outlook and had become a centre of adult education& +ndeed( the Swami worked da in and da out( even as he had in 'ew Aork( without respite( giving his whole spirit to those who came to him to be taught& 9is circle of Tinfluence steadil increased& 'ot onl did /r& Sturd introduce him to man people and immensel assist him in forming his classes( but /iss /ac0eod and the 0eggetts( who were now in 0ondon( brought man others to meet him and helped him to widel propagate the Vedanta teachings' ,mong the earl visitors to the Swami's Oakle Street

=# classrooms was 0ad +sabel /argesson( who was a strong advocate of social and educational reform and Secretar of the forwardBlooking Sesame 5lub& One Sunda afternoon in 'ovember she invited the Swami to speak at her home at 8@ St& 3eorge's Road (now St& 3eorge's <rive) to a chosen few of her friends& ,mong these( it so happened( was /iss /argaret 'obleBlater known as Sister 'ivedita& /iss 'oble was struck b the breadth of the Swami's religious culture and the intellectual freshness of his philosophical outlook( as also b the fact that Fhis call was sounded in the name of that which was strongest and finest( and was not in an wa dependent on the meaner elements in man&F 1oth before she met him and for some time after( /iss 'oble was highl interested in educational work& She was the -rincipal of a school of her own( and was one of the outstanding members of the Sesame 5lub( which had been founded for the furtherance of educational reform& She moved in Duiet but distinguished intellectual circles and was deepl interested in all modern trends and thought& /iss 'oble carefull weighed the Swami's words and at first found some difficult in accepting his views& 1ut this in his e es was a sign of the power of true penetration( for he knew that though she might at first hesitate( when once she accepted his ideas there would be no more ardent champion of them than she& +t reDuired man months( she herself confesses( for her to accept the Swami's philosoph in toto* 9er description of her first meeting with the Swami at' the home of 0ad +sabel /argesson is charming& She writes2 Even in far awa 0ondon indeed( the first time + saw him( the occasion must have stirred in his mind( as it does in mine( recalling it now( a host of associations connected with his own sunBsteeped land& )he time was a cold Sunda afternoon in 'ovember( and the place( it is true( a .estend drawingBroom& 1ut he was seated( facing a halfBcircle of listeners( with the fire on the hearth behind him( and as he answered Duestion after Duestion( breaking now and then into the chanting of some Sanskrit te6t in illustration of his repl ( the scene must have appeared to him( while twilight passed into darkness( onl as a curious variant upon the +ndian

>% garden( or on the group of hearers gathered at sundown round the sadhu who sits beside the well( or under the tree outside the villageBbounds& 'ever again in England did + see the Swami as a teacher( in such simple fashion& 0ater( he was alwa s lecturing( or the Duestions he answered were put with formalit b members of larger audiences& Onl this first time we were but fifteen or si6teen guests( intimate friends man of us( and he sat amongst us( in his crimson robe and girdle( as one bringing us news from a far land( with a curious habit of sa ing now and again FShivaG ShivaGF and wearing that look of 'mingled gentleness and loftiness( that one sees on the faces of those who live much in meditation( that look( perhaps( that Raphael has painted for us( on the brow of the Sistine( 5hild& )hat afternoon is now ten ears ago( and fragments onl of the talk come back to me& 1ut never to be forgotten are the Sanskrit verses that he chanted for us( in those wonderful Eastern tones( at once so reminiscent of( and et so different from( the 3regorian music of our own churches& /iss 'oble's virtual acceptance of discipleship can best be described in her own words2 +t is difficult at this point ten be sufficientl e6plicit& )he time came( before the Swami left England Hend of 'ovember "$#>I( when + addressed him as F/asterF& + had recogniLed the heroic fibre of the man( and desired to make m self the servant of his love for his own people& 1ut it was his character to which + had thus done obeisance& ,s a religious teacher( + saw that although he had a s stem of thought to offer( nothing in that s stem would claim him for a moment( if he found that truth led elsewhere& ,nd to the e6tent this recognition implies( + became his disciple& For the rest( + studied his teaching sufficientl to become convinced of its coherence( but never( till + had had e6periences that authenticated them( did + inwardl cast m lot with the final *ustification of things he came to sa & 'or did + at that time( though deepl attracted b his personalit ( dream of the immense distance which + was afterwards to see( as between his development and that of an other thinker or man of genius whom + could name& +n the man talks and private lectures the Swami gave in aristocratic houses and before several clubs during his first

>" sta in 0ondon( he invariabl discoursed on the important tenets of the 9indu faith( and especiall of the Vedanta philosoph & ,s in ,merica( so here in 0ondon( he found himself besieged with Duestions of all sorts( and invariabl he was the same brilliant master of repartee and the same profound spiritual teacher& +nstead of using the word FfaithF he would emphasiLe the word FrealiLationF( and speaking of sects( he Duoted an +ndian proverb( F+t is well to be born in a church( but it is terrible to die there&F 9e dwelt on the infinite power of man& ,nd he declared that the one message of all religions la in the call to renunciation& On the Duestion of his own position as a wandering teacher( he e6plained the +ndian diffidence with regard to religious Organisation( or as someone e6pressed it( Fwith regard to a faith that ends in a churchF& 9e prophesied that certain religious developments then much in vogue in the .est would speedil die( owing to love of mone & ,nd he declared that F/an proceeds from truth to truth( and not from error to truth&F )he lectures and talks of the Swami were sometimes thrilling and alwa s illuminating& +t might be the tense e6pression of his face or the sudden light of insight in his e es( or an overpowering consciousness of higher things revealed in a spontaneous and brilliant remark( or the fact that one lost sight entirel of his ph sical personalit in his glowing and fervid portra al of the be ondBbod outlook?it might be one or all of' such characteristics that carried the audiences off their feet&& -robabl no other instance sets forth his eloDuence and spirit more clearl than that which occurred in a .estend drawingBroom where he lectured one evening to a highl cultured audience( composed mostl of fashionable oung mothers& 9e was speaking on the greatness of the path of love( showing to what heights of selflessness it leads and how it draws out the ver best faculties of the soul& +n elucidating his remarks( he said( FSuppose a tiger should suddenl appear before ou in the street& 9ow terrorB stricken ou would he and how eager to fl for our ver livesG 1utF?his tone changed( and his face of a sudden lighted up

>7 with that strength and fearlessness which the 'spiritual fire alone endows in fullest measure?Fsuppose there were a bab in the path of the tigerG .here would our place be thenM ,t the mouth of the tiger?an one of ou?" am sure of it&F 9is hearers were carried awa b this splendid remark( at once a compliment to the possibilities within them and a challenge charged with the power of arousing their ver highest spiritual nature& +t was such characteristics as theseB his immense personal magnetism( his directness( his lucidit ( his vision?which gave convincing' force to his utterances and bound indissolubl to himself large groups of the ver finest and the most devout disciples& )he remarkable wa in which he classified religious ideas( the great breadth of his intellectual and spiritual culture( the newness and profundit of his ideas( the great ethical import attached to all he said( and( finall ( his strength( manliness( and fearlessness of spirit( each and all of these were bound to create an indelible impression& +ndeed( in some instances an intellectual upheaval would be created b his profound remarks on the metaph sics of the Vedanta( and man of his hearers admitted that it had never before fallen to their lot to meet with a thinker who in one short hour was able to e6press all that was ver highest in the wa of religious thought and to present new ideas so varied and et so harmonious that the could form the basis of a broad and allBinclusive spiritual life& )hus in the Swami's first visit to 0ondon was laid an unshakable foundation for an future work he might find fit to initiate& ,t first he had thought his visit to England would be F*ust to probe a littleF( but he soon found that his work there was not e6perimental but immensel and practicall successful be ond all e6pectation& )he press had welcomed and heralded his ideasE some of the most select clubs of the cit ( as well as some leaders of its prominent clerical institutions had invited him to lecture and had received him with marked admiration& 9e was moving in the best circles of English societ ( and members of the nobilit were glad to reckon him as their friend& )his acceptance of himself and

>@ of his teachings completel RevolutioniLed his ideas of English men and women& in ,merica he had found that the public was most enthusiastic and responsive in taking up new ideasE but in England he discovered that though his hearers were more conservative in their declarations of acceptance and praise( the were all the more fervent and staunch( once the had convinced themselves of the worth of a teacher and his &ideas& 1efore he left 0ondon to return to ,merica and take up the thread of work there( he had the *o ous satisfaction of being able to count man men and women as his sincere friends and earnest supporters& 1 'ovember "$ he could write to a disciple in /adras2 +n England m work is reall splendid&&&& 1ands and bands conic and + have no room for so man E so the sDuat on the floor( ladies and all&&&& + shall have to go awa ne6t week( and the are so sorr & Some think m work here will be hurt a little if + go awa so soon& + do not think so& + do not depend on men or things& )he 0ord alone + depend upon and 9e works through me& & & & + am reall tired from incessant work& ,n other 9indu would have died if he had to work as hard as + have to& & & & + want to go to +ndia for a long rest& &&& & , correspondent of a dail *ournal( who attended the class lectures of the Swami( writes& +t is indeed a rare sight to see some of the most fashionable ladies in 0ondon seated on the floor crossBlegged& of course( for want of chairs( listening with all the 1hakti of an +ndian chela HdiscipleI towards his guru& )he love and s mpath for +ndia that the Swami is creating in the minds of the EnglishBspeaking race is sure to he a tower of strength for the progress of +ndia& +n the ver midst of his English work( however( the Swami was receiving man letters( sa ing that the opportunit for ,merican work& was on the increase( and begging him to return to ,merica for the sake of his disciples there& 9is English friends( on the other hand( were urging him to remain and to settle permanentl in 0ondon&

>= 9aving himself witnessed its success( Swami Vivekananda was perfectl aware of the importance of his work in England and cherished a fervent faith in its possibilities& 9is message had found a permanent place in the hearts of the peopleE he had gained a worker like /r& E& )& Sturd E and /iss /argaret 'oble had e6pressed leanings to the cause& )he &interest evinced b man others also filled him with the hope of getting greater help for the work in his /otherland& Aet he could not contemplate sta ing longer in England to the neglect of ,merica& )he Swami( moreover( was hoping for a helping hand from +ndia& ,s earl as September 7= he had written to his brotherBdisciples( to send a competent monk for the work in England& )his he had done partl at the reDuest of /r& Sturd ( who not onl wanted to continue in the Swami's absence( but knew that he would need the help of a Sanskrit scholar in translating the 9indu scriptures& +n writing to +ndia( the Swami first asked for Swami Ramakrishnananda( a learned and staunch disciple of Shri Ramakrishna& 1ut when medical advice went counter to this proposal?for Swami Ramakrishnananda was then suffering from a severe skin disease?lie asked insistentl for either Swami ,bhedananda( or Swami Saradananda( or Swami )rigunatitananda( forwarding mone for travel e6penses and giving detailed instructions regarding dress( passage( and so on& ,s late as 'ovember "$ the Swami e6pected Swami Saradananda to arrive in 0ondon before he himself set sail for ,merica& 1ut he was disappointedE for one reason or another( his brotherBdisciple could not come until the following ear& )hus before he ?left 0ondon( the Swami advised those of his followers who were particularl interested in his teachings to form themselves into a group and to meet regularl to read the .ha avad/0ita and other 9indu scriptures( and he promised to return to England the following summer to continue his work& On 'ovember 7; the Swami sailed on the R&/&S& .ritannic* 9e was gratified with what he said the 0ord had accomplished through him( and with renewed enthusiasm he now turned

>> his face again to his ardent followers in ,merica& , rich 1oston lad had promised to support his work throughout the coming winter in 'ew Aork( and ever thing seemed bright and prosperous& .riting to the .rahmavadin in Februar "$#8( /r& Sturd said of the Swami's visit to England2 )he visit of the Swami Vivekananda to England has demonstrated that there e6ists a thoughtful( educated bod of people here( which has onl & to be found and properl approached( to benefit ver largel from the lifeBgiving stream of +ndian thought&&&& &&& ,gain( from pulpit utterances( making reference to Swami Vivekananda's e6positions here( it was not difficult to see how( through him( some of the more openB minded of the .estern clerg ( who were fortunate enough to make application( to their own s stem of religion( of pure Vedanta teachings&&&& Swami Vivekananda's classes drew together considerable numbers from the various ranks of English life& )he great ma*orit of these( carried awa with them a clear conviction of his capacit as a teacher& 4pon his return to ,merica( in order to keep together the introductor work thus accomplished( classes were set on foot for the reading and stud of the .ha avad/0ita and other kindred sub*ects&&&& )hese classes continue&&&& 'o introduction is needed&&&& 'o societ is formed( or will be formed( nor is an mone consideration accepted&&&& )he Swami's success was due to his great art of presenting the supreme insight he possessed& )he above writer e6pressed it well when he wrote of him as Fa ogi coming with love in his heart and the tradition of ages in his memor &&&&&& +n the course of a single interview the Swami would often present to the audience a series of new ideas for the basis of a broad and allBinclusive spiritual life& ,ll felt that the were verif in the presence of an apostle with a message( one who was b no means( as are so man religious teachers( merel the propounder of philosophical titbits and intellectual sophistries& )he were irresistibl drawn to pa obeisance to the overwhelming character of the man before them& )o them he was the herald of advanced ideas( claiming as he did that all religions were true in a ver real

>8 sense( though the were not true in so far as the drew lines of demarcation and e6clusiveness& )hough some there were who at first hesitated in accepting his teaching in full( the ended b calling the Swami J/asterK&

>; 28 ESTABLISHING THE AMERICAN WORK <uring Swami Vivekananda's absence from ,merica of nearl four months( his work had continued as best it could without him( carried on and even spread to some e6tent b his disciples& )he following report( published in the .rahmavadin of !anuar "$( "$#8( gives Swami :ripananda's account of its progress& .hile our beloved Swami Vivekananda was awa in England disseminating his sublime teaching with wellBdeserved success( the seed of truth sown in ,merica did not die awa as man were afraid it would in the absence of the /aster( but developed and is now beginning to ripen its beautiful fruit& 9is followers continued his work eagerl ( holding regular wellBattended meetings( in which the endeavoured to enlighten each other on the difficult Duestions of Vedanta philosoph ( urged one another to make the moral lessons it inculcates a living realit in their dail lives( and( b e6panding the circle of its followers( awakened a widespread interest in( and love of( the 9indu people from whom this divine philosoph emanated& Some of the Swami's disciples who( following the e6ample of their great sann asin teacher( had renounced the world in order to devote themselves entirel to the service of their fellowBmen( carried the Swami's message to other cities( and( as our people after a long period of religious indifference and crude materialism are beginning to thirst after spiritual truth( found a read hearing and succeeded in forming new centres for the propagation of the doctrine of love to 3od and of universal brotherhood of man& Such independent circles were formed at 1uffalo ('ew Aork)( and <etroit (/ichigan)( and other cities of the 4nion where earnest truthBseeking men and women are carr ing on the work with a devotion and Leal worth of our great cause& )he renouncing disciples of the Swami mentioned in the above report were /adame /ari= 0ouise and 0eon 0andsberg( to both of whom he had given Sann asa at )housand +sland

>$ -ark and who were thenceforth known( respectivel ( as Swami ,bha ananda and Swami :ripananda& 1oth tried in their own enthusiastic wa s to keep the message of Vedanta a living force until the Swami returned& /iss S& Ellen .aldo( the devoted follower of the Swami( also pla ed her role in keeping the inspiration of the movement alive( though it would not appear that she engaged herself in an preaching work until October of "$#8( when the Swami authoriLed her to do so& Swami Vivekananda arrived at 'ew Aork on Frida ( <ecember 8( "$#>( in e6cellent health and spirits( not withstanding the seasickness he had suffered during the vo age& 9is visit to England and his energetic work there( though a strenuous e6perience( had been most pleasant& )ogether with Swami :ripananda( he now made his headDuarters at 77$ .est )hirt Bninth Street( a lodging house( where the latter had been living and holding classes during 'ovember& )he Swami and his disciple occupied two spacious rooms( which could accommodate as man as one hundred and fift people( and which were used for the Swami's regular scriptural classes& 0ater on( as will be seen( halls of larger capacit were rented for his Sunda lectures& )he lad referred to in the previous chapter who had promised him financial help for his winter work was hindered in giving it& 1ut he did not depend on men and e6ternal things for his success& ,lmost at once he set himself to the task of teaching( taking as his sub*ects( even as he had done the previous season( the four Aogas? :arma( 1hakti( Ra*a( and !nana& ,fter starting his classes on the evening of <ecember #( &he worked incessantl until the 5hristmas holida s( regularl holding two classes dail & +n addition( he carried on a voluminous correspondenceE dictated his commentar on -atan*ali's +o a/Sutras, which was embodied in his famous work %a6a/+o a7 and granted man private interviews& 9e also wrote some articles on 1hakti for the .rahmavadin* )he disciples of the Swami were eager from the first to have his e6tempore lectures and class talks recorded& as he made little effort to preserve his own teachings& )herefore in <ecember

># of "@#> the officeBbearers of the 'ew Aork Vedanta Societ ( which the Swami had founded the previous ear( engaged a stenographer to take down his lectures& 1ut it was found that due to a lack of familiarit with the sub*ect he was unable to keep up with the Swami's flow of words& ,nother was engaged with the same result& Finall ( a oung man named !osiah !& 3oodwin( who had recentl come to 'ew Aork from England( offered himself for the work& 9is credentials were e6cellent& 1esides having been a court reporter( he had had eleven ears of *ournalistic training and e6perience in editing three newsBpapers& 9e was engaged( and the result was remarkable2 he transcribed e6actl all the Swami's utterances& Further( although he had been a man of the world( with a variegated e6perience( he forsook the worldl life and all worldl pursuits almost from the moment his e es fell upon the Swami& )he Swami told him man incidents of his past( and this created such a moral revolution in him that his whole life was changed& 9e became a most ardent disciple( even to the point of attending to the Swami's personal needs& 9e would work da and night over the lectures( taking them down stenographicall and then t ping them the same da ( in order to hand over the manuscripts to the newspapers for publication and to be prepared for the same work on the following da & 3oodwin's transcripts also served the .rahmavadin in farBoff +ndia& F9erewith + send some advance sheets on 1hakti and one lecture on :armaF( the Swami wrote to ,lasinga -erumal on <ecember 7%& F)he have engaged a stenographer now to take down all the talks in m classes& So ou will have plent of material Hfor the magaLineI now&F )he Swami priLed F/ faithful 3oodwinF( as he was wont to speak of him( and 3oodwin accompanied him wherever he went( visiting <etroit and 1oston when he went to those cities in the spring of "$#8 and later following him to England and even to +ndia& .ithout his tireless Aork( much of the Swami's thought and teachings would have been lost to usE for the Swami was comparativel little given to writing& )owards the end of <ecember of "$#> the Swami took

8% advantage of the 5hristmas holida s and the invitation of his friends /r& and /rs& Francis 0eggett( to make a tenBda visit to Ridgel > /anor(F their countr estate in 4lster 5ount ( 'ew Aork& Returning from there he at once commenced in 'ew Aork a series of stirring free Sunda afternoon lectures at 9ardman 9all( beginning on !anuar > with F)he 5laims of Religion2 +ts )ruth and 4tilit F& On the following three Sunda s the Swami's sub*ects were F)he +deal of a 4niversal ReligionF( !anuar "7E F)he 5osmos2 the /acrocosmF( !anuar + #E and F)he 5osmos&& the /icrocosmF( !anuar 78& +n addition( he lectured on the evening of !anuar "7 before the /etaph sical Societ in 1rookl n( taking as his sub*ect F+mmortalit F& +n !anuar he also lectured before the -eople's 5hurch in 'ew Aork& On the last da of the month he spoke in 9artford( 5onnecticut( on F)he +deal of a 4niversal ReligionF& 1esides giving these public lectures( all of which drew crowds of highl appreciative listeners( the Swami continued to hold his twiceBdail classes at his lodgings on )hirt Bninth Street( adding now to his classes on the Aogas a series of seven classes on FSankh a and the VedantaF& 9e continued as well the dictation of his free translation and running commentar on -atan*ali's $o a/Sutras* )he manner in which he wrote this commentar is of e6ceeding interest& 9is staunch disciple /iss Sarah Ellen .aldo of 1rookl n( who came to 'ew Aork ever da to cook( keep house( and act as allBround secretar for the Swami( was his amanuensis& She sa s2
+t was inspiring to see the Swami as he dictated to me the contents of the work& +n delivering his commentaries on the Sutras( he would leave me waiting while he entered deep states of meditation or selfBcontemplation( to emerge therefrom with some luminous interpretation& + had alwa s to keep the pen dipped in the ink& 9e might be absorbed for long periods of time and then suddenl his silence

Recent stud has established that the Swami spent the 5hristmas holida s of "$#> at Ridgel /anor( leaving 'ew Aork on 5hristmas Eve( rather dm as a guest of l &'rs& Ole 1ull at 5ambridge( /assachusetts( as has been previousl though

>

8" would be broken b some eager e6pression or some long deliberate teaching& )he attendance at the Swami's dail classes was increasing be ond all e6pectations( as was the attendance at his public lectures( which were replete at this time with the deepest philosophical insight as well as e6traordinar outbursts of devotion( revealing his nature as essentiall a combination of the !nani and the 1hakta( the saint and true m stic in one& Often there was not even standing room in 9ardman 9all when he spoke there& +ndeed( both his lectures and classes were arousing an enormous wave of enthusiasm& Reporting on !anuar "#( "$#8( on the character of the Swami's work the New +ork Hera'd, the leading paper of the cit ( said2 Swami Vivekananda is a name to con*ure with in certain circles of 'ew Aork societ toda ?and those not the least wealth or intellectual& +t is borne b a dusk gentleman from +ndia( who for the last twelve months has been making name and fame for himself in this metropolis b the propagation of certain forms of Oriental religion( philosoph and practice& 0ast winter his 'campaign centred in the receptionB room of a prominent hotel on Fifth ,venue& 9aving gained for his teaching and himself a certain vogue in societ ( he now aims to reach the common people and for that reason is giving a series of free lectures on Sunda afternoons at 9ardman 9all& Sufficient success has attended the efforts of Swami Vivekananda& &&& Of his earl life he never speaks( save to talk in a general wa about the great /aster who taught him the doctrines and practices he is now tr ing to introduce in this countr & &&& 9is manner is undoubtedl attractive( and he is possessed of a large amount of personal magnetism& One has but to glance at the grave( attentive faces of the men and women who attend his classes to be convinced that it is not the man's sub*ect alone that attracts and holds his disciples&&&& ,fter giving a description of the Swami and his work in the 4nited States( the New +ork Hera'd continued as follows2 .hen + visited one of the Swami's classes recentl ( + found present a wellBdressed audience of intellectual appearance& <octors and

87 law ers( professional men and societ ladies were among those in the room& Swami Vivekananda sat in the centre( clad in an ochreBcoloured robe& )he 9indu had his audience divided on either side of him and there were between fift and a hundred persons present& )he class was on :armaBAoga&&&& Following the lecture or instruction( the Swami held an informal reception( and the magnetism of the man was shown b the eager manner in which those who had been listening to him hastened to shake hands or begged for the favour of an introduction& 1ut concerning himself the Swami will not sa more than is absolutel necessar & 5ontrar to the claim made b his pupils( he declares that he has come to this countr alone and not as officiall representing an order of 9indu monks& 9e belongs to the sann asins( he will sa ( and is hence free to travel without losing his caste&&&& .e should pause here to remind the reader that the Swami's success in ,merica had not been easil come b & )he wa had been e6ceedingl hard( and the obstacles he had to face were enormous keeping him constantl on edge& .hile it is true that on the East 5oast the antagonism towards him was b no means as concerted or bigoted as it had been in the /idwest( he nevertheless ever where encountered the weight opposition of sheer ignorance& Some idea of the difficulties ma be gleaned from a letter written from 'ew Aork to the .rahmavadin on !anuar "7( "$#8( b Swami :ripananda& )he letter is Duoted here at some length to show the Swami's mettle2 )he wonderful success( which the Swami Vivekananda achieved in spreading the religious and the philosophical ideas of the 9indus in ,merica( ma lead one to the erroneous conclusion that this happ result was due to a coincidence of favourable circumstances( rather than to his e6traordinar abilit & +t is onl b stud ing the fin de si8c'e condition of our countr ( b taking cognisance of the antagonistic forces that had to be coped with( and considering the numerous difficulties to be overcome in this attempt( that we come to full appreciate the grandeur of the work accomplished( and to realiLe that the great success accompan ing it( is solel due to the personalit of the )eacher( to his e6traordinar moral( intellectual(

8@ and spiritual endowments( and to his e6ceptional energ and willBpower& +t is true that( on the occasion of the -arliament of Religions at 5hicago( man +ndians succeeded in calling the attention of the world to the light from the East( and caused a wave to pass over our countr E but this wave would have died awa as Duickl as it had come( without leaving an lasting effect( had it not been for the efforts of this one man who unremittingl persisted in grafting the 9indu religious ideas on .estern materialism and never rested until his work was crowned with success& ,t the time the ,merican mind was coated with thick la ers of' superstition and bigotr that had come down from olden times( and there was no humbug( no charlatanr ( no imposition which had not left there an impress e6tremel difficult to eradicate& )he ,mericans are a receptive nation& )hat is wh the countr is a hotbed of all kinds of religious and irreligious monstrosities& )here is no theor so absurd( no doctrine so irrational( no claim so e6travagant( no fraud so transparent( but can find their numerous believers and a read market& )his morbid craving for the abnormal& the occult( the sensational( has practicall brought about a revival of the /iddle ,ges& )o satisf this craving( to feed the credulit of the people( hundreds of societies and sects are born for the salvation of the world and to enable the prophets to pocket >7> to >"%% initiation fees& 9obgoblins( spooks( /ahatmas( and new prophets were rising ever da & +n this bedlam of religious cranks( in this devil's kitchen of fraud( imposture( and knaver ( the Swami appeared to teach the loft religion of the Vedas( the profound philosoph of the Vedanta( the sublime wisdom of the ancient Rishis& )he most unfavourable environment for such a taskG 1efore even starting this great mission( it was necessar to first perform the 9erculean labour of cleansing this ,ugean stable of imposture( superstition( and bigotr ( a task sufficient to discourage the bravest heart( to dispirit the most powerful will& 1ut the Swami was not the man to be deterred b difficulties& -oor and friendless( with no other support than 3od and his love for mankind( he set patientl to work( determined not to give up until the message he had to deliver would reach the hearts of truthBseeking men and women& +n the beginning crowds of people flocked to his lectures( consisting partl of curiosit Bseekers( partl of the representatives of the crank and fraudulent elements mentioned before( who thought that the

8= had found in the Swami a -roper tool to forward their interests& /ost of the latter t pe of persons tried to induce him to embrace their cause( first b promises of support( and then b threats of in*uring him if he refused to all himself with them& 1ut the were all grievousl disappointed& For the first time the had met with a man who could be neither bought nor frightened?Fthe sickle had bit on a stoneF( as the -olish proverb sa s& )o all these propositions his onl answer was( F+ stand for )ruth& )ruth will never all itself with falsehood& Even if all the world should be against me(& )ruth must prevail in( the end&F 9e denounced fraud and superstition in whatever guise the appeared( and all those untrue and erratic e6istences hid themselves( like bats at the approach of da light( in their haunts before this apostle of )ruth& )he methods and tactics of the 5hristian missionaries are well known& )he would have liked to have the Swami preach 5hristianit as the understood it( but F+t could not( should not beF( as runs the refrain of the 3erman folksong& +ndifferent to the filth stories the set in circulation about him( he peacefull continued to preach 3od and 0ove and )ruth( and their gossip had onl advertised his lectures( and gained him the s mpath of all fairBminded people&&&& , worthier antagonist( though not commensurate with his strength( he had to meet in another class of people( the soBcalled FreeBthinkers( embracing the atheists( materialists( agnostics( rationalists( and all those who( on principle( are averse to an thing that savours of religion& )he thought that this 9indu monk was an eas match for them( and that all his theolog would be crushed under the weight of .estern civiliLation( .estern philosoph ( and .estern science& So sure were the of their triumph( that the invited him( in 'ew Aork( to lecture before their societ ( an6ious to show to their numerous followers how easil religious claims could be refuted b the powerful arguments of their logic and pure reasoning& + shall never forget that memorable evening when the Swami appeared singleBhanded to face the forces of materialism( arra ed "'n their heaviest armour of law( and reason( and logic( and common sense( of matter( and force( and heredit ( and all the stock phrases calculated to awe and terrif the ignorant& +magine their surprise and consternation when the found that( far from being intimidated b these big words( he proved himself a master in wielding their own weapons( and as familiar with the arguments of materialism as with those of the ,dvaita philosoph & 9e showed them that their muchB vaunted

8> .estern civiliLation consisted principall in the development of the art to destro their fellowBmen( that their .estern science could not answer the most vital Duestions of life and being( that their immutable laws( so much talked of( had no outside e6istence apart from the human mind( that the ver idea of matter was a metaph sical conception( and that it was the muchBdespised metaph sics upon which ultimatel rested the ver basis of their materialism& .ith an irresistible logic he demonstrated that their knowledge proved itself incorrect( not b comparison with knowledge which is true( but b the ver laws upon which it depends for its basisE that pure reasoning could not help admitting its own limitations and pointed to something be ond reasonE and that rationalism when carried to its last conseDuences must ultimatel land us at a something which is above matter( above force( above sense( above thought and even consciousness( and of which all these are but manifestations& )he powerful effect of this lecture could be seen on the following da ( when numbers of the materialistic camp came to sit at the feet of the 9indu monk( and listened to his sublime utterances on 3od and religion& )hus the Swami gathered around himself( from among the most heterogeneous classes of societ ( a large and everBincreasing following of sincere men and women animated with the onl desire to pursue truth for truth's own sake& )his is a delineation of the negative side of the Swami's work& 9e had first to clear the ground and la a deep Foundation for the grand edifice to he built& +t should be mentioned here that the Swami die not full approve of the publication of the above letter in the .rahmavadin of Februar ">( "$#8E for its critical tone was not one that he held or encouraged& +n /arch of "$#8 he wrote to ,lasinga( who was publishing the magaLine2 , letter ou published from :ripananda in the .rahmavadin was rather unfortunate& :ripananda is smarting under the blows the 5hristians have given him and that sort of letter is vulgar(' pitching into ever bod & +t is not in accord with the tone of the .rahmavadin* So in future when :ripananda writes( tone down ever thing that is an attack upon an sect( however crank or crude& 'othing which is against an sect( good or bad( should get into the .rahmavadin* 9f course( we must not show active s mpath with frauds&

88 The .rahmavadin was one of the Swami's important works that he had initiated and directed from ,merica& ,fter he had started his work in 'ew Aork in the beginning of "$#>( he had constantl urged his disciples in /adras to launch a magaLine on Vedantic lines& 9e had helped them to undertake this pro*ect b sending them enough mone from the proceeds of his secular lectures( and thus the magaLine called .rahmavadin had come into e6istence in the September of "$#>& So widel had the Swami's fame as a public lecturer spread in 'ew Aork?he was called the Flightning oratorF?that it was deemed wise to rent /adison SDuare 3arden( on the corner of /adison ,venue and )went Bsi6th Street( a huge hall with a seating capacit of over fifteen hundred( for his second series of Sunda lectures( which he gave in Februar & )he sub*ects of this series were F1haktiBAogaF( Februar #E F)he Real and the ,pparent /anF( Februar "8E and F/ /aster( Shri Ramakrishna -aramahamsaF( Februar 7@& <uring this month of Februar the Swami spoke on invitation before a crowded audience at the Ethical ,ssociation of 1rookl n( taking as his sub*ect F)he 9indu 5onception of 3od2 the ,tmanF& <escribing the Swami's personalit at this time( 9elen 9untington wrote on /arch 7( "$#8( to the .rahmavadin, from 1rookl n2
&&& & 1ut it has pleased 3od to send to us out of +ndia a spiritual guide?a teacher whose sublime philosoph is slowl and surel permeating the ethical atmosphere of our countr E a man of e6traordinar power and purit ( who has demonstrated to us a ver high plane of spiritual living( a religion of universal( unfailing charit ( selfBrenunciation( and the purest sentiments conceivable b the human intellect& )he Swami Vivekananda has preached to us a religion that knows no bonds of creeds and dogmas( is uplifting( purif ing( infinitel comforting( and altogether without blemishBbased on the love of 3od and man and on absolute chastit &&&& Swami Vivekananda has made man friends outside the circle of his followersE he has met all phases of societ on eDual terms of friendship and brotherhoodE his classes and lectures have been

8;
attended b the most intellectual people and advanced thinkers of our citiesE and his influence has alread grown into a deep( strong Bundercurrent of spiritual awakening& 'o praise or blame has moved him to either approbation or e6postulationE neither mone nor position has influenced or pre*udiced him& )owards demonstrations of undue favouritism( he has invariabl maintained a priestl attitude &of inattention( checking foolish advances with a dignit impossible to resist( blaming not an but wrongBdoers and evilBthinkers( e6horting &onl to purit and right living& 9e is altogether such a man as Fkings delight to honourF&

+n a letter dated Februar "#( "$#8( to the .rahmavadin, Swami :ripananda described the influence e6ercised b the Swami during this period as follows2
Since m last letter (of !anuar @") an immense amount of work has been accomplished b our beloved teacher in the furtherance of our great cause& )he wide interest awakened b his teaching is shown in the everBincreasing number of those who attend the class lessons and the large crowds that come to hear his public Sunda lectures&&&& & & & )he strong current of religious thought sent out in his lectures and writings( the powerful impetus given b his teachings to the pursuit of truth without regard to inherited superstitions and pre*udices( though working silentl and unconsciousl ( is e6ercising a beneficial and lasting effect on the popular mind and so becoming &an important factor in the spiritual uplifting of societ & +ts most palpable manifestation is shown in the growing demand for Vedantic literature and the freDuent use of Sanskrit terms b people from whom one would least e6pect to hear them & ,tman( -urusha( -rakriti( /oksha( and similar e6pressions have acDuired full citiLenBship( and the names of Shankarachar a and Ramanu*a are becoming with man almost as familiar as 9u6le and Spencer& )he public libraries are running after ever thing that has reference to +ndiaE the books of /a6 /uller( 5olebrooke( <eussen( 1urnouf( and of all the authors that have ever written in English on 9indu philosoph ( find a read saleE and even the dr and tiresome Schopenhauer( on account of his Vedantic background( is being studied with great Eagerness& -eople are Duick to appreciate the grandeur and beaut of a

8$
s stem which( eDuall as a philosoph and a religion( appeals to the heart as well as to the reason( and satisfies all the religious cravings of human natureE especiall so( when it is being e6pounded b one who( Eke our teacher with his wonderful orator ( is able to rouse at will the dormant love of the divinel sublime in the human soul( and with his sharp and irrefutable logic to easil convince the most stubborn mind of the most scientific matterBofBfact man& 'o wonder( therefore( that this interest in 9indu thought is to be met with among an classes of societ &&&&

Aes( man famous philosophers and scientists( and the ver best of 'ew Aork's social representatives attended the Swami's lectures or came to his rooms to see bun and went awa +dled with a new spiritual vision and a luminous insight& "'hc great electrical scientist( 'icola )esla( hearing the Swami's caution of the Sankh a philosoph ( was much interested in its cosmogon and its rational theories of the :alpas (c cles)( -rana( and ,kasha( to which( he said( modem science might well look for the solution of cosmological problems& 9e told the Swami that he thought he could prove them mathematicall & )he Swami wrote on Februar "@( "@#8( to E& )& Sturd 2 F/r& )esla was charmed to hear about the Vedantic -rana and ,kasha and the :alpas& which according to him are the onl theories modern science can entertain& 'ow both ,kasha and -rana again are produced from the cosmic /ahat( the 4niversal /ind( the 1rahma or +shvara& /r& )esla things he can demonstrate mathematicall that force and matter are reducible to potential energ & + am to go and see him ne6t week( to get this new mathematical demonstration& +n that case( the Vedantic cosmolog will be placed on the surest of foundations&&&&F +t was at this time that Sarah 1ernhardt( the famous French actress( the F<ivine SarahF( as she was called( also sought an interview with the Swami and e6pressed her admiration and intense interest in the sublime teachings of the philosoph he so eloDuentl and trul represented& ,mong other people of note whom the Swami met and with whom he conversed were( of course( man liberal 5hristian clerg men& )he wellBknown and influential <r& 0 man ,bbott( for instance( invited him

8# to lunch more than once( and the two must have talked at length together& <r& ,bbott was pastor of the fashionable -l mouth 5ongregational 5hurch in 1rookl n and editorBinBchief of the 9ut'ook, then an important and widel read periodical& )hrough the Swami's contact with such people his message spread out in ever widening circles( unbeknown even to him& +n a letter dated Februar "; he wrote to his friends in +ndia that he had succeeded in rousing the ver heart of ,merican civiliLation& )his was literall trueE thousands of all classes had not onl heard his message( but had actuall proclaimed themselves as his disciples& /an ( moreover( e6pressed a strong desire to be initiated b him into 1rahmachar a& )hus his desire of reaching the people was fulfilled& On )hursda ( Februar 7% several oung men and women took /antras( and on the preceding )hursda ( the "@th( <r& Street( a devout disciple( was initiated b the Swami as a sann asi( with the name of Aogananda& )he impressive ceremon was performed in the presence of the other sann asi and 1rahmachari disciples& )he fact that the Swami had made three sann asis within one ear( that three persons representing learning( position( and culture should have abandoned the world and the worldl life( taking the vows of chastit and povert and obedience( showed how he had brought home( to some at least in that land of worldl en*o ment( a strong conviction of the necessit of renunciation as the onl means of realiLing the )ruth& )his fact was rightl regarded as Fone of the most marvellous evidences of the Swami's powerful influence of goodF over those who came into personal contact with him& +ndeed( so man were the men and women in ,merica who had come under the Swami's beneficent influence and who called him F/asterF that Swami :ripananda concludes his letter to the .rahmavadin, Duoted above( b sa ing in a halfBhumorous wa 2 1 the b ( +ndia had better at once make c'ear her title to the ownership of the Swami& )he are about to write his biograph for the national Enc clopaedia of the 4nited States of ,merica( thus

;% making of him an ,merican citiLen& )he time ma come when( even as seven cities disputed with each other for the honour of having given birth to 9omer( seven countries ma claim our /aster as theirs( and thus rob +ndia of the honour of producing one of the noblest of her children& )he Swami closed his public lectures at /adison SDuare 3arden on Februar 7@ with an inspired lecture on F/ /asterF( which has become famous as a masterpiece of eloDuence and as a glorious tribute to Shri Ramakrishna& 1 this time the Swami had concluded his class lectures on :armaBAoga( Ra*aBAoga( 1haktiBAoga and !nanaB Aoga& )he first two of these classBseries were( b the labours of /r& 3oodwin( read for publication and were shortl to come out in book form( constituting two of the Swami's great works( :arma/+o a and %a6a/+o a* On the whole( the ,merican *ournals received and reviewed these books favourabl ( and the attained a wide circulation( Ra*aB oga arousing considerable discussion among the ps chologists and ph siologists of some of the leading universities& .hakti/+o a was soon to be published in +ndia( and( in addition( several of the Swami's Sunda lectures( which were later to form a part of his book , (nana/+o a, had alread appeared in pamphlet form& ,side from creating a great legac of literature during this season in 'ew Aork( the Swami had recogniLed the fledgling Vedanta Societ ( into a more definite form( establishing within it an E6ecutive 5ommittee to handle all business matters( such as the management of lectures and classes( the publishing and distributing of his books( and the keeping of accounts& ,lthough the Societ did not open a membership roll until later( its officers were dedicated to carr ing on organiLed work and to forwarding the stud and propagation of Vedanta& +t invited members of all religious creeds and organiLations to become students of Vedanta without a change of faithE )oleration and acceptance of all religions were its watchwords and described its general character& )he Swami made /r& Francis 9& 0eggett( one of the wealth and influential residents of the cit ( the -resident of the Vedanta

;" Societ & For Secretar ( he chose /iss /ar -hillips( a lad prominent in man circles of charitable( and intellectual work& )he other offices were held b the Swami's initiated disciples& ,nd among those who counted themselves as eager workers in his cause at this time were /iss .aldo( /rs& ,rthur Smith( /r& and /rs& .alter 3ood ear( and /iss Emma )hursb ( the famous singer& One of the Swami's main purposes in organiLing his classes into a societ ( besides carr ing on the spiritual work he had commenced( was to bring about an interchange of ideals and ideas between the East and the .est& 9e wanted to create centres of vital and continual communication between the two worlds and to make Fopen doors( as it were( through which the East and the .est could pass freel back and forth( without a feeling of strangeness( as from one home to another&F )he officers and close friends of the Societ had been urging upon him the advisabilit of sending for one of his brotherBdisciples to conduct his classes and work in general during( his absence( and indeed he alread had in mind the plan of bringing some of his brothers from +ndia to teach and preach in the .est& ,s has been seen in the previous chapter( when he was in England( he had written to Swami Saradananda that he desired him to come( but for one reason or another his departure had been dela ed& Swami Saradananda( however( finall sailed from 5alcutta late in Februar ( and in the first part of ,pril arrived in England( where he was to be the guest of /r& E& )& Sturd & 0ater in !ul "$#8 he would come to ,merica& +n the meanwhile the Swami( impatient for workers from +ndia(& had tried to enlist a la disciple from /adras& On 'ovember "$( "$#> he had written to ,lasinga2 F+ have sent for a sann asi from 5alcutta to leave him in 0ondon& + want one more for ,merica& 5an't ou send a strong fellow from /adrasM Of course( + will pa ever thing&&&& + want m own man& 3uruBbhakti is the foundation of all spiritual development&F 1ut this attempt had not borne fruit& )he Swami also wanted some of his ,merican and English disciples to go to +ndia to teach and preach there& +n ,merica

;7 it would be a religious teachingE and in +ndia it would be a practical teaching( a message of science( industr ( economics( applied sociolog ( organiLation and coB operation& <a and night the Swami pondered on the wa s and means of reconciling these two great worldsBthe East and the .estE and in a form of prophetic vision( he would often tell his ,merican followers that the time would come when the lines of demarcation( both in thought and in ideal( between the two would be obliterated& )his reconciliation between these two worlds needed a basis& +n the Swami's view( Vedanta was( of course( that basis( particularl in its most broad and allBinclusive interpretation( which the Swami had FreadF( as he once said( in the great life of Shri Ramakrishna( who Fhad never a word of condemnation for an F& )he /aster had opened the doors to all people in all wa s of life& +n his inspired mood at )housand +sland -ark the Swami had spoken about this& FRamakrishna came to teach the religion of toda ( constructive( not destructive& 9e had to go afresh to 'ature to ask for facts( and he got scientific religion( which never sa s 'believe'( but 'see'E '+ see( and ou too can see&' 4se the same means and ou will reach the same vision& 3od will come to ever one( harmon is within the reach of all& & & )he world needed to receive these ideas( Fthe new lights for this da F in all their freshness and( abundance& )his message had to reach the people of all lands( and for this purpose( as the Swami said( some FselfBad*usting organiLation is the great need of our time&F )his was the motive that actuated him( the practical Vedantist( to organiLe his 'ew Aork work all the sooner& 'ew Aork being the metropolis of ,merica( and 0ondon being the metropolis of England( he knew that if he could leave organiLed societies in both these cities( the work of acDuainting the whole EnglishBspeaking .estern world with his message would in time become a definite possibilit & .ith this ob*ect in view( he not onl founded a Vedanta Societ ( but was also training such of his disciples as he could depend upon& )hus upon /iss S& E&

;@ .aldo( who became known as FSister 9aridasiF( the Swami later on conferred spiritual powers and authorit ( sa ing that she alone( of all others( was best able to preach Vedanta& )hen( too( he had been carefull training Swamis :ripananda( ,bha ananda( Aogananda( and a number of 1rahmacharis to have an intimate and learned acDuaintance with the Vedanta philosoph in its threefold aspects& ,nd there were those of his disciples who were achieving true insight into his message& 4pon all these he was rel ing to further the cause of the Vedanta during his intended absence in England and subseDuentl in +ndia& 9aving finished his work in 'ew Aork on Februar 7@ with his public lecture F/ /asterF( the Swami left on )uesda ( /arch @ for <etroit( where he had been invited to hold classes& )wo ears earlier he had drawn crowds to his lectures in <etroit and had been the sub*ect of prolonged and heated controvers in the newspapers& ,nd when he arrived in <etroit this time( he found that a similar controvers had been revived in the -ress& 9e had man good friends in the cit ( among them /rs& !ohn 1agle ( his erstwhile hostess& (4nfortunatel /rs& 1agle was not in town during his present visitE nor was he ever to see her again( for two ears later she passed awa &) )he Swami remained in <etroit for about two weeks( during which short time he held twent Btwo classes& +n addition( he gave three public lectures( speaking twice on .ednesda ( /arch = morning and evening( on F)he +deal of a 4niversal ReligionF( and on Sunda ( /arch "> on F+ndia's /essage to the .orldF& Of this period /rs& /ar Funke writes2 && & 9e was accompanied b his stenographer( the faithful 3oodwin& )he occupied a suite of rooms at The %iche'ieu, a small famil hotel( and had the use of the large drawingBroom for class work and lectures& )he room was not large enough to accommodate the crowds and to our great regret man were turned awa & )he room( as also the hall( staircase and librar were literall packed& ,t that time he was all 1haktiBthe love of 3od was a hunger and a thirst with him& , kind of divine madness seemed to take possession of

;= him( as if his heart would burst with longing for the 1eloved /other& 9is last public appearance in <etroit was at the temple 1ethBEl of which the Rabbi 0ouis 3rossman( an ardent admirer of the Swami was the pastor& +t was Sunda evening( and so great was the crowd that we almost feared a panic& )here was a solid line reaching far out into the street and hundreds were turned awa & Vivekananda held the large audience spellbound( his sub*ects being F+ndia's /essage to the .estF( and F)he +deal of a 4niversal ReligionF& 9e gave us a most brilliant and masterl discourse& 'ever had + seen the /aster look as he looked that night& )here was something in his beaut not of earth& +t was as if the spirit had almost burst the bonds of flesh( and it was then that + first saw a foreshadowing of the end& 9e was much e6hausted from ears of overwork( and it was even then to be seen that he was not long for this world& + tried to close m e es to it( but in m heart + knew the truth& 9e had needed rest but felt that he must go on& Of the Swami's success in <etroit( another disciple wrote in the .rahmavadin of ,pril 7>( "$#8&
&&& +n spite of the man attacks of the missionaries( his classes and public lectures were attended to overcrowding& Rabbi 3rossman proffered the use of the temple 1ethBEl( which could not hold the great crowd( so that hundreds of people had to leave without hearing the great 9indu preacher& )he Rabbi( in other respects too( proved his liberalit and great friendship for the Swami b taking up his defence against the attacks of the clerg men in the newspapers& 9is introduction of the Swami in the temple was one grand eulog of the 9indus and 9induism&&&&

F)he attacks of the clerg men in the newspapersF( mentioned above( had reference to a newspaper battle that was raging between the Swami's detractorsB specificall a diehard antagonistic 5hristian missionar and his ardent supporters& )his heated newspaper controvers gave so much publicit to the Swami's presence in <etroit that his classes( originall intended onl for earnest students of Vedanta( were at the beginning packed with strangers and curiosit seekers& ,ll but a few of the Swami's friends were crowded out& )o remed the situation( three of his classes during his sta in <etroit were

;> opened to the publicE the rest were kept private& +t was in order to give re*oinder to those who attacked him that the Swami delivered his third and last public lecture in <etroit on Sunda ( /arch ">& 9is sub*ect( as we have seen( was F+ndia's /essage to the .orldF& Our ne6t glimpse of the Swami reveals him in 1oston( where he worked for nearl two weeks in the second half of /arch "$#8& <uring this period( one of the most remarkable incidents of his whole mission took placeE we find him speaking before the professors and students of the 3raduate -hilosophical 5lub of 9arvard 4niversit & ,ccording to a report appearing in the .rahmavadin, ,pril 7>( "$#8( this engagement( together with other lectures and classes in 1oston( were Farranged b one of his followers( a noble lad and an enthusiastic adherent of the Vedanta philosoph &F )he reference is( of course( to /rs& 1ull& Earl in the ear the arrangements had alread been under wa & F+ have received our letter(F the Swami had written to /rs& 1ull in the first part of !anuar ( Fand also another from the Secretar of the 9arvard /etaph sical 5lub&F )hese letters no doubt reDuested him to speak at 9arvardE for on !anuar "> we find a /r( !ohn -& Fo6 writing to /rs& 1ull2 F+ had a note from Vivekananda /onda H!anuar "@I( sa ing he e6pects to come to 1oston in /arch or perhaps in Februar and will he onl too glad to speak to the students& +t will he not before the 9arvard Religious 4nion( but the 3raduate -hilosophical 5lub ? the most philosophical organiLation at 9arvard ? so that the audience will he the best the 4niversit can afford&F )he audience was( indeed( the best( intellectuall speaking( that America could afford( for the 9arvard 3raduate -hilosophical 5lub was then one of the foremost intellectual bodies in the world( numbering among its members such distinguished thinkers as 3eorge 9& -almer( .illiam !ames( !osiah Ro ce( 9ugo /unsterberg( and the then oung 3eorge Santa ana& )he Swami had accepted the invitation( and on /arch 7> he spoke before the 5lub on F)he Vedanta -hilosoph F& +t was a tr ing e6perience

;8 for him to speak before this great critical gathering( but he was at his best( and his interpretation of his philosoph created an indelible impression on the minds of the professors and e6cited the most heart commendation& +ndeed( the offered him the chair of Eastern -hilosoph in the 4niversit & 1ut he could not accept this as he was a sann asi& +n the introduction to the pamphlet entitled FVedanta -hilosoph F( which embodied the Swami's address( together with a record of his answers to Duestions during the discussion that followed( the Reverend 5& 5& Everett( <&<&( 00&<&( ")<ean of the 9arvard <ivinit School( writes2
&&& Vivekananda has created a high degree of interest in himself and his work& )hem are indeed few departments of stud more attractive than the 9indu thought& +t is a rare pleasure to see a form of belief that to most seems so far awa and unreal as the Vedanta s stem( represented b an actuall living and e6tremel intelligent believer& )his s stem is not to be regarded merel & as a curiosit ( as a speculative vagar & 9egel said that SpinoLism is the necessar beginning of all philosophiLing& )his can be said even more emphaticall of the Vedanta s stem& .e Occidentals bus ourselves with the manifold& .e can( however have no understanding of the manifold( if we have no sense of the One in which the manifold e6ists& )he realit of the One is the truth which the Fast ma well teach usE and we owe a debt of gratitude to Vivekananda that he has taught this lesson so effectivel &

)he Swami's answers to the 9arvard 3raduate -hilosophical 5lub were full of penetrating wit( eloDuence( and philosophical freshness and vitalit & +n his address he had given a remarkabl clear e6position of the cosmolog and general principles of the Vedanta( showing the points of reconciliation between the theories of science and those of the Vedanta concerning matter and force& 9e then answered Duestions asked in a critical spirit pertaining to the influence of 9indu philosoph on the Stoic philosoph of the 3reeks( to caste( to the relation between ,dvaita and <vaita( to the theor of the ,bsolute( and to the contrast between selfBh pnotism and Ra*aBAoga& Speaking of the last( the Swami remarked that Oriental ps cholog was

;; infinitel more thorough than OccidentalE it asserts that man is alread h pnotiLed and that oga is an effort at deBh pnotiLation of self 9e said2 F+t is the ,dvaitist alone that does not care to he h pnotiLed& 9is is the onl s stem that more or less understands that h pnotism comes with ever form of dualism& 1ut the ,dvaitist sa s( throw awa even the universe( throw awa even our own bod and mind and let nothing remain( in order to get rid of h pnotism perfectl & & & &F ,sked about the oga powers( the Swami replied that the highest form of oga power manifested itself in a Vedanta character and in the continuous perception of divinit ( as e6emplified in the instance of the ogi -avhari 1aba& F9e was bitten b a cobra(F the Swami related( Fand &&& fell down on the ground& +n the evening he revived( and when asked what had happened he said( ', messenger came from m 1eloved&' ,ll hatred and anger and *ealous had been burned out of this man& 'othing could make him reactE he was infinite love& )hat is the real ogi&F 9i& added that the highest spiritual power embodied itself in a demonstration of spiritual freedom and in a constant accession of spiritual vision and insight( 'irvikalpa Samadhi being the clima6 thereof& .hen asked b the professors( F.hat is the Vedantic idea of civiliLationMF the Swami answered that true civiliLation was the manifestation of the divinit within man( and that that land was the most civiliLed wherein the highest ideals were made practical& -rior to this famous lecture at the 9arvard 4niversit the Swami gave two afternoon talks to a group of 9arvard students at /rs& 1ull's house in 5ambridge on /arch 77 and 7=& 9e also spoke at the prestigious and socialBreformBconscious )wentieth 5entur 5lub in the afternoon of /arch 7$( on F)he Vedanta2 +ts -ractical 1earingE 9ow +t <iffers from Other -hilosophiesF& +n 1oston( the Swami was one of the distinguished guests of the -rocopeia 5lub( a metaph sical societ of high standing& 9e delivered five public lectures at this 5lub before large audiences( on the evenings of /arch 7"( 7@( 78( 7;( and 7$& 9is sub*ects were respectivel 2 F)he Science of .orkF( F<evotionF(

;$ F)he +deal of a 4niversal ReligionF( FRealiLation or the 4ltimate of ReligionF( and F)he 4panishadsF& F)he +deal of a 4niversal ReligionF was one of his most favourite sub*ects on which he spoke almost in ever cit and town he visited& +t was a title that encompassed one of his basic teachingsBthe fundamental unit of all religions and the necessit for variet in religious e6pression and practice& 9e pointed out that if a universal religion could ever e6ist( it must be a religion of principles whose background should be ,dvaita and which should var according to the individual temperaments of nations and personalities& )he 9arvard professors( and( indeed( all those who came& into contact with him( found that Swami Vivekananda's philosoph was more highl moral and emotional than purel intellectual& )rue( it included logic and philosophical form( but in its essential nature it was religion( holding up realiLation and spiritual freedom as its aim& 9is 9arvard e6perience was onl one of man hundredsE wherever he went( whenever he taught( he was alwa s confronted with a host of Duestions( and his answers( being alwa s e6tempore( kept him constantl on the intellectual ;ui vive* .hatever the Duestion asked( his answer invariabl related it to his own actual realiLation& +n all his teaching in ,merica and( for that matter( in England( the Swami's main theme is found to be that of the ,dvaita Vedanta( the philosoph of +nfinite Oneness& +n the ,dvaita( he taught( there is no dependence( all manifoldness is lost( all fear is blotted out( and onl light shines forthBthe 0ight of the selfBmanifesting Soul& 9uman personalit is transfigured in the revelation of -ure <ivinit & 0et us Duote here e6cerpts from the .oston <venin Transcri-t of /arch @%( for that *ournal noted the Swami's activities during his sta in 1oston and gave a summar ( of the lectures delivered there2
)he Swami Vivekananda has( during the past few da s( conducted a most successful work in connection with the -rocopeia& <uring this time he has given four class lectures for the 5lub itself( with constant audiences of between four and five hundred people( at

;#
the ,llen 3 mnasium( == St& 1otolph StreetE two at the house of /rs& Ole 1ull in 5ambridgeE and one before the professors and graduate students of the philosophical department of 9arvard 4niversit & &&& One of his lectures during the week has been( F)he +deal of a 4niversal ReligionF& & & & )he Swami is not a preacher of theor & +f there is an one feature of the Vedanta philosoph ( which he propounds( which appears especiall refreshing( it is its intense capabilit of practical demonstration& .e have become almost wedded to the idea that religion is a sublime theor which can Hnot MI he brought into practice and made tangible for us onl in another life( but the Swami shows us the foll of this& +n preaching the <ivinit of /an he inculcates a spirit of strength into us which will have none of those barriers between this life and actual realiLation of the sublime that( to the ordinar man( appear as insurmountable&

Uuoting the sum and substance of the Swami's lectures during the month of /arch on :armaBAoga( 1haktiBAoga( and the one on the Vedanta philosoph before 9arvard 4niversit ( the *ournal concludes with the following brief resume of his lecture on Ra*aBAoga at 1oston2
+n discussing Ra*aBAoga( the ps chological wa to union with 3od( the Swami e6panded upon the power to which the mind can attain through concentration( both in reference to the ph sical and the spiritual world& +t is the one method that we have in all knowledge& From the lowest to the highest( from the smallest worm to the highest sage( the have to 'use this one method& )he astronomer uses it in order to discover the m steries of the skies( the chemist in his laborator ( the professor in his chair& )his is the one call( the one knock( which opens the gates of nature and lets out the floods of light& )his is the one ke ( the onl power ? concentration& +n the present state of our bodies we are so much distracted( the mind is frittering awa its energies upon a hundred sorts of things& 1 scientific control of the forces which work the bod this can be done( and its ultimate effect is realiLation& Religion cannot consist of talk& +t onl becomes religion when it becomes tangible( and until we strive to feel that of which we talk so much( we are no better than agnostics( for the latter are sincere and we are not&

)he )wentieth 5entur 5lub had the Swami as their guest on

$% Saturda H/arch 7$"( and heard an address from him on the F-ractical Side of the Vedanta -hilosoph F& <uring his sta in 1oston the Swami of course saw man of his old friends( among them '-rofessor !ohn 9enr .right( with whom he had a long talk on the afternoon of /arch 7;& )he Swami recounted his man e6periences since last meeting the -rofessor( speaking as a son to a proud fatherE for( as the Swami had once written( he heed been the first man to stand as his friend in ,merica& )he -rofessor was delighted to see the Swami again& )o his wife he wrote2 F9e Hthe SwamiI is become so much gentler( and wiser( and sweeter& +ndeed( he is most charming&&&& H9eI has evidentl swept -rofessor !ames off his feet& /iss Sibbens told me this evening that he H-rofessor .illiam !amesI was going in to 1oston to hear his talk at ever opportunit &F From 1oston the Swami travelled on /arch @% to 5hicago( the cit of his first triumph in the .estern world& 9ere he now held a number of successful classes( arranged b his friends& 9e remained in 5hicago about two weeks( and then on ,pril ""( returned to 'ew Aork& )here he worked on his 9arvard lecture on the Vedanta -hilosoph ( which was going to be printed( adding e6planator notes to it& On ,pril "@ he gave a brief talk to the students of the Vedanta Societ on F(()he 5hief -rinciples of Vedanta and +ts -rospects in ,mericaF& /ore and more as time had gone on during his sta in the .est( the Swami found it necessar to s stematiLe his religious ideas& )o do so( he felt he would necessaril have to reorganiLe the entire 9indu philosophical thought and group its distinctive features around the leading tenets of the 9indu religious s stems( thus making it more intelligible to .estern minds& 9e wanted to bring out( according to different schools of Vedanta( the ideas of the soul( 3od( and the final goalE the relation of matter and force( the Vedantic conception of cosmolog and evolution( and how some of the most wonderful discoveries of modern science were Fonl rediscoveries of what had been found ages agoF& 9e also intended to draw up a classification

$" of the 4panishads according to the passages which have a distinct bearing on the ,dvaita( the Vishishtadvaita( and the <vaita conceptions( in order to show how all of them can he reconciled& 9e planned to write a book( carefull working out all these ideas in a definite form& )hat he had long had this in mind is shown b a letter he had written to ,lasinga -erumal on /a 8 of "$#>( in which he had said2
'ow + will tell ou m discover & ,ll of religion is contained in the Vedanta( that is( in the three stages of the Vedanta philosoph ( the <vaita& the Vishishtadvaita and ,dvaitaE one comes after the other& )hese are the three stages of spiritual growth in man& Ever one is necessar & )his is the essential of religion2 )he Vedanta( applied to the various ethnic customs and creeds of +ndia( is 9induism& )he first stage( i&e& <vaita( applied to the ideas of the ethnic groups of Europe( is 5hristianit E as applied to the Semitic groups( /ohammedanism& )he ,dvaita( as applied in its ogaBperception form( is 1uddhism etc& 'ow b religion is meant the VedantaE the applications must var according to the different needs( surroundings( and other circumstances of different nations& Aou will find that( although the philosoph is the same( the Shaktas( Shaivas( etc& appl it each to their own special cult and forms* 'ow( in our *ournal write article after article on these three s stems( showing their harmon as one following after the other( and at the same time( keeping off the ceremonial forms altogether& )hat is( preach the philosoph ( the spiritual part( and let people suit it to their own forms& + wish to write a book on this sub*ect( therefore + wanted the three 1hash as HcommentariesI &&&

,gain in /a of "$#> he had written to /rs& 1ull2 F)he different books on Vedanta are now being sent over to me from +ndia& + e6pect to write a book in English on the Vedanta philosoph in its three stages( when + am at )housand +slands& & & &F ,s we saw in the preceding chapter( in the earl part of "$#> he had been writing for the Vedanta/Sutras with the 1hash as of all sects& 1ut( his first( immediate task was( he felt( to remodel the +ndian thoughtBforms the contained along lines acceptable to the modern intellect of the .est& .riting to ,lasinga on

$7 Februar ";( "$#8 he e6pressed this desire2 )o put the 9indu ideas into English and then make out of dr philosoph and intricate m tholog and Dueer startling ps cholog ( a religion which shall be eas ( simple( popular( and at the same time meet the reDuirements of the highest minds?is a task which onl those can understand who have attempted it& )he abstract ,dvaita must become living?poetic?in ever da lifeE out of hopelessl intricate m tholog & must come concrete moral formsE and out of bewildering ogism must come the most scientific and practical ps cholog ? and all this must be put into a form so that a child ma grasp it& )hat is m life's work& )he 0ord& onl knows how far + shall succeed& )o work we have the right( not to the( fruits thereof& +t is hard work( m bo ( hard workG Aes( the task the Swami had set for himself was 9erculeanE but certainl he succeeded in a large measure& ,lthough his teachings were firml based on Vedantic scriptures( the were remarkabl clear and modern in their e6pression& .hensoever he made comments in his classes upon the Vedas or other 9indu scriptures( he threw a whole world of light and revelation upon the te6ts& Such was the case also in his man public lectures during this fruitful and intensive season of his work in ,merica& +ndeed( the Swami's e6perience in the .est and his constant meditation on( and stud of( religious matters drew out of him surprisingl original observations upon +ndian philosoph ( which culminated in his bringing about later in +ndia itself a thorough restatement of +ndian ideas& ,nd it ma be said without dispute that in a special sense he was the first of +ndian philosophers to show that 9indu spiritual ideas were trul scientific as well& Further( it was he alone who pointed out the philosophical truths behind the -uranic and m thological forms of 9induism& )he Swami's health was not good during his sta in 5hicago( and b the time he returned to 'ew Aork in mid ,pril of "$#8( he was ph sicall worn out& 9e had worked to the point of e6haustion& +ndeed( sometimes( after he had made a railwa

$@ *ourne ( it seemed for da s as though the wheels of the train revolved with their noise in his brainE and though his head was alwa s clear( at times he grew e6ceedingl nervous& )he strain of the ears of his Sadhana in the East and teaching in the .est had been too much for him& 9is friends who knew that he had given himself wholl and unstintedl for the good of those who made his message the gospel of their lives( could not help seeing the cost to his bod & ,s /rs& Funke had noted in <etroit( Fit was even then to he seen that he was not long for this world&F ,nd( as a matter of fact( slowl but surel his bod was failing& 9e himself was aware that it could hardl bear such long continuing and e6cessive strain( and in a number of letters of this period he made reference to this fact& On /arch 7@( "$#8 he wrote from 1oston to ,lasinga -erumal2 F+ am going to England ne6t month& + am afraid + have worked too muchE m nerves are almost shattered b this long continued work& + don't want ou to s mpathiLe( but onl + write this so that ou ma not e6pect much from me now& .ork on( the best wa ou can& + have ver little hope of being able to do great things now& + am glad( however( that a good deal of literature has been created b taking down stenographic notes of m lectures& Four books are read &&&& .ell( + am satisfied that + have tried m best to do good( and shall have a clear conscience when + retire from work and sit down in a cave&F 1ut Fhorn as a sacrifice to the /otherF as he was( retiring from work and sitting down in a cave was never to be his lot& +ndeed( he onl worked harder than ever& +n the spring of "$#8 letters had come pouring in to him( beseeching him to come to England again and to s stematiLe the work he had initiated there& 9e felt the urgent need of doing so( and thus on ,pril "> at "7 noon( he sailed on the .hite Star 0ine's S&S& 0ermanic for England( there to take up another season of strenuous teaching& F, number of us went to see him off(F Sister 9aridasi wrote in a letter to a friend( Fand as long as the e e could follow( he waved an orange scarf to us( in response to those we waved to him&F

$= )hough he had been in a constant whirlwind of work during his visit in ,merica( Swami Vivekananda had delighted in hours of leisure when he could throw off his burden of teaching and preaching& ,t such times he would en*o himself like a child& )he giving of his message was( for him( the giving of his life's blood( and thus in hours of mental and ph sical weariness nothing interested him more than to Ftalk nonsenseF and be amused& 9e would take up a cop of &unch or some other comic paper and laugh till the tears rolled from his e es& 9e demanded diversion of mind because he knew his tendenc to drift into serious moods of thought( and those who loved him were glad at heart when the saw him *o ous as a child at pla & 9e heartil en*o ed a good stor & 9e never forgot an such told to him and would tell it himself to the amusement of others when occasion arose& , few ma here be told& , lad whose husband was a friend of the Swami and who took him for his first sleigh ride came to know him closel when she and the Swami were guests of /rs& 1agle at ,nnisDuam in ,ugust of "$#=& She writes to Sister 'ivedita2
.e were friends at once &&&& 9e lectured onl once at ,nnisDuam& +t was his holida time &&&& 9e used to turn to me and sa ( F)ell me a stor &F + remember he was greatl amused b a tale about a 5hinaman who had been arrested for stealing pork and who( in repl to the *ustice who remarked that he thought 5hinamen did not eat pork( said( FOhG /e /elican man now& /e( sir( me steal( me cat pork( me ever thing&F 9ow often + have beard Vivekananda sa ( sotto voce, F/e /elican manF& )hese things would seem trifling to an one who does not know the Swami as ou do& 1ut nothing which concerned him could seem trivial or of poor report to ou) + am sure& " had lived for three ears on a HRedI +ndian( Reservation in 5anada& )he Swami was never tired of listening to anecdotes about the Red men& One + remember amused him greatl & ,n +ndian whose wife had *ust died came to the parsonage for some nails for her coffin& .hile waiting he asked m cook if she would marr himG 'aturall she was ver indignant( and in repl to her sorrowful refusal the man onl said( F.ait( ou see&F )he following Sunda much to our amusement he came and sat upon one of the gate posts&

$>
9e had a feather stuck *auntil in his hat( and hair oil( of which he had been most prodigal( was trickling down his checks& +t happened that the Swami was giving sittings for his portrait *ust then( and we went to the studio to see how the portrait was progressing& *ust as + entered( the Studio( a little oil ran down the cheek of the portrait( and the Swami seeing it said( F3etting read to marr the cookGF &&& :nowing the Swami as ou did( ou must have realiLed what an e6Duisite sense of humour he had&&&&

1ut of all stories there were two which he relished most and which sent him into fits of laughter2 one was of a new 5hristian missionar to a cannibal tribe( and the other of the Fdark F clerg man( preaching on F5reationF& ,s to the former2 )here was once a 5hristian missionar newl arrived in a farBoff island inhabited b cannibals& 9e proceeded to the chief of the place and asked him( F.ell( how did ou like m predecessorMF )he repl was( F9e was delicious&F ,nd as for the Fdark F preacher2 9e was shouting out( FAo' see( 3od was makin' ,dam( and he was makin' 'im out o' mud& ,nd when he got 'im made( he stuck 'im up agin a fence to dr & ,n' then&F F9old on dere( preacher(F suddenl cried out a learned listener& F.hat about dat dere fenceM .ho make dat fenceMF )he preacher replied sharpl ( F'ow ou listen 'ere( Sam !ones( don' ou be gwine to ask dem Duestions& Aouse'll smash up all theolog &F 3reat souls are not alwa s serious& )his power of complete rela6ation was as much a part of the Swami's greatness as were his intellectual powers and spiritual realiLations& One would like to know the personal temperament( the personal incident( the human side of a teacher as well as his words of revelation& )hose who live in the personal environment of great men love them for their human Dualities( and it was so with the disciples and admirers of Swami Vivekananda& )he made ever effort to divert his mind and found that the diversion made him deliver his message all the clearer& Several of his most intimate friends( persons of positions and wealth in the .estern world( understood his need for rest and recreation( and invited him to spend short holida s at their residences& )here he was

$8 allowed absolute personal freedom& <id he desire to talk( the would listen with rapt attention& <id he desire to sing the song of his own land( he could do so freel & +f he sat in silent abstraction the left him to his mood& )here were times when he would break the silence of da s in a rhapsod of divine eloDuence( and then again he would talk on matters that reDuired no mental concentration& ,fter giving some lecture that throbbed with spiritual power and realiLation( he would often dance in glee sa ing( F)hank 3od( it is overGF 9e would come down une6pectedl from the mountaintops of insight to the levels of childlike simplicit in a moment& .ith those in the .est with whom he was particularl free( he would sa frankl whatever came into his mind& 9e called them oftentimes b familiar names( as he did /r& and /rs& 9ale( whom he st led FFather -opeF and F/other 5hurchFE another he called FAumF or F!o*oF( and so on& .hen his friends prepared some delicious recipe he would look pleadingl at it( his e es beaming with *o ?and then he would cat with his fingers as he was wont to do in +ndia( sa ing that he 'iked to do so and that he en*o ed it more that wa & ,t first it was shocking to the .esterners( but when the understood( it gave them pleasure to let him have his own wa & )he would be speciall amused when in the privac of their homes he would take off his collar and throw off the boots which made him uncomfortable and slip his feet into a pair of houseBslippers( and as to starched cuffs( the were an abomination in his e es& )he sann asi nature in him would resent at times all conventions and etiDuette& 9is indifference to mone was characteristic& +t is told b his ,merican disciples how he would often look with dread upon mone he had received from friends for his own use and would give it awa freel to the poor or to those in need& Or it might be that he would immediatel purchase presents for his friends and disciples( as was the case at )housand +sland -ark when he was given a handsome purse at the end of his class work& )he whole sum was spent in this wa & )he Swami demanded personal freedom on all occasionsE

$; if he did not receive it( he shook himself free& 9e could not tolerate to be patroniLed( and when a certain woman of wealth endeavoured to make him do as she desired in matters of plans and arrangements( he disrupted them all& She would be irritated for the time being and then later sa of him laughingl and lovingl ( F,t the last moment he upsets all m plans for him& 9e must have his own wa & 9e is *ust like a mad bull in a chinashop&F .hile he would go to an length in matters of service or lo alt ( he never allowed an one to compel him to do an thing& ,nd he certainl displa ed wonderful patience with some who attempted to manage his work( for in spite of personal irritation he believed them to be instruments of the 0ord in the furthering of 9is cause& Otherwise( his first impulse would be to throw them overboard& 9e could not tolerate restraint& )here were times when he would sa ( FOhG )he bod is a terrible bondageGF or F9ow + wish that + could hide m self for everGF and it would seem to all as though the spirit in him were chained in agon to the fetters of the flesh& Such moments often came to him( as for e6ample( when he wrote his poems F/ -la +s <oneF and F)he Song of the Sann asinFE and here and there in scores of his letters this divine restlessness is evident& )o cite his words from a letter dated !anuar 7>( "$#8 to /rs& 1ull2
+ have a notebook which has travelled with me all over the world& + find therein these words written seven ears ago2 F'ow to seek a corner and la m self down to dieGF Aet all this :arma remained& + hope + have worked it out& +t appears like a hallucination that + was in these childish dreams of doing this and doing that& + am getting out of them&&&& -erhaps these mad desires were necessar to bring me over to this countr & ,nd + thank the 0ord for the e6perience&

.hen his disciples found him in such moods( the feared that the hour of deliverance might come suddenl and the bod drop& So the re*oiced to see him in his lighter moods& ,n illustrative incident of the Swami's human side as told

$$ b one of his disciples took place in the cit of <etroit& On a certain occasion he went to the house of one of his admirers and( with that uniDue sense of freedom and frankness which was his( asked to he allowed to cook an +ndian meal& )he reDuest was immediatel granted( and then( to the amusement of ever one present( he gathered from his pockets some score or more of tin packets filled with finel ground condiments and spices& )hese had been sent all the wa from +ndia( and wherever he went these packets went with him& ,t one time( one of his choicest and most priLed possessions was a bottle of chutne some gentleman had thoughtfull sent him from /adras& 9is .estern disciples delighted to have him cook his own dishes in their kitchens& )he helped also in this(' and thus time would pass b in merriment and making new e6periments& 9e would make the dishes so hot with spices that the were not palatable to .estern taste( and man times the preparations took so long that when the food was read to be served the part was literall ravenous& )hen there would he much talk and laughter( and he would take the keenest delight in seeing how the .estern tongue stood the hotBspiced dishes of distant +ndia& )he were( no doubt( soothing to his highBstrung temperament and tired nerves( but certainl not Fgood for his liverF as he insisted the were& )his human side of the Swami bound his disciples to him in deep human love& 'othing he en*o ed so much at times as to be seated coLil near a fire in winterB time and plunge into reminiscences of his earl da s& Or he would spend the morning or evening in reading comic papers and magaLines from cover to cover& ,s for the newspapers( he betra ed the reporter's instinct b reading onl the headlines& Such things were his diversionE but at an moment the saint and prophet in him might emerge& One disciple who could not understand him at first( having been in his presence onl in his times of recreation( was one da suddenl made conscious of the Swami's true nature& )he Swami was en*o ing himself heartil ( but when the disciple asked him a Duestion concerning religion( his countenance instantl changedE fun gave place to the revelation of the

$# highest spiritual truths& F+t seemedF( the disciple later said( Fas though the Swami had of a sudden cast aside the la er of that consciousness in which he had been en*o ing himself and made me aware of other la ers ,ehind the network of changing personalit &F 1ut it was more than the power to transfigure his consciousness suddenl from fun to holiness and !nana that he manifested& 9e was actuall possessed of a dual consciousness& .hile he might he pla ing( as it were( on the surface of his personalit ( one was made aware at the same moment of the might flow of the immense depths beneath& ,s ma be readil imagined( there were man aspects of the Swami's personalit and teachings during his sta in ,merica( prior to his second visit to England( which must remain unknown for ever& ,ccording to his disciples2 FEach hour of the da there would be some new idea( some new human sweetness( some illuminating thought on the vastness of the soul and( the divinit of man( some new( boundless hope( some startling original plan that( would radiate from his personalit &F One disciple said( FSimpl to walk on the cit streets with him meant to be translated to marvellous worlds of thought or power suddenl from the sheerest fun&F Still another records( F9e alwa s made one feel that he was all spirit and not bod ( and this in spite of the fact that his magnificent ph sical frame irresistibl attracted the attention of ever one&F ,ll his friends recogniLed in him Fa grand SeigneurF( as /rs& Francis 0eggett so aptl remarked& )his lad also said( F+n all m e6perience + have met but two celebrated personages that could make one feel perfectl at case without themselves for an instant losing their own dignit ?one the 3erman Emperor( the other( Swami Vivekananda&F )rul he was( as the ,merican papers spoke of him( Fthe 0ordl /onkF& ,nd on occasions( this innate ma*est of the Swami could assume almost superBhuman proportions& +n the words of a disciple&&
+t would be impossible for me to describe the overwhelming force of Swami*i's presence& 9e could rivet attention upon himself2 and when he spoke in all seriousness and intensit ? though it seems wellnigh incredible ? there were some among his hearers who were

#%
literall e6hausted& )he subtlet of his thoughts and arguments swept them off their feet& +n one case + know of a man who was forced to rest in bed for three da s as the result of a nervous shock received b a discussion with the Swami& 9is personalit was at once aweB inspiring and sublime& 9e had the facult of literall annihilating one if he so chose&

On man an occasion he would draw out one who differed from him& onl to bewilder and confuse him& ,nd et those who were thus Fprostrated b that radiant powerF were the ver ones who attested most to his sweetness& )he said( he was Ja marvellous combination of sweetness and irresistible force( verif a child and a prophet in oneF& /an are the descriptions of his ideas and personalit at this periodE indeed( if the all were recorded the would of themselves constitute a complete volume& ,ll through his ,merican work the Swami's mind was full of plans& From the first it was his intention( when he had once gained a learned and e6tensive hearing and established his mission on solid basis( to found a F)emple 4niversalF( as he st led it( wherein should congregate( in harmon ( all the religious sects of the world( worshipping but one s mbol( FO/F( which represents the ,bsolute& 1ut his intense( allBabsorbing work in founding his own Vedanta movement prevented him from carr ing out this noble ideal& Still another plan( about which he had written to /rs& 1ull in the beginning of the ear "$#>( was to purchase land in the 5atskill /ountains to the e6tent of one hundred and eight acres( where his students could go for Sadhana during summer holida s and build camps or cottages as the liked( until permanent buildings could be erected& 9e said that he would himself contribute the funds to bu the land& Since we have related in an earlier chapter and in some detail the slanders that were heaped upon the Swami b selfBseeking and malicious people( we should mention here that b "$#8 most of his detractors had been silenced and his reputation as a religious teacher of absolute purit and unparalleled integrit had been established& )rue( now and then

#" he was still attacked but he well knew that be had little cause to feel either his work seriousl harmed& +ndeed( the Onl occasion& during this period that he was reall incensed was when & photograph of his /aster was printed in one f the leading papers of <etroit( together with "&rring comments upon his appearance and upon& 9induism ad /ind& ogis in general& )hen he was heard to e6claim( FOhG )his is 10,S-9E/AGF +n striking contrast to such unpleasantness( reports of his teaching and of its influence came -ouring in from ever Duarter& 9e was reverenced and loved b some of the finest minds in the land( and prominent men and women in all fields of thought ? scientists( artists( philosophers?respected him& Even& before his public reception at 9arvard 4niversit in "$#8 he had( as we have seen earlier( been received privatel in September of "$#= b some members of the 4niversit facult and b man of the graduate students philosoph & Following close upon this( 5olumbia 4niversit offered him the chair of Sanskrit( but being a sann asi( this honour he declined& +t was at this time that the Swami met the distinguished -rofessor( .illiam !ames of 9arvard at dinner at the residence of /rs& Ole 1ull& ,fter dinner the Swami and the -rofessor drew together in earnest and subdued conversation& +t was midB night when the rose from their long discourse& Eager to know the result of the meeting of these two great minds( /rs& 1ull asked F.ell( Swami how did ou like -rofessor !amesMRR 9e replied( in a sort of abstracted wa ( F, ver nice man( a ver nice manGF la ing emphasis c& the word nice& )he ne6t da the Swami handed a letter to /rs& 1ull with the casual remark( FAou ma be interested in this&F /rs& 1ull read and to her amaLement saw that -rofessor !ames( in inviting the Swami to meet him at his own residence for dinner a few da s had addressed him as F/asterF& )he tribute -rofessor !amesRs regard for the Swami is evinced( on man occasions( in his writings( ad he speaks of him deferentiall as Fthat paragon of VedantistsF( in connection with monistic m sticism in his book &ra matism* 9e also Duotes from the Swami's %a6a*/ $o a and (nana/+o a in the Varieties o= %e'i ious <>-erience* +n his

#7 celebrated essa ( F)he Energies of /anF( he speaks of a universit professor who underwent the Ra*aBAoga practices as a cure for nervous disorders( and who received thereb not onl ph sical benefits( but intellectual and spiritual illumination as well& )here were man who believed that in this essa -rofessor !ames was describing his own e6periences of the Ra*aBAoga practices as instructed b the Swami& +ndeed( the Swami never sought fame and honourE on the contrar ( his fearless utterance of truth often alienated that general approval for which so man public workers slave( and to win which the sacrifice their true views and principles& .orld )eacher that he was( he never hesitated to speak openl to the ,mericans of what he felt were the drawbacks of their civiliLation& +t so happened that he once spoke in 1oston before a large audience gathered to hear him on F/ /asterF& Full of the fire of renunciation( when he saw before him the audience composed( for the most part( of worldl Bminded men and women lacking in spiritual s mpath and earnestness( he felt that it would be a desecration to speak to them of his understanding of( and his real feelings of devotion for( Shri Ramakrishna& So( instead( he launched out on a terrible denunciation of the vulgar ph sical and materialistic ideas which underla the whole of .estern civiliLation& 9undreds of people left the hall abruptl ( but in no wa affected( he went on to the end& )he ne6t morning the papers were filled with var ing reports?some highl favourable( others severel critical in their anal sis of what he had said( but all commenting on his fearlessness( sincerit ( and frankness& .hen he himself read the report of his lecture( he was stung with remorse& 9e wept bitterl for having denounced others and said& F/ /aster could not see the evil side of a man& 9e had nothing but love even for his worst vilifiers& +t is nothing short of sacrilege on m part to abuse others and wound their feelings while speaking about m /aster& Reall ( + have not understood Shri Ramakrishna and am totall unfit to speak about himGF 1ut that he ever denounced ,merican women( as some of his bitter antagonists have said& is a gross libel& )he Swami's own words

#@ live to testif to his high opinion of them and to his sincere gratitude for the uniform kindness the had shown him& +t was inevitable that the Swami had enemies( for his purpose was not to placate worldBthought but to lift it( and in this purpose he never temporiLed& +n less than two and a half ears of work in the 4nited States( he had made a profound and indelible impression on the ,merican mindE he had broken the back of the malignant and deepB rooted bigotr that had e6isted toward +ndia and 9induismE he had spread his /aster's message throughout a large part of the nationE he had set thousands of people thinkingE he had given them the courage to break loose from old( meaningless forms of religionE and he had enabled them to discover the harmoniLing essence of religion itself in the eternal truths of Vedanta& 9e had devoted his concentrated and illumined thought to the formulation of those truths( so that the modern .estern mind could grasp them and adapt them to its scientific and rationalistic cultureE he had taken endless pains to teach a few disciples with great intensit as well as to sow his message liberall over the land& 9e had bestowed upon hundreds( perhaps thousands( the inBcomparable and invaluable gift of spiritual awakening( and he had left behind a distilled legac of literature that has toda taken its place among the great religious works of the world& ,s time goes on( more and more details of Swami Vivekananda's life and work during his first visit to the .est are being discovered( and perhaps doLens of his lectures( 'now unknown( will some da come to light& 1ut whether or not research uncovers ever detail of his da s during this period( the substance of his work in ,merica was not( and never can be( lostE on the contrar ( it has become a d namic spiritual heritage of the nation& Surve ing the histor of his work( one sees the Swami moving through the .est as some might and resplendent light& , -lato in thought( a modern Savonarola in his fearless outspokenness( adored as a /aster and as a -rophet( he moved among his disciples as some great 1odhisattva& Some looked upon him as a Rishi of the 4panishads( some as a Shankarachar a( others even as a 1uddha( or a 5hrist( and all regarded

#= him as the embodiment of 9ighest 5onsciousness( as one speaking with authorit ( having realiLed the <ivinit he preached& 9is hands raised in continual benediction( his voce murmuring or thundering the 3ospel of Vedanta( his face beaming with love and goodwill( Swami Vivekananda lives in the memor of ,merica as the man with message( Jone who walked with 3odK&

#> 29 BACK TO LONDON I On ,pril ">( "$#8 Swami Vivekananda sailed from 'ew Aork for 0iverpool on the S&S& 0ermanic of the .hite Star 0ine& From 0iverpool he travelled to Reading( for he was again to be the guest of /r& Edward )& Sturd & )he *ourne had been uneventfulE he wrote( shortl after his arrival( to /ar 9ale on ,pril 7%2 F)he vo age has been pleasant and no sickness this time& + gave m self treatment to avoid it& + made Duite a little run through +reland and some of the Old English towns( and now am once more in Reading amidst 1rahman and /a a and !iva( the individual and the 4niversal soul( etc& )he other monk is hereE he is one of the nicest of men + see( and is Duite a learned monk too& .e are bus editing books now& 'othing of importance happened on the wa & +t was dull( monotonous( and prosaic as m life&F )he Fother monkF was Swami Saradananda& ,s we have seen in an earlier chapter( the Swami had been tr ing for several months to persuade one or another of his brotherBdisciples to come from +ndia in order to assist him in the .estern work& 9ence it gave him great *o to find Swami Saradananda awaiting him in Reading( particularl since he had seen none of his brotherBdisciples for about three ears& Swami Saradananda brought all the news from +ndia and told about the monaster in ,lambaLar and about each of its members& Swami Vivekananda( in turn( communicated his man plans to his brother monk( who was lost in wonder at his indefatigable energ and apostolic fervour& )he information the Swami received from Swami Saradananda about the ,lambaLar /ath made him think that the procedure of work at the newl founded monaster deserved his greater attention& )hus on ,pril 7;( he wrote from Reading at length to his brotherBdisciples in +ndia( giving them detailed instructions in regard

#8 to running the /ath along practical and organiLational lines& 1ut of these instructions( which pertain to his +ndian work and his everBpresent concern with its beginning and development( we shall see later& +t would not appear that the Swami sta ed in Reading for more than a week or so& )o facilitate his work( /r& Sturd had rented 0ad +sabel /argesson's house at 8@ St& 3eorge's Road( in Southwest 0ondon& 9ere the Swami made his home( together with Swami Saradananda( /r& !osiah !& 3oodwin( his devoted disciple( who had taken the vow of a 1rahmachari and served him as secretar and personal attendant( /r& !ohn -& Fo6( whom he had known in ,merica( and the Swami's ounger brother( /ahendranath <atta( who had reached 0ondon earlier for the purpose of higher education& /r& Sturd also came occasionall and sta ed& +n addition /iss 9enrietta /uller( who shared the e6penses of maintaining this establishment( had sublet a number of rooms under the same roof& +n earl /a ( Swami*i wrote to /ar 9ale& F.e have a whole house to ourselves( ou know( this time& +t is small but convenient( and in 0ondon the do not cost so much as in ,merica&&&& Some old friends are here( and /iss /ac0eod came over from the 5ontinent& She is good as gold( and as kind as ever& .e have a nice little famil ( in the house( with another monk from +ndia& -oor manG ? a t pical 9indu with nothing of that pluck and go which + have( he is alwa s dream and gentle and sweetG )hat won't do& + will tr to put a little activit into him& + have had two classes alread ? the will go on for four or five months and after that to +ndia + go&F 1efore starting his 0ondon work( the Swami spent a few da s( along with Swami Saradananda( at /iss /uller's home at )owers 0odge in -inkne 's 3reen( /aidenhead( a municipal borough on the )hames( twelve miles northeast of Reading& +t was probabl during one such visit outside of 0ondon in the English countr side that an incident occurred which shows his courage in the face of danger& ,s he was walking with /iss /uller and an English friend across some fields( a mad bull came tearing towards them& +n the words of Sister 'ivedita2

#; )he Englishman frankl ran( and reached the other side of the bill in safet & )he woman ran as far as she could( and then sank to the ground( incapable of further effort& Seeing this( and unable to aid her( the Swami ? thinking FSo this is the end( after allF ? took up his stand in front of her( with folded arms& 9e told afterwards how his mind was occupied with a mathematical calculation( as to how far the bull would be able to throw& 1ut the animal suddenl stopped( a few paces off( and then raising his head( retreated sullenl & , like courage ? though he himself was far from thinking of these incidents ? had shown itself( in his earl outh( when he Duietl stepped up to a runawa horse( and caught it( in the streets of 5alcutta( thus sa ing the life of the woman who occupied the carriage behind& 1 the end of the first week in /a the Swami had settled down at 8@ St& 3eorge's Road& 9e had alread prepared the working field in 0ondon& 9e was now read for the hard labour that he knew would be necessar to meet the earnestness of man seekers of truth ? not onl those with whom he had alread become acDuainted the previous ear and who now welcomed him back most eagerl ( but those whom he would newl come to know& On /a ; he began holding classes in his Duarters( and in a short time the fame of his personalit and utterances spread far and wide& 'ew people sought his acDuaintance and visited him ? among them( man persons of distinction& 9e talked to them of the philosophies of +ndia and their relation to modern life and e6plained to them the various forms of oga& ,nd soon there gathered around him a number of men and women who desired to stud seriousl the problems of human e6istence in the light of Eastern wisdom& From /a ; to !ul "8 the Swami regularl held five classes a week ? two on )uesda s at ""&@% a&m& and $&@% p&m&( two on )hursda s at the same hours( and one on Frida evenings at $&@%( the last of which was a particularl instructive DuestionB andB answer class& +n addition( he received visitors on Frida afternoons& +n his first series of class lectures he dealt mainl with the histor of the ,r an race( its development( its religious

#$ advance( and the diffusion of its religious influence& Following this( he held classes on !nanaBAoga( the path of :nowledge& 9e also gave a course of lessons on Ra*aBAoga and a series of discourses on 1haktiBAoga( man of which were recorded b /r& 3oodwin& ,t first( the attendance at the Swami's classes was not as large as had been e6pected( considering its overBflowing siLe at the close of the previous season( but slowl and steadil it grew( until within a month the Swami could write to /ar 9ale' F)he classes are ver big&F ,nd to /rs& 1ull on !une >( F/ classes are going on splendidl &F On the afternoon of Sunda ( !une ; the Swami opened a series of three Sunda lectures in the large lecture hall of the Ro al +nstitute of -ainters in waterBcolours( also known as -rince's 9all( at + # + -iccadill & )he sub*ects of this series were F)he 'ecessit of ReligionF (!une ;)( F, 4niversal ReligionF !une "=)( and F)he Real and the ,pparent /anF (!une 7")& )hese three lectures( shorthand reports of which were taken down b 3oodwin( proved a great success( and another course was at once arranged& )he lectures of this second Sunda afternoon series were F1haktiBAogaF (!une 7$)( FRenunciationF (!ul >)( and FRealiLationF (!ul "7)& 1ut the Swami's man classes( his si6 Sunda lectures( and his uncounted private interviews did not b an means cover the whole of the work he was doing in England& 9e lectured also in man drawingBrooms and at several wellBknown clubs& One of the first of the lectures he gave on invitation was at the Sesame 5lub( where on /a "7( he delivered an address on FEducationF& Swami Saradananda( writing to the .rahmavadin of !une 8( said2
Swami Vivekananda has made a good beginning here& , large number of people attend his classes regularl and the lectures are most interesting& 5anon 9aweis( one of the leaders of the ,nglican 5hurch( came the other da and was much interested& 9e had seen the Swami before at the 5hicago Fair( and loved him from that time& On )hursda H)uesda I last the Swami lectured on FEducationF at the Sesame 5lub& +t is an important club organiLed b women for the education of their se6& +n this he dealt with the

##
old educational s stems of +ndia( pointed out clearl and impressivel that the sole aim of the s stem was FmanBmakingF and not cramming( and compared it with the present s stem&

On !une "% the Swami delivered an address on F)he 9indu +dea of SoulF at the residence of /rs& !ohn 1iddulph /artin( at "; 9 de -ark 3ate in South :ensington( 0ondon& /rs& 1iddulph /artin( the former Victoria .oodhull( was an ,merican b birthE thus the lecture given in her home was attended b man of her countr men& F)here were also presentF( wrote the London American of !une "@( "$#8( Fsome members of the Ro al 9ousehold( but these were strictl inco nito? On !ul # at the invitation of ,nnie 1esant( the Swami spoke at the )heosophists' 1lavatsk 0odge in ,venue Road( St& !ohn's .ood( a district of 0ondon( choosing F1haktiBAogaF as his sub*ect& 9e also spoke at the 'otting 9ill 3ate residence of a /rs& 9unt( as well as at .imbledon( where a good deal of helpful discussion followed the lecture& Several other meetings of a similar nature were arranged& )he Swami was also warml received at the residence of 5anon 1asil .ilberforce at .estminster( and a reception was held there in his honour( at which man distinguished ladies and gentlemen took part& +n his reminiscences of the Swami's visit to 0ondon( /r& Erie 9ammond writes of a lecture on FEducationF( that the Swami delivered on short notice at the Sesame( 5lub& )his was the first lecture of the Swami's that /r& 9ammond had attended ? it was( indeed( his first sight of him& 9e writes in part2
&&& /ost of those present were( we discovered( schoolmasters and schoolmistresses( tutors and the like& )he sub*ect announced for lecture 1sic3 was FEducationF& Soon he( Swami*i( appeared& 9e had little( if an ( notice and his speech could not have been in an wise prepared& Aet( then( as alwa s( he proved himself more than eDual to the occasion& 5ollected( calm( selfB possessed( he stood forward& , 9indu( primed in heart and tongue with 9indu lore and 9indu faith( backed b the prestige of an ancient civiliLation and culture which inspired himG +t was a novel sight( a memorable e6perience& 9is dark skin( his deep glowing e es( even his costume(

"%%
attracted and fascinated& ,bove all( eloDuence acclaimed him( the eloDuence of inspiration& ,gain( his surprising command of the English language delighted and held his audience( an audience it must be remembered which consisted largel ( as we have said( of men and women whose profession it was to teach English students their motherBtongue and through the medium of that tongue instruct them in other branches of knowledge& /ore( Swami*i soon showed that he was eDuall versed in histor and political econom & 9e stood among these people on their own ground& .ithout fear( beseeching no favour( he dealt them blow upon blow enforcing the 9indu principle that the teacher who taught for the mone Bmaking was a traitor to the highest and deepest truth& FEducation is an integral part of religion( and neither one nor the other should be bought nor sold&F 9is words( rapierBlike( pierced the armour of scholastic conventionE et no bitterness spoilt his speech& )his 9indu( cultured( gracious with his notable smile that disarmed unkindl criticism( held his own and made his mark& 9e had come( sent b the spirit of Shri Ramakrishna( to make that markE and he had succeeded at the first attempt& )he idea that teachers should work with their pupils for love( and not for the love of lucre( not even for the love of livelihood&

<iscussion followed& 5limatic and other reasons for charges for teaching were set forth( but Swami*i maintained his position& Such then was our first meeting with himE a meeting which resulted in( reverent friendship( in genuine admiration and in most grateful remembrance& +n another reminiscence of the Swami( /r& Eric 9ammond describes what appears to have been another lecture& .here and when it was given is not clear( but the event was particularl memorable& /r& 9ammond wrote2
On his arrival in 0ondon( Swami Vivekananda was welcomed in the Duiet( thoughtful( semiBcalculating wa to which 0ondoners generall habituate themselves& -erhaps the missionar ( ever where( is met 'b an atmosphere not e6actl antagonistic( but( at the best( doubtful& )hat Swami*i recogniLed this element of doubt and of wonderment is certain( and it is certain too( that his winning personalit cleared a wa through it and found glad welcome in man hearts&

"%"
5lubs( societies( drawingBrooms opened their doors to him& Sets of students grouped themselves together in this Duarter and that( and heard him at appointed intervals& 9is hearers( hearing him( longed to hear further& ,t one of these meetings( at the close of his address( a whiteBhaired and wellBknown philosopher said to the Swami( FAou have spoken splendidl ( sir( and + thank ou heartil ( but ou have told us nothing new&F )he lecturer's sonorous tones rang through the room in repl 2 FSir( + have told ou the )ruth& )hat( the )ruth( is as old as the immemorial bills( as old as humanit ( as old as the 5reation( as old as the 3reat 3od& +f + have told it in such words as will make ou think( make ou live up to our thinking( do + not do well in telling itMF )he murmur of F9earGF F9earGF and the louder clapping of hands showed how completel the Swami had carried his audience with him& One lad present on that occasion( and on man more( said&& F+ have attended church services regularl all m life& )heir monoton and lack of vitalit had made them barren and distasteful& + went to them because others went and one hates to be peculiar& Since + heard the Swami( light has flooded into religion& +t is realE it livesE it has a new glad meaning and is altogether transformed for me&F

F+ will tell ou how + came to know the )ruth(F continued the Swami( and in the telling the learned something of the earthBlife of Shri RamakrishnaE the sublime simplicit of his characterE his indefatigable search for )ruth in this religious phase and thatE his discover and his fine proclamation of it&& F.here + am( there the )ruth isGF
F+ found )ruth(F said the Swami( Fbecause + had it in m heart alread & <o not deceive ourselves& <o not imagine ou will find it in one creed or in another creed& +t is within ou& Aour creed will not give it to ou( $ou must give it to our creed& /en and priests give it various names& )he bid ou believe one thing and another thing& 0isten2 Aou have it within ourself( this pearl of great price& )hat which e6ists is one& 0isten2 ')hou art )hat G ' F

From first to last of this address he dwelt on the message of his /aster( Shri Ramakrishna& 9e had( he said( not one little word of his own to utter( not one infinitesimal thought of his own to unfold& Ever thing( ever single thing( all he was himself( all he could be to us( all he might be to the world( came from that single sourceE from the pure soul( from the illimitable inspiration who( seated

"%7
Fthere in m beloved +ndia( had solved the tremendous secret and bestowed the solution broadcast( ungrudgingl ( with divine prodigalit &F +n passages of e6Duisite eloDuence he dilated upon Shri Ramakrishna& Self was utterl forgotten( altogether ignored2 F+ am what + am( and what + am is alwa s due to him( whatever in me or in m words is good and true and eternal came to me from his mouth( his heart( his soul& Shri Ramakrishna is the spring of this phase of the earth's religious life( of its impulses and its activities& +f + can show the world one glimpse of m /aster( + shall not live in vain&F

One cannot read the above eloDuent tribute of the Swami to his /aster without noting a beautiful phase of his character ? how even in the midst of his triumphs( when he was himself hailed on all sides as /aster( he again and again pointed out in all humilit that he was onl a disciple of Shri Ramakrishna( at whose feet he had learned ever thing( that the credit for his teaching was due not to himself but to his /aster& +ndeed( onl a true disciple can he a true master& )he +ndian students resident in 0ondon naturall looked to the Swami for guidance& 9e endeared himself to them all b making them feel Duite at home with him and helping them in various wa s& ,nd so when a social conference of +ndians in 3reat 1ritain and +reland was held on Saturda ( !ul "$ under the auspices of the 0ondon 9indu ,ssociation( at /ontague /ansion( /useum Street( .&5&( it was the Swami who was asked to preside& )he sub*ect of the discourse was F)he 9indus and )heir 'eedsF& <uring his talk( at which man English ladies and gentlemen were also present( the Swami appealed to the oung 9indus to give up European dress and manners on their return to +ndia and to mingle with the people in an effort to help them& 9e strongl denounced caste restrictions and spoke eloDuentl on the position of 9indu women& One of the memorable events during the Swami's sta in 0ondon was his meeting with the celebrated Orientalist( -rofessor /a6 /uller of O6ford 4niversit & 1 invitation( the

"%@ Swami visited -rofessor /uller at his residence in O6ford on /a 7$& Of that pleasant e6perience the Swami himself wrote to the .rahmavadin, on !une 8( "$#82
&&& .hat an e6traordinar man is -rofessor /a6 /ullerG + paid a visit to him a few da s ago& + should sa that + went to pa m respects to him( for whosoever loves Shri Ramakrishna( whatever be his or her sect( or creed( or nationalit ( m visit to that person + hold as a pilgrimage&&&& )he -rofessor was first induced to inDuire about the power behind( which led to sudden and momentous changes in the life of the late :eshab 5handra Sen( the great 1rahmo leaderE and since then( he has been an earnest student and admirer of the life and teachings of Shri Ramakrishna& FRamakrishna is worshipped b thousands toda ( -rofessor(F + said& F)o whom else shall worship be accorded( if not to suchMF was his answer& )he -rofessor was kindness itself( and asked /r& Sturd and m self to lunch with him& 9e showed us several colleges in O6ford( and the 1odleian 0ibrar & 9e also accompanied us to the railwa station( and all this he did because( as he said( F+t is not ever da one meets with a disciple of Ramakrishna -aramahamsa&F )he visit was reall a revelation to me& )hat nice little house( its setting of a beautiful garden( the silverBheaded sage( with a face calm and benign( and forehead smooth as a child's in spite of sevent winters( and ever line in that face speaking of a deepBseated mine of spiritualit somewhere behindE that noble wife( the helpmate of his life through his long and arduous task of e6citing interest( overBriding opposition and contempt( and at last creating respect for the thoughts of the sages of ancient +ndia ? the trees( the flowers( the calmness( and the clear sk ?all these sent me back in imagination to the glorious da s of ancient +ndia( the da s of our 1rahmarshis and Ra*arshis( the da s of the great Vanaprasthas( the da s of ,rundhatis and Vasishthas& +t was neither the philologist nor the scholar that + saw( but a soul that is ever da realiLing its oneness with the 1rahman( a heart( that is ever moment e6panding to reach oneness with the 4niversal&&&& &&& ,nd what love he bears towards +ndiaG + wish + had a hundredth part of that love for m own motherland& Endued with an e6traordinar ( and( at the same time( an intensel active mind( he

"%=
has lived and moved in the world of +ndian thought for fift ears or more( and watched the sharp interchange of light and shade in the interminable forest of Sanskrit literature with deep interest and heartfelt love( till the have all sunk into his ver soul and coloured his whole being& /a6 /uller is a Vedantist of Vedantists&&&& F.hen are ou coming to +ndiaM Ever heart there would welcome one who has done so much to place the thoughts of their ancestors in the true light(F + said& )he face of the aged sage brightened up there was almost a tear in his e e( a gentle nodding of the head( and slowl the words came out& F+ would not return thenE ou would have to cremate me there&F Further Duestions seemed an unwarrantable intrusion into realms wherein are stored the hol secrets of man's heart&

)his letter was written b the Swami shortl after the -rofessor had completed an article on Shri Ramakrishna entitled F, Real /ahatmanF& )he article( which appeared in the ,ugust "$#8 issue of the Nineteenth 4entur$, had been written out of information and material gathered from +ndia& 'ow( in the enthusiasm with which the Swami had inspired him( -rofessor /uller was eager to know more about the /aster and asked( F.hat are( ou doing to make him known to the worldMF 9e said that he would be glad to write a larger and fuller account of his life and teaching( provided more facts and details were given to him& )he Swami at once commissioned Swami Saradananda to communicate with +ndia and to collect as much as possible of the sa ings of Shri Ramakrishna and the facts concerning his life& )his was doneE &and the -rofessor set to work embod ing them in a book that was( published under the title %amakrishna: His Life and Sa$in s* )his volume( which contains a number of the /aster's sa ings( breathes a fervid devotional and et critical spirit and has aided materiall in giving the Swami's mission a firmer hold on the EnglishBspeaking world& 9e and the -rofessor were freDuent correspondents and fast friendsE onl in matters of philosophical criticism did the sometimes differ& ,s the success of the 0ondon work took clearer shape( the Swami felt that a sann asi was needed to sta in 0ondon

"%> permanentl & ,t the same time( however( the work in ,merica could not be neglectedE it( too( reDuired the guidance and inspiration of a resident sann asi& -erhaps this is wh the Swami decided to send Swami Saradananda to ,merica at the end of !une and to reDuest Swami ,bhedananda to come from +ndia for the work in 0ondon& On !une 7= he wrote to Swami Ramakrishnananda2 FSharat HSwami SaradanandaI starts for ,merica tomorrow& )he work here is coming to a head& .e have alread got funds to start a 0ondon centre& 'e6t month + go to SwitLerland to pass a month or two there( then + shall return to 0ondon& .hat will be the good of m going homeM )his 0ondon is the hub of the world& )he heart of +ndia is here& 9ow can + leave without la ing a sure foundation hereM 'onsenseG For the present + shall have :ali HSwami ,bhedanandaI here( tell him to be read & 0et him start as soon as he receives m letter& OrganiLation is strength( and obedience is its hidden secret&F )he Swami was in the highest of spiritual moods during his sta in 0ondon& Often he was all radiance and ecstas ( showering infinite love and s mpath on ever one and ever Bthing& 'othing better illustrates this than the following letter dated !ul 8( "$#8( which he wrote to /r& Francis 9& 0eggett( addressing him affectionatel as FFrankincenseF2
& & & )hings are going on with me ver well on this side of the ,tlantic& )he Sunda lectures were Duite successful( so were the classes& )he season has ended( and + too am thoroughl e6hausted& + am going to make a tour in SwitLerland with /iss /uller&&&& &&& .ell( the work is growing silentl et surel in England& ,lmost ever other man or woman came to me and talked about the work& )his 1ritish Empire with all its drawbacks is the greatest machine that ever e6isted for the dissemination of ideas& + mean to put m ideas in the centre of this machine( and the will spread all over the world& Of course( all great work is slow and the difficulties are too man ( especiall as we 9indus are the conDuered race& Aet that is the ver reason wh it is bound to workE for spiritual ideals have alwa s come from the downtrodden& !ews overwhelmed the Roman Empire with their spiritual ideals& Aou will be pleased to

"%8
know that + am also learning m lessons ever da in patience and( above all( in s mpath & + think + am beginning to see the <ivine( even inside the haught QQ,ngloB+ndiansRR& + think + am slowl approaching to that state when + would be able to love the ver F<evilF himself( if there were an & ,t twent + was the most uns mpathetic( uncompromising fanaticE + would not walk on the footpath on the theatreBside of the streets in 5alcutta& ,t thirt Bthree + can live in the same house with prostitutes and never would think of sa ing a word of reproach to them& +s it degenerateM Or is it that + am broadening out into that 4niversal 0ove which is the 0ord himselfM ,gain( + have heard that if one does not see the evil around one( one cannot do good work ? one lapses into a sort of fatalism& + do not see that& On the other hand( m power of work is immensel increasing and becoming immensel effective& Some da s + get into a sort of ecstas & + feel that + must bless ever one( ever thing( love and embrace ever thing( and + do see that evil is a delusion& + am in one of these moods now( dear Francis( and am actuall shedding tears of *o at the thought of our and /rs& 0eggett's love and kindness to me& + bless the da + was born& + have had so much of kindness and love hereE and that 0ove +nfinite that brought me into being( has guarded ever one of m actions good or bad (don't be frightened)& For what am "( what was + ever but a tool in 9is hands( for whose service + have given up ever thing ? m beloved ones( m *o ( m lifeM 9e is m pla ful darling( + am 9is pla fellow& )here is neither rh me nor reason in the 4niverseG .hat reason binds 9imM 9e the -la ful One is pla ing these tears and laughterRs over all parts of the pla G 3reat fun( great fun( as !oe sa s& +t is a funn world and the funniest chap ou ever saw is 9e ? the 1eloved +nfiniteG Fun( is it notM 1rotherhood or pla matehood?a school of romping children let out to pla in this pla ground of the worldG +sn't itM .hom to praise( whom to blame( it is all 9is pla G )he want e6planations( but how can ou e6plain& 9imM 9e is brainless( nor has 9e an reason& 9e is fooling us with little brains and reason( but this time 9e won't find me napping& + have learnt a thing or two2 be ond( be ond reason and learning and talking is the feeling( the F0oveF( the F1elovedF& , e( sake HSakiI( fill up the cup and we will be mad&

Aours ever in madness( Vivekananda

"%; 9ere one has Swami Vivekananda himself& ,s he speaks of his beloved 0ord( we see him in a mood akin to the ecstas of Saint Francis of ,ssisi or bordering on that divine madness which possessed the Sufis of old& 1ut to return to the Swami's work( the reader will remember that during his previous visit in England he had devoted a good deal of his time to helping /r& Sturd in his translation of the Narada/Sutras on 1haktiBAoga& )he book( which contained commentaries b the Swami( was published in ,pril of "$#8 and was deservedl popular& ,s has been mentioned in the last chapter( three of the Swami's great works were published this same ear2 in ,merica( :arma/+o a, which consisted of eight of his 'ew Aork class talks on that sub*ect( had been brought out in Februar E in 0ondon( his 'ew Aork classes on Ra*aBAoga( together with his translation of and commentar on -atan*ali's +o a A-horisms, were published in !ul under the title %a6a/+o a b 0ongmans( 3reen( and 5ompan & )his last mentioned work did not appear without some preliminar difficult between Swami*i's English and ,merican followers regarding cop rights and so on& FSo much redtape about printing a little bookGF the Swami wrote in e6asperation to /rs& 1ull on /a $& 1ut soon the trouble was resolved( and the first English edition of %a6a/*+o a came out on !ul "@( "$#8& +n /adras( the Swami's 'ew Aork classes on 1haktiBAoga were to he brought out in book form b September of the same ear& 1efore proceeding to evaluate the Swami's work in 0ondon( we ma present here information and certain incidents of his life as recorded b his ounger brother /ahendranath <atta in his 1engali work Londane Vivekananda (FSwami Vivekananda in 0ondonF)& /ahendranath had arrived in 0ondon( perhaps in the second week of ,pril "$#8( a few da s earlier than his illustrious elder brother& .hen the Swami came to live in the rented house at 8@ St& 3eorge Road( /ahendranath shifted( as we have seen( to the same house& 9e had ample opportunit therefore of observing the Swami at close DuartersE added to

"%$ this( he had a -enchant for noting down interesting small details( such as are normall ignored b hagiographers& /ahendranath had come to 0ondon to stud law& 1ut the Swami did not approve of this& +n a letter dated !une >( "$#8 to /rs& 1ull he e6plained wh ( and incidentall through this letter he not onl evinced how powerfull he himself was influenced b his /aster's teachings( but also how he combined with his devotion to his guru his advanced ideas for the material betterment of +ndia& +n this letter he wrote2
Aou know m brother /ohin is here in 0ondon for the last two months& 9e intends to become a barrister& 9e has also a liking( he sa s( for electrical engineering& 'ow + do not like an one of m blood would become a law er although m father was one& / /aster was against it( and + believe that famil is sure to come to grief where there are several law ers& Secondl ? the countr is full of law ers( the universities turn them HoutI b hundreds with the uniform result that the starve& ,gain( what m nation wants is pluck and scientific genius& So + intend him to be an electrician& Even if he fails in life( still + will have the satisfaction that he strove to become great and reall useful to his countr & )here are good schools for training electricians here no doubt& 1ut in America a'one there is that something in the air which brings out whatever is best in ever one& So + want him to go to ,merica and be put under some good electricians and tr his venture& )he Ra*a of :hetri will send him some mone & + have V@%% with me( + can give him the whole of it& Aou promised me V"%% a ear& + do not want it& + want m brother to be daring hold and struggle to cut a new path for himself and his nation&&&& -luck is what m nation wants and scientific education&&&&

/eanwhile( /ahendranath was noting down his observations& .e learn from him( for instance( how bad the Swami's health was during this period of hard work& One da after lunch the Swami was seated on his reclining chair( thinking or meditating& Suddenl his face reflected a sensation of pain& ,fter a while he e6haled his breath and said to Fo62 F.ell( Fo6( + was feeling intense pain in m heartE it was about to

"%# stop functioning& / father died of a heart attack& )hat is the disease of m lineage&F ,nother incident recorded b /ahendranath gives one a glimpse into the Swami's thoughts& One da when he was again reclining on his chair( he suddenl sat up straight and said to Fo62 FSaint -aul was an educated religious fanaticE + am also an educated religious fanatic and want to create a band of scholar fanatics& Aou will notice that those who are mere religious fanatics ? the are of no useE it is onl a brain disease which is ver harmful& 1ut when a scholar turns into a religious fanatic( he accomplishes a lot& -aul was a scholarBfanaticE so he could reverse the course of 3reek philosoph and Roman civiliLation&F On a different occasion he said to Sturd 2 FVedanta teaches the basic philosoph of all religionsE this philosoph is no monopol of an particular religion& )his is wh Vedanta will become the universal religionE convert it into universal treasure& )he Vedanta must not remain as the closed preserve of a group of narrowBminded people&F /ahendranath related how( on the one hand( the Swami used to mi6 with the highBborn nobilit ( was invited even b a duke for dinner( and how( on the other hand( he would mingle with the common people as one of their ver own& )he used to tell him tales of their weal and woe and at times seek his counsel without an of that hesitation commonl felt in regard to aliens& 9e would become *ust like one of them& & )he 0ondon lectures of the Swami were ver popular& 1ut there are cranks in ever countr ( and England was no e6ception& One might number among her eccentrics some Englishmen who had returned home after serving in +ndia and who thenceforth were ostentatiousl discourteous to +ndians& +n this connection( /ahendranath relates an unpleasant incident that occurred one evening at a lectureB meeting& )he Swami had *ust started a profound and inspiring lecture on Ra*aBAoga& 3oodwin was making himself read to take notesE Swami Saradananda( Sturd ( Fo6( and /ahendranath were seated on the sofa at the other end of the hall& )he Swami

""% had hardl spoken for five minutes( when a retired ,ngloB+ndian shouted from the audience with great derision( FOh( thank ouGF /an startled listeners turned toward the man but said nothing( for the were more interested in listening to the lecture& .hen the heckler repeated the same kind *eering remark at intervals( the audience became visibl anno ed( but the Swami went on speaking unperturbed( without wasting even a glance& at him& -resentl he assumed the role of critic& .hen the Swami eulogiLed the 1uddha( he railed against the 1uddha& ,gain( when the Swami claimed that even at the time of his speaking there were in +ndia monks who had attained to high spiritual states( the man declared them to be thieves and burglars& Sturd and 3oodwin became furious( but the could do nothing to stop the man( for the Swami went on without so much as a look at him& 1ut a limit finall came& Somehow the heckler thought the speaker must be a 1engali 1abu( and he tauntingl announced that during the Sepo /utin the English had saved the 1engalis& ,nd now( at last( the Swami turned towards him( his benign face grown fearful& For more than half an hour he went on cogentl citing histor ( e6posing the record of the English people's oppression and evil deeds in various countries of the world& One could not have thought of a more powerful and convincing impeachment( under the impact of which the man openl weptBand this so profusel that his three handkerchiefs became soaked with his tears& 'ow( turning to the audience( the Swami said in a calm and soothing voice( F'ow + come to -rat ahara and <harana&F ,nd he gravel took up his topic where he had left off( as though there had been no disturbance or e6citement in the hall& ,fter the lecture was over the audience rose and greeted him( sa ing2 FSwami( ou have taught us a grand lesson in forbearance& Should an one have insulted us in this manner( we could not have withstood it at all& Aou are a saint& Aou are a trul great man&F )he Swami worked indefatigabl in these da s in 0ondon( even more so than during his previous visit& +f he formed no

""" societ or organiLation( it was not because he did not want his England work to take definite and permanent form& On the contrar ( it was because he wanted its earl stages to be slow( Duiet( and sureE he wanted to build on firm and lasting foundations( attracting to his movement strong( serious( and intellectual men and women who would carr it on along the lines lie was la ing down& F/r& Sturd and + want to get a few of the best( sa ( strong and intelligent men in England to form a societ ( and therefore we must proceed slowl (F( he had written to /rs& 1ull from Reading in September of "$#>& F.e must take care not to be run over with 'fads' from the first&F ,nd to 5hristine 3reenstidel on October = of the same ear( F,ll great things must of necessit be slow&F )he results of the Swami's formall unorganiLed( but b no means haphaLard( work were satisf ing to him& F)he work in England bids fair to be much better and deeper than in the 4&S&(F he wrote to /rs& 9ale on !ul ;( "$#8& F,nd here in 0ondon is the heart of +ndia also&F ,nd again( three months later to his ,merican disciple /iss .aldo( F/ European work in fact is becoming more satisfactor to me than an other work( and it tells immensel on +ndia&F )he Swami's one concern( the central motive that flamed through his words and drove him to tireless activit ( to endless giving of himself and of his light to others( was his desire to awaken all humanit to its own godhood( to free men ever B where from the bondage of ignorance& )his ideal he e6pressed in an inspired and inspiring letter to /iss /argaret 'oble ? she who was to become Sister 'ivedita& 9is letter( written from St& 3eorge's Road( was dated !une ;( "$#8 the da he opened his public lectures& +t is given here in full2
/ ideal( indeed( can be put into a few words and that is2 to preach unto mankind their divinit ( and how to make it manifest in ever moment of life& )his world is in chains of superstition& + pit the oppressed( whether man or woman( and + pit more the oppressors& One idea that + see clear as da light is that miser is caused b ignorance and nothing else& .ho will give the world lightM Sacrifice

""7
in the past has been the law( it will be( alas( for ages to come& )he earth's bravest and best will have to sacrifice themselves for the good of man ( for the welfare of all& 1uddhas b the hundred are necessar with eternal love and pit & Religions of the world have become lifeless mockeries& .hat the world wants is character& )he world is in need of those whose life is one burning love( selfless& )hat love will make ever word tell like thunderbolt& +t is no superstition with ou( + am sure( ou have the making in ou of a worldBmover( and others will also come& 1old words and bolder deeds are what we want& ,wake( awake( great onesG )he world is burning with miser & 5an ou sleepM 0et us call and call till the sleeping gods awake( till the 3od within answers to the call& .hat more is in lifeM .hat greater workM )he details come to me as + go& + never make plans& -lans grow and work themselves& + onl sa ( awake( awakeG

)he Swami's ideas( burning with selfless love( themselves told like the thunderbolt& ,nd it is small wonder that hundreds were caught up in the grandeur and freshness of the thought he sent forth& /an distinguished ,nglican clerg men( intellectuals( as well as societ people were captivated( until it seemed as if some great movement was about to be born in his name& Aet because no formal organiLation to carr on his work came into being in 0ondon during his lifetime( it is hard to gauge the true import of his work2 there are no records or statistics( no membership rolls or ledgers& +t is onl through the uncharted spreading of his influence that his work in England can be understood and evaluated( but this spreading( we know( was e6tensive and its effect lasting and profound& 1ut even apart from the overall public significance of the Swami's 0ondon work( his second visit is memorableE for during it he gathered to his fold some of the most diligent and heroic workers and helpers in his cause& <uring his previous visit he had( it is true( made acDuaintances( which had ripened into friendship with such talented people as /iss 9enrietta /uller( /r& Edward )& Sturd ( and /iss /argaret 'oble( but now these people became his disciples read to sacrifice ever thing for him and his cause& )o this group were added 5aptain

""@ and /rs& !ames 9enr Sevier( of whom we shall often have occasion to speak later& 5aptain Sevier( a retired arm officer( and his wife( 5harlotte( met the( Swami soon after the start of his public lectures in !une of "$#8& 1oth of them were earnest students of religion and had sought for the highest truth in various sects and creeds( but none of these had satisfied the earning of their souls& )he were disappointed with the forms and theological dogmas that passed under the name of religion& 9aving heard from a friend that an F+ndian ogiF was going to hold classes on Eastern philosoph ( it was with e6pectant hearts that the came to listen to the e6position of a new religion& .hat was the surprise of the devoted couple to find( on comparing notes( that when hearing the Swami the had each felt intuitivel and simultaneousl 2 F)his is the man and this is the philosoph that we have been seeking in vain all through our lifeGF( .hat appealed to them most was the ,dvaita philosoph E but the personalit of the Swami also captivated them& )he ver first time the met him in private( he addressed /rs& Sevier as F/otherF and asked her( F.ould ou not like to come to +ndiaM + will give ou of m best realiLations&F from that da forward the looked upon him not onl as their guru but as their own son& )hus was established a relationship??that was to bring forth fruit of inestimable value in the fulfilment of one of the Swami's great missions in the .est& +ndeed( he held his disciples /iss 'oble (Sister 'ivedita) and 5aptain and /rs& Sevier as the fairest flowers of his work in England& One might also sa that !& !& 3oodwin was an English disciple of the Swami's( for although his initiation and earl training had taken place in 'ew Aork( he was a native of England( and his lo al service wag as invaluable to the Swami in 0ondon as it had been in ,merica& 3oodwin was& of service also to the Swami's brotherBdisciple& Sailing from England on !une' 7> he accompanied Swami Saradananda to the 4nited States( where( at the repeated reDuests of the ,merican students( Swami Vivekananda had sent him& 3oodwin introduced Swami Saradananda to the Vedanta students in 'ew Aork and 1oston and helped him to find his wa about the bustling cities of the

""= 'ew .orld& ,s for the preaching work that Swami Saradananda was to undertake on the East 5oast( he was well prepared( having learned the art of presenting Vedanta to .estern audiences through the e6ample and instruction of his great brotherBdisciple& !ul marked the end of the lecture season in 0ondon( and the Swami's classes .ere drawing to a close& ,s though to insure that he would be with them the following season( the members of the class readil subscribed to a fund for his autumn lectures& ,s we have seen earlier( the Swami had written on !une 7= to Swami Ramakrishnananda( F)he work here is coming to a head& .e have alread got funds to start a 0ondon 5entre&F 'ow( on !ul $( he wrote to /rs& 1ull2 F)he English people are ver generous& +n three minuteRs time the other evening( m class raised V">% for the new Duarters for ne6t autumn's work& )he would have given V>%% on the spot if wanted( but we want to go slow( and not rush into undue e6pense&F )he Swami now accepted the invitation of three of his more intimate friends for a tour and a holida on the 5ontinent& )hose who planned the Swami's holida and accompanied him on his tour were 5aptain and /rs& Sevier and /iss 9enrietta /uller& For some time the had been urging the Swami to rest( for the felt that he could not endure much longer the strenuous e6ertion and strain of his work& )hen( too( it being the holida season( man of his students and admirers were leaving 0ondon for seaside or mountain resorts& )he Swami was Fas delighted as a childF at the prospect& 9e was particularl eager to visit SwitLerland& .hen the idea of a trip to the ,lps had been suggested( the Swami had *o full e6claimed( FOh( + long to see the snows and wander on the mountain pathsG ,bove all( + must cross a glacier&F +n the "$#%s a trip to SwitLerland was not the simple matter it is toda & /uch time( mone ( and ph sical e6ertion were reDuired to visit that land of marvellous scener ( haLardous mountain ascents( deep snows( glacier crossings( and e6pensive resorts& 5onve ances were primitive( and the roads were

""> generall poor& /uleback( funicular( dandies( and horseBdrawn stageBcoaches were the usual methods of travel& +ndeed the trip was like an adventure of sightseeing in some remote and strange land& ,ll told( the *ourne was to last for nearl nine weeks& ,fter visiting SwitLerland( the part was to tour the old cities of 3erman and then to return via ,msterdam to 0ondon& On the morning of the departure the Swami was all e6citement& 9e had unburdened himself of the ver thought of responsibilities& Several of his 0ondon friends formed a farewell part E but there was no sadness in this farewell( as the Swami was to return within two months or so& ,t eleven o'clock on the morning of Sunda ( !ul + #( he and his companions left 0ondon with the best wishes of all his students and disciples& ,t <over( the part took passage to 5alais( crossing the English 5hannel( which( though often chopp ( chanced on this occasion to he comparativel calm& +n order to break the long train ride between 5alais and 3eneva the travellers spent the night in -aris( and on the following da resumed their *ourne ( arriving in e6cellent spirits at 3eneva& )he hotel in which the found accommodations overlooked the beautiful and peaceful 0ake 08man& )he cool( invigorating air( the intense blue of the waters( the sk ( and the fields( the picturesDueness of the houses( and the novelt of things about him deepl appealed to the Swami& )hough somewhat tired from the long *ourne ( he was impatient( after a brief rest( to be out of doors& ,ccompanied b his friends( he spent the greater part of the da at a national e6hibition of Swiss products and industries( which was being held that summer in 3eneva& 9e was e6ceedingl interested in the local arts and crafts( particularl the celebrated woodBcarvings& 1ut the most fascinating feature of the whole e6hibition( to the Swami's happ mind( was a large( captive( balloon& ,s soon as he saw it( he e6claimed( FOh( we must go up in the balloonGF )he idea of floating in the air took possession of him( and until sunset( when the balloon was to ascend( he was as impatient as a bo & /r& Sevier was also eager to take the balloon ride( but /rs& Sevier preferred terra firma& )he Swami

""8 .ould hear nothing of her ob*ections( and finall she acDuiescedE whereupon the entered the balloon& 4p ? up ? upG )he da was perfect( the sunset gorgeous& )here was not the slightest sensation of unpleasantness( for the balloon sailed steadil and smoothl in the evening air& )he all en*o ed the e6perience immensel and were regretful when the found the balloon descending to its base& )he Swami was eager to go up again( but other interests intervened( and after taking dinner at a nearBb restaurant( the returned to the hotel( carr ing with them as souvenirs of their aerial e6perience photographs taken of themselves on the e6hibition grounds immediatel after the balloon had made its descent& )he Swami was seen therein with his smiling face& (4nfortunatel ( these photographs are not toda available&) 3eneva is a great bathingBresort( and the Swami bathed twice in one of the spacious bath houses or protected swimming pools formed in the 0ake 0Wman& ,t the far end of the lake( some fort miles awa ( stands the 5astle of 5hillon( made famous b 0ord 1 ron's poem F)he -risoner of 5hillonF( which tells of the long imprisonment there of a Swiss patriot& , visit to this romantic and picturesDue spot ended the part 's so*ourn in the historic cit & )he travellers had originall intended to remain longer( but the programme was suddenl changed( and we ne6t find them fift B si6 miles southeast in the farBfamed resort of 5hamoni6 in southeast France& 'ow as the part approached 5hamoni6 the grand spectacle of /ont 1lanc opened up to view( presenting a sight which the Swami said he had not en*o ed even in the 9imala as& F)his is reall wonderfulGF he cried out& F9ere we are actuall in the midst of the snows lF F+n +ndiaF( he said( Fthe snow is so far distant that one walks and climbs for da s and da s to come near it& 1ut then( the ,lps are mere hills compared with those might peaks that tower on the borders of )ibet&F FAet(F he continued( this is beautifulG 5omeG 0et us make the ascent of /ont 1lancGF 1ut the guides told them that onl skilled mountaineers should attempt such a feat& )his was a disappointB

""; ment to him( but as he gaLed through the( telescope and saw the appallingl steep ascents( he granted that to climb them would be impracticable& 9owever( he was bent on crossing a gla"cier at all costs& .ithout this( he felt( his visit to the ,lps would be incomplete& Fortunatel ( the famous /erBdeB3lace( also in France( was within eas reach& ,ccordingl ( several da s later the part travelled on muleback to the village whence the passage over the glacier begins& )he actual e6pedition was not so pleasant as the Swami had anticipated& +t was difficult to keep his footing& Ever now and then he would pause to gaLe down the deep crevasses( or to admire the beautiful tints of green that were ever where to be seen( .hen the glacier proper is crossed( a ver steep ascent must be climbed to reach the village above& +t was here that the Swami suffered from vertigo for the first time in his lifeE his foot slipped more than once( and he was glad when he reached the little chalet at the summit without accident and '.as restored b a cup of refreshingl hot coffee& Observing the characteristics of the peasantr ( the Swami remarked to his friends2 F.h ( these people in man of their manners and in their costumes remind me of the peasants in the hills of the 9imala asG )hose long baskets that the carr on their backs are e6actl like those used in the mountainous districts of m countr &F +t was in these 9imala as of Europe that the Swami spoke to those who were to be the founders of the ,dvaita ,shrama and to dedicate their lives to( it( of his cherished dream of establishing a monaster in the heart of his own beloved 9imala as& Even before starting 'on this tour he had written from 0ondon to the 9ale sisters2 F+ am going with three English friends to the Swiss 9ills& 0ater on( towards the end& of winter( + e6pect to go to +ndia with some English friends who are going to live in m monaster there( which b the b ( is in the air et& +t is struggling to materialiLe somewhere in the 9imala as&F 'ow in the ,lpine snows he cried& FOh( + long for such a monaster where + can retire from the labours of m life and pass the rest of m da s in meditation& +t will be a centre for work and meditation( where m +ndian and .estern

""$ disciples can live together& + shall train them as workers( the former to go out as preachers of Vedanta to the .est( and the latter to devote their lives to the good of +ndia&F , thought( something akin to a vision( also crossed the minds of the SeviersE and the 5aptain( speaking for himself and his wife( e6claimed( F.e must have such a monaster GF ,t the time( it seemed onl a passing remark( but as the months went b ( those words spoken in the midst of the ,lps were seen to have been prophetic& So deep had the idea sunk into the hearts of these two disciples that within three ears the Swami's great desire was fulfilled through their practical help and coBoperation& From 5hamoni6( the travellers made a fourBda mountainous trek to the village of 0ittle St& 1ernard& 9igh above the village rises a pass( on the crest of which stood a hospice of ,ugustinian monks& ,t 0ittle St& 1ernard the Swami was shown a litter of Saint 1ernard pups( offsprings of the famous dogs bred and trained at the hospice& Forgetting that the dogs could not stand a tropical climate( the Swami in his enthusiasm e6claimed( F+ want one of those puppies to take with me to +ndiaGF Fortunatel ? for a Saint 1ernard pupp would certainl have perished even before reaching +ndia ? all the dogs had been sold& 0ater the visited the resort of Xermatt( one of the beaut Bspots of SwitLerland( set in the midst of glaciers and high mountains( including /onte Rosa( the famous /atterhorn( and 3ornergrat& 9ere the hoped to climb the 3ornergrat in& order to secure the view of the /atterhorn( but of the part onl 5aptain Sevier succeeded in reaching the summit( the air being too rarefied for the others& ,t the reDuest of /iss /uller( the part ne6t travelled to the little Swiss village of SaasBFee in the 4pper Rhone valle ( where the made a so*ourn of nearl two weeks& )he Swami was at his best in this village nestling in the ,lps& On all sides rose snowB capped peaksE all about was the silence and the peace of village life& 'o rude note of worldliness crept in& +t was here that he en*o ed some of the most luminous spiritual moments of his la& 9e seemed far( far awa from all worldl

""# concerns& 9e was not even the )eacher( but the silent( meditating monk of old& /an times as he walked on the mountain paths or stood on some great elevation( the longing and the freedom and the supreme insight of the monastic life were imprinted on his face( and his companions seemed to be caught up with him in a world of meditation and peace& 9is mood was reflected also in his letters of that period& )o /rs& 1ull he wrote on !ul 7>2 F+ am travelling in the most lonel nooks and corners of SwitLerland& + want to forget the world entirel at least for the ne6t two months and practise hard& )hat is m rest&F ,nd a week or so later( on ,ugust >( he wrote to 5hristine 3reenstidel from SaasBFee2 F+ am in SwitLerland constantl on the move getting a much needed rest& +t is a miniature 9imala as and has the same effect of raising the mind up to the Self ? and driving awa all earthl feelings and ties& + am intensel en*o ing it& + feel so uplifted& + cannot write( but + wish ou will have the same forever ? where our feet do not want as it were to touch the material earth& .hen the soul finds itself floating as it were in an ocean of spiritualit &F )he Swami seems( indeed( to have left this world behind& On ,ugust $ he wrote to !& !& 3oodwin from SwitLerland2 F)he whole world is a mere child's pla ? preaching( teaching( and all included& ':now him to be the sann asin who neither hates nor desires&' ,nd what is there to be desired in this little mudBpuddle of a world with its everBrecurring miser ( disease( and deathM&&& )his rest ? eternal( peaceful rest ? " am catching a glimpse of now in this beautiful spot& '9aving once known that the ,tman alone( and nothing else( e6ists( desiring what( or for whose desire( shall ou suffer miser about the bod M' + feel as if + had m share of e6perience in what the call 'work'& + am finished& + am longing now to get out&F ,nd on ,ugust 7@ from 0ucerne he wrote to /rs& 1ull2 F+ think + have worked enough ? " am now going to retire& + have sent for another man HSwami ,bhedanandaI from +ndia who will *oin me ne6t month& + have begun the workE let others work it out&&&& + am getting read to depart to return no more to this hell( this world& Even its religions and variet are beginning to pall HonI

"7% me& /a /other gather me soon to 9erself never to come back an more& )hese works and doing good etc& are( *ust a little e6ercise to cleanse the mind( + have enough of it& )his world will be world ever and alwa s& .hat we are( so we see it& .ho worksM .hose workM )here is no world& +t is 3od 9imself& +n delusion we call world ? neither + nor )hou nor ou( it is all 9e the 0ord( all one&F One of those who were with him in the wondrous so*ourn at SaasBFee said2 F)here seemed to be a great light about him and a great stillness and peace& 'ever have + seen the Swami to such advantage& 9e seemed to communicate spiritualit b a look or with a touch& One could almost read his thoughts which were of the highest( so transfigured had his personalit becomeGF )his Duiet life at SaasBFee completel restored the Swami& )here was onl one incident of a slightl disturbing character& 9e had been walking one morning with his friends( reciting and translating passages from the 4panishads( creating in the ,lps an +ndian atmosphere( when( lost in reverent contemplation( he had graduall dropped behind& ',fter a short time( the saw him approaching rapidl ( calling out in great e6citement( F+ have' been saved b the grace of the 0ordGF 5atching up with them he e6plained& F+ was walking along( planting m alpenstock firml on the ground& Suddenl it broke through into a deep crevice and + almost fell over the precipice& 5ertainl it was onl a miracle that saved meGF 9is friends were greatl agitated when the heard this and congratulated themselves and the Swami on his marvellous escape& )henceforth the took special care never again to leave him alone& On the wa home( there was a little mountain chapel& ,s the Swami saw it(' he said Duietl ( F<o let us offer some flowers at the feet of the VirginGF 9is face shone with great tenderness and he went forth( one of the part accompan ing him( and gathered some ,lpine flowers& FOffer them at the feet of the VirginF( he said to /rs& Sevier( Fas a token of m gratitude and devotion&F ,nd with a strange note of religious certaint ( he added( FFor She also is the /other&&F 9e would have offered

"7" them himself( but feared that his not being a 5hristian might cause trouble& ,t this outBofBtheBwa village of SaasBFee the Swami received a letter that changed the course of his continental tour& )his was an invitation from the wellB known 3erman Orientalist( -aul <eussen( -rofessor of -hilosoph at the 4niversit of :iel& )he -rofessor had been stud ing the Swami's lectures and utterances and had found in him an original thinker and a spiritual genius& <eepl interested in the Vedanta philosoph and having recentl returned from +ndia( he naturall desired to meet the Swami and to discuss philosophical Duestions with him& 9e had written to the Swami's 0ondon address( cordiall inviting him and /r& Sturd to visit him at his residence in :iel( and his letter had been forwarded to SaasBFee& )hough( as it turned out( Sturd was unable to accept the -rofessor's invitation( the Swami did so& F/iss /uller telegraphed for -rof& <eussen last night(F he wrote to Sturd in a postscript to a letter dated ,ugust $E Fthe repl came this morning( #th ,ugust&( welcoming meE + am to he in :iel at <eussen's on the "%th September& .here will ou meet meM ,t :ielM /iss /uller goes to England from SwitLerland& + am going with the Seviers to :iel& + will be there on the "%th SeptemberF )he Swami's travelling companions insisted( however( that before visiting :iel he complete his Swiss tour( and the arranged that he also see something of 3erman on the wa & From SaasBFee the part travelled to 0ucerne( which has one of the most beautiful settings of an town in SwitLerland& )here the visited all the nearBb places of interest& .ith the e6ception of /r& Sevier( all made( the ascent of /ount Rigi b the mountain railwa ? a fascinating e6perience( the view from the summit commanding one( of the finest snow vistas in the world& ,mong other things the Swami saw in 0ucerne was the 0ion /onument( the main feature of which is a d ing lion hewn from live sandstone from a model b the famous )horwaldsen and so reflected in the pool as to give a strange and ma*estic effect& 9e also passed through the two covered wooden bridges across the Reuss( one of which is ornamented with(

"77 painted panels illustrating the histor of SwitLerland( and the other with paintings depicting the F<ance of <eathF& 9e visited the museum of 0ucerne as well as the historic cathedral which contains the seventeenthBcentur organ with the celebrated FVo6 9umanaF& 9e was much interested in this tone produced b a special stop and resembling in ever respect the voice of a man& +ndeed( on hearing it he thought that it was actuall a human voice& One da the travellers went b steamer across the beautiful 0ake 0ucerne and were charmed with the scener on its shores& .hen he saw the chapel dedicated to .illiam )ell( he recalled the career of that great patriot& )he 'Swami not onl saw man pleasing and historic spots in 0ucerne( he was also able to find there the hottest chillies he had ever eaten in the .est& )he vendor was astounded to see him cat them raw ? and that with evident gusto( remarking the while( F9aven't ou an thing hotterMF 4rgent business compelled /iss /uller to leave the part at 0ucerne( and the Swami( restless to proceed on( bade farewell to his disciple and *ourne ed with 5aptain and /rs& Sevier to Schaffhausen( where the Rhine Falls are seen at their best& From Schaffhausen the three tourists crossed into 3erman ( travelling b rail to 9eidelberg( where the stopped for two da s& )he cit of 9eidelberg is the site of one of the greatest and oldest 3erman universitiesE founded in "@$8( it is worldBfamous not onl for its high academic standing but for its old world romance and charm as well& Visiting the universit the Swami saw from the general character of the curriculum what splendid opportunities for education the students en*o ed and was much impressed b the great culture of the 3ermans& )he part also visited the castle above 9eidelberg and there saw the famous 3reat )un( the largest wine cask in the world( having a capacit of =#(%%% gallons& )hen on to 5oblenL( where a halt was made for the night& On the ne6t da the boarded a steamer to *ourne down the Rhine as far as the cit of 5ologne& <uring the si6t Bmile trip the Swami was enchanted with the charming scener and in his imagination peopled the old castles on the heights along the river with characters from

"7@ 3erman folk tales& ,t 5ologne( where the part spent several da s( the( Swami attended /ass at the vast cathedral and marvelled at its magnificent 3othic architecture( its rich art treasures and tapestries& 5aptain and /rs& Sevier had planned to take their guest from 5ologne direct to :iel( but he was eager to see the cit of 1erlin& ,n6ious to please him( his hosts made a long detour( intending to visit not onl 1erlin( but <resden as well& <n route the Swami was struck with the general prosperit of the countr and with the large number of its cities built in modern st c& 1erlin( with its wide streets( fine monuments( and beautiful parks( made him compare it favourabl even with -aris& ,s for the ubiDuitous 3erman soldier ( he remarked( F.hat fine bearing and militar appearance the haveGF <uring their three da s' sta in the cit the Swami's friends took him to ever place of historic or intellectual importance( in all of which he was interested& +ndeed( the Swami had appreciation for ever thing& ,s /rs& Sevier was to write2 FEver phase of human activit ( and ever department of knowledge had interest for Swami*i( and his mental attitude of cheerfulness and kindness( combined with his fine intelligence and personal charm( made him the most delightful of travelling companions&F .hen the Swami was informed that their ne6t destination was <resden( he hesitated( sa ing( F-rofessor <eussen will be e6pecting us& .e must not dela an longer&F ,ccordingl the part proceeded to :iel( arriving on September $& , ver interesting account of this visit was recorded b /rs& Sevier( who( together with her husband( was also invited to be a guest of the <eussen famil & /rs& Sevier's account( as published in September "#%> in &ra,uddha .harata, is given here in part2
&& / recollection of :iel( a town in 3erman ( which is beautifull situated on the 1altic( is bright with agreeable memories of a pleasant da spent in the societ of <r& -aul <eussen( -rofessor of -hilosoph in the 4niversit there ? a man of rare philosophical grasp( standing foremost in the rank of European Sanskrit scholars On hearing that the Swami had arrived at the hotel& )he -rofessor

"7=
immediatel sent a note reDuesting his compan at breakfast on the following da ( courteousl including m husband and m self in the invitation& -unctuall at "% o'clock the ne6t morning we presented ourselves at his house( and were ushered into the librar where we received a cordial reception from <r& and /rs& <eussen who were e6pecting us& ,fter a few preliminar inDuiries regarding the travels and plans of Swami*i( + noticed the -rofessor directing his e es to some volumes l ing open on the table( and with a scholar's appreciation of learning( he soon turned the conversation on books&&&& 9e considered the s stem of the Vedanta as founded on the 4panishads and Vedanta/Sutras, with Shankarachar a's commentaries( some of the most ma*estic structures and valuable products of the genius of man in his search for )ruth( and that the highest and purest moralit is the immediate conseDuence of the Vedanta&&&& +t seems( the -rofessor added( that a movement is being made back towards the fountainB head of spiritualit ( a movement that .. in the future( probabl make +ndia( the spiritual leader of the nations( the highest and greatest spiritual influence on earth& )he Swami interested himself in some translations <r& <eussen was making( and a discussion arose on the precise significance and correct understanding of various obscure passages& )he former pointed out that clearness of definition was of primar ( and elegance of diction of ver secondar ( importance& )he vigorous and lucid interpretations given b the Oriental e6egetist with such firmness of conviction( and et such delicac of perception( eventuall Duite won over the 3erman savant& On two occasions( we prepared to take leave( but to this our kind host and hostess strongl ob*ected( insisting that we must remain to dinner( and later on( *oin in a festivit to be held in honour of their daughter's fourth birthda & .e could not but accept their warmBhearted and generous hospitalit ( and it was ver charming to watch the little Erica( amongst much chat and merriment( dispensing tea and cakes to her outhful guests& <r& and /rs& <eussen were unfailing in their entertainment of us( and we were favoured with a fascinating and animated account of their tour in +ndia& Especiall ( the en*o ed old +ndia( so rich in its historical associations& )he discoursed on the 3reat /other 3anga reverenced b all( and in whose sacred waters( thousands of people take their dail bathE on the motle crowds that surge all da long in the large cities situated on her banks( where hundreds of temples( shrines( and mosDues testif to the ancient

"7>
civiliLation and the oldBworld religions of 1rahma( 1uddha( and /ohammedE and where the children of the Orient look out upon the world with e es that regard things in a totall different light to those of the Occidental races& .e realiLed how thoroughl the -rofessor and his wife appreciated the fine s mpathies and instincts so indissolubl connected with our ideas of things +ndian& For cities are like human beings( with souls and temperaments of their own( and the soul of a cit will reveal itself onl to him who loves with a farBsighted emotion& +n the baLaars the noted the old arts and crafts of 9industhan still being plied( as the have been handed down from generation to generation& +n the open street( the saw the barber shaving his clients and the worshipper pra ing with folded hands without fear or shame before his fellowBmen& 1ut there is a terrible povert in +ndia( of which the beggars who await ou at ever temple and street corner are but too genuine a sign& One of the first gestures learnt b the children of the poor is to hold out their hands for alms& )hese and much more the told us( and of the neverBtoBbeBforgotten kindness of the +ndians towards their 3erman visitors& 9owever( the happiest da must come to an end( and it now onl remains for me to close this trifling sketch( e6pressing the delight we e6perienced in seeing a philosopher happil surrounded b a peaceful home with wife and child( honour( and contentment( as well as man congenial friends& )he friendship so well begun was further cemented b the companionship of our host on our return to England& )he *ourne was enlivened b much brilliant conversation on the part of our philosophers( accompanied b kindl attentions( which never ceased whilst we were together&

,t some time during that da spent with the <eussens( the -rofessor found the Swami turning over the pages of a poetical work& 9e spoke to him'( but got no response& .hen the Swami came to know of it( he apologiLed( sa ing that he had been so absorbed in reading that he had not heard him& )he -rofessor was not satisfied with this e6planation until( in the course of conversation( the Swami Duoted and interpreted verses from the book& <r& <eussen was dumbfounded( and like the Ra*a of :hetri( asked him how he could accomplish such a feat of memor & )hereupon the conversation turned upon the sub*ect of concentration as practised b the +ndian ogi& From his

"78 personal knowledge the Swami said that the ogi could attain such perfection in concentration that in that state he would he unaware of it( even if a piece of burning charcoal were placed on his bod & ,t this time an e6hibition was being held in :iel( which <r& <eussen insisted that the Swami visit and to which he offered to take him& >8 immediatel after tea the Swami's part accompanied their host to the e6hibition( where some time was spent in stud ing the various arts and industries of 3erman & ,fter taking light refreshments( the returned to the Swami's hotel& )he -rofessor suggested that he see the ob*ects of interest in and about the cit ( and it was decided that on the ne6t da the would all make an e6cursion to some of the outl ing districts( notabl the harbour of :iel( opened onl a few da s previousl b the :aiser& ,bout si6 weeks had been spent in holida touring( and the Swami felt that he could now take up his 0ondon work again with renewed vigour& ,ccordingl ( he asked 5aptain and /rs& Sevier to make plans to return immediatel & <r& <eussen had hoped that the Swami would prolong his visit( so that he could discuss man philosophical matters with him in the Duiet retreat of his own residence( where his treasureBroom of books would have added much to the interest of their talks& 9e tried to induce the Swami to remain if onl for a few da s( but when he was told that the Swami was an6ious to put his work on a solid basis before returning to +ndia( he understood and said2 F.ell( then( Swami( + shall meet ou in 9amburg 8(F and thence( via 9olland( we shall both *ourne ' to 0ondon( where& + hope to spend man happ hours with ou&F 0eaving :iel( the Swami and the Seviers made 9amburg their ne6t stopping place& 9ere the visited( among other places of interest( the famous Xoological 3ardens& ,fter a da in 9amburg( the part ( with its additional member( -rofessor <eussen( travelled to 1remen( and thence( on September "7( went on to ,msterdam( where the spent three da s sightBseeing

,ccording to another view the meeting took place in 1remen( not in 9amburg

"7; and visiting art galleries and museums& )he crossing of the 'orth Sea from ,msterdam to 9arwich was a most unpleasant vo age& Fortunatel ( it was soon over( and the travellers landed on September ";( "$#8&

"7$ 30 BACK TO LONDON 2 Once again the Swami was on English shores& 9e accompanied 5aptain and /rs& Sevier to their home in 9ampstead( a borough of 0ondonE while -rofessor <eussen made his home with friends in St& !ohn's .ood( also a section of the cit & ,fter his vacation of almost e6actl two months (from !ul "# to September ";)( the Swami's health was( much improved( and he could again meet the demands of his work with energ and enthusiasm& ,fter a few da s' sta with the Seviers in 9ampstead( he moved to ,irlie 0odge( Ridgewa 3ardens( the residence of /iss 9enrietta /uller and there commenced his work& .ithin the first two weeks of his sta he gave two drawingBroom lectures( at the first of which a /r& !& F& Schwann presided( and the audience( composed mainl of societ women( crowded the room& )he Swami spoke on FVedanta as a Factor in 5iviliLationF& )he lecture was a great success and was followed& b the opening of regular /onda afternoon classes in .imbledon( in which the Swami gave both private and general instructions( teaching man people the principles of Ra*aBAoga and the practices of meditation& +n 0ondon the Swami's weekda classesBwere resumed on )hursda ( October $( and were now held in a large room at @# Victoria Street( one of the best thoroughfares in 0ondon( which had been enBaged b /r& Sturd in order to afford the general public an opportunit of attending& ,s we have seen earlier( the members of the Swami's summer class had subscribed to the rent for such autumn Duarters& )he room had ample accommodationE it could scat two hundred and had facilities for a small librar & ,round the second week of October( the Swami( his brotherB disciple Swami ,bhedananda( who had *ust arrived from +ndia at his urgent call( and !& !& 3oodwin( now returned from

"7# ,merica( moved into a room nearb flat at "= 3re coat 3ardens( .estminster( which had been taken for them b 5aptain and /rs& Sevier& Swami ,bhedananda had come to 0ondon to help in the work( and the Swami now did all in his power to impress him with the responsibilities of his new life& <a after da he trained his oung brotherBdiscipleE for he was thinking of sailing for +ndia at the end of the ear and was therefore eager to leave behind someone fitted both spirituall and intellectuall to carr on the work& ,t this time the Swami was also writing to his +ndian disciples giving them instructions on various sub*ects and keeping them informed of the progress of his 0ondon work( which was growing apace& 9e was hopeful and enthusiastic( stating that( with twent earnestBminded and capable preachers of Vedanta( he could convert the .est in as man ears& 9e realiLed the vast importance of his .estern work in its influence on the +ndian public& FOne blow struck outside +ndiaF( he wrote( Fis eDual to a hundred thousand struck within&F -rofessor <eussen often visited the Swami( discussing with him the principles of the Vedanta and gaining from him much clearer insight into the whole bod of Vedantic thought& lie was in agreement with the Swami when the latter pointed out to him that the difficult for the .estern mind in thoroughl understanding Vedanta metaph sics la in the fact that the .estern philosopher was apt to regard +ndian idealism through the lens of preconceived ideas& ,nd as he came to know the Swami more intimatel ( he understood that one must become deBOccidentaliLed( as it were( in order to master the spirit of +ndian philosophical s stems( for these were not so much s stems of logic as methods of spiritual vision& For two weeks( during his sta in 0ondon( the -rofessor saw the Swami dail & ,t the same time -rofessor /a6 /uller of O6ford was also in communication with him& F9e H-rofessor <eussenI is a ver good friend(F the Swami wrote to /rs& 1ull on October $( Fand so is -rof /a6 /uller& )he will do all the can to help our movement&F

"@% From SwitLerland the Swami had written on ,ugust 8( "$#8( to an +ndian disciple( F)here is a big 0ondon work waiting for me ne6t month(F and so it proved to be& )he most notable feature of his work during the months of October and 'ovember was his deliver of the message of the Vedanta in both its most practical and its highest metaph sical aspects& 9is 0ondon classes( which he held on )uesda and )hursda mornings and .ednesda evenings( were for the most part devoted to the e6position of the philosophical portions of the Vedanta 'known as !nanaBAoga& 9e opened his lecture course with a masterl e6position of that most abstruse sub*ect( the Vedantic doctrine of /a a( to e6plain which confounded not onl the best Sanskrit scholars of the .est but puLLled even the ancient philosophers of his own land& +n fact( the burden of all his subseDuent lectures in 0ondon was the definition and e6planation of /a a& 9ow successfull he achieved this most difficult task will be seen b ever one who carefull studies his lectures on F/a a and +llusionF( F/a a and the Evolution of the 5onception of 3odF( F/a a and FreedomF( and F)he ,bsolute and /anifestationF& +n his other lectures delivered during the period which followed( such as F3od in Ever B thingF( FRealiLationF( F4nit in <iversit F( F)he Freedom of the SoulF( and the last series of four lectures known as F-ractical VedantaF( one sees the Swami full of the luminous theme of ,dvaita ? that there is but One +nfinite E6istence( SatB5hitB ,nanda( E6istenceB:nowledgeB1liss ,bsolute& SatB5hitB,nanda( he taught( is the innermost nature of man( and( as such( the soul of man is( in essence( eternall free and divine( all manifestations being but +ts var ing e6pressions& 'o better e6position of a rationalistic religion ? upon which( the Swami believed( depended the salvation of Europe ? could be conceived than these uniDue presentations of the highest truth& E6traordinaril eDuipped as he was to clothe the greatest metaph sical truths in a poetic language of wonderful profundit ( he made the diLL heights of ,dvaita appear like a land rich with the verdure of noblest human aspiration and fragrant with flowers of the finest emotions& ,ll his lectures

"@" were delivered on the spur of the moment( without the least preparation( but the tremendous power of his personalit behind his utterances made ever word fall like a thunderbolt upon his audience& +n one of his lectures on /a a he rose to such heights of feeling that his whole audience was transported( so much so that the lost all sense of personalit ( being merged( as it were( in the consciousness of the 9ighest for the time being& +n such moments as these( his hearers admitted( a teacher can transmit his realiLation even b a spoken word& +n a letter dated October 7= to /iss /ar -hillips( 3oodwin wrote( F)he Swami is giving magnificent lectures in 0ondon now& 9e has benefited greatl b his rest&F 'or( as time passed( was that benefit lost& 'earl a month later( 3oodwin informed /rs& 1ull2 F)he Swami's lectures seem to he better and better ever time& 9is lecture on .ednesda evening was a plea for the Vedanta in an entirel new wa ( which he has *ust recentl thought out& +t was reall superb&F )he reference was to the last lecture in the series entitled F-ractical VedantaF( delivered on 'ovember "$& 3oodwin continued2
)he theme was reall this2 (") )hat theological religion has in ever case received its hardest blows from science& 1ut religion as e6plained through the Vedanta is a combination of religion and scienceBreligion becomes s non mous with science( and carries science to limits which science( from the ph sical or e6ternal basis alone( cannot reach& (7) )hat the idea of the -ersonal 3od is in itself and ,$ itse'f irrational( but when e6plained b the Vedanta as the highest conception of the +mpersonal( it becomes both rational and scientific& (@) )hat religion becomes scientific through the Vedanta( in that it is e6plained from itself( and not from outside& +n other words the nature of a thing is e6plainable from its own nature onl &

,side from his Victoria Street lectures the Swami often spoke on invitation in private drawingBrooms( in fashionable clubs( and to other select audiences in 0ondon and O6ford& ,s he had done earlier in the ear( he spoke before various intellectual societiesE on %(October 7%( for instance( he spoke at 0ondon's Sesame 5lub( some of whose members became his ardent followers& On four Sunda s in 'ovember and the first

"@7 Sunda in <ecember( he lectured at the 4nitarian 5hurch in .est 5ro en at the invitation of its wellBknown minister( the Reverend !ohn -age 9opps& and( as we have seen( he held regular /onda classes in .imbledon& ,mong man other persons of culture and enlightenment with whom the Swami came in contact were Frederic .& 9& / ers( the author of several important ps chological works and one of the founders of the Societ for -s chical ResearchE the famous nonconformist minister( /oncure <& 5onwa E the -ositivist and peace advocate( <r& Stanton 5oitE the Reverend 5harles Vo se E Edward 5arpenter( the author of Towards Democrac$7 and 5anon 9ugh R& 9aweis& 'ot onl man wellB known nonconformist clerg men( such as the Reverend /r& 9aweis and /oncure <& 5onwa ( but also high clerics of the 5hurch of England were deepl impressed with the Swami's teachings& 9e could well write to /rs& 1, on October $( "$#8( F)hings are working ver favourabl here in EnglandE that is a great gain& )he work is not onl popular but respectable&F 9is teachings were( indeed( appreciated b the most orthodo6& 9e made a friend( for instance( of 5anon 1asil .ilberforce( who( as we have seen earlier( received him at his residence in .estminster with great cordialit and marked attention( and who became a keen student of the Vedanta philosoph & On several occasions the Swami attended services at the ,nglican 5hurch and there listened to sermons the ideas of which were characteristic of the advanced religious thought he had himself propagated& 9e attended other lectures as well on sub*ects that were of interest to him& .e learn( for e6ample( from a letter written to /rs& 1ull b !& !& 3oodwin on 'ovember ""( "$#8( that the Swami Fheard a lecture at the Ro al ,siatic Societ esterda on )ao& + had told him &&& that )aoism was an offshoot of Vedantism&&&& )here is( the Swami sa s( distinct evidence of Vedanta's missionar enterprise long before the advent of 1uddha&F ,t this time the Swami's longBcherished desire to write was again pressing forward for fulfilment& 9e was now( as he wrote to ,lasinga in October of "@#8( Fbus writing something big on

"@@ the Vedanta philosoph F& ,nd even as he had earlier written to +ndia from ,merica for Sanskrit books( he was now reDuesting Fpassages from the various ,ccording to another view the meeting took place in 1remen( not in 9amburg Vedas bearing on the Vedanta in its threefold aspectF& F+t would be a pit F( he wrote in this letter( Fto leave the .est without leaving something of the philosoph in book form&F ,lthough the Swami was unable to write a s stematiLed statement of his philosoph in book form before leaving the .est( it was a satisfaction to him to see that there was a great demand for his published lectures and class lessons( especiall his %a6a/+o a, the first edition of which had been sold out in October& here were standing orders for several hundred copies( when the second edition went to press in 'ovember& 1ut the idea of writing books on 9indu philosoph never left him( and even as late as !anuar + #% "( when he went to /a avati( he told his disciples that he was seriousl thinking of retiring from public life to devote the rest of his da s to writing books in a secluded spot ? and he said he could think of no other place more suitable for this than /a avati& &1esides giving numerous private interviews( holding man classes a week( often lecturing publicl ( and constantl writing( the Swami was still pa ing attention to his work in +ndia& +ndeed( shortl after his arrival in England in ,pril of "$#8( we find him writing a long letter( addressed to Swami Ramakrishnananda( in which he gave instructions to all his brotherBdisciples in regard to running the ,lambaLar /ath on organiLational lines& Swami Saradananda( having *ust arrived from +ndia( had given him news of the /ath( and the Swami had perhaps felt that the +ndian work was being conducted in too traditional a wa E it had to he given a more practical orientation in order to accord with the spirit of the age& +n the introduction o is letter dated& ,pril 7;( "$#8 he wrote2
&&& 0et me write something for ou all& +t is not for gaining personal authorit that + do this( but for our good and for fulfilling the purpose for which the 0ord came& 9e gave me the charge of ou all( and ou shall contribute to the great& wellBbeing of the worldBthough most of ou are not et aware of itE this is the special reason of m

"@=
writing to ou& +t will be a great pit if an feeling of *ealous ( or egotism gain ground amongst ou& +s it possible for those to establish cordial relations on earth who cannot cordiall live with one another for an length of time - 'o doubt it is an evil to be bound b laws( but it is necessar at the immature stage to be guided b rulesE in other words( as the /aster used to sa that the sapling must he hedged round( and so on& Secondl ( it is Duite natural for idle minds to indulge in gossip( and factionBmongering( and so forth& 9ence + *ot down the following hints& +f ou follow them( ou will undoubtedl prosper( but if ou don't do so( then there is a danger of all our labours coming to naught&

,fter writing about the management of the /ath and giving ten directive principles for the purpose( he gave some broad rules for the following departments in the /ath2 (") Stud ( (7) -ropaganda( and (@) Religious -ractice& )hen( after some Fgeneral remarksF and some directions about the FofficeBbearersF( he pointedl wrote2
+f ou consider it wise to be guided b m ideas and if ou follow these rules( then + shall suppl ou all necessar funds&&&& /oreover( please show this letter to 3auriB/a( AoginB/a( and others( and through them establish a .omen's /ath& 0et 3auriB/a be the -resident there for one ear( and so on& 1ut none of ou shall he allowed to visit the place& )he will manage their own affairs& )he will not have to work at our dictation& + shall suppl all necessar e6penses for that work also&

+n an earlier chapter we have shown how deepl occupied the Swami was with his +ndian work( even while he was in the midst of hard( concentrated( and important work in ,merica& , stud of the above letter is evidence that in England he was still thinking of the great work that was to take place in +ndia( that he was( indeed( now organiLing and guiding it in great detail( having alread set it in motion through the power of his written words& 'or was he writing to his brotherBdisciples alone& Even as he had written from ,merica to his disciples in /adras( he was now writing to them from England( telling them that the must learn to stand on their own feet( must he filled with his enthusiasm( and must spread the new light all over +ndia&

"@> From SwitLerland he had written to them on ,ugust 82 F<o not be afraid& 3reat things are going to be done( m children& )ake heart&&&& +n the winter + am going back to +ndia and will tr to set things on their feet there& .ork on( brave hearts( fail not ? no sa ing na E work on ? the 0ord is behind the work&&&& /ahashakti is with ou& & & &F ,nd in +ndia the work was being pushed on b the Swami's disciples& )he .rahmavadin was disseminating his ideas broadcast( and instilling into the hearts of the people the great ideas of 9induism& +n addition( &ra,uddha .harata, an EnglishB language monthl ( was started in /adras in !ul "$#8( under his inspiration and direction& )he magaLine was intended to be a *ournal devoted to religion and philosoph ( seeking to do for oung students what was alread being done so successfull for more advanced students b the .rahmavadin* +n this same connection the Swami wrote in ,ugust to his /adras disciple who was bringing out &ra,uddha .harata* F.hen ou have succeeded in this paper( start vernacular ones on the same lines in )amil( )elegu( 5anarese H:annadaI( etc& .e must reach the masses&F One of the events in 0ondon that satisfied the Swami immensel was the success of the maiden speech of Swami ,bhedananda( whom he had designated to speak in his stead at the 5hrist )heosophical Societ in 1loomsbur SDuare( on October 7;& )he newl arrived monk gave an e6cellent address on the& general character of the Vedanta teaching( and the Swami was delighted to see that he possessed not onl spiritual fervour( but the makings of a good speaker& , description of this occasion( written b /r& Erie 9ammond( reads2
Some disappointment awaited those that had gathered that afternoon& +t was announced that Swami*i did not intend to speak( and Swami ,bhedananda would address them instead& ,n overwhelming *o was noticeable in the Swami in his scholar's success& *o compelled him to put at least some of itself into words that rang with delight unallo ed& +t was the *o of a spiritual father over the achievement of a wellBbeloved son( a successful and brilliant student& )he /aster was more than content to have effaced himself in

"@8
order that his 1rother's opportunit should be altogether unhindered& )he whole impression had in it a glowing beaut Duite indescribable& +t was as though the /aster thought and knew his thought to be true2 FEven if + perish on this plane( m message will be sounded through these dear lips and the world will hear it &&&&&& 9e remarked that this was the first appearance of his dear 1rother and pupil( as an EnglishBspeaking lecturer before an English audience( and he pulsated with pure pleasure at the applause that followed the remark& 9is selflessness throughout the episode burnt itself into one's deepest memor &

,t this time the Swami was also filled with *o to hear freDuentl ( chiefl through newspaper cuttings( of Swami Saradananda's immediate success and constantl growing influence in ,merica( and was happ to hear from private letters that the students' e6pectations of their new teacher were being full satisfied& ,s we have seen( he had sent his brotherBdisciple to ,merica at the end of !une in the compan of !& 3oodwin& )he sweet and gentle personalit of the new teacher and his masterl e6position of 9induism had at once drawn to him large numbers of men and women( Fwho were attracted to the Vedanta b the other Swami's HSwami Vivekananda'sI eloDuence and e6ample( but who had not had sufficient opportunit for personal contact to become( what one would call( established in it&F Soon after his arrival he had been invited to be one of the teachers in the 3reenacre 5onference of 5omparative Religions( held in connection with the 3reenacre Summer School( where Swami Vivekananda had spoken and held classes in ,ugust of "$#=& Swami Saradananda began his work there with a lecture on Vedanta and held classes in Ra*aB( 1haktiB( and :armaBAoga under the large pine( known as the FSwami's -ineF( which had served as a canop and open air pulpit for Swami Vivekananda two ears earlier& ,fter the close of the twoBmonths 5onference( Swami Saradananda spent the remainder of "$#8 primaril in 5ambridge( /assachusetts( delivering lectures for the 5ambridge 5onferences( where the teachings of various religions were abl represented& On October 7> he lectured in 1rookl n( 'ew Aork( and on the 7$th of

"@; that month he opened the work of the 'ew Aork Vedanta Societ for the season of "$#8B#;( announcing that /iss Sarah Ellen .aldo would conduct the classes in Vedanta philosoph through 'ovember and <ecember& Ever where the Swami made friends( winning their love and esteem( and( as the reports 8f his work at this time clearl testif ( he was making an impression on the East 5oast& From !anuar of "$#; he was to divide his time between the Vedanta Societ of 'ew Aork and the 5ambridge 5onferences& <uring the time Swami Saradananda was working in 5ambridge( the 'ew Aork Vedanta Societ was without an authoriLed teacher& ,ccordingl ( Swami Vivekananda wrote to /iss Sarah Ellen .aldo from 0ondon on October $2
&&& .h do ou not begin to teachM 1egin boldl ? /other will give ou all power ? thousands will come to ou& -lunge in& 'o clinging to this fellow or that& .herever Shri Ramakrishna's children boldl come out( 9e is with them&&&& + will be a thousand times more pleased to see one of ou start than an number of 9indus scoring success in ,merica ? even one of m brethren& F/an wants victor from ever where( but defeat from his own children&F + will begin from toda sending out powerful thoughts to ou all& /ake a blaLe( make a blaLe&

)o the Swami's *o ( /iss .aldo organiLed weekl classes in the 'ew Aork Vedanta Societ during the last two months of "$#8 and conducted them with great credit& 9er first class( in which she gave a lucid e6position of the mission of Vedanta in relation to 5hristianit and other religions of the world( was held on 'ovember ""& )he 'ew Aork <ail )ribune commented upon this occasion as follows2
/iss Ellen .aldo's first lecture of a series of lectures on Vedanta philosoph was listened to last evening b a large gathering of students at the home of /iss /ar -hillips( 'o& "# .est )hirt BEighth St& /iss .aldo is regarded b Swami Vivekananda( who began teaching in this countr ( as one of the ablest pupils& +t was at his earnest reDuest that she consented to carr on the work( and this first effort before a class of her own had( therefore( a peculiar interest for all who were looking into the stud of Eastern theories&

"@$ From 0ondon the Swami kept in close touch through /rs& 1ull( /iss .aldo( and others with the progress of the Vedanta work in ,merica& )hat he was an6ious for it to shape itself into a definite movement with a d namic core of its own( rather than to be solel a diffused influence on the religious and intellectual thought of the time is clearl evidenced b the following lines he wrote to /rs& 1ull on October $( in connection with the work of Swami Saradananda2 F,lthough + am in all s mpath with the various branches of religious and social work( + find that specification of work is absolutel necessar & Our special branch is to preach Vedanta* 9elping in other work should be subordinate to that one ideal& + hope ou will inculcate this into the mind of S& HSwami SaradanandaI ver strongl &F )he Swami wanted the then e6isting Vedanta groups in the 4nited States ? particularl those in 'ew Aork and 1oston ? to receive attention from his brotherBdisciple& F5an not Saradananda work at both places( i&e& both 1oston and 'ew& 'AorkMF he wrote to /rs& 1ull in the same letter of October $& F+ will be ver glad if that is possibleE for 'ew Aork is not to he neglected&F 'ot onl was the Swami eager for each group to grow into a strong centre in which the Vedanta philosoph would be taught and studied and from which it would spread in everBwidening circles( he hoped also that a strong sense of unit between the members of these independent and scattered centres would develop& 9e envisioned a magaLine( edited and published in ,merica( as a means of communication and mutual assistance between them& ,s earl as !une =( "$#8( 3oodwin had written from 0ondon to /rs& 1ull2 F)he Swami recogniLes with me that + am reall wasting time here( and could do much more good in ,merica& 9e has spoken two or three times of his wish that we had a magaLine in the States to keep our people together and assist others in the stud of the Vedanta& + have thought over the matter carefull &&& + propose to make it an eight page magaLine&F +t would appear that( even in the earl da s of the Vedanta movement in ,merica( the Swami foresaw a united bod of men and women inspired b ( and dedicated to( a great ideal& ,nd(

"@# indeed( although no Vedanta magaLine was forthcoming at that time in the 4nited States( the Vedanta movement( which had gathered undeterrable momentum under his leadership( continued in his absence to grow( Fits peopleF held together b a common enthusiasm and aspiration& " )hat the interest in the Vedanta philosoph had gone on steadil increasing since the Swami had left ,merica for England and that he was remembered with love and gratitude b his students is made clear b the following letter written to the editor of the .rahmavadin b 9elen -& 9untington on& October "=( "$#8 from 3ainesville( 3eorgia2 " am sure ou will he glad to know that the peaceable fruits of Swami Vivekananda's teachings have been all the while increasingE his influence is like sunshine?so Duiet( so potent( and farBreaching& +t will alwa s be a marvel to us that an Oriental could take such a firm hold on us Occidentals( trained as we have been b long habits of thought and education to opposing views&&&& Our interest is not of the nois effervescent Dualit often incited b passing fadsE toda it is stronger and deeper( than ever before( and all of the Swami's followers endeavour earnestl to spread the truth according to the various opportunities afforded to them ? some Duietl within domestic circles( others more prominentl ( as the case ma be& ,nd who is able to estimate the measure of man's silent influenceM &&& Even down here( a thousand miles or more from the scene of the Swami's work( + bear mention of his name&&&& + hope the time is not far distant when the Vedanta will be as well known here as in 'ew Aork 5it &&&& +t is impossible not to wish for Swami Vivekananda's return to our midst( as he has endeared himself so deepl to all of us& ,s he said of his guru( Ramakrishna -aramahamsa( F9is presence was a blessing to ever one( saint and sinnerF( so was his own life among usE for he influenced us to better living and brotherl kindness to all men&&&& Such letters added to the Swami's confidence that the work in ,merica would not suffer b his absence& 9is friends and disciples( moreover( corresponded with him regularl ( and he saw from the tone in which the addressed him that the were heart and soul for the Vedanta movement& <uring the month of October "$#8 the Swami's mind turned

"=% more and more towards +ndia& 9e had been thinking for some time of returning there and had mentioned it to a few of his more intimate friends( particularl to 5aptain and /s& Sevier& 1ut there was nothing definite( his remarks being made onl in passing& 9e had written also in a tentative wa to /rs&( 1ug concerning his intention& +n repl he received a letter asking if he would be willing to accept a large sum of mone with which to further his work in +ndia( especiall with regard to the founding of a permanent monaster as the headDuarters of the brotherhood in 5alcutta& )he Swami replied a week before his sailing for +ndia( to the effect that he was profoundl grateful for her generous offer( but that he did not feel at the time that he should encumber himself with such responsibilitiesE he wished to commence his +ndian work on a small scale( and until he had found his bearings he could not accept her kindness& 9e promised( however( to write details from +ndia& ,round the same time a few of the Swami's friends in 0ondon also offered to contribute to the construction and maintenance of a permanent monaster & )he Swami's English friends contributed as well to another cause that was close to the Swami's heart& +n 'ovember and <ecember of "$#8 +ndia was struck b famine( brought on b the failure of the monsoon and the conseDuent failure of the autumn crops& )he 0ondon papers were full of headlines and reports of the wideBspread disaster( which was threatening to become increasingl severe& )he Swami's heart could not but have been wrung to read these accounts& 9e himself sent what mone he could towards relict On 'ovember "=( /r& 3oodwin wrote to /rs& 1ull2 F,le Swami is interesting himself a good deal in the +ndian famine& 9e has sent a subscription towards relief to the +ndian /irror( and a lad here( a /iss (Emmeline) Souter( who is a most generous supporter( has *ust given him a large sum of mone for the same purpose&RR )hus even from the .est the Swami was not onl organiLing the Ramakrishna Order( but was actuall making the first token gesture in the famine relief work that the Order was to undertake on an increasingl large scale in the future&

"=" On 'ovember 7"( "$#8 the 5ambridge F+ndian /a*lisF gave a complimentar dinner at the 4niversit ,rms 9otel to -rince Ran*itsingh*i and /r& ,tul 5handra 5hatter*ee( two distinguished +ndian students& )he Swami was invited to attend the dinner and was called upon to respond to the toast of F+ndiaF& )he report of the Swami's talk in the )ndian #irror of <ecember& "8( "$#8( ran thus2 Swami Vivekananda rose ne6t to respond amidst loud and deafening cheers& )he Swami hN b sa ing that he did not know e6actl wh he should he chosen to respond to the toast( unless it he for the mason that he in ph sical bulk bore striking resemblance to the national animal of +ndia (laughter)& 9e desired to congratulate the guests of the evening and he took the statement which the 5hairman had made that /r& 5hatter*ee was going to correct the mistake of past historians of +ndia( to he literall true& For out of the past the future must come( and he knew no greater and more permanent foundation for the future than a true knowledge of what had preceded before& )he present is the effect of the infinit of causes which represent the past& )he had man things to learn from the Europeans but their past( the glor of +ndia which had passed awa ( should constitute even a still greater source( of inspiration and instruction& )hings rise and things deca ( there is rise and fall ever where in the world& ,nd though +ndia is fallen toda she will assuredl rise again (loud cheers)& )here was a time when +ndia produced great philosophers and still greater prophets and preachers& )he memor of those da s ought to fill them with hope and confidence& )his was not the first time in the histor of +ndia that the were so low& -eriods of depression and degradation had occurred before this( but +ndia has alwa s triumphed in the long run and so would she once again in the future& +t was after one of the class lectures in the second week of 'ovember that the Swami called /rs& Sevier aside and asked her Duite suddenl to purchase four tickets immediatel for the most convenient steamer from 'aples( as he desired to shorten the seaBvo age b travelling to 'aples via the 5ontinent& )his came as a surprise to her( even though she knew the Swami intended sailing& )hat same da the Seviers secured berths for the Swami( 3oodwin( and themselves on a new

"=7 steamer of the 'orth 3erman 0lo d( which was to leave 'aples for 5e lon on <ecember @%& SubseDuentl ( however( the were transferred to the S&S& &rin5 %e ent Luit-o'd, as the new steamer was not read to sail& )he Swami at once wrote to his /adras followers on 'ovember "8 informing them of his coming( stating casuall that he wanted to establish two centres( one in 5alcutta( the other in /adras( and that /r& and /rs& Sevier intended founding a 9imala an centre& 9e added2 F.e will begin work with these three centresE and later on( we will get to 1omba and ,llahabad& ,nd from these points( if the 0ord is pleased( we will invade not onl +ndia( but send bands of preachers to ever countr in the world&F )he Swami's vision in regard to his mission was( indeed&( not confined to +ndia( ,merica( and England& +t seems clear from a number of references in& his letters of this period( as well as in the letters of his friends( that he was thinking on a global scale( wanting to visit and preach in Russia( !apan( and 5hina& )hough he had moments in which his feet barel touched this earth and during which he declared( F'ow + am sure m part of the work is done( and + have no more interest in Vedanta or an philosoph in the world or the work itself(F the divine power within him( through which his mission was being accomplished( drove him forward( filling him with everBrenewed enthusiasm and vigour& 9is work was b no means done + 'or was there an limit to his concept of its scope& F9e intends to arrange lectures in !apan and 5hina on his wa back Hfrom +ndiaI to the States(F 3oodwin wrote to /rs& 1ull on 'ovember "= of "$#8& ,nd a few weeks earlier he had informed her that the Swami was FDuite an6ious to go Hto RussiaI F if a hearing could be arranged there& 9is mind was full of plans( and he discussed them enthusiasticall with 5aptain and /rs& Sevier( particularl those for +ndia& 9e seemed to he consumed with the desire to deliver his message to his motherland( and his disciples in their turn anticipated great results& /aking up their minds to renounce the world to lea d the Vanaprastha life and dedicate themselves to the furtherance of the Swami's mission( and to the practical

"=@ realiLation of those of his teachings that the had made their own( the made Duick preparations to settle their domestic affairs& +n a short time the had disposed of their belongings( consisting( among other things( of ornaments( pictures( books( and furniture( and( true disciples that the were( handed over to their guru the entire proceeds of the sale& 9aving closed their 9ampstead flat( the took temporar rooms elsewhere and were read to start whensoever the Swami wished& 9is devoted disciple( 3oodwin( was also to accompan him& /iss /uller( with her lad B companion /iss 1ell( was preparing to follow him at a later date& +n his plans of work in +ndia the Swami( as a true patriot( did not forget the women of his own land& Simultaneousl with his idea of founding the three monastic centres for the training of oung men as preachers( he had thought of starting an institution for the education of girls on national lines( producing not onl ideal wives and mothers( but 1rahmacharinis working for the betterment of the womanBhood of the countr & )he Swami had inspired /iss /uller with the idea of being of service to the women of +ndia( and she had gladl promised to support the proposed educational institution for 9indu girls& 9e had also in mind to bring /iss /argaret 'oble to +ndia in due time to put her in charge of his intended work for women& )hus from all points of view the prospects of launching a successful campaign in +ndia seemed bright with promise( and the Swami was transported with*o at seeing that the dearest dream of his life ? re*uvenation of his motherland ? was going to be fulfilled at last& )he Swami's last lecture given on )hursda ( <ecember "%( "$#8 on ,dvaita Vedanta was the fitting culmination of the whole series( as it speaks the final word on the highest stage of realiLation& )hough himself a firm ,dvaitin( he did( not limit his teachings to the ,dvaitic approach& 9is preaching was comprehensive( for his listeners were necessaril of all temperaments and inclinations( reDuiring various paths along which to pursue their spiritual Duest& +n regard to this closing lecture( one of the Swami's followers pointed out2

"==
)he sub*ect was the ,dvaita Vedanta( or that one of the three views taken b the Vedanta s stem which maintains the 'onBdualit of what is Real and -ermanent in an otherwise eternall changing universe& )hose who attended the summer lectures on the <vaita and Vishishtadvaita or the <ual and 'onBdualBwithBaBdistinction aspects( will remember with what Leal the Swami entered into that side( in which 1hakti( love( and devotion find their fullest scope( as contrasted with !nana or :nowledge( which has been emphasiLed in the series now concluded& :nowledge however does not impl dr intellectualism( against which the Swami has continuall spoken( and to draw a line of complete demarcation between knowledge and love would he impossible&

Reporting on this last lecture of the Swami's and also commenting on his influence in 0ondon( the special correspondent to the )ndian #irror wrote on <ecember "= as follows2
)he last lecture on the ,dvaita philosoph was given b the Swami Vivekananda to a crowded audience( which was an6ious not to lose this last opportunit of hearing him for some time to come( on )uesda H)hursda I( <ecember "%( "$#8& )he regularit with which these thoughtful people have attended the Swami's lectures in 0ondon is an indication of the serious attention which the have given to the whole of the present Vedanta e6position ? an e6position which( in the hands of a personalit which man have learned to ver deepl respect and others to love( finds an application to ever phase of .estern life( as well as to that of Eastern life( where its first presentment was made& +t is this liberal and wise interpretation( which has brought people of var ing shades of opinion( including several of the clerg of the 5hurch of England( to group themselves together in an effort to make the Swami's teaching as widel known as possible&&&& , deep spiritual teaching is not likel to move rapidl at first( but steadil the Eastern thought is being more and more understood through an arm of conscientious and industrious translators( and a teacher like the Swami Vivekananda comes and gives a living force to this lore( wrapped up in books( and also ad*usts discrepancies& Aet( notwithstanding all that has been done b various scholars the ma*orit ( probabl ( of those people who certainl ma be called refined and educated( who have attended the Swami's lectures( have now had their attention called for the first time to the great treasures of 4niversal )hought and .isdom( which +ndia holds through the

"=>
ages in trust( as it were( for the world&&&& +f the Swami Vivekananda's work here ma he called a missionar effort( it ma he contrasted with most of the other missionar efforts of the da b its not having produced an bitterness( b its not having given rise to a single instance of illB feeling or sectarianism& )he reason of this is simple( and great is its strength& )he Swami is not a sectarianE he is the promoter of Religion( not of one religion onl & )he e6ponents of single points in the vast field of religion can find nothing in him to fight&&&&

.hen his English students came to know that the Swami was to leave in the middle of <ecember( the were filled with sadness& +t was decided that a farewell reception be held in his honour& )he chief organiLer of this final meeting was that indefatigable worker( E& )& Sturd ( who( with 3oodwin( drew up the farewell address and sent invitations to all of the Swami's friends and followers& On <ecember "@ the final Sunda before the Swami's departure from 0ondon( the gathering at the Ro al Societ of -ainters in .aterB5olours( in -iccadill ( where the meeting was held( was enormous& Scores of people from all parts of the cit ( and some even from the distant suburbs( poured into the hall( until there was hardl standingB room& Swami ,bhedananda was there& 9e had now made a place for himself in the large metropolis( and it was to him that the gathering unconsciousl turned for solace on this da of loss& )he Swami's heart was full when he entered the hall amidst a stillness which spoke eloDuentl of the bond between him and his 0ondon followers& /r& Eric 9ammond describes this farewell gathering in the following words2
+t was Sunda in 0ondon( when shops were shut( business at a standstill( and the cit streets silenced for a while from some at least of the rattle and the rumble of their heavier traffic& 0ondoners wore their Sunda clothing( their Sunda bearing and manner( and gre ( subdued( and semiBsilent folk wended their wa to church and chapel& )his afternoon the friends of Swami*i were to sa F3oodb eF to him whose coming had meant so much to them& +n the hall of meeting( dedicated to the use of the artists( paintings hung upon the walls2

"=8
palms( flowers( and ferns decorated the platform from which Swami*i would utter his final speech in England's great metropolis to the 1ritish people& ,ll sorts and conditions of men were there( but all alike were filled b one' desire2 to see him( to bear him( even it ma be( to touch his garment once again& On the platform musicians and singers at stated intervals Fdiscoursed sweet soundsF& Speeches illustrating the esteem and affection which Swami*i had won( were made b men and b women& Salvoes of applause punctuated and followed them& /an were silent( tongueBtied( and sad at heart& )ears were ver near to some e es& 3re and gloom without were intensified and deepened b gre and gloom within& One form( one figure( fought and triumphed over sorrowE arra ed in garments( glistering as of amber( Swami*i passed among( the people like a living shaft of sunshine&

FAes( Aes(F he said( F.e shall meet againE we sha''*? )he 5hairman of the meeting&( /r& E& )& Sturd ( presented the following address to the Swami2 )he students of the Vedanta philosoph in 0ondon( under our remarkabl able instruction( feel that the would be lacking in their dut and privilege if the failed to record their warm and heartfelt appreciation of the noble and unselfish work ou have set ourself to do( and of the great help ou have been to them in their stud of Religion& .e feel the ver deepest regret that ou are so soon to leave England( but we should not be true students of the ver beautiful philosoph ou have taught us to regard so highl ( if we did not recogniLe that H &&& I claims upon our work from our brothers and &sisters in +ndia& )hat ou ma prosper ver greatl in that work is the united pra er of all( who have come under the elevating influence of our teaching( and no less of our personal attributes& which( as living e6ample of the Vedanta( we recogniLe as the most helpful encouragement to us( one and all( to become real lovers of 3od in practice as well as in theor & .e look forward with great interest and keen anticipation to our speed return to this countr ( but at the same time we feel real pleasure that +ndia( which ou have taught us to regard in an altogether new light( and( we should like to add( to love( is to share with us the generous service which ou are giving to the world& +n conclusion( we would speciall beg of ou to conve our loving

"=; s mpath to the& +ndian people( and to accept from us our assurance that we regard their cause as ours( realiLing as we do from ou( that we are all one in 3od& )he Swami was much moved( and replied 'in terms of great endearment and glowing spiritual fervour& 9e pointed out the fact that histor repeats itself( and that 5hristianit had been rendered possible onl 'b the Roman -eace& F9e perhaps meantF( comments Sister 'ivedita( Fthat there would et he seen a great arm of +ndian preachers in the .est( reaping the harvest he had sown so well( and making read in their turn new harvests( for the distant reaping of the future&F 1ut ringing out above all his public utterances at the time of his departure was that triumphant statement he made to /r& 9ammond 2 F+ ma even find it good to get out of this bod ( to throw it off like a disused garment& 1ut + shall never cease preaching and helping mankind until all shall come to know the 9ighest )ruth&F ,nd it is remarkable how( here and there( ever since his death( persons who had never seen him in his lifetime( are now feeling his spiritualiLing influence b communing with him through the great utterances he left behind ' )o those who heard them( the effect of those utterances was tremendous& )he manner and matter of his e6position of the Vedanta philosoph revealed to them an entirel new and encouraging view of life and of the eternal substratum beneath it& Sister 'ivedita wrote2
)o not a few of us the words of Swami Vivekananda came as living water to men perishing of thirst& /an of us have been conscious for ears past of that growing uncertaint and despair( with regard to Religion( which has beset the intellectual life of Europe for half a centur & 1elief in the dogmas of 5hristianit has become impossible to us( and we had no tool( such as we now hold( b which to cut awa the doctrinal shell from the kernel of Realit ( in our faith& )o these( the Vedanta has given intellectual confirmation and philosophical e6pression of their own mistrusted intuitions& F)he people that walked in darkness have seen a great light&F& & & &&& +t was the Swami's F+ am 0od? that came as something alwa s known( onl never said before&& & & Aet again( it was the 4nit of

"=$
/an that was the touch needed to rationaliLe all previous e6periences and give logical sanction to the thirst for absolute service never boldl avowed in the past& Some b one gate( and some b another( we have all entered into a great heritage and we& know it&&&&

<uring his sta in England( both before and after his visit to the 5ontinent( the Swami himself was pleased with the results of his work in 0ondon& )o one of his closest ,merican friends lie wrote (almost in a mood of prophec concerning the future character and success of his mission' ) that he believed in the power of the English to assimilate great ideasE that though the process of assimilation might be slow( it would he all the more sure and abiding& 9e often spoke of the hold the Vedanta would eventuall have in England and 1elieved that the time would come when distinguished ecclesiastics of the 5hurch of England( imbued with the truth and the idealism of the Vedanta( would form a liberal communit within that 5hurch itself( supporting the universalit of religion( both in vision and in practice& 1efore his departure for +ndia( he wrote on 'ovember 7% to the 9ale sisters in ,merica2 )he work in 0ondon has been a roaring success& )he English are not so bright as the ,mericans( but once ou touch their heart( it is ours for ever& Slowl have + won success( and is it not remarkable that b si6 months' work altogether + should have a stead class of about one hundred and twent persons( apart from public lecturesM 9ere ever one means work ? the practical Englishman& 5aptain and /rs& Sevier and /r& 3oodwin are going to +ndia with me to work and spend their own mone on itG )here are scores here read to do the same& men and women of position( read to give up ever thing for the idea once the feel convincedG ,nd last( though not least( the help in the shape of mone to start m FworkF in +ndia has come and more will follow& / ideas about the English have been revolutioniLed& + now understand wh the 0ord has blessed them above all other races& )he are stead ( sincere to the backbone( with great depths of feeling?onl with a crust of stoicism on the surfaceE if that is broken( ou have our man&

"=# Speaking of the secret of the Swami's Froaring successF in England and ,merica( !& !& 3oodwin wrote2 )he readiness of so man men and women in the .est to accept the teachings of the Swami Vivekananda was due more to the Swami's practical side than even to his uniDue eloDuence and the grandeur of the philosoph he propounded& )he found in him the living e6ample of his own theories( and were read to follow him( because the believed that a philosoph which had produced such a one( could( if the followed his e6ample( do much also for them& 1ut though ever where in the .est the Swami had created a deep and abiding impression( his work in England was particularl satisfactor to him& ,bout this lie commented in his famous FRepl to the ,ddress of .elcome in 5alcuttaF( delivered on Februar 7$( "$#;2 / work in England has been more satisfactor to me than m work in ,merica& )he hold( brave( and stead Englishman( & & & if he has once an idea put into his brain( it never comes out( and the immense practicalit and energ of the race makes it sprout up and immediatel bear fruit& +t is not so in an other countr & )hat immense "practicalit ( that immense vitalit of the race( ou do not see an where else& )here is less of imagination( but more of work( and who knows the wellBspring( the mainspring( of the English heartM 9ow much imagination and feeling is thereG )he are a nation of heroesE the are the true :shatri asE their education is to hide their feelings and never to show them& From their childhood the have been educated up to that&&&& 1ut with all this heroic superstructure( behind this covering of the fighter( there is a deep spring of feeling in the English heart& +f ou once know how to reach it( if ou get there( if ou have personal contact and mi6 with him( he will open his heart( he is our friend for ever( he is our servant& )herefore( in m opinion( m work in England has been more satisfactor than an where else&&&& +n this same 5alcutta lecture the Swami made a bold confession and declared2 'o one ever landed on English soil with more hatred in his heart for a race than + did for the English( and on this platform are present &English friends who can bear witness to the factE but the more + lived

">% among them( and saw how the machine was working( ? the English national life( ? and mi6ed with them( + found where the heartbeat of the nation was( and the more + loved them& )here is none among ou here present( m brothers( who loves the English people more than + do now& On <ecember "8 the Swami and 5aptain and /rs& Sevier left 0ondon for the 5ontinent( where the intended to visit some of the important cities of +tal & 3oodwin was to sail from Southampton to meet them at 'aples& Several intimate friends were at the 0ondon railwa station to see them off& On that da of farewell E& )& Sturd e6pressed the feeling of man of his fellowBdisciples( when he penned the following lines in a letter to a friend in ,merica2 Swami Vivekananda left toda &&&& 9e had a magnificent reception in the 3alleries of the Ro al +nstitute of -ainters in waterBcolours& )here were about five hundred people there( and a good man friends were awa from 0ondon& 9is influence has sunk ver deep into man hearts& .e are going straight ahead with his work& 9is brother Swami*i( a nice( attractive( asceticBminded oung man will help me in this&&&& Aour presumption is correct& + am heav Bhearted toda at the loss of the noblest friend and the purest teacher + have met in this incarnation& + must have stored some e6ceptional merit in the past to receive such a blessing now& .hat + longed for all m life + have found in the Swami& /r& 1epin 5handra -al( a celebrated +ndian publicist( speaking of the impression which Swami Vivekananda left in England( wrote from 0ondon to the )ndian #irror of Februar ">( "$##2 Some people in +ndia think that ver little fruit has come of the lectures that Swami Vivekananda delivered in England( and that his friends and admirers e6aggerate his work& 1ut on coming here + see that he has e6erted a marked influence ever where& +n man parts of England + have met with men who deepl regard and venerate Vivekananda& )hough + do not belong to his sect( and though it is true that + have differences of opinion with him( + must sa that Vivekananda has opened the e es of a great man here and broadened

">" their hearts& Owing to his teaching( most people here now believe firml that wonderful spiritual truths lie hidden in the ancient 9indu scriptures& 'ot onl has he brought about this feeling( but he has succeeded in establishing a golden relation between England and +ndia& From what + Duoted on FVivekanandismF from The Dead &u'-it b /r& 9aweis( ou have clearl understood that( owing to the spread of Vivekananda's doctrines( man hundreds of people have seceded from 5hristianit & ,nd how deep and e6tensive his work has been in this countr will readil appear from the following incident& Aesterda evening + was going to visit a friend in the southern part of 0ondon& + lost m wa and was looking from the corner of a street thinking in which direction + should go( when a lad accompanied b a bo came to me( with the intention( it seemed( of showing me the wa &&&& She said to me( FSir( perhaps ou are looking to find our wa & /a + help ouMF&& & She showed me m wa and said( FFrom certain papers + learned that ou were coming to 0ondon& ,t the ver first sight of ou + was telling m son( F0ook( there is the Swami Vivekananda&F ,s + had to catch the train in a hurr ( + had no time to tell her that + was not Vivekananda( and was compelled to go off speedil & 9owever( + was reall surprised to see that the lad possessed such great veneration for Vivekananda( even before she knew him personall & + felt highl gratified at the agreeable incident( and thanked m 3erua HochreI turban which had given me so much honour& 1esides the incident( + have seen here man educated English gentlemen who have come to revere +ndia and who listen eagerl to an religious or spiritual truths( if the belong to +ndia& 5ertainl there never acted a greater force to produce a s mpathetic relation and coBoperation between the Eastern and .estern worlds than that wielded b the Swami( his brotherBdisciples( and his disciples&

">7 31 TOWARDS INDIA 'ow 0ondon was left behind& +t was as if a great burden had suddenl dropped from the Swami's shoulders& 9e was well satisfied with his work in EnglandE he had planted there the seed of his /aster's message and power( and( as he had earlier written in connection with his work in ,merica( he knew without doubt that Fwherever the seed of 9is power will find its wa ( there it will fructif ? be it toda or in a hundred ears&F 9e re*oiced that he was free again& 9e had( moreover( the satisfaction of knowing that his .estern work was in the able hands of his brotherB disciples Swamis Saradananda and ,bhedananda& F'ow + have but one thought and that is +ndia(F he said to 5aptain and /rs& Sevier& F+ am looking forward to +ndia ? to +ndiaGF On the eve of his departure an English friend asked( FSwami( how do ou like now our motherland after four ears' e6perience of the lu6urious( glorious( powerful .estMF 9is significant repl was2 F+ndia + loved before + came awa & 'ow the ver dust of +ndia has become( hol to me( the ver air is now to me hol E it is now the hol land( the place of pilgrimage( the )irtha lF )he part travelled directl to /ilan( via <over( 5alais( and /ont 5enis& <uring the *ourne the Swami( who was in his happiest mood( made the long hours pass rapidl & 9is mind was full of plans for his countr and of thoughts of the crowded hours of public life he would probabl have on reaching there& 9is companions entered heartil into his enthusiastic moods and plans of work( for the too were eagerl anticipating their +ndian e6perience and entertained high hopes of what the might be able to do in helping the Swami establish the proposed ,shrama in the 9imala as& Railroad travel generall fatigued him( but on this occasion he seemed to en*o it& 9e was like a bo ( pleased with ever thing and keenl observant of ever thing on the wa ( and he made the *ourne a delight&

">@ ,cross France and into +tal ( the train travelled on( and at last the part reached /ilan& )he Swami and his companions took accommodations at a hotel close to the <uomo of /ilan in order to visit freDuentl this celebrated cathedral& )his was the Swami's first e6perience in +tal E he saw man of /ilan's great works of art and was particularl impressed with 0eonardo da Vinci's F0ast SupperF& )he part ne6t visited -isa( famous for its leaning tower( its cathedral( the 5ampo Santo( and its baptister & +n /ilan and -isa the Swami admired the rich marble work( which in -isa( notabl ( is of both black and white& From -isa the came to Florence& +ts situation on the ,rno and its surrounding of picturesDue hills makes Florence a beautiful cit ( apart from its man art treasures and places of architectural and historic interest& )he three travellers visited the renowned museums and art galleries( heard the histor of Savonarola narrated( and took drives in the parks& 9ere the Swami had a particularl pleasant e6perience& ,s lie was driving in one of the parks( lie met /r& and /rs& 3eorge 9ale( who( as the reader will recall( had been his intimate friends in ,merica( and whose 5hicago residence lie had made his home for some time& )he were touring in +tal and knew nothing of his presence in Florence& )hus it was for all three a most agreeable surprise& )he Swami spent some hours with them in livel reminiscences and told them his plans for his life and work in +ndia& ,s the train left Florence for Rome( the Swami was full of emotion( for of all cities in Europe he wanted most to see Rome& From the da s of his college life( when lie had become acDuainted with the events and personalities of Roman histor ( he had often lived in imagination there& Rome( to his mind( like '<elhi( was one of the ancient centres of the world ? <elhi( the Eastern( Rome( the .estern& 0ong before lie arrived in Rome( he had been discussing with his companions the glories of the ancient Roman world( and before the minds of his hearers there arose in all its historic splendour the glorious pageant of past emperors& ,nd there were other things besides the ruins of the imperial cit && there was the ecclesiastical Rome ? medieval and

">= modern ? and there was the fabulous Renaissance Rome of architecture( painting( and sculpture& .hen the train drew into the cit ( there was none happier than he& )o *udge from a letter the Swami wrote from Florence( the part reached Rome on the night of <ecember 7" and put up at the 9otel 5ontinental& )he spent one week in the historic cit and each da visited new places of interest& 1efore /rs& Sevier had left 0ondon( /iss /ac0eod had given her the address of /iss Edwards( who was well known in English circles in Rome& .ith her was sta ing /iss ,lberta Sturges( a niece of /iss /ac0eod( alread known to the Swami& 1oth these ladies *oined him and 5aptain and /rs& Sevier in several of their e6cursions in and about the cit & /iss Edwards became a warm admirer of the Swami and was especiall taken with the idealism of his philosoph and with his immense knowledge of Roman histor and of human culture in general& ,mong other places of beaut and historic importance( the visited man ruins of the ancient cit ? the palaces of the 5aesars( the Forum of Romanum( the Forum of )ra*an( the -alatine 9ill( the public baths of the ancient Romans( the 5apitoline 9ill( and the 5olosseum( the last of which the revisited on a cool( clear evening to gaLe at its silent grandeur in moonlight& ,t the Forum of )ra*an( once adorned with most imposing buildings and now covered with relies of its former ma*est ( the Swami closel e6amined )ra*an's -illar( the most beautiful& column in Rome& +ts marble shaft together with its base( stands "7> feet high( and its spiralling basBreliefs( which depict )ra*an's conDuest of <acia( contain over 7(%%% human figures& 9e saw also the )riumphal ,rch of )itus on the Summa Sacra Via( which was erected in ,&<& $" to commemorate the conDuest of !erusalem and which is in a good state of preservation& 'or to be overlooked was the )emple of Vesta( one of the oldest and most revered( in which had been kept the sacred shield and sacred fire( alwa s tended b the Vestal Virgins( her priestesses&; +n addition to sightseeing in the cit (

+n this account of the Swami's visit in Rome we have drawn freel from /rs& Sevier's reminiscences FRound about Rome with Swami VivekanandaF( as published in &ra,uddha .harata of !ul and ,ugust "#"%&

">> 5aptain and /rs& Sevier took the Swami on man pleasant drives on those beautiful old Roman highwa s( notabl the ,ppian .a ( permeated with a sense of histor and antiDuit ( through countr deserted e6cept for a few shepherds with their flocks& Viewing the ruins of Rome the Swami was ver Duiet at first( but& the more one watched him( the more convinced one became of the interest that la behind his outward calm& 9e was thinking of the Rome of long ago ? the Rome of wideBflung imperial might( which it e6pressed in architectural forms( marvellous for their siLe and beaut & ,s he went from place to place( he began to voice his observations( mingling with them such a wealth of knowledge of histor and architecture that a glamour was thrown around the ancient monuments& 9is talk went flowing on as he traced the rise of the imperial idea under the Roman Empire( when in the he da of its power the world seemed to lie conDuered at its feet( and he described its decline( when the people and their rulers were alike corrupt& )hus he resurrected the inhabitants( the culture( and the events of the great past( and those who were with him remarked( F)his is wonderful( SwamiG Aou seem to know ever stone in RomeGF ,nd through his luminous consciousness and historical knowledge( the saw the whole meaning of Roman influence on our modern world& Ever thing the Swami saw in Rome greatl interested him( and he was alwa s absorbed( as it were( in its man Bphased past& 1ut he was especiall interested in 5hristian Rome2 he walked through its earl catacombsE he visited the splendid palaces( churches( and basilicas of its medieval periodE he was impressed with the immense Vatican( its chapels( and its magnificent Renaissance art treasuresE he pondered over the wonderful organiLing genius and missionar spirit of 5hristianit ( as e6hibited in Roman 5atholicism& ,nd beneath the vast dome of St& -eter's( before the shrines of the ,postles( he entered( in the silence of meditation( into that apostolic world in which Saint -aul preached and Saint -eter inspired the followers of 5hrist& One who stood near him( when he was stud ing the vast interior and the architectural glories( protested at the

">8 evident discrepanc between the religious spirit and such enormous pomp& FSwami(F she said( Fwhat do ou think of this grand e6travagance( for such it isM .h such a great outla of e6pense for ceremonial and church splendours when millions are starvingMF )he Swami at once replied2 F.hatG 5an one offer too much to 3odG )hrough all this pomp the people are brought to an understanding of the power of a character like 5hrist( who( though 9imself possessed of nothing( has b the supreme character of his personalit inspired to such an e6tent the( artistic imagination of mankind& 1ut we must alwa s rememberF( he added( Fthat e6ternal practices have value onl as aids to the development of internal purit & +f the have ceased to e6press life( crush them out without merc &F 1ut on 5hristmas <a ( when he attended the imposing ceremon of 9igh /ass at St& -eter's with 5aptain and /rs& Sevier( he seemed after a time to be restless and whispered to them( F.h all this pageantr and ostentatious showM 5an& it be possible that the 5hurch that practises such displa ( pomp( and gorgeous ceremonial is reall the follower of the lowl !esus who had nowhere to la 9is headMF 9e could not help drawing a contrast between these splendours of the outward religious form at St& -eter's and the great spirit of Sann asa which 5hrist had taught& 1ut the 5hrist spirit filled the air of Rome that 5hristmastide( and the Swami was caught up into itE man times he spoke touchingl of the 5hrist 5hild( comparing the stories of 9is birth with that of the beautiful +ndian 5hrist 5hild( Shri :rishna& On 5hristmas Eve( the part visited the church of $& /aria di ,ra 5oeli on 5apitoline 9ill( which is noted for its Santissimo 1ambino& (figure of the 9ol +nfant)( which the faithful believe has miraculous curative powers& , festival is &held in honour of the 1ambino from 5hristmas <a to Epiphan ( and the streets outside the church had the appearance of a fair( with their lines of stalls( filled with sweets and to s( fruits and cakes( and cheap pictures of the 1ambino& )he Swami was amused and said( it reminded him of a /ela (religious fair) in +ndia& )he Seviers steered their wa through

">; the throng( and helped him to select various articles and to bu cakes and sweets ? which( it turned out( were not delectable& 1ut one cannot follow the Swami ever where in RomeG /uch must be left to the imagination of the reader if he would reall enter into the world of the Swami's happiness in that cit & 9e must know the overall charm of Rome and the beaut of its da s and nights( when the weather is perfect in the winter time& 9e must know of Roman histor and much of the +talian art that fills the man museums and churches& 9e must make himself one with the religious spirit of this citadel of 5hristianit & 9e must sense in the catacombs the dauntless( burning faith of the earl 5hristians& 9e must see the grandeur and pomp of the ecclesiastic service and appreciate its significance& )hen( too( he must know the Swami& )he solemnit of Rome and the solemnit of his own personalit mingled in a strange and glorious harmon in the minds of his companions& ,nd in his comparisons between the Roman and the +ndian world( the had intellectual illumination as gratif ing as the stud of Rome's immortal works of art and beaut ( with which their da s and his were filled& .hen the part left Rome( however( the Swami was not sad( for he realiLed that each da was bringing him nearer to the desired event ? the departure for +ndia& )he ne6t move was to 'aples( where the part was to embark& Several da s remained before the da of sailing( giving them an opportunit to see 'aples and its famous environs& , da was spent in visiting Vesuvius( the part ascending b the funicular railwa to the crater( from which a mass of stones was obligingl thrown up into the air as the watchedG ,nother da was devoted to visiting -ompeii( and the Swami was charmed with all he saw there& 9e was especiall interested in a recentl e6cavated house( in which frescoes( fountains( and statues had been left e6actl as the had been found( rather than being removed to the 'ational /useum at 'aples& )his /useum and the 'aples ,Duarium also attracted the attention of the part & 1ut what most concerned them was the arrival of the ship from

">$ Southampton( which would bring /r& 3oodwin to *oin the part and then carr them all to +ndia& .hen finall it came( the Swami was beside himself with *o and e6claimed( F'ow( at last( it will be +ndia ? m +ndiaGF )he steamer( the &rin5 %e ent Luit-o'd, sailed from 'aples on <ecember @%( "$#8( and was to reach 5olombo on !anuar ">( "$#;& )here were man da s on the ocean( at least some of which were e6ceedingl rough& +n a letter dated !anuar @( "$#; the Swami wrote from board ship2 F.e are nearing -ort Said after four da s of frightfull bad sailing from 'aples& )he ship is rolling as hard as she can( and ou must pardon m scrawls under such circumstances& From SueL begins ,sia& Once again ,sia& .hat am + M ,siatic( European( or ,mericanM + feel a curious medle of personalities in me&F )hroughout the vo age the Swami was in( e6cellent spirits( and despite the rough /editerranean seas( which for a da or two gave him discomfort( he enrolled in some shipboard tournaments&& 9e was greatl benefited b the rest& 1ecause of a certain incident( this vo age was most memorable& One night( shortl after he had retired( the Swami had a phenomenal dream( which made a profound impression upon his mind( so much so that he freDuentl spoke of it in after ears&$ 9e dreamed that a bearded old man( venerable and RishiBlike in appearance( stood before him and said( FObserve well this place that + show to ou& Aou are now in the island of 5rete& )his is the land in which 5hristianit began&F )he Swami then heard him sa ( F<o e come and effect our restorationE + am one of that ancient order of )heraputtas ()herapeutae) which had its origin in the teachings of the +ndian Rishis&F ,nd he added another word which escaped the

,mong those who directl beard about the dream from the Swami( two personsB Sister 'ivedita and Surendranath SenBleft on record what he had separatel told them& Sister 'ivedita's record appears in her book The #aster As ) Saw Him* Surendranath Sen's record from his private diar has been published in volume five of The 4om-'ete Works of Swami Vivekananda* )hese two accounts( though basicall the same( are not identical in all details& +n the narration given here an attempt has been made to include all the details from these two authentic sources&

"># Swami's memor & Sister 'ivedita wrote( F+t is m own belief that the other word was 'Essene'& 1ut alas( + cannot remember the Sanskrit derivationGF )he word Thera-eutae unmistakabl means Fsons or disciples of the )heras(F from thera, an elder among the 1uddhist monks( and putra( which in Sanskrit means FsonF& )he old man concluded2 F)he truths and ideals preached b us have been given out b the 5hristians as taught b !esusE but for the matter of that( there was no such personalit b the name of !esus ever born& Various evidences testif ing to this fact will be brought to light b e6cavating here&F F1 e6cavating which place can those proof and relics ou speak of be foundMF the Swami asked& ,nd the hoar Bheaded one( pointing to a localit in the vicinit of )urke ( said( FSee here&F )he Swami woke and at once rushed to the deck to ascertain the ship's whereabouts& 9e met a ship's officer turning in from his watch& F.hat is the timeMF he asked him& F/idnightF( he was told& F,nd where are weMF F!ust fift miles off 5reteGF +n seeking a sub*ective cause for the Swami's dream( one must take into account that during the vo age( in conversations concerning religious sub*ects( 5hristianit was now and then in the foreground& Further( during his travels in 5atholic Europe he was often startled to find the identit of 5hristianit and 9induism in ceremonial details& +n the language of Sister 'ivedita2
)he 1lessed Sacrament appeared to him to be onl ( an elaboration of the Vedic -rasadam& )he priestl tonsure reminded him of the shaven head of the +ndian monkE and when lie came across a picture of !ustinian receiving( the 0aw from two shaven monks( he felt that lie had found the origin of the tonsure& 9e could not but remember that( even before 1uddhism( +ndia had had monks and nuns( and that Europe had taken her orders from the )hebaid& 9indu ritual had its lights( its incense and its music& Even the sign of the cross( as lie saw it practised( reminded him of the touching of different parts of the bod ( in certain kinds of meditation& ,nd the culmination of these series of observations was reached( when he entered some cathedral and found it furnished with an insufficient number of chairs and no pewsG )hen( at last( he was reall at home& 9enceforth he could not believe that 5hristianit was foreign&

"8% 1ut while the Swami's vivid dream on board ship ma have had a sub*ective cause( it nevertheless set him thinking about the historicit of !esus 5hrist( about which he had never before entertained an doubt& 'ow he saw that the ,cts of the ,postles might be an older record than the 3ospels themselves( and that views of the )herapeutae and those of the sect of the 'aLarene might have commingled( thus conferring upon 5hristianit both a philosoph and a personalit & 1ut while these speculations could not be offered as evidence in support of this theor of the origin and histor of 5hristianit ( lie knew that in ,le6andria there had been a meeting of +ndian( 3reek( and Eg ptian elements( which had contributed considerabl towards the moulding of 5hristianit & +t is said that the Swami wrote to a friend in England( an archaeologist( about his dream and asked him to find out if there was an truth in it& +t was some time after the Swami's death that an item appeared in the Statesman of 5alcutta( stating that some Englishmen in the course of e6cavations in 5rete had come across records containing wonderful revelations of the origin of 5hristianit & 1ut whatever doubts the Swami ma have had on the matter( the dream did not make him ield a whit in his love and adoration of the Son of /ar & )here was the instance when a .estern disciple reDuested him to give his blessings to a picture of the Sistine /adonnaE he touched the feet of the <ivine 5hild instead& )here was also the instance when he turned upon another and e6claimed with fire in his e es( F/adam( had + lived in -alestine in the da s of !esus of 'aLareth( + would have washed 9is feet( not with m tears but with m heart's bloodGF )he Swami had an unpleasant e6perience with two of his fellow passengers on his wa to +ndia between ,den and 5olombo& )he were 5hristian missionaries who insisted on discussing the contrast between 9induism and 5hristianit & )heir methods of argument were most offensiveE when the were beaten at ever point( the lost their temper( became

"8" virulent and abused the 9indus and their religion& )he Swami stood it as long as he couldE then walking close to one of the speakers he suddenl seiLed him Duietl but firml b the collar and said halfBhumorousl ( halfBgriml ( F+f ou abuse m religion again( +'ll throw ou overboardGF )he frightened missionar Fshook in his bootsF and said under his breath( F0et me go( sir( +'ll never do it againGF From that time on he was most obseDuious to the Swami on all occasions and endeavoured to remed his misbehaviour b e6ceeding kindness& 0ater( during the course of a conversation in 5alcutta with a disciple( the Swami alluded to this singular incident& 9e had been pointing out that religion should be the basis for united action( and that true feeling for one's religion should bring about the manl spirit so much needed in +ndia& +t was then that he mentioned the incident and asked the disciple( J/ dear Sinha( if an bod insulted our mother( what would ou doMK F+ would fall upon him( sir( and teach him a good lessonGF F.ell saidG 1ut now if ou had the same positive feeling for our own religion( the true /other of our countr ( ou could never bear( to see an 9indu brother converted into a 5hristian& 'evertheless( ou see this occurring ever da ( et ou are Duite indifferent& .here is our faithG .here is our patriotismG Ever da 5hristian missionaries abuse 9induism to our face( and et how man are there amongst ou who will stand up in its defenceM .hose blood boils with righteous indignation at the factMF , contrast to the unpleasant e6perience aboard ship occurred earlier at ,den& .hile visiting places of interest at this port( the part drove three miles inland to the huge reservoirs used for the storage of rain water& Esp ing a man at a distance busil engaged in smoking a hookah( the Swami left his English disciples and walked rapidl towards him& 9e was highl delighted at seeing an +ndian face again& ,ddressing him as F1rotherF( he entered into conversation with him& )he man happened to be a 9industhani betelBleaf seller& <rawing near( the Swami's friends were greatl amused( when the heard him

"87 sa bo ishl to the stranger( F1rother( do give me our pipe(F and to see him puffing awa at it with great glee& 5aptain Sevier then made merr with him b sa ing( F'ow we seeG +t was this that made ou run awa from us so abruptl GF )he Swami had not had a hookah smoke for ears& .hen the man learned who his guest was( he fell at his feet& Speaking of this incident the Swami's companions said2 F)he shopkeeper could not have resisted him( for he had such an endearing wa about him when asking for an thing that he was simpl irresistible& .e shall never forget that ingenuous look on his face( when he said with childlike sweetness( '1rother( do give me our pipeG' 'othing further of interest occurred on the vo age( e6cept an event such as alwa s sensational to travellers at sea& Signals of distress were sighted some distance from the 5oast of /alabar( sent b a coastingBvessel that had been becalmed& +t was discovered that the ship was without food or water( and its 5aptain reDuested immediate help& )he 5aptain of the &rin5 %e ent Luit-o'd signalled backE the steamer slowed downE a boat was sent from the ship in distress and was fitted b the steamer with the needed supplies& +n the earl morning of !anuar ">( the coast of 5e lon could be seen in the distance& +t was a beautiful sight in the roseate hues of the rising sun& 3raduall the harbour of 5olombo with its ma*estic cocoa palms and its ellowBsanded beach came into view& )his was +ndia(# and the Swami was beside himself with e6citement& 1ut he was totall unaware that he was going to meet representatives of various religious sects and social bodies who had come to welcome him home& Some months earlier the Swami had casuall written of his intended return( and the news had spread rapidl through his disciples in South +ndia and had been flashed to distant 5e lon& Soon all +ndia knew of it& +n man cities of the South the inhabitants were making read to receive him with unprecedented honour and to offer him addresses of welcome& Swami 'iran*anananda( one of his brotherBdisciples( had come to 5e lon to meet himE others were on the wa E and in /adras

+n those da s( 5e lon( now known as Sri 0anka( was a part of 1ritish +ndia&

"8@ and 5alcutta there was great e6citement over his e6pected arrival& Ever since his celebrated address at the -arliament of Religions the +ndian newspapers had been often filled with his praises( and now numerous telegrams of invitation and congratulation awaited him in 5olombo& 9e was to find that he had become +ndia's Fnational heroF( and that his *ubilant welcome in 5e lon was to be the first public ovation in a grand march of triumph from 5olombo in the far south to ,lmora in the distant north&

"8= 32 TRI MPHAL MARCH THRO GH CEYLON AND SO TH INDIA )he homecoming of Swami Vivekananda was a notable event in the histor of modern +ndia( for it was a united +ndia that rose to do him honour& 0ooming as he did upon the national horiLon as the -rophet and ,postle of a reinterpreted and reB invigorated 9induism( Vivekananda was the /an of the 9our and the 9arbinger of a 'ew Era& 'o wonder( therefore( that his homeBcoming was keenl awaited b millions of his fellowBcountr men& For more than three ears the people of +ndia had been aware that the Swami was( with marked success( presenting and interpreting 9induism to the .estern nations& ,ll +ndia looked to him as to some might ,char a of old( born again to revivif the Eternal Religion( and to carr her banner through the civiliLed world& 'ew forces had come into pla in +ndia ever since his triumph at the -arliament of Religions& )hrough stud of the Swami's lectures and utterances( the e es of educated +ndians had been opened to the hidden treasures of their religion& )he had come to see more and more how Vedanta alone could claim to be a universal religion& )he Swami( the had discovered( was a man of powers and spiritual realiLations& ,s a true patriot he had made a deep stud of his countr 's comple6 problems& /an ( among the educated( were eager to see him and hear his message& )he had accepted him as the torchBbearer of the +ndian nation& .hen it was known that Swami Vivekananda had left Europe for +ndia( committees were formed in the large cities to organiLe his reception& )wo of his brotherBdisciples went south to meet him2 Swami 'iran*anananda met him when he landed at 5olombo( and Swami Shivananda met him at /adurai& Others( disciples of the Swami himself( made their wa from 1engal and the northern provinces to /adras( and awaited his arrival there& 'ewspapers and *ournals throughout

"8> the countr commenced a series of editorials praising him and his work& )his further aroused the nation's e6pectanc & )he Swami was in ignorance of these preparations in his honour& +ndeed( from 3oodwin's letter of 'ovember "=( "$#8( it appears that he was distinctl doubtful about the reception that he would have in conservative +ndia& +n this letter 3oodwin writes to /rs& Ole 1ull2 F)he Swami is feeling ver uncertain as to the wa in which he will be received in +ndia( and e6pects to get the cold shoulder to a great e6tent( in which case he sa s that he will consider his proper course to he to revisit ,merica and England after a short rest merel ( in +ndia& 9e intends to arrange lectures in !apan and 5hina on his wa back to the States& F <uring the vo age the Swami spent his time Duietl in meditation( or in discoursing on the histor of nations( or in resting& 9is conversation was much taken up with drawing comparisons and with reflecting on his e6periences in .estern lands& .hile he had been in the .est( his mind had been habituall occupied with world histor ( with the relation of +ndia to the world( and vice versa( and with the problems and destin of +ndia herself& /ore and more the spirit of an awakened national consciousness had stirred in him& +n his letters he had tried to fire his brotherBdisciples and his own disciples with his enthusiasm& 9e had written to them of the means of awakening this national consciousness( and of how to set the +ndian work in motion& 1esides the general reflections mentioned above( the Swami was alwa s turning over in his mind( both when in the .est and now on board the &rin5%e ent Luit-o'd, plans for the reanimation and reorganiLation of the +ndian <harma& .e get a glimpse of one of his plans from 3oodwin's letter of 'ovember 7%( "$#8 to /rs& Ole 1ull2 F+ wonder if + can tell ou of the Swami's biggest pro*ect in +ndia&&&& +t is the building of the /onaster in 5alcutta as a training ground for Vedanta teachers&& /iss /uller &&& has offered him V7%% per annum towards its maintenance& /iss Souter( a wealth lad here who has done an immense lot for him in a ver Duiet and

"88 unostentatious wa ( is giving him V"%%%( /r& Sturd V>%%( and he has himself about V7%% towards it& + am also writing to /iss /ac0eod about this&F /an months before this time of his return to +ndia( when in <etroit( the Swami was talking with some disciples about the difficulties he had met with in presenting 9induism to 5hristian audiences( and was telling them how he had spent himself in creating( in the .est( a reverence for +ndia's spiritual and intellectual contributions to the world& Suddenl ( as he was speaking( his bod began to shake with emotion( and he cried out2 F+ndia must listen to meG + shall shake +ndia to her foundations& + shall send an electric thrill through her national veins& .aitG Aou shall see how +ndia will receive me& +t is +ndia( m own +ndia( that knows trul how to appreciate that which + have given so freel here( and with m life's blood( as the spirit of Vedanta& +ndia will receive me in triumph&F ,s we are about to see( his fervent words were prophetic& )hose who heard him realiLed that it was not recognition for himself that he was seeking( but recognition for what he felt must become the gospel of all nations( namel ( +ndia's gospel( the gospel of the Vedas and Vedanta& )he stor of Swami Vivekananda's reception b his fellowBcountr men can be convenientl told in the words of e eBwitnesses( such as 3oodwin( and b Duoting from newspaper reports& )his is how the 5olombo reception was reported b the local paper 4e$'on )nde-endent*
)he fifteenth of !anuar H"$#;I will be a memorable da in the annals of the 9indu 5ommunit of 5olombo( being the da on which the Swami Vivekananda( a teacher of wonderful abilities and attainments( a member of the most sacred 9indu spiritual Order( the sann asins of +ndia( was welcomed b them& 9is visit is an epochBmaking one( heralding the dawn of an unprecedented spiritual activit & ,s the da was closing and the night approached( when the auspicious and sacred hour of FSandh aF noted b the 9indu Shastras as the best suited for devotion came round as the harbinger of the coming great events of the da ( the sage of noble figure( of sedate

"8;
countenance with large( luminous e es( arrived( dressed in the orange garb of a sann asin( accompanied b the Swami 'iran*anananda and others&&&& 'o words can describe the feelings of the vast masses and their e6pressions of love( when the saw the steam launch bearing the sage( steaming towards the *ett &&& & )he din and clamour of shouts and handBclapping drowned even the noise of the breaking waves& )he 9on& /r& -& 5oomaraswam stepped forward( followed b his brother( and received the Swami garlanding him with a beautiful *asmine wreath& )hen came a rush &&&& 'o amount of ph sical force could hold back the great multitude &&&& ,t the entrance to 1arnes Street( a handsome triumphal arch formed of branches( leaves( and cocoanut flowers bore a motto of welcome to the Swami& ,ll too soon the splendid pair of horses that awaited his landing in front of the 3& O& 9& carried awa the Swami to the pandal in 1arnes Street& Ever available carriage was in use and hundreds of pedestrians wended their wa to the triumphal pandal which was decorated with palms( evergreens( etc& )here the Swami( alighting from the carriage( walked in procession attended with due 9indu honours ? the flag( the sacred umbrella( the spreading of the white cloth( etc& ,n +ndian band pla ed select airs& , host of persons *oined the procession at 1arnes Street( and then( together with the Swami( marched on to another beautiful and artistic pandal in front of the bungalow prepared for his temporar residence in 5innamon 3ardens& 1oth sides of the road leading from the first pandal to the second( a distance of a Duarter of a mile( were lined with arches festooned with palm leaves& ,s soon as the SwamiF entered the second pandal( a beautiful artificial lotus flower unfolded its petals and out flew a bird& )hese charming decorations went unnoticed( for all e es were on the Swami& +n their struggle to see him( some of the decorations were destro ed& )he sage and his disciples took their seats amidst a shower of flowers& ,fter silence was restored( a musician pla ed a charming air on his violinE then the sacred )amil h mns( the F)hevaramF( two thousand ears old( were sungE a Sanskrit h mn composed especiall in the Swami's honour was also intoned& )he 9on& /r& -& 5oomaraswam ( stepping forward( bowed to the Swami in oriental fashion and then read an address of welcome on behalf of the 9indus& )he Swami rose amidst deafening cheers and responded to the

"8$
address in an eloDuent and impressive st le( peculiarl his own& )he huge audience were carried awa b his words( simple and plain though the were& +n the course of his repl he pointed out that the demonstration had not been made in honour of a great politician( or a great soldier( or a millionaire& F)he spiritualit of the 9indusF( he said( Fis revealed b the princel reception which the have given to a begging sann asin&F 9e was not a general( not a prince( not a wealth man( et men great in the transitor possessions of the world and much respected( had come to honour him( a poor sann asin& F)hisF( he said( Fis one of the highest e6pressions of spiritualit &F 9e urged the necessit of making religion the backbone of the national life( if the nation was to liveE and disclaimed an personal character in the welcome he had received( insisting that it was but the recognition of a principle& )he Swami then entered the house& 9ere another garland was placed around his neck( and he was escorted to a scat& )he people who had taken part in the formal proceedings of the meeting were standing outside and were unwilling to disperse& Finding that man were waiting to see him again( Swami*i came out and after the manner of sann asins he saluted and blessed them all&

The 9ver'and 4e$'on 9,server of !anuar "8( "$#; had the following2
Swami Vivekananda( the 9indu delegate( who proceeded to 5hicago to represent the 9indus at the -arliament of Religions( and who had spent his time since in ,merica and Europe( arrived here last evening b the &rin5 %e ent Luit-o'd* 9e was accompanied b three ,merican and European converts& )he 9indus of 5olombo mustered in strong numbers at the *ett to give him a welcome& Several leading 9indus went on board and brought him ashore in a steam launch and on landing at the *ett HheI was received b the 9indus headed b the 9on& -& 5oomaraswam and /r& -& ,runachalam& )he Swami and his companions were driven then to the 5innamon 3ardens( the 9indus following in carriages& ,t the turn to 1arnes Street a pandal had been put up& 9ere the Swami alighted and was taken in procession with 9indu flags( music( and torch lights along 1arnes Street to the residence of /r& Ratnasabapath ( which has been placed at his disposal during his sta here& On arrival here( after the singing of a 9indu song said to be @(%%% ears old( the 9on&

-& 5oomaraswam read and presented an address from the 9indu 5ommunit according him a heart welcome& )he Swami replied at length e6tolling the principles of their religion and how it had flourished from da s immemorial( etc&

)his is how 3oodwin( writing on !anuar 77( "$#;( described their reception at 5olombo to /rs& 1ull2

"8#
.e reached 5olombo at = o'clock on Frida ( !anuar ">( and caught sight of a steam launch coming out with a sann asi on board( who proved to be Swami 'iran*anananda& )here were also with him /r& )& 3& 9arrison (an English 1uddhist) and three native gentlemen ()amil 9indus)& +t took us a long time to put ashore( but when we did( we found a dense crowd waiting( who cheered the Swami vociferousl & )he Swami then entered a carriage drawn b two horses( and with coachman and s ces in gorgeous crimson liver & .ith him sat 9on& /r& -& 5oomaraswam ( member of the 0egislative 5ouncil( and /rs& Sevier& /r& Sevier and + followed in another carriage& .e drove slowl through the cit to the 5innamon 3ardens& )here( in 1arnes St&( a new house( never before occupied( was placed at our disposal& + sa FourF because the 5olombo Reception 5ommittee( or Sabba HSabhaI( included us in ever thing done for the Swami& )he road leading up to the house for a Duarter of a mile was beautifull decorated with palm branches( and with( at either end( a ver beautif triumphal arch of bamboo( and the words F.elcome to Swami VivekanandaF& Flags and banners were ever where& + should tell ou that the procession was headed b the native band( tomtoms( etc&( and the sacred umbrellas and banners brought out onl when a god or idol is in procession( were also used& ,t the house an address was presented b /r& 5oomaraswam and the Swami briefl replied& )hen we had dinner and rest& ,ll the meals were of native dishes &&& , sann asin is supposed to identif himself with Shiva( and in that sense becomes Shiva himself& )he Swami is worshipped therefore as 3od 9imself (and + ma add that + m self consider that the are perfectl right)& On the Saturda H!anuar "8I evening the Swami lectured to a crowded audience& )he report + have sent ou& + did it m self( because the reporters here made an awful mess of it( but ou will see that the made lots of mistakes in setting it up&&&& On Sunda the Swami went to the temple to be worshipped& .e drove through the 5it and in the )amil street had to stop at nearl fift houses while the inhabitants (9indus) placed

";%
garlands of flowers round the Swami's neck( mostl tuberose and *asmine( and sprinkled him with roseBwater( also giving him fruit or bouDuets of flowers& )hen we reached the gate of the temple& .e all got out and a procession was formed( headed b their band( all of us marching barefoot round the outside of the temple( but all the time within the temple precincts& + had to sta *ust outside of the temple( as Europeans are not allowed within( but + could see all that went on& ,s soon as the Swami entered( accompanied b the largest crowd ever seen at the temple( the people shouted( F!ai !ai /ahadeva ? ,ll hail highest <evaF( clapped their hands and cheered to the echo& /ore garlands and roseBwater were given him( and he was offered sandalwood paste with which to touch the forehead between two e es (representing the ps chic e e)& + ma mention( if ou will pardon me( two things relating to m self which interested me ver much& )he people here( especiall the intelligent classes( are ver much pleased at seeing the Swami bring with him some English disciples& )he conseDuence has been that the Seviers and "( but particularl m self( have come in for an enormous amount of attention& .e are alwa s sprinkled with roseBwater and given sandalwood& One man wanted me to be photographed with the Swami so that he might worship me with Swami*i&&&& )hen again( outside the temple( + had a huge crowd round me( staring at me( and asking all sorts of Duestions about me&

On /onda the pilgrimage continued and in the evening the Swami lectured again& & & <uring the Swami's sta at 5olombo the bungalow( which lie occupied (from that time named FVivekananda 0odgeF)( was incessantl thronged b visitors& +t became( indeed( a place?of pilgrimage( the honour and respect shown to the Swami being undreamtBof b those who are unaccustomed to the religious demonstrativeness of the East& ,mong the visitors were men of all stations in life( from high officials in 5e lon to the poorest of the poor& One incident ma be mentioned & , poor woman( who was evidentl in distress( came to see the Swami( bearing in her hand the customar offering of fruits& 9er husband had left her in order that he might be undisturbed in his search for 3od& )he woman wanted to know more about 3od( so that she could follow in his footsteps& )he Swami

";" advised her to read the .ha avad/0ita, and pointed out to her that the best wa for one in her station was the proper fulfilment of household duties& 9er repl was significant& F+ can read it( Swami*i(F she said( Fbut what good will that do me if + cannot understand it and feet itMF )his simple woman's knowledge of the truth that religion does not lie in the stud of books was part of that fund of spiritual understanding to he found even among the poor and apparentl uneducated of the East& On the evening of the "8th the Swami gave a stirring address in the Floral 9all to an overflowing audience& )he sub*ect of this first public lecture in the East was F+ndia( the 9ol 0andF& )he following da ( Sunda ( was again spent in receiving visitors until the evening( when the Swami paid the visit to the Shiva temple (at :ochchikade) mentioned in 3oodwin's letter *ust Duoted& ,fter worshipping the 0ord and having a short conversation with the priests of the temple and others who had assembled there( he returned to his bungalow& )here he found a number of 1rahmins with whom he conversed until half past two the following morning& On /onda ( !anuar "@( the Swami paid a visit to /r& 5helliah( whose house was artisticall decorated for his reception& 9earing that the monk was coming( thousands of people were waiting for him& ,s his carriage drew near( the cheering grew more and more( and garlands and loose flowers were showered on him& 9e was seated in a place speciall prepared for him( and sacred 3angaBwater was sprinkled over him& )he Swami then distributed sacramental ashes which all received with gladness& , picture of his own /aster( 1hagavan Shri Ramakrishna( having caught his e e( he at once got up and with great reverence made obeisance to it& 9e partook of light refreshments( and e6pressed *o at finding that the house had pictures of saints& )he occasion concluded with a few sacred songs& )hat evening the Swami delivered a second lecture to another large audience( this time in the -ublic 9all of 5olombo& ,s he stood on the platform in the geruaBcoloured garb and turban

";7 of a sann asi( with his wellBbuilt figure and with face radiating intelligence and spiritualit ( he made a striking sight& ;"e audience was treated to a lucid e6position of the ,dvaita doctrine& 9is central theme was that of a universal religion based on the Vedas& +n the course of his lecture the Swami noticed that man +ndians were wearing European dress& 9e was evidentl anno edE and feeling it his dut ( he cautioned them against slavish imitation& European dress( he said( did not suit Orientals& 'ot that he recommended an form of dress in particular2 rather( it was his countr men's unintelligent aping of foreign wa s that called forth his criticism& )he Swami's original intention had been to take a steamer direct from 5olombo to /adrasE but so man telegrams poured in( begging him to visit towns in 5e lon and South +ndia( even if onl to pass through them( that he was induced to alter his plans and make the *ourne overland& On the morning of the "#th he left 5olombo for :and b a special railwa saloon& ,t :and station a large crowd awaited him with an +ndian band and the temple insignia( to take him in procession to a bungalow where he could rest& .hen the cheering had subsided( an address of welcome was read& )he Swami's repl was brief ,fter rest and a visit to places of interest( the *ourne was resumed& On .ednesda morning( !anuar 7%( a coachBride of two hundred miles began& +t was to take them to !affna( at the northern tip of 5e lon( through countr outstanding for the beaut of its vegetation& , few miles be ond <ambool (<ambulla)( one of the front wheels of the coach broke in half( causing a stop of three hours b the roadside& Fortunatel the wheel was not smashed entirel ( or the carriage would have overturned( since the horses were going at a gallop& ,fter a long wait( onl one bullockBcart could be secured from a distant village& +n it /rs& Sevier was put( with all the luggage& )he Swami and his companions had to walk several miles before the could get other bullockBcarts& )he spent the night in the carts and( passing through :anahari and )inpani( reached ,nuradhapuram some eight hours late&

";@ ,bout this troubleBbeset *ourne 3oodwin wrote to /rs& Ole 1ull on !anuar 77( "@#; as follows2
On )uesda H!anuar "#I morning at ;&@% we left for :and ( reaching there at ""&7% through inarvellt@us scener & ,t :and another address was presented and the Swami was fetedE there was again a procession etc& +n the afternoon we drove round to a 1uddhist temple (in compan with the 1uddhist leader there)( and round the lake& .e left at 8&7% for /atala H/ataleI( sleeping there the night at the restBhouse( a beautifull Duiet spot& +n the morning H.ednesda ( !anuar 7%" we left b FcoachF( which was reall a brake( for ,nuradhapuram( sevent miles awa & .e went all right as far as <ambool( passing through pepper trees( fruit trees of all kinds (bread( *ack( bananas( coconut( etc&) through irrigated lands which reminded me of -atan*ali's aphorism ? Evolution( or the manifestation of 3od is b the infilling of nature& )hen we saw buffaloes( *ungle birds of wonderful colour( and colour indeed ever where& .ell and *ustl has 5e lon been termed the world's brightest and choicest gem& ,t <ambool we had breakfast( and then proceeded with our *ourne & )he first stage was all right( but then one of the pair of horses was a *ibber and refused the hills& ,fter ourselves pushing the carriage up half a doLen( the coachman sent the horses going at hand to hand gallop which ended in a bolt( and in the middle of this the front wheel broke in half& )here we were( four miles from a house( stranded& +f the wheel had not held good (or rather the spokes)( we must almost surel have been killed& For three hours we were camped out b the side of the road( in the heat of the afternoon( waiting for a bullockBcart& )his came at > and we went on to :akariawa H:ekirawaI& 9ere we dined and at "%&@% at night( with great difficult ( got hold of a second bullockBcart& +n this we started on a twent Beight mile ride& )he details of this + need not give ou& Suffice it that an discomfort conceivable came in our wa & + walked eighteen miles of the *ourne ( from preference( and being hard suffered nothing& 'either the two Swamis( be ond lack of sleepE but /r& and /rs& Sevier were completel knocked up and( indeed( have not et recovered& .e reached ,nuradhapuram at "% a&m&( the Swami was received( and we slept& .e went round the place in the evening and this morning H!anuar 77I the Swami( /rs& Sevier( and + went to offer reverence to the sacred 1o tree( 7(%%% ears old( and a shoot of the original 1o tree at 1uddha 3a a& + send ou a leaf of it&&&&

";=
,nuradhapuram is a marvellous place& )wo thousand ears ago it was larger than 0ondon is now( but the )amils invaded it( famine ensued( the population deserted it( and it became a dead cit & )he ruins e6tend for man miles( and include palaces( temples( <agobhas (monuments of solid brickwork and enormous siLe built to conceal *ewels etc&)& Ver wonderful &&&& )he Swami lectures here this afternoon& + also had an interesting e6perience& ,bout thirt 9indus( mostl 1rahmins( came to me to he told about the Swami and his work( and about his philosoph ( and for an hour + was engaged in true sann asin fashion under a 1odhi tree&&&&

4nder the shade of the sacred 1o tree the Swami gave a short address to a crowd of two to three thousand people& ,s he proceeded( interpreters translated his words into )amil and Sinhalese& )he sub*ect was F.orshipF& 9e e6horted his hearers to give practical effect to the teachings of the Vedas( rather than pa attention to mere empt worship& .hen the Swami had got thus far( a large crowd of fanatical 1uddhists( 1hikshus( and householders ? men( women( and children ? gathered round him and created such a noise b beating drums( gongs( cans( and so forth( in order to stop the lecture( that he was obliged to conclude abruptl & )here might have been a serious clash between the 9indus and 1uddhists& had the Swami not urged the 9indus to practise restraint( although the had been provoked& )his led him to speak of the harmon of the various religions& +n this stronghold of 1uddhism( he urged that 9e who is worshipped as Shiva( as Vishnu( as 1uddha( or under an other name( is one and the sameE and that there is thus need( not onl of tolerance among( but also of s mpath between( the followers of the different creeds& )he distance from ,nuradhapuram to !affna is one hundred and twent miles& ,s the road and the horses were eDuall bad( the *ourne was troublesome( and saved from being sheer penance onl b the scenic beaut & On two successive nights the had no sleep& )he reception of the Swami with all honour at Vavoni a (Vavuni a)( and the presentation of an address( made a welcome break& ,fter the Swami had replied briefl ( the *ourne continued through the *ungles of 5e lon to !affna&

";> )here was a reception of an informal nature earl the following morning at Elephant -ass( where a bridge connects 5e lon with the island of !affna& )welve miles from !affna town the Swami was met b man of the leading 9indu citiLens( and a procession of carriages accompanied him for the remainder of the distance& Ever street in the town( na ever house( was decorated in his honour& )he scene( in the evening( when the Swami was driven in a torchlight procession to a large pandal erected at the 9indu 5ollege( was impressive& ,ll along the route there was intense enthusiasm& ,t least ten to fifteen thousand people must have accompanied him& , local newspaper( the Hindu 9r an, gave this report on Februar @( "$#;( of the Swami's visit to !affna2
+t was arranged b the Reception 5ommittee that the Swami was to be received privatel at 4ppar H4parI on Sunda morning b a deputation of seven members( and that the public demonstration in the town in his honour should be reserved for the evening& 1ut it was found that one hundred persons( the elite of the 9indu societ ( were collected at 4ppar an6iousl awaiting his arrival on Sunda morning& )ill # a&m& the coach with the distinguished monk and part accompan ing him did not make its appearance& + t was then resolved to go ahead another five miles and wait at 5havakachari H5havakachcheriI& 'o sooner had that place been reached than the Swami and his part arrived b the mail coach& , procession was then formed to drive to the town( with the Swami& his 3urubhai( Swami 'iran*anananda( and /r& (advocate) 'agalingam in the first carriage ? a landau drawn b a pair ? and the rest following in twent carriages& +t was ""&@% a&m&( when the procession reached the town b the 5entral Road& +n spite of the short time at the disposal of the 5ommittee( grand preparation had been made to accord the Swami a fitting reception at the 9indu 5ollege in the evening& , magnificent pandal had been put up in front of the institution and most tastefull decorated& )he whole wa from the town to the 5ollege ? a distance of about two miles ? was festooned and illuminated( more especiall that part of the route from the 3rand 1aLaar& 9undreds of banana palms were planted on both sides of the road( and bunting and flags adorned the whole route& )he scene was e6ceedingl picturesDue( and great enthusiasm prevailed among the people& )housands from all

";8
parts of the +sland came to the cit to get a glimpse of the renowned monk( and gathered all along the route to give him welcome& From 8 p&m& to "7 p&m&( the !affna :angesantura Road( as far as the 9indu 5ollege( was impassable for carts and carriages& )he torchlight procession( which started at $&@% p&m&( attended with +ndian music( was unprecedentedl imposing& +t is estimated that more than fifteen thousand persons( all on foot( took part in it& )he whole distance of two miles was so densel crowded that it looked like a sea of heads( et perfect order prevailed from start to finish& ,t the gate of almost ever house on both sides of the road throughout the entire distance( were placed 'iraikudam and lamps( the inhabitants e6pressing in this manner the highest honours that could he offered( according to the 9indu idea( to a great sann asin& )he Swami alighted from the carriage and worshipped at the Sivan and :athiresan temples where he was garlanded b the temple priests& ,long the wa also( man garlands were offered him b the local residents( so that when he reached the 5ollege at "% p&m&( he was most beautiful to look upon& )he pandal was crammed even hours before the Swami arrived& 9undreds were outside seeking admission& -eople of all denominations had come( 1uddhists( 5hristians( 9indus( and /ohammedans& ,t the entrance to the pandal the Swami was received b /r& S& 5hellappa -illai( retired 5hief !ustice of )ravancore( who conducted him to a raised dais and garlanded him& ,n address of welcome was then read( to which the Swami replied in a most eloDuent wa for about an hour& +n the evening of the da following at ; p&m&( he spoke at the 9indu 5ollege( on Vedantism for one hour and fort minutes& )here were present about four thousand persons composed of the e'ite of !affna societ ( and one and all were electrified with the Swami's stirring words& Following the lecture( /r& Sevier at the reDuest of the audience addressed the assembl e6plaining wh he had accepted 9induism and wh he had come to +ndia with the Swami&

.ith this second address at the 9indu 5ollege at !affna( the Swami's visit to what is now Sri 0anka came to a close& ,t ever place he visited( he was asked to send teachers of the Order to preach the gospel of Shri Ramakrishna& ,nd from those towns in the interior which he had not visited( telegrams and letters poured in( begging him to pa them a short visitE but he had to refuse for want of time& 1esides( he was tired&

";; F9e would have been killed with kindness(F as one of his companions remarked( Fif he had sta ed longer in 5e lon&F ,t the Swami's reDuest arrangements were made to conve him and his part immediatel to his native land& .ith the weather favourable( the vo age of about fift miles was delightful& On )uesda ( !anuar 78( about @ p&m&( the steamer carr ing the Swami and his European disciples arrived in -amban Roads& )he Swami had been invited b the Ra*a of Ramnad to Rameswaram( and was about to land and proceed to that place when he heard that the Ra*a was coming in person to meet him at -amban& On the Ra*a's arrival( the Swami and part transferred from the vessel in which the had come to the state boat& ,s soon as he entered it( the Ra*a and all his staff prostrated themselves before him& )he meeting between the prince and the monk was a touching one& )he Swami feelingl said that( as the Ra*a had been one of the first to conceive the idea of his going to the .est( and had encouraged and helped him to do so( it was apt that he should meet the Ra*a first on returning to +ndian soil& .hen the stateBboat reached the shore( he was given a tremendous ovation b the people of -amban& 4nder a decorated pandal( an address of welcome was read and presented to him& )he Ra*a added to this a brief personal welcome which was remarkable for its depth of feeling& )hen the Swami gave a short repl ( pointing out that the backbone of the +ndian national life was neither politics nor militar power( neither commercial supremac nor mechanical genius( but religion and religion aloneE that it was this that +ndia alone could give to the world& 9e concluded b thanking the people of -amban for their kind reception( and e6pressed his gratitude to the Ra*a of Ramnad for all that he had done for him& )he meeting over( the Swami was seated in the stateBcarriage and driven towards the Ra* bungalow( the Ra*a himself walking with his court officials& )hen( at the Ra*a's command( the horses were unharnessed( and the people( with the Ra*a himself( drew the stateBcarriage through the town& For three da s the Swami remained at -amban( to ever bod 's delight& On

";$ the da following his arrival he paid a visit to the great temple of Rameswaram& 9e recalled his visit there five ears before( when( as an unknown sann asi( footsore and wear ( he had gone there and with that had brought to a close his pilgrimage through +ndia& 9e was touched to think how different were the circumstances under which he now visited it& ,s the stateBcarriage( with the Swami in it( neared the temple( it was met b a procession which included elephants( camels( and horses& )he temple insignia were brought out( and( to the accompaniment of the traditional music( those honours that the 9indu accords to a /ahatma were accorded to him& )he temple *ewels were shown to him and his disciplesE and after the had been conducted through the building and shown its architectural wonders ? particularl the galleries supported b a thousand pillars ? the Swami was asked to address the people who had assembled& Standing there on the sacred ground of that famous temple of Shiva( he spoke on the significance of a place of pilgrimage( and on the essential nature of worship( charging his eager listeners( and through them all his coBreligionists( to worship Shiva not in images alone( but in the poor( in the weak( and in the diseased& S& 'agalingam -illai translated his words into )amil& )he Ra*a of Ramnad was beside himself with the spirit of the occasion( and the ver ne6t da fed and clothed thousands of poor people& )o mark the place where the Swami first set foot on +ndian soil after his triumph in the .est( the Ra*a planned to erect a victor monument( fort feet in height( bearing the following inscription2 Sat$ameva,@a$ate )he monument erected b 1haskara Sethupathi( the Ra*a of Ramnad( marks the sacred spot( where 9is 9oliness Swami Vivekananda's blessed feet first trod on +ndian soil( together with the Swami's English disciples( on 9is 9oliness's return from the .estern 9emisphere( where glorious and unprecedented success attended 9is 9oliness's philanthropic labours to spread the religion of the Vedanta& !anuar 7;( "$#;

";# The )ndian #irror, on Februar ;( gave this report of the Swami's reception at -amban and Rameswaram2
,s intimated to us b a telegram from !affna( Swami Vivekananda( accompanied b Swami 'iran*anananda( / & and /rs& Sevier( /r& 3oodwin( and /r& 9arrison of 5e lon( arrived here H-ambanI about @ p&m&( b a special vessel chartered for the purpose& On the arrival of the vessel( a few respectable gentlemen of the place went on board the vessel( and( after ministering to the needs of the part ( reDuested Swami Vivekananda to defer landing till > o'clock as the Ra*ah of Ramnad was e6pected to arrive to receive him& -unctual to the hour( the Ra*ah arrived in a nice( neatl decorated boat( speciall prepared for the occasion( and reached the vessel in which Swami Vivekananda was( and landed him amidst much acclamation& ,t the landing place( there was a grand pandal erected( and a temporar *ett was put up( an immense crowd having gathered there& Swami Vivekananda was conducted to a beautiful platform in the pandal b the Ra*ah( who( after delivering a speech of welcome( asked /r& 'agalingam -illai( ,gent( 5&S&S& 5o&( to read the address of welcome on behalf of the public& )hat being done( Swami Vivekananda made a suitable repl ( the whole of which was taken down in shorthand b the reporters of the /adras and /adura Hnow /aduraiI newspapers& )hen a grand procession was formed( and the landau( on which the Swami and part were seated( was drawn b men( the Ra*ah of Ramnad being the foremost( and marched to the bungalow belonging to the Ra*ah( which was intended for the residence of the Swami& On .ednesda H!anuar 7;I( Swami Vivekananda and part inspected the temple at Rameswaram& On leaving the same( he gave a bit of advice to the immense crowd there in English( which was interpreted to the public& Even that was recorded verbatim b reporters& On )hursda ( thousands of poor people were fed and cloths were freel distributed 'b the Ra*ah of Ramnad in honour of the Swami's visit to the +sland& 1 the order of the Ra*ah& a tower of about fort feet is to be erected on the place where the Swami first put his sacred foot on the soil of 9is 9ighness's territor ( and HaI slab to be affi6ed to the same& )he Swami left this place for Ramnad via )iruppullam in a boat belonging to the Ra*ah at = a&m& on Frida H!anuar 7#" and will probabl arrive at Ramnad at 8 p&m&&&&

)he short trip from -amban to the mainland was made in

"$% the earl morning and breakfast taken in one of the restBhouses provided b the Ra*a for wa farers& ,t )iruppullam H)iruppalaniMI an informal reception was given to the Swami& +t was almost evening when Ramnad came in sight& )he *ourne from the coast proper was made b bullockBcartE but on nearing Ramnad the Swami and part entered the stateBboat( which bore them across one of those large tanks that abound in South +ndia& )hus the reception at Ramnad took place on the shore of a lake( heightening the dramatic effect of the occasion& )he Ra*a( it goes without sa ing( took the leading part in the ceremon of welcome( and introduced the Swami to the e 'ite of Ramnad& )he firing of cannon announced to the waiting thousands the arrival of the Swami& ,t the time of landing( and during the procession( rockets shot into the air& )here was re*oicing ever where& )he Swami was driven in the stateBcarriage( accompanied b a bod guard commanded b the Ra*a's brother( while the Ra*a himself( on foot( directed the procession& )orches flared on either side of the road& 1oth +ndian and European music added life to the alread livel proceedings& FSee the 5onDuering 9ero 5omesF was pla ed on landing( and as the Swami approached the state capital proper& .hen half the distance had been covered( he alighted at the reDuest of the Ra*a and took his scat in the stateBpalanDuin& ,ttended with all pomp( he reached the Shankara Villa& ,fter a short rest( he was led into the audience hall where man had gathered to hear his repl to their welcome& ,s he entered( the hall resounded with shouts of triumph and *o & )he Ra*a opened the meeting with a speech in high praise of the Swami& 9is brother( Ra*a <inakara Sethupathi( then read the address of welcome( which was presented in a massive( gold casket of e6Duisite workmanship& )he Swami began his repl with words that have taken their place in the histor of +ndia& )o hear them spoken& in his thrilling voice is not given to us( but even to read them( the have a thrilling Dualit 2

"$"
)he longest night seems to be passing awa ( the sorest trouble seems to be coming to an end at last( the seeming corpse appears to be awaking and a voice is coming to us ? awa back where histor and even tradition fails to peep into the gloom of the past( coming down from there( reflected as it were from peak to peak of the infinite 9imala a of knowledge( and of love( and of work( +ndia( this motherBland of ours ? a voice is coming unto us( gentle( firm( and et unmistakable in its utterances( and is gaining volume as da s pass b ( and behold( the sleeper is awakeningG 0ike a breeLe from the 9imala as( it is bringing life into the almost dead bones and muscles( the letharg is passing awa ( and onl the blind cannot see( or the perverted will not see( that she is awakening( this motherland of ours( from her deep long sleep& 'one can resist her an moreE never is she going to sleep an moreE no outward powers can hold her back an moreE for the infinite giant is rising to her feet& Aour 9ighness( and gentlemen of Ramnad( accept m heartfelt thanks&&&&

Each nation( he said( has its own part to pla in the harmon of nations& Spiritualit is the special strength of +ndia& 0et her be true to that( and a glorious future lies before her& +n closing the proceedings( the Ra*a announced that the Swami's visit would be commemorated b a public subscription to the /adras Famine Relief Fund& ,bout the -amban( Rameswaram( and Ramnad receptions( !& 3oodwin wrote to /rs& 1ull on !anuar @" as follows2
,t -amban( our first place in +ndia( the Ra*ah of Ramnad received him in person( prostrating himself at the Swami's feet( weeping for pure *o and afterwards helping to drag the Swami's carriage in place of horses& 9ere also an address was presented& <uring the three da s we went to Rameswaram( one of the largest and holiest temples in +ndia& 9ere also the Swami addressed the large crowd( in the temple& + should also add that he was taken to the temple in a procession of elephants( camels( horses( etc& ,t Ramnad the re*oicing was tremendous&&&& )he cheering and shouting of F9ara 9ara /ahadevF was terrific& +t made us ver proud of our Swami( and we realiLed what he is to +ndia& Ever one sa s that his work in the .est has caused a tremendous Spiritual revival&&&&

"$7 ,t Ramnad there were( as usual( man who came to meet the Swami personall & +n the 5hristian /issionar School( lent for the purpose( he gave a lecture& ,nd he attended a durbar at the palace held in his honour& )he durbar hall was brilliantl lighted( and the Ra*a's own band pla ing& 9ere he received further addresses in )amil and Sanskrit to which he replied& <uring the course of the function he conferred on the Ra*a the title FRa*arshiF( meaning that the Ra*a was both a ruler (Ra*a) and a sage (Rishi)& ,t the latter's reDuest the Swami gave a short address into a phonograph on the need of ShaktiBworship in +ndia& Following this visit to the palace on Sunda evening (!anuar @")( the Swami and part set out on their *ourne northwards at midnight& -aramakkudi (or -aramagudi)( reached b coach( was the first stopping place& , demonstration on a large scale had been organiLed( thousands following the Swami in procession& +n his repl to their address of welcome( he spoke in forceful words of the materialism of the .est and the spiritualit of +ndia& .hile not unappreciative of .estern materialism within the limits of its proper reference( he gave this warning2 F)he whole of .estern civiliLation will crumble to pieces in the ne6t fift ears if there is no spiritual foundation&F .ith two .orld .ars falling within the fift ears of which he spoke( who will sa that his words were wide of the markG ,t /anamadurai( where the ne6t halt was made( the Swami was taken in procession to a huge pandal under which( amid deafening shouts of enthusiasm( an address of welcome from the people of that place and of neighbouring Shivaganga was read& )o the contention( e6pressed in it( that .estern materialism had nearl swamped +ndian religious convictions( the Swami replied that if that was so( a good deal of the fault la with +ndians themselves& 9e went on to speak about their kitchen religion and cookingBpot 3od& ,gain the *ourne was resumed& +t was one long triumphal progress& ,t /adurai( the ancient cit of learning and temples and ro al memories( the Swami was accommodated in the bungalow of the Ra*a of Ramnad& ,n address of welcome was

"$@ presented to him in a velvet casket& +n his repl he spoke of the religious revival going on in +ndia& She had to steer a course between the fanaticism of orthodo6 and the soullessness of EuropeBinspired& social reform& She had to distinguish between essentials and nonBessentials in finding her true course& &)hree weeks of continuous travelling( ovations( and speaking had told on him ph sicall ( but the vigour of his mind and spirit was unimpaired& )hough( in some of the places he visited( he was not ph sicall fit enough to deliver speeches and receive visitors at all times of the da ( he waived all consideration of his bod and was eDual to the main demands of the occasion& Such tremendous enthusiasm centring on religion( as this was( gladdened his heart and led him to hope great things from his people in the future& .hile in /adurai the Swami paid a visit to the /inakshi temple& 9e was received with great respect( spoke with the temple priests( and referred enthusiasticall to the architecture and sculpture of the temple& )he temple *ewels were brought out and shown to him and his .estern disciples& )he )ndian #irror dated Februar "" reported his visit to /adurai thus2
#adura, @rd Februar 2 )he Swami Vivekananda and part arrived at halfBpast ten esterda & )he were received b the public with temple Stalangam& +n the afternoon( the Swami answered Duestions on 9indu philosoph & 9e visited the temple whence he drove to the 5ollege( where he received a public address and replied to it& )he audience numbered upwards of two thousand& )he Swami said( +ndia has a mission( namel ( that of spreading spiritualit through the world& +t is as impossible for 9indus to cast aside scores of centuries of spiritual training as for the Europeans to leave their few centuries of growth& .hen its EuropeaniLation was complete( +ndia will die as a nation&&&& <istinguish the permanent in 9induism from the accidental( then +ndia's mission in the world will he fulfilled& )he Swami left at night& 9e sta s at :umbakonam toda &

On the evening of Februar 7( the Swami entrained for :umbakonam& Swami Shivananda( his brotherBdisciple( was now with him on his& *ourne from /adurai northwards& ,ll along the wa at each station where the train stopped( crowds of people had gathered to welcome him with intense

"$= enthusiasm& Even small villages sent representatives& 3arlands of flowers and addresses of welcome were presented( and the people pressed about the train to have a glimpse of their hero& )he Swami replied to their addresses in a few words& 9e regretted that time did not permit a short sta with them& ,t )richinopol (now )iruchirapalli)( at four in the morning( there were over a thousand people on the platform to present him with an address& )he 5ouncil of the 'ational 9igh School( )richinopol ( and also the student population of the cit ( presented addresses& 9is replies had to he brief& ,t )an*ore (or )han*avur)( another large demonstration had& been arranged& .hen the Swami was received at :umbakonam( the people's re*oicing knew no bounds& )he 9indu communit and( separatel ( the 9indu students of the town( presented addresses of welcome& +n repl the Swami spoke on F)he /ission of the VedantaF& +t was the first of those fullBlength calls to the nation( still uniDue in +ndian histor 2 unrivalled for their Dualit of thought( intensit of passion( and beaut of rhetoric& )he Swami remained in :umbakonam three da s( so that he could to some e6tent get rested in anticipation of the heav work known to be awaiting him in /adras& <uring these da s( a deputation led b :& S& :rishnamachari and S& /& Ra*a Ram waited on him at the 'ilgiri 9all one morning& )he tendered a memorial( signed b some ;>% students of )richinopol ( reDuesting him to sta at least a da or two in their midst& )he Swami replied as follows2
3entlemen( + have received our address with great pleasure and sincerel thank ou for the kind e6pressions contained therein& + much regret( however( that time effectuall prevents m pa ing even a short visit to )richinopol at present& +n the autumn( however( + propose making a lecture tour throughout +ndia( and ou ma rel upon it that + shall then not fail to include )richinopol in the programme& ,gain thanking ou and with m blessings to all& Sincerel ours(

Vivekananda

"$> ,n incident took place at :umbakonam which has recentl come to light& +t will be remembered that( when the Swami was in /adras in "$#@( he dreamt that his mother had died& 9e became an6ious on that account& ,lasinga and /anmathanath 1hattachar a took him to a man called 3ovinda 5hetti( who had power over ghosts& )his man relieved the Swami of an6iet b assuring him that his mother was alive and well& )hat was four ears ago& 'ow( when the Swami was being welcomed b the people of :umbakonam( he recogniLed 3ovinda 5hetti in the crowd( and asked him to meet him later& .hen the ghost charmer came( the Swami said2 F+ know ou have ps chic power& +t has given ou mone and honourE but from the spiritual point of view( are ou not where ou startedM 9as our mind progressed towards 3odMF )he man replied( F'o( it has not progressed&F )hen the Swami said to him2 F+f that has not happened( what have ou gained b this ps chic& powerM Once ou taste the bliss of 3od( ou will gee that all( these things are nothing&F Sa ing this the Swami embraced him& )o ever bod 's astonishment( the man's ps chic powers disappeared from that da ( and in their place came tremendous hankering for 3od( as a result of which he renounced the world& On the wa from :umbakonam to /adras the Swami met with the same enthusiastic welcome& ,t /a avaram (/a uram) people gathered in large numbers( filling the whole of the station platform& , committee headed b <& 'atesa ,i er presented him with an addressE and 5& Venkata Row Sahib( the <istrict /unsiff( garlanded him& +n thanking those assembled( the Swami humbl said that he had onl done what the 0ord had commissioned him to do& 9e had not done an thing great( and an bod else would have done better& Aet he was pleased to see that even his modest labours were being gratefull appreciated& ,fter a short talk with the /unsiff( he was borne on his wa amid e6ultant shouts of F!ai Swami Vivekananda /ahara**i ki *aiGF ,n incident which speaks volumes for the adoration that the Swami had aroused in the hearts of the millions of South +ndia(

"$8 took place at a small railwa station some miles from /adras& /an people had assembled there to get a glimpse of the F3reat )eacherF and pa their homage to him& )he train( a FthroughF train( was not to stop at that station& )he crowds importuned the stationmaster to flag the train to a stop( if onl for a few minutes( but to no avail& ,t last( seeing the train coming in the distance( hundreds of people la flat on the railwa line( determined to stop the train& )he stationmaster was in a panic& 9owever( the train came to a halt& -eople crowded round the Swami's carriage( sending forth shouts of triumph in his honour& Visibl moved b this e6pression of feeling( he appeared before them for a few moments& 9e thanked them with all his heart( and e6tended his hands in blessing&

"$;

33 RECEPTION IN MADRAS 3reat enthusiasm prevailed in /adras and its environs for weeks over the homeB coming of Swami Vivekananda& , Vivekananda Reception 5ommittee was organiLed some time in the fist week of !anuar ( with the 9on'ble !ustice Subrahman a l er as head& /an prominent persons of the cit ( such as Sir V& 1hash am l engar( V& :rishnaswami l er( V& 5& Seshachariar( -rof& /& Rangachariar( ' -rof& :& Sundararama l er( <r& 'an*unda Rao( -& R& Sundara l er( were its active workers( in addition to ,lasinga -erumal( 1ala*i Rao( -& Singaravelu /udaliar( and other disciples of the Swami& )he 5ommittee prepared two or three leaflets for distribution throughout the cit 2 the ob*ect was to give the people sonic account of the Swami's preaching work in the .est& Subscriptions were raised and largeBscale preparations made to receive him& For da s in advance( the /adras papers carried editorials about him and announced the programme of welcoming him& )he railwa station and streets were lavishl decorated( and seventeen triumphal arches erected& /ottoes were blaLoned on all sides2 F0ong 0ive the Venerable VivekanandaGF F9ail( Servant of 3od lF F9ail( Servant of all 3reat Sages of the -astGF F9eart 3reetings of ,wakened +ndiaGF F3reetings to the Swami VivekanandaGF F9ail( 9arbinger of -eaceGF F9ail( Shri Ramakrishna's .orth SonGF F.elcome( -rince of /enGF ,nd in Sanskrit2 FEkam Sad Vipra 1ahudha VadantiGF )he route selected was from Egmore Railwa Station( through 5hintadripet and 'apier -ark( into /ount Road( then along - crofts' Road and 1each Road to 5astle :ernan( formerl called the +ce 9ouse and now( since the Vivekananda 5entenar ("#8@)( called FVivekananda 9ouseF& One floor of this palatial building had been put at the Swami's disposal during his sta in /adras b its owner( 1iligiri l engar&

"$$ )he da before the Swami arrived( /r& and /rs& Sevier( accompanied b /r& 9arrison( a 5e lonese 1uddhist( arrived at /adras( were met at the station( and taken to 5astle :ernan& )he same evening a public reception was arranged for them( which was attended b 5ol& Olcott( among others& On this occasion 5ol& Olcott told -rof& :& Sundararama l er that he was a warm friend and sincere admirer of the Swami& On the eve of the Swami's arrival the #adras Times had this to sa 2
For the past few weeks the 9indu public of /adras have been most an6iousl e6pecting the arrival of Swami Vivekananda( the great 9indu /onk of worldBwide fame& ,t the present moment his name is on ever bod 's lips& +n the schools( in the colleges( in the 9igh 5ourt( on the /arina( and in the streets and baLaars of /adras( hundreds of eager persons ma be seen asking ever bod ( F.hen will the Swami Vivekananda comeMF 0arge numbers of students from the mofussil( who have come up for the universit e6aminations( are sta ing here awaiting the Swami( and increasing their hostelr bills( despite the urgent call of their parents to return home immediatel for the holida s& From( the nature of the receptions received elsewhere in this -residenc ( from the preparations being made here( from the triumphal arches erected at 5astle :ernan( where the F-rophetF is to be lodged at the cost of the 9indu public( and from the interest taken in the movement b the leading 9indu gentlemen of this cit ( like the 9on& /r& *ustice Subrahman a l er( there is no doubt that the Swami will have a grand reception& +t was /adras that first recogniLed the superior merits of the Swami and eDuipped him for his *ourne to 5hicago& /adras will now have again the honour of welcoming the undoubtedl great man who has done so much to raise the prestige of his motherland& Four ears ago when the Swami came here( he was practicall an obscure individual& +n an unknown bungalow at St& )home he spent some two months holding conversations on religious topics and teaching and instructing all corners who cared to listen to him& Even then a few educated oung men with a Fkeener e eF predicted that there was something in the man( Ja powerK that would lift him above all others( and preBeminentl enable him to be the leader of men& )hese oung men who were then despised as Fmisguided enthusiastsF( Fdream revivalistsF( have now the supreme satisfaction of seeing Ftheir SwamiF( as the loved to

"$# 5all him return to them with a great European and ,merican fame& )he mission of the Swami is( essentiall ( spiritual&&&& .hatever differences of opinion followers of other creeds ma have with him & & & few will venture( to den that the Swami has done eoman service to hi& countr in opening the e es of the .estern world to Fthe good in the 9induF& 9e will alwa s be remembered as the 2first 9indu sann asin who dared to cross the sea to carr to the .est the message of what he believes in as a religious peace&&&& +n "$#7( when he visited )rivandrum the Swami met -rof& /& Rangachar a& )his gentleman now had a post at the :umbakonam 5ollege& From :umbakonam he travelled to /adras with the Swami& ,t 5hingleput( some thirt Bsi6 miles from /adras( representatives of the #adras #ai' and The Hindu boarded the train& lie interview that the reported as having had with the Swami was in fact the report of a series of Duestions asked b -rof& Rangachar a and answered b the Swami2 these representatives simpl took down what was said& )he interview attracted wide attention( for in the course of it the Swami had some candid words to sa about the F/issionariesF and F5hurch womenF who had done their best to defame him in ,merica& .hen the train bringing the heroBmonk steamed into Egmore Station( /adras( on the morning of Februar 8( "$#;( there were thundering shouts of applause& )he enthusiasm shown was unprecedented in the histor of /adras& ,n account of the Swami's entrance into the cit can be convenientl given in the words of one of the leading papers2
<ue to previous information widel disseminated that Swami Vivekananda would arrive at /adras this morning b the South +ndian Railwa ( the 9indus of /adras( of all ages and of all ranks( including oung children in primar schools( grownBup students in colleges( merchants( pleaders and *udges( people of all shades and varieties( and in some instances( even women( turned up to welcome the Swami on his return from his successful mission in the .est& )he railwa station at Egmore( being the first place of landing in /adras( had been well fitted up b the Reception 5ommittee who had organiLed the splendid reception in his honour& ,dmission to the platform

"#%
was regulated b tickets rendered necessar b the limited space in the interior of the stationE the whole platform was full& +n this gathering all the familiar figures in /adras public life could be seen& )he train steamed in at about ;&@% a&m&( and as soon as it came to a standstill in front of the south platform( the crowds cheered lustil and clapped their hands( while a native band struck up a livel air& )he members of the Reception 5ommittee received the Swami on alighting& )he Swami was accompanied b his 3urubhais HbrotherBmonksI( the Swamis 'iran*anananda and Shivananda( and b his European disciple /r& !& !& 3oodwin& On being conducted to the dais( he was met b 5aptain and /rs& !& 9& Sevier( who had arrived on the previous da with /r& and /rs& )& 3& 9arrison( 1uddhists from 5olombo and admirers of the Swami& )he procession then wended its wa along the platform( towards the entrance( amidst deafening cheers and clapping of hands( the band leading& ,t the portico( introductions were made& )he Swami was garlanded as the band struck up a beautiful tune& ,fter convening with those present for a few minutes( he entered a carriage and pair that was in waiting( accompanied b the 9on& /r& *ustice Subrahman a l er and his 3urubhais( and drove off to 5astle :ernan( the residence of /r& 1iligiri l engar( ,ttorne ( where he will reside during his sta in /adras& )he Egmore Station was decorated with flags( -alm leaves and foliage plants( and red baiLe was spread on the platform& )he F.a OutF gate had a triumphal arch with the words( F.elcome to the Swami VivekanandaF& -assing out of the compound( the crowds surged still denser and denser( and at ever move( the carriage had to halt repeatedl to enable the people to make offerings to the Swami& +n most instances the offerings were in the 9indu st le( the presentation of fruits and cocoanuts( something in the nature of an offering to a god in a temple& )here was a perpetual shower of flowers at ever point on the route and under the F.elcomeF arches which spanned the whole route of the procession from the station to the +ceB 9ouse( along the 'apier -ark( via 5hintadripet( thence turning on the /ount Road opposite the 3overnment 9ouse( wending thence along the .alla*a Road( the 5hepauk and finall across the - crofts' Road to the South 1each& <uring the progress of the procession along the route described( the receptions accorded to the Swami at the several places of halt were no less than ro al ovations& )he decorations and the inscriptions on the arches were e6pressive of the profoundest respect and esteem and the universal re*oicing of

"#"
the local 9indu 5ommunit and also of their appreciation of his services to 9induism& )he Swami halted opposite the 5it Stables in an open pandal and there received addresses with the usual formalities of garlanding& Speaking of the intense enthusiasm that characteriLed the reception( one must not omit to notice a humble contribution from a venerableBlooking old lad ( who pushed her wa to the Swami's carriage through the dense crowds( in order to see him( that she might thereb be enabled( according to her belief( to wash off her sins as she regarded him as an +ncarnation of Sambandha /oorth Ha Shaiva saint of )amil 'aduI& .e make special mention of this to show with what feeling of piet and devotion 9is 9oliness was received this morning( and( indeed( in 5hintadripet and elsewhere( camphor offerings were made to him( and at the place where he is encamped( the ladies of the household received him with ,rati( or the ceremon of waving lights( incense( and flowers as before an image of 3od& )he procession had necessaril to be slow( ver slow indeed( on account of the halts made to receive the offerings( and so the Swami did not arrive at 5astle :ernan until half past nine( his carriage being in the meanwhile dragged b the students who unharnessed the horses at the turn to the 1each and pulled it with great enthusiasm& ,rrived at the 5astle :ernan( /r& :rishnamachariar( 1&,&( 1&0&( 9igh 5ourt Vakil( read a Sanskrit address on behalf of the /adras Vidvanmanoran*ini Sabha& )his was followed b a 5anarese H:annadaI address& ,t the close of this ceremon ( /r& *ustice Subrahman a l er asked the gathering to disperse in order to let clip Swami rest after the fatigue of his *ourne ( which was done& )he Swami was installed in one of the magnificent chambers in the upper store of the 5astle :ernan& 'ever since its earliest da s has /adras witnessed such an enthusiastic reception accorded to an one( European or +ndian& Of all the official receptions that were ever held in /adras( none could eDual the one given to Swami Vivekananda& Such an ovation has not been witnessed in /adras within the memor of the oldest mars( and we dare sa that the scenes of toda will remain for ever in the memor of the present generation&

,fter the Swami had taken food and had a short rest( -rofessors :& Sundararama l er and /& Rangachar a met him to arrange a programme for his sta in /adras& )he Swami

"#7 asked them to arrange the programme between themselves and simpl inform him of the sub*ects he was to speak on& +t was settled that his first appearance would be in order to repl to the main address of welcome( that of the Vivekananda Reception 5ommittee presented on behalf of 'the people of /adras& ,fterwards there were to be four public lectures devoted to his message to the world and to +ndia( and to the means of building up a national spiritual life in +ndia suited to altered conditions& )he following sub*ects were chosen2 (") F/ -lan of 5ampaignF( (7) F)he Sages of +ndiaF( (@) FVedanta in its ,pplication to +ndian 0ifeF( (=) F)he Future of +ndiaF& ,t ,lasinga's reDuest( the Swami also consented to deliver a lecture at the )riplicane 0iterar Societ on F)he .ork 1efore 4sFE and there were to be two morning sessions at the 5astle when people could put Duestions to him& )his gives little idea of how arduous and full occupied a time the Swami's sta in /adras was for him& For the people( it was a 'avaratri( a nineBda s' festivalE but it brought the Swami's bod almost to collapse& ,ddresses of welcome were presented to him from the moment he alighted from the train&& in all( twent Bfour( in five different languages& )he Ra*a of :hetri( devoted disciple of the Swami( sent his -rivate Secretar ( /unshi !agmohanlal( all the wa to /adras to present an address of welcome on his behalf& From the first da to the last of his visit he was besieged at all hours b visitors of all classes and of both se6es& /an women of respectable families came to 5astle :ernan as if the were visiting a temple& )heir devotional feeling reached its clima6 when the gained admission and prostrated themselves before the Swami as if he were an avatar or ,char a revisiting the scene of his labours& )here were crowds constantl waiting in front of the 5astle at all hours of the da and even after dark& -rof& Sundararama l er writes2
+t had gone forth that he was an avatar of Sambandha Swami Ha Shaiva saintI( and the idea was taken up ever where with absolute truthfulness b the common people& .henever a glimpse of him was caught( as he passed to and fro in the 5astle grounds or as he was

"#@
getting into his coach on his wa to one of the meetings( the prostrated en masse before him& )he scene on such occasions was as impressive as it was unusual( emphasiLing as it did that in the heart of the nation was a deep reverence for renunciation of the world's vanities and its unsubstantial fleeting attachmentsE that it still regarded it to be the sole means to the attainment of the lotus feet of the Supreme and the resulting liberation from the miseries in the material universe&

'ot long after his arrival in /adras( the Swami was reDuested b some of his followers there to sing& 9e sang one of !a adeva's songs in a voice and in a Raga (tune) different from an ever heE=rd in that part of the countr & F)he impression then receivedF( writes -rof& Sundararama l er( Fis one never to be effaced( and the Swami revealed himself to us in one of the lighter aspects of his comple6 nature&F :& S& Ramaswami Sastri( son of the -rof& Sundararama l er *ust Duoted( who had met the Swami in "$#7( met him a"gain during this visit to /adras& +n his reminiscences he writes2 )he difference that + noticed between Vivekananda of "$#7 and Vivekananda of "$#; was what struck me most& +n "$#7 he looked like one who had a tr st with destin and was not Duite sure when or where or how he was to keep that tr st& 1ut in "$#; he looked like one who ha "d kept that tr st with destin ( who clearl knew his mission( and who was confident about its fulfilment& 9e walked with stead and unfaltering steps and went along his predestined path( issuing commands and being sure of lo al obedience& .e shall now give a more or less chronological account of the Swami's activities in /adras( so far as it can he reconstructed from the reminiscences of -rof& Sundararama l er and 5& Ramanu*achari( published in Vedanta :esari, and from newspaper reports and other sources& On Saturda ( Februar 8( the da of the Swami's arrival( there was a large gathering at 5astle :ernan in the evening& )he )ndian #irror, a 5alcutta paper which carried e6cerpts from /adras papers( gave this account of the scene at 5astle

"#= :ernan( with special reference to Februar 8 and the earl morning gathering on the ;th2
5astle :ernan( where Swami Vivekananda is lodged( presented a picturesDue scene on Saturda evening HFebruar 8I& )he 5astle( itself is beautifull decorated and fitted up for the reception of Swami and part &&&& )wo magnificent pandals have been put up( one at the entrance( which is intended to serve a purel ornamental purpose( and another in the compound( which serves the purpose of a meeting hall( where the Swami patientl undergoes the severe crossBe6amination to which he is sub*ected on the technicalities and subtleties of the Vedanta& , large number of gentlemen waited upon the Swami at the pandal that evening( when an acrostic poem in Sanskrit in honour of the Swami was read b /r& R& Sivasankara -andia*i& )he Swami then offered to answer an Duestions that might be put to him& Some one set the ball rolling b asking the Swami to point out the difference between karma and fata'ism&&&& /r& -& 0& 'arasu( 1&,&( then heckled the Swami on the essential tenets of the Vedanta& , most interesting passageBatBarms then followed( the Swami dealing with his interrogator's various points with admirable lucidit ( force( and aptness&&&&

+n the same issue of the )ndian #irror is another report which would seem to relate to a session between ;&@% and # a&m& on the following morning( Sunda the ; th2
'earl two hundred persons assembled this morning &&& at 5astle :ernan to Duestion Swami Vivekananda on various topics of interest& Some asked him to e6plain the difference between FmindF and A !matterF( some wished to know whether 3od had a human shape& )he Swami patientl and courteousl answered all his Duestioners&&&&

)he same da ( the ;th( had been appointed for the Swami to receive the main /adras address of welcome& ,bout = p&m& he set out from 5astle :ernan& +t was a da of high e6pectations for ever one( Over ten thousand people had assembled in &and around the Victoria 9all& )he scene in front of it( and along the roads and b Bwa s leading to it( defied description& )he carriage taking the Swami and his part could scarcel passE so dense was t he crowd& ,s the alighted( there were loud cries of FOpenBair meetingF from the vast throng that had

"#> assembled& )he arrangement was that the address would he presented in the hall& )his( of course( was filled to capacit & .ith great difficult the Swami made his wa to the platform& Sir 1hash am l engar was alread in the chairE and the Swami took the scat b his side& ,mong those present were the 9on'ble !ustice Subrahman a l er( the 9on'ble Subba Rao -untulu( the 9on'ble -& Ra*arathna /oodeliar( 5ol& 9& >& Olcott( -arthasarath l engar( and others& ,ddresses were presented to the Swami b the Vivekananda Reception 5ommittee( the Vaidika Vidvat :atha -rasanga Sabha( the Ra*a of :hetri( and the /adras Social Reform ,ssociation& )he Reception 5ommittee's address was read b /& %& -arthasarath l engar& /eanwhile( loud and continuous shouts of FOpenBair meetingF from outside interrupted the proceedings within& )he Swami's heart was touchedE he felt that he could not disappoint the countless( eager oung men assembled outside& 9e suddenl burst out( sa ing( F+ am a man of the people& )he are all outside& + must go and meet themF( and rushed from the hall& ,s soon as he appeared outside( thundering applause broke forth& )hen there was a regular stampede& Since no arrangements had been made for him to address the people in the open air( he got on a landau and tried to speak from that& )he noise was so deafening that he could not make himself heard& So he climbed into the coachman's scat( and spoke Fin 3ita fashionF( as he put it& 9e had in mind( of course( Shri :rishna's delivering his message in a chariot ages before& F/an proposes and 3od disposesF( he began& F+t was arranged that + should address ou in accidental fashionE but it was ordained b the 0ord t 'hat + should address ou in 3itaBfashion( standing in a chariot&F Each nation&( he said( has &one particular groove which is its own& For +ndia( that is religion& +ndia has taken the side of renunciationE for without renunciation how can there be religionM )he rest of the world has taken the side of en*o ment& .hich side is to surviveM )he melting awa of the nations that had en*o ment as their

"#8 ideal( and the survival of +ndia with renunciation and love as her ideals( show that +ndia has been right& 9e went on to tell his hearers that he was intensel pleased with their enthusiasm2 onl let them Fkeep it upFE let them give him all the help he reDuired( Fto do great things for +ndiaF& ,t this stage the( crowd became so unmanageable that the Swami could not make himself heard& 9e finall said( FAou have seen me toda 2 ou will hear me some other da &F ,nd it was true that( though there was disappointment at the sudden termination of the meeting( those who had come had had the satisfaction of having seen the Swami& ,fter this abortive meeting( the Reception 5ommittee( with the consent of the Swami( decided that( as it was impossible to control the big crowd( admission to his remaining lectures should be regulated b tickets to be issued on pa ment& )o this effect the made the following announcement in the papers2
)he following is the programme of Swami Vivekananda's /adras lectures& )uesda HFebruar #" at >&@% p&m& B/ -lan of 5ampaign )hursda HFebruar ""I do B)he Sages of +ndia Saturda HFebruar "@I do B)he Vedanta in +ts -ractical ,pplication to the -roblems of +ndian 0ife ,dmission will he b tickets to be had of /essrs Srinivasa Varadachari and 3o& Rates of admission2 Rs& 7 for the platform and Re& + for the 9all& )he proceeds will he devoted to further the work of the Swami in +ndia& ,rrangements are also being made for an openBair lecture on the "=th instant( the sub*ect being F)he Future of +ndiaF& -articulars of time and place( etc&( regarding this lecture will be dul notified&

Some incidents which occurred on /onda ( Februar $( the da following the mammoth meeting( are recorded b -rof& Sundararama l er2
,t about noon( -rof& -& 0akshmi 'arasu ? whom + have alwa s esteemed as a gentleman of great learning and high character ? came to the 5astle( accompanied b the late /r& '& :& Ramaswam

"#;
l er& /r& 0akshmi 'arasu was a student of science and an avowed 1uddhist( but + did not know who his companion was& )he latter gentleman + learnt was the publisher( and the former the editor and the leading (or even the sole) contributor to a *ournal which was appearing somewhat irregularl and abandoned after a few issues had been published( called BThe Awakened of )ndia&&&& )hese two visitors of the Swami were evidentl of opinion that his mission and labours in ,merica and the propaganda work started in /adras at his instance b the publication of the .rahmavadin and &ra,uddha .harata =Awakened )ndiaC had et had no effect in imparting a new impulse of activit ( and +ndia still remained sunk as deep as ever in her lethargic slumber of ages& )heir own Awakened of )ndia, however( was( Haccording to themI on the whole( a bright and rousing performance while it lasted&&&& ,s + entered the room( his companion( whom we all knew well during his subseDuent career( was sa ing( F.e want( Swami( to have a free talk on various problems of philosoph and religion( especiall on the Vedanta to which we have strong ob*ections& & & &F + took m scat( when the Swami called me to his side& Soon he said( with his usual smile lightening up his face( F9ere is m friend( SundararamanE he has been a Vedantist all his life( and he will meet all our arguments& Aou can refer to him&F )his greatl enraged '& :& Ramaswami l er who turned to me with e es betokening scorn( if not contempt( and then turned once more to the Swami( F.e have come here to meet ou( and not an other person&F )he Swami did not repl ( of course& /eanwhile( other persons and topics turned up&&&&

+n the afternoon of the same da ( a deputation of Shaivites from )iruppattur( armed with a sheet of Duestions on ,dvaita doctrine( met the Swami& :nowing that he was an ,dvaitin( the had come( or perhaps had been sent( to beard the lion in his den& )heir first Duestion was2 F9ow does the 4nmanifested become the manifestMF 0ike a bolt from the blue came the Swami's repl && FUuestions of how( wh ( or wherefore relate to the manifested world( and not to the 4nmanifested( which is above all change and causation( and therefore above all relation to the changing universe&&&& )he Duestion( therefore( is not one which can be reasonabl put& -ut a proper Duestion&&& and + will answer&F )he repl simpl paral sed

"#$ the Duestioners& )he found that the were face to face with a master who could not be trapped in a game of dialectics( and before whom it were better to bow down in humilit & )heir Duestions were forgotten& ,s -rof& Sundararama l er sa s( the felt the wand of the magician& )he enchanting power of the Swami's personalit stole over their minds and hearts& )his lion of Vedanta and master of dialectics began to speak to those present in captivating tones of tenderness& )he gist of what he said was2 F)he best wa to serve and to seek 3od is to serve the need ( to feed the hungr ( to console the stricken( to help the fallen and friendless& to attend and serve those who are ill and reDuire service&F ,fter listening to the Swami's passionate plea for service to humanit ( the deputation left& )heir faces showed that their hearts had been touched( and that for them a new light had been thrown on life& On the morning of )uesda ( Februar #( the Swami visited the )riplicane 0iterar Societ at the reDuest of its members& ,n address of welcome was read b )& V& Seshagiri l er( ViceB-resident( in which the Swami's attention was drawn to the fact that previous to his departure for ,merica his first public appearance had been in the hall of the Societ & +t was because of that that the citiLens of /adras had been able to value the Swami at his true worth& ,fter thanking the Societ for having afforded him the opportunit of making himself known to the people of /adras in "$#@( he went on to sa that the power of originalit once possessed b the 9indus had been lost( and that the were now concerning themselves with details of dress( food( and other trifles& .e have been making ourselves smaller and smaller( he said( and dissociating ourselves from the rest of the world& .e have to give up the idea that we are the people of the world& .e have much to learn from other nations( and much to give& .hat +ndia has to give( and has been giving through the ages( silentl ( imperceptibl ( is the gift of wisdom and spiritualit & FSlowl the (the .estern nations) are finding out that what the want is spiritualit to preserve them as nations& & & & 9eroic souls are wanted to help the spread of truth &&& to

"## disseminate the great truths of Vedanta&&&& )he whole of the .estern world is on a volcano which ma burst tomorrow& & & & '.e must go out( we must conDuer the world through our spiritualit and philosoph &&&& .hat + mean b the conDuest of the world &&& is the sending out of lifeBgiving principles& & & &F )he glor of the Vedanta is that it does not depend on a person( or persons2 it is based on principles& 9ence( if there is an religion that can la claim to universalit ( it is the Vedanta& .e must stick to the essentials( avoid m ster Bmongering( and purge awa our man superstitions& )he sub*ect of this talk was F)he .ork 1efore 4sF& ,lthough no notice had been given of it in the press( a ver large crowd thronged the Societ 's premises& )hat evening in the Victoria 9all( the Swami gave the first of his four public lectures2 F/ -lan of 5ampaignF& 1efore? hand( he told -rof& Sundararama l er and others that he intended Fto be out once for allF with the truth of what the )heosophical Societ had done for him in the & .est& 5ol& Olcott( he learned( had been claiming that the )heosophical Societ had paved the wa for him in ,mericaE but in fact( Jat ever turnK( he said( the Ftried to cr me downF& .hen some friends and supporters tried to dissuade the Swami from making an reference to his detractors( especiall to the )heosophical Societ ( he was ine6orable& For three ears he had kept Duiet( but now it was time that people knew the facts& F)here is a report going aroundF( he said in the lecture( Fthat the )heosophists helped the little achievement of mine in ,merica and England& + have to tell ou plainl that ever word of it is wrong( ever word of it is untrue&F 9e placed the main facts of the matter before his audience& )hen he referred to the F5hristian missionariesF in ,merica and to -ratapchandra /aLoomdar of the 1rahmo Sama*( who had done all the could to in*ure him& 'eedless to sa ( these disclosures had repercussions( in the press and in other wa s& From this time on( the 9on'ble !ustice Subrahman a l er( 5hairman of the Reception 5ommittee and devoted to the Swami( broke off his connection(

7%% for he was a prominent member of the )heosophical Societ & ,bout this plainB speaking in public the Swami wrote to Swami 1rahmananda on Februar "7 as follows2
)he )heosophists and others wanted to intimidate me& )herefore + had to give them a bit of m mind& Aou know the persecuted me all the time in ,merica( because + did not *oin them& )he wanted to begin it here& So + had to clear m position& +f that displeases an of m 5alcutta friends( F3od help themF& Aou need not he afraid( + do not work alone( but 9e is alwa s with me& .hat could + do otherwiseM

5oming back to the lecture( the Swami ne6t had something to sa about the reformers2 F)he want to reform onl in little bits& + want rootBandBbranch reform& .here we differ is in the method& )heirs is the method of destruction( mine is that of construction& + do not believe in reformE + believe in growth& & & &F )o dictate to societ which wa it shall move is to put oneself in the position of 3od& 1ut who knows( and who dares sa which wa societ shall move M FFeed the national life with the fuel it wants( but the growth is its ownE none can dictate its growth to it& Evils are plentiful in our societ ( but so are there evils in ever other societ &F Ever uneducated globeB trotting foreigner can give a harangue on the evils in 9indu societ ( Fbut he is the friend of mankind who finds a wa out of the difficult F& F)he histor of the world teaches us that wherever there have been fanatical reforms( the onl result has been that the have defeated their own ends&F & )his was the Swami's position visBYBvis the reformers( some of whom( as he said( Ftr to intimidate me to *oinF their societies& )hen he takes up arms against those who sa that idolatr is wrong& F+ once thought so( and to pa the penalt of that + had to learn m lesson sitting at the feet of a man who realiLed ever thing through idolsE + allude to Ramakrishna -aramahamsa& +f such Ramakrishna -aramahamsas are produced b idolBworship( what will ou have ? the reformers' creed or an number of idolsM & & & )ake a thousand idols more if ou can produce Ramakrishna -aramahamsas through idolBworship& & & &F

7%" ,fter clearing the ground he comes to his plan2 F/ plan is to follow the ideas of the great ancient /asters&F Since ever improvement in +ndia reDuires first of all an upheaval in religion( the first work that demands our attentions that the most wonderful truths confined in our 4panishads be Fbrought out from the possession of selected bodies of people( and scattered broadcast all over the land&&&& ,nd that diffusion &&& must go out all over the world&F )hen he makes the points he had made in F)he .ork 1efore 4sF( about a giveBandBtake between +ndia and the .est& F/ plan is to start institutions in +ndia( to train our oung men as preachers of the truths of our scriptures( in +ndia and outside +ndia& /en( men( these are wantedF ? sincere to the backbone& F, hundred such and the world becomes revolutioniLed&F 9e describes what his ideal of patriotism is( and concludes2 F)his national ship &&& m friends &&& has been ferr ing millions and millions of souls across the waters of life& For scores of shining centuries it has been pl ing& & & & 1ut toda ( perhaps through our own fault( this boat &&& has sprung a leakE and would ou therefore curse itM &&& 0et us go and stop the holes& 0et us gladl do it with our hearts' blood& & & &F On the evening of .ednesda ( Februar "%( the Swami attended an atBhome held in his honour at the premises of the Social Reform ,ssociation( in 1lack )own( & , handsome fan was presented to him as a memento of his visit& +n his conversation with the members( he gave little or no encouragement to the revolutionar views entertained b the societ Rs leaders( b QQadmitted the need for social reformsRR( such as the removal of untouchabilit ( the restoration and rearrangement of the caste s stem so as to recover its ancient rationale( and so on& On the morning of )hursda ( Februar ""( the Swami went on invitation to the house of <r Subrahman a + er( in 0uL 5hurch Road& -rof& Sundararama + er( who was present( writes2

7%7
.e met in the room upstairs( and the Swami e6plained to us his plans for a vast religious reformation and revival in +ndia which would serve to bring 9indus( 5hristians( /ohammedans( 1uddhists( and all under a common flag of brotherl union and serve as a star of hope and harmon ( and a ceaseless incentive to the striving b men of all creeds and colours after a common goal of national aspiration& 9e wanted a new sort and st le of temple with a hall in the front containing statues of the sages and prophets of all great religions( and behind it an inner precinct containing a pillar with the letter (or letters) Om inscribed on it and underneath the open sk &&&&

On the evening of )hursda ( Februar ""( the Swami delivered his second public lecture( F)he Sages of +ndiaF( in the Victoria 9all& )he place was crowded to capacit & )he 9on'ble '& Subba Rao was in the chair& ,mong those present were 9& 1eauchamp( Editor of the #adras #ai', the 9on'ble Subrahman a l er( Ra*a Sir S& Ramaswam /oodeliar( and others& )he Swami first drew attention to the distinction that 9induism makes between two grades of truth taught in two grades of scripture& )he Shrutis( consisting of the Vedas( teach eternal truthsE the Smritis( consisting of the codes of /anu and others( and of the -uranas and )antras( teach contingent truths appropriate to particular circumstances& )he impersonal principles taught b the Shrutis stand on their own foundation of truth( without dependence on reasoning or on the authorit of an person or persons& 1ut it was alwa s recogniLed that the ma*orit of mankind must have a -ersonal 3od to worship( and spiritual personalities to inspire them& )he Smritis give ample scope for this& )he knowledge which the Vedas declare comes through being a Rishi (sage)& 1ut the state of Rishi is not limited to the past& +ndeed( the Swami sa s( Funtil each one of ou has become a Rishi and come face to face with spiritual facts( religious life has not begun for ou&F FReligion is not in books &&& nor in dogmas&&&& +t is being and becoming& & & &F Of the worldBmoving sages and great +ncarnations( Rama and :rishna are worshipped the most in +ndia& Rama & & & the embodiment of truth( of moralit ( was the ideal son( ideal

7%@ husband( ideal father( ideal king& 1ut( cries the Swami in the fervour of his thought( Fthere ma have been several Ramas( perhaps( but never more than one SitaG She is the ver t pe of the true +ndian woman &&& and here she stands these thousands of ears( commanding the worship of ever man( woman( and child &&& this glorious Sita&&&& She is( there in the blood of ever 9indu man and .oman&&&&F )hen came Shri :rishna?of the 3opis( and of the 0ita* )o have that love for 3od that the 3opis had( that is the goat& ,s to the 0ita, Fno better commentar on the Vedas has been written or can be writtenF& Shri :rishna was the great teacher of harmon & 1ut that did not prevent a long period of conflict( especiall between the king and priests& F,nd from the topmost crest of the wave that deluged +ndia for nearl a thousand ears( we see another glorious figure( and that was our 3autama Shak amuni Hthe 1uddhaI&F 1ut 1uddhism in its turn became degraded& )hen Fthe marvellous bo Shankarachar a aroseF& 9e showed that Fthe real essence of 1uddhism and that of Vedanta are not ver differentF& )hen came Ramanu*a( he of great heart who felt for the downtrodden& 5oming down to the present age( Fthe time was ripe for one to be born(F he said( Fwho in one bod would have the &brilliant intellect of Shankar and the wonderfull e6pansive( infinite heart of 5haitan a&&&& Such a man was born( and + had the good fortune to sit at his feet for ears&&&& 9e was a strange man( this Shri Ramakrishn= -aramahamsa &&& the fulfilment of the +ndian sages( the sage for the time&&&& +f + have told ou one word of truth( it was his and his alone& & & &F On Frida morning( Februar "7( the pandal at the 5astle was full to overflowing( when the Swami took his scat on the platform& )here came a oung European lad ' of high intelligence( who put to him various Duestions on Vedanta& )he Swami's resources of knowledge and e6position were full brought out to the wonder of all present& )he lad thanked the Swami( told him that she would he leaving for 0ondon to resume her social work in its slums( and hoped that it would

7%= be her great privilege to meet him again& ,s she left( the Swami rose( advanced a few steps to see that a wa was made for her( and remained standing while she bowed and retired& +n the afternoon she returned with her father( who was engaged in 5hristian missionar work in /adras& She sought and obtained for him an interview which lasted nearl an hour& On being asked b -rof& Sundararama l er how he found the strength for such incessant activit ( the Swami said( FSpiritual work never tires one in +ndia&F On the same da a Vaishnava pandit( speaking in Sanskrit( raised a difficult point in the Vedanta for discussion& )he Swami patientl listened to the pandit( then turned to the audience and said in English that he did not care to waste time in fruitless wrangling over doctrinal details of no practical value& )he pandit then asked the Swami to sa clearl whether he was an ,dvaitin or a <vaitin& )he Swami replied in English2 F)ell the pandit that so long as + have this bod + am a <ualist( but not afterwards& )his incarnation of mine is to help to put an end to useless and mischievous Duarrels and puLLles which onl distract the mind( and make men wear of life( and even turn them into sceptics and atheists&F )he pandit then said in )amil( F)he Swami's statement is reall an avowal that he is an ,dvaitin&F )he Swami re*oined( F0et it be so&F )he matter was then dropped& +n the afternoon of the da of which we are speaking( the "7th( about =&@% p&m&( the Swami and friends visited the 9indu )heological 9igh School of /adras& First( two bo s conversed with one another in Sanskrit on ,r a <harma& )hen the -residentBFounder( 1rahmasri R& Sivasankara -andi a*i( read an address on behalf of the trustees( teachers( and bo s( of the school& )he Swami congratulated the -residentB Founder on his noble endeavours& 9e e6horted the public to encourage the school in ever wa ( and wished for similar institutions to come up all over +ndia& )he 9indu /oral ,ssociation also presented an address& +n the evening( the Swami presided at the annual meeting of the /adras 5hennapuri ,nnadana Sama*am( held in

7%> -achai appa's 9all& ,fter the usual proceedings the Swami spoke a few words on charit & )he 9indu custom in the practice of charit ( he said( was superior to the legislated methods of other nations& 5harit should he done to ever one in need( without distinction of caste or creed& )he receiver was for the time being the representative of 3od 9imself( and he who gave was merel a worshipper& On the evening of Saturda ( Februar "@( the Swami addressed a ver large audience in -achai appa's 9all on F)he Vedanta in +ts ,pplication to +ndian 0ifeF& 9e said that 9indu religion is a collection of various religions( of various ideas( of various ceremonials and forms( all gathered together almost without a name( and without a church( and without an organiLation& )he onl point where all the sects agree is that the all believe in the Vedas& 'o man can he called a 9indu who does not admit the supreme authorit of the Vedas& )he Vedanta covers <ualism( Uualified /onism( and /onism or ,dvaita( and even takes in part of 1uddhism and !ainism too& F+t was given to me(F said the Swami(F to live with a man who was as ardent a dualist as lie was an ,dvaitist( as ardent a 1hakta as he was a !nani&F F,nd living with this man first put it into m head to understand the 4panishads and the& te6ts of the scriptures from an independent and better basis than b blindl following the commentators&&&& + came to the conclusion that these te6ts are not at all contradictor &&& but wonderfull harmonious( one idea leading up to the other&F )he Swami tells his countr men2 FAou have talked of reforms &&& for the past hundred earsE but when it comes to practice( ou are not to be found an where&&&& ,nd what is the causeM & & &'the onl cause is that ou are weak &&& E our bod is weak( our mind is weak( ou have no faith in ourselves&&&& .ho will give& ou strengthM 0et me tell ou( strength( strength is what we want&F .here shall we get it fromM From the 4panishads& )his is the great practical application of the 4panishads( that the give us strength& )he tell us that we are essentiall Spirit ? omnipotent and omniscient& F+f the fisherman thinks that he is the Spirit( he will be a

7%8 better fishermanE if the student thinks that he is the Spirit( he will be a better student&F From this faith in the truth about ourselves( strength will come and fear will goE freedom will come and privilege will go& F0ibert is the first condition of growth& +t is wrong( a thousand times wrong( if an one of ou dares to sa ( '+ will work out the salvation of this woman or child&' + am asked again and again( what + think of the widow problem and what + think of the woman Duestion& 0et me answer once for all ? am + a widow that ou ask me that nonsenseM ,m + a woman that ou ask me that Duestion &&& M &&& ,re ou the 0ord 3od that ou should rule over ever widow and ever womanM 9ands off + )he will solve their own problems& Oh t rants( attempting to think that ou can do an thing for an oneG &&& 0ook upon ever man( woman( and ever one as 3od& Aou cannot help an one( ou can onl serve&&&& <o it onl as worship& + should see 3od in the poor( and it is for m salvation that + go and worship them &&&&&& -rof& Sundararama l er relates an amusing incident that happened during the lecture *ust summariLed& ,mong those on the platform was 3& Subrahman a l er( who was later to become editor of The Hindu* ,t one point( particularl addressing the students in the audiences( the Swami said2 FFirst of all( our oung men must be strong& Religion will come afterwards& 1e strong( m oung friendsE &&& Aou will he nearer to 9eaven through football than through the stud of the 0ita&&&& Aou will understand the 0ita better with our biceps( our muscles( a little stronger &&&&&& Even while the Swami was speaking( Subrahman a l er e6claimed in )amil to those near him( F+ have said the same thing often( but none would give ear& )he Swami sa s it now( and ou all cheerGF )he same evening( after the lecture( the Swami attended an entertainment given in his honour b 0& 3ovindas( at -atters 3ardens( Ro apettah& )he large gathering included Duite a few Europeans& ,fter addresses had been read( there was a recital b two wellBknown musicians& )he Swami was presented with ochreBcoloured silk cloths( garlanded( and served with refreshments&

7%; On Sunda evening( Februar "=( the Swami gave his last public lecture in /adras( on F)he Future of +ndiaF& Over three thousand people had assembled in the 9armston 5ircus -avilion to hear him& )he 9on'ble '& Subba Rao -untulu was in the chair& -rof& Sundararama l er sa s2 F+ never saw a more crowded scene or a more enthusiastic audience& )he Swami's orator was at its best& 9e seemed like a + ion traversing the platform to and fro& )he roar of his voice reverberated ever where( and with telling effect&F )hat there was something special about this lecture( and that the Swami's voice had a special power on this occasion( is also suggested b 5& Ramanu*achari's words2 F)hat was a wonderful lecture and Swami*i's voice was heard throughout distinctl ( even in the corners& )hose were da s when there were no loudspeakers& )he effect of that speech was thrilling&F )he Swami begins F)he Future of +ndiaF with one of the most rousing of his lecture openings2 F)his is the ancient land where wisdom made its home before it went into an other countr &&&& 9ere is the same +ndia whose soil has been trodden b the feet of the greatest sages that ever lived&&&& )his is the land whence( like tidal waves( spiritualit and philosoph have again and again rushed out and deluged the world &&&&&& 9e reminds his audience of their countr 's past greatness so that the ma have the right understanding and strength to Fbuild an +ndia et greater than what she has beenF& F)he problems of +ndia are more complicated &&& than the problems in an other countr &&&& )he one common ground that we haveF( in this conglomeration of differing elements which make up +ndia( Fis our sacred tradition( our religion& )hat is the onl common ground( and upon that we shall have to build &&&& )herefore( the first plank in the making of a future +ndia &&& is this unification of religion&&&& )he +ndian mind is first religious( then an thing else& So this is to be strengthened( and how to do itM &&& / idea is first of all to bring out the gems of spiritualit that are stored up in our books &&& and let them be the common propert of all O&K 3reat /asters did tr to do this in the pastE but because

7%$ the did not spread the knowledge of Sanskrit at the same time( their successes were shortBlived& F+t is cultureF ? in this case Sanskrit culture ? Fthat withstands shocks(F ? the shocks of histor ? Fnot a simple mass of knowledge&&&& )each the masses in the vernaculars( give them ideasE the will get information2 but something more is necessar E give them culture&F )he onl wa for the lower castes to raise their condition permanentl and without conflict is for them to appropriate the culture of the higher& F)he solution is not b bringing down the higher( but b raising the lower up to the level of the higher& ,nd that is the line of work that is found in all our books& & & &F )he aim must be to raise all to 1rahminBhood& +t is the dut of the 1rahmins to Fwork hard to raise the +ndian people b teaching them what the know( b giving out the culture that the have accumulated for centuries&F F)o make a great future +ndia( the whole secret lies in organiLation( accumulation of power( coBordination of wills&F Our dissensions must stop& FFor the ne6t fift ears this alone shall be our ke note ? this( our great /other +ndia& 0et all other vain gods disappear for the time from our minds&&&& .hat is needed is &&& purification of the heart& ,nd how does this comeM )he first of all worship is the worship of the Virat ? of those all around us&&&& ,nd the first gods we have to worship are our countr men& )hese we have to worship( instead of being *ealous of each other and fighting each other&F +n concluding( the Swami speaks briefl of his plans for work in /adras& 1ut he introduces this with some of his most telling utterances on education& F.e H+ndiansI must have a hold on the spiritual and secular education of the nation& <o ou understand thatM &&& )ill then there is no salvation for the race& )he education that ou are getting now has some good points( but& & & it is not a manBmaking education&&&& Fift ears of such education has not produced one original man in the three -residencies&&&& Education is not the amount of information that is put into our brain&&&&

7%# .e must have life building( manBmaking( characterBmaking( assimilation of ideas&F ,s to details( one thing that is needed here in /adras is a nonBsectarian temple for 9indus& 5onnected with the temple Fthere should be an institution to train teachers who must go about preaching religion and giving secular education to our people&&&& Aou ma ask( where is the mone MF /one must come?because + want it& 1ut Fwhere are the menM ')hat is the Duestion& Aoung men of /adras( m hope is in ou &&&& Rouse ourselvesO& )here are greater works to be done than aspiring to be law ers and picking Duarrels and such things& , far greater work is this sacrifice of ourselves for theO& & welfare of humanit & & & &F /eanwhile the Swami was receiving betters from his .estern disciples and from the Vedanta Societies in ,merica and England( informing him of the progress of the work and congratulating him on his successful preaching there& 9e received also addresses or appreciative communications from societies or other groups of admirers ill the .est& )hat from the member of the 5ambridge 5onferences was signed b some of the most distinguished minds in the histor of ,merican thought& +t ran as follows2 )o Swami Vivekananda( +ndia <ear Friend and 1rother( ,s members of the 5ambridge 5onferences( devoted to comparative stud in Ethics( -hilosoph ( and Religion( it gives us great pleasure to recogniLe the value of our able e6positions of the -hilosoph and Religion of Vedanta in ,merica and the interest created thereb among thinking people& .e believe such e6positions as have been given b ourself and Aour coBlabourer&& the Swami Saradananda( have more than mere speculative interest and utilit ( that the are of great ethical value in cementing the ties of friendship and brotherBhood between distant peoples( and in helping us to realiLe that solidarit of human relationships and interests which has been affirmed tr all the great religions of the world&

7"% .e earnestl hope that our work in +ndia ma be blessed in further promoting this noble end( and that ou ma return to us again with assurances of fraternal regard from our distant brothers of the great& ,r an Famil ( and the ripe wisdom that comes from reflection and added e6perience and further contact with the life and thought of our people& +n view of the large opportunit for effective work presented in these 5onferences( we should be glad to know something of our own plans for the coming ear( and whether we ma anticipate our presence with us again as a teacher& +t is our hope that ou will be able to return to us( in which event we can assure ou the cordial greetings of old friends and the certaint of continued and increasing interest in our work& .e remain( 5ordiall and Fraternall ours(
0E.+S3& !,'ES( <&<&( Director 5& 5& EVEF))( <&<& .+00+,/ !,/ES !O9' 9& .R+39) !O+,9 ROA5E !& E& 0O439 ,& %& 0OVE!OA R,59E0 :E') ),A0OR S,R, 5& 1400 !O9' -& FOZ

<r& !anes was E6B-resident of the 1rookl n Ethical ,ssociation& -rof& 3& 5& Everett was <ean of 9arvard <ivinit School& -rof& .illiam !ames( of 9arvard 4niversit ( was one of the leading ps chologists and philosophers of his time& -rof& !& 9& .right was -rofessor of 3reek( 9arvard 4niversit & +t will be Bremembered that he helped the Swami secure credentials for the -arliament of Religions& -rof& Ro ce( -rofessor of -hilosoph ( 9arvard 4niversit ( was an eminent metaph sician& 9e admitted that he owed much to the Swami& -rofessors 0ough and )a lor were -residents of the 9arvard 3raduate -hilosophical ,ssociation and of the Radcliff& -hilosophical 5lub respectivel & /rs& 1ull was the promoter of the 5ambridge 5onferences( and one of the foremost women in ,merica and 'orwa & /r& Fo6 was the acting honorar secretar of the 5ambridge 5onferences& ,nother letter( eDuall appreciative( was received from the 1rookl n Ethical ,ssociation& +t was addressed( F)o our

7"" +ndian 1rethren of the 3reat ,r an Famil F( and bore the signatures of E& Sidne Sampson( -resident( and 0ewis 3& !anes( E6B-resident( of the ,ssociation& 5opies of this address were printed and widel circulated in /adras to an eager public& , letter also addressed to FOur +ndian 1rethrenF was received from /iss /ar -hillips( the Secretar of the Vedanta Societ of 'ew Aork& +t read2
<ear Friends2 )he .estern ,r ans send cordial greeting to the ,r ans of +ndia& .e( in 'ew Aork( who have been so fortunate as to hear the Vedanta -hilosoph taught b the Swami Vivekananda( are desirous of e6pressing to ou in some small measure our grateful recognition of his services to us& 9e came( a stranger( unheralded( but( b the force of his magnetic eloDuence( and the purit of his personal character( he commanded the attention and interest of thousands( and attracted their minds to the stud of a sub*ect almost entirel unknown to them& 9ere& in 'ew Aork( where he taught and lectured for two seasons( the impression he produced is so deep that we hope and trust it will e6tend until the Vedanta -hilosoph shall take permanent root among us( and its &comprehensive and tolerant teachings shall find lodgement in hearts( &and e6pression in the lives of large numbers of our people& .e who came into more immediate contact with him( are deepl grateful for the noble work he did among us( for the unselfish and selfBsacrificing efforts he made in our behalfE and we will tr to the best of our abilit to establish on a lasting basis the stud of the Vedanta -hilosoph &and to promote the growth of knowledge concerning it& .e wish to e6tend to ou( his fellowBcountr men( our heartfelt s mpath in our present afflictions( with an earnest hope that a wa ma be found to lighten them& /a the Swami Vivekananda's work among his own people be blessed a thousandfold( and meet with the fullest measure of success& Should he return to us in the ears to come( he will receive a most cordial welcome& 9e has made us feel that we are all of one kin( and all e6pressions of that One E6istence which is the background of the 4niverse& /ar ,& -hilips Secretar

7"7 Still another address of greeting was sent to Swami Vivekananda( signed b fort B two of his especial friends at <etroit& +t reads&&
From this farBawa cit ( in a land( old et oung( ruled b a people who are a part of the ancient ,r an race( the mother of nations( we send to ou in our native countr ? +ndia( the conservator of the wisdom of the ages?our warmest love and sincerest appreciation of the message ou brought to us& .e( .estern ,r ans( have been so long separated from our Eastern brothers that we had almost forgotten our identit of origin( until ou came and( with beautiful presence and matchless eloDuence( rekindled within our hearts the knowledge that we of ,merica and ou of +ndia are one& /a 3od he with ouG /a blessings attend ouG /a ,llB0ove and ,llB.isdom guide ouG Om )at Sat OmG

One piece of news from 'ew Aork that particularl pleased the Swami was that about the welcome given to Swami Saradananda( his brotherBdisciple( b the Vedanta Societ there( on !anuar "8 at the 'ew 5entur 9all& <r& E& 3& <a spoke as follows at the meeting2
,mong the audience + recogniLe the faces of man who gathered to hear the sublime teachings of the Vedanta from the lips of the gifted and wellBbeloved /aster( Vivekananda( and of man who mourned when their friend and teacher left( and who earnestl long for his return& + wish to assure ou that his mantle has fallen on worth shoulders in the person of the Swami Saradananda who will now teach the Vedanta studies among us& + am sure that + voice our sentiments when + sa that we are read to e6tend to him the love and lo alt we had for his predecessor& 0et us e6tend to the new Swami a heart welcome&

,lmost from the commencement of his visit to /adras the Swami was being pressed b his disciples and admirers to remain in the cit and open a centre there& )he topic was broached on his return to 5astle :ernan from the abortive Sunda meeting& S& Subrahman a + er and others were all seated round the Swami( discussing future action in /adras&

7"@ )hat night the Swami definitel promised to send one of his brotherBdisciples as his representative& Out of fun he remarked( F+ will send ou a Swami who will not smoke and who will be more orthodo6 than the orthodo6 people here&F 9e meant Swami Ramakrishnananda( who was sent in /arch "$#;& )he Swami received invitations to visit other cities in +ndia& 9e was invited to -oona Hnow -uneI b 1& 3& )ilakE but he wrote to Swami 1rahmananda on Februar "72 F+ had to give up invitations from -oona and other places on account of bad health& + am ver much pulled down b hard work and heat&F )he Swami 'wanted rest& 9e was pining for the 9imala as& So he decided to leave directl for 5alcutta b steamer& On /onda Februar ">( he embarked on S& S& #om,asa of the 1&"&'&S& 5ompan & , Shamiana (a canop ) had been put up on the harbour pier( which had been beautifull decorated( and /essrs 1inn and 5o& had arranged for a farewell gathering& )he Swami reached the pier at ;&@% a&m& and was conducted to the Shamiana( where some leading citiLens had assembled to sa goodb e to him& , group of merchants of the ,r aBVaish a caste (known as :omatis) met him and presented an address of thanks for his services to the hol motherland& ,t $ a&m& he entered one of the pier carriages and was pushed along to the )Bend( where he was met b the Reception 5ommittee and other friends& On alighting( he was garlanded( and then the 9on'ble Subba& Rao( of Ra*ahmundr ( on behalf of ever bod present( wished the Swami godspeed and a safe vo age& )he Swami bowed in acknowledgement( and said that his silence would best e6press his feelings& 9e proceeded to embark amidst deafening cheers from those assembled on the pier and from the crowds on the beach& ,mong those who boarded the steamer and remained with the Swami until it sailed( was -rof& Sundararama l er& 9e begged the favour of a moment's interview apart to ask( FSwami( tell me if( indeed( ou have done lasting good b our mission to such materialistic people as the ,mericans and others in the .est&F 9e replied( F'ot much& + hope that here and there + have sown a seed which in time ma grow and benefit some at least&F )he

7"= second Duestion was( FShall we see ou again( and will ou continue our /ission work in South +ndiaMF 9e replied( F9ave no doubt about that& + shall take some rest in the 9imala an region( and then burst on the countr ever where like an avalanche&F )he Swami's triumphal march through South +ndia( and especiall the lectures he delivered in /adras( aroused the latent energies of the +ndian nation( or rather( began the process of arousal& ,s we have seen( he reminded +ndians of their greatness( and of their weaknesses as well& 9e pointed to their glorious heritage( told them of their still more glorious destin ( and charged them to fulfil it& 9e gave them a national consciousness and a national pride&

7">

3! BACK TO BENGAL ')he whole of 1engal had been alive with enthusiasm ever since the news flashed that Swami Vivekananda had landed in +ndia& 5alcutta in particular was following with intense interest the SwamiRs triumphal progress from 5olombo to /adras( and attentive to reports Of his utterances& Save for some *arring notes( faint and feeble( raised against the Swami ")v a few 5alcutta papers prompted b sectarianism( rigid orthodo6 ( or *ealous ( all 1engali hearts throbbed with affectionate and patriotic pride at the thought that the were going to welcome home one who( born and bred among them( had raised their name in the estimation of the whole civiliLed world& +n the last week of !anuar "$#; a preliminar meeting was called at the residence of Ra*a 1eno :rishna <eb 1ahadur to organiLe an influential Reception 5ommittee to accord a fitting reception to the Swami on his return to 5alcutta and to present him with an address of welcome& On that occasion it was resolved to hold a public meeting and to open a subscription list to meet tile e6penses of the( reception& 9is 9ighness the /ahara*a of <arbhanga kindl consented to be -resident of the Reception 5ommittee& )he five ViceB-residents were persons of ver high standing( and among those on the 5ommittee were Duite a few who were(( or subseDuentl became( famous& 1abu 'arendranath Sen( Editor of the )ndian mirror, was appointed 9onorar Secretar ( and 1abu 9irendranath <utta( 9onorar ,ssistant Secretar & )he Swami too was eagerl looking forward to his return to the cit of his birth& )he sea vo age from /adras was a boon to his tired nerves( for the continuous ovations( public speaking( and talking to visitors( had worn him out& +t was to be free from all this that he decided to travel b ship instead of train& 1efore leaving /adras some of his admirers had a large number of coconuts taken on board( the milk to be drunk b the Swami

7"8 on the doctor's orders& /rs& Sevier( on seeing such a Duantit of coconuts( asked( FSwami*i( is this a cargo boat that the are man coconuts on boardMF 9e( much amused( replied( Fwh no( not at allG )he are m coconutsG , doctor& 9as advised me to drink coconutBmilk instead of water <uring the vo age he shared 5aptain and his fellowBpassengers& ()n the ship some ,merican& missionaries deplored the English disciplesR leaving 5hristianit for Vedanta& )he e6pressed the hope that the latter would return to Fthe true faithRR( and even offered pra ers that their hearts might be turned back to 5hrist& +n this connection Swami Shivananda who travelled with the Swami( said later2 F)he English disciples and we all were with him (the Swami) then on the steamer( a lot of religious discussion took place for some da s with the English H,mericanMI missionaries )he missionaries learnt man things from the Swami & )he deck of the steamer was transformed into a lecturing place .henever Swami*i used to talk( most of the passengers would come to the deck to hear him&F .hen the steamer sailed up the 9ooghl ( the Swami pointed out to his disciples all the places of interest that he knew so well as the places associated with his earl outh and manhood ')he Reception 5ommittee in 5alcutta had been bus making elaborate preparations for the Swami's arrival following news of his departure from /adras& )he route from Sealdah railwa station to Ripon 5ollege in 9arrison Road (now /ahatma 3andhi Road)( half a mile long( was colourfull festooned on both sides& , triumphal arch& surmounted b a 'ahabatkhana( was put up on 5ircular Road( *ust outside the station( having on it the words F9ail( Swami*iF& ,nother arch( with F!ai RamakrishnaF( spanned 9arrison RoadE and a third( with F.elcomeF on it( was put up in front of Ripon 5ollege& )wo persons had been 'sent b the Reception 5ommittee to meet the Swami and part when the ship anchored off 1udge 1udge( and inform them of the reception programme&

7"; S*S* #om,asa reached 1udge 1udge at night( and earl the following morning( Frida ( Februar "#( the Swami boarded a special train for Sealdah& 9e was accompanied b Swamis Shivananda and 'iran*anananda( /r& and /rs& Sevier( 3oodwin and four or five of his /adrasi disciples( including the editors of the .rahmavadin and &ra,uddha .harata* Sealdah Station had a festive appearance& , crowd of about '&7%(%%%(cousisting of men of all ages and stations of life( were gathered there from earl morning& ,s the waited( man of them were reading copies of the farewell addresses of the Swami's 'ew Aork and "(ondon students( which were distributed& )he verandas and roof terraces of the houses along the road were crowded with men( women( and children& /an sann asis in their ochre robes were also in the crowd at the station& Some& of them were brotherBdisciples of the Swami& +t was( indeed( a grand spectacle( the like of which had not been seen there before& )he )ndian #irrorBs report of the reception ran as follows2
-recisel at halfBpast seven the special train conve ing the Swami and his few European and +ndian friends( steamed onto the platform& )here was a great enthusiasm displa ed on all sides( and ever bod was an6ious to get near him to have a look of the FheroF of the da & )here was a great rush on the spacious platform and one could with difficult keep his place&&&& )riumphal arches were erected in man places and 'ahabats were pla ing the sweet +ndian music on the top of the triumphal archesE and the station and the road leading from it to the Ripon 5ollege was decorated with garlands and festoons& )here was music too& +n a splendid carriageBandBfour there was a concert pla ing select tunes and several Sankirtana parties were there Hin the crowdI& ,s soon as the Swami alighted from the train the members of the Reception 5ommittee( headed b 1abu 'arendranath Sen( stepped forward and conducted the Swami to a phaeton& , European lad and a gentleman( who accompanied the Swami( were escorted to the carriage& )he Swami and his friends and disciples were garlanded and were heartil cheered when the phaeton slowl drove amidst the cheers of the enthusiastic throng( followed b music and the Sankirtana parties& )here was a stream of carriages following the Swami's carriage( and the Swami was heartil cheered throughout the passage&

7"$
)he 9on'ble 5haru 5hunder /itter conducted the Swami and his friends to the Ripon 5ollege( where several respectable gentlemen followed them& )here was a peculiar smile in the beaming countenance of the Swami( and his picturesDue orange cloth fitted him admirabl & 9e modestl bowed to the crowd( when the saluted him( and throughout evinced a simple and touching recognition of the unprecedented reception& ,t Duarter& to $( he was escorted to the Ripon 5ollege and the crowd there was so great that it was impossible to get into the 9all& )he 9on'ble ,nanda 5harlu and several respectable gentlemen were there&&&& +n the spacious tentB ard of the Ripon 5ollege( the Swami and his friends were seated and the whole assembl cheered him heartil & Ever bod e6pected the Swami to make a grand speech( but the Swami was evidentl moved b the genuine and heart reception of his countr men( and( in a few chosen words( thanked the assembl for welcoming him in such a grand manner& )he Swami and his friends were then conducted b 1abu -ashupatinath 1ose( and the were entertained &&& at his house in 1aghbaLar& )he Swami's European friends would reside in 1abu 3opallal Seal's gardenBhouse in 5ossipore& )he Swami( we understand( will return to his old /ath in 1aranagar Hactuall ,lambaLarI&

The Statesman and Driend of )ndia and other papers reported that some of the oung men in the welcoming crowd un oked the horses of the Swami's carriage and drew it themselves along the whole wa to Ripon 5ollege& The Statesman also reported that there was a great rush at the gates of Ripon 5ollege( and remarked on the absence of police arrangements& )he welcome at the 5ollege was of an informal nature( the Reception 5ommittee having decided to postpone the public reception for a week( so as to give the people of 5alcutta a more favourable opportunit of hearing the Swami& ,fter a short time( therefore( he and his part left for 1aghbaLar( where the had been invited to a banDuet b 1abu -ashupatinath 1ose( at his palatial residence& ,t four in the afternoon the Swami and his .estern disciples were driven to what was known as Seals' 3arden& +t was the riverBside mansion of 3opallal Seal in 5ossipore( and had been offered to the Swami and his friends for their temporar residence&

7"# )he Swami's brotherBdisciples had made their own preparations to receive him ceremoniall at the ,lambaLar /ath& Swami ,khandananda relates2 FSwami*i was brought b a special train from 1udge 1udge to 5alcutta Hb the Reception 5ommitteeI& Ramakrishnananda and m self sta ed at the /ath( and for his reception stood up a cut plantain tree( kept a pitcher full of water with a mango stem and leaves set in it( and hung a small festoon of mango leaves at the /ath entrance& &&& +n the evening he came to the /ath& .e two took him inside and gave him a heart welcome&F ,t the Seals' mansion( ever da and at all hours of the da ( an unending stream of people came to pa their respects and hear his e6position of the Vedanta& )he nights he spent at the /ath&( then at ,lambaLar& )elegrams of congratulation and welcome( and also invitations from various towns( came pouring in& )his receiving and speaking to countless visitors( and the constant strenuous discussion on difficult matters( was a great strain on the Swami& 9e had no rest& Aet in his heart lie was glad to find such a sincere spirit of enDuir and such religious Leal among his own peopleE conseDuentl he was ever read to welcome them( solve their religious difficulties( and point out to them their dut to themselves and to their countr & )he presentation of the address of welcome to the Swami had been announced in the press for Sunda ( Februar 7$( at = p&m& ,dmission was b free ticket( to be obtained in advance& .hen the time came( the palatial residence of the late Ra*a Sir Radhakant <eb 1ahadur( at SobhabaLar( was crowded to its utmost capacit & Some four thousand people had gathered in its spacious Duadrangle( in the wings and passages leading to it( and on the verandas surrounding it& From the list of some of those present( published in the )ndian #irror, it is safe to sa that the Swami was welcomed b one of the most distinguished audiences that had ever assembled in what( at that time( was the capital of the 1ritish Empire in +ndia& Owing to a previous engagement( the /ahara*a of <arbhanga was not present& +n his absence( Ra*a 1eno :rishna <eb 1ahadur was voted to the chair& 9e said2

77%
.e are here( gentlemen( to present an address of welcome to Swami Vivekananda ? a man in a million( verif ( a -rince among men& .e all know( gentlemen( what valuable services he has rendered to his countr men in foreign lands( Duite unaided and alone( and contending against insuperable difficulties&&&& )he success of his mission in ,merica anti in England has endeared him to ever 9indu heart( an(l has done far more than an thing else to Duicken the national instinct in us& 3entlemen( the Swami's missionar e6pedition has raised us in the estimation of foreign people( na ( he has recovered some lost ground for us?and( like a conDuering hero( lie is returning to us after a glorious campaign( and it is meet that we should give him a heart welcome home&&&&

)he 5hairman then read out the address of welcome which was being presented to the Swami in a silver casket& )he Swami( in his turn( replied in a speech that has become famous as a masterpiece of orator and patriotism& +t marked him out as the F-rophet of /odern +ndiaF& )he reports that appeared in the press give no idea of the substance of the speech& .e shall therefore summariLe the main points the Swami made( giving more attention to those that he had not previousl made in his lectures in the South2 F+ come before ou( m brothers(F said the Swami( Fnot as a sann asi( not as a preacher( but as the same 5alcutta bo that ou used to know& )he -arliament of Religions was a great affair( no doubt( but that was onl an opening& / mission was reall to the great( warmBhearted ,merican people themselves( and our thanks for its success must go to them& Our thanks must also go to the people of England&F F'o one ever landed on English soil with more hatred in his heart for a race than + did for the English &&& E but the more + lived among them(&&& the more + loved them&&&& / work in England has been more satisfactor to me than m .ork in ,merica& & & &F )he difficulties that arise between us and the English are mostl due to misunderstanding2 F.e do not know them( the do not know us&&&& 'either are the to ridicule our manners and customs( nor we theirs&F +n the address of welcome( tribute had been paid to Shri

77" Ramakrishna& Referring to this the Swami said( F1rothers( Aou touched another chord in m heart( the deepest of all( and that is the mention of m teacher( m master( m hero( m ideal( m 3od in life ? Shri Ramakrishna -aramahamsa& & & &F ,gain( as in /adras( the Swami insists that all that is good in what he has done is Ramakrishna'sE all that is defective is his own& FAes( m friends( the world has et to know that man & & & at whose feet + have learnt ever thing&&&& )he highest ideal in our scriptures is the impersonal( and would to 3od ever one of us here were high enough to realiLe that impersonal idealE but( as that cannot be( it is absolutel necessar for the vast ma*orit &&& to have a personal idealE and no nation can rise &&& without enthusiasticall coming under the banner of one of these great ideals of life&&&& H+n +ndiaI Our heroes must he spiritual& Such a hero has been given to us in the person of Ramakrishna -aramahamsa& +f this nation wants to rise( take m word for it( it will have to rall enthusiasticall round this name &&&&&&K )his leads him on to the point lie had repeatedl made in the South2 F)he sign of life is e6pansionE we must go out( e6pand'( show life( or degrade( fester( and die&F F+ndia must conDuer the world&&&& )his must be our eternal foreign polic ( preaching the truths of our Shastras HscripturesI to the nations of the world&F 'ot onl will this reduce our Duarrelling at home( but these truths are something that we can give to the world& F)he secret of life is to give and take& ,re we to take alwa s( to sit at the feet of the .esterners to learn ever thing( even religionMF .e can learn man things from the .estE but the world is waiting for the treasure of our spiritualit 2 we have that to teach them& F)herefore we must go out( e6change our spiritualit for an thing the have to give us&&&& +f ou want to become eDual with the Englishman or the ,merican( ou will have to teach as well as learn&O& Aoung men of 5alcutta( arise( awake( for the time is propitious&&&& / conviction is that from the Aouth of 1engal will come the power which will raise +ndia once more to her proper spiritual place&F .hat we want is Shraddha& +t is faith in ourselves that we

777 want& F9ave this Shraddha( and ever thing else is bound to follow&F <uring this last week of Februar the Swami was invited to the house of -ri anath /ukhopadh a a( a devotee of Shri Ramakrishna( living in 1aghbaLar& On this occasion Sharatchandra 5hakravart ( who hailed from East 1engal (now 1angladesh) and used to visit 'ag /ahasha a( the saintl householder disciple of Shri Ramakrishna( was introduced to the Swami& ,fter Sharatchandra had prostrated himself( the Swami spoke to him in Sanskrit( asking how 'ag /ahasha a was& 0ater( taking him to a small room( the Swami recited this memorable verse from Vivekachudamani of Shankarachar a2 FO wise one( fear not2 ou have not to perish& /eans there are for crossing the ocean of this round of birth and death& + shall show ou the same wa b which hol men of renunciation have crossed this ocean&F Sharatchandra was an orthodo6 Vedantin& )he Swami therefore asked him to read Vivekachudamani* )he verse that the Swami had recited set him thinking& +t is not surprising that in time Sharatchandra became the Swami's disciple& 9e is of special interest to us( because it is his records( published in 1engali( that provide some of the material for this account of the Swami's life in 1engal after his return from the .est& )hese records have been translated into English and published in The 4om-'ete Works of Swami Vivekananda* +t was at the same house( on the same da ( that the Swami told 1abu 'arendranath Sen Editor of the )ndian #irror, that his preaching of Vedanta in the .est had convinced him that all methods of raising the /otherland( such as politics( were but secondar to the need for her to cling to her scriptures and follow their in*unctions& ,fterwards the Swami conversed with a preacher of the 5ow -rotection Societ & )heir conversation( which is given below( brings out in bold relief the Swami's love for his fellowBmen& )he Swami2 F.hat is the ob*ect of our Societ MF -reacher2 F.e protect the motherBcows of our countr from

77@ the hands of the butcher& 5owBinfirmaries have been founded in some places where the diseased& decrepit motherBcows( or those bought from the butchers are provided for&F )he Swami2 F)hat is ver good indeed& .hat is the& source of our incomeMF -reacher2 F)he work of the Societ is carried on onl b gifts kindl made b great men like ou&F )he Swami&& F.hat amount of mone have ou now laid b MF -reacher2 F)he /arwari traders' communit are the chief supporters of this work& )he have given a big amount for this good cause&F )he Swami2 F, terrible famine has now broken out in 5entral +ndia& )he +ndian 3overnment has published a deathB roll of nine lakhs of starved people& 9as our Societ done an thing to render help in this time of famineMF -reacher& F.e do not help during famine or other distress& )his Societ has been established onl for the protection of motherBcows&F )he Swami2 F<uring a famine( when lakhs of people( our own brothers and sisters( have fallen into the *aws of death( Aou have&( not thought it our dut ( though having the means( to help them in that terrible calamit with foodGF -reacher2 F'o& )his famine broke out as a result of men's :arma( their sins& +t is a case of 'like :arma like fruit'&F 9earing the words of the preacher( sparks of fire( as it were( gleamed in the Swami's large e esE his face became flushed& 1ut he suppressed his feelings and said2 F)hose associations which do not feel s mpath for men and( even seeing their own brothers d ing from starvation( do not give them a handful of rice to save their lives( while giving awa piles of food to save birds and beasts( + have not the least s mpath for( and + do not believe that societ derives an good from them& +f ou make a plea of :arma b sa ing that men die through their :arma( then it becomes a settled fact that it is useless to tr or struggle for an thing in this worldE and our work for the protection of animals is no e6ception& .ith regard to our

77= cause also( it can he said2 the motherBcows through their own :arma fall into the hands of butchers and die( amid we need not do an thing in the matter&F )he preacher was a little abashed and said FAes( what ou sa is true( but the Shastras sa that the cow is our mother&F )he Swami smilingl ( said2 FAes( that the cow is our mother( + understand2 who else could give birth to such Eaccomplished children MF )he upBcountr preacher did not speak further on the sub*ectE perhaps lie could not understand the point of the Swami's poignant ridicule& 9e told Swami*i that he was begging something of him for the ob*ects' of the Societ & Swami*i2 F+ am a sann asi( a fakir& .here shall + find mone enough to help ouM 1ut if ever + get mone in m possession( + shall first spend that in the service of man& /an is first to be savedE lie must be given food( education( and spiritualit & +f an mone is left after attending to all these( then onl will something be given to our societ &F ,t these words the preacher went awa ( after saluting the Swami& ',lien the latter began to speak to us2 F.hat words( these( forsoothG 9e sa s that men are d ing b reason of their :arma( so what avails it to do them an kindnessM )his is decisive proof that the countr has gone to rack and ruinG <o ou see how much the :arma theor of our 9induism has been abusedM )hose who are men and et have no feeling in the heart for man( well( are such to be counted men at allMF .hile speaking these words( the Swami's whole bod seemed to shake with anguish and grief& On )hursda ( /arch =( at 8 p&m& the Swami lectured at the Star )heatre on F)he Vedanta in ,ll +ts -hasesF& ,dmission was b ticket( to control the crowd& )he )ndian #irror of /arch ; reports that Fthe hall was filled with a select and respectable audienceF( and that the lecture was Fheard with rapt attentionF2 F)he speech( which was a masterpiece of oratorical art( kept the whole audience spellbound& & & &F 1abu 'arendranath Sen was in the chair&

77> ,fter another of his magnificent beginnings the Swami declares2 F+n +ndia&&&& in spite of all these *arring sects & & & + the one authorit ( the basis of all these s stems has &&& been the 4panishads( the Vedanta& .hether ou are a dualist( & & & an ,dvaitist( or a Vishishtadvaitist( & & & or whatever ou ma call ourself( there stand behind ou as authorit &&&& the 4panishads&&&& )hus the Vedanta( whether we know it or not( has penetrated all the sects in +ndia( and what we call 9induism &&& has be 'en throughout interpenetrated b the influence of the Vedanta&F 1ut among these sects there are man apparent contradictions& )he time reDuires that a better interpretation than an in the past be given of the underl ing harmon of the 4panishadic te6ts& Such an interpretation needs showing both in +ndia and to the world at large& F)his is m mission in life( to show that the Vedantic schools are not contradictor ( that the all & & & fulfil each other( and one &&& is the steppingBstone to the other( until the goal( the ,dvaita( &&& is reached&F ,fter a digression on the sublime poetr of the 4panishads( the Swami comes back to their primal authorit & )he are impersonal both in the conte6t of their teaching and in the reason of their authorit E et the sa nothing against the worship of personalities2 on the contrar the are Fbroad &&& enough to embrace all the personalities that the world has et produced( and all that are et to comeF& )he ver fact that the Vedas are not historical( the ver fact that the are not the product of some person at some time( is a fact in favour of their truth& J)herein lies the difference between the scriptures of the 5hristians or the 1uddhists and oursE theirs are all -uranas & & &K because the deal with historical events and persons& So far as the scriptures of other religions do not contradict the Vedas( the are acceptable to the 9indu and have the authorit of -uranas& )here are certain doctrines common to all the different sects of +ndia( the Swami continues& First( that of rebirth& Second( the all agree in their ps cholog & )he great difference between .estern and +ndian ps cholog is that in the former

778 the mind is the soul2 in +ndian teaching( the mind is onl the instrument of the soul or !ivatman& ,ll +ndian sects agree that this !ivatman has no beginning2 it alwa s e6isted& ,nd the all agree that Fever thing is in the soul& )here is no inspiration( but( properl speaking( e6piration& ,ll powers and all purit and all greatness ? ever thing is in the soul& & & &F ,gain( all the sects of 9induism believe in 3od( though their ideas of 3od differ& )he all believe in the -ersonal 3od as 5reator( -reserver( and <estro er of the 4niverseE but the ,dvaitists believe in what might be called -ersonalB+mpersonal 3od& ,fter strong words on the sub*ects of pure food and of Vamachara )antra( the Swami comes back to the Vedanta visBYBvis .estern thought2 F)his is the challenge Hthat +ndia has thrown to the worldI that this world is a delusion( that it is all /a a& &&& ,gain and again nations are springing up tr ing &&& to disprove it& & & &F 1ut the ( the believers in en*o ment( die( while we( the believers in /a a( live& For them( FSamsara Hthe worldBprocessI is greater than salvation&F 1ut for us( renunciation is the ver beginning of religion and moralit & 1 renunciation alone immortalit is reached2 Jthat is the dictate of the +ndian books&&&& Renunciation( that is the flag( the banner of +ndia( floating over the world( the one und ing thought that +ndia sends again and again as a warning to d ing races&&&& , ( 9indus( let not our hold of that banner go& 9old it aloft& Even if ou are weak( and cannot renounce( do not lower the ideal&&&& <o not &&& be h pocrites( torturing te6ts( and making specious arguments &&&&K F,nother ideal ver common in all our sects &&& HisI that religion is to be realiLed& & & &F )he teaching passes from guru to disciple& +n 1engal there is a peculiar custom of hereditar guruship& 1ut we do not want that& F.hat can the teach if the have no realiLationM .hen + was a bo here( in this cit of 5alcutta( + used to go from place to place in search of religion( and ever where + asked the lecturer &&& &'9ave ou seen 3odM' )he man was taken aback at the idea of seeing 3odE and the onl man who told me( '+ have'( was Ramakrishna -aramahamsa &&&&&&

77; )he Swami concludes b reverting to and emphasiLing the harmon that is the background of all the 9indu sects& ,lmost all our pandits hold( he sa s( that Feither the ,dvaitist will be tone( or the Vishishtadvaitist will be true( or the <vaitist will be true&& & &F )hen came one whose life showed that the are all true and necessar ? namel ( Ramakrishna -aramahamsa& On Sunda ( /arch ;( "$#;( the birth anniversar of Shri Ramakrishna was as usual celebrated at the :ali temple at <akshineswar& )he fact that Swami Vivekananda himself was to take part( drew large crowds there& ,ccompanied b s8Afic &of his brotherBmonks( the Swami reached the templeBgarden about # in the morning& 9e was barefooted( dressed in a long ,lkhalla( and wore an ochreBcoloured turban& )he great multitude( catching sight of him( cried out the names FRamakrishnaF and FVivekanandaF repeatedl & Eager to see him and take the dust of his feet the thronged about him and followed him wherever he went& ,fter a while( he repaired to the temple of the /other& )here before the image he prostrated himself in adoration( in compan with the swarming crowd& ,s though on a pilgrimage( and accompanied b his European disciples( he visited the places of interest in the templeBgrounds( including( of course( Shri Ramakrishna's room& /an Sankirtana parties were ever where singing and dancing in the name of the 0ord& ,round the -anchavati( devotees of the /aster had gathered& ,mong them the Swami singled out 3irishchandra 3hosh& 5omparing the time when the /aster was alive( with the present time( he said( F.ell( what a difference between those da s and theseGF F+ know that(F replied the great dramatist( and then( Duoting a famous passage from one of the epics( he said( Fbut there still arises the desire to see more&F )he Swami then tamed his steps in the direction of the 1ilva tree( another scene of the austerities of Shri Ramakrishna& )he huge crowd called on the Swami repeatedl to speak to them of his /aster& 9e made an effort to speak( but his voice was drowned in the tumult& Seeing that it was impossible to make himself heard( he gave up the attempt and mingled with

77$ the crowd for some time& +n the afternoon( when the crowd had thinned( he returned to the ,lambaLar /ath with a brotherBdisciple and one of his own disciples& On the wa he spoke to the latter of the need of religious festivals for the masses( who are not interested in abstract ideas of )ruth& )hough the Swami made his headDuarters at the Seals' mansion and the ,lambaLar /ath( he freDuentl visited one or another devotee of Shri Ramakrishna& 9e was entertained b princes in the cit ( and also b the most humble of people& <ail ( large numbers( drawn from all ranks and callings( came to the Seals' 3arden2 some out of curiosit ( some thirsting for knowledge( and some to test the Swami's learning and powers& )he Duestioners were invariabl charmed with his knowledge and interpretation of the Shastras( and even great masters of philosoph and universit professors were amaLed at his genius& 1ut his heart was with the educated( unmarried ouths& .ith them he was never tired of speaking& 9e was consumed with the desire to infuse his own spirit into them& 9e wanted to train the more energetic and serious among them( so that the would devote their lives to their own salvation and to the good of the world& 9e did not speak to them on spiritual topics onl E nor was he too generous in praising them& 9e deplored their ph sical weakness( denounced earl marriage( reproved them for their lack of faith in themselves and their traditional culture and ideals& 1ut all this was done with such unmistakable love and kindness that the became staunch disciples and followers& Some of these oung men have left records of incidents and conversations that took place at the Seals' 3arden at this time& .e shall draw on these records to fill out our ideas of the Swami's vision and teaching& 5ertain followers of the :rishna cult in 1engal( under the mistaken impression that in his Leal for Vedanta the Swami had not presented to the .estern world that aspect of 9induism known as Vaishnavism( had tried during his absence in the .est to make the most of this in order to belittle his mission in the e es of his countr men& 1ut the Swami's own words gave the lie to this slander& For instance( in the course of a talk on

77# the Vaishnava faith with one of its followers he said2 F1aba*i( once + gave a lecture in ,merica on Shri :rishna& +t made such all impression on a oung and beautiful woman( heiress to immense wealth( that she renounced ever thing and retired to a solitar island( where she passed her da s absorbed in meditation on Shri :rishna&F Speaking of renunciation in connection with this sub*ect he said( FSlow but sure degradation creeps into those sects which do not practise and preach the spirit of renunciation&F One da the Swami was talking with a oung man who lived at the 1engal )heosophical Societ & )he latter said( FSwami*i( + freDuent various sects but cannot decide what is )ruth&F )he Swami replied in a most affectionate wa ( F/ bo ( ou need have no fearE + was also once in the same state& )ell me what instructions the people of different faiths have given ou and how ou have followed their instructions&F )he outh replied that a learned preacher of the )heosophical Societ ( 1havani Shankar b name( had clearl convinced him of the truth and utilit of imageBworship( and that he had accordingl done -u*a and !apa for a long time with great devotionE but that lie had not been able to find peace& )hen someone had advised him to tr to make the mind void at the time of meditation& 9e had struggled hard to do so( but still the mind had not become calm and controlled& FSir(F said the oung man( Fstill + sit in meditation( shutting the door of m room( and closing m e es as long as + canE but + cannot find peace of mind& 5an ou show me the wa MF F/ bo (F said the Swami in a voice full of s mpath ( Fif ou take m word( ou will first of all have to open the door of our room and look around instead of closing our e es& )here are hundreds of poor and helpless people in the neighbourhood of our houseE them ou have to serve to the best of our abilit & 9e who is ill and has no one to look after him( for him ou will have to get medicine and diet and nurse himE he who has nothing to cat( ou .ill have to feed himE he who is ignorant( ou will have to teach him( wellBeducated as ou are& / advice to ou is that( if ou want peace of mind( ou

7@% have to serve others in this wa as well as ou can&F )he Duestioner began to argue2 F1ut suppose( sir( that in going t([ nurse a patient + m self fall ill through loss of sleep and irregular meals( as well as through other irregularities& & &F ,le Swami replied rather sharpl 2 F.h ( bo ( from our words and manner it is evident to ever one present here( that people like ou( who are so mindful of their own bodil comfort( will never go out of their wa or risk their health to nurse the sick&F ,nother da ( in the course of a conversation( /ahendranath 3upta( a disciple of Shri Ramakrishna( asked2 FAou talk of service( charit and doing good to the world2 those are( after all( in the domain of /a a& .hen( according to Vedanta( the goal of man is the attainment of /ukti b breaking all the bondage of /a a( what is the use of preaching things which keep the mind on mundane mattersMF .ithout a moments& hesitation the Swami replied( F+s not the idea of /ukti also in the domain of /a aM <oes not the Vedanta teach that the ,tman is ever freeM .hat is striving for /ukti to the ,tman( thenMF .ith the nation at his feet( with name and fame and mone heaped on him( Swami Vivekananda was the same simple sann asi as before( untouched b pride and conceit& One da ( the nephew of Shri Ramakrishna( Shri Ramlal 5hattopadh a a( or Ramlal <ada as he was endearingl called b the 1rotherhood( came to see him& )he Swami at once got up and offered Ramlal <ada his chair& Ramlal <ada( out of humilit ( and disconcerted at taking the Swami's chair in the presence of visitors( asked him to resume his seat( but to no avail& ,fter much persuasion the Swami succeeded in making him sit in the chair( while he himself strolled about the room sa ing Duietl ( F3uruvat 3uruputreshuF2 FOne should treat the relations of the guru with the same honour as one would treat the guru himself&F )his incident was a lesson in 3urubhakti (devotion to the spiritual teacher) to those who witnessed it& )he Swami's moods varied with the nature of his visitors& Someone knowing his regard for The )mitation of 4hrist, referred

7@" to the humilit taught in that work( and observed that spiritual progress was impossible unless one thought of oneself as the lowest of the low& )he Swami e6claimed2 F.h should we think ourselves low( and reproach ourselvesM .here is darkness for usG .e are veril the sons of 0ightG .e live and move and have our being in the 0ight which lighteth the whole universeGF Once( while discoursing on the conDuest of lust( the Swami recalled a personal e6perience& +t shows to what lengths he himself had gone rather than submit to the lower nature& F+n the da s of m outh(F he said( Fonce + was so much troubled with a fit of passion that + became terribl ve6ed with m self( and in m rage sat upon a pot of burning charcoal that was near b & +t Ftook man da s to heal the wound&F ,n enDuirer one da asked the Swami about the difference between an +ncarnation and a liberated soul& .ithout giving a direct answer to the Duestion( he said2 F/ conclusion is that liberation is the highest stage& .hen + used to roam about all over +ndia in m Sadhana stage( + passed da s and da s in solitar caves in meditation( and man a time decided to starve m self to death( because + could not attain /ukti& 'ow + have no desire for /ukti& + do not care for it so long as one single individual in the universe remains without attaining it&F )hese words of unbounded love for all beings remind one of a similar utterance of the 1uddha& 1ut it must be remembered that both these teachers of humanit spoke thus after the had attained illumination& Onl -rophets and Saviours of mankind can snap their fingers at /ukti in that manner& 9ere lies the difference between an ordinar liberated soul and an +ncarnation& )he latter( though he has /ukti in the palm of his hand( as it were , refuses to be merged in the Realit ( but lives for the good of others( to lead them to the highest state& )alking one da to a disciple he said2
+t is rebellion against 'ature( struggle for selfBpreservation( that differentiates Spirit from /atter& .here there is life( there is struggle( there is the manifestation of the Spirit& Read the histor of all nations( and ou will find that that is the 0aw& +t is onl this nation which

7@7
drifts with 'ature& Aou are more dead than alive& Aou are in a h pnotiLed state& For the last thousand ears or more( ou are told that ou are weak( ou are nobodies( ou are good for nothing( and so on( and ou have come to believe ourselves such& )his bod of mine was also born and bred on +ndian soil( but + have never for a moment allowed such baneful ideas to enter m mind& + had tremendous faith in m self& +t is because of that( b the grace of the 0ord( that those who look down upon us as weak and low( regard me as their teacher& +f ou have the same faith in ourselves as + had( if ou can believe that in ou is infinite power( unbounded wisdom( indomitable energ ( if ou can rouse that power in ourselves( ou will be like me( ou will do wonders& Aou will sa ( F.here is that strength in us& to be able to think like that( and where are the teachers to tell us not of weakness but of strength( and to rouse in us that faithMF +t is to teach ou that and to show ou the wa b m life that + have come to ou& From me ou must learn and realiLe that truth( and then go from town to town( from village to village( from door to door( and scatter the idea broadcast& 3o and tell ever +ndian( F,rise( awake and dream no more& Rouse ourself and manifest the <ivinit within&F )here is no want( there is no miser ( that ou cannot remove b the consciousness of the power of the Spirit within& 1elieve in these words and ou will be omnipotent&

One da at the Seals' 3arden( a group of 3u*arati pandits( well versed in the Vedas and the <arshanas( came to discuss the scriptures with the Swami& )hinking that( as a result of his so*ourn in the .est( he would have lost fluenc in Sanskrit( the spoke to him in that language& 9e replied in a calm wa to their vehement arguments( speaking the purest Sanskrit& Once he erred( using F,stiF for FSvastiF& ,t this trifling mistake the pandits laughed aloud( making much of it& )he Swami corrected himself at once( sa ing( F+ am the servant of the pandits& /a the allow this mistake to be overlookedGF )he main topic of their discussion was the respective positions of the -urva and 4ttara /imamsas& )he Swami upheld the superiorit of the 4ttara /imamsa with such power of logic and language that the pandits had to admit the preBeminence of the *nanaBkanda& ,s the left( the remarked to a group of the Swami's admirers that though( perhaps( he had

7@@ not a thorough master of Sanskrit grammar( he was undoubtedl a seer of the inmost spirit of the Shastras( over which he had an E6traordinar command& F+n discussion he is uniDue(F the said( Fand the wa he summariLes his ideas and refutes those of his opponents is wonderful& 9is intellectual gifts are marvellous&F .hen the pandits had gone( the Swami( referring to their bad manners( remarked that in the .est such conduct would not be tolerated& F5iviliLed societ in the .estF( he said( 'stakes the spirit of an argument and never seeks to pick holes in the language of an opponent( or put to one side the sub*ectBmatter in order to make fun over a grammatical mistake& Our pandits lose sight of the spirit of the <harma in Duibbling over the letter of it& )he fight over the husks and( blinded b argumentativeness( do not look for the kernel within&F .hile the discussion with the pandits was going on( Swami Ramakrishnananda was seen sitting apart in meditation( counting his beads& 9e was pra ing with his whole heart( he said later( so that his beloved brotherBdisciple might come out victorious& On another occasion( some people came to ask the Swami about -rana ama& ,fter repl ing to Duestions put b other visitors( he began to speak on -rana ama without being asked& From three in the afternoon until seven in the evening( the discourse continued& +t was evident to all present that what the Swami had put in his book %a6a/ +o a was onl a ver small part of his knowledge of AogaE and secondl ( that his knowledge was not mere bookBlearning( but came from realiLation& .hat astounded these visitors most( however( was that the Swami should have known that the had come to ask about -rana ama( and have answered their Duestions without being told them& SubseDuentl ( when a disciple asked about it the Swami replied( FSimilar incidents have happened man times in the .est( and people have often asked me how + could know the Duestions that were agitating their minds&F )he talk then drifted to thoughtBreading( the remembrance of past births( and various other Aoga FpowersF& One of the part asked him outright( F.ell( Swami*i( do ou know our

7@= own past birthsMF +nstantl he answered( FAes( + do&F 1ut when the pressed him to reveal his past( he said( F+ can know them& + do know them& 1ut + prefer not to sa an thing in the matter&F One evening he was seated with Swami -remananda( conversing in an ordinar wa ( when suddenl he became silent& ,fter a while he said( F<id ou see an thingMF 9is brotherBdisciple replied in the negative& )hen he said that he had *ust seen a ghost( his head severed from his bod & )he ghost begged the Swami( with an agoniLed look( to relieve him of his miser & On enDuir it was found that in that gardenBhouse( man ears before( a 1rahmin who used to lend mone at high rates of interest( had had his throat cut b a debtor( and that& his bod had been thrown into the 3anga& On other occasions also the Swami was visited b disembodied spirits& 9e would raise his heart in pra er for their deliverance and give them his blessing& )he monaster ( as we have noted( was then at ,lambaLar( near <akshineswar& ,s might be e6pected( the *o of the monks( at having their Fbeloved 'arenF with them again( was intense& )he da s spent with the /aster( and their e6periences of the wandering life( were recalledE and the Swami entertained them with incidents and e6periences of his life in the .est& 9e freed them of some of their social inhibitions( and graduall overcame their ob*ections to associating with .esterners& +n time he had the satisfaction of seeing his brotherBdisciples regard his disciples from overseas as real brothers and sisters& .e get glimpses of the Swami's life at the /ath during this period from the reminiscences of Swamis ,khandananda and Vira*ananda( who were living there& Swami ,khandananda sa s2
-eople of various kinds would come to see the Swami at the gardenBhouse Hof 3opallal SealI& Swami*i would come to the /ath dail ( sta with us at night( and go to the garden again ne6t morning& )he first thing the Swami did after coming to the /ath this time

7@>
was to give us some lessons in h giene for the sake of our health& 9e asked us whether the water was boiled and filtered before drinking& )hen we showed him our filter& 9e taught us some e6ercises according to the <elsarte method& For some da s these <elsarte e6ercises were practised at the /ath& ,nother significant thing that can he mentioned is that( in spite of sta ing in the .est for about three ears( and 5onstantl talking and lecturing in the English language( he Hthe SwamiI( after returning home( would chant the 0ita/0ovinda versesF( and become into6icated&&&& )he three /adrasi devotees and 3oodwin mostl sta ed at the /ath& )he /adrasis would cook separatel &&&& 3oodwin and :idi used to cat with us& 3oodwin would dance and sing like a small child& +t was ver sweet to hear him sing FShankara Shiva V om V om 1hola& & & &F

Swami Vira*ananda( a disciple of the Swami( sa s2

,t that time the colour of Swami*i's bod was fair& )here was a brilliant lustre on his face&&&& <uring the da Swami*i used to be at 3opallal Seal's house at 5ossipore( and in the evening he used to walk the whole distance to the /ath with his friends and disciples& ,fter coming to the /ath( he would remove his clothing and wear onl a loinBcloth& Sometimes if it was too late at night( he would spend the night at the SealsR house& )here( man people would come to see and talk with Swami*iE and when he came to the /ath( there was also no end of talking& 9e used to tell stories( and relate incidents in his life( or make fun with his brotherB disciples& &&& 3oodwin and the /adrasi disciples alwa s remained with the Swami& 3oodwin used to serve the Swami da and night& Oh( what a .onderful spirit of service he hadG &&& /rs& Sevier used to serve Swami*i at the Seals' house& Swami*i would take his lunch and afternoon tea there& /r& and /rs& Sevier came to the /ath as well( once or twice& 'iran*an /ahara* and 3opal *unior used to entertain them then&&&& /r& )urnbull of 5hicago had come to +ndia long before Swami*i's return to +ndia& 9e sta ed in 5alcutta and would visit the /ath freDuentl &&&& ,fter Swami*i had come to 5alcutta( /r& )urnbull would often see him&&&& From $ to # in the morning there would be a 0ita or 4panishad class( or a DuestionBanswer class& ,ll the 1rahmacharis and sann asis used to attend it&&&&

7@8 ,mong the Swami's triumphs was the conversion of his brotherBdisciples from an individualistic idea of religious life to one in which concern for others and service to them occupied a prominent place& 4p to this time the ideal of the monks of the /ath had been to strive for their own SelfBrealiLation and /ukti b means of meditation and severe penance( and b remaining as much as possible aloof from the world& )his was( according to the prevailing 9indu idea( sanctioned b tradition according to the sages since Vedic times& 1ut with the return of the Swami a new order of things was inaugurated& 9e reproved them?as he had again and again in his letters from the .est for their lack of faith failure to organiLe themselves into an active bod ( and for their neglect of teaching and preaching& Each on of them was a spiritual lion( he told them( capable of moving the world if he but unfolded his latent power& )he time demanded that the carr the new light to others& )hat the themselves show b their e6ample how to serve the poor the helpless and the diseased seeing 3od in them and that the inspire people to do the same& )he mission of his life he said was to create an order of Sann asis in +ndia who would dedicate their lives for others& )he conception and scheme of life he proposed( though inspiring( was too revolutionar for them to accept at once& 9ow could the ( at another's bidding( all of a sudden( change the ideal to which the had given their lives for one which apparentl went against their nature and trainingM 1ut who could resist the SwamiM 9e overwhelmed them b the power of his intellect and b his insight into the significance of the teaching and life of Shri Ramakrishna( no less than b the burning love that la behind his passionate appeals to them& 9e interpreted his /aster's message in a new light( showing them that their supreme dut la in carr ing on the /aster's mission& )he were to raise the condition of the masses through service( and bring about a religious renewal b scattering the lifeBgiving ideas of the /aster over the world& )hat was the mission entrusted to them under his( the Swami's( leadership

7@; b Shri Ramakrishna& -reoccupation with their own liberation lie pointed out( was unworth of the favoured disciples of a divine +ncarnation2 had not their /ukti alread been assured b the fact of that discipleshipM )he were to rouse themselves and awaken others& +n the faith that the voice of their 0eader was the voice o the /aster( the brotherB disciples finall acDuiesced& )he prepared themselves to do an thing and go an where at the Swami's bidding( for the good of their fellowBbeings& ,s one of the first fruits of this selfBabandonment( one whose whole life and soul had been merged in the unremitting ritual worship of the /aster for about twelve ears( and who in his devotion to that dut had not left the /ath even for a da B namel ( Swami Ramakrishnananda ? went to /adras at the Swami's behest( to open a centre for the teaching of the Vedanta in South +ndia& Swamis Saradananda and ,bhedananda had alread gone to the .est to help the Swami in the work there& ,nd in the same spirit Swami ,khandananda went to /urshidabad <istrict to start famine relief work& +t is to ,khandananda's credit that this impulse to be of service had seiLed him first among the brotherBdisciples( as earl as "$#=( when he was at :hetri& 9e at that time sought approval of his intention to open schools for the poor& )he other brotherBmonks now also made themselves read to take up an teaching , preaching( and philanthropic work launched b the Swami in +ndia and abroad& ,s a result there came into e6istence( with the coBoperation of his monastic brothers and disciples the ,shramas( Sevashramas (9omes of Service)( and( in times of epidemic( famine( and natural catastrophe( relief centres& ,t this time the Swami was much occupied with plans for an ,shrama in the 9imala as( plans for the removal of the /ath to a permanent and health site on the bank of the 3anga( and plans for the founding of an organiLation (later known as the Ramakrishna /ission) that would provide training for his disciples and instruction for the man people who came to him( and would serve the people through charitable activities& Furthermore( his thoughts were also with his two brotherBmonks

7@$ in ,merica and England& 9e was receiving man letter asking his advice and for his speed return to the .est( where Jstill larger opportunitiesK were opening up for him& )hese and other demands on the Swami's attention( together with the activities after his arrival in 5alcutta that we have been describing( were( in the heat of the plains( too much for him& 9e was advised b doctors to take complete rest at once& )he 5alcutta Reception 5ommittee had e6pected him to deliver a series of lectures in 5alcutta& Ever bod was therefore disappointed when 1abu 'arendranath Sen( while making the concluding remarks after the Star )heatre lecture on /arch =( announced2 J)he health of Swami Vivekananda will not permit him to deliver more lectures in 5alcutta for the present&&&& +t is absolutel necessar ( therefore( that he should have a little rest for a timeE and with this ob*ect in view( he intends to proceed to <ar*eeling on /onda H/arch $I ne6t&K :nowing that it would be better to follow the doctors' advice( the Swami for the time being left off work in 5alcutta and dropped plans for visits to other parts of +ndia& On /arch $ he went to <ar*eeling( where /r& and /rs& Sevier had alread gone& 9e was accompanied b Swamis 1rahmananda( )rigunatita( )uri ananda( and !nanananda( and b 1aba 3irishchandra 3hosh& 3oodwin( <r& )urnbull( ,lasinga -erumal( 3& 3& 'arasimhachar a( and Singaravelu /udaliar& )he three lastBnamed were the devoted /adrasi disciples who had come with him from /adras to 5alcutta and had been living at the /ath& +n <ar*eeling all became the guests of /r& and /rs& /& '& 1aner*ee& )he /ahara*a of 1urdwan( who revered the Swami greatl ( placed a portion of his residence( known as FRose 1ankF( at the Swami's disposal& On /arch "8 3oodwin wrote to Swami Saradananda2 J)he Swami has been Duite knocked up b this and his previous work( and the doctor sa s he is suffering from diabetes& 9e must have si6 months absolute brain rest( and strict dieting& )he 5alcutta reception was good( and at the presentation of the address there were >(%%% present( and some thousands

7@# turned awa & )here were 8%(%%% at the HShri RamakrishnaRsI anniversar at <akshineswar Hon /arch ;I( and the Swami made me make a speech to goodness knows how man people& Fortunatel ( there was much noise so that nobod could hear what a fool + made of m self&K )he Swami now gave himself up to complete rest( walking on the mountain paths( visiting a 1uddhist monaster in the neighbourhood( re*oicing to be in the 9imala as( conversing with friends( and spending hours in meditation& .hile the Swami was the guest of /& '& 1aner*ee( two incidents occurred which give a glimpse of his oga powers& )here was then living with the famil one /otilal /ukher*ee( who later became Swami Sachchidananda& 9e was suffering from high fever with delirium& )he Swami out of s mpath *ust touched his head2 the fever subsided at once( and the patient became normal& )his same person was a 1hakta of the( emotional t pe& Often( during Sankirtana( he fell into emotional states in which he would weep and groan and roll on the ground( beating his hands and feet on it& )he Swami touched him over the heart one da & From then on( the whole religious disposition of the man was changed( and he became an ,dvaitin devoting himself to !nanaBAogaG 'eedless to sa ( he was no longer sub*ect to abnormal states& On /arch "8 the Swami received a telegram from the Ra*a of :hetri sa ing that he was on his wa to meet him& On the morning of /arch "$ the Ra*a( with his retinue( reached 5alcutta& Swamis Shivananda and "'rigunatita( from the ,lambaLar /ath( and a large crowd of /arwari and 9industhani gentr ( together with some prominent 1engalis( received him at 9owrah Station& )he Swamis welcomed the Ra*a in traditional st le b presenting him with a coconut( padd ( and <urva grass H<oob rass4$nodon Dact$'onI* )he Ra*a was taken in procession to the palatial mansion of Rai Shew 1o6 1ogla( where he was accommodated& )he Swami was informed of the Ra*a's arrival and he returned to 5alcutta on /arch 7" b the <ar*eeling /ail& +t reached Sealdah Station at "%&=> a&m& )he Ra*a had sent two

7=% persons to receive the Swami in advance at 1arrackpore( and himself went to Sealdah( accompanied b the 'awab of 0oharu( Rai Shew 1o6 1ogla 1ahadur( and others& , huge crowd( most of them /arwaris( had assembled at the station& ,s soon as the train came to a halt( the Ra*a went into the firstBclass compartment in which the Swami was travelling( and prostrated before him& )hen he washed the Swami's feet and garlanded him& .hen the Swami came out of the train( he was introduced to the 'awab of 0oharu( and others& )he Ra*a then presented him with an address of welcome& ,fterB wards( the Swami was taken in procession to the Seth's house( where the Ra*a was sta ing& ,fter a bath the Swami *oined the durbar of the Ra*a( and was offered presents b the Seths and other /arwari businessmen who had assembled there& +n the afternoon the Ra*a( accompanied b the Swami( visited the :ati temple at <akshineswar( and on their wa back went to the ,lambaLar /ath& )he Ra*a prostrated before Shri Ramakrishna in the shrine there( and then knelt on a mattress in the hall( before the Swami& 9is simple dress and humble behaviour impressed the monks& On the Swami's orders special offerings were made to Shri Ramakrishna that da and the Ra*a was sumptuousl regaled& )he Swami had a long talk with him on the mission of 9induism& ,t night the Swami accompanied the Ra*a to where the latter was sta ing and spent the night there& 'e6t da he returned to the /ath& On /arch 7@ he left for <ar*eeling to resume his period of rest( and the Ra*a left 5alcutta on the 78th& ,t the beginning of /a Ra*a ,*it Singh and several other +ndian -rinces intended to go to England to attend the <iamond *ubilee 5elebrations of Uueen Victoria& )he Ra*a tried hard to induce the Swami to go with him( but the doctors would not hear of his undertaking an ph sical or mental labour *ust then& )hough at times he felt somewhat vigorous and strong( generall speaking his health was ver poor& 9e was cautioned not to e6ert himself even to the e6tent of reading( and( above all( was not to engage in an deep or serious

7=" thought& ,bout his health the Swami wrote to /rs& 1ull on /arch 78 ("$#;)2 F)he demonstrations and national *ubilations over me are over( at least + had to cut them short as m health broke completel down& )he result of this stead work in the .est and the tremendous work of a month in +ndia upon the 1engali constitution is 'diabetes'& +t is a hereditar foe and is destined to carr me off at best in a few ears' time& Eating onl meat and drinking no water seems to he the onl wa to prolong life( and( above all( perfect rest for the brain& + am giving m brain the needed rest in <ar*eeling from where + am writing ou now&F From 3oodwin's letter of /arch @% to /rs& 1ull( it appears that <ar*eeling was doing the Swami sonic good& 9e wrote2 F)he Swami suffered somewhat from his enforced visit again to the heat of 5alcutta( but <ar*eeling is doing him immense( good& .e have though to use almost coercion to prevent him from working again& , month has tired him of idleness&F +ndeed( for Swami*i to be idle was worse than death& Even at <ar*eeling( where he was e6pected to take complete rest( he could not but feel for the downtrodden masses of +ndia& On ,pril @ he wrote to /argaret 'oble (later Sister 'ivedita)( who was then in England helping Swami ,bhedananda in his Vedanta work2
+ have *ust found a bit of important work for ou to do( on behalf of the downtrodden masses of +ndian& )he gentleman( + take the libert of introducing to ou( is in England on behalf of the )i as( a plebian caste in the native state of /alabar&"% Aou will realiLe from this gentleman what an amount of t rann there is over these poor people( simpl because of their caste& )he +ndian 3overnment has refused to interfere( on ground of nonBinterference in the internal administration of a native state& )he onl hope of these people is the English -arliament <o kindl ever thing in our power to help this matter being brought before the 1ritish public

Perhaps the $*ami meant the then Travancore or Cochin $tate+ because 7alabar *as part o& )ritish 2ndia3

"%

7=7 1esides feeling for the suffering millions of +ndia( the Swami was worried da and night about establishing the organiLation that( as alread mentioned( he intended to establish& ,t <ar*eeling he discussed this with Swami 1rahmananda and other brotherBdisciples& +t was with the intention of fi6ing up someBthing in this matter that he had taken 1abu 3irishchandra 3hosh there& )he prepared a tentative plan( with the hope of finaliLing it later in 5alcutta& ,t <ar*eeling Swami*i once said to Swami*i )uri ananda F+ shall revolutioniLe the monastic Order&F )uri ananda said later( FSwami*i has given a new shape to the traditional Order of sann asis( according to the need of the age&F From Swami 1rahmananda's letter of ,pril 78 we learn that the Swami and his part left for 5alcutta on ,pril 7$& On /a 7 the )ndian #irror reported2 FSwami Vivekananda arrived from <ar*eeling on .ednesda last with his disciples& Owing to the scorching weather it is not likel that the Swami will be able to deliver a lecture at a time when most of our leaders are absent from 5alcutta &&&&&&K 9e remained onl a week in 5alcutta( to supervise and settle some important matters2 he then left for ,lmora in the interest of his health& )he Swami was happier at the monaster than an where else& )here he could be free among his beloved brotherBmonks and devoted disciples& ,t this time several educated oung men *oined the /ath as a result of hearing the Swami's inspiring words on Vairag a (dispassion)& .henever he was at the /ath( he gave them instruction( and held classes for them on the .ha avad/0ita and the Vedanta& Even during the ears of his absence( four oung men had *oined and were leading the life of 1rahmachar a& )he were an6ious to he initiated into Sann asa b ( the Swami himself& For several ears the had lived under the supervision of the older members of the monaster E and the Swami( knowing that the were worth ( consented to make them his own disciples& )he older monks raised serious ob*ections with respect to one of the four( because of his past life& )his roused the Swami to repl & F.hat is thisG +f we shrink from sinners( who else will save themM

7=@ 1esides( the ver fact that a person has taken refuge in the /ath in his desire to lead a better life( shows that his intentions are good( and we must help him& ,nd even if he is bad and perverted( and ou cannot change his character( wh ( then( have ou taken the ochre clothM .h have ou( assumed the role of teachersMF On the da previous to their initiation into Sann asa( the Swami spoke of the glor of renunciation( his e es emitting fire( as it were( and his words infusing strength into the oung men& 9is discourse is too long to be given here in fullE but his concluding words were2 FRemember( for the salvation of his own soul( and for the good and happiness of the man ( the sann asi is born in the world& )o sacrifice his life for others( to alleviate the miser of millions rending the air with their cries( to wipe awa the tears from the e es of the widow( to console the heart of the bereaved mother( to provided the ignorant and depressed masses with the wa s and means for the struggle for e6istence( and enable them to stand on their own feet( to preach broadcast the teachings of the Shastras to one and all without distinction for their material and spiritual welfare( to rouse the sleeping lion of 1rahman in the hearts of all beings b the diffusion of the light of :nowledge ? for this the sann asi is born in the worldGF ,nd turning to his brotherBmonks he e6claimed2 FRemember( it is for the consummation of this purpose in life that we have taken birthE and we shall la down our lives for it& ,rise( awake( and arouse and awaken othersE fulfil our mission in life( and ou will reach the highest 3oalGF & FAou must renounce ever thing(F he continued to the candidates for Sann asaE F ou must not seek pleasure or comfort for ourself& ,ll attachment will have to be cut and &cast aside& Aou must look upon lust and gold as poison( name and fame as the vilest filth( glor as a terrible hell( pride of birth or position as sinful as drinking wine& 1eing the teacher of our fellowBmen and devoted to the Self within( ou will have to live to attain freedom and for the good of the world& 5an ou strive with our whole soul to do these thingsM )ake

7== this path onl after serious reflection& )here is et time to return to the old fife& ,re ou read to obe m orders implicitl M +f + ask ou to face a tiger or a venomous snakeE if + ask ou to *ump into the 3anga and catch a crocodileE if + want to sell ou to work the rest of our life in , teaBgarden in ,ssam as cooliesE or if + order ou to starve ourselves to death( or burn ourselves in a slow fire( thinking it will be for our goodBare ou read to obe me instantl MF )he four 1rahmacharis signed their assent b bowing their heads in silence& 9e then initiated them into Sann asa( naming them Swamis Vira*ananda( 'irbha ananda( -rakashananda( and 'it ananda& Of these the firstBnamed had *oined the /ath in "$#"( the ne6t two( much later( and the last( who was much older even than the Swami( had *ust done so& )he initiation ceremon was impressive and delighted the Swami more than the huge ovations that he had been receiving in his honour& ,nother initiation ceremon took place at ,lambaLar /ath in the first week of /a ( when the Swami gave /antras to Sharatchandra 5hakravart and Sudhir& )he latter( who had *oined the monaster in ,pril that ear( was now named 1rahmachari Shuddhananda b the Swami& )he Swami's talks on renunciation had so inspired him that he could no more sta at homeE and leaving his college studies( he had *oined the monaster & )o Sharat the Swami said2 F,rouse Shraddha in ourself and in our countr menG 0ike 'achiketa( go to Aama's door if necessar ( to know the )ruth ? for the salvation of our soul( for the solution of the m ster of life and deathG +f going into the *aws of death helps ou gain the )ruth( ou have to do that fearlessl & ,ll fear is deathE ou have to go be ond it& 1e fearless( be read from toda to la down our life to attain /oksha (liberation) and for the good of others& Otherwise what is the use of bearing this burden of flesh and bonesM 1eing initiated into the fier /antra of absolute renunciation for the sake of the 0ord( give awa our bod for the good of the world( as the sage <adhichi did when the <evas came and told him that the demon Vritra could not he killed with an other weapon but a thunderbolt made of his bonesGF

7=> Of these happ da s Shuddhananda said later2

+t was the end of ,pril "@#;& Onl five da s ago + had left home to live with the sann asis of the ,lambaLar /ath& Swamis -remananda( 'irmalananda( and Subodhananda were then living there& Swami*i presentl came back after his visit to <ar*eeling& ,long with him there were Swami 1rahmananda( Swami Aogananda( and his /adrasi disciples( ,lasinga( :idi( 3& 3&( and others& Swami 'it ananda( onl a few da s before( took Sann asa from Swami*i& 9e spoke to Swami*i one da about the need for a s stematic training for the /ath( as a large number of oung men had at that time *oined the /ath to lead a .e of renunciation& Swami*i readil agreed to the suggestion and asked him to gather all the inmates who all assembled in the hall& F0et some one he writing as '" dictateF( said Swami*i& 'o one seemed to be prepared to come forward( and finall the task fell on me& +t might be said in passing that at that time( with the inmates of the /ath( literar education was out of favour( the prevailing notion being that to realiLe 3od b Sadhana and 1ha*ana was the goal( while literar knowledge( even though it might bN a little fame and name( was reall useless for a Sadhaka (aspirant)& Onl in the case of those who are chosen b 3od to carr 9is mission or message was the need for literar training recogniLed&&&& Swami*i before dictating the rules remarked as follows2 F0ook here( we are going to make rules( no doubtE but we must remember the main ob*ect thereof& Our main ob*ect is to transcend all rules and regulations& .e have naturall some bad tendencies which are to he changed b observing good rules and regulationsE and finall we have to go be ond all these even( *ust as we remove one thorn b another and throw both of them awa &F )he course of discipline and routine decided upon was of this kind2 1oth morning and evening should he devoted to meditation( while the afternoons after a short rest should he utiliLed for individual studies( and in the evenings one particular religious book should be read and e6pounded& +t was also provided that each member would take ph sical e6ercise both morning and evening& ,nother rule was to the effect that no into6icant save tobacco should he allowed& 9aving dictated the rules( Swami*i asked me to make a fair cop of the rules and instructed me that + should put all the rules in the positive form &&&

)hese rules and regulations have( with little alteration(

7=8 taken permanent form as the Rules and Regulations of the Ramakrishna /ath( 1elur& Sometime in the first week of /a the Swami paid a visit to the /ahakali -athashala of the )apasvini /ata( at 5horebagan& ,t the end of his visit he wrote in the institution's Visitors' 1ook2 F9ave great pleasure in witnessing to the good work( inaugurated in our cit b '/ata*i'& )he move appears to me to he in the right direction and deserves the support of all who desire to see their daughters educated on national& lines&F Sharatchandra was with the Swami that da & On their wa back to 1aghbaLar the latter spoke about women's education as follows2
Religion( arts( science( housekeeping( cooking( sewing( h giene ? the simple essential points in these sub*ects ought to be taught to our women& +t is not good to let them touch novels and fiction& )he /ahakali -athashala is to a great e6tent moving in the right direction& 1ut onl teaching rites of worship won't doE their education must be an e eBopener in all matters& +deal characters must alwa s be presented before the girls to imbue them with a devotion to loft principles of selflessness& )he noble e6amples of Sita( Savitri( <ama anti( 0ilavati( :hana( and /ira should be inspired to mould their own lives in the light of these&

.henever the Swami came to 5alcutta( he sta ed for a short time at 1alarambabu's house in 1aghbaLar( where he and the monastic members of the Order alwa s met with warm hospitalit & On such occasions devotees and visitors from all parts of the cit gathered there& .e have alread noted the Swami's intention to start an organiLation for service on all levels from the spiritual to the materialBservice in which monks( devotees( and general public would coBoperate& ,ccordingl ( on his return from <ar*eeling he called a meeting of all the monastic and la disciples of Shri Ramakrishna& +t took place at @ p&m&( on Saturda ( /a "( "$#;( at 1alarambabu's house& .hen all( had assembled( the Swami opened the meeting with the following words in 1engali2

7=;
From m travels in various countries + have come to the conclusion that without organiLation nothing great and permanent can& be done& 1ut in a countr like +ndia( at our present stage of development( it does not seem to me well advised to start an organiLation on a democratic basis in which ever member has an eDual voice( and decisions are arrived at b a ma*orit of the votes of the communit & .ith the .est the case is different&&&& ,mong us also( when with the spread of education we learn to sacrifice( to stand above our individual interests and concerns( for the good of the communit or the nation at large( then it will be possible to work on a democratic basis& )aking this into consideration( we should have for our organiLation at present a <irector whose orders ever one should obe & )hen( in the fullness of time( it will be guided b the opinion and consent of the members& )his ,ssociation will bear the name of him in whose name we have become sann asisE him( taking whom as our ideal ou are leading the householder life in the field of activit ? this Samsara (this world) ? E him whose hol name( and the influence of whose uniDue life and teachings( have within twelve ears of his demise spread in such an unthoughtBof wa both in the East and the .est& 0et this Sangha (OrganiLation) therefore be named the Ramakrishna /ission& /;e are but the servants of the /aster& /a ou all help in this workG

)he proposal was enthusiasticall supported b all the householder disciples& )here was discussion about the future method of work& +n this meeting on /a + the Ramakrishna /ission ,ssociation was established( and at a second meeting on /a > resolutions were passed la ing down the main principles b which the movement was to be guided( and its aims and ob*ects& ,s originall drawn up( these were as follows2 )his ,ssociation (Sangha) shall be known as the Ramakrishna /ission& )he aim of the Sangha is to preach those truths which Shri Ramakrishna has( for the good of humanit ( preached and demonstrated b practical application in his own life( and to help others to put these truths into practice in their lives for their temporal( mental( and spiritual advancement&

7=$ )he dut of the /ission is to conduct in the right spirit the activities of the movement inaugurated b Shri Ramakrishna for the establishment of fellowship among the followers of different religions( knowing them all to be so man forms onl of one und ing Eternal Religion& )ts #ethods of Action are: (a) )o train men so as to make them competent to teach such knowledge or sciences as are conducive to the material and spiritual welfare of the massesE (b) to promote and encourage arts and industriesE and (c) to introduce and spread among the people in general Vedantic and other religious ideas in the wa in which the were elucidated in the life of Shri Ramakrishna )ndian Work De-artment: )he activities of the /ission should he directed to the establishment of' /aths and ,shramas in different parts of +ndia for the training of sann asis and such of the householders as ma be willing to devote their lives to educate others( and to the finding of the means b which the would he enabled to educate the people( b going about from one province to another* +ts work in the Dorei n De-artment should be to send trained members of the Order to countries outside +ndia to start centres there for the preaching of Vedanta in order to bring about a closer relation and better understanding between +ndia and foreign countries& )he aims and ideals of the /ission being purel spiritual and humanitarian( it shall have no connection with politics& ,n one who believes in the mission of Shri Ramakrishna( or who s mpathiLes or is willing to coBoperate with the aboveBmentioned aims and ob*ects of the ,ssociation( is eligible for membership& ,fter the resolutions had been passed( officeBbearers were appointed& )he Swami himself became the 3eneral -resident( and made Swami 1rahmananda and Swami Aogananda( -resident and ViceB-resident respectivel ( of the 5alcutta centre&

7=# 'arendranath /itra( a disciple of the /aster and a solicitor( was appointed Secretar E <r& Shashibhushan 3hosh and Sharatchandra Sarkar( 4nderBsecretariesE and Sharatchandra 5hakravart ( Reader of Scriptures& +t was also decided that meetings would be held at 1alarambabu's house ever Sunda afternoon( when the 3ita( 4panishads( or other Vedanta scriptures would be recited or read( e6positions would be given( papers read( and lectures delivered& )he sub*ects would be chosen b the -resident& .hen the meeting had broken up and most of the la members had departed( the Swami said to Swami Aogananda2 FSo the work has now begun in this wa & 0et us see how it succeeds( b the will of Shri Ramakrishna&F Swami Aogananda2 FAou are doing these things b .estern methods& .ould ou sa that Shri Ramakrishna left us an such instructionsMF )he Swami2 F9ow do ou know that these methods are not in keeping with his ideasM Shri Ramakrishna was the embodiment of infinite ideas2 do ou want to shut him up in our own limitsM + shall break those limits and scatter his ideas broadcast all over the world& 9e never instructed me to introduce worship of him( and so forth& )he methods of spiritual practice( concentration and meditation( and the other higher ideals of religion that he taught ? those we must realiLe and teach to all men& +nfinite are the ideas and infinite are the paths that lead to the 3oal& + was not born to create a new sect in this world( too full of sects alread & 1lessed are we that we have found refuge at the feet of our /aster& +t is our dut to give the ideas entrusted to us freel to the whole world&F Swami Aogananda did not dissent( and so the Swami continued2 F)ime and again + have received in this life marks of his grace& 9e himself is at m back and is making me do all these things in these wa s& .hen + used to lie under a tree( e6hausted( smitten with hungerE when + had not a strip of cloth even to tie m :aupina (loinB cloth) withE when + had resolved to travel round the world pennilessE even then( through his grace( + received help in ever wa & )hen again( when people

7>% in crowds *ostled with one another in the streets of 5hicago to have sight of this Vivekananda( + was able( through his blessings( to digest without difficult all that honour( a hundredth part of which would have turned the head of an other man& 1 the will of the 0ord( victor has been mine ever where& 'ow + intend to do something for this countr & <o ou all give up doubts and misgivings and help me in m workE and ou will see how( b his grace( wonders will be accomplished&F Swami Aogananda2 F.hatever ou will( shall come about& .e are alwa s read to follow our leading& + clearl see that the /aster is working through ou& Still( + confess( doubts do sometimes arise in the mind( for( as we saw it( his method of doing things was so differentE and so + am led to ask m self whether we are not stra ing from Shri Ramakrishna's teachings&F )he Swami2 ")he thing is this2 Shri Ramakrishna is far greater than his disciples understand him to be& 9e is the embodiment of infinite spiritual ideas capable of development in infinite wa s& Even if one can find a limit to the knowledge of 1rahman( one cannot measure the unfathomable depths of our /aster's mindG One gracious glance of his e es can create a hundred thousand Vivekanandas at this instantG 1ut if this time he chooses( instead( to work through me( making me his instrument( + can onl bow to his will&F +t was the Swami( among all the disciples of Shri Ramakrishna( who saw in the /aster not a person onl ( but a principle( not the apostle of realiLation and renunciation onl ( but that of service to humanit in the spirit of worship also& <id not the /aster renounce the bliss of 1rahman to be of service to mankindM <id he not treat all beings as 'ara anas (divinities) ever 'moment of his lifeM .ho among his disciples had not seen his unhappiness at the sight of povert and miser ( and his touching solicitude over their reliefM )rue( this phase of the /aster's personalit was overshadowed b the sublimit of his illumination( b his superconscious flights( and b his utterances of wonderful power and charm( e6horting all to seek the 9ighest& +t was left to the genius of

7>" Swami Vivekananda to interpret Shri Ramakrishna's life and teaching from all angles& +t was left to this his greatest disciple to bring out and emphasiLe the human side of his /aster's nature and message( and to clear awa the misconception that prevailed in the minds of man ( that Renunciation and Service were conflicting ideals which could not he combined without detriment to one or the other& ,nd it is to the Swami's glor that he gave shape to these divine impulses b founding the Ramakrishna /ission& Renunciation and Service are( according to him( the twofold 'ational +deal of modern +ndia& )he institution that he started was to practise and preach this +deal in its national and international aspects& On another occasion( after that of the above conversation with Swami Aogananda( when the Swami was sta ing at 1alarambabu's house( he was talking in a light mood with some of his brotherBmonks and with some la disciples of the /aster& ,t such times he would be full of wit and *okes& Swami ,dbhutananda was taking him to task for not preaching tile ideas of Shri Ramakrishna( and was challenging him to prove how his plans could be reconciled with the latter's teachings& Shri Ramakrishna insisted( above all( on 1hakti and on the practice of Sadhana for the realiLation of 3odE while the Swami( ,dbhutananda pointed out( was constantl urging them to go about preaching( and serving the poor and the diseased ? those things that turned the mind outward( which was the great impediment to Sadhana& )hen again( the Swami's idea of starting /aths and 9omes of Service for the public good( his ideas of organiLation and of patriotism( which were undoubtedl .estern in conception( his efforts to create a new t pe of sann asi with a broader ideal of renunciation( and other ideas sin@ilar in spirit( were incompatible with Shri Ramakrishna's ideal of renunciation and would surel have been repudiated b him& )he Swami at first took these observations of Swami ,dbhutananda lightl and retorted *okingl ( sa ing2 F.hat do ou knowM Aou are an ignorant man& Aou are indeed a fit disciple of Shri RamakrishnaG 0ike guru like chelaG Aour education ended with ':a'( the first letter of the alphabet(

7>7 like that of -rahlada& 1eing reminded b ':a' of :rishna( he could not proceed further& Aou are 1haktas( in other words( sentimental foolsG .hat do ou understand of religionM Aou are babies& Aou are onl good at pra ing with folded hands2 '% 0ordG how beautiful Aour nose is( how sweet Aour e es are'( and such nonsense& ,nd ou think our salvation is secured( that Shri Ramakrishna will come at the final hour and take ou up b the hand to the highest heavenG Stud ( public preaching( and doing humanitarian works are( according to ou( /a a( because Shri Ramakrishna did not do them himself( because he said to someone( 'Seek and find 3od firstE doing good to the world is presumptuousG' ,s if 3odBrealiLation is such an eas thing to achieveG ,s if 9e is such a fool as to make himself a pla thing in the hands of an imbecileGF Swami ,dbhutananda later told a devotee2 F+ was stunned to hear all these thingsE and when some other brotherBmonk tried to sa something( taking up the thread of our talk( Vivekananda grew more and more serious( and thundered on&F )he Swami now said2 FAou think ou understand Shri Ramakrishna better than m selfG Aou think *nana is dr knowledge to he attained b a desert path( killing out the tenderest faculties of the heart& Aour 1hakti is sentimental nonsense which makes one impotent& Aou want to preach Ramakrishna as ou have understood him( which is might little& 9ands offG .ho cares for our RamakrishnaM .ho cares for our 1hakti and /uktiM .ho cares what the scriptures sa M + will go to hell cheerfull a thousand times( if + can rouse m countr men( immersed in )amas (inertia)( and make them stand on their own feet and he /en( inspired with the spirit of :armaBAoga& + am not a follower of Ramakrishna or an oneE + am a follower of him onl who carries out m plansG + am not a servant of Ramakrishna or an one( but of him onl who serves and helps others( without caring for his own /ukti&F )he Swami's voice became choked( his frame shook with intense emotion& 9e could not contain himself an longer& )ears streamed from his e es& +n a flash he was on his feet and ran from the room to his sleeping apartment& 9is brotherB

7>@ disciples were seiLed with fear and repented of their criticisms spoken to him in that strain& , few of them went to his room some minutes later& Entering Duietl ( the found him sitting in meditation( his bod stiff( tears flowing from his halfBclosed e es( and bod Bhair standing on end& +t seemed to them that he was absorbed in 1havaB samadhi& ,fter nearl an hour he rose( washed his face( and came out to those waiting in the sittingBroom& )he atmosphere was tense& ,t length the Swami broke the silence sa ing2 F.hen one attains 1hakti( one's heart and nerves become so soft and delicate that the cannot bear even the touch of a flowerG <o ou know that + cannot even read a novel nowada sG + cannot think or talk of Shri Ramakrishna long( without being overwhelmed& So + am tr ing and tr ing alwa s to keep down the rush of 1hakti welling( within me& + am tr ing to bind and bind m self with the iron chain of *nana( for still m work to m motherland is unfinished( and m message to the world not et full delivered& So( as soon as + find that 1hakti feelings are coming up to sweep me off m feet( + give them a hard knock and make m self adamant b bringing up austere *nana& Oh( + have work to doG + am a slave of Ramakrishna( who left his work to be done b me( and will not give me rest till + have finished itG ,nd( oh( how shall + speak of himG Oh( his love for me GF Swami Aogananda and others( fearing a return of his devotional fervour( asked him whether he would not like an evening stroll on the roof( since it was so warm in the room& )he took him up there and diverted his mind with ordinar conversation( till it was far into the night( and he was his normal self again& " )his incident is significant( e6posing as it does the depth of the Swami's 1hakti& +t also gives an idea of the cost at which his service to others was done& 9is brotherB monks ever sought to prevent such tempestuous outbursts( for these would bring him closer to awareness of his real nature& )he had been warned that when he knew that( he would tear off all mortal bonds and in /ahasamadhi soar into the Supreme 5onsciousness of 1rahman& Reflecting on such occasions in the Swami's

7>= life as that above related( one of the greatest of his brotherBmonks said2 FAou see( the /aster has brought us all into this world to keep his Hthe Swami'sI mind diverted to e6ternal matters and to his various plans of work( so that he ma live long enough to fulfil our /aster's mission& Otherwise( he ma fl off at an time to the sphere of 'irvikalpa Samadhi&F So profound and convincing was the impression created b this incident( that no protest was afterwards made against his plans and methods of work& +t was as though the atmosphere had been heav with clouds of doubt( which from time to time broke in storms of conflicting ideals( and had now cleared& Ever one realiLed as never before that the /aster was at the back of Vivekananda( working through him& )he first general meeting of the members of the Ramakrishna /ission ,ssociation was held on Sunda ( /a #("$#;( at 1alarambabu's house( with Swami 1rahmananda presiding& For the first three ears the ,ssociation held its meetings there( in 1aghbaLar& .henever the Swami was in 5alcutta( he attended and( to the delight of all present( spoke and sang& For some time the preaching and philanthropic work was carried on through this ,ssociation& +n "$##( however( the Swami moved the /ath to 1elur( and( in "#%"( b <eed of )rust( made over its management to )rustees& )he main ob*ects of the /ath were the training of monks for SelfB realiLation and for service of the world in all possible wa s& Soon after this( the Ramakrishna /ission ,ssociation ceased to function as an independent organiLation( and the /ath authorities carried on the activities conducted b it& +n the course of time( as the scope of the /ath's activities and its responsibilities grew( it was felt that( for the sake of efficienc ( and to have a legal status( there should be a separate organiLation known as the Ramakrishna /ission& ,ccordingl ( in "#%#( a societ named the Ramakrishna /ission was registered under ,ct ZZ+ of "$8%& )he law reDuired certain changes in the rules and regulations of the /ission ,ssociationE but most of these changes related to matters of administration& )he principles and ob*ects as originall laid down b the

7>> Swami remained the same& )he management of the Ramakrishna /ission was vested in a 3overning 1od consisting of the )rustees of the 1elur /ath for the time being& )he /ission was established and registered so that the purel /ath activities( namel ( the training and maintenance of a band of sann asis to carr on religious work( could be kept distinct from the charitable activities which the /ission was to organiLe& +n due course( branch /aths sprang( up in different parts of the countr & )hese branch /aths and the /ath at 1elur have( from their inception( been parts of a single organiLation& )he Ramakrishna /ission e6tended its activities also( and the various institutions that had alread been started in different parts of +ndia were graduall incorporated into the Ramakrishna /ission& 'ew centres were also started& )hough the Ramakrishna /ission and the Ramakrishna /ath with their respective centres are distinct institutions( there is close association between them( since the 3overning 1od of the /ission consists of the )rustees of the /ath( and the principal workers of the /ission are monks of the /ath& 1oth have their headDuarters at 1elur /athE but their funds and accounts are separate&

7>8 3" IN NORTH INDIA1 ,t this time the Swami was full of plans( but his health was giving him trouble& 9e was advised b his doctors and brotherBmonks to start as soon as possible for the dr and cool climate of ,lmora' Swami*i had written to /ar 9ale from <ar*eeling on ,pril 7$("$#;2 F& & & + was alread e6hausted b hard work in EnglandE and this tremendous e6ertion in the heat of southern +ndia prostrated me completel & + had of course to give up the idea of visiting other parts of +ndia and fl up to the nearest hill station( <ar*eeling& 'ow + feel much better( and a month more in ,lmora would complete the cure&F Evidentl the sta at <ar*eeling did him some good& On /a > he wrote to /rs& 1ull2 F+ have been to <ar*eeling &&& to recuperate m shattered health& + am ver much better now& )he disease disappeared altogether in <ar*eeling& + am going to ,lmora tomorrow( another hill station( to perfect this improvement&F )he Swami had received repeated invitations from the residents of ,lmora to visit themE so he left 5alcutta on )hursda ( /a 8 with some of his brotherBmonks and disciples& Swami Shivananda( 3oodwin( and /iss /uller were alread in ,lmora b this time& /iss /uller had left England after the Swami's departureE and 3oodwin's letters show that she had reached 5alcutta in the second week of /arch "$#;( and from there had gone to <ehra <un( on her wa to ,lmora& On ,pril "= 3oodwin wrote to /rs& 1ull from <ehra <unE F, week or ten da s ago + left the Swami at <ar*eeling&&&& and at his wish( returned to 5alcutta( where Swami Shivananda *oined us( and we came here& <uring the week we are going on to ,lmora with /iss /uller( who is here at present& & & &F From this letter it is also known that Swami 'iran*anananda was then at ,lmora& ,ccording to the report of the *ourne published in the .rahmavadin of /a 77( "$#;( the Swami halted at 0ucknow

7>; for one night( and then went to :athgodam( which he reached on /a #& 9e was met there b several ,lmora admirers and 3oodwin( who had come to receive him& )he part reached 0odea (near ,lmora) on the afternoon of /a + "( and were received b a large crowd waiting to escort the Swami on the final pact of his *ourne & ,t their reDuest the Swami mounted a horse handsomel trapped( and headed a procession into ,lmora town& .hen the baLaar was reached( the crowd was so dense that there was difficult in leading the Swami's horse through& Scores of 9indu ladies from windows and housetops showered flowers and rice on the Swami as he passed below& +n the town centre( a section of the baLaar street( with decorated cloth stretched from side to side to form the roof( had been turned into a pandal( able to hold about three thousand people& ')his was decorated with banners( and with festoons of flowersE and ever house displa ed lights so that the town was a blaLe of light& /usic pla ed( the crowd cheered( and the entire scene was a memorable one even for those who had accompanied the Swami on his *ourne right up from 5olombo& 'aturall ( with four or five thousand people crowding inside and outside the pandal( and enthusiasm running high( the formal proceedings of the welcome had to be brief& -andit !wala <utta !oshi first read the Reception 5ommittee's address of welcome in 9indi& -andit 9ari Ram -ande followed with an address from the Swami's host( 0ala 1adri SahE and another -andit read an address in Sanskrit& )he Swami replied briefl & 9e touched feelingl on the spiritualiLing influence that the 9imala as had e6erted on +ndian thought& 9e himself had longed from his outh to pass his da s in their midst& )hough he knew that he would not be able to do so as he had dreamt( still he pra ed that his last da s would he spent in the 9imala as& ,t the ver sight of those mountains( he said( all the ferment of work that had been going on in his brain for ears Duieted down( and his mind reverted to the one eternal theme which the 9imala as stand for ? renunciation& ,gain the Swami was bus & .hole da s passed in discoursing on religion with his man visitors& +n spite of this( his

7>$ health graduall improved& ,mong those who accompanied the Swami to ,lmora( or met him there( or accompanied him later on his *ourne s through 'orth +ndia( were Swamis Aogananda( Shivananda( 'iran*anananda( ,dbhutananda( ,ch utananda( Vi*nanananda( Sadananda( the elderl Sachchidananda( Shuddhananda( 1rahmachari :rishnalal( and !& !& 3oodwin& ,bout the Swami's sta at ,lmora( 3oodwin wrote to /iss /ac0eod on /a "$2 F9e Hthe SwamiI finds ,lmora too& hot and( indeed( it seems to have got hot since he came up here& So this afternoon we are leaving for <ewaldhar( twent miles from here further into the hills( and after two or three da s there( go to -indri (-indari) 3lacier( and shall probabl live for some time *ust at its foot&&&& On his *ourne here the Swami( who brought with him three other Swamis( sta ed one da at 0ucknow( on account of poor health of one of them( and although unofficial and unprepared received a genuine .elcome& 9e has this week received reDuests from three Ra*as to visit their territories and themselves &&&&&& On /a 7@ 3oodwin wrote to /rs& 1ull from <ewaldhar2 J+ wish + could paint in words the beauties of this place( in which we are now living for a time( but + am Duite sure + could not& +t is twent Bone miles further into the heart of the 9imala as than ,lmora( and a reall secluded place& 5hiran*eelal( the proprietor( is a relative of the ,lmora people H0ala 1adri SahI( & & & +n this time he has got cleared about @%% acres of it H*ungleI( but has laid it out with reall marvellous art( planted it with fruit trees( built bungalows( and other buildings( not one of which is inartistic( tanks( etc&&&& +t is distinctl cooler than ,lmora&&&& )he Swami benefited in one da ( and is maintaining the improvement &&&&&&K )he Swami himself( writing to his 5alcutta doctor( Shashibhushan 3hosh( on /a 7#( said2 Aour letter and two bottles containing medicines were dul received& + have begun from last evening a trial of our medicines& 9ope the combination will have a better effect than the one alone& + began to take a lot of e6ercise on horseback( both morning and evening& Since that + am much better indeed&&&& +n <ar*eeling +

7># alwa s felt that + was not the same man& 9ere( + feel that + have no disease whatsoever( but there is one marked change& + never in m life could sleep as soon as + got into bed& + must toss at least for two( hours& Onl from /adras to <=r*ecling (during the first month) + would sleep as soon as m head touched the pillow& )hat read disposition to sleep is gone now entirel ( and m old tossing habit and feeling hot after the evening meal have come back&&&& On the whole m own feeling is one of revival of great strength and cheerfulness( and a feeling of e6uberant health( onl + am afraid + am getting fat on a too much milk diet&&&& + am ver glad to learn of the success of the meetings of the Ramakrishna /ission( at 5alcutta&&&& On !une 7% 3oodwin wrote to /rs& 1ull2 J)he Swami is again in ,lmora and seems now to be Duite recovered from his indisposition& ,lasinga -erumal and -rof& Rangachar a (of the .rahmavadin3 have also been here( mainl because the wished to visit 1adri 'ara an( and it was their presence which brought Swami*i up from <ewaldhar&&&& )he rain season has set in here now( and has lessened the heat a good deal( Duite a relief after five solid months is of heat( nearl si6 months& )here was a disastrous earthDuake in +ndia a week ago( e6tending from Simla in the .est to ,ssam( down through as far as /adras&&&& )he old /ath Hat ,lambaLarI has also been severel handled &&&&&&K )hough Swami*i's bod was now rested( his mind had not taken rest& 9e was constantl occupied with some sub*ect or other& Furthermore( he would receive pressing letters from scholars or disciples asking for the solution of some philosophical or scriptural problem& 1esides repl ing to these( sometimes with a masterl commentar on a te6t( he was writing to his brotherBmonks( /ar 9ale( /argaret 'oble( and others in an intensit of spiritual fervour& .ith the service of the people done b ,khandananda in /urshidabad <istrict( he was delighted& )o this brother he wrote on !une ">2 J,ccept a hundred thousand embraces and blessings from me&&&& .ork( work( work( even unto death&&&& +t is the heart( the heart that conDuers( not the brain& 1ooks and learning( oga and meditation and illumination ? all are but dust compared with love&

78% &&& )his indeed is worship( worship of the 0ord in the human tabernacle &&&&&&K Even at ,lmora the Swami was not to be left in peace b his vilifiers& Since his landing on +ndian soil( with unprecedented ovations and homage from the nation as a whole( a persistent campaign( misrepresenting his work and influence( and attacking his character( had been conducted( chiefl b certain ,merican /issions in +ndia and at home& )heir aim was to hinder his work in& the States during his absence( and to check the religious revival which his triumphal progress through South +ndia had aroused& )he campaign intensified with the return of <r& !& 9& 1arrows to the 4nited States on /a "%& )his ,merican pastor( it will be remembered( had been 5hairman of the 3eneral 5ommittee of the .orld -arliament of Religions in "$#@& 9e had come out to +ndia on a threeBmonth lecture tour( from <ecember ">( "$#8 to /arch ">( "$#;& Even while in +ndia( lecturing in 5alcutta( -oona( /adras( and other cities( he had made no secret of his antipath to the Swami& )he spate of defamator and misrepresenting newspaper cuttings that now reached the Swami at ,lmora were the seDuel of <r& 1arrows' return home& ,s in the past the Swami treated them with indifference& , few Duotations from the Swami's letters( and from those of friends who stood up for him( will e6plain matters sufficientl & On October 7$( "$#8 the Swami had written from 0ondon to the Editor of the )ndian #irror:
<ear Sir( + gather from our esteemed *ournal that <r& 1arrows( the late 5hairman of the 5hicago -arliament of Religions( is coming over to +ndia to deliver a series of lectures( connected with 5hristianit & <r& 1arrows was the ablest lieutenant /r& 5& 1onne could have selected to carr out successfull his great plan of the 5ongresses at the .orld's Fair( and it is now a matter of histor how one of these 5ongresses scored a uniDue distinction( under the leadership of <r& 1arrows& +t was the great courage( untiring industr ( unruffled patience(

78"
and neverBfailing courtes of <r& 1arrows that made the -arliament a grand success& +ndia( its people( and their thoughts have been brought more prominentl before the world than it ever was b that wonderful gathering at 5hicago( and that national benefit we certainl owe to <r& 1arrows more than to an other man at that meeting& /oreover( he comes to us in the sacred name of religion( in the name of one of the great teachers of mankind( and + am sure( his e6position of the s stem of the -rophet of 'aLareth would be e6tremel liberal and elevating& )he 5hristBpower this man intends to bring to +ndia is not the intolerant( dominant( superior( with heart full of contempt for ever thing else but its own self( but that of a brother who craves for a brother's place as a coBworker of the various powers( alread working in +ndia& ,bove all( we must remember that the gratitude and hospitalit are the peculiar characteristics of +ndian humanit ( and( as such( + would beg m countr men to behave in such a manner that this stranger from the& other side of the globe ma find that( in the midst of all our miser ( our povert and degradation( the heart beats& as warm as of ore( when the Fwealth of +ndF was the proverb of nations( and& +ndia was the land of the F,r asF&

Aours obedientl ( Vivekananda )his letter was published in the )ndian #irror on 'ovember "#( "$#8& ,n editorial comment on it appeared in the #ahratta of -oona (-une) on 'ovember 7#( "$#8( in the .rahmavadin of <ecember >( "$#8( in the Harvest Die'd of !anuar "$#;( and in other leading papers of +ndia at different times& On the da that the Swami wrote to the )ndian #irror, he wrote as follows to ,lasinga2 F+ have sent a little note to the )ndian #irror toda about <r& 1arrows and how he should be welcomed& Aou also write some good words 6)f welcome for him in the .rahmavadin*? )he disciple acted on the Swami's suggestion2 indeed( as we learn from -rof& :& Sundararama l er's reminiscences( he went so far as to include <r& 1arrows( along with 5ol& Olcott( in an informal reception committee that he (,lasinga) first organiLed for welcoming the Swami to /adras&

787 +n spite of these courtesies( <r& 1arrows was not courteous to the Swami& )he Swami must have been offended b some of <r& 1arrows' statements( for in his lecture at :umbakonam he said2 FAou have also heard( Duite within recent times( the claims put forward b <r& 1arrows( a great friend of mine( that 5hristianit is the onl universal religion&F )he Swami& again mentioned him while speaking at /adras on F/ plan of 5ampaignF2 F)oda + read that m friend <r& 1arrows sa s that in three hundred ears 5hristianit overthrew the Roman and 3reek religious influences& )hat is not the word of a man who has seen Europe( and 3reece( and Rome& )he influence of Roman and 3reek religion is all there( even in -rotestant countries& & & )he Swami did not sa an thing harmful to the mission of <r& 1arrowsE and( in deference to the Swami's reDuest( the 5hristian preacher was given a cordial reception in +ndia& 9owever( as is clear from the following report in the #ahratta of -oona( published on Februar ;( "$#;( the discordant note in <r& 1arrows' speeches did not go unnoticed2
<r& 1arrows comes to us as a friend of our Swami Vivekananda& )he venerable Swami's word of recommendation had preceded <r& 1arrows to this landE and we were bound in dut to show him ever attention&&&& .e do not however wish to find an fault with <r& 1arrows as a preacher of his own religion&&&& 1ut what we fear is that the <octor's aspirations are not so narrow& 9e is not content with the present e6tent of 5hristendomE and like his aggressive transB,ltantic secular brother( he will be satisfied with nothing less than a worldBwide empire& .e do not think this ambition( modest as it is( will succeed&&&& Similar reports appeared in the :esari of -oona in Februar "$#;( in the 0u6arati on Februar "= and 7"( and in other papers& Evidentl +ndians siLed up <r& 1arrows& ,s earl as !anuar @%( "$#;( the Swami had written from Ramnad to /ar 9ale2 F+ wrote a letter to m people from 0ondon to receive <r& 1arrows kindl & )he accorded him a big reception( but it was not m fault that he could not make an impression there& )he 5alcutta people are a hardBheaded

78@
lotG 'ow 1arrows thinks a world of me( + hearG Such is the world&F Even though the Swami was reading in +ndian newspapers( and hearing reports of <r& 1arrows' discourteous speeches( he did not cease to be courteous to him& .hen <r& 1arrows reached /adras on Februar "@( "$#;( the Swami had himself arranged for his warm reception there& ,bout this he was to write to /ar 9ale on /arch 7( "$#$2 F1 the b ( + learnt afterwards that <r& 1arrows arrived in /adras ne6t da and was ver much chagrined at not finding me as he e6pected( though + helped getting up an address for him and arranged for his reception& -oor man( he little knew + was at death's door then&F +t was unfortunate that <r& 1arrows did not meet the Swami in /adrasE but he found the Swami's signature on the address of welcome that was presented to him& ,t /adras( in contrast to 5alcutta and -oona( <r& 1arrows was Duite cordial in his speech& 1ut this does not mean that the canker was not in himE for( the ver evening (/a "%) that he landed in 5alifornia( h e was reported as having made remarks to the representative of the 4hronic'e, which( according to that paper( Fwould make that +ndian personage's Hi&e& the Swami'sI cars tingle if he could hear themF& 9ere are some e6cerpts2

)he Swami arrived in /adras one week ahead of me( but he did not call upon me to renew our acDuaintanceBship& ",tead he hurriedl left /adras the da after + arrived& ,ll that the 4hronic'e credited him with sa ing about the women of ,merica is true( and knowing that he had been telling lies he avoided me& )here is one thing + want to correct however& )he Swami has not lost caste through his conduct& +t transpires that he never was a 1rahmin& 9e belongs to the Shudra caste( the lowest of the respectable castes in +ndia& ,ll that he has said about ,merican women and ,merican institutions disgusted some of the 9indus + met& )he came to me and declared that he did not represent or preach their faith& .hat + particularl ob*ect to in Vivekananda is his ridiculous and e6aggerated statement about the influence of 9indu speakers in England and ,merica& 9e is a man of brilliant and pleasant Dualities(

78= but he seems to have lost his head& + could never tell whether to take him seriousl or not& 9e struck me as being a 9indu /ark )wain& 9e is a man of genius and has some following( though onl temporar & 3oodwin( who was with the Swami all through the earl months of his return to +ndia( is reported b the .rahmavadin (!ul @"( "$#;) as sa ing2
& & & ,n English *ournalist( who has accompanied the Swami during the whole of his sta in +ndia( sa s that in no speech( in no interview( and( as far as he knows( in no conversation( has a single word fallen from him derogator to ,merican women& On the contrar he has lost no opportunit of speaking of their generosit and kindness to him( and of their sincerit in the search for truth& )he other charge is eDuall untrue& .hen asked about his mission( the Swami has repeatedl avoided answering at all( and( when pressed to talk on the sub*ect( has spoken with a modest which would well become some of those who appear to be seeking notoriet at his e6pense& )hose who know the Swami will readil understand how ridiculous is a charge of ingratitude as made against him&

/rs& Sara 5& 1ull (also Ole 1ull)( writing in defence of the Swami to <r& 0ewis 3& !anes on !une ;( sa s2
)hank ou for the 5alifornia clipping& Since <r& 1arrows so unDualifiedl denounces Vivekananda as a liar and for that reason charges him with intent to avoid him at /adras( + regret( for his own good( that <r& 1arrows should have omitted all mention of the Swami Vivekananda's widel circulated letters of welcome urging upon the 9indus( whatever their views of <r& 1arrows' message concerning their and his own religion might be( to offer a hospitalit of thought and greeting worth of the kindness e6tended to the Eastern delegates at 5hicago b <r& 1arrows and /r& 1onne & )hose letters circulated at the time when the +ndian nation was preparing a welcome unprecedented for warmth and enthusiasm to the monk( contrast markedl with <r& 1arrows' recent utterances in 5alifornia( on his own homeBcoming( concerning Vivekananda( and bring the two men before the +ndian public for their *udgement&&&& +t ma be added in this connection( that Vivekananda was wearied

78>
to the e6treme and was threatened with a breakdown in health from the first to the last of his public receptions on +ndian soil( and( finall ( b command of his ph sician obliged to forgo more fatigue and take absolute rest for some months' time& Vivekananda having been m guest( attacks concerning him are sent to me( and + know that for two ears previous to his return to +ndia the Swami was Duoted both here and there as having denounced ,merican women at different points in +ndia( showing that he has a double or that his opponents pass on( as does <r& 1arrows( sentiments deemed for his utterance( omitting the sum and substance of what he has uttered again and again& )he dr humour of ,merican pleasantries not infreDuentl used b gentlemen( but unsafe for an foreigner( occasionall tempt the monk with his rare facilit in the use of English( to a misplaced and outBofBtaste Duotation( while it is also true that his habitual selfBcontrol is under strong provocation sometimes lostE but a fair opponent he is and( + can testif ( to even unfair and untruthful detractors& .ith the power held in common with great preachers and& artists to draw to himself emotional men and women( it is to his credit that he ma sometimes use harsh characteriLation rather than permit a blind following to himself& )he homes open to the Swami Vivekananda in the 4nited States would honour an man& 9is friends will agree with <r& 1arrows that he has genius( not for genialit alone( but for intellectual power and the modest of the true scholar( that will guard him from egotism and vanit & 9e deals as few can with agnosticism and atheism( and gives earnest students a philosophical anal sis that establishes religion( embracing the sectarian religions( and in spiritualit he has the childlikeness of spirit that will make him the loving servant of his people& +t is alwa s painful to encounter workers rightl devoted to sectarian interests and service( indulging in the present rule of habitual asperities and Duick distrust rather than looking for points of contact& + send ou Duotations from the Swami's letters to +ndia and here( giving in repl Vivekananda's sober opinions to the points of attack as made b <r& 5lerk( <r& 1arrows( and others& -ra use them or m own estimate as ou deem fit& -S& )he allusion to Vivekananda's e6aggerated statement of his .estern work and /ission is as mistaken as <r& 1arrows' suggestion that he has onl a temporar influence& Vivekananda returns not <uro-eani5ed, and the urgent calls to be filled as soon as his health

788
permits are evidence of this& + believe him as one to welcome all true religious workers there& )he 3erman schools( the English Orientalists( and our own Emerson testif to the fact that it is literall true that Vedantic thought pervades the .estern thought of toda ( and it is in this sense onl that Vivekananda could mean that thousands in the .est are Vedantists ? a philosoph able to include sectarians&

)he Swami's attitude in the face of attacks on him in the ,merican and +ndian press is best shown b a few Duotations from his letters'& .riting to /rs& 1ull on Februar 7>( "$#;( he sa s2 F+ have not a moment to die( as the sa & .hat with processions and tomBtomings and various other methods of reception all over the countr + am near'$ dead&&&& On the other hand( the countr is full of persons *ealous and pitiless who would leave no stone unturned to pull m work to pieces& 1ut as ou know well( the more the opposition the more is the demon in me roused&F ,bout the failure of <r& 1arrows' mission to +ndia the Swami writes to /ar 9ale on ,pril 7$2
<r& 1arrows has reached ,merica b this time( + hope& -oor manG 9e came here to preach the most bigoted 5hristianit ( with the usual result that nobod listened to him& Of course the received him ver kindl ( but it was m letter that did that& + could not put brains into himG /oreover( he seems to be a Dueer sort of man& + hear that he was angr at the national re*oicings over m homeBcoming& Aou ought to have sent a brainier man an wa ( for the -arliament of Religions has been made a farce of to the 9indu mind b <r& 1arrows& On metaph sical lines no nation on earth can hold a candle to the 9induE and curiousl ( all those that come over here from 5hristian lands to preach( have that one antiDuated foolishness of an argument that the 5hristians are powerful and rich and the 9indus are not( ergo 5hristianit ( is better than 9induism( to which the 9indu ver aptl retorts that that is the ver reason wh 9induism is a religion and 5hristianit is notE because( in this beastl world( it is blackguardism and that alone that -ros-ers7 virtue alwa s suffers& +t seems, however advanced the .estern nations are in scientific culture( the are mere babies in metaph sical and spiritual education& /aterial science can onl give worldl prosperit ( whilst spiritual science is for

78;
eternal life& +f there be no eternal life( still the en*o ment of spiritual thoughts as ideals is keener and makes a man happier( whilst the fooler of materialism leads to competition and undue ambition and ultimate death( individual and national& &&& <o ou know <r& 5olston )urnbull of 5hicagoM 9e came here a few weeks before + reached +ndia& 9e seems to have had a great liking for me( with the result that 9indu people all liked him ver much& &&& + am going to grow a big beard( now that m hair is turning gre & +t gives a venerable appearance and saves one from ,merican scandalBmongers& % thou white hairs( how much thou canst concealG ,ll glor unto thee( hallelu*ahGK

On !une @ he writes to 5hristine 3reenstidel in a mood of dispassion2

,s for m self( + am Duite content& + have roused a good man of our people and that was all + wanted& 0et things have their course and :arma its swa & + have no bonds here below& + have seen life( and it is all selfBlife is for self( love for self( honour for self( ever thing for self& + look back and scarcel find an action that + have done for selfBeven m wicked deeds were not for self& So( 5hristina( + am content& 'ot that + feel + have done an thing especiall good or great( but the world is so little( life so mean a thing( e6istence so( so servile( that + wonder and smile that human beings( rational souls( should be running after the self?so mean and detestable a priLeG )his is the truth& .e are caught in a trap( and the sooner one gets out( the better for one& + have seen the truth( let the bod float up or down ? who caresG + was born for the life of the scholar ? retired( Duiet( poring over m books& 1ut the /other dispenses otherwise& Aet the tendenc is there&

On !ul #( in a combative spirit( under e6treme provocation( he writes to /ar 9ale( who has become uneas that the repeated attacks on him in the ,merican press ma in*ure his cause2
&&& + had also a lot of cuttings from different ,merican papers fearfull criticiLing m utterances about ,merican women and furnishing me with the strange news that + had been outlasted ,s if + had an caste to lose( being a sann asin "G

78$
'ot onl no caste has been lost( but it has considerabl shattered the opposition to seaB vo age( m going to the .est& +f + should have to be outlasted( + would have to be done so with half the ruling princes of +ndia and almost all of educated +ndia& On the other hand( the leading Ra*a of the caste( to which + belonged before m entering the Order( publicl got up a banDuet in m honour( at which were most of the ,i ,u s of that caste& )he sann asins( on the other hand( ma$ not dine with an one in +ndia as beneath the dignit of 3ods to dine with mere mortals( as the are 'ara anas( while the others are mere men& ,nd( dear /ar ( these feet have been washed and wiped and worshipped b the descendants of a hundred kings( and there has been a -ro ress through the countr which none ever commanded in +ndia& +t will suffice to sa that the police were necessar to keep order if + ventured out into the streetsG )hat is outcasting indeed "G Of course( that took the starch out of the /issoos Hthe Swami's name for missionariesI( and who are the hereM ? 'obodies& .e are in blissful ignorance of their e6istence all the time& + had in a lecture said something about the /issoos and the origin of that species( e6cept the English 5hurchmen( and in that connection + had to refer to the ver church women of ,merica and their power of inventing scandals& )his the /issoos are parading as an attack on ,merican women en masse to undo m work there( as the well know that an thing said against themselves will rather please the 4& S& public& / dear /ar ( supposing + had said all sorts of fearful things against the FAanksF( would that be pa ing off a millionth part of what the sa of our mothers and sistersE F'eptune's watersF would be perfectl useless to wash off the hatred the 5hristian FAanksF of both se6es bear to us( Fheathens of +ndiaFE and what harm have we done themM 0et the FAanksF learn to be patient under criticism and then criticiLe others& +t is a wellBknown ps chological fact that those who are ever read to abuse others cannot bear the slightest touch of criticism themselves& )hen again( what do + owe themM E6cept our famil ( /rs& 1agle ( the 0eggetts( and a few other kind persons( who else has been kind to meM .ho came forward to help me work out m ideasM + had to work tE&"" + am at death's door and had to s-end near'$ the who'e of m$ ,est ener ies in America, so that the might learn to be broader and more spiritualG +n England + worked onl si6 months& )here was not a breath of scandal save one( and that was the working of an ,merican woman which greatl relieved m English friendsE not onl no attacks( but

78#
man of the best English 5hurch clerg men became m firm friends( and without asking( + got much help for m work and + am sure to get much more& )here is a societ watching m work and getting help for it( and four highl respected persons followed me to +ndia to help m work( braving ever thing( and doLens were read ( and the ne6t time + go( hundreds will beG <ear( dear /ar ( do not be afraid for me&&&& )he world is big( ver big( and there must be some place for me( even if the FAankees rageF& ,n how( + am Duite satisfied with m work& + never planned an thing& + have taken things as the came& Onl one idea was burning in m brain ? to start the machine for elevating the +ndian masses( and that + have succeeded in doing to a certain e6tent& +t would have made our heart glad to see how m bo s are working in the midst of famine and disease and miser , nursing b the matBbed of the choleraBstricken -ariah and feeding the starving 5handala( and the 0ord sends help to me( and to them all& F.hat are menMF 9e is with me( the 1eloved( as 9e was when + was in ,merica( in England( when + was roaming about unknown from place to place in +ndia& .hat do + care about what the talk ? the babies ? the do not know an better& .hatG "( who have realiLed the Spirit and the vanit of all earthl nonsense( to he swerved from m path b babies' prattleG <o + look like thatM + had to talk a lot about m self because + owed that to ou& + feel m task is done ? at best( three or four ears more of life is left& + have lost all wish for m salvation& + never wanted earthl en*o ments& + must see m machine in strong working order( and then knowing for certain that + have put in a lever for the good of humanit ( in +ndia at least( which no power can drive back( + will sleep without caring what will be ne6t& ,nd ma + be born again and again and suffer& thousands of miseries( so that + ma worship the onl 3od that e6ists( the onl 3od + believe in( the sum total of all souls ? and( above all( m 3od the wicked( m 3od the miserable( m 3od the poor of all races( of all species( is the especial ob*ect of m worship& F9e .ho is the high and the low( the saint and the sinner( the 3od and the worm( 9im worship( the visible( the knowable( the real( the omnipresentE break all other idolsGF F+n .hom there is neither past life nor future birth( nor death( nor going( nor coming( in .hom we alwa s have been and alwa s will be one( 9im worshipE break all other idolsGF / time is short& + have got to unbreast whatever + have to sa (

7;%
without caring if it smarts some or irritates others& )herefore( m dear /ar ( do not be frightened at whatever drops from m lips( for the -ower behind me is not Vivekananda but 9e( the 0ord( and 9e knows best& +f + have to please the world( that will be in*uring the worldE the voice of the ma*orit is wrong( seeing that the govern and make the sad state of the world& Ever new thought must create opposition ? in the civiliLed( a polite sneerE in the savage( vulgar howls and filth scandals& Even these earthworms must stand up erect& Even children must see light&& & & , hundred waves of prosperit ( have come and gone over m countr & .e have learnt the lesson which no child can et understand& +t is vanit & )his hideous world of /a a& Renounce and be happ & 3ive up the ideas of se6 and possessions& )here is no other bond& /arriage and se6 and mone are the onl living devils& ,ll earthl love proceeds from the bod & 'o se6( no possessionsE as these fall off( the e es open to spiritual vision& )he soul regains its own infinite power&&&&

)hat the Swami's criticism of a few fanatical Fchurch womenF was Duite unrelated to his attitude to ,merican women as a whole( is clearl shown in a letter that he wrote in "$#= to the Ra*a of :hetri2
F+t is not the building that makes the 9ome( but it is the wife that makes it(F sa s a Sanskrit poet( and how true it isG )he roof that affords ou shelter from heat and cold and rain is not to be *udged b the pillars that support it( the finest 5orinthian columns though the be( but b the real spiritBpillar who is the centre ? the real support of the home ? the woman& *udged b that standard( the ,merican home will not suffer in comparison with an home in the world& " have heard man stories about the ,merican homeE of libert running into licence( of unwomanl women( smashing under their feet all the peace and happiness of the home life in their mad libert Bdance( and much nonsense of that t pe& ,nd now after a ear's e6perience of the ,merican homes( of ,merican women( how utterl false and erroneous that sort of *udgement appearsG ,merican womenG , hundred lives would not be sufficient to pa m deep debt of gratitude to ouG + have not words enough to e6press m gratitude to ou& )he Oriental h perbole alone e6presses the depth of Oriental

7;"
gratitude2 F+f the +ndian Ocean were an inkstand( the highest mountain of the 9imala as the pen( the earth the scroll( and time itself the writer( still it will not e6press an gratitude to ourF 0ast ear + came to this countr in summer( a wandering preacher of a far distant countr ( without name( fame( wealth( or learning to recommend me?friendless( helpless( almost in a state of destitution ? and ,merican women befriended me( gave me shelter and food( took me to their homes and treated me as their own son( their own brother& )he remained m friends even when their own priests were tr ing to persuade them to give up the Fdangerous 9eathenF( even when da after da their best friends had told them not to stand b this Funknown foreigner( ma be( of dangerous characterF& 1ut the are better *udges of character and soul( the ( the nobleBminded( the unselfish( the pureE for it is the pure mirror which catches the reflection& ,nd how man beautiful homes + have seen( how man mothers whose purit of character( whose unselfish love for the for children are be ond e6pression( how man daughters and maidens Fpure as the icicle on <iana's templeF and withal with much culture( education( and spiritualit in the highest senseG +s ,merica then full( of onl wingless angels in the shape of womenM )here is good and bad ever where( trueE but a nation is not to be *udged b its weaklings called the wicked( as the are onl the weeds which lag behind( but b the good( the noble( and the pure( who indicate the national life current flowing clear and vigorous& <o ou *udge of an apple tree and the taste of its fruits b the unripe( undeveloped( wormB eaten ones that strew the grounds( large even though their number be sometimesM +f there is one ripe( developed apple( that one would indicate the powers( the possibilit ( and the purpose of the appleB tree( and not the hundreds that could not grow& ,nd then the modern ,merican women ? + admire their broad and( liberal minds& + have seen man liberal and broadminded men too in this countr ( some even in the narrowest churchesE but here is the difference ? there is danger with the men to become broad at the cost of religion( at the cost of spiritualit ? women broaden out in s mpath with ever thing that is good ever where without losing a bit of their own religion& )he intuitivel know that it is a Duestion of positivit and not negativit ( a Duestion of addition and not subtraction& )he are ever da becoming aware of the fact that it is the

7;7
affirmative and positive side of ever thing that shall be stored up( and that this ver act of accumulating the affirmative and positive( and therefore soulBbuilding forces of nature( is what destro s the negative and destructive elements in the world&&&&

)he above letter gives the ke note of so man letters that the Swami wrote on the sub*ect of ,merican womanhood and allied matters& 3oodwin's letter to /rs& 1ull( written from ,lmora on !une 7$ ("$#;)( will serve as a fitting conclusion to the discussion of this particular controvers ( since he was an e eBwitness throughout2
.e have *ust seen reports from 5hicago and <etroit papers which give a lecture b <r& 1arrows( and contributions from our old friends the Revs& /r& )hoburn and /r& 5lerk& +n these it is stated that Swami*i has lost no opportunit ( since he returned to +ndia( of abusing and belittling ,merican women& 'ow( we do not wish to repl to these papers( but ou have so man opportunities of meeting representatives of ,merican women that + can do no harm in acDuainting ou with the absolute facts( and leaving them in our hands& + have been present at ever single lecture given b Swami*i in +ndia and 5e lon& + have also been present at ever single interview granted to a newspaperman& Further( + have not missed one single report of an utterance of his in an paper& .ith this opportunit of knowing the actual facts + can assure ou that an statement of a single word from Swami*i derogator to ,merican women is a malicious fabrication& On the contrar ( + am becoming almost wear ( if that be possible( of hearing him speak in the most glowing terms of the ,merican women( and onl a week or two ago he said( F+f + have to come back again as woman + must and will come as an ,merican woman&F +t is further charged against Swami*i that he ran awa from /adras in order to avoid <r& 1arrows( thus showing gross ingratitude& <r& 1arrows has et( apparentl ( to learn that( but for an open letter which Swami*i wrote to +ndia before his own and the <octor's H1arrows'I arrival there( not a single 9indu would have moved to see, let alone to welcome <r& 1arrows( barring of course native 5hristians& /oreover( the /adras missionaries( through the Rev& /r& :ellett( invited Swami*i to sign an address of welcome to the <octor H1arrowsI( and on the strength of the Swami's signature obtained a number of other 9indu signatories& Swami*i's plans for

7;@
/adras were settled( even to the date of leaving( before& he reached /adras( and before he had the least idea that the <octor was e6pected there& )he <octor arrived on a Saturda HFebruar "@" evening( while Swami6i was de'iverin a 'ecture, and the Swami gave a further lecture the following afternoon( in addition to receiving several hundred( almost amounting to a thousand( visitors in the morning and eveningE and we had to leave for the steamer at > on the /onda morning& )he Swami moreover made not a single remark pre*udicial to <r& 1arrows ? which is another 5hicago statement ? and onl once referred to him in a lecture( and then to criticiLe( in a spirit which an one who cares or cared to read the report of his speech will admit to he thoroughl fair and temperate( on the e6travagant claim of <r& 1arrows on behalf of 5hristianit as the onl universal religion& +f <r& 1arrows is unable to accept criticism in a proper spirit( he has nor right to pose as a preacher or teacher& 1e ond this not a single word was said pre*udicial to the <octor( and certainl nothing pre*udicial to him personall and an reception he might secure& Surel ( 5hristianit must have fallen to a ver low ebb if its selfBconstituted leader in ,merica( <r& 1arrows( descends to deliberate lies in order to bolster his cause& ,part from which( is it Duite honest on the part of <r& 1arrows( a 4nitarian( to come to +ndia as a pillar of 5hristianit M )his seems to me somewhat parado6ical& 9ere he told another deliberate lie (in /adras) stating at a meeting of the )riplicane 0iterar Societ that he invited Swami*i to lunch with him in 5hicagoE and when asked what he would have( Swami*i replied that he would prefer beef( and would alwa s choose beef( where a number of meats were to be had& +s Swami*i a lunatic to make a public statement like this( even if he felt itM ,s a matter of fact( he took what was offered him and did not know till long after that he had eaten beef&&&

)his was not the onl unpleasant controvers in which the Swami was involved2 two more( which received attention in the columns of some of the leading +ndian newspapers of 5alcutta and /adras particularl ( will now he mentioned& 'eedless to sa ( his disciples and friends were at the time distressed over them& )he Swami ? we have had instances enough ? stood for truth& 9e was not in the habit of flattering people& Shri Ramakrishna

7;= had described him as Fan open swordF& +n his lecture F/ -lan of 5ampaignF at /adras( he not onl spoke about the unfriendl behaviour of the )heosophists in ,merica and +ndia( but also e6posed the doings of the 1rahmos( of some orthodo6 9indus( and of certain 5hristians( against him& 'or did he spare the reform societies of /adras& 9is criticism of the )heosophists wounded the feelings of admirers like the 9on'ble Subrahman a + er( -resident of the Reception 5ommittee of /adras( 5ol& Olcott( 'arendranath Sen( Editor of the )ndian #irror and 9on& Secretar of the 5alcutta Reception 5ommittee( and some of his .estern friends& 9is criticism of 1uddhism offended the feelings of his friend 9& <harmapala and others& ,nd orthodo6 9indus were constantl on the offensive( tr ing to ensnare him in scriptural discussions( or finding fault with him in the press& )he .an a,asi, a 1engali& p=per of 5alcutta( took the lead b falsel asserting that the Swami was a Shudra and therefore not entitled to Sann asa( that he had crossed the ocean (:alapani) and therefore had forfeited his <harmaE and so on& +t was this paper( too( that created a row over the visit of the Swami and& the Ra*a of :hetri to the <akshineswar :ali temple in( /arch "$#;& +t did its best to give him a bad name( but to no effect& ,bout this time <harmapala was in ,merica and ma have spoken to <r& !anes in connection with the Swami's derogator remarks on 1uddhism& ,s a result( and hearing also about the Swami's criticism of the )heosophists( <r& !anes seems to have been somewhat perturbed( and spoke of the matter to /rs& 1ull& 3athering this from a letter that he received from <r& !anes( the Swami wrote to /rs& 1ull as follows on /a >("$#;2
+ had a ver kind letter from <r& !anes in which he points out m remarks about degraded 1uddhism& Aou also write that /r& <harmapala is ver wroth about it& /r& <harmapala is a good man and + love him( but it would be entirel wrong for him to go into fits over things +ndian& + am perfectl convinced that what the call /odern 9induism with all its ugliness is onl stranded .uddhism* 0et the 9indus understand this clearl and then it would be easier for them to re*ect it without murmur& ,s for the ancient form which 1uddha

7;>
preached( + have the greatest respect as well as for his person& ,nd ou wel" know that we 9indus worship 9im as an +ncarnation& 'either is the 1uddhism of 5e lon an good& / visit to 5e lon has entirel disillusioned meE and the onl living people there are the 9indus& )he 1uddhists are all mock EuropeaniLed?even /r& <harmapala and his father had European names( which the have changed since& ,nd the onl respect the 1uddhists pa to their great tenet of nonBkilling is b opening butcher's stalls in ever placeG ,nd the priests encourage thisG )he ideal 1uddhism + once thought would et do much good& 1ut + have given up that idea entirel and + clearl see the reasons wh 1uddhism was driven out of +ndiaE and we will onl be too glad if the 5e lonese carr off the remnant of that religion with its hideous idols and licentious rites& ,bout the )heosophists ? ou must remember first that in +ndia ? )heosophists and 1uddhists are nonBentities& )he ma print a few papers and make a lot of splash and tr to catch accidental carsE but + do not know if there are two 1uddhists in +ndia of 9indu birth and 7%% )heosophists& " was one man in ,merica( another here& 9ere the whole nation is looking upon me as their authorit E there + was a much reviled preacher& 9ere -rinces drew m carriagesE there + would not be admitted to a decent hotel& / utterances here therefore must be for the good of the race( m people ? however unpleasant it might appear to a few& ,cceptance( love( toleration for ever thing sincere and honest( but never for h pocris & )he )heosophists tried to fawn and flatter me as + am Fthe authorit F now in +ndia( and therefore it was necessar for me to stop m work giving an sanction to their humbugs b a few bold decisive wordsE and the thing is done( + am ver glad& +f m health had permitted( + would have cleared +ndia b this time of these upstart humbugs( at least tried m best& From what + have seen m s mpath is rather more for the English church missionaries in +ndia than either the )heo H)heosophistsI or the 1uddhists& &&& )here is absolutel no hope for 1uddhism in +ndia&&&& 0et me again tell ou that +ndia is alread Ramakrishna's and for a purified 9induism& )heosophists( 1uddhists( 5hristians( and such ilk ma bring mone and start papers b the hundreds( but the effect on us is Lero absolute& )he onl 5hristian missionar that had a welcome was <r& 1arrows and that was on account of m$ 'etter ' ) do not think + &have time to write separatel to <r& !anes& 9e has been uniforml kind to me.

7;8 )o turn now from this unsavour topic( we have alread noted that the Swami was elated because one of his brotherBmonks was relieving hundreds of people in the famineBstricken district of /urshidabad in 1engal& On his wanderings( this brotherB monk Swami ,khandananda had been deepl moved to see the widespread distress in the villages there& )hough penniless he at once decided to do something about it& 9earing of this( Vivekananda had sent two of his disciples( Swami 'it ananda and 1rahmachari Sureshwarananda to help ,khandananda in the work& 9e had also immediatel started a fund to which contributions came chiefl from 5alcutta Varanasi and /adras and from the /ahabodhi Societ Swami ,khandananda managed the relief work so well that the <istrict /agistrate of /urshidabad who administered the 3overnment Relief fund remarked + have been able to relieve m self of all responsibilities with regard to the villages covered b the Swami& Other things that delighted the Swami at this time were to learn of the success of the meetings of the Ramakrishna /ission in 5alcutta( and to hear that Swami Ramakrishnananda was carr ing on Vedanta work in and about /adras with his characteristic Leal& ,rriving there at the end of /arch "$#;( this stalwart had impressed people b his character and activities& 9e had delivered a series of lectures on the lives of the -rophetsE had lectured on the VedantaE and had given classes on the 4panishads and 0ita* )he Swami sent Swami Shivananda from ,lmora to 5e lon( in response to the reDuest of the 9indu communit thereE and he sent 3oodwin to /adras to start a paper there( and to help ,lasinga with the .rahmavadin in order to enlarge the scope of its teaching and to increase its circulation& ,t this time the Swami had a mind to start two newspapers of his own& On !ul "% he wrote to /iss /ac0cod( F3oodwin has gone to work in /adras on a paper to he started there soon&F )his refers to the paper that the Swami wanted to put out in English& )hat the Swami also intended to start a paper in 1engali( we know from 3oodwin's letter of !une7$( to /rs&

7;; 1ull2 F+t seems probable that + shall not return to the .est at all& One of the Swami*i's ideas is to have a newspaper of his own in 5alcutta (in 1engali) and another in /adras (in English)& 9e has told ,lasinga -erumal to establish this latter( and insists upon m being appointed Editor& & & &F 1ut the Swami's idea did not materialiLe( and 3oodwin's services were devoted to the .rahmavadin alone for some time& )he Swami was also delighted to learn about the progress of Swami Saradananda's work in ,merica& 1ut the news from England given him b /r& Sturd was not good2 the response to Swami ,bhedananda's preaching had not been satisfactor & 1 the end of !ul "$#;( ,bhedananda had to close his centre in 0ondon and according to Sturd Rs direction he sailed for ,merica to take up the 'ew Aork work )his he did in ,ugust& .hen the Swami's sta at ,lmora was drawing to a close( his friends began talking about a lecture& )he English residents of the town also e6pressed their wish to hear the Swami( and invite him to the English 5lub& )wo lectures were therefore arranged for the general public( and one f8r members of the English 5lub and some other prominent people of ,lmora& )he two public lectures( of which one was to he in 9indi and another in English( were given in the Xilla School& )he sub*ect of the 9indi lecture(& on !ul 7;( was FVedic )eaching in )heor and -racticeF& )hough not considering himself proficient in 9indi( the Swami did well in the lecture( drawing admiration from educated members of the audience for the masterl wa in which he handled that language& )he lecture& at the English 5lub( given on !ul 7$( was attended b all the English residents in the station& 5ol& -ulle of the 3urkhas was in the 5hair& )he Swami gave them a short historical sketch of the rise of the worship of the tribal 3od and its spread through the conDuest of other tribes& )hen followed a brief account of the Vedas2 their nature( character and teaching 'e6t he spoke of the soul and compared the .estern method which seeks the solution of vital and religious m steries in the outside world( with the Eastern method( which finding no&

7;$ answer outside( turns its enDuir within& ,s he described the relation of the soul to 3od( its aspiration( and its real unit with 3od( he reached& the clima6 of his talk& +t was one of' those occasions when his power as a spiritual teacher was plainl manifest& FFor some time(F writes /iss F& 9enrietta /uller(' an e ewitness( Fit seemed as though the )eacher( his words( his audience( and the spirit pervading them all( were one& 'o longer was there an consciousness of '"' and ')hou'( of ')his' or ')hat& )he different units collected there( were for the time being lost and merged in the spiritual radiance which emanated so powerfull from the great )eacher and held them all( more than spellbound&F )he lecture in English for the public was given on !ul @"&"t was attended b an educated audience of about four hundred& )he listened with breathless interest( and with obvious pride in the eloDuence and learning of their celebrated fellowB countr man& ,t ,lmora the Swami heard from' /r& Sturd about /argaret 'oble's wish to come to +ndia in order to help the Swami in his work& On !ul 7# he wrote to /iss 'oble2
, letter from Sturd reached me esterda ( informing me that ou are determined to come to +ndia and see things with our own e es& + replied to that esterda ( but what + learned from /iss /uller about our plans( make this further note necessar ( and it is better that it should be direct& 0et me tell ou frankl that + am convinced that ou have a great future in the work for +ndia& .hat was wanted was not a man but a woman( a real lioness( to work for the +ndian women especiall & +ndia cannot et produce great women( she must borrow them from other nations& Aour education( sincerit ( purit ( immense love( determination( and( above all( the 5eltic blood make ou *ust the woman wanted& Aet the difficulties are man & Aou cannot form an idea of the miser ( the superstition( and the slaver that are here& Aou will be in the midst of a mass of halfBnaked men and women( with Duaint ideas( of caste and isolation( shunning the white skin through fear or hatred( and hated b them intensel & On the other hand( ou willE be looked

7;#
b the whites as a crank and ever one of our movements will be watched with suspicion& )hen the climate is fearfull hot( our winter in most places being like our summer( and in the south it is alwa s blaLing& 'ot one European comfort is to be had in places out of the cities& +f( in spite of all this( ou dare venture into the work( ou are welcome( hundred times welcome&&&& Aou must think well before ou plunge inE and after work( if ou fai" in this or get disgusted( on m part + promise ou( + wi'' stand ,$ $ou unto death whether ou work for +ndia or not( whether ou give up Vedanta or remain in it&&&& ,gain( + must give ou a bit of warning& Aou must stand on our own feet and not be under the wings of /iss /uller or an bod else&&&&

+n response to the Swami's call( /argaret 'oble came to +ndia in the earl part of "$#$&

7$% 36 IN NORTH INDIA 2 ,fter a sta of about twelve weeks in ,lmora( the Swami had to some e6tent regained his health( though a complete recover it was not& 1ut health or no( his mission in +ndia( and the deliver of his message( called for unflagging activit E and we ne6t find him moving from one province to another( teaching privatel ( preaching publicl ( and consolidating the work& 9e had pressing invitations to visit various places in the -un*ab and in :ashmir& On ,ugust 7 the Swami left ,lmora( and on the wa to :athgodam he halted at 1himtal for a da on account of fever& ,t 1areill ( reached on ,ugust #( a Reception 5ommittee gave him a warm welcome( and took him and his part to their clubBhouse( where arrangements had been made for their sta & )he house probabl belonged to one -ri anathbabu& 9e had hardl arrived when he again had an attack of fever& +n 1areill he remained four da s( and( though ill all the time( did much religious discoursing& On the morning of the "%th he visited the ,r a Sama* Orphanage& )he ne6t da ( he conversed with a gathering of students on the need of a students' 'societ that would carr into effect his ideas on practical( Vedanta and would work for others& ,s a result( such a societ was formed then and there& )hat da ( after the midda meal( the Swami told Swami ,ch utananda( a monk of the ,r a Sama*( that he (Vivekananda) would live onl five or si6 ears more& )his prophec ( though not taken seriousl at the time( came true( for he left his bod five ears later( on !ul =( "#%7& On the morning of ,ugust "7 he held religious discussions( although he was unwell& 9is fever increased after taking food at midda ( but towards evening he felt better& 9e again discoursed on religion to visitors& )hat night he left b train for ,mbala 5antonment( which was reached earl ne6t morning&

7$" ,t the station he was received b a large number of people( and taken in a horseB carriage to a bungalow that had been arranged for his sta & 9ere he met /r& and /rs& Sevier& )he had been at Simla for some three months( following their sta with the Swami at <ar*eeling& ,t ,mbala he had religious talks dail at all hours with man people of different creeds ? /uslim( 1rahmo( ,r a Sama*ist( and 9indu ? on scriptural and other matters& On the morning of the "8th( at the reDuest of a professor of the 0ahore 5ollege who wanted a record of the Swami's voice( he gave a short lecture into a phonograph& +n the evening( though unwell( he gave an impressive lecture lasting an hour and a half before a select and appreciative gathering& ,s ever( at this time( he sought to in*ect into the minds of his hearers his plans for the regeneration of the /otherland& 9e did not leave ,mbala without visiting( on the morning of ,ugust "#( the 9induB/uslim School( an institution which interested him( because it was s mbolic of the spirit of unit between the two great +ndian communities& )he Swami received man invitations from various places( but he was so weakened b the fever that he had contracted on the wa down from ,lmora that he was unable to accept an of them& ,t ,mbala the Swami heard from /rs& 1ull and& /iss !osephine /ac0eod that the wished to come to +ndia& 9e wrote to /rs& 1ull on ,ugust "#2
+ received our last note esterda & + had also a letter from /iss /ac0eod stating that she and ou are coming to +ndia& + of course will be ver glad to see ou in +ndia( onl ( ou ought to know from the first( that +ndia is HtheI dirtiest and unhealthiest hole in the world( with scarcel an European comforts e6cept in the big capitals& + learn from England that Sturd is sending ,bhedananda to 'ew Aork& +t seems that the English work is impossible without me&&&& +f Saradananda wants to come( he ma E and + am sure he will be of ver good service to me *ust now in organiLing the work( now that m health is so broken& )here is a oung English lad /iss /argaret 'oble( ver eager to come to +ndia to learn the state of things( so that she ma do some

7$7
work when she is back home& + have written to her to accompan 0ondon&&&& ou in case ou come via

,ccordingl ( /rs& 1ull and /iss /ac0eod( along with Swami Saradananda( came to +ndia in earl "$#$& On ,ugust 7% the Swami and his part ( with /r& and /rs& Sevier included( reached ,mritsar& 9ere also he was received at the station with honour& 1ut he remained at ,mritsar for onl four or five hours( at the house of /r& )odor /all( 1arristerBatBlaw& 9is deteriorating health made it imperative for him to retire without dela to <harmsala( a delightful hillBstation nearb & 9e went there with /r& and /rs& Sevier( and sta ed for about seven or eight da s& E6cept for meeting a few casual visitors( he spent the time Duietl ( as the guest of 1akshi Sohanlal( a pleader of the 5hief 5ourt of the -un*ab& .hen the Swami felt better( he decided to return to the plains for the spreading of his ideas& 1ack at ,mritsar for two da s( he had religious& discussions with Rai /ulra* and other leading ,r a Sama*ists& On ,ugust @" he left for Rawalpindi (now in -akistan)& /an people had gathered to give him a reception( and arrangements had been made for him to sta E but he left immediatel for /urree (-akistan) in compan with the Seviers and his part ( again in search of health& On September 7 he reached /urree( where he was the guest of /r 9ansra*( a noted pleader& 9e was freDuentl invited to give public lectures( but the state of his health prevented his doing so& 9owever( on invitation he visited the houses of some 1engali residents of the place and sang devotional songs at their reDuest& +n addition( several talks on religious sub*ects were given when he spoke about his ideas and plans for work in +ndia& )he Swami's sta in /urree was brief& )here were reasons enough wh he should go on a short visit to :ashmir& /r& and /rs& Sevier had gone to /urree with the intention of accompan ing him thereE but the were compelled to remain behind( because /r& Sevier suddenl fell ill& )he da before the Swami left( a letter reached him from /r& Sevier with this news&

7$@ Eight hundred rupees in notes were enclosed for the e6penses of the Swami's *ourne & )he time was seven in the evening& )he Swami turned to a friend and said with an an6ious look( F.hat shall + do with so much mone ( !ogeshM .e are fakirsE we are sure to spend it all if it is with us& 0et me take( onl half 'the sumE + think that ought to be sufficient for me and the brotherBmonks and disciples with me&F Sa ing this he went to?( see /r& Sevier and persuaded him to take back half the mone & 0eaving /urree on September 8 the Swami and part reached 1aramula b tonga on the $th& From there he started at once for Srinagar b boat& 9e arrived on the "%th( and was the guest of !ustice Rishibar /ukhopadh a a a& 9ere the Swami m was literall besieged b visitors& On the third da after his arrival he paid an informal visit to the palace of the /ahara*a& 9e was received with distinction b two of the higher officials& One of' them( <r& /itra( informed him that on the ne6t da Ra*a( Rama Singh( the brother of the /ahara*a( would he pleased to see him& ,s the /ahara*a was then at !ammu( the Swami did not meet him& On the morning of September "= Ra*a Rama Singh received the Swami with marked cordialit and honour( seating him on a' chair( and himself sitting with officials on the floor& )he interview lasted two hours& /atters of religion and the problem of improving the condition of the poor( were discussed& )he Ra*a was deepl impressed( and voiced his desire to help the Swami in carr ing out his plan of work& 4ntil his return to /urree( earl in the first week of October( the Swami was bus filling man engagements( private and public( and visiting the places of historic interest with which :ashmir abounds& Sadhus( pandits( students( officials of high rank( and scores of others went to meet him& .henever he was free( he retired to the houseboat that the .aLir (prime minister) of Ra*a ,mar Singh had placed at his disposal& )he .aLir himself became an ardent admirer of the Swami& )he latter was often invited b the nobilit to dine at their housesE and on one of these occasions he discoursed to a large assembl of 1rahmins and pandits& 9e made e6cursions b boat to nearb

7$= places( visited the baLaars( or listened to singing and instrumental music& On September 7% he went b houseboat to -ampur( and on the 77nd to +slamabad (,nantnag)(&where he saw the historic temple of 1i*behara& 'e6t da he went on foot to /artand& 9e sta ed at the restBhouse for pilgrims( and discoursed to a large gathering of priests& )he following morning he set out for ,chabal& On( the wa ( at ,vantipur( he was shown a temple( which legend relates to -andava times& +ts sculptures drew his admiration& +n his view the temple was more than two thousand ears old& )he Swami slowl made his wa back from Srinagar( travelling b boat from the .ular 0ake to 1aramula( )he delightful climate of :ashmir and his free outdoor life there had restored him( and he felt some of his former vigour& Returning to /urree on October $( he was *o full received b the 1engali and -un*abi residents( and b /r& and /rs& Sevier& )he Swami was alternatel the guest of the latter( and of 'ibaranbabu( at whose house he received numerous visitors and had man discussions& On the evening of October "= an address of welcome was presented to him on behalf of the 1engali and -un*abi residents of /urree& +n repl the Swami gave a talk which delighted the audience immensel & On October "8 morning the( Swami left for Rawalpindi b tonga( and arrived there b five in the evening& 9e was welcomed b some people of note& )he followed him to the house of /r& 9ansra*( where he was ver pleased to meet and talk with Swami -rakashananda of the ,r a Sama*& *ustice 'ara an <as( /r& 1haktaram( barrister( and man other educated gentlemen were also present& On Sunda October "; he delivered a lecture to a large audience in the beautiful garden of Sardar Su*an Singh( who acted as chairman of the meeting& For two hours the Swami discoursed lucidl on 9induism( supporting his arguments with Duotations from the Vedas& ,n English disciple who was present sa s& FSwami*i( sometimes strolling in the course of his lecture& as was his wont( and sometimes leaning against a pillar decorated with foliage( wreaths( and flowers( and himself wearing a

7$> beautiful wreath of flowers on his head and a garland round his neck looked in his flowing saffronBcoloured robe and sash( like a 3reek god& /oreover( as a background to this( the audience( mostl sitting on the lawn( turbaned and crossBlegged( with the sun setting in the distance( made altogether a wondrousl picturesDue scene&F One catches a glimpse of the intense activit of the Swami at this time( and( indeed( during most of the time of his public ministration while on tour( from an entr in the diar of Swami ,ch utananda( a devoted companion2
!@th 9cto,er* +n the morning( Swami*i talked on religious sub*ects with the visitors at /r& 9ansra*'s house& )hen he went to the 5antonment to keep an invitation to dinner at 'imaibabu's house( where he talked on religious sub*ects with the 1engali gentlemen assembled there& 9e returned from there about @ p&m& ,fter a short rest he went to /r& Su*an Singh's garden to deliver a lecture on 9induism&&&& Returning from there he instructed a gentleman in the secret of performing Sadhanas& ,t night he went to supper at /r& 1haktaram's house in the compan of *ustice 'ara an <as( Swami -rakashananda( /r& 9ansra* and others& From there he returned home at "% p&m&( and talked with some of his disciples on matters religious( until three o'clock in the morning&

On October "$ in the course of conversation with leading residents of Rawalpindi( among whom was Swami -rakashananda( he gave a most satisfactor suggestion for resolving the antagonism between the ,r a Sama* and the /uslims& 9e several times visited the :ali templeE received and entertained man visitors from different provincesE and gave several religious talks& On the da he was to leave Rawalpindi( when he was talking with visitors after the midda meal( one of his brotherBmonks brought a phaeton for him and said that a 1engali gentleman was ill and that he earnestl wanted to see the Swami& )he latter was read to go at once& .ith him went Swami -rakashananda and a few others& )he man put five Duestions to the Swami and said that( if he did not receive satisfactor answers to them( he would become an atheist& )he Swami took each

7$8 Duestion( one b one( carefull thrashed them out( and gave his conclusions on them in such a wa that the gentleman was full convinced& On the night of October 7% the Swami was off again( this time to !ammu in response to an invitation from the /ahara*a of :ashmir& 9e reached !ammu ne6t da at noon( was received officiall at the station( and was informed that he .as a guest of the State& )hat evening he visited the /ahara*a's librar ( and on the following da had a long talk with 1abu /aheshchandra 1hattachar a( a State officer( on the sub*ect of establishing a monaster somewhere in :ashmir& On the 77nd the Swami had a long interview with the /ahara*a& )wo of the /ahara*a's brothers and some principal officers of the State were also present& +n the course of the conversation he stressed the foolishness of adhering to meaningless customs and outward observances( and traced the nation's servitude of the last seven hundred ears to this and to misconceiving the true religious ideals& F1 committing what is real sin( such as adulter and so( forth(F he pointed out( Jone is not outcasted these da sE now( all sin( all offence against societ ( relates to food onl GK )he Swami then defended his sea vo age with his usual vigour( and pointed out that without travelling in foreign countries real education was not gained& Finall he dwelt on the importance of preaching Vedanta in Europe and ,merica( and spoke of his own mission and plan of work in +ndia& 9e concluded2 F+ deem it a great good fortune if( b doing good to m countr ( + have to go to hellGF )he /ahara*a and others were highl pleased with the interview( 'which lasted for nearl four hours& 0ater in the da the Swami paid a visit to the *unior Ra*a( who received him with similar honour& On the ne6t da he gave a public lecture& +t pleased the /ahara*a so much that he was asked to give another the ne6t da & Further( the desire was e6pressed that he remain at least ten or twelve da s and address meetings ever other da & On the 7=th he was taken round the municipal powerBstation& 9e also had discussions on religious sub*ects& +n these he referred

7$; to the ,r a Sama*( pointing out its shortcomings to Swami ,ch utananda in a friendl spirit& 9e deplored the backwardness of the -un*abis in knowledge& )hat afternoon( as desired b the /ahara*a( he lectured to a large audience& For two hours he spoke on the scriptures from the Vedas to the -uranas( and then on the wa of devotion& 9e paid a visit to the librar ( and that evening saw the illumination of the cit ( it being the night of the <iwali festival& )he ne6t three da s were devoted mostl to receiving visitors& +n talks with them he gave out man profound ideas relating to religion and social ethics& <uring this tour the Swami spoke and lectured mostl in 9indi& )he power and life that he put into the 9indi language was so e6traordinar that the /ahara*a of :ashmir reDuested him to write a few papers in that language& )his he did( and the were greatl appreciated& On October 7$ the Swami heard from /r&' Sevier that he and his wife were in 0ahore (now in -akistan)( being well looked after b a -un*abi gentleman& (On October 7# the Swami paid a final visit to the /ahara*a and informed him of his proposed departure for Sialkot (now in -akistan)( from where a deputation had come on October 7@ with a pressing invitation& )he /ahara*a bade farewell to the Swami with regret( reDuesting him to be his guest whenever he visited !ammu or :ashmir& From !ammu the Swami and his part reached Sialkot on Sunda morning( October @"& 9e was warml received and taken to accommodation arranged in the residence of 0ala /ulchand( a pleader& )hat evening he spoke on FReligionF in English& ,fter the lecture he gave a summar of it in 9indi for those who did not know English& 'e6t da several prominent people came to interview him( with whom he discussed various matters of religion& /an women also used to come to see him at SialkotE among them were two sann asinis& On seeing these nuns( the Swami e6pressed the desire that a school for girls be started& 9is suggestion was gladl taken up( and a committee was formed for this purpose& 9e said that the girls should be trained b women teachers onl & 9ow women Dualified for this work were to be procured needed consideration&

7$$ 9e thought that here might he a wa of solving the problem of the maintenance of 9indu widows& ,t Sialkot he delivered another lecture( this time on F1haktiF( and in 9indi& On Frida afternoon( 'ovember >( the Swami and part arrived in 0ahore& 9e was welcomed at the station b residents of the cit ( and taken to the palace of Ra*a <h an Singh& 9ere he conversed with visitors( and after his meal he went to sta at the house of Shri 'agendranath 3upta( Editor of the Tri,une* )he ,r a Sama*ists also gave him a welcome& 0ala 9ansara*( -resident of the <a ananda ,ngloBVedic 5ollege( often had talks with the Swami& <ail ( in the morning for two hours and in the afternoon for an hour and a half( about two hundred 1engali and -un*abi residents of 0ahore would gather at the palace of Ra*a <h an Singh to meet the Swami and discuss religious matters& One da he was praising a certain person at length& On hearing it all( one of those with him said( F1ut Swami*i( that gentleman has no respect for ouGF )he Swami at once replied( F+s it necessar to respect me in order to become a good manMF )he Duestioner was taken aback at these words& )he Swami gave three public lectures in 0ahore& !& !& 3oodwin writes of them as follows2
&&& On Frida evening H'ovember >"( he Hthe SwamiI lectured in the large court ard of the old palace on F)he -roblem 1efore 4sF& )he numbers present were large and the space available was altogether too small to accommodate all who came to hear( and the necessit for disappointing man ( at one time threatened to prevent the holding of the meeting at all& ,fter at least two thousand had been refused admission( there still remained full four thousand( who listened to an e6cellent discourse& On the following )uesda H'ovember gI( another large crowd gathered in the pandal of -rof& 1ose's 1engal 5ircus( to hear the Swami's lecture on 1hakti Hin 9indiI& )he third lecture( on the following Frida H'ovember "7I evening( was a triumphant success& )he arrangements( this time entirel made b students of the four 0ahore 5olleges( were e6ceedingl good( and the audience( without being inconvenientl large( was in ever sense representative& )he sub*ect for the evening was Vedanta( and the Swami for over two hours gave( even for him( a masterl e6position

7$#
of the monistic philosoph and religion of +ndia& )he manner in which( at the outset( he traced the ps chological and cosmological ideas on which religion in +ndia is founded( was marvellousl clear( and his insistence that ,dvaita is alone able to meet the attacks not onl of science but also of 1uddhism and agnosticism against religious and transcendental ideas( was conve ed in definite language and was full of convincing power& From beginning to end the lecture preached strength ? belief in man in order that belief in 3od might follow ? and ever word of perhaps the finest lecture the Swami has given in +ndia was itself full of strength&&&& )he lecture created great enthusiasm( and the Swami found it in no wa difficult to induce a number of students( who were his constant attendants while in 0ahore( to take steps to put it into practice& +n fact( he held a meeting for students( at which( after hearing his suggestions( an association was formed( purel nonBsectarian in character( the work of which( as it graduall unfolded( should be( to help the poor ? and where possible b searching them out in ever district of the town ? to nurse the sick poor( and to give night education to the ignorant poor&&&&

)he first of the lectures *ust mentioned is printed in the 4om-'ete Works under the title F)he 5ommon 1ases of 9induismF& )he Swami's opening phrases( and his first words to the people of the -un*ab( can be said to have e6pressed not onl his( but all +ndia's( gratitude( respect( and admiration for the FheroicF -un*ab( Jwhich had first to bear the brunt of all inroads and invasions into +ndiaK& F)his is the land which is held to be the holiest even in hol ,r avartaF( he beganE and went on to recount some of the -un*ab's glories& F+ stand before ou(F he said( Fnot as a teacher( & & & but as one who has come from the cast to e6change words of greeting with the brothers of the west( to compare notes&&&& 9ere am + tr ing to understand on what ground we ma alwa s remain brothers& & & &&9ere + am tr ing to propose to ou something of constructive work and not destructive& For criticism the da s are past( and we are waiting for constructive work& & & &F ,fter taking up the points of agreement among all the religious sects of +ndia( he ended with a few words on how religion was to be made d namic& )he Swami's third lecture( published as F)he VedantaF(

7#% brings out the rationalit of ,dvaita( as 3oodwin sa s& )owards the end the Swami moves on to its practical relevance& F.hat is the gain Hof adopting ,dvaitaI MF he asks2 F+t is strength&&&& + ma be a little bubble( and ou ma be a wave mountainBhigh( but know that for both of us the infinite ocean is the background( the infinite 1rahman is our magaLine of power and strength( and we can draw as much as we like&&&& 1elieve therefore in ourselves& & & &F 'ot onl does ,dvaita give strength( but it alone provides a rational ground' for moralit and love& F1ut one defect which la in the ,dvaita was its being worked out so long on the spiritual plane onl &&& E now the time has come when ou have to make it practical&&&& )herefore( oung men of 0ahore( raise once more that might banner of ,dvaita( for on no other ground can ou have that wonderful love( until ou see that the same 0ord is present ever where& 4nfurl that banner of loveG & & &F ,fter hearing this stirring peroration( it is not surprising that a outh organiLation was formed to serve the poor as manifestations of 'ara ana& ,n openBair part was given in honour of the Swami on Sunda evening( 'ovember "=( on the lawn of 0ahore )own 9all& +t was attended b man prominent people& ,nother da ( the Swami was invited b the Sikhs of the FShuddhi SabhaF& 9e appreciated their work of accepting back into the Sikh faith those Sikhs who had been converted to +slam& )he Swami's nonBsectarian outlook was especiall evident at 0ahore& )hough he was pressed b a certain communit of orthodo6 9indus to preach openl against the ,r a Sama*ists( he would not acDuiesce in their wishes& 9owever( he did consent to speak on the Shraddha ceremon ( in which the ,r a Sama*ists do not believeE but in his talk he in no wa attacked them& Some of the leading members of the rival parties were present& )he Swami discussed the necessit of the 9indu rite of Shraddha( and defended it in a dignified manner against the attacks of those ,r a Sama*ists who came forward( to argue with him& +n tracing the origin of this timeB honoured institution( he said that spiritBworship was the beginning of

7#" 9indu religion& ,t first the 9indu used to invoke the spirits of their departed ancestors in some man( and then worship them in him and offer food& 1 and b it was found that the men who acted as mediums for the disembodied spirits afterwards suffered ver much ph sicall & So an effig of grass (:ushaputtali) was substituted( and( after invoking the spirits of their departed ancestors in it( people offered worship and -indas (rice balls)& )he Vedic invocation of' the gods for worship and sacrifice( he pointed out( was a development of this spiritBworship& )he Swami's mission in the -un*ab was( preBeminentl ( to establish harmon and peace in place of the discord and rivalr that e6isted between the ,r a Sama*ists( who stood for a reinterpreted 9induism( and the Sanatanists( who represented( orthodo6 9induism& 9e succeeded in bringing this about for the time being at leastE and each side vied with the other in 2showing regard for him& 1oth flocked to listen to his words& +ndeed( so generous was the attitude that he showed towards the ,r a Sama*ists( and so respectful was theirs towards him( that for some da s the rumour persisted that several of the leading ,r a Sama*ists even wanted the Swami to become the head of the ,r a Sama*& 9ere( as at Rawalpindi( he suggested a method for rooting out the antagonism between this sect and the /uslims& +n one conversation the Swami deplored the lack of emotion in the -un*abis( remarking that the land of the five rivers was rather a dr place spirituall ( and that people should be made responsive to the affective side of religion b cultivating 1hakti& 9e thought that the introduction of Shri 5haitan a's Sankirtana( as it was in vogue among the Vaishnavas of 1engal( would be desirable& , proposal was made b some of the -un*abi gentlemen that there should be a public Sankirtana procession( but in the end the idea had to he given up& +t was at 0ahore that the Swami met /r& )irtha Ram 3oswami( then a professor of mathematics at one of the 0ahore colleges& Some time later( this gentleman took Sann asa and the name Swami Ram )irtha& 9e preached Vedanta in +ndia

7#7 and ,merica( gained a considerable following( and became widel known& +t was under his guidance that the college students of 0ahore helped to arrange for the Swami's lectures there& 9e personall admired the Swami immensel ( and invited him and his disciples( including 3oodwin( to dine at his residence& ,fter dinner the Swami sang a song which begins2 F!ahan Ram .ahan :am 'ahin( !ahan :am )ahan 'ahin Ram&F )ranslated( the song runs2 F.here 3odBconsciousness is( there no desire isE where desire is( there no 3odBconsciousness is&F )irtha Ram himself writes2 F9is melodious voice made the meaning of the song thrill through the hearts of those present&F 9e placed his librar at the Swami's disposal( but of the numerous volumes in it( the latter chose onl Leaves of 0rass b .alt .hitman ? whom he used to call Fthe Sann asin of ,mericaF& One evening the Swami( accompanied b his brotherBmonks( )irtha Ram( and a number of oung men( was walking along the road& ,le part broke into several groups& F+n the last group(F according to Swami Ram )irtha( in a letter written at a later date from <ar*eeling( Fin answer to a Duestion( + was e6plaining2 ',n ideal /ahatma is one who has lost all sense of separate personalit and lives as the Self of all& .hen the air in an region absorbs enough of the solar heat( it becomes rarefied and rises higher& )he air from different regions then rushes in to occup this vacuum( thus setting the whole atmosphere in motion& So does a /ahatma marvellousl infuse life and spirit into a nation through selfBreform&' )he Swami's group happening to be silent at the time( he overheard this part of our conversation and stopped suddenl and emphaticall remarked( 'Such was m guru( -aramahamsa Ramakrishna <eva&' F )he relationship between the Swami and )irtha Ram was most amicable( and the latter presented the Swami with a gold watch before he left& )he Swami kindl accepted it( but put it back in )irtha Ram's pocket( sa ing( FVer well( friend( + shall wear it here, in this pocket&F )irtha Ram gave his impressions of the Swami( and wrote

7#@ about his visit to 0ahore( in a letter to -andit <in <a al V akh ana Vachaspati( dated 'ovember "8( "@#;& +t runs as follows2
Shri /ahara* *i( -ranam& ,fter ten da s sta here( Swami Vivekananda*i left Hfor <ehra <unI esterda & 9ere three lectures were delivered Hb himI in English& Swami*i was the guest of the Sanatan <harma Sabha& 9e sta ed at the 9aveli H-alaceI of Ra*a <h an Singh&&&& )he sub*ect of the fist lecture was F-rinciples 5ommon to ,ll 9indusF& & & & )he second lecture was on F1haktiF& & & & )he third lecture was on FVedantaF& +t lasted for full two and a half hours& )he listeners were so deepl engrossed( and it created such an atmosphere( that all idea of time and space was lost& ,t times( one reDuired absolute realiLation of oneness between oneself and the cosmic ,tman& +t struck at the roots of ego and pride in self& +n short( it was such a grand success as is seldom seen& .hoever heard this lecture Hlisteners were in large numberI( for all of them ? whether Englishmen( 5hristians( or /uslims( or ,r a Sama*ists( or 1rahmo Sama*ists?it proved an &e eBopener& )he principal and other European professors of the /ission 5ollege were also highl benefited& )here were public lectures( no doubt( but Swami*i's knowledge is not reflected so trul in lectures as in his conversations& + listened to his talks with leaders of ,r a Sama* and 1rahmo Sama* in private& 9e answered their Duestions in such a devastating manner( and presented before them such a picture of their principles( that the returned completel downfaced& ,nd the beaut lies in the fact that he never uttered a single word which could offend their feelings& +n a ver short time( he got them to admit the baselessness of their own principles&&&& Swami*i supported well the -uranas( Shraddha Hceremon I and /urtiB-u*a Hidol worshipI in public& Swami*i is a good -andit also& 9e remembers a large number of Shrutis b heart& 9e has studied ShankaraB1hash a( ShriB1hash a( and /adhvaB 1hash a on Shariraka Sutras& 9e is going to read the ,nuB1hash a( of Vallabhachar a& 9e has a master over Sankh a and Aoga& 9f .ha avad/0ita, he is a great e6ponent& ,nd he sings most melodiousl &&&& (Aour) servant( Ram

, touching incident occurred at 0ahore( when /otilal 1ose(

7#= a bo hood neighbour and pla mate of the Swami( and now the owner of -rofessor 1ose's 5ircus( came to meet him& 9e was aweBstruck at the reverence which hundreds were pa ing to him& Feeling a little embarrassed( he approached the Swami with the Duestion( F9ow shall + address ou now( as 'aren or as Swami*iMF )he Swami replied( F9ave ou gone mad( /otiM <on't ou know that + am the same 'aren and ou are the same /otiMF ,nd( indeed( it was the same with ever one of his former comrades and classBmates who met him in the da s of his glor ( after his return from the .est2 the noticed not the slightest change in his wa s and behaviour& )o Duote one? instance among man ( 4pendrababu( another classBmate( to whom( when stud ing in -residenc 5ollege( 5alcutta( the Swami had prophesied his own future greatness( came to meet him at 1alarambabu's house2 when the Swami saw him enter the room( he stood up and with outstretched arms embraced him warml +t was chiefl the state of the Swami's health that made him leave 0ahore for <ehra <un( after ten da s of strenuous work& )he return to the plains had caused a relapse of the illness that had taken him to the 9imala as( and he was conseDuentl forced to postpone the completion of his lecture tour& ,t <ehra <un the Swami wished to lead a rather secluded life because of his healthE but once people came to know of him( the began coming in large numbersE and he( for his part( talked with them on religious matters& ,nother reason for going to <ehra <un( as also to <harmsala and :ashmir( was to find a suitable plot of land for /r& and /rs& $\vier to bu ( where an ,shrama could be started for the training of the 1rahmacharisE but no suitable plot could he found there& ,t <ehra <un( gathering his disciples about him( the Swami would hold a class on Ramanu*a's commentar on the .rahma/ Sutras* )his class continued for the rest of the tour& 0ater on even on the wa to :hetri( after the had rested from the *ourne and had had their bath and meal( he would call them and begin the class& 9e also held classes on the Sankh a philosoph ( and appointed Swami ,ch utananda to teach it in his

7#> presence& Sometimes( when Swami ,ch utananda( a learned Sanskrit scholar( could not make out the meaning of the te6t( the Swami would in a few words e6plain it clearl & On Frida ( 'ovember 78( the Swami and his part left <ehra <un for Saharanpur( on the wa to Ra*putana (now Ra*asthan)& 9ere he sta ed with 1ankubiharibabu( a pleader( who welcomed him and put him up at his house& )he people of the town pressed the Swami to give a lecture( but he( being in a hurr to go to Ra*putana( declined& .hile at <ehra <un( he received repeated invitations from :hetri& )he Ra*a of that State was e6ceedingl eager to give his sub*ects an opportunit of becoming acDuainted with the Swami's ideas& 1esides( he personall wished to see his guru( and had sent a messenger all the wa to <ehra <un to bring him& From Saharanpur the Swami went to <elhi( where he was the guest of 'atakrishna( a man of humble position( whom he had met at 9athras during his wandering da s& .ealth people pressed him to he their guest( but he preferred to remain with his old friend& 'atakrishna once asked the Swami2 F+ am practising 3a atri !apam and Sandh a for the last five or si6 months( but not getting an light&F )he Swami said( F5all on the 0ord in our own language( instead of chanting the h mns in Sanskrit( which ou don't understand&F )hen he e6plained the meaning of the 3a atri /antra& , professor of a nearb college visited the Swami often( and through him a small meeting was arranged( where the Swami answered Duestions& +n addition( he held religious discussions( at which man distinguished people were present& )ogether with /r& and /rs& Sevier( his brotherBmonks( and disciples( he visited all the monuments and ruins associated with the past glor of the /ogul emperors( which are scattered round <elhi within a few miles' radius& One who accompanied him sa s2 F9e vivified the past before us& +ndeed( we forgot the present in the past and lived with dead emperors and might kings of old&F On <ecember + the Swami left for :hetri via ,lwar( where he wished to meet his old friends and disciples& ,t Rewari

7#8 station the Ra*a of :hetri had sent people to receive him and bring him to :hetri b palanDuin b a short route& )he had come with man camels( horses( carriages( and so on( to take the part to :hetriE but the Swami did not want to go b the direct route( because he had alread planned a visit to ,lwar& ,t ,lwar he was accorded a grand reception& 9e and his part were lodged in one of the residences belonging to the /ahara*a& +t had been secured for the purpose b the Swami's followers in ,lwar& )he /ahara*a was at the time unavoidabl absent from the State( but the Swami had interviews with the principal officials& 9owever( the chief attraction of his visit la in meeting once again his intimate friends and disciples with whom he had passed man a da during his wandering( life& 9is present visit was full of touching incidents that revealed the true sann asi he was& For instance( at the railwa station( when the reception ceremon was going on and he was surrounded b prominent people( he caught sight of one of his poor but devoted disciples( dressed in an ordinar wa and standing at a distance& .ithout caring for the formalities of the reception or for etiDuette( the Swami called out( FRamasnehiG RamasnehiGF ? for that was the man's name ? and( having had him brought before him through the crowd of notables( enDuired about his welfare and that of his other friends( and talked with him freel as of old& Something similar happened in /adras& <uring the triumphal procession there( the Swami( seated in his carriage of honour( saw Swami Sadananda standing among the huge crowd& 9e at once shouted out2 F5ome SadanandaG 5ome( m bo GF ,nd he made this disciple sit with him in the same carriage& ,mong the invitations to dinner that he accepted during his short sta in ,lwar( was one to the house of an old woman who had entertained the Swami to 1hlksha on his former visit& 1ut in this case( he invited himself b sending word that he longed for some of the thick 5hapatis (unleavened bread) that he had had from her hands ears ago& She was filled with *o to receive his messageE and when she was serving her guests( she said to the Swami( F-oor as + am( where shall + get delicacies

7#; to give ou( m son( however much + ma wish toGF 9e relished the simple meal( sa ing to his disciples more than once( F0ook hereG 9ow devout( how motherl ( this old woman isG 9ow Sattvic are these thick 5hapatis that she herself has made +F :nowing her povert ( and unknown to her( he thrust a hundred rupee note into the hand of the guardian of the house& ,fter sta ing a few da s at ,lwar the Swami went on to !aipur( where he sta ed at the :hetri 9ouse of the Ra*a& )he Swami told those with him that( when he had come there as a wandering monk( the cook of the 9ouse would give him four 5hapatis a da ( most unwillingl and with a sour face( and Jnow + am using the Ra*a's own bed to sleep on( and so man people are at m service with folded hands& See the differenceG +t is true that ]it is the status of the man that is worshipped( % :ing ? not the bod ( nor the ,tman within&R K On <ecember # the part started their ninet Bmile *ourne to :hetri across the desert& Some were mounted on horseback( some on camels( and some went b bullockBcart& On the wa ( whenever a restingBplace was reached( the Vedanta class would start&( ,t other times the Swami would tell them stories& Ra*a ,*it Singh( accompanied b /unshi !agamohanlal( came to 1abai( about twelve miles from :hetri( to receive the Swami& ,bout four in the afternoon the part started for :hetri& )he Ra*a and the Swami sat in the State Victoria( with !agmohanlal in the front scat& .hen the reached the outskirts of :hetri town( the Swami was welcomed b the offering of ,rati (waving light) on behalf of the townspeople& )he then continued on their wa in a procession to the )emple -alace& )hat reached( the chief priest offered ,rati to the Swami( and a sum of twent rupees& Others also offered -ranami& From the )emple -alace( the Swami( along with the Ra*a( went to the meetingBplace of the reception over a red carpet spread in his honour& )here he received presents from some of the Ra*a's sub*ects( while the court musician pla ed& ,t the reception( as is customar on such occasions( the Ra*a was presented with five tra fuls of gold mohurs( the greater

7#$ part of which he gave to educational institutions in his State& )hen /unshi !agmohanlal rose and presented an address to the Swami& )he Swami made a speech in repl ( and )hakur Rambu6 Singh followed with another& )hen the Ra*a replied to the address presented to him b his people on the occasion of his return from the .est after attending the Silver *ubilee 5elebrations in honour of Uueen Victoria& ,fter the speeches were over( the audience was entertained with vocal music& )hen a dinner was given to the 7>% or so guests who were present& ,t $ p&m& the Swami was taken to the tank to witness a firework displa & )he entire tank and other places were lit up b earthen lamps& ,t this time( it seems( the Swami was not too well& 9e wrote to 5hristine 3reenstidel from :hetri on <ecember +S2 J+ am all right e6cept a bad cold last few da s owing to e6posure and travel in the desert &&&&&&K Swami Sadananda sent a report of the Swami's :hetri visit to the .rahmavadin* ,fter describing the events *ust mentioned( he continued2
&&& On <ecember ";( there was an assemblage in the school premises where both the Ra*a and the Swami were given numerous addresses from different committees& )he Ramakrishna /ission( 5alcutta( the Education <epartment( :hetri( and the local Aoung /en's <ebating 5lub( were among those who presented addresses to the Ra*a& )hen man short poems( some of them especiall composed in honour of the Ra*a( were recited b the oung bo s of the school& Swami*i distributed the priLes to the meritorious students at the reDuest of the -resident( the Ra*a& )he Ra*a made a brief repl to the addresses presented to him( thanking especiall the Ramakrishna /ission( for the 5hief of the /ission was present there&&&& ,fterB wards( Swami*i delivered a brief speech with his usual fluenc ( in which he thanked the Ra*a and spoke of him highl ( sa ing that what little he had done for the improvement of +ndia was done through the Ra*a's instrumentalit &

On <ecember 7% the Swami gave a lecture on FVedantismF in the hall of the Ra*a's bungalow( in which he was lodged with his disciples& )he audience consisted of the notables of

7## the place& Some European ladies and gentlemen were also present& )he Swami spoke for more than an hour and a half about ancient civiliLations ? the 3reek and the ,r an& 9e then traced the influence of +ndian thought on Europe( in - thagoras( Socrates( -lato( and the Eg ptian neoB-latonists( and showed how it even entered Spain( 3erman ( and other European countries in different periods of histor down to our own time& 9e discussed the Vedas and the Vedic m tholog and( e6plained the different ideas and stages of worship found there& 1ehind them all as background( he pointed out( stood the idea( FEkam Sad Vipra 1ahudha VadantiF( F)hat which e6ists is one2 sages call +t variousl &F 4nlike the 3reeks( the ,r ans( not satisfied with e6ternal nature( turned to the +nner Self and solved the problem of life b SelfBrealiLation& )he Swami then passed on to the <ualistic( UualifiedBmonistic( and ,dvaitic doctrines( and showed how the stood reconciled when regarded as steps leading to ,dvaita ? the last step being F)at )vam ,siF( F)hou art 'that&F 9e deplored the method of te6tB torturing( which even the greatest commentators were guilt oV Ramanu*a had distorted the ,dvaita te6ts of the 4panishads( and Shankara had done the same with the <vaita te6ts& )he Swami regretted that in modern +ndia Fthe people are neither 9indus( nor VedantinsE the are merel 'don't touchists'2 the kitchen is their temple( and cookingBpots their ob*ects of worship& )his state of things must go& )he sooner it is given up( the better for our religion& 0et the 4panishads shine in their glor ( and at the same time let not Duarrels e6ist among the different sects&F' )he Swami had to rest in the middle of his speech( so e6hausted was he& )he audience waited until he was able to resume& 9e spoke for another halfBhour& :nowledge( he e6plained( was the finding of unit in diversit & )he highest point in each science was reached when the unit underl ing the variet was foundE and this was as true in ph sical science as in spiritual . )he Swami closed with a tribute to the Ra*a( who( as a true :shatri a( had assisted him so materiall in spreading the Eternal )ruths of 9induism in the .est& )he

@%% lecture made a lasting impression on the people of :hetri& ,t :hetri( work was both pleasure and rest for the Swami& 1esides lecturing and attending public functions in his honour( he spent the time riding( and in sightBseeing with his companions and his ro al disciple& One da when he and the Ra*a were out riding( an incident occurred which shows the true :shatri a spirit of the Ra*a& ,s the passed along( a narrow path overhung b the branches of trees and prickl shrubs( the Ra*a held aside a branch of one of the shrubs for the Swami& ,fter a while the Swami noticed the Ra*a's hand bleeding profusel ( and& found that the wound had been caused b holding the thorn branch aside for him to pass& .hen he e6postulated( the Ra*a laughed the matter off( and said( F.ell( Swami*i( it has alwa s been the dut of :shatri as to protect <harma&F ,fter some moments of silence the Swami re*oined( F-erhaps( ou are right&F 1efore the Swami left :hetri( the Ra*a gave him three thousand rupees& )his sum was sent to the /ath in the charge of Swamis Sadananda and Sachchidananda (senior)& On the afternoon of <ecember 7" the Swami set out for !aipur in a victoria( accompanied b the Ra*a& )he halted for the night at 1abai( and reached !aipur on <ecember 7=& 9ere a meeting was arranged in the garden of Seth 3ovindadas on <ecember 7; evening& ,bout five hundred people were present( and the Ra*a was in the chair& From !aipur the Swami sent all his disciples back to the /ath at 1elur( e6cepting 1rahmachari :rishnalal( whom he kept as his attendant& On !anuar "( "$#$( the Swami left !aipur for ,*mer& )he Ra*a and /unshi !agmohanlal saw him off at the station& 'e6t the Swami is seen passing rapidl through :ishangarh(' ,*mer( *odhpur( and +ndore( on his wa to :handwa& ,t !odhpur he was the guest of the <ewan( Ra*a Sir -ratap Singh( for about ten da s& ,t each of the places named above( he was met at the station b enthusiastic crowds( and entertained b distinguished people( to whom he communicated his ideas& 1ut he was b no means well( despite the fact that from *odhpur he wrote to 5hristine 3reenstidel on !anuar =2 F+

@%" am still travelling in season and out of season& 0ecturing some( working a good deal&&&& + am Duite well and strong &&& + am going to 5alcutta in a few da s where + intend to be the rest of this cold weather& 'e6t summer + start for England or ,merica most probabl &F From *odhpur the Swami went to :handwa( where he was the guest of 1abu 9aridas 5hatter*ee( a pleader who had known him previousl & 9e was here( to use that gentleman's words( Frestless with high feverFE but( as a result of the care of his host( he soon recovered& /an people came to see him and talk with him on a variet of sub*ects& <uring his discourses he used to la stress on the steadiness of character of the 1ritish& 9e would sa that if +ndia was to rise( help and coBoperation of a solid nature could be e6pected from England and England alone& ,fter a sta of about a week the Swami left :handwa for 5alcutta& )he night before he left( his host pressed him for initiation& 9e firml held the Swami's feet and implored him to give him a /antraE but the latter did not do so& sa ing that he did not care to make disciples and raise the banner of religious or social guruBship& 9owever( he advised his host to remember the simple truth( so often repeated( that man can do what man has done& F/an's constitutionF( he said( Fembodies divine omnipotence( and this should he realiLed and set up as the model of all human action&F )he Swami must have had reasons of his own for not fulfilling the earnest and pious desire of his kind host( for it is a fact that he made disciples before and after this occasion( though not without thoroughl stud ing their personalities& ,s alwa s with a true teacher( he gave instructions to different people according to their nature and tendencies& )o one he would speak of 1hakti( to another of *nana( as the highest idealE but along with this he would insist that each should stand on his own legs and rel on himself if he wanted to bring to fruition the highest possibilities of his nature& .hile the Swami was at :hetri( he had received invitations from the )hakore Saheb of 0imbdi( and from the Ra*a of

@%7 5hhatarpur( in 1undelkhand& )he Swami also wished to visit :arachi to see disciples of his who had gone there( and :athiawar too& 0eaving :handwa he went as far as Ratlam *unction( but owing to indifferent health he was forced to give up the idea of e6tending his preaching tour to Sindh( 3u*arat( :athiawar( 1aroda( and other places( from where telegrams and letters of invitation had poured in on him& 9e decided to return at once to 5alcutta( and there combine rest and work& On the wa ( he met with a most enthusiastic reception at !abalpur station& )he return to 5alcutta now was to be almost the finish of the Swami's lecture campaign in +ndia& +n the course of it he had outlined his plans for the resuscitation of the <harma& 9e had made clear to the nation the points on which the were in agreement and on which the could build a future even more glorious than their past& 9e had shown them the value and significance of the culture that the had inherited from their ancestors ? a culture in comparison with which an other( past or present( paled into& insignificance& +ndian nationalism was to be based on the nation's great past( but new things had also to he assimilated in the process of growth& 9er heritage from the past( he pointed out( was essentiall a religious one& )he main current of +ndian life had alwa s flowed in the channel of religion( and from this the nation's needs in all departments of life had been supplied& /ore than once religion had come to the rescue of secular life& )he fundamental problem in +ndia was therefore to organiLe the countr round the spiritual ideal& 1 religion he meant the eternal principles taught b the scriptures( not local customs and superstitions& )hese latter were growths that reDuired weeding out& ,bove all( the nation depended on the character and Dualities of its individual members& On the strength of its individuals depended the strength of the nation& So each person who desired the good of the nation as a whole( should tr ( whatever his walk of life( to build up his character b developing courage( strength( selfBrespect( and love and service for others&

@%@ )o the oung men especiall ( he held out renunciation and service as the highest ideals& +n 5alcutta( other aspects of his mission were to keep him engaged2 notabl the training of his disciples and the moulding of their characters( so as to enable them to carr into practice his plans for the regeneration of +ndia&

@%= 37 LIFE AT THE MATH )he ne6t period of the Swami's life in +ndia( from the third week of !anuar to October "$#$( comprises his sta in 5alcutta and at the /ath( and an e6tended so*ourn in the 9imala as2 first( a sta at <ar*eelingE then at 'aini )al and ,lmoraE and afterwards in :ashmir& )hese were da s of travelling and of training( particularl the training of .estern disciples and admirers& )he had come to +ndia to see for themselves the land of their /aster's birth( and to make closer contact with him and his countr men& 9aving left !aipur on !anuar "( and with a sta of about eighteen da s at *odhpur and :handwa( the Swami must have reached 5alcutta not earlier than the beginning of the fourth week of !anuar & On /arch& @% he left 5alcutta for <ar*eeling& On /a @ he was once more in 5alcutta( which he again left on /a "" for ,lmora( in compan with some of his brotherBmonks( and some of his disciples( Eastern and .estern& 9e was at ,lmora till !une "%& On !une 7% he and his part were in :ashmir( where the remained till about the middle of October& Returning to the plains( he came with his .estern disciples as far as 0ahore& From there he travelled direct to 5alcutta( which he reached on October "$& )his is a summar of the Swami's movements in the months now to be described& Of his sta in 5alcutta( the stor is one of continuous engagements& )he /ath diar records his varied activities and occupations& 9e would he constantl engaged in visiting devotees( in receiving visitors either at the /ath or at 1alarambabu's house( or in repl ing to letters and in other writing workE but the training of the sann asis and 1rahmacharis formed the most important part of his work during this period& 9e would spend hours with them in meditation( devotional singing( stud ( or in relating the e6periences of the various stages of oga and spiritual insight& 9e took regular classes on

@%> the scriptures and would often speak on the 4panishads( the 0ita, the material sciences( and the histor of nations( or answer Duestions from members of the /ath( throwing new light on the problems raised& On !anuar 7$ /iss /argaret 'oble (later Sister 'ivedita) arrived in 5alcutta via /adras b S& S& #om,asa* )he Swami was at the dock to receive her& )he were meeting after a break of thirteen months& +n /iss /uller's absence she put up for a few da s with a friend at =# -ark Street& /iss /uller returned to 5alcutta from ,lmora on Februar ;( and the ne6t da she and /argaret 'oble went to see the Swami at the /ath& On Februar "% the started searching for a house& )he found one at @= 1eniapukur Road( where the moved soon afterwards& /iss 'oble( inspired b the Swami's ideas and determined to serve +ndia( had given up her associations in England and started for +ndia on !anuar >& She intended to found( *ointl with /iss /uller( an institution for the education of +ndian women& On Februar "% she wrote to a friend2 F)oda ( however( we H/iss /uller and /iss 'obleI have been out houseBhunting( and for the first time we have come to a clear consideration of plans and activities( outside the merel personal range&&&& 'ow as to the work here2 the Swami's great care now is the establishment of a monastic college for the training of oung men for the work of education?not onl in +ndia( but a'so in the West*? +t was with gladness that the Swami welcomed /iss 'oble to +ndia& From now on( b giving them a definite training( he made ever effort to develop a deep and comprehensive understanding of 9indu culture in the minds of his .estern followers& +t came about( however( that this training was not confined to them( for( through the able pen of Sister 'ivedita( the ideas the received were passed on to numerous readers of both .est and East& )hrough her writings also( some of the more learned aspects of the Swami's message to +ndia as a whole were scattered broadcast& )hus while teaching the small group of his .estern disciples( the Swami was at the same time

@%8 speaking to an immense audienceE and the ideas communicated in these da s were( through Sister 'ivedita( to act as a powerful impetus to the development of a national consciousness& ,mong the man functions in which the Swami took part at this time( that of the consecration of the shrine in the newl Bbuilt house of 1abu' 'avagopal 3hosh( in Ramakrishnapore( 9owrah( is notable& )hat householder devotee of Shri Ramakrishna had invited the Swami( accompanied b all the sann asis and 1rahmacharis of the /ath to perform the installation ceremon of Shri Ramakrishna's image& 9is *o knew no bounds when the Swami consented& On Februar 8( the auspicious fullBmoon da ( the Swami with all the monks arrived b boats at the Ramakrishnapore 3hat& , Sankirtana procession was started& /an devotees *oined in as it made its wa through the streets& )he enthusiasm was tremendous& ,bout the Swami's neck hung a :hol (drum) on which he accompanied a 1engali song relating to the infant Ramakrishna which begins2 F<ukhini 1rahmani :ole :e Shu echhe ,lo :areF& )ranslated( the song runs2 F0 ing on the lap of the poor 1rahmana's spouse( who art )hou( % Radiant OneMF )he Swami himself led the chorus& 9undreds of people crowded the streets to see him as he passed& .hen the found him dressed in simple ochre cloth like other sann asis( and going barefoot through the streets( singing( and pla ing the drum( the cheered him heartil ( impressed with his humble et regal bearing& +t was hard for them to believe that this was he who had unfurled the banner of Vedanta in the .est& ,rrived at the host's residence( the Swami and his part were received with reverence( amid the blowing of conchs and beating of gongs& ,fter a while he was taken to the worshipBroom& +t had a marble floor and was beautifull fitted& On the throne was a picture in porcelain of Shri Ramakrishna& )he Swami was delighted with the room and the arrangements for worship& )he lad of the house( on being congratulated b him( said with great humilit that she and her famil were too poor and unworth to serve the 0ord properl & She asked the Swami to bless them& 9e replied2 F<ear mother( our

@%; 0ord never in his life lived in such a marbleBfloored room& 1orn in a rustic( thatched hut( he spent his da s in the simplest wa & ,ndF( he added in his witt wa ( Fif he does not live here( with all these services of devoted hearts( + do not know where &else he willGF )hen( having covered himself with ashes( the Swami sat on the worshipper's scat and invoked the presence of Shri Ramakrishna( while his disciple( Swami -rakashananda( recited the prescribed /antras& +t was on this occasion that the Swami initiated the use of the special FSalutation to Shri RamakrishnaF& Sitting before the image in meditation after it had been ceremoniall installed( he composed the following Sanskrit verse2 $*ap%ay c 9mR$y svR9mR$v:ip;e+ Avtarvir<ay ram%=>;ay te nm?3 FSalutation to )hee( % Ramakrishna( the Reinstator of Religion( the Embodiment of all Religions( the 3reatest of all +ncarnationsGF <a after da the members of the Order were trained b the Swami( until his ideas became their ver own& +n the perspective of his vision the saw religious life in a new light and interpreted monastic ideals in original wa s& 4nder his inspiration the desire came upon some to practise intense spiritual disciplines and austerities( upon others to serve the sick and the poor( upon still others to spread ideas among the people& ,ll were saturated with his spirit and patriotism& 9e( at this time( was a blaLing fire of thought and soul& )he Vedanta( the ideals of the 0ita, and of the different 9indu sects( were the constant sub*ects of discussion and practice& 1ut in the foreground at all times' was the teaching of the /aster& )he 1aranagore da s were often lived again2 the same fire( the same intellectual brilliance( the same spiritual fervour& +n /arch "$#$ the Swami bought a piece of land( over seven acres in e6tent( together with a building( on the west

@%$ bank of the 3anga at 1elur( and almost opposite the 1aranagore bathing ghat& ,n agreement had been entered into on Februar @( and on /arch = the plot was actuall secured& )he purchase price of Rs& @#(%%% was given b /iss F& 9enrietta /uller& She& as we alread know( was a devoted friend and admirer of the Swami& She had met him both in ,merica and England( on his first visit to the .estE and it was she who( together with /r& and /rs& Sevier and /r& E& )& Sturd ( met the e6penses of his work in England& )hough possessed of ample means( she was of an ascetic bent of mind& 1eing also liberal and spiritual in her outlook( she found in the Swami's personalit and teaching the essentials needed for the spiritual Duest& Once( she even decided to give up the worldE but the Swami persuaded her not to do so2 rather( to help the world as much as she could( b remaining in it and living a selfless life& )here was much work to be done on the newl Bbought propert & Fortunatel ( 9ariprasanna( the disciple of the /aster( had b then resigned his post as an E6ecutive Engineer in the service of the 'orthB.estern -rovinces (now 4ttar -radesh) 3overnment( and had *oined the monaster as a 1rahmachari& +n ,ugust "$## he took the vows of monasticism and was named Swami Vi*nanananda& )he supervision of the building work naturall devolved on him( while Swami ,dvaitananda assisted him b supervising the preparator work such as the levelling of the ground& )his was uneven( since the area had formerl been used as a sort of dock ard for the repair of small craft& )here was a oneBstore building for dwelling purposes( with two rooms on the northern side and another on the southern( connected b a veranda opening on the 3anga& For servants there was also a separate block& )he place was scarcel habitable& Swami Vi*nanananda's task was to remodel the main building b adding some more rooms above( as well as one on the southern side& ,nother building( with a couple of rooms above to serve as a shrine and pra erBhall( and with a kitchen( store( and refector below( had to be completed before the monaster could he moved there& ,ll this took a ear& , handsome contribution from /rs& 1ull made

@%# the building of the shrine possible( and also enabled the Swami to make an endowment for the monaster & 9er help put the monaster on a sound financial basis( much to the Swami's relief& )he total e6penditure( and the amount of the endowment( came to more than Rs& "%%(%%%& )he monaster came to be known as the 1elur /ath& /rs& Ole 1ull( as we have seen( had met the Swami at the beginning of his ,merican work and had assisted him in a large wa financiall & She was well known in ,merica for her philanthrop ( her culture( and her social position as the wife of the celebrated violinist of that name& )he Swami had often been her guest at 5ambridge( near 1oston( /assachusetts( and had been the chief attraction on man occasions at her sa'ons, to which she used to invite some of the most distinguished scholars of the da & )he purchase of this site at 1elur( on the bank of the 3anga( was in a wa the fulfilment of the Swami's prophec E for( long before he went to the .est( he said to some of his brotherBdisciples( while standing on the 1aranagore ghat( and when there was et no thought of bu ing a site for the monaster ( FSomething tells me that our permanent /ath will be in this neighbourhood across the river&F )hough the propert was acDuired at the beginning of "$#$( it did not become the permanent headDuarters of the monks until !anuar "$##& From ever point of view the purchase was a success& )hat the monaster was on the other side of the river( and four miles b road from the centre of the metropolis( made it slightl secluded& On Februar "@( "$#$( the /ath was moved from ,lambaLar to 'ilambar /ukher*ee's gardenBhouse on the west bank of the 3anga( in the village of 1elur& )his was necessar for two reasons2 first( the old building at ,lambaLar had received an Fawful shakingF from the great earthDuake of !une "7( "$#;( and had been damagedE second( and more pressingl ( there was the need to be near the newl Bpurchased plot& )he gardenBhouse to which the monks moved was about a furlong awa &

@"% On Februar "= Swami Saradananda( accompanied b /rs& 1ull and !osephine /ac0eod( arrived in 5alcutta& Swami Saradananda had come back at the Swami's call( to share the responsibilit of running the new organiLation& 9e had handed over charge of the Vedanta Societ of 'ew Aork to Swami ,bhedananda in ,ugust "$#;& )he .estern ladies had come with him to see +ndia& For some time the sta ed in a hotel in 5alcutta& , da or two after their arrival the went to see the Swami( who was living in the temporar monaster at 'ilambar /ukher*ee's gardenBhouse& .hen he took them to the new site( the saw the old riverside house empt & )he said to him( FSwami( can't we use this houseMF F+t is not in orderF( he answered& F1ut we shall put it in orderF( the said& )he Swami gave them permission to do so& ,t their e6pense the small house was repaired( whitewashed( and furnished& +n the earl part of /arch( /rs& 1ull and /iss /ac0eod occupied it& 0ater&( /argaret 'oble *oined them as their guest till the all lest for& :ashmir& ,bout their sta here b the 3anga( !osephine /ac0eod wrote later2 F.e sta ed there Duite two months& +t was perhaps the most beautiful time we ever had with Swami*i& 9e came ever morning for earl tea which he used to take under the great mango tree&&&& 9e would bring all those who came to visit him( to see what a charming home we had made of this house he had thought unhabitable& & & &F )he Swami was astonished to see their capacit for ad*ustment at the riverside cottageBfor it was no more than a cottage& On /arch "" he wrote to 5hristine 3reenstidel2
/rs& 1ull of 1oston and /iss /ac0eod of 'ew Aork are now in +ndia& .e have changed our /ath from the old nast house to a house on the banks of the 3anga& )his is much more health and beautiful& .e have also a good piece of land ver near on the same side where /rs& 1ull and /iss /ac0eod are putting up now& +t is wonderful how the accommodate themselves to our +ndian life of privation and hardshipE m ( these anks can do an thing& ,fter the lu6uries of 1oston and 'ew Aork to be Duite content and happ in this wretched little houseGG .e intend to travel a bit together in :ashmir( and then ) come to ,merica with them( and am sure to get

@""
a heart welcome from m friends &&& Of course + cannot undergo the same amount of work as before &&& + will do a little work and a good deal of rest&&&& )his time + will Duietl come and Duietl go awa ( seeing onl old friends( and no noise&&&

)he Swami would spend hours dail with his .estern disciples in their riverside cottage& 4nder the trees beside it( he would reveal the +ndian world to them ? its histor ( its folklore( its casteBs stem( and its customs& )he ideals and realities of the +ndian religions were interpreted to them in such a vivid( poetic( and dramatic wa ( said one of his hearers( that +ndia herself became( as it were( Fthe last and noblest of tail -uranas( uttering itself through his lipsF& 1ut whatever the sub*ect of his conversation( Fit ended alwa s on the note of the +nfiniteF& 9e showed no merc to his .estern disciples in their wrong notions and prepossessions with regard to +ndia& 9e would soften nothing in 9induism that might at first sight be difficult or repellent to the .estern mindE he would rather put before them such things in their e6treme form( and induce them to enter into the spirit and catch the meaning of what was difficult or repellent& )he chief difficult for the .estern disciples was( as might be e6pected( understanding the 9indu religious ideals and forms of worship( and the 9indu outlook on life' )he Swami would speak for hours( making ever effort of mind and putting his whole heart into the endeavour to elucidate these matters& 5arried along b his enthusiasm( these disciples from the .est caught glimpses of the background to which the 9indu thought s mbols( so strange to them( pointed& )he learned the great ideals and watchwords of the +ndian striving till these became their own& )rul ( in the Swami( East and .est were made oneE and in the end his Eastern and .estern disciples were able to mingle freel in thought and life& 1ut the distance to be travelled was great& )he process that the *ourne involved called for selfBeffacement on certain levels of the personalit & For the .estern disciples to acDuire consciousl the culture that the +ndian disciples had grown up in( a farBreaching reorientation was necessar Band the guidance of a master mind& )he Swami was infinitel patient&

@"7 9e did not show the slightest irritation at interruptions in the( flow of his conversation( however freDuent and irrelevant the might be( for he knew the difficulties& )he training of those .estern disciples of his who came to +ndia was a matter of deep concern to Swami Vivekananda( both as a spiritual teacher and as a 9indu of broad vision& 9e was alive to the responsibilit that rested on him& 9e knew that for them( coming into close contact with +ndians in their homes( coming to know their st les of dress( food( and thought( and having firstBhand e6perience of the deficiencies of the land *udged b materialistic standards ? he knew that all this would he a test of their faith in the Vedanta and of their power to fathom the 9indu view of life( which he was endeavouring to elucidate for them& 1ut he did not know( perhaps( that the strangest revelation to them was he himself& +n the .est the had known him as a religious messenger( an apostle of 9induism( with the mission of voicing the spiritual message( the eternal wisdom( that had been inherited from +ndia's past& 9is onl motive was the liberation of mankind from ignorance and the promotion of brotherl feeling between the different faiths and nations of the world& +n +ndia( however( the found him more of a patriot( a worker for the regeneration of his motherland( with all the fret and torment of a lion caught in a cage& )hwarted( *ust when his power had reached its full( not b the man obstacles that la in the path of achieving his purpose( but b failing health( he was prone to despair& 1ut shaking off despair like a hero( he made a superhuman effort to see his task through& Forced as he was to live a comparativel retired life( he put his whole soul into the making of workers to carr out his plans and embod his ideas& ,mong the .estern disciples there was one in particular of whom he had great hopes( and to her his discourses were mainl directed& +f he had done no more during this period than clear the wa for the transformation of /iss /argaret 'oble into Sister 'ivedita( he could not be said to have spent the time in vain& 9e regarded the coming to +ndia of his .estern disciples as a test and e6periment& 9ad the all turned against him he

@"@ would not have for one moment allowed himself to think unkindl of them& )o /argaret 'oble he had written( on the eve of her departure from 0ondon2 F+ will stand b ou unto death whether ou work for +ndia or not( whether ou give up Vedanta or remain in it& )he tusks of the elephant come out( but the never go back& So are the words of a man never retracted&F ,nd what father loved his children with a greater love than did he his disciplesG )he /ath at 'ilambar /ukher*ee's gardenBhouse was full b the time of the Shivaratri ('ight of Shiva) festival& )his precedes b three da s the birth anniversar of Shri Ramakrishna& Swami Saradananda had returned from ,mericaE Swami Shivananda had come back from his Vedanta work in 5e lon( and Swami )rigunatita from <ina*pur( after finishing his famine relief work there& )he Swami was highl pleased .ith the work of all of them& 9e congratulated Swami 1rahmananda on the success of the Ramakrishna /ission under his guidance( and Swami )uri ananda for having( in his absence( trained the oung sann asis and 1rahmacharis of the /ath& ,t the suggestion of the Swami( the oung sann asis and 1rahmacharis prepared( during the afternoon of the Shivaratri da ( thanksgiving addresses in English to ever one of the senior Swamis( and these were read out to them at a gathering of the 1rotherhood held at the /ath& )he Swami was in the chair& 9e called upon his brotherBmonks to repl b turn to the addresses& ,fter Swami )uri ananda had spoken( the Swami remarked( F9e has the oratorical voice&F 1efore he himself rose to speak( he said2 F+t is ver difficult to address a parlour meeting& 1efore a large gathering it is eas to forget oneself in the sub*ect of the discourse( and hence one is able to carr the audience( with him& 1ut this is not possible when onl a few men are present& 9owever( let me tr &F 9e proceeded to counsel his monastic brothers and his disciples with regard to the line of action the should adopt( both in its individual and communit aspect& )he actual birth anniversar ceremon ()ithiBpu*a) of Shri

@"= Ramakrishna( as distinct from its public celebration( took place at the monaster this ear on Februar 77 under the supervision of the Swami himself& Swami Shuddhananda acted as the chief priest for the special worship that was offered toE Shri Ramakrishna& ,t the time of the evening ,ratrika (waving of light) F:handanaB bhavabandhana& & &F( a song newl composed b the Swami( was sung& it( is now sung dail in the ,shramas of the Order where formal worship is performed& For this occasion the Swami ordered a lot of sacred threads to be brought to the monaster & ,s one after another of the la disciples of Shri Ramakrishna or of himself came( he let it be known that those of them who were not 1rahmanas( but belonged to& the other two twiceBborn castes( were on that da to he invested with the sacred thread& )o his 1rahmana disciple Sharatchandra 5hakravarti( whom he appointed to perform the ceremon ( he said2 F)he children of our 0ord are( indeed( 1rahmanas& 1esides( the Vedas themselves sa that ever one of the twiceBborn castes has the right to be invested with the sacred thread& )he have no doubt become Vrat as( that is( fallen from their own ritualistic rights( but b performing the ceremon of e6piation the are entitled to their own original caste rights again& )his is the birthda of Shri Ramakrishna& Ever one will be purified b taking his name& )herefore this is the best occasion to give the 1haktas the sacred thread& 3ive all those who come the appropriate 3a atri /antra according as the are :shatri as or Vaish as& ,ll these must be graduall raised to the status of the 1rahmana& ,ll 9indus are brothers& +t is we 9indus who have degraded some of our brothers b sa ing for centuries( '.e won't touch ouG .e won't touch ouG' 'o wonder the whole countr is reduced to the verge of humiliation( cowardice( and stupidit G Aou must raise them b preaching to them the gospel of hope and cheer& Sa to them( 'Aou are men like ourselves& ou have the same rights that we have&F' ,s a result( more than fift devotees on that da received the 3a atri /antra and the sacred thread( after having bathed in the 3anga and bowed down before the image of Shri

@"> Ramakrishna& 'o doubt this procedure was at variance with the orthodo6 viewE but the Swami was determined to impress his ideas boldl on the public b practical means& )he initiates were naturall ridiculed b their neighbours( who said that these devotees had raised themselves to the status of the twiceBborn& )hough the Swami was hold in his attack on contemporar orthodo6 ( he did not usuall advocate drastic reforms& 9e was in favour of reforms that were a constructive growth from what was potential in the tradition& )he reforms that he purposed therefore conformed to and fulfilled the Shastras (scriptures)& 9e penetrated into the spirit and meaning of the Shastras and adapted them to the needs of the time( for the good of the race and its religion& 9e was in favour of having the timeBhonoured religious institutions and ceremonies strictl observed b the Order& )hus( at the time of the Shivaratri festival( he was pained to find that no one at the /ath had fasted( as is the custom among devout 9indus& ,fter the 4pana ana (sacredBthread) ceremon mentioned above( the sann asis of the monaster ( *oining mirth with devotion( seiLed upon the Swami and arra ed him as Shiva& )he put shell (according to some( bone) earBrings in his cars( covered his bod with snowBwhite ashes( placed on his head a mass of matted hair that reached to his knees( put bracelets on his arms( and round his neck hung a long rosar of large Rudraksha beads in three rows& +n his left hand the placed the s mbolic trident& )hen the smeared their own bodies with ashes& F)he unspeakable beaut of that form of the Swami dressed as ShivaF( writes Sharatchandra 5hakravarti( Fcannot he describedE it is something which has to be seen( to be realiLed& ,ll present declared afterwards that the felt as if Shiva 9imself( of outhful( ascetic form( was before them& ,nd the Swami( with the sann asis seated round him like so man 1hairavas (the traditional attendant of the 3reat 3od)( seemed to have brought the e6alted atmosphere of :ailasa into the precincts of the /ath&F )he Swami sang a h mn to Shri Rama( and( inebriated with the 0ord's name( went on

@"8 sa ing again and again( FRama( Rama( Shri Rama( RamaGF 9e was as one entranced in the Shiva nature& )he sublimit of his facial e6pression was heightened a hundredfold& 9is e es were half shutE he was seated in -admasana (lotus posture)( while one hand pla ed on the )anpura (a stringed musical instrument)& )he whole gathering of monks and devotees was caught up in( and thrilled with( religious ecstas & Ever one seemed as though into6icated with draughts of the nectar of the name of Rama issuing from the Swami's lips& For more than half an hour intense stillness prevailed and all sat motionless& )he chanting ended( the Swami sang a song in an ecstatic mood& )hen Swami Saradananda followed with F)he 9 mn of 5reationF( composed b the Swami( who accompanied him on the drum& Some of the favourite songs of Shri Ramakrishna were also sung& )hen( on the spur of the moment( the Swami removed the s mbolic decorations on himself and put them on 3irishbabu after smearing 3irish's bod with ashes& Finall the Swami robed him in a 3erua (ochre) cloth( with the remark2 F-aramahamsa <eva used to sa that 3& 5& has a little of the 1hairava in him& , ( there is no difference between him and ourselvesGF )his brought tears to the e es of the great dramatist& .hen asked b the Swami to speak of Shri Ramakrishna to the assembled devotees( 3irishbabu could onl sa ( after a long silence( his voice choked with emotion2 F.hat shall + sa of our allBmerciful 0ordG + feel that it is b his infinite grace that he has given even an unworth person like me the privilege of sitting on the same seat with such pure souls as ou( who have renounced :aminiB:anchana (0ust and 3old) even from bo hoodGF ,fter this the Swami briefl addressed those who had received the sacred thread( asking them to repeat the 3a atri dail at least one hundred times& +n the meantime Swami ,khandananda arrived at the /ath from his orphanage in /urshidabad& Referring to him the Swami said( F0ook( what a great :armaBAogi he isG .ithout fear( caring for neither life nor death( how he is working with oneBpointed devotion for

@"; the good of the man ( for the happiness of the man GF )his led the Swami to speak at length on :armaBAoga( of how the realiLation of the Self could be attained b devotedl working for others without attachment( seeing the Self in all& )hen he sang a beautiful 1engali song relating to the infant Ramakrishna( composed b 3irishbabu (F<ukhini 1rahmani :oleF)& )hese lines occur in the song2 0 ing on the lap of the poor 1rahmana's spouse( .ho art )hou( % Radiant OneM .ho art )hou( % <igambara ('aked One)( come to the humble cottageBroomM 3rieved at the world's sore afflictions( 9ast )hou come with )h heart bleeding for itM )his ear( "$#$( the public celebration of Shri Ramakrishna's birth anniversar posed a problem& )he festival had been started b Surendranath /itra and other devotees in "$$"( while the /aster was still alive( and had been celebrated annuall at <akshineswar& +t had continued each ear since then( and had given ever bod an opportunit to gather in one place for a shared purpose( with brotherl feelings& 1ut in "$#$ the )rustees of the :ali temple at <akshineswar raised the ob*ection that the place would be defiled if the foreign disciples of the Swami attended the festival& 4nder these circumstances the monks would have preferred to have had the celebrations on the newl BacDuired ground of the /ath itselfE but this was too uneven for the purpose& 4ltimatel the si6t Bfifth birth anniversar of Shri Ramakrishna was celebrated on Sunda ( Februar 7;( at the Radha Raman*i )hakurbari of -urnachandra <aw& )his was at 1all ( on the same bank of the 3anga as 1elur( but slightl up the river& ,rrangements were made for steamers to pl between 5alcutta and the )hakurbari 3hatE and the celebration took place with its usual impressiveness and fervour& )he )ndian #irror gave a report of it on /arch @2 F0ast Sunda HFebruar 7;" 0ower 1engal witnessed a 9indu religious festival( the importance( grandeur and

@"$ solemnit of which could better be imagined than described& &&& Swami Vivekananda( who being pressed b the crowd( delivered a short address suited for the occasion( with his fascinating appearance and charming lustrous e es( alwa s drew a great multitude of people around him &&&&&&K ,n English lad who witnessed the festival wrote in the .rahmavadin of /arch "8( "$#$2
.e landed at the garden and )hakurbari of 1abu -urnachandra <aw( at 1all ( where the festival &&& was being held& So dense was the crowd that it was a matter of considerable difficult to pilot our wa through them to the gardenBhouse( where we could add our congratulations to the Swami Vivekananda's letters and telegrams( and be presented also to the host of the da &&&& +n ,nother part of the grounds( the monks( attended b their 1rahmin cook( were busil engaged in feeding the people&&&& 9undreds of poor recipients sat on the grounds in rows to en*o the simple fare ? consisting of curriedBrice( some vegetable( and a couple of sweetmeats( served on dried leaves ? which was being distributed& &&& 1ut the great attraction was a shrine on a little height where a sort of altar had been erected before the portrait of Shri Ramakrishna&&&&

<uring these da s the Swami made onl a few public appearances in 5alcutta& One of them was on the evening of /arch ""( when he presided over a meeting arranged under the auspices of the Ramakrishna /ission at the Star )heatre& )he speaker was /argaret 'oble( and her sub*ect F)he +nfluence of +ndian Spiritual )hought in EnglandF& +ntroducing her to the audience( the Swami called her Fanother gift of England to +ndiaF ? the others being /rs& 1esant and /iss /uller( all of whom( he said( had consecrated their lives to the good of +ndia& +n the course of her talk( /iss 'oble said2 F& & & Aou have the ingenuit of si6 thousand ears of conservatism& 1ut ours is the conservatism of a people who have through that long period been able to preserve the greatest spiritual treasures for the world( and it is for this reason that + have come to +ndia to serve her with our burning passion for service& & & &F .hen she had finished( the Swami called on /rs& Ole 1ull

@"# and /iss 9enrietta /uller to sa a few words& /rs& 1ull said that the literature of +ndia had become a living one to .estern minds( and that the works of Swami Vivekananda especiall had become household books of the ,mericans& /iss /uller was hailed with applause when she addressed the audience as F/ dear friends and fellowBcountr menF& She and the other .estern disciples of the Swami felt( she said( that in coming to +ndia the had come to their home ? a home not onl of spiritual enlightenment and religious wisdom( but the dwellingB place of their own kindred& )he Swami was so delighted with the lecture of /argaret 'oble that he wrote to her on /arch "82 F+t appears to me that the platform is the great field where ou will be of great help to me( apart from our educational plans&F ,nother of the Swami's engagements in 5alcutta was on /arch "$( when he presided over a public meeting at the Emerald )heatre& )hat evening Swami Saradananda spoke on FOur /ission in ,mericaF& ,dmission was b free ticket& )he )ndian #irror report of the lecture ran as follows2
Swami Saradananda delivered a most interesting and( at the same time( a most instructive lecture on F9indu /ission in ,mericaF on the stage of the Emerald )heatre last evening before a ver large( intelligent( and appreciative audience under the presidenc of Swami Vivekananda and in the presence of /iss 'oble( /iss HsicI 1ull( 1abu /ohini /ohan 5hatter*i( <r& !& 5& 1ose( and the 9on'ble Rai ,& 5harlu 1ahadur of /adras& )he -resident introduced the speaker as one who was taught and moved about here( and who made a short so*ourn in ,merica( the land discovered b 5olumbus( and^before him b the 5hinese and ages before them b the Scandinavians&&&& ,fter the concluding speech of the -resident( the meeting dissolved&

,bout these two lectures the Swami wrote to Swami Ramakrishnananda that same month2 F/iss 'oble is reall an acDuisition& She will soon surpass /rs& 1esant as a speaker( + am sure&&&& .e had two public lectures in 5alcutta( one from /iss 'oble and the other from our Sharat HSaradanandaI& 1oth of them did ver well indeedE there was great enthusiasm(

@7% which shows that the 5alcutta public has not forgotten us&F )hen came a memorable da for /argaret 'obleBthe da of her first initiation& She had come to sta as the guest of /rs& Ole 1ull and /iss /ac0eod in the new /ath compound& On the morning of /arch 7> the 5hristian Feast of the ,nnunciation( the Swami went to the cottage that the were occup ing and brought them to the temporar /ath in 'ilambarbabu's gardenBhouse& )here( he took /iss 'oble to the shrineBroom& First( he taught her the worship of ShivaE then( he went through a simple ritual of initiation& She was made a 1rahmacharini and given the name F'iveditaF( meaning Jone who is dedicated K ? a name most appropriate for one who had resolved to dedicate her life to the service of +ndia and to the Swami's work& ')his( as we have alread noted( was /argaret 'oble's resolve& +t was to he as Sister 'ivedita that she became widel known in +ndia and abroad& ,fter the ceremon ( the .estern disciples were taken upstairs& )he Swami put on the ashes( bone earBrings( and matted locks of a ShivaB ogi( and then sang for them and pla ed +ndian music for an hour or so& )he ideal he put before those whom he made his own( and the spirit in which the dedication ceremon was conducted( can to some e6tent he gathered from the Sister's words& /a one of them never forget a certain da of consecration( in the chapel at the monaster ( when( as the opening step in a lifetime( so to speak( he first taught her to perform the worship of Shiva( and then made the whole culminate in an offering of flowers at the feet of the 1uddhaG F3o thou(F he said( as if addressing( in one person each separate soul that would ever come to him for guidance( Fand follow 9im who was born and gave 9is life for others five hundred times before 9e attained the vision of the 1uddhaGF )his ceremon was a significant event for /argaret 'oble& ,nother event that was a sign of the increasing contact between .est and East fostered b the Swami( was the receiving of his .estern women disciples b the 9ol /other( the spouse of 1hagavan Shri Ramakrishna( and an orthodo6 1rahmana lad & )he meeting was a touching one& She addressed her visitors as

@7" F/ childrenF& ,fterwards( the brought back with them to their cottage for a few hours an aged lad ( 3opaler /a( who had been regarded b Shri Ramakrishna as /other in a special sense& )he won over this most orthodo6 of 1rahmana widows( even to eating with them and a week later( to living with them for three da s& ,nother event at this time was the initiation into Sann asa of Swamis Swarupananda and Sureshwarananda on /arch 7#& )he former( on his third or fourth visit to the /ath( was so deepl impressed with the long conversation he had with the Swami that then and there he decided to give up the world and lead the life of practical spiritualit under the Swami's guidance& )he friends who had accompanied him were startled when he asked them to carr the news to his relatives that he did not mean to return home again ? a decision to which he firml adhered& For several ears he had been thinking on the problems of life and death( of how he could break the dream( as it were( and be of service to the world& )hough he had been married in his outh( he had eschewed marital relations& 0iving a life of strict 1rahmachar a under his parental roof( he was consumed with the desire to help his brotherBmen& On meeting the Swami it took him no time to see( as he said in later ears( that *oining the Order would provide him with the best opportunit of putting into effect his own ideas( which coincided with those of the Swami& 9e said as much to the latter( who e6ultantl told a brotherBdisciple( F.e have made an ac;uisition toda GF /uch later he said to &" friend( F)o get an efficient worker like Swarupananda is of greater gain than receiving thousands of gold coins&F Such was the Swami's faith in this highl B Dualified disciple that( in contrast with the general practice of the Order( he was initiated into Sann asa after onl a few da s' sta at the /ath& .ithin a few months he was made editor of the magaLine &ra,uddha .harata7 and when ,dvaita ,shrama was founded b the Swami in the 9imala as in the earl part of the following ear( he was made its -resident& ,ll this shows his guru's great confidence in him&

@77 ,mong the man distinguished visitors who met the Swami at this time was the 1uddhist missionar ( ,nagarika <harmapala& 9e had come to see /rs& Ole 1ull( then living in the old cottage on the recentl Bpurchased /ath grounds( and had stopped first at the monaster to ask the Swami to accompan him& +t was raining in torrents& ,fter waiting for an hour the Swami and <harmapala( with a few others( decided to start& )heir wa la across ver uneven and mudd ground( particularl in the compound of the new /ath( which was being levelled& <renched with rain( his feet slipping in the mud( the Swami en*o ed himself like a bo ( shouting with laughter and merriment& <harmapala was the onl one who was not bareBfooted& ,t one place his foot sank so deep in the mud that he could not e6tricate himself& )he Swami( seeing his plight( lent his" shoulder for support and( putting his arm round the visitor's waist( helped him out& 1oth( laughing( walked linked together the rest of the wa & On reaching the cottage( all went to wash their feet& ' .hen the Swami saw <harmapala take a pitcher of water for that purpose( he seiLed it from him( sa ing( FAou are m guest( and + must have the privilege of serving ouGF .ith these words he was about to wash his guest's feet when there was a loud protest from <harmapala& +n +ndia( to wash another's feet is considered an act of the humblest service& ,ll those who witnessed the scene were amaLed at the Swami's humilit & .ith /argaret 'obel's arrival in 5alcutta( the task of training her to be of service to her adopted land e6ercised the Swami's mind& .ithin a couple of da s of her arrival( he had arranged with /ahendranath 3upta( the disciple of Shri Ramakrishna( that he should teach her 1engali& +n his talks with her and the others at the riverside cottage at 1elur( he instilled into her mind the +ndian consciousness( for he felt that a European who was to work in his cause for +ndia should do so in the +ndian wa ( strictl observing 9indu customs( manners( and etiDuette( even to the detail& 9e demanded that such a person adopt the food( clothes( language( and general habits of 9indus& 1earing in mind that 'ivedita was to take

@7@ charge of the education of 9indu women( he held up before her as a model the life of 1rahmachar a led b the orthodo6 1rahmana widow2 onl ( he enlarged the scope of her activities b substituting selfless service rendered to the +ndian people for loving service to the famil & FAou have to set ourselfF( he said to her( Fto 9induiLe our thoughts( our needs( our conceptions( and our habits& Aour life( internal and e6ternal( has to become all that an orthodo6 1rahmana 1rahmacharini's ought to be& )he method will come to ou( if onl ou desire it sufficientl & 1ut ou have to forget our own past and to cause it to be forgotten& Aou have to lose even its memor &F Such a line of selfBdiscipline was regarded as the best means of assimilating the new consciousness aimed at& )he Swami even insisted that feelings and pre*udices that might appear crude to her( must be reverentl approached and studied( not ignored or despised& F.e shall speak to all menF( he said( Fin terms of their own orthodo6 GF )he Swami was defiant in the defence of his people's culture& '9e was read to beat down mercilessl an other than a live and openBminded interest in ever thing connected with the peoples of his land( and thundered against the least hint of patroniLing& 9e would turn upon the .estern disciples if the found fault without *ustification& 9e demanded that +ndia be viewed in a spiritual perspective& 9e refuted an notion of his countr 's being effete& Onl a outhful nation( he often said( could so readil have assimilated the ideas of a foreign culture( as +ndia had done& 9e showed them that( seen in the light of her ideals and standards( she was oung( vital( and full of potentialit & +n her religious vision she was one& 9e enabled them to see that +ndia's culture was incomparable( having been developed through thousands of ears of e6perimentation till it had attained the highest level ever reached b humanit 2 conseDuentl ( it possessed an unparalleled stabilit and strength& 9e disclosed to them the wh$ of ever +ndian custom& )he were able to see that( though poor( +ndia was cleanE that( in a land where religion was identified with renunciation( it was natural that povert should be honouredE and that here povert

@7= was not associated with vice( as it so often was in the .est& )o the Swami( all that was +ndian was sacred and wonderful& 0ater on( as he moved with his disciples from cit to cit and province to province( he would recount to them the glories and beauties of the land& 9e was an6ious that his .estern disciples make an impartial stud of +ndian problems& )he were not to see the glories onl ( but to have also a clear understanding of the problems( and to bring the ideals and methods of .estern science and civiliLation to bear on the task of finding solutions& Often he contrasted East with .est( bringing out the merits and defects of the civiliLations of the world& ,bove all( he gave them the s-irit of +ndia( initiated them into its values( and demonstrated its worth& +n order to bind his Eastern and .estern disciples together& the Swami would( on occasion( do something strikingl unorthodo6 before a large number of his own people2 for instance( b calling his .estern disciples true 1rahmanas and :shatri as( and eating or drinking after them( or eating in public food that the had cooked for him( and even making his brotherBmonks do the same( he gave them a social standing unacceptable to the orthodo6 9indu& +n contravening longstanding traditions when there was need to do so( he showed his indifference to criticism and his fearless sincerit & 9is aim was to make his disciples one in a real brotherhood& +n this wa he united the ends of the earth( as it were( and brought together people of diverse temperaments& +t hardl needs sa ing that in this training of .estern disciples the Swami took into consideration their own tendencies and aspirations( for to go against them would have been to court disaster& /oreover it was not his wa to interfere with the libert of his disciples& 9e left them free to observe( to gain e6perience( even at the cost of making mistakes& Sometimes( however( he imposed on them long periods of restraint& FStruggle to realiLe ourselvesF( he would sa ( Fwithout a trace of emotionGF Or in talking of future work he would sa 2 F/indG 'o loaves and fishesG 'o glamour of the worldG ,ll this must be cut out& +t must be rooted out& +t is sentimentalit

@7> ?the overflow of the senses& +t comes to ou in colour( sight( sound( and associations& 5ut if off& 0earn to hate it& +t is utter poisonGF )he period of the Swami's intensive training of his .estern disciples e6tended over& nearl the whole of "$#$& +t was filled with humorous as well as solemn hours& 5ertainl it was an arduous task for him& For them( of course( there were inconveniences and difficulties enough in getting used to +ndian manners and food& 1lunders were made( but the Swami would alwa s set matters right& )he training shaped their lives irrevocabl ( and made them apostles( on a personal level( and some ,lso on the public level( of the greatness of 9induism and +ndia& ,ll alike instinctivel followed out the passionate reDuest that he made to one who had asked( FSwami*i( how can + best help ouMF F0ove +ndiaGF had been his answer& )o what e6tent the Swami's vision translated itself( through his talks and personalit ( into the sensibilities and attitudes of his .estern disciples( is clear from Sister 'ivedita's own words( written at the ear's end( after the had been to the 9imala as and :ashmir with the Swami2
1eautiful have been the da s of this ear& +n them the +deal has become the Real& First( in our riverside cottage at 1elurE then( in the 9imala as( at 'aini )al and ,lmoraE afterwards( wandering here and there through :ashmirE ? ever where have come hours never to be forgotten( words that will echo through our lives for ever( and once at least( a glimpse of the 1eatific Vision& +t has been all pla & .e have seen a love that would he one with the humblest and most ignorant( seeing the world for the moment through his e es( as if criticism were notE we have laughed over the colossal caprice of geniusE we have warmed ourselves at heroic firesE and we have been present( as it were( at the awakening of the 9ol 5hild& 1ut there has beerG nothing grim or serious about an of these things& -ain has come close to all of us& Solemn anniversaries have been and gone& 1ut sorrow was lifted into a golden light( where it was made radiant( and did not destro & Fain( if + could( would + describe our *ourne s& Even as + write( + see the irises in bloom at 1aramullaE the oung rice beneath the

@78
poplars at +slamabadE starlight scenes in 9imala an forestsE and the ro al beauties of <elhi and the )a*& One longs to attempt some memorial of these& +t would be worse than useless& 'ot( then( in words( but in the light of memor ( the are enshrined for ever( together with the kindl and gentle folk who dwell among them( and whom we trust alwa s to have left the gladder for our coming& .e have learnt something of the mood in which new faiths are born( and of the -ersons who inspire such faiths& For we have been with one who drew all men to him ? listening to all( feeling with all( and refusing none& .e have known a humilit that wiped out all littleness( a renunciation that would die for scorn of oppression and pit of the oppressed( a love that would bless even the oncoming feet of torture and of death& .e have *oined hands with that woman who washed the feet of the 0ord with her tears( and wiped them with the hairs of her head& .e have lacked( not the occasion& but her passionate unconsciousness of self& Seated under a tree in the garden of dead emperors( there came to us a vision of all the rich and splendid things of Earth( offering themselves as a shrine for the great of soul& )he storied windows?of cathedrals( and the *ewelled thrones of kings( the banners of great captains( and the vestments of the priests( the pageants of cities( and the retreats of the proud ? all came( and all were re*ected& +n the garments of the beggar( despised b the alien( worshipped b the people( we have seen himE and onl the bread of toil( the shelter of cottageBroofs( and the common road across the cornfields seem real enough for the background to this life&&&& ,mongst his own( the ignorant loved him as much as scholars and statesmen& )he boatmen watched the river( in his absence( for his return( and servants disputed with guests to do him service& ,nd through it all( the veil of pla fulness was never dropped& F)he pla ed with the 0ord(F and instinctivel the knew it& )o those who have known such hours( life is richer and sweeterE and in the long nights( even the wind in the palmBtrees seems to cr ? F/ahadevaG /ahadevaG /ahadevaGF

On /arch @% the Swami left for <ar*eeling with Swami 'irbha ananda and 1abu 'it agopal 1ose& )here he was the guest of Shri /& '& 1aner*i( pleader( with whom he had sta ed the previous ear& Once more he gave himself full freedom( en*o ing his rest in ever possible wa & So far as he could( he

@7; followed the instruction of his ph sicians not to think on an serious sub*ect& On ,pril @( at the reDuest of some of the residents( he gave a lecture on 9induism in <ar*eeling 9indu -ublic 9all( with Shri ,& 3& 1ose( <eput /agistrate( in the chair& 9e spoke for nearl two hours& ,s usual the audience was spellbound& 'e6t da the Swami wrote to /rs& 1ull( then in 5alcutta2
+ am afraid( ou are getting roasted down there in the heat of 5alcutta& 9ere it is nice and cool &&& / health was not bad at 5alcutta( here it is the same &&& + gave a little lecture to the 9indus here esterda ( and + told them all their defects purposel ( and with their permission& + hope it will make them howl& /iss /uller has taken a bungalow here and she is coming on .ednesda H,pril 8I& + do not know whether /iss 'oble is coming with her&&&&

/iss /uller( with Swami ,khandananda( reached <ar*eeling on ,pril ; to have the compan of the Swami& )he sta ed separatel in a bungalow called FRose 1ankF( where /r& and /rs& Sevier had sta ed the preceding ear& +t was about a mile and a half from where the Swami was sta ing& <ail ( in the morning( he used to go to FRose 1ankF for coffee& ,fter spending two or three hours there( he would return to his place with Swami ,khandananda& ,fter lunch and the noon rest( ,khandananda would return to FRose 1ankF& On Easter Sunda ( "$#$( Sister 'ivedita wrote in repl to Swami ,khandananda( at <ar*eeling2 F+ was so much relieved to know that the Rev& /other H/iss /uller and /iss 1ell had borne the *ourne well& 9ow lovel that the :ing HSwami VivekanandaI had gone off to see the snow& Of course( + am sorr for ou( for + am sure ou were looking forward to meeting him( but he loves the snow so muchGF .hile at <ar*eeling the Swami went to Sandukphu H@8@= mI and other places( to see the snow& 9e was then in good healthE but on his return to <ar*eeling he first had an attack of fever( and then( after recovering from( that( had a cough and cold& On ,pril "$ he wrote to /iss /ac0eod( F+ was down

@7$ with fever brought upon( perhaps( b e6cessive mountain climbing and the bad health in the station& + am better toda & & & F .hen the Swami was onl partiall restored to health( news reached him of the outbreak of plague in 5alcutta& .hen he heard the news( his health and mood changed for the worse& Recalling what happened( Swami ,khandananda said2
Swami*i had been such a *oll person& Suddenl one morning + found that he had become serious& )he whole da he did not cat an thing( nor did he talk with an bod & )he doctor was immediatel called( but could not diagnose the disease& 9e Hthe SwamiI sat the whole da with his head on a pillow& )hen + heard that in 5alcutta threeBfourths of the population had left the metropolis owing to the plague epidemic& )hat's wh Swami*i had become so serious& )he Swami said at that time( F.e have to serve them( even though we are reDuired to sell ever thing& .e were onl wandering monks living under a tree& .e shall sta under a tree&F

On /a @ the Swami reached 5alcutta( although his( health was not good& 9e thought that he might be of help to his people& )he were terrorBstricken b the plague and disma ed b the plague regulations& +t was as if a storm were about to burst over 5alcutta& -eople were fleeing in panic& )roops were called to Duell riots& )he Swami grasped the gravit of the situation at once& On the da of his arrival at the /ath he drafted a plague manifesto in 1engali and in 9indi& 9e wanted to start relief operations immediatel to help the afflicted& .hen a brotherBmonk asked him( FSwami*i( where will the funds come fromMF( he replied with a sudden fierceness of decision2 F.h ( we shall sell the newl Bbought /ath grounds( if necessar G .e a6e sann asisE we must be read to sleep under the trees and live on dail 1hiksha HalmsI as we did before& .hatG Should we care for /ath and possessions when b disposing of them we could relieve thousands suffering before our e esGF Fortunatel ( this e6treme Step was not necessar ( for he soon received promises of ample funds for his immediate work& +t was settled that an e6tensive plot of ground should be rented at once( on which segregation camps would

@7# be set up in compliance with the 3overnmentRs plague regulations& -lague patients would be accommodated and nursed in such a manner that 9indu norms and customs would not be disregarded& .orkers came in numbers to 5oBoperate with the SwamiRs disciples& 9e instructed them to teach sanitation and to themselves clean the lanes and houses of the areas to which the were sent& )he relief that this service afforded the plague patients was immense( and the measures adopted b the Swami gave the people confidence& )he work endeared him to them )he saw that he was in truth a practical Vedantin( for he applied the metaph sical doctrines of the Vedanta to the relief of want and affliction among his fellowBmen&

@@%

38 TRAINING OF THE DISCIPLES AT ALMORA )he Swami remained in 5alcutta until the possibilit of an epidemic had passed and the stringent plague regulations had been withdrawn& -lans for a *ourne to the 9imala as with his .estern disciples were alread on foot& /r& and /rs& Sevier had taken up residence in ,lmora& ,fter a tour of +ndia( following a so*ourn at Simla( the had been asking the Swami to go there& ,ccordingl ( on the evening of /a + "( a large part left for ,lmora& From 9owrah station to :athgodam( it took them two nights and a da in& the train& ,t :athgodam( the rail terminus( the changed to carriages and dandies for 'aini )al& a ga hillBstation b the side of a lake( and the summer Duarters of the -rovincial 3overnment& From there it was another thirt Btwo miles to ,lmora& +n the part were Swamis )uri ananda( 'iran*anananda( Sadananda( and Swarupananda( /rs& 1ull( /rs& -atterson( wife of the ,merican 5onsulB3eneral in 5alcutta( Sister 'ivedita( and /iss !osephine /ac0eod& /rs& -atterson( it ma be mentioned( had befriended the Swami once( during the earl da s of his preaching in ,merica& She had taken him into her home on hearing with indignation that he had been refused admittance to the hotels of the cit because of his colour& Since then she had become the Swami's friend and admirer& .hen she heard of this proposed *ourne ( she at once *oined the part without caring that she might be compromising herself in the e es of the official world of 5alcutta& )hroughout the *ourne from& 5alcutta to 'aini )al the Swami's historic consciousness and love of countr were much in evidence( with the result that it was a delightful and instructive e6perience for his companions& .ith passionate enthusiasm he would introduce them to each matter of interest( one b one( as the train reached the scene of its relevance& )he greatness of -atna and of Varanasi( later the splendours of the old

@@" 'awab courts of 0ucknow( were each described with such ardour and absorption that his listeners felt that the were in the presence of one who had lived( and still had his being( in his countr 's past& )here was not a cit that he did not look on with tenderness( and whose histor he did not know& .hen traversing the )erai( he made them feet that the ver earth beneath them was that on which the 1uddha had passed the da s of his outh and renunciation in search of the highest truth& )he gorgeous peacocks that now and then flew past( would lend occasion for a graphic account of the invincible Ra*puts& )he sight of an elephant or train of camels would elicit tales of ancient battles or of caravans of merchants and their merchandise( or of the pomp of b gone Ra*as or the /ogul court& )hen again( there were accounts of famines and pestilences& )he long stretches of the plains( with their fields( farms( and villages( would evoke thoughts on the communal s stem of agriculture( or on the dail life of the farm housewife( or on the hospitalit that peasant folk offered to sadhus& +n the telling of these last his e es would glisten and voice falter as the memor of his own da s of wandering over the face of +ndia stirred& +t had been his pleasure then to reach some village compound at dusk and watch the cows' homeBcoming& )he piet of the 9indu on the banks of the 3anga( and the piet of the /ussulman kneeling in pra er at the appointed hours( were in his e es eDuall +ndian and of eDual worth& +n wordBpictures the Swami would lovingl paint the broad rivers( farBstretching forests( and massive mountains ? all of them vital elements in the culture of his people& )he baked soil of the plains( the hot sands of the desert( and the dried riverB beds( each had its message for him& )he attentiveness of his .estern disciples( who hung on his ever word( stirred the Swami to draw on his knowledge and love of +ndia& and from them fashion his poetic descriptions& 9e showed his listeners how( in +ndia( culture( custom( and religion were one& )he burningBghat( with the attendant thought of a dead bod as a thing impure( because cast off b the soulE the use of the right hand for eating( worship( and the counting of beads during

@@7 !apaE the nunBlike life of the 9indu widow and her round of fasts( vigils( and other austeritiesE the respect for parents as gods incarnateE the Varnashrama <harmaE the appointed hours of religious service and meditation for the 1rahmana casteE the twofold ideal of renunciation and realiLation represented b the sann asiE the temple that each 9indu home isE the idea of the +shta (5hosen +deal)E the Vedic chanting b 1rahmana children in the temple court ards of Varanasi and the SouthE the /uslim's kneeling in pra er wherever the time of pra er might find himE the spirit of eDualit and fraternit observed among the followers of the -rophet ? all these( the Swami would sa ( were facets of the culture of his land& )he disciples( hearing his portra als( the poetic or the more philosophical( could now feel the full truth of what he had said to an English friend on leaving the .est( and what he had repeated in his repl to the welcome address in 5alcutta2 F+ndia + loved before + came awa 2 now the ver dust of +ndia has become hol to meE the ver air is now to me hol E it is now the hol land( the place of pilgrimage( the )irtha&F )he part reached 'aini )al on /a "@& )he Swami halted there to see his disciple( the Ra*a of :hetri( then sta ing in the hills& 9e was received on arrival b a large gathering of people& )he set him on a hill pon and scattered flowers and palms in his path( as was done before 5hrist when he went into !erusalem& )he Swami en*o ed introducing his .estern disciples to the Ra*a& )hen he left them alone for three da s( to sta in a hotel& )he .estern disciples( too( gave him full freedom( and took care not to make themselves a burden on him& ,fter three da s he sent for them and welcomed them at his place of residence& +t was at 'aini )al on this visit that the Swami met a /uslim who was an ,dvaita Vedantist at heart& 9is name was /ohammed SarfaraL 9ussain& Struck b the personalit and e6traordinar spiritual power of the Swami( he e6claimed2 FSwami*i( if in afterBtimes an claim ou as an ,vatara( a special +ncarnation of the 3odhead( remember that "( a /ohammedan( am the firstGF )he gentleman became greatl attached to the

@@@ Swami( and from then on counted himself one of his disciples( under the name /ohammedananda& Repl ing to a letter of his( the Swami was to write to him from ,lmora on !une "%( the same ear&& .hether we call it Vedantism or an ism, the truth is that ,dvaitism is the last word of religion and thought( and the onl position from which one can look upon all religions and sects with love& + believe it is the religion of the future enlightened humanit &&&& + am firml persuaded that without the help of practical +slam( theories of Vedantism( however fine and wonderful the ma be( are entirel valueless to the vast mass of mankind&&&& For our own motherland a *unction of the two great s stems( 9induism and +slamBVedanta brain and +slam bod ? is the onl hope&&&& )he Swami had several talks at 'aini )al with distinguished residents& +n one of these he spoke of the illustrious Ra*a Rammohun Ro ( of his foresight and breadth of vision( eloDuentl drawing attention to the three dominant notes of this great pioneer's message2 his acknowledgement of the Vedanta( his patriotism( and his acceptance of the 9indu and the /uslim on an eDual footing& +t could almost be said that these were the dominant features of his own message ? at least as far as +ndia was concerned& +n another of these talks he spoke of the ignorance about religion to be found among the workingBclasses in the .est& 9e related an amusing stor in this connection2 FOnce a bishop went to visit a mine& 9e addressed the labourers and tried to teach them the grand truths of the 1ible& +n conclusion( he asked( '<o ou know 5hristM' One of them responded( '.ell( what is his numberM' -oor fellow( he thought that( if the bishop would tell him 5hrist's number( he could find him among the gang of workingBmen(F )he Swami continued2 F4nlike the ,siatics( the .esterners are not deepl spiritual& Religious thoughts do not permeate the masses&&&& )he immoralit prevalent amongst .estern peoples would strike an +ndian visiting 0ondon or 'ew Aork& 9 de -ark in 0ondon shows in broad da light scenes which would repel an ,siatic( however degraded he might be& )he lower classes in the .est

@@= are not onl ignorant of their scriptures and immoral( but are also rude and vulgar& One da as + was passing through the streets of 0ondon( in m Eastern garb( the driver of a coalBcart( noticing the strangeness of m dress( hurled a lump of coal at me& Fortunatel it passed b m car without hurting me&F ,t 'aini )al he met !ogeshchandra <atta( whom he had known in his schoolBda s at the /etropolitan +nstitution( and had seen the previous ear at /urree& !ogeshbabu thought it desirable that funds should he raised so that +ndian graduates could he sent to England to stud for the 5ivil Service2 on their return the might be of help to +ndia& 1ut the Swami had no use for the idea2 F'othing of the kindG )he would( mostl ( turn outlandish in their ideas and prefer to associate( on their return( with the Europeans& Of that ou ma he sureG )he would live for themselves and cop European dress( diet( manners( and ever thing else( and forget the cause of their own countr &F ,nd when he came to speak of the apath of +ndians for the material improvement of their countr ( and of their lack of enterprise( especiall in the industrial field( he wept' with& anguish& Seeing the tears running down his fac8( the audience was moved& !ogeshbabu writes2 F+ shall never forget that scene in m lifeG 9e was a ) agi( he had renounced the world( and et +ndia was in the inmost depth of his soul& +ndia was his love( he felt and wept for +ndia( he died for +ndia& +ndia throbbed in his breast( beat in his pulses( in short( was inseparabl bound up with his ver life& & & &F <uring his sta in 'aini )al( an incident occurred which revealed the humanit of the Swami's heart& .hile on a visit to the temple of the /other( the .estern womenB disciples happened to enter into conversation in broken language with two nautchB girls& +n their simplicit and ignorance the .esterners took them for respectable women& )he dancingBgirls enDuired where the could find the SwamiE and on their wa home the came to where he was sta ing& )he begged to he admitted to his presence( so as to receive his blessings& )he Swami refused to have them turned awa & )his immediatel caused a storm of disapproval among his listeners( but he

@@> ignored it and allowed them to come to him& 9e blessed the women and spoke to them such words of power( full of kindness and with no trace of reproach( that the hearts of all present were touched& Sister 'ivedita recalls that it was perhaps on this occasion that the Swami first told them the stor of the nautchBgirl of :hetri& 9e had been anno ed at the invitation to watch her dance&& .hen he had been prevailed upon to attend the performance( she sang2 Oh 0ord( look not upon m evil DualitiesG )h name( % 0ord( is SameBSightedness&&&& ,nd then( 'ivedita writes( reproducing her /aster's own account( the scales fell from his e es2 he saw that all are indeed one( and he condemned no more& .e have alread recorded this incident more full & 0eaving 'aini )al for ,lmora late in the afternoon on /onda ( /a "8( the Swami and his part were overtaken b ' night on their wa through dense forest& On and on the went( following the track down into deep gullies and up again( and round the shoulders of pro*ecting hillsides& )he were preceded b torches and lanterns to keep off bears and tigers& Eventuall the reached a Duaintl Bplaced dak bungalow under a canop of great trees& )he Swami was all along full of fun( and fascinated b the poetr of the weird Fnight scenesF& ,lwa s attentive to the comfort of guests and companions( he saw to their needs and himself supervised the cooking& )his last was a favourite pastime of his& )he beaut of the scener enchanted the .estern disciples as the made their wa along the winding hill paths& On /a "; (according to the /a avati diar ( on /a "8)( the part reached ,lmora& ,t ,lmora( the Swami( his brotherBdisciples( and his sann asi disciples were the guests of /r& and /rs& Sevier( at )hompson 9ouse& 9is .estern disciples sta ed nearb in what is now called Oakle 9ouse& (From the return addresses given on Sister 'ivedita's letters of thisBtime( it seems that it was then known as Fthe Old and 'ew 9ouseF or Fthe Old /essF&)

@@8 ,fter rising earl and taking a walk with his brotherBdisciples( the Swami would go to the house of /rs& 1ull and her guests& 9aving breakfasted with them( he would converse for some hours on all conceivable sub*ects& +t was here especiall that Sister 'ivedita( who had come to be regarded b the +ndian people as the Swami's spiritual daughter( received her training at the hands of her /aster& +t was a training that revealed his greatness( and also the difficulties and struggle that confront the European mind as it endeavours to identif itself with +ndian ideals and +ndian culture& 1etween /aster and disciple a conflict of personalities developed& )he Sister's mental out look was aggressivel Occidental and intensel 1ritish& 5onseDuentl ( almost all along the line of contact between her mind and her /aster's( areas of difference came to lightE and the Swami( because he wanted to infuse into her his own passionate love of +ndia( did not spare her& Of this period of trial 'ivedita writes some ears later as follows2
1ut with ,lmora( it seemed as if a goingBtoBschool had commenced( and *ust as schooling is often disagreeable to the taught( so here( though it cost infinite pain( the blindness of a halfB view must be done awa & , mind must be brought to change its centre of gravit & +t was never more than thisE never the dictating of opinion or creedE never more than emancipation from partialit & Even at the end of the terrible e6perience( when this method( as regarded race and countr ( was renounced( never to be taken up s stematicall again( the Swami did not call for an confession of faith( an declaration of new opinion& 9e dropped the whole Duestion& 9is listener went free& 1ut he had revealed a different standpoint in thought and feeling( so completel and so strongl as to make it impossible for her to rest( until later( b her own labours( she had arrived at a view in which both these partial presentments stood rationaliLed and accounted for&&&& 1ut at the same time the were a veritable lion in the path( and remained so until she had grasped the foll of allowing an thing whatever to obscure to her the personalit that was here revealing itself&&& +n ever case it had been some ideal of the past that had raised a barrier to the movement of her s mpath ( and surel it is alwa s so& +t is the worships of one era which forge the fetters of the ne6t& )hese morning talks at ,lmora then took the form of assaults upon

@@;
deepBrooted preconceptions( social( literar ( and artistic( or of long comparisons of +ndian and European histor and sentiments( often containing e6tended observations of ver great value& One characteristic of the Swami was the habit of attacking the abuses of a countr or societ openl and vigorousl when he was in its midst( whereas( after he had left it( it would often seem as if nothing but its virtues were remembered b him& 9e was alwa s testing his disciples( and the manner of these particular discourses was probabl adopted in order to put to the proof the courage and sincerit of one who was both woman and European&

)he Swami's dail tussles with the Sister resulted in the gradual 9induiLing( or better( +ndianiLing( of her outlook& 9e( however( appreciated this hesitation on her part to accept ideas that were foreign to her& Once he comforted her b letting her know that he himself had had a five ears' fight before accepting some of his own /aster's ideas& 9ow this clash of attitudes and sensibilities came to an end in peace( is best told in the Sister's own words2
,nd then a time came when one of the older ladies of our part ( thinking perhaps that such intensit of pain inflicted might easil go too far( interceded kindl and gravel with the Swami& 9e listened silentl and went awa & ,t evening( however( he returned( and finding us together in the veranda( he turned to her and said( with the simplicit of a child( FAou were right& &)here must be a change& + am going awa into the forests to he aloneE and when + come back( + shall bring peace& F )hen he turned and saw that above us the moon was new( and a sudden e6altation came into his voice as he said( FSeeG )he /ohammedans think much of the new moon& 0et us also with the new moon begin a new lifeGF ,s the words ended( he lifted his hands and blessed( with silent depths of blessing( his most rebellious disciple( b this time kneeling before him&&&& +t was assuredl a moment of wonderful sweetness of reconciliation& 1ut such a moment ma heal a wound& +t cannot restore an illusion that has been broken into fragments& ,nd + have told its stor ( onl that + ma touch upon its seDuel& long ago( Shri Ramakrishna had told his disciples that the da would come when his beloved F'arenF would manifest his own great gift of bestowing knowledge with a touch& )hat evening( at ,lmora( + proved the truth of this prophec &

@@$
For alone( in meditation( + found m self gaLing deep into an +nfinite 3ood( to the recognition of which no egoistic reasoning had led me& + learnt( too( on the ph sical plane( the simple ever da realit of the e6perience related in the 9indu books on religious ps cholog & ,nd(( "( understood( for the first time( that the greatest teachers ma destro in us a personal relation( onl in order to bestow the +mpersonal Vision in its place&

)he Swami's teachings and discussions of these da s( though meant in the first instance for his .estern disciples( subseDuentl proved to be of great value to his own countr men& 9is thought took in all angles of vision( and through him the light of the Supreme RealiLation was thrown on vital aspects of human wisdom& Some of these morning talks at ,lmora were recorded b Sister 'ivedita and are to he found in her Notes of Some Wanderin s with Swami Vivekananda* .e can hardl do better than give some e6tracts2
)he fist morning( the talk was that of the central ideals of civiliLation2 in the .est( truthE in the East( chastit & 9e *ustified 9indu marriageBcustoms( as springing from the pursuit of this ideal( and from the woman's need of protection( in combination& ,nd he traced out the relation of the whole sub*ect to the philosoph of the ,bsolute& ,nother morning he began b observing that as there were four main castes ? 1rahmana( :shatri a( 1unea HVaish aI( Shudra ? so there were four great national functions( the religious or priestl ( fulfilled b the 9indusE the militar ( b the Roman EmpireE the mercantile( b England toda E and the democratic( b ,merica in the future& ,nd here he launched off into a glowing prophetic forecast of how ,merica would et solve the problems of the Shudra ? the problems of freedom and coBoperation ? and turned to relate to a nonB ,merican listener( the generosit of the arrangements which that people had attempted to make for their aborigines& ,gain( it would be an eager resume of the histor of +ndia or of the /oguls whose greatness never wearied him& Ever now and then( throughout the summer( he would break out into descriptions of <elhi and ,gra& Once he described the )a* as Fa dimness( and again a dimness( and there ? a graveGF ,nother time( he spoke of Shah !ehan( and then( with a burst of enthusiasm2 F,hG He was the glor

@@#
of his lineG , feeling for( and discrimination of beaut that are unparalleled in histor & ,nd an artist himself G + have seen a manuscript illuminated b him( which is one of the artBtreasures of +ndia& .hat a geniusGF Oftener still( it was ,kbar of whom he would tell( almost with tears in his voice( and a passion easier to understand( beside that undomed tomb( open to sun and wind( the grave of Secundra at ,gra& 1ut all the more universal forms of human feeling were open to the /aster& +n one mood he talked of 5hina as if she were the treasureBhouse of the world( and told us of the thrill with which he saw inscriptions in old 1engali (:utilM) characters( over the doors of 5hinese temples& Few things could be more eloDuent of the vagueness of .estern ideas regarding Oriental peoples than the fact that one of his listeners alleged untruthfulness as a notorious Dualit of that race& ,s a matter of fact the 5hinese a6e famous in the 4nited States( where the are known as businessmen( for their remarkable commercial integrit ( developed to a point far be ond that of the .estern reDuirement of the written word& So the ob*ection was an instance of misrepresentation( which( though disgraceful( is nevertheless too common& 1ut in an case the Swami would have none of it& 4ntruthfulnessG Social rigidit G .hat were these( e6cept ver ( ver relative termsM ,nd as to untruthfulness in particular( could commercial life( or social life( or an other form of coBoperation go on for a da ( if men did not trust menM 4ntruthfulness as a necessit of etiDuetteM ,nd how was that different from the .estern ideaM +s the Englishman alwa s glad and alwa s sorr at the proper placeM 1ut there is still a difference of degreeM -erhaps C but onl of degreeG Or he might wander far afield as +tal ( Jgreatest of the countries of Europe( land or religion and of artE alike of imperial organiLation and of /aLLiniE mother of ideas( of culture( and of freedomGK One da it was Shiva*i and /ahrattas and the earRs wanderings as a sann asi( that won him home to Raigarh& J,nd to this da (K said Swami( Jauthorit in +ndia dreads the sann asi( lest he conceals beneath his ellow garb another Shiva*i&K Often the enDuir ( who and what are the ,r ansM C absorbed his attentionE and( holding that their origin was comple6( he would tell us how in SwitLerland he had felt himself to be in 5hina( so alike were the t pes& 9e believed too that the same was true of some parts of 'orwa & )hen there were scraps of information about countries of ph siognomies( an impassioned tale of 9ungarian scholar(

@=% who traced the 9uns to )ibet( and lies buried in <ar*eeling and so on &&&&
Sometimes the Swami would deal with the rift between 1rahmins and :shatri as( painting the whole histor of +ndia as a struggle between the two( and showing that the latter had alwa s embodied the rising( fetterBdestro ing impulses of the nation& 9e could give e6cellent reason too for the faith that was in him that the :a asthas of modern 1engal represented the preB/aur an :shatri as& 9e would portra the two opposing t pes of culture( the one classical( intensive( and saturated with an everBdeepening sense of tradition and customE the other( defiant( impulsive( and liberal in its outlook& +t was part of a deepBl ing law of the historic development that Rama( :rishna( and 1uddha had all arisen in the kingl ( and not in the priestl caste& ,nd in this parado6ical moment( 1uddhism was reduced to a casteBsmashing formula?Fa religion invented b the :shatri asF as a crushing re*oinder to 1rahminismG )hat was a great hour indeed( when he spoke of 1uddhaE for( catching a word that seemed to identif him with its antiB1rahminical spirit( an uncomprehending listener said( F.h ( Swami( + did not know that ou were a 1uddhistGF F/adam(F he said rounding on her( his whole face aglow with the inspiration of that name2 F+ am the servant of the servants of the servants of 1uddha& .ho was there ever like 9imM ? the 0ord ? who never performed one action for 9imself ? with a heart that embraced the whole worldG So full of pit that 9e ? prince and monk ? would give 9is life to save a little goatG So loving that 9e sacrificed 9imself to the hunger of a tigressG ? to the hospitalit of a pariah and blessed him l ,nd 9e came into m room when + was a bo and + fell at 9is feetG For + knew it was the 0ord 9imselfGF /an times he spoke of 1uddha in this fashion( sometimes at 1elur and sometimes afterwards& ,nd once he told us the stor of ,mbapali( the beautiful courtesan who feasted 9im( in words that recalled the revolt of Rossetti's great halfBsonnet of /ar /agdalene2 % loose meG Seest thou not m 1ridegroom's face( )hat draws me to 9imM For 9is feet m kiss( / hair( m tears( 9e craves toda 2 ? ,nd ohG .hat words can tell what other da and place Shall see me clasp those bloodBstained feet of 9isM 9e needs me( calls me( loves me( let me go

@="
1ut national feeling did not have it all its own wa & For one morning when the chasm seemed to be widest( there was a long talk on 1hakti ? the perfect identit with the 1eloved that the devotion of Ra a Ramananda( the 1engali nobleman who was a contemporar of 5haitan a( so beautifull illustrates2 Four e es met& )here were changes in two souls& ,nd now + cannot remember whether he is a man ,nd + a woman( or he a woman and + a manG ,ll + know is( there were two( 0ove came( and there is oneG +t was that same morning that he talked of the 1abists of -ersia ? in their era of mart rdom?of the woman who inspired and the man who worshipped and worked& ,nd doubtless then he e6patiated on that theor of his ? somewhat Duaint and surprising to unaccustomed minds( not so much for the matter of the statement( as for the e6plicitness of the e6pression?of the greatness and goodness of the oung( who can love without seeking personal e6pression for their love( and their high potentialit & ,nother da coming at sunrise when the snows could be seen( dawn lighted( from the garden( it was Shiva and 4ma on whom he dweltE and that was Shiva( up there( the white snowBpeaks( and the light that fell upon 9im was the /other of the .orldG For a thought on which at this time he was dwelling much was that 3od is the 4niverse ? not within it( or outside it( and not the universe 3od or the image of 3od ? but 9e it( and the ,ll& Sometimes all through the summer he would sit for hours telling us stories( those cradleB tales of 9induism( whose function is not at all that of our nurser fictions( but much more( like the manBmaking m ths of the old 9ellenic world& 1est of all these + thought was the stor of Shuka( and we looked on the ShivaBmountains and the bleak scener of ,lmora the evening we heard it for the first time& Shuka( the t pical -aramahamsa( refused to be born for fifteen ears( because he knew that his birth would mean his mother's death& )hen his father appealed to 4ma( the <ivine /other& She was perpetuall tearing down the veil of /a a before the hidden Saint( and V asa pleaded that She should cease this( or his son would never come to birth& 4ma consented( for one moment onl ( and that moment the child was born& 9e came forth a oung man( si6teen ears of age( unclothed( and went straight forward( knowing neither

@=7 his father nor his mother( straight on( followed b V asa& )hen( coming round a mountainBpass his bod melted awa from him( because it was not different from the universe( and his father following and cr ing( FO m sonG % m sonGF was answered onl b the echo( F%mG OmG OmGF ? among the rocks& )hen Shuka resumed his bod ( and came to his father to get knowledge from him& 1ut V asa found that he had none for him( and sent him to !anaka( king of /ithila( the father of Sita( if perchance he might have some to give& )hree da s he sat outside the ro al gates( unheeded( without a change of e6pression or of look& )he fourth da he was suddenl admitted to the king's presence with scat* Still there was no change&
)hen as a test( the powerful sage who was the king's prime minister translated himself into a beautiful woman( so beautiful that ever one present had to turn awa from the sight of her( and none dared speak& 1ut Shuka went up to her and drew her to sit beside him on his mat( while he talked to her of 3od& )hen the minister turned to !anaka sa ing( F:now( % :ing( if ou seek the greatest man on earth( this is heGF F)here is little more told of the life of Shuka& 9e is the ideal -aramahamsa& )o him alone amongst men was it given to drink a handful of the waters of that One 4ndivided Ocean of SatB5hitB,nandaBE6istence( :nowledge( and 1liss ,bsoluteG /ost saints die( having heard onl the thunder of +ts waves upon the shore& , few gain the vision ? and still fewer( taste of +t& 1ut he drank of the Sea of 1lissGF Shuka was indeed the Swami's saint& 9e was the t pe( to him( of that highest realiLation to which life and the world are merel pla & 0ong after( we learned how Shri Ramakrishna had spoken of him in his bo hood as( F/ ShukaF& ,nd never can + forget the look( as of' one gaLing far into depths of *o ( with which he once stood and Duoted the words of Shiva( in praise of the deep spiritual significance of the .ha avad/0ita, and of the greatness of Shuka ? F+ know (the real meaning of the teachings of the .ha avad/0ita3, and Shuka knows( and -erha-s V asa knows ? a littleGF ,nother da in ,lmora the Swami talked of the great humaniLing lives that had arisen in 1engal( at the long inrolling wash of the first wave of modern consciousness on the ancient shores of 9indu culture& Of Rammohun Ro we had alread heard from him at 'aini )al& ,nd now of the -andit Vid asagar he e6claimed( F)here is not a man of m age in 'orthern +ndia( on whom his shadow has not

@=@
fallenGF +t was a great *o to him to remember that these men and Shri Ramakrishna had all been born within a few miles of each other& )he Swami introduced Vid asagar to us now as Fthe hero of widow remarriage( and of the abolition of pol gam F& 1ut his favourite stor about him was of that da when he went home from the 0egislative 5ouncil( pondering over the Duestion of whether or not to& adopt English dress on such occasions& Suddenl someone came up to a fat /ogul who was proceeding homewards in a leisurel and pompous fashion( in front of him( with the news( FSir( our house is on fireGF )he /ogul went neither faster nor slower for this information( and presentl the messenger contrived to e6press a discreet astonishment( whereupon his master turned on him angril & F.retchGF he said( F,m + to abandon the gait of m ancestors( because a few sticks happen to be burningMF ,nd Vid asagar' walking behind( determined to stick to the chuddar( dhoti( and sandals( not even adopting coat and slippers& )he picture of Vid asagar going into retreat for a month for the stud of the Shastras( when his mother had suggested to him the remarriage of childBwidows( was ver forcible& F9e came out of his retirement of opinion that the were not against such remarriage( and he obtained the signatures of the pandits that the agreed in this opinion& )hen the action of certain native princes led the pandits to abandon their own signatures( so that( had the 3overnment not determined to assist the movement( it could not have been carried ? F,nd nowF( added the Swami( Fthe difficult has an economic rather than a social basis&F .e could believe that a man who was able to discredit pol gam b moral force alone( was Fintensel spiritualF& ,nd it was wonderful indeed to realiLe the +ndian indifference to a formal creed( when we heard how this giant was driven b the famine of "$8= ? when "=%(%%% people died of hunger and disease ? to have nothing more to do with 3od( and become entirel agnostic in thought& .ith this man( as one of the educators of 1engal( the Swami coupled the name of <avid 9are( the old Scotsman and atheist to whom the clerg of 5alcutta refused 5hristian burial& 9e died of nursing an old pupil through cholera& So his own bo s carried his dead bod and buried it in a swamp( and made the grave a place of pilgrimage& )hat place has now become 5ollege SDuare( the educational centre( and has school is now within the 4niversit & ,nd to this da ( 5alcutta students make pilgrimage to the tomb&

@==
On this da we took advantage of the natural turn of the conversation to crossBDuestion the Swami as to the possible influence that 5hristianit might have e6erted over himself& 9e was much amused to hear that such a statement had( been haLarded( and told us with much pride of his onl contact with missionar influences( in the person of his old Scotch master( /r& 9astie& )his hotBheaded( old man lived on nothing( and regarded his room as his bo s' home as much as his own& +t was he who had first sent the Swami to Shri RamakrishnaE and( towards the end of his sta in +ndia( he used to sa ( FAes( m bo ( ou were right( ou were rightG ? +t is true that all is 3odGF F+ am -roud of himGF ? cried the Swami( Fbut + don't think ou could sa that he had 5hristianiLed me muchGF +t appeared( indeed( that he had onl been his pupil for some si6 months( having attended college so irregularl that the -residenc 5ollege refused to send him up for his degree( though he undertook to pass + .e heard charming stories( too( on less serious sub*ects& )here was the lodgingBhouse in an ,merican cit ( for instance( where he had had to cook his own food( and where he would meet( in the course of operations( Fan actress who ate roast turke ever da ( and a husband and wife who lived b making ghostsF& ,nd when the Swami remonstrated( with the husband( and tried to persuade him to give up deceiving people( sa ing FAou ou ht not to do thisGF the wife would come up behind( and sa eagerl ( FAes SirG )hat's *ust what + tell himE for he makes all the ghosts( and /rs& .illiams takes all the mone &K 9e told us also of a oung engineer( an educated man( who( at a spiritualistic gathering( when the fat /rs& .illiams appeared from behind the screen as his thin mother& e6claimed F/other dear( how ou have grown in the spiritBworldGF F,t this(F said the Swami( Fm heart broke( for + thought there could be no hope for the man&F 1ut never at a loss( he told the stor of a Russian painter( who was ordered to paint the picture of a peasant's dead father( the onl description given being( F/anG <on't + tell ou he had a wart on his noseMF .hen at last( therefore( the painter had made a portrait of some stra peasant( and affi6ed a large wart to the nose( the picture was declared to be read ( and the son was told to come and see it& 9e stood in front of it( greatl overcome( and said( FFatherG FatherG 9ow changed ou are since + saw ou lastGF ,fter this( the oung engineer would never speak to the Swami again( which showed at least that he could see the point of a

@=> stor & 1ut at this( the 9indu monk was genuinel astonished&&&&
!une #th& )his )hursda morning there was a talk on :rishna& +t was characteristic of the Swami's mind( and characteristic also of the 9indu culture from which he had sprung( that he could lend himself to the en*o ment and portra al of an idea one da ( that the ne6t would see submitted to a pitiless anal sis and left slain upon the field& 9e was a sharer to the full in the belief of his people that( provided an idea was spirituall true and consistent( it mattered ver little about its ob*ective actualit & ,nd this mode of thought had first been suggested to him( in his bo hood( b his own /aster& 9e had mentioned some doubt as to the authenticit of a certain religious histor & F.hatGF said Shri Ramakrishna( Fdo ou not then think those who could conceive such ideas must have been the thing itselfMF )he e6istence of :rishna( then& like that of 5hrist( he often told us( Fin the general wa F he doubted& 1uddha and /ohammed alone( amongst religious teachers( had been fortunate enough to have Jenemies as well as friendsK( so that their historical careers were be ond dispute& ,s for :rishna( he was the most shadow of all& F, poet( a cowherd( a great ruler( a warrior( and a sage had all perhaps been merged in one beautiful figure( holding the 0ita in his hand&F 1ut toda ( :rishna was Fthe most perfect& of the ,vatarasF& ,nd a wonderful picture followed( of the charioteer who reined in his horses( while he surve ed the field of battle and in one brief glance noted the disposition of the forces( at the same moment that he commenced to utter to his ro al pupil the deep spiritual truths of the 0ita* &&& ,nd the Swami was fond of a statement &&& that the :rishnaBworshippers of +ndia had e6hausted the possibilities of the romantic motive in l ric poetr & !une "%th& +t was our last afternoon at ,lmora that we heard the stor of the fatal illness of Shri Ramakrishna& <r& /ahendralal Sarkar had been called in( and had pronounced the disease to be cancer of the throat( leaving the oung disciples with man warnings as to its infectious nature& 9alf an hour later( F'arenF( as he then was( came in and found them huddled together( discussing the dangers of the case& 9e listened to what the had been told( and then( looking down( saw at his feet the cup of gruel that had been partl taken b Shri Ramakrishna and which must have contained in it the germs of the fatal discharges of mucus and pus( as it came out in his baffled attempts to swallow the thing( on account of the stricture of the foodBpassage in the throat& 9e picked it up( and drank from it(

@=8 before them all& 'ever was the infection of cancer mentioned amongst the disciples again&
)he Swami met man residents of ,lmora( and also some noted people from other parts of +ndia who had gone there to spend the summer months& )o all of them he gave religious instruction& 9e met /rs& ,nnie 1esant twice& She was sta ing at the house of Shri 3& '& 5hakravart ( sonBinBlaw of Shri 3aganbabu of 3haLipur( with whom the Swami had sta ed as a wandering monk& )he wife of Shri 5hakravart ( who alread knew the Swami( invited him to tea one da & )his was the first occasion on which he met /rs& 1esant& )he had a long conversation with each other& <uring the course of it /rs& 1esant appealed to the Swami for friendship between her organiLation and his( all over the world& )heir second meeting was on /a 7%( when she was invited to the Swami's place of residence for tea&

,t ,lmora the police were watching the Swami's movements& 9is association with the .estern disciples ma have set them guessingE Especiall his association with 'ivedita( who had earlier had some connection with the +rish revolution& +n her letter of /a 77 to /rs& Eric 9ammond( she wrote2
One of the monks has had a warning this morning that the police are watching the Swami( through spies?of course( we know this in a general wa ? but this brings it prett close( and + cannot help attaching some importance to it( though the Swami laughs& )he 3overnment must be mad ? or at least will prove so if he is interfered with& )hat would be the torch to carr fire through the countr ? and + the most lo al Englishwoman that ever breathed in this countr &&& will be the first to light up& Aou could not imagine what raceBhatred means( living in England& /anliness seems a barrier to nothing ? three white women travelling with the Swami and other FnativesF ? la themselves and their friends open to horrid insults ? mais nous chan erons tout ce'a Hbut we will change all thatI&

)hough full of fun at times( the Swami often spoke of the torture of life( and would enter into a meditative mood& , strange longing for Duiet took hold of him& On .ednesda ( /a 7>( he left the circle of friends and disciples( and retired

@=; to Shi adevi( some distance from ,lmora& )here he was in the silence of the forests for ten hours each da & 9owever( on returning to his tent in the evening( he found a number of people seeking him even thereE so he returned to ,lmora on Saturda & 1ut he was radiant( for he had proved to himself that he could be again Fthe oldBtime sann asi( able to go barefoot( and endure heat( cold( and scant fare( unspoilt b the .estF& On the following /onda ( /a @%( accompanied b /r& and /rs& Sevier( the Swami left ,lmora for a week( partl in search of seclusion( and partl on business( in connection with the possible purchase of an estate for his monaster & 1ut this possibilit came to nothing& Soon after he reached ,lmora the Swami was pained to hear from 5hristine 3reenstidel of the demise of his admirer and friend /rs& 1agle & On /a 7% he wrote in repl 2
+ hope to start a home on the 9imala as somewhere near ,lmora for m .estern friends ver soon& + will work between 5alcutta and the 9imala as& + am tired of trudging about at an rate( and *ust want a real rest and reposeE would + found it sooner& <on't ou work ourself out( dear 5hristina& )ake a long long rest& <ut has no end( and the world is e6tremel selfish& &&& + am so sorr to learn of the death of /rs& 1agle & She was a good friend&&&&

'ow( on returning to ,lmora on Sunda evening( !une >( the Swami met with two heav blows2 news of the death of -avhari 1aba( whom( as he had once said( he loved Fsecond onl to Shri RamakrishnaFE and news of the death of his dear disciple !& !& 3oodwin& Our last mention of /r& 3oodwin was of his being with the Swami at 0ahore in 'ovember "$#;( from where he had sent a report of the Swami's activities to the .rahmavadin* As( we know( he had been sent to /adras in !ul "$#; from ,lmora with the idea of starting a dail paper in English( and also to help ,lasinga with the .rahmavadin work2 but destin had arranged otherwise& 9is letters tell the stor & On September "8( "$#;( he wrote to /rs& 1ull& F+ have *oined the staff of the #ai'* )he asked me to several times( and as the allow me

@=$ perfect libert to make the Swami's work m first interest( and as( also( it will enable me to keep m self here( and help m mother out( + *oined& / sister is being married and m mother will *oin me( as she will not care to remain at home under the new conditions &&&&&& On /a >( "$#$( he wrote to /iss /ac0eod from 3arden View( Ootacamund( South +ndia2
.hen + came to +ndia( + need not sa what m feelings were with regard to Swami*i( but + have been here si6teen months( and + have completel come round to our point of view& + will do an$thin for him Hthe SwamiI personall ( but + simpl do not care a pin for an thing else& +f + do an of his work( it will be merel because he wishes it& -artl for this reason( + am for the present reall out of the work altogether& + also felt that( recognising as + did that + could do a,so'ute'$ nothing to help( although + reall tried in /adras( it was wrong to remain a burden on him or his( and for that reason + formed H*oinedI the #ai'* * & & + have not seen the Swami since last 'ovember& + realiLe more and more ever da that the Swami is not a 9indu ? as 9indus goE because ever thing must he *udged b the sum total( and the sum total of +ndia is meanness& and pett scheming( and not re'i ion&&&&

On !une @ a telegram was received b the .estern disciples at ,lmora2 F3oodwin died last night at Ootacamund&F 9e had died of enteric fever on !une 7E but the news was not broken to the Swami till the morning of /onda ( !une 8( when he went earl to /rs& 1ull's bungalow& )aking the loss calml ( he sat down and talked Duietl with his .estern disciples& )hat morning he was full of 1hakti and of how it must pass through asceticism if it is to be out of the reach of the sweet snares of personalit & F.hat is this idea of 1hakti without renunciationMF he said& F+t is most perniciousGF ,nd standing there for an hour or more( he talked of the awful selfB discipline that one must impose on oneself( if one would indeed be unattached( of the reDuisite nakedness of selfish motives( and of the danger that at an moment the most flowerlike soul might have its petals soiled with the grosser stains of life& 9e told the stor of an +ndian nun who was asked when a man could be certain of safet on this road( and who sent back( for answer( a little plate of

@=# ashes& For the fight against passion was long and fierce( and at an moment the conDueror might become the conDuered& ,nd as he talked( it seemed that this banner of renunciation was the flag of a great victor ( that povert and selfBmaster were the onl fit raiment for the soul that would wed the Eternal 1ridegroom( and that life was a long opportunit for giving( and the thing not taken awa from us was to he mourned as lost&&&& 1ut the Swami's tender heart was indeed afflicted b the loss of a loving disciple who had served him for so long with the warmest devotion& ,t the time of hearing the news( he had remarked2 F'ow m right hand is gone& / loss is incalculable&F ,nd as the hours passed( he Fcomplained of the weakness that brought the image of his most faithful disciple constantl to his mind( +t was no more manl ( he protested( to be thus ridden b one's memor ( than to retain the characteristics of the fish or the do & /an must conDuer this illusion( and know that the dead are here beside us and with us( as much as ever& +t is their absence and separation that are a m th& ,nd then he would break out again with some bitter utterance against the foll of imagining -ersonal .ill to guide the universe& ',s if'( he e6claimed( 'it would not be one's right and dut to fight such a 3od and sla 9im( for killing 3oodwinG ? ,nd 3oodwin( if he had lived( could have done so muchG' ,nd in +ndia one was free to recogniLe this as the most religious( because the most unflinchingl truthful( mood of allGF 9e took awa a few fault lines of someone's writing and brought back a beautiful little poem( %e;uiescat in &ace, in which nothing of the original was left& )his was sent to 3oodwin's widowed mother( as his memorial of her son( along with a short letter2
Speed forth( % SoulG upon th starBstrewn pathE Speed( blissful oneG where thought is ever free( .here time and space no longer mist the view( Eternal peace and blessings be with theeG

)h service true( complete th sacrifice( )h home the heart of love transcendent findE

@>%
Remembrance sweet( that kills all space and time( 0ike altar roses fill the place behindG )h bonds are broke( th Duest in bliss is foundE ,nd one with )hat which comes as <eath and 0ifeE )hou helpful oneG unselfish e'er on earth( ,headG still help with love this world of strifeG )he debt of gratitude + owe him can never be repaid( and those who think the have been helped b an thought of mine( ought to know that almost ever word of it was published through the untiring and most unselfish e6ertions of /r& 3oodwin& +n him + have lost a friend true as steel( a disciple of neverBfailing devotion( a worker who knew not what tiring was( and the world is less rich b one of those few who are horn( as it were( to live onl for others&

Of -avhari 1aba's death( the Swami had learnt directl ( b letter& )his had been waiting for him on his return to ,lmora on Sunda !une >& .hen he met the .estern disciples in the evening of that da ( which was the da before the news of 3oodwin's death was given to him( the saw darkness hanging over his face& 9e broke his silence b sa ing( F+ have *ust received a letter that sa s( '-avhari 1aba has completed all his sacrifices with the sacrifice of his own bod & 9e has burnt himself in his sacrificial fire&' F Someone asked( F.asn't that wrongMF )he Swami replied( F9ow can + tellM 9e was too great a man for me to *udge& 9e knew himself what he was doing&F ,nother rude shock that the Swami had received since coming to ,lmora( was caused b the death of 1& R& Ra*am l er( Editor of &ra,uddha .harata, then published from /adras& Ra*am l er was a gifted oung man of twent Bsi6 when he died& 9e was a true Vedantist and an ardent admirer& of the Swami& Following his death in /a "$#$( the magaLine had ceased publication after the !une issue& )he Swami had alwa s had a special affection for it( managed as it was b his /adrasi disciples at his behest& 9e now wished to revive it with the help of /r& and /rs& Sevier and Swami Swarupananda& 9e said to

@>" /r& Sevier2 FSevier( ou said ou would work for the good of +ndia& )he climate of 1engal will not suit ou& So wh don't ou sta somewhere near ,lmora and undertake to conduct &ra,uddha .harataE )he *ournal has got over three thousand subscribers& +t was first printed on m advice( and has graduall become a notable instrument for the dissemination of Vedantic knowledge& + don't wish that it should be discontinued& ,nd + am giving ou a capable editor& Swami Swarupananda has particular e6perience in that line( and with the help of ourself and Swami )uri ananda( he will easil be able to run it&F +t was agreed that the &ra,uddha .harata office should be transferred from /adras to ')homson 9ouseF( the rented house at ,lmora where /r& and /rs& Sevier& had been sta ing& )he printingBpress and materials were brought up from 5alcutta( and the first issue from the ,lmora office was published in ,ugust "$#$( under the editorship of Swami Swarupananda& /r&' Sevier acted as manager& 9e also met all the initial e6penses in connection with the purchase and transport of the handBpress( the t pe( paper( and other things needed& 4p at ,lmora( as also man a time before( the Swami spoke of his intention of starting papers in English and in the regional languages( to be conducted b his brotherBdisciples and his own disciples& /ore and more he felt the need for them( in con*unction with public preaching( monastic centres( and 9omes of Service( as means of giving +ndia his /aster's teaching and his own message& .e have mentioned more than once that he thought of bringing out a dail paper( and had sent !& !& 3oodwin to /adras partl for that purpose& )he importance that he attached to the publication of *ournals( and the personal interest he took in it( is evident from his correspondence earlier in "$#$& +n /arch he wrote to Swami Ramakrishnananda from the /ath( 1elur2
)he Dawn can manage with 7%% subscribers to come out regularl on Rs& =%^B an issue e6penditure& )his is a great fact to know& )he -& 1& !&ra,uddha .harataC seems to be ver disBorganiLedE tr best to organiLe it& -oor ,lasinga( + am sorr for him& Onl thing + can do is to make him entirel free for a ear so that he ma devote all his

@>7
energ to .rahmavadin work& )ell him not to worr E + have him alwa s in mind( poor childE his devotion + can never repa &&&&

On ,pril 7@ the Swami wrote to Swami 1rahmananda from <ar*eeling about a pro*ected 5alcutta *ournal2 F'it agopal sa s( managing an English magaLine will not cost much& So let us first get this one out( and we shall see to the 1engali magaLine afterwards& ,ll these points will have to be discussed& +s Aogen willing to shoulder the responsibilit of running the paperM& & &F ,lthough this 5alcutta plan of the Swami's did not materialiLe( he at least could leave ,lmora with the satisfaction of knowing that &ra,uddha .harata, or Awakened )ndia, would be published from there as soon as the arrangements that he had made could be put into effect& .hen he reached Srinagar( he sent( for the first number of the revived magaLine( a poem F)o the ,wakened +ndiaF( calling on &ra,uddha .harata to resume its march( and to speak its stirring words( Ftill )ruth( and )ruth alone( in all its glor shinesF& Some time in /a or !une( while the Swami was sta ing at ,lmora "" with /r& and /rs& Sevier( ,swinikumar <atta( the saintl patriot of 1engal( visited the town in the course of his travels& ,swinibabu learned from his cook that a strange 1engali sadhu was sta ing in the town( who spoke English( rode horses( and moved about in a lordl st le& From the papers he alread knew that the Swami was then sta ing at ,lmora( and therefore had no difficult in identif ing the strange sadhu as the warriorBmonk Vivekananda& 9e accordingl went out to find the F9indu .arriorF& 'obod could tell him the whereabouts of FSwami VivekanandaFE but when he enDuired about the F1engali sadhuF( a passerBb said( FAou mean the riding sadhuM )here he is( coming on horsebackG )hat is his

Some biographers place this incident during the Swami's visit to ,lrnora in i$#;( basing upon the probable date mentioned b ,swinibabu in his letter to /ahendranath 3upta( author of The 0os-e' of Sri %amakrishna7 but on critical stud it has been revealed that the circumstances described in this incident do not tall with those of the earlier period& +t has( therefore( been retained where it was in the earlier edition&

""

@>@ house( sir&F ,swinibabu saw from a distance that as soon as the ochreBrobed sann asi reached the bungalowBgate( an Englishman came and led the horse to the door( where the Swami dismounted and went in& , little while after( ,swinibabu went into the compound and enDuired at the door( F+s 'aren <atta hereMF , oung monk answered in disgust( F'o sir( there is no 'aren <atta here& 9e died long ago& )here is onl Swami Vivekananda&F ,swinibabu said that he did not want Swami Vivekananda( but -aramahamsa <eva's 'arendra& )his conversation reached the Swami's cars& 9e sent for the disciple and asked what the matter was& )he oung monk said( F, gentleman is enDuiring about 'aren <atta ? -aramahamsa's 'arendra& + told him that he died long ago( but that he might see Swami Vivekananda&F )he Swami e6claimed( FOh what have ou doneG !ust show him in&F ,swinibabu was accordingl asked in& 9e found the Swami seated in an eas chair& On seeing ,swinibabu( the Swami stood up and greeted him cordiall & ,swinibabu said( F)he /aster once asked me to speak to h is" dear 'arendraE but 'arendra could not speak with me much on that occasion& Fourteen ears have passed b 2 + meet him again& )he /aster's words cannot he in vain&F )he Swami sincerel regretted not having been able to have a long talk with him on the first occasion& )his astonished ,swinibabu( for he had scarcel e6pected that the Swami would remember him and a few minutes' conversation held so long ago& .hen ,swinibabu addressed him as FSwami*iF( the Swami interrupted him( sa ing( F9ow is thatM .hen did + become a 'Swami' to ouM + am still the same 'arendra& )he name b which the /aster used to call me is a priceless treasure& 5all me b that name&F ,swinibabu2 FAou have travelled over the world and inspired millions of hearts with spiritualit & 5an ou tell me which wa lies +ndia's salvationMF )he Swami2 F+ have nothing more to tell ou than what ou heard from the /aster ? that religion is the ver essence of our being( that all reforms must come through it to be

@>= acceptable to the masses& )o do otherwise is as impracticable as pushing the 3anga back to its source in the 9imala as and making it flow in a new channel&F ,2 F1ut have ou no faith in what Hthe +ndian 'ationalI 5ongress doingMF S2 F'o( + have not&"7 1ut( of course( something is better than nothing( and it is good to give the sleeping nation a shove from all sides to wake it up& 5an ou tell me what 5ongress has been doing for the massesM <o ou think merel passing a few resolutions will bring ou freedomM + have no faith in that& )he masses must be awakened first& 0et them have full meals( and the will work out their own salvation& if 5ongress does an thing for them( it has m s mpath & )he virtues of Englishmen should also be assimilated&F ,2 F+s it an particular creed ou mean b 'religion'MF S2 F<id the /aster preach an particular creedM 1ut he has spoken of the Vedanta as an allBcomprehensive and s nthetic religion& )herefore + also preach it& 1ut the essence of m religion is strength& )he religion that does not infuse strength into the heart( is no religion to me( be it of the 4panishads( the 0ita or the .ha avata* Strength is religion( and nothing is greater than strength&F ,2 F-lease tell me what + should do&F S2 F+ understand that ou are engaged in some educational work& )hat is real work& , great power is working in ou( and the gift of knowledge is a great one& 1ut see that a manBmaking education spreads among the masses& )he ne6t thing is the building up of character& /ake our students' character as strong as a thunderbolt& Of the bones of the 1engali ouths shall be made the thunderbolt that shall destro +ndia's thraldom& 5an ou give me a few fit bo sM , nice shake + can give to the world then& F,nd wherever ou hear the RadhaB:rishna songs going on( use the whip right and left& )he whole nation is going to rack and ruinG -eople with no selfBcontrol indulging in such songsG

)he Swami here speaks of the +ndian 'ational 5ongress of those da s( which hardl had an touch with the masses( being confined to the educated few&

"7

@>> Even the slightest impurit is a great hindrance to the understanding of these high ideals& +s it a *okeM .e have long sung and danced2 no harm if there is a lull for a time& +n the meanwhile let the countr wa6 strong& F,nd go to the untouchables( the cobblers( the sweepers( and others of their kind( and tell them ' 'Aou are the Soul of the nation& +n ou lies infinite energ ( which can revolutioniLe the world& Stand up( shake off our shackles( and the whole world will wonder at ou&' 3o and found schools among them( and invest them with the 'sacred thread'&F Since it was the Swami's breakfast time( ,swinibabu rose to take leave& 1ut before going( he asked the Swami( F+s it true that when the /adras 1rahmins called ou a Shudra who had no right to preach the Vedas( ou said( '+f + am a Shudra( Ae( the 1rahmins of /adras are the -ariahs of the -ariahs'MF S2 FAes&F ,2 F.as it becoming of ou( a religious teacher and a man of selfBcontrol( to retort like thatMF S2 F.ho sa s soM + never said + was right& )he impudence of these people made me lose m temper( and the words came out& .hat could + doM 1ut + do not *ustif them&F ,t this( ,swinibabu embraced the Swami and said( F)oda ou rise higher than ever in m estimation& 'ow + realiLe wh ou are a worldBconDueror and wh the /aster loved ou so muchGF )o return to events following 3oodwin's death( the Swami now grew restless( and impatient to be awa and alone& 9e no longer wished to remain where the news of it had reached him( where letters were received and constantl had to be written( with the result that his wound was kept open& +t was decided to spend some time in :ashmir& On !une "" ("$#$)( therefore( with the women disciples who had come with him from 5alcutta( he left ,lmora for :ashmir& )he went as guests of /rs& Ole 1ull&

@>8 39 IN KASHMIR# AMARNATH AND KSHIR$BHAVANI )he *ourne down to the plains( through hills covered with almost tropical forest( was delightful& On the wa the Swami pointed out a certain hillside which( so legend had it( was inhabited b a race of centaurs& 9e himself had once seen a phantom of such kind before ever hearing of the legend& On !une "7 the part reached the enchanting lake 1him )al( overlooking which the rested& +n his talk that afternoon the Swami translated some Vedic verses of great beaut ( and also some songs of Surdas and other poet devotees& 1efore giving the English translation he chanted( in his intense( poetic wa ( each line in the original& )he RudraBpra er he rendered thus2
From the unreal( lead us to the Real& From darkness( lead us unto "2ight& From death( lead us to +mmortalit & Reach us through and through our self& ,nd evermore protect us ? % )hou )erribleG ? From ignorance( b )h sweet compassionate Face&

)he verses invoking peace and blessing were rendered2

)he blissful winds are sweet to us& )he seas are showering bliss on us& /a the corn in our fields bring bliss to usG /a the plants and herbs bring bliss to usG /a the cattle give us blissG % Father in 9eaven( be )hou blissful unto usG )he ver dust of the earth is full of bliss& +t is all bliss( all bliss( all bliss&

)he part reached :athgodam from ,lmora after two and a half da s& )he hills( and the pine and deodar forests( were left behind& )he took train for the -un*ab( which was reached on !une "=& -assing through 0udhiana( 0ahore( and across the <oab( the arrived at Rawalpindi& From Rawalpindi the went

@>; b tonga to /urree( reaching on !une ">( where the sta ed for three da s& Sister 'ivedita recalls&
9ere the Swami came to the conclusion that an effort which he might make to induce the orthodo6 to accept a European as a fellowBdisciple( or in the direction of woman's education( had better be made in 1engal& )he distrust of the foreigner was too strong in -un*ab( to admit of work succeeding there& 9e was much occupied b this Duestion( from time to time( and would sometimes remark on the parado6 presented b the 1engali combination of political antagonism to the English( and readiness to love and trust&

Starting on !une "$ the part made their wa to Srinagar( partl b tonga and partl b boat& One of them was illE so the had to stop on the first da after going the short distance to <ulai( where the first dak bungalow was( across the border& )he were now in the valle of the !helum& /ost of that afternoon the had to remain indoors on account of a storm& 'ivedita writes2
, new chapter was opened at <ulai( in our knowledge of 9induism( for the Swami told us( gravel and frankl ( of its modern abuses( and spoke of his own uncompromising hostilit to those evil practices which pass under the name of Vamachara& )his shows that the Swami kept nothing back from his .estern disciples when instructing them about his motherland& 9e told them the worst about his people and their creeds( as well as the best& ,nd he did not hesitate to denounce when denunciation was called for&

On !une "# the part resumed their *ourne to 1aramula b tonga& )he route took them along the rapidl Bascending ravine of the !helum( which cuts a narrow twisting passage through the hills& )he .esterners took turns to drive with the Swami in his tonga& On the wa he was in a reminiscent mood& Speaking of 1rahmavid a( the RealiLation of the ,bsolute( and of how love conDuers evil( he related the stor of one of his classmates( who subseDuentl became a rich man& )his person was suffering from a disease that baffled the doctors& 'aturall ( he lost hope of recover and Lest for life( and turned to religion and thoughts of dispassion& 9earing that the Swami had become a monk and an adept in oga( he sent for him( begging him to come( if onl

@>$ once& )he Swami did soE and as he sat at the patient's bedside( there came to mind the 4panishadic te6t2 F9im the 1rahmana conDuers( who thinks that he is separate from the 1rahmana& 9im the :shatri a conDuers( who thinks that he is separate from the :shatri a& ,nd him the universe conDuers( who thinks that he is separate from the universe&F 5uriousl ( this acted like a charm on the sick man& )he effect was miraculous& 9e grasped the theme with onl the recitation of the passage( felt new strength in the bod ( and made a Duick recover & F,nd so(F said the Swami( Fthough + often sa strange things and angr things( et remember that in m heart + never seriousl mean to preach an thing but love& ,ll these things will comb right( if onl we realiLe that we love each other&F (Readers will remember the fascination that Shiva had for the Swami during his childhood& ,s he grew older his love for Shiva( the 0ord of monks and ogis( deepened& ,nd now( in the 9imala as( the abode of the 3reat 3od( the thought of 9im was uppermost in the Swami's mind& )o his disciples he spoke of the -uranic conception of the oneness of Shiva and 9is consort( 4ma( under the guise of halfBman and halfBwoman& +t represented the *unction of two great streams of thought( /onasticism and /otherBworshipE or it represented the vision of truth where renunciation through philosoph and supreme love become inseparable& ,nd Fhe understood( he said( for the first time this summer( the meaning of the natureBstor that made the 3anga fall on the head of the 3reat 3od( and wander in and out amongst 9is matted locks( before she found an outlet on the plains below& 9e had searched long( he said( for the words that the rivers and waterfalls uttered( amongst the mountains( before he had realiLed that it was the eternal cr 'V omG V omG 9araG' 'AesG' he said of Shiva one da ( '9e is the 3reat 3od( calm( beautiful( and silentE and + am 9is great worshipper'&F On the "#th evening the part stopped at the 4ri dak bungalow and in the twilight( the all walked in the meadows and through the baLaar& )he were charmed with the place& , little mud fortress overhung the footpath as it swept into a

@># great open theatre of field and hill& ,long the road( above the river( la the baLaar& )he returned to the dak bungalow b a path across the fields( past cottage gardens where roses bloomed& )he ne6t da ( driving through the most beautiful part of the pass( with cathedralBlike rocks and an old ruined temple of the Sun( the part reached 1aramula& ,s the entered further into :ashmir( the Swami's mind was filled with the legends of the :ashmiris& )he Vale of :ashmir had once been a lakeE and it is related that at this point where the part were entering the Vale( the <ivine 1oar pierced the mountains with his tusks( and let the !helum go through& From the scenic point of view alone( the *ourne was fascinating& 3roups of singing peasantsE pilgrims and monks wending their wa along tortuous paths to sacred shrinesE irises in bloom on ever hillsideE green fieldsE valle s ringed round with snowBclad mountainsE the poplars in the neighbourhood of +slamabad (now ,nantnag)E and the immense chenar trees to be seen ever where ? all these made pictures never to be forgotten& 'o matter where he travelled( the Swami would tr to identif himself with the people and adopt some of their habits& So here in :ashmir one finds him drinking :ashmiri tea from a samovar and eating the local *am after the fashion of the people& Since he had brought no attendants with him( he had to look to ever detail himself( and make all the arrangements( such as hiring the <ungas (houseboats) and so forth& 1ut here at 1aramula he had immediatel fallen in with a man who( on hearing his name( had undertaken to attend to the whole business( and had sent him back free of responsibilit & ,bout four in the afternoon the part started for Srinagar in three houseboats& 'e6t da the found themselves in a beautiful valle ( with snowBpeaks all round& )his is known as the Vale of :ashmir( though it might more accuratel be described as the Vale of Srinagar& Sometimes their course la through large green tangles of lotus leaves( with here and there a flower or two& On each side stretched green fields& F)he whole wasF( Sister 'ivedita writes( Fa s mphon in blue and green and

@8% white( so e6Duisitel pure and vivid that for a while the response of the soul to its beaut was almost painGF On the ne6t da of their *ourne far up the !helum river( when the boats were moored near a village( the Swami took his companions out for a long walk across the fields& 9e turned into a& farm ard in order to introduce them to a woman of whose faith and selfBassurance he had spoken not onl in conversation( but even in one of his speeches in 5alcutta& +n that farm ard the found( seated under a tree( a handsome elderl woman& She was spinning wool( while round her( helping her( were her two daughtersBinBlaw and their children& )he Swami had called at this farm the previous ear to beg a glass of water& ,fter drinking( he had asked her in a mild tone( F,nd what religion& is ours( motherMF F)hank 3od( sir(F the woman had said( with triumph in her voice( Fb the merc of the 0ord( + am a /ussulmanGF On the present occasion the Swami was warml welcomed b the whole famil ( and ever courtes was shown to his friends& On one of these walks Sister 'ivedita complained to the Swami of the abandonment of feeling that she had seen at the :alighat temple in 5alcutta& F.h do the kiss the ground before the image'MF she asked& )he Swami became ver Duiet( and then said( F+s it not the same thing to kiss the ground before that image( as to kiss the ground before these mountains MF ,fter two to three da s the reached Srinagar( the capital of :ashmir& )he collected their longBaccumulated mail and decided on the programme of their holida & )he thought it better to see the countr first and afterwards to make a retreat& )he period from !une 77 to !ul "> was spent in houseboats on the !helum( in and about Srinagar& +t was an unparalleled educational e6perience for the Swami's companions& /an e6cursions were madeE and man were the discussions& Sometimes the Swami became so interested in these latter that he forgot all thought of food& )he topics were various2 for instance( the different religious periods through which :ashmir had passed( with special attention given to the period under :anishkaE the moralit of 1uddhism and the religious imB

@8" perialism of ,shokaE and again the histor of ShivaBworship& One da he spoke of the conDuests of 5henghis :han( of whom he said( F9e was not a vulgar aggressor&F )he Swami compared him with 'apoleon and ,le6ander( sa ing that 5henghis :han( like these other two( Fwas inspired with the thought of unit E he wanted to unif his worldF& )hose three were perhaps one soul( Fmanifesting itself in three different conDuestsF( in the same wa that one Soul might have come again and again as :rishna( 1uddha( and 5hrist( to bring about the unit of man in 3od '( in the world of religious realities& Often the talk would be on the 0ita, Fthat wonderful poem( without one note in it of weakness or unmanlinessF& )he transfer of &ra,uddha .harata from /adras to ,lmora was much in the Swami's thoughts& <uring this period in Srinagar( as alread mentioned( he composed the poem F)o the ,wakened +ndiaF and sent it to Swami Swarupananda for the first resumed number& Sister 'ivedita relates2 FOne afternoon he brought to us( as we sat together( a paper on which he had 'tried to write a letter( but it wou'd come this wa G' F (i&e& in the form of a poem)& On !une 78 the Swami suddenl felt a longing to leave the part and go to a Duiet place all alone& 1ut not knowing that this was his intention( the part followed him to the 5oloured Springs( called :shirB1havani (or :heer 1hawani)& +t was said to be the first time that 5hristian or /uslim had set foot there& )he iron of the occasion was that the /uslim boatman would not allow them to land with shoes onE Fso thoroughl 9induisticF( sa s 'ivedita(( Fis the /ohammedanism of :ashmir( with its fort Rishis( and pilgrimages made fasting( to their Hi&e& the 9indus'I shrinesF& .henever the Swami felt a desire for solitude( he would break awa from the little compan to roam about alone& .hen he returned( he would be radiant from his contact with the Source of all :nowledge& ,fter such occasions he would sa now and again( F+t is a sin even to think of the bod FE or( F+t is wrong to manifest powerGF Or again( F)hings do not grow better& )he remain as the were( and we grow better(

@87 b the changes we make in them&F 9e was constantl interpreting human life as an e6pression of 3od& 0ife in societ seemed to him to be agon ( so antagonistic was it to the pursuit of what he held to be most worthwhile& 9e was often haunted b the oldB time monk's longing for Duiet and selfBeffacement& Speaking of these da s Sister 'ivedita writes&
)he life of the silent ashenBclad wanderer( or the bidden hermit( he thought of( it would now and then seem( as the lover might think of the beloved& ,t no time would it have surprised us( had someone told us that toda or tomorrow he would be gone for ever( that we were now listening to his voice for the last time& 9e( and necessaril we( in all that depended on him( were as straws carried on the 3anga of the Eternal .ill& ,t an moment +t might reveal +tself to him as Silence& ,t an moment life in the world might end for him& )his planBlessBness was not an accident& 'ever can + forget the disgust with which he turned on m self once( a couple of ears later( when + had offered him some piece of worldl wisdom regarding his own answer to a letter which he had brought for me to see& F-lansG -lansGF he e6claimed in indignation& F)hat is wh ou .estern people can never create a religionG +f an of ou ever did( it was onl a few 5atholic saints( who had no plans& Religion was never( never preached b plannersGF

0iving in the shadow of that great life burning with passion for the 9ighest( the .estern pilgrims could understand that the Swami's own planBlessBness resulted from his knowledge( and that solitude and silence were the best means of selfBdevelopment& 'ivedita writes that nothing better illustrated( to the Swami's mind( Fthe difference between Eastern and .estern methods of thought( than the European idea that a man could not live alone for twent ears and remain Duite sane( taken side b side with the +ndian notion that till a man had been alone for twent ears( he could not be regarded as perfectl himselfF ,mong the local e6cursions that the Swami made with his disciples was that on !ul 7# to the small( massivel built Shiva temple that stands atop the Shankarachar a 9ill& )his hill is also known as the )aktBiBSuleiman( and rises a thousand

@8@ feet above the surrounding terrain& )he famous floating gardens can be seen below( for miles around& )he beaut and e6tensive sweep of the scene drew from the Swami the e6clamation& F0ook( what genius the 9indu shows in placing his templesG 9e alwa s chooses a grand scenic effectG See( the )akt commands the whole of :ashmir& )he rock of 9ari -arvat rises red out of blue water( like a lion couchant( crowned& ,nd the temple of /artand has the valle at its feetGF )hen he launched into a length discourse on the 9indu's innate love of nature which showed itself in his choice of sites for temples( hermitages( and monuments& Read for fun as the Swami usuall was( he postponed a contemplated *ourne to organiLe for his ,merican friends a surprise celebration of the Fourth of !ul ( their national festival& )aking the one nonB,merican member of the part into his confidence( he went out late on the afternoon of !ul @ and in great e6citement brought back a 1rahmana tailor& 9e asked his English disciple to e6plain to the man how to make a replica of the ,merican flag& )he stars and stripes were crudel represented on a piece of cotton cloth& )his was nailed to the head of the diningBroom boat( where an earl tea was arranged( and surrounded with branches of the evergreens& ,s his own special contribution to the occasion( he wrote a poem that was read aloud b wa of greeting& +t was entitled F)o the Fourth of !ul F( and can be interpreted as a passionate utterance of his own longing for the Final Freedom in the +nfinite& )ime was to prove that it had been penned in a prophetic veinE for( four ears later( on that ver da ( his shackles of work broken( he entered in FSpringing *o F into the Final Freedom( concerning which he had written& )his celebration took place during an e6cursion from Srinagar to the <al 0ake( where the visited the Shalimar 1agh with its 'oor /ahal& and the 'ishat 1agh( two beautiful gardens( one laid out b the /ogul emperor !ehangir( and the other b his brotherBinBlaw( as summer residences& On !ul >( in the evening( the Swami was pained to notice that one of the group was counting the cherr Bstones left on

@8= her plate( to see when she would be married& 9e( evidentl ( took the pla seriousl E for ne6t morning when he *oined the group( he was charged with passion for the ideal of renunciation& 5arried awa b his mood( he spoke with uncompromising scorn against those who sought to glorif the householder's life& F+s it so eas F( he asked( Fto be a !anaka M )o sit on a throne absolutel unattachedM 5aring nothing for wealth or fame( for wife or childM One after another in the .est has told me that he had reached this& )o them + could onl sa ( 'Such great men are not born in +ndiaGF' )hen( taking up the other side of the matter( he said2 F'ever forget to sa to ourself( and to teach to our children2 ',s is the difference between a firefl and the blaLing sun( between a little pond and the infinite ocean( between a mustard seed and the mountain of /eru( such is the difference between the householder and the sann asiG' Ever thing is fraught with fear2 renunciation alone is fearless& 1lessed he even the fraudulent sadhus and those who have failed to keep their vows( inasmuch as the also have witnessed to the ideal( and so are in some degree the cause of the success of others lF 9e pointed out that had it not been for the ochre robe( that is to sa monasticism( lu6ur and worldliness would have robbed man of all his manliness& , desire for Duiet and peace seemed to grow more and more upon the Swami in these da sE and the absence of two of his ,merican disciples on a short visit to 3ulmarg he took to be an opportunit to carr out his design& .ithout revealing his plans he made preparations for a pilgrimage to the famous Shiva shrine of ,marnath b wa of Sonamarg& On !ul + % he left( penniless and alone& On the ">th he returned( having found that route impracticable because the summer heat had melted some of the glaciers& )he ne6t da ( or the da after( in speaking of 1hakti( of Shiva and 4ma( and of Radha and :rishna( he became so absorbed that he paid no heed to repeated calls for breakfast& 9e responded at last( reluctantl ( sa ing( F.hen one has all this 1hakti( what does one want with foodMF On !ul "# the whole part started for +slamabad (,nantnag)

@8> b boat& On the first afternoon the sought out and found the Duaint old )emple of -andrethan (derived from -uranadhishthana meaning Fold capitalF)( sunken in a scumB covered pond within a wood( b the side of the !helum& )his is four and a half miles to the Southeast of Srinagar& )he temple is a small cell( with four doorwa s opening to the cardinal points& E6ternall ( it is a tapering p ramid supported on fourBpierced pedestal& +ts top is truncated to give rootBhold to a bush& +nside it( the Swami introduced his companions to +ndian archaeolog and architecture& 9e drew their attention to the interior decorations( with their sunBmedallion( and to the fine sculpture( in low relief( of male and female figures intertwined with serpents& ,mong the outside sculptures is a fine one of the 1uddha( standing with hands uplifted( in one of the trefoil arches of the eastern doorwa & ,nd there is a muchBdefaced frieLe( showing a seated woman and a tree& )his evidentl represents /a a <evi( the 1uddha's mother& )he temple is built of gre limestone( and dated from the tenth centur ,&<& F)o the SwamiF( writes Sister 'ivedita( Fthe place was delightfull suggestiveF( and she adds2
+t was a direct memorial of 1uddhism( representing one of the four religious periods into which he had alread divided the histor of :ashmir2 (") )ree and SnakeBworship( from which dated all the names of the springs ending in 'ag( as Veernag( and so onE (7) 1uddhismE (@) 9induism( in the form of SunBworshipE and (=) /ohammedanism& Sculpture( he told us( was the characteristic art of 1uddhism( and the sunBmedallion( or lotus( one of its commonest ornaments& )he figures with the serpents referred to preB1uddhism&&&&

+t was sunset when the part returned to their boats& )hat silent shrine in the woods( and the presence of the 1uddha( must have moved the Swami deepl ( for( that evening( his mind overflowed with historical comparisons& 9e spoke( for instance( of the points of similarit between the Vedic and the Roman 5atholic ritual( holding the latter to have been derived from the former through 1uddhism( which was onl an offshoot of 9induism( and Fwas entirel within 9induism "F FVedic ritualF( he pointed out( Fhas its /ass( the offering of food to

@88 3od( our 1lessed Sacrament( our -rasada& Onl it is offered sitting( not kneeling( as is common in hot countries& )he kneel in )ibet& )hen( too( Vedic ritual has its lights( incense( music&F .hen it was suggested that 9induism had no 5ommon -ra er&( he flashed out2 F'oG and neither had 5hristianit G )hat is pure -rotestantism( and -rotestantism took it from the /ohammedans perhaps through /oorish influence& /ohammedanism is the onl religion that has completel broken down the idea of the priest& )he leader of pra er stands with his back to the people( and onl the reading of the :oran ma take place from the pulpit& -rotestantism is an approach to this&F FEven the tonsureF( he continued( Fe6isted in +ndia( in the shaven head&&&& )he monk and nun both e6isted in preB1uddhistic 9induism& Europe gets her orders from the )hebaid&F ,lmost the whole of 5hristianit ( he believed( was ,r an& F+ndian and Eg ptian ideas met at ,le6andria( and went forth to the world tinctured with !udaism and 9ellenism( as 5hristianit &F )he historicit of !esus( he said( he had in a wa doubted since the significant dream that he had had while on board ship off 5rete& 9owever( Ftwo things stand out as personal living touches in the life of 5hrist2 the woman taken in adulter ? the most beautiful stor in literature ? and the woman at the well& 9ow strangel true is this last to +ndian lifeG , woman( coming to draw water( finds( seated at the wellBside( a ellowBclad monk& 9e asks her for water& )hen he teaches her( and does a little mindBreading( and so on& Onl ( in an +ndian stor ( when she went to call the Villagers( the monk would have taken his chance( and fled to the forestGF Of the earl figures of 5hristianit he remarked that onl of Saint -aul could histor be sure( Fand he was not an e ewitness( and according to his own showing was capable of !esuitr ? 'b all means save souls' ? isn't itMF 9e preferred Strauss to Renan( whose Flife of !esus& is mere frothF( and felt that the ,cts and Epistles were older than the 3ospels& Saint -aul's greatness la in galvaniLing into life an obscure 'aLarene sect of great antiDuit ( which Ffurnished the m thic personalit as a

@8; centre of worshipF& 9e thought that Rabbi 9illel was probabl responsible for the teachings of !esus& F)he Resurrection( of course(F he said( Fis simpl spring cremation& Onl the rich 3reeks and Romans had had cremation an wa ( and the new sunBm th would onl stop it amongst the few&F F1ut 1uddha lF the Swami continuedE F1uddhaG Surel he was the greatest man who ever lived& 9e never drew a breath for himself ,bove all( he never claimed worship& 9e said( '1uddha is not a man( but a state& + have found the door& Enter( all of ouGF' .ith regard to the Swami's views on earl 5hristianit ( it is worth noting that the were in substantial accord with those of such eminent 5hristian scholars of that time as /r& !& /& Robertson( <r& ,& <rews( and -rof& .& 1& Smith& /oving up the river( and en*o ing the scener ( the part came ne6t da (!ul 7%) to the ruins of the two great temples of ,vantipur& )he river here is broad( shallow( and clear& )he Swami( with 'ivedita and another of his .estern disciples( walked across the fields and along the bank( for about three miles& <iscoursing on the sense of sin as current among the Eg ptian( Semitic( and ,r an races( he pointed out that though it appears in the Vedas( it Duickl disappears( while the Eg ptians and Semites cling to it as one of the main planks of their religious ideas& )he <evil( in the Vedic conception( is the 0ord of ,ngerE with the 1uddhists he is /ara( the 0ord of 0ust& F1ut while Satan is the 9amlet of the 1ible( in the 9indu scriptures the 0ord of ,nger never divides 5reation& 9e alwa s represents defilement( never dualit &F .ith Xoroaster( who was a reformer of some old religion that must have been Vedantic( OrmuLd and ,hriman were not supremeE the were onl manifestations of the Supreme& +n +ndia( righteousness and sin ? Vid a and ,vid a ? have both to be transcended to reach the highest truth& On these walks the conversation often drifted to his motherBland and her future& F+n order to strengthen the national life(F he said( Fwe must reinforce the current of that life itself along the line of its own culture and ideals& For instance( 1uddha

@8$ preached renunciation( and +ndia heard& Aet within a thousand ears( she had reached her highest point of national prosperit & )he national life in +ndia has renunciation as its source& +ts highest ideals are service and /ukti&F )hat whole afternoon and night the Swami la ill in his boat& 1ut ne6t da (!ul 7")( when the part landed at the temple of 1i*behara( then alread thronged with ,marnath pilgrims( he was able to *oin them for a little while& ,fter visiting the temple( the left for +slamabad (,nantnag)( which was reached on the afternoon of !ul 77& ,t +slamabad( in the evening( when two of the group( whose boat was moored at a distance& *oined the others( the found them sitting round the Swami on the grass in an apple orchard and( ,s 'ivedita sa s( he was Fengaged in the rarest of rare happeningsF ? a talk of a personal nature& -icking up two pebbles( he said( F.henever death approaches me( all weakness vanishes& + have neither fear( nor doubt( nor thought of the e6ternal& + simpl bus m self making read to die& + am as hard as thatF ? and the stones struck one another in his hand C Jfor + have touched the feet of 3odGK )hen he went on to tell them some remarkable episodes in his wandering life& )he talk came to an end abruptl ( when a child with a badl Bcut hand was brought to him b the villagers& 9e himself bathed the wound with water and applied the ashes of a piece of calico to stop the bleeding& On the 7@rd morning the part went to see the ruins of /artand& F+t had been a wonderful old building ? evidentl more abbe than temple ? in a wonderful position(F writes 'iveditaE Fand its great interest la in the obvious( agglomeration of st les and periods in which it had grown up&F FFrom all these hours( the da before and the da after(F continues the Sister( Ffragments of (the Swami's) talk come back to meF2
F'o nation( not 3reek or another( has ever carried patriotism so far as the !apanese& )he don't talk( the act ? give up all for countr & )here are noblemen now living in !apan who gave up their political privileges and powers to create the unit of the empire& ,nd not one

@8#
traitor could be found in the !apanese war& )hink of thatGF F)he sann asin who thinks of gold( to desire it( commits suicide&F F.ith the 9indus( marriage is not for individual happiness( but for the welfare of the nation and the caste&F FAou are so morbid( ou .esternersG Aou worship sorrowG ,ll through our countr + found that& Social life in the .est is like a peal of laughter( but underneath( it is a wail& +t ends in a sob& )he fun and frivolit are all on the surfaceE reall ( it is full of tragic intensit && 9ere( it Es sad and gloom on the outside( but underneath are carelessness and merriment&F F, leader is not made in one life& 9e has to be born for it& For the difficult is not in organiLation and making plansE the test( the real test of a leader lies in holding widel different people together( along the 'line of their common s mpathies& ,nd this can onl be done unconsciousl ( never b tr ing&F

1ut the Swami was not the philosopher or the( teacher all the time& 9e could be ga as well as grave( full of fun and humorous stories ? a phenomenon that had shocked some of the clerics and church ministers when he was in the .est& Some had( even told him to his face( FSwami( ou are a religious preacher& Aou should not give ourself up 'to laughter and frivolit like common folk& Such conduct does not befit ou&F 1ut his repl had been2 F.e are children of 1liss and 0ightG .h should we be sombre and moroseMF On !ul 7> the part went on to ,chabal through scener of e6Duisite beaut & )he roamed about the gardens of !ehangir( sa s 'ivedita( bathed in a still pool opposite the -athan :han's Xen "ana( took their lunch in the first garden( and in the afterB noon rode down to +slamabad (,nantnag)& ,t ,chabal the Swami announced to his companions during the openBair lunch( his intention of going to ,marnath with the two or three thousand pilgrims then en route for that shrine& ,s a special privilege Sister 'ivedita was allowed to *oin him on the pilgrimage( so that she( as a future worker( might have a direct knowledge and insight into that timeBhonoured religious institution of his countr & +t was scuttled that his other .estern disciples would accompan the part as fir as -ahalgam and

@;% there wait for the Swami's return& ,ccordingl ( the returned to the boats that evening and prepared for the *ourne & 'e6t afternoon( !ul 78( a start was made for 1havan (/artand( also called /atan)& the first stoppingBplace on the wa to ,marnath& )he Swami was full of enthusiasm for the pilgrimage( and lived mostl on one meal a da ( seeking no compan much( save of sadhus& On !ul 7 ; the halted for the night at 1havan& )he place had been transformed into a village fair( but with a religious touch and centring on the sacred springs& .hen /rs& 1ull and 'ivedita approached the Swami's tent( the found him surrounded b a crowd of 9indiB speaking sadhus who were pl ing him with Duestions& )he reached -ahalgam on !ul 7$ and camped at the foot of an arrowBshaped ravine( beside the roaring torrents of the 0idder& )he remained the whole of the ne6t da (the 7#th) at -ahalgam( a village of shepherds( in order to observe Ekadashi& )he annual pilgrimage of thousands of devotees to the farawa 5ave of ,marnath( situated in a glacial gorge of the .estern 9imala as( through some of the finest scener in the world( has a fascination of its own& One is struck with wonder at the Duiet and orderl wa in which a canvas town springs up with incredible rapidit at ever haltingBplace( with its tents of various colours( shapes( and siLesE with its baLaars and broad thoroughfares running through the middle ? and all vanishing as Duickl at dawn the ne6t morning( when the whole arm of cheerful pilgrims sets out on the march again& )he glow of countless cooking firesE the ashBsmeared sadhus under their large 3erua umbrellas with shafts stuck in the ground( some discussing( others meditating( before their <huniBfiresE the sann asis of man orders in their distinctive garbsE the devout faces of the men( women( and children from all parts of the countr in their own st les of dressE the torches flickering at nightE the blowing of conchs and hornsE the singing of h mns and chanting of pra ers in chorus ? all 'these combined to conve an impression of the overmastering passion of the +ndians for religion& )aught as he was b Shri Ramakrishna( the Swami( in

@;" common with his fellowBdisciples( would Lealousl observe those customs and rules of conduct that had become consecrated through the ages b the faith of millions& )hus while conducting religious worship( or initiating a disciple into Sann asa( he would see that all the necessar materials were satisfactor in ever detail and had been made read E and he would see that the offering and the chanting of /antras were done strictl in accordance with scriptural in*unctions& .hile on pilgrimage he would do ever thing in the same devout wa as the most simpleBminded woman about him& 9e would bathe in the hol waters( offer flowers( fruits( and sweets to the ob*ect of worship before breaking his fast( make obeisance b prostrating himself on the ground( tell his beads( make ritual circumambulation( and the rest& +t was the Swami's habit to make himself one with ever bod in the observance of customs and rites& ,nd so( on this pilgrimage he was to be found practising austerities with Leal and devotion( eating one meal a da ( cooked in the orthodo6 fashion( seeking solitude and silence as far as was possible( telling his beads( and devoting much time to meditation in his tent& On the hundreds of monks taking part( the Swami's influence was tremendous( though at first he encountered strong opposition from the more orthodo6 of them( because of the presence of his foreign disciples& .hen their tents were pitched too near the pilgrims' camp( the sadhus clamoured for their removal to a greater distance& )he Swami treated their complaints with scorn( till a 'aga sadhu came up to him and said meekl ( FSwami*i( ou have the power( but ou ought not to manifest itGF )he Swami understood( and on the ne6t morning (7#th) the part 's tents were moved up to a lovel knoll( at the head of the camp( where the had the rushing 0idder in front of them( and pineBcovered mountains be ond& )hat afternoon the Swami took 'ivedita round the camp to be blessed ? which reall meant( sa s the latter( to distribute aims& )hroughout the rest of the *ourne ( at ever halt( the Swami's tent was besieged b scores of monks seeking knowledge from him& /an of them could not understand his broad(

@;7 liberal views on religious matters( and his love and s mpath for +slam& )he /uslim )ahsildar( the stateBofficial in charge of the pilgrimage( and his subordinates( were so attracted to the Swami that the attended his talks dail ( and afterwards entreated him to initiate them& Sister 'ivedita also( b her amiable manners( soon became a general favourite with the pilgrims and received from them Fendless touching little kindnessesF& On !ul @%( after breakfast( the Swami and those with him left for 5handanwari( where the camped on the edge of a ravine& +t rained all afternoon& 'e6t da ( *ust after 5handanwari( there is an iceBbridge( which the Swami insisted on 'ivedita's crossing on foot( this being her first e6perience of such a thing& , steep climb towards -ishu 3hati followed( and then a long walk on a narrow path that twisted round the mountainBside& ,bove the treeBline( where the were now( the ground was carpeted with edelweiss and man other kinds of flowers& )he path passed above Sheshnag( a lake fed b two small glaciers& 'ivedita writes of its Fsulk waterF& )hat is how its green water appeared to her& ,t last the camped (!ul @") at .av*an( at a height of "7(>%% ft& ,ll afternoon and evening the coolies had to forage for *uniper( to use for the camp fires& )he )ahsildar's( the Swami's( and 'ivedita's tents were pitched close together( and a large fire was lighted in front of themE but it did not burn well& 'e6t da (,ug& ")( after crossing the /ahagunus )op( a pass at "=(>%% feet( the reached -anchtarani( the F-lace of the Five StreamsF( at the same height as .av*an& )he cold there( sa s 'ivedita( was dr and e6hilarating& +n front of their camp was a dr riverBbed( all gravel( and through this ran the five streams( in all of which the pilgrim was to bathe&( going from one to the other in wet clothes& 9eedful to observe ever rite of the pilgrimage( the Swami fulfilled the law to the letter in this matter( escaping the observation of his spiritual daughter in doing so& On ,ugust 7( the da of ,marnath itself( there was first a steep climb( followed b a descent( where one false step would

@;@ have meant death& )hen the walked along a glacier till the reached a flowing stream& +n this the pilgrims bathed( before entering the cave after a short( stiff ascent& )he Swami had fallen behind( perhaps intentionall ( so as to be alone with his thoughts& 9e came up( sent his waiting disciple on ahead( and bathed in the stream& .hen he reached the cave( his whole frame was shaking with emotion& )he cave itself( sa s 'ivedita( was Flarge enough to hold a cathedral( and the great iceBShiva in a niche of deepest shadow( seemed as if throned on its& own baseF& 9is bod covered with ashes( his face aflame with devotion to Shiva( the Swami entered the shrine itself( nude e6cept for a loinBcloth( and prostrated in adoration before the 0ord& , song of praise from a hundred throats resounded in the cave( and the shining purit of the great iceB 0inga overpowered him& 9e almost swooned with emotion& , profound m stical e6perience came to him( of which he never spoke( be ond sa ing that Shiva 9imself had appeared before him( and that he (the Swami) had been granted the grace of ,marnath( the 0ord of +mmortalit ( namel not to die until he himself should choose to do so& )he reader will see a connection between this e6perience and the words of Shri Ramakrishna( regarding this disciple of his2 F.hen he ('aren) realiLes who and what he is( he will no longer remain in the bod GF 1 this grant of the boon of ,marnath( writes 'ivedita( Fpossibl ( was defeated or fulfilled that presentiment which had haunted him from childhood( that he would meet with death in a ShivaB temple amongst the mountainsF& ,s a result of all this( the Swami's ph sical condition was permanentl affected& .e do not know whether the intensit of his m stical e6perience was the cause or whether it was the combination of freeLing cold( e6cessive ph sical e6ertion( and lack of o6 genE or both& , doctor later on said of this ,marnath e6perience& FSwami*i( it was almost deathG Aour heart ought naturall to have stopped beating& +t has undergone a permanent enlargement instead&F 'ever had the Swami( in visiting a hol place( felt such spiritual e6altation& ,fterwards he said to his European disciple( F)he image was the 0ord 9imself& +t was all worship there& +

@;= never have been to an thing so beautiful( so inspiringG(( 0ater on( in the circle of his brotherBdisciples and own disciples( he said dreamil 2 F+ can well imagine how this cave was first discovered& , part of shepherds( one summer da ( must have lost their flocks and wandered in here in search of them& .hat must have been their feeling as the found themselves une6pectedl before this unmelting iceB0inga( white like camphor( with the vault itself dripping offerings of water over it for centuries( unseen of mortal e esG )hen when the came home( the whispered to the other shepherds in the valle s how the had suddenl come upon /ahadevaGF 1e that as it ma ( for the Swami this was trul so2 he entered the cave and came face to face with the 0ordG ,nd if ,marnath was an awesome e6perience for him( more so than ,marnath was the Swami to Sister 'ivedita 2 so saturated had he become with the -resence of the 3reat 3od that for da s after he could speak of nothing else& Shiva was all in all2 Shiva( the Eternal One( the 3reat /onk( rapt in meditation( aloof from the world& On the *ourne back to -ahalgam the part passed the celebrated 0ake of <eath& +nto this( one ear( some fort pilgrims had been swept b an avalanche( started( it is believed( b the volume of their chanting& )he Swami and some of the pilgrims took a short cut b following a narrow sheepBpath that led down the face of a steep cliff& ,t -ahalgam( there was *o when he again met his other .estern disciples& 9e talked( sa s 'ivedita( Fof Shiva( and the 5ave and the great verge of visionF& From -ahalgam the Swami and part returned to +slamabad (,nantnag)( and from there b boat to Srinagar( which the reached on ,ugust $& On ,ugust ; 'ivedita wrote to /rs& Eric 9ammond( a friend2
.e are on our wa down to Srinagar( and + have a boat to m self( for the 5onsul's wife H/rs& -atterson has *ust left us to *oin her husband& Over there is Swami's boat( and *ust behind /rs& 1ull and /iss /ac0eod's where we have been lunching (our first meal we have about 8( lunch about "7( and our last at > or 8)& )he river is like glass( and slight breeLe meets us in our leisurel progress& +t is like

@;>
heaven& , few weeks hence all this will be over &&& ,nd now + must tell ou something that will startle ou ? + have been awa up in the 9imala as for a week ? "$(%%% feet high ? + went with the Swami to see the glaciers?so much an one ma know& )he rest ou ma not tell& +t was a pilgrimage reall to the 5aves of ,marnath( where he was an6ious to dedicate me to Shiva&&&& and he did dedicate me to Shiva&

)he part remained in Srinagar till September @%& <uring this period the Swami freDuentl went off in his boat b himself and remained for da s in solitude& 9is desire for meditation and reflection became more and more pronounced& 'evertheless( he continued to instruct his disciples about +ndia and his own ideas( dwelling in particular upon Fthe inclusiveness of his conception of the countr and its religionsF( of his own longing to make 9induism active and aggressive( a missionar faith( without its present Fdon't touchismF( and of the necessit of blending the highest meditative life with the most active and practice& )o be Fas deep as the ocean and as broad as the sk F( he said( Duoting his /aster( was the ideal& FShri RamakrishnaF( he continued( Fwas alive to the depths of his being( et on the outer plane he was perfectl active and capable&F .hen a choice had to he made between meditative detachment and active involvement&( the Swami e6pressed himself variousl & For instance( at ,lmora( when asked( FSir( what should we do when we see the strong oppress the weakMF he had replied2 F.h ( thrash the strong( of courseGF 9is Duestioner( sa s 'ivedita( had been Fa certain elderl man with a face full of amiable weaknessF& On another occasion( in a similar conte6t of discussion( he said2 FEven forgiveness( if weak and passive( is not good2 to fight is better& Forgive when ou can bring legions of angels to an eas victor &&&& )he world is a battlefield( fight our wa out&F Somebod else asked him( FSwami*i( ought one to die in defence of right( or ought one to learn never to reactMF F+ am for no reaction(F replied the Swami slowl ( and then after a long pause( added( F ? for sann asis& SelfBdefence for the householderGF +n :ashmir the Swami and his part were treated with

@;8 marked consideration b the /ahara*aE and during his sta various high officials visited the Swami's houseboat to receive religious instruction and to converse with him on general topics& )he Swami had come at the invitation of the /ahara*a( to choose a piece of land for the establishment of a monaster and a Sanskrit college& )here was a beautiful spot b the riverside that was used as a campingBground b Europeans& )he Swami chose this( and the /ahara*a( approving of his choice( e6pressed his willingness to give it to him for his educational scheme& Some time after the return from ,marnath( the .estern disciples( caught up in the Swami's prevailing meditative mood( were keen to practise meditation in silence and solitude& )he Swami encouraged them( and suggested that the go and live in tents on the proposed /ath ground( adding that it was auspicious( according to the 9indu idea( for a new homestead to be blessed b women& ,nd thus a Fwomen's /athF( as it were( was established thereE and the Swami( occasionall making a short visit( would talk to them of realiLing his dream of service rendered Fb the people( for the people( as a *o to the worker and to the servedF& +t was a disappointment to the Swami( therefore( when about the middle of September( he heard that official discussion of the use for a monaster and Sanskrit college( of the site that he had chosen( had been twice vetoed b the Resident& )hough this news temporaril depressed him( he came to see( after much reflection( that for various reasons :ashmir( or for that matter an native State( would not be a suitable place in which to tr the e6periment of bringing his +ndian followers into contact with his .estern( and vice versa& 9e realiLed that 1engal was far more suitable for an educational work for +ndia than the distant State of :ashmir& /oreover( 5alcutta( at that time the metropolis( was the intellectual centre of the countr & 1esides( so far as& having a monaster in a cool climate was concerned( that pro*ect had been taken up in earnest b his disciples( /r& and /rs& Sevier( who were on the lookout for a suitable tract of land in the hills of :umaon& )he Swami accepted the obstacles that had come in his path( therefore( as

@;; the will of the /other( and felt that the were for the best& On ,ugust 7% the Swami went to <al 0ake at the earnest invitation of /r& and /rs& -atterson( the ,merican 5onsulB3eneral and his wife( 9e was their guest for a couple of da s& )hen he re*oined the part of his disciples( who had gone to the soB called Fnew /athF( which we have *ust mentioned( and had his boat moored close b for a few da s( till he left for 3anderbal& .e get glimpses of the Swami's life during the period now being described( from some of his and Sister 'ivedita's letters& On ,ugust 7; the Swami wrote to 5hristine 3reenstidel2
+t is a laL life + am leading for the last two months floating leisurel in a boat( which is also m home( up and down the beautiful !helum( through the most gorgeous scener 3od's world can afford in nature's own park( where the air( earth( land( grass( plants( trees( mountain( snows( and the human form all e6press on the outside at least the beaut of the 0ordE with almost no possessions ? scarcel a pen or an inkstand even( snatching up a meal wherever and whenever convenient2 the ver ideal of a Rip Van .inkle&&&& + have been told b one who has been the personal 3od to me that + am to come once more et&&&& <o not work ourself out& +t is no useE alwa s remember ? F<ut is the midda sun whose fierce ra s are burning the ver vitals of humanit &F +t is necessar for a time as a disciplineE be ond that it is a morbid disease&&&&

On ,ugust 7$ the Swami wrote to /ar 9ale&& F+ have been awa a few da s& 'ow + am going to *oin the ladies& )he part then goes to a nice Duiet spot behind a hill( in a forest( through which a murmuring stream flows( to have meditation deep and long under the deodars crossBlegged a 'a .uddha* )his will be for a month or so( when b that time our good work will have spent its power and we shall fall down from this paradise to earth again& & &F On September 7 and @ 'ivedita wrote to a friend2
.e are going off earl tomorrow morning fift miles up the river( then a camp in a forest( with the :ing Hthe SwamiI( for meditation& +n a fortnight's time we shall leave :ashmir &&& HSeptember @I&& .e are camping here on a piece of ground that the /ahara*ah wants to

@;$
give the Swami for a Sanskrit School& .ell( the missionaries have been stirring up such attacks on the :ing that it is ver ver doubtful that the Resident will consent to the disposal of the land &&& 9e has been awa again on one of his lonel *ourne s& 9e alwa s comes back from them so gentle and kind and et witt and so glad to be with us all againG +t is most delightful& Aou see( this summer has meant three months of perfect peace& and friendship( and he will alwa s remember it( so + hope&&&& .hen + reach 5alcutta( + am to sta with Sarada Hthe 9ol /otherI till + find a house&&&&

On September "; the Swami wrote to the Ra*a of :hetri2 F+ have been ver ill here for two weeks& 'ow getting better&&&& + am going down b the middle of October&&&&F On the same da he wrote to his disciple 9aripada /itra2
Recentl m health was ver bad( and so + have been dela ed( otherwise + had intended to leave for -un*ab this week& )he doctor had advised me not to go to the plains at the present time( as it is ver hot there& -erhaps + ma reach :arachi b about the last week of October& 'ow + am doing somewhat well&&&& + shall probabl visit :utch( 1hu*( !unagadh( 1havnagar( 0imbdi( and 1aroda and then proceed to 5alcutta& / present plan is to go to ,merica via 5hina and !apan in 'ovember or <ecember( but it is all in the hands of the 0ord&&&&

From 'ivedita's diar it is known that on September @( the Swami left for ,chabal again( via +slamabad (,nantnag)( reaching there on September >& On the "%th he went to visit the temple at /artand againE but he had to return to Srinagar on the ""th on account of illness& Following the pilgrimage to ,marnath( the Swami's devotion became concentrated on the /other& )he strength that comes of meditation on the 3reat 3od was now replaced b the devotion that a child has for his mother& +t was touching to see him worship( as 4ma( the fourB earBold daughter of his /uslim boatman& )he songs of Ramprasad were constantl on his lips& 9e once told his disciples( during these da s( that Fwherever he turned( he was conscious of the -resence of the /other( as if She were a person in the roomF& 9e felt that it was She( or his own /aster( Fwhose hands are clasped upon m own and who

@;# leads me as though + were a childF& ,nd now( through his intensit of devotion( ever thing in the life of his companions became associated with the /other( as it had been before with Shiva& 3raduall the Swami's absorption become more and more intense and he bitterl Fcomplained of the malad of thought( which would consume a man( leaving him no time for sleep or rest( and would often become as insistent as a human voiceF& One evening in the second week of September he had an e6perience( which can be compared onl perhaps to that which he had had in the <akshineswar templeBgarden ears ago( when( at the bidding of Shri Ramakrishna( he had gone to pra to the /other to be relieved of the great strain of povert that was upon him then& 9e( had gone in his boat to a solitar place& )he onl person whom he allowed to visit him was a certain 1rahmo doctor who had become devotedl attached to him during his so*ourn in :ashmir that summer( and who went regularl to inDuire about his dail needs& .hen the doctor found him lost in thought( or in meditation( he would leave Duietl without disturbing him& )he Swami's consciousness seethed with thought and love of the /other& 9is mind was tuned to its highest pitch& Revelation must come& One evening( as we have said( it came& 9e had centred Fhis whole attention on the dark( the painful( and the inscrutable in the world( with the determination to reach( b this particular road( the One behind phenomenaF ? for such was his conception of the /other& Outside all was stillnessE but within him a worldBdestro ing tempest raged& +n the e6altation of his vision he wrote F:ali the /otherF( one of his bestBknown poems& +n it a glimpse of his vision of the tumult of the universe is given( pictured as the mad *o of the /other's <ance& Filled with the sublime e6perience( he wrote to the last word2 the pen fell from his hand&& and he dropped to the floor( losing consciousness( while his soul soared into 1havaBsamadi& )he man who had swa ed thousands in the .est( who had roused the consciousness of +ndia( la as if dead( in a swoon of ecstas and aweG

@$% )he Swami now gave himself to constant e6planations of the worship of the /other( and calling upon 9er& 9e would sa ( Duoting the -salmist( F)hough )hou sla me( et will + trust in )hee(F or F+t is a mistake to hold that with all men pleasure is the motive& Uuite as man are born to seek pain& )here can be bliss in torture( too& 0et us worship the )error for its own sake&F ,gain( F0earn to recogniLe the /other as instinctivel in evil( terror( sorrow( and annihilation as in that which makes for sweetness and *o GF Or F)rue( the garland )hee with skulls( but shrink back in fright( and call )hee( '% ,llBmerciful One'GF FOnl b the worship of the )errible( can the )errible itself be overcome and immortalit gained& /editate on deathG /editate on deathG .orship the )errible( the )errible( the )erribleG ,nd the /other 9erself is 1rahmanG Even 9er curse &is a blessing& )he heart must become a cremationBground( pride( selfishness( and desire all burnt into ashes& )hen( and then alone( will the /other comeGF She is F9erself time( change( and ceaseless energ F& Sister 'ivedita writes2
,nd as he spoke( the underl ing egoism of worship that is devoted to the kind 3od( to -rovidence( the consoling <ivinit ( without a heart for 3od in the earthDuake( or 3od in the volcano( overwhelmed the listener& One saw that such worship was at bottom( as the 9indu calls it( merel FshopkeepingF( and one realiLed the infinitel greater boldness and truth of the teaching that 3od manifests through evil as we'' as through good& One saw that the true attitude for the mind and will that are not to be baffled b the personal self( was in fact the determination( in the stern words of the Swami Vivekananda( Fto seek death not life( to hurl oneBself upon the sword's point( to become one with the )errible for evermoreGF

,nd often( now and later( in moments of severe illness or pain( he would be heard to e6claim( FShe is the organG She is the painG ,nd She is the giver of painG :aliG :aliG :aliGF +n all of his instructions at this time he would sa 2 F)here must be no fear& 'o begging( but demanding ? demanding the 9ighestG )he true devotees of the /other are as hard as adamant and as fearless as lions& )he are not the least upset if the whole universe suddenl crumbles into must at their feetG #ake 9er

@$" listen to ou& 'one of that crin in to /otherG RememberGF FShe is allBpowerfulE She can make heroes even out of stonesF? )he /other is present( he would sa ( wherever there is no fear( wherever there is renunciation or selfBforgetfulness( whereBever there is the vision that Fever thing that one touches is painF& ,gain( when the cup of life is bitterest( then( naturall ( the childB soul turns to /other for relief and support& ,nd in the meditation on the skull and crossBbones of the .estern m stic( he saw a dim reflection of the universal aspect of /otherBworship& 9is idea of the <ivine /otherhood( the -ower behind all manifestation( was as poetic as it was impersonal& Following the e6perience related above( the Swami retired abruptl on September @% to the 5oloured Springs of :shirB 1havani (or :heer 1hawani)( leaving strict instructions that no one was to follow him& +t was not until October 8 that he returned& 1efore this famous shrine of the /other he dail perBformed 9oma( and worshipped 9er with offerings of :shira or :heer (thickened milk) made from one maund of milk( rice( and almonds& 9e told his beads like an humble pilgrimE and( as a special Sadhana( ever morning he worshipped a 1rahmin pandit's little daughter as 4ma :umari( the <ivine Virgin& 9e began to practise the sternest austerities& +t seemed as though he would tear off all the veils that had come upon his soul through ears of work and thought( and again be a child before the <ivine /other& Even though 9er caresses might give pain to the bod the would give illumination and freedom to the soul& ,ll thought of 0eader( .orker( or )eacher was gone& 9e was now onl the monk( in all the nakedness of pure Sann asa& .hen he returned to Srinagar( he appeared before his disciples a transfigured presence( writes 'ivedita& 9e entered their houseboat( his hands raised in benedictionE then he placed some marigolds that he had offered to the /other( on the head of each of them& F'o more '9ari OmG' +t is all '/other' nowGF he said( sitting down& F,ll m patriotism is

@$7 gone& Ever thing is gone& 'ow it is onl '/otherG /otherG' + have been ver wrong& /other said to me2 '.hat( even if unbelievers should enter m temples( and defile / imagesG .hat is that to ou M Do $ou protect /e M Or do + protect ou M' So there is no more patriotism& + am onl a little childGF One da at :shirB1havani he had been pondering over the ruination and desecration of the temple wrought b the /uslim invaders& <istressed at heart he thought2 F9ow could the people have permitted such sacrilege without offering strenuous resistanceG +f + were here then( + would never have allowed such things& + would have laid down m life to protect the /other&F +t was then that he had heard the /other speaking as above& )he disciples sat silent( aweBinspired& )he could not speak( Fso tense was the spot with something that stilled thoughtF& F+ ma not tell ou more nowE it is not in orderF( he said gentl ( adding( before he left( F ? but spirituall ( spirituall ( + was not bound downGF )hough he was again with his disciples( the saw little of him& For hours he would walk in the woods beside the river( absorbed within himself( so much so that he would not even notice his companions on the roof of their houseboat& One da he appeared before them with shaven head( dressed as the simplest sann asi( and with a look of unapproachable austereness on his face'& Reciting from his own poem F:ali the /otherF( he interrupted himself to sa ( F+t all came true( ever word of itE and + have proved it( for + have hugged the Form of <eathGF ,nd here & and there( the details of the austerit ( fasting( and selfBrenunciation that he had practised at :shirB 1havani( and the revelations that had come to him( were touched upon in his remarks& +n his meditation on the )errible( in the dark hours of the nights at :shirB1havani( there were other visions that he confided onl to one or two of his brotherBdisciples& )he were too sacred to make known to an one else& ,t this same shrine( in the course of worship one da ( the Swami was brooding with pain on the dilapidated condition of the temple& 9e wished in his heart that he were able to build a new one there in its place( *ust as he wished to build monasB

@$@ teries and temples elsewhere( especiall a temple to Shri Ramakrishna in the new /ath at 1elur& 9e was startled in his ruminations b the voice of the /other 9erself( sa ing to him( F/ childG if + so wish + can have innumerable temples and magnificent monastic centres& + can even this moment raise a sevenBstore ed golden temple on this ver spot&F FSince + heard that <ivine Voice(F said the Swami to a disciple in 5alcutta much later( F+ have ceased making an more plans& 0et these things be as /other willsGF <uring these da s( the Swami also had an e6perience of a disDuieting nature& 9e spoke later of it as Fa crisisF in his life& , disciple of a /uslim fakir used to come to the Swami occasionall ( attracted b his personalit & 9earing one da that this man was suffering from fever and severe headache( the Swami( out of compassion( touched him on the head with his fingers& Surprisingl ( the man's ailments left him& ,fter that he became ver devoted to the Swami( and came to him oftener than before& 1ut the man's guru( the fakir( when he hear o this( became bitterl *ealous of the Swami& ,fraid lest his disciple forsake him( the fakir spoke ill of the Swami and warned his disciple not to see him& Finding that his words had no effect( he grew angr and abusive& +n a spirit of revenge( and perhaps also to convince his disciple of his own greater ps chic power( he threatened to use charms against the Swami& 9e prophesied that the latter would vomit and feel gidd before he left :ashmir& )his actuall came about( and the Swami was precipitated into great perple6it of mind and fur ( not against the fakir but against himself and his /aster& 9e thought2 F.hat good is Shri Ramakrishna to meM .hat good are all m realiLations and m preaching of Vedanta and of the omnipotence of the Soul within( when + m self could not save m self from the diabolical powers of a black magicianMF )his e6perience e6ercised his mind so much that even when he reached 5alcutta three weeks later( it continued to agitate him( and he told the 9ol /other( who happened to be there at the time( all about it& !osephine /ac0eod( who was one of the Swami's part ( gives

@$= a livel account of this visit to :ashmir in her reminiscences of the Swami& )he details given b her go to fill in the account given above& She writes2
.e left ,lmora on the twentieth HeleventhI of !une for :ashmir& 1 train to Rawalpindi( where we got tongas with three horses abreast to drive us the two hundred miles up into :ashmir& )here were rela s of horses ever five miles( so that we dashed through on top of this beautiful road( as perfect then as an road the Romans ever made& )hen to 1aramula where we got four native houseboats& )hese boats called <ungas are about sevent feet long and broad enough to have two single beds in them and a corridor between( covered with a matting houseE so wherever we wanted a window we onl had to roll up the matting& )he whole roof could be lifted in the da time( and thus we lived in the open( et knew there was alwa s a roof over our heads& .e had four of these <ungas( one for /rs& 1ull and me(& one for /rs& -atterson and Sister 'ivedita( and one for Swami and one of his monks& )hen a diningBroom boat where we all met to have our meals& .e sta ed in :ashmir four months( the first three in these simple little boats until after September( when it got so cold( we took an ordinar houseboat with fireB places and there en*o ed the warmth of a real house& Sister 'ivedita has written a good deal of the talks we had there& Swami would get up about half past five in the morning( and seeing him smoking and talking with the boatmen( we would get up too& )hen there would be those long walks for a couple of hours until the sun came up warmE Swami talking about +ndia( what its purpose in life was( what /ohammedanism had done and what it had not done& 9e talked( immersed in the histor of +ndia and in the architecture and in the( habits of the people( and we walked on through fields of forgetBmeBnots burning into pink and blue blossoms( wa above our heads& 1aramula is something like Venice& So man of the streets are canals& .e had our own little private boat in which we went to and from the mainland& 1ut the merchants would come in small crafts all about our boats& .e did most of our shopping over the rails of the boat& Each of our boats cost thirt rupees a month( which included the boatmen who fed themselves& )he boatmen consisted of father( mother( son( daughter( and tin children& )he had their own little place at the end of the boat( and man a time we begged them for a taste of their food( the aroma being so delicious& )he manner of

@$>
travelling in these boats is that the boat is punted up the river or it is dragged( the boatmen walking along the shore( or it is rowed& )here is nothing e6tra to pa regardless of how one is navigated& .hen we wanted to move up the !helum river to some of the lakes( we would tell our servants the night beforeE the would get in supplies of food including ducks or chickens( vegetables( eggs( butter( fruits( and milk& +n the morning( when we awakened( we would feel the boat moving along( gliding so imperceptibl that we were scarcel conscious of the motion&& Our servant who had walked ahead would then have a delicious meal waiting for us& )his he made over a little trough long enough and narrow enough to hold three pans( one containing soup( one meat( and the other rice& )he de6terit of these people was a wonder and something we never got over& ,s a chicken is not considered clean food b the orthodo6 9indus( we never told the people we intended to cat the chickens we bought& 1ut when we went up the river( the lower part of the boat held half a doLen clucking chickens& )he pandits who could come to visit Swami would hear them and look around for them& Swami( who knew the were hidden underneath( had a twinkle in his e e( but he would never give us awa & )hen the pandits would sa ( F1ut Swami( wh do ou have to do with these ladiesM )he are mlechchhas& )he are untouchables&F )hen the .esterners would come to us and sa ( F1ut don't ou see M Swami is not treating ou with respect& 9e meets ou without his turban&F So we had great fun laughing at the idios ncrasies of each other's civiliLation& Swami*i then sent for Swami Saradananda to come and travel with us( to show us the sights of +ndia ? 0ahore( <elhi( ,gra( :urukshetra( and so on( Swami going straight down to 5alcutta&&&&

)o return to our narrative( preparations were now made to go to the plains& )he Swami had alread sent a telegram to Swami Saradananda in ,ugust( inviting him to come to :ashmir& )he idea was that he would accompan the .estern disciples( who would be seeing some places of interest( in northern +ndia& +n September the Swami had also sent a telegram to Swami Sadananda( asking him to come and meet him at 0ahore (now in -akistan)( in order to accompan him wherever he might go from there& Swami Saradananda left 5alcutta on September 7;& 9e met the Swami( then ver ill( at

@$8 Srinagar& .hen the Swami felt better through the care of his brotherBdisciples( the whole part left b boat for 1aramula& )he river trip was noteworth onl for the e6treme silence of the Swami( who preferred to be almost entirel b himself& 9e walked alone b the riverside( mornings and evenings& 9e looked so ill and worn out that his companions feared a breakdown& Sister 'ivedita writes2 F)he ph sical ebb of the great e6perience through which he had *ust passed ? for even suffering becomes impossible( when a given point of weariness is reachedE and similarl ( the bod refuses to harbour a certain intensit of the spiritual life for an indefinite periodG ? was leaving him( doubtless( more e6hausted( than he himself suspected& ,ll this contributed( one imagines( to a feeling that none of us knew for how long a time we might now be parting&F Sometimes he would sing( or would translate snatches of devotional poetr alwa s to the /other& 9e spoke of the future once( ver casuall & )here was nothing to be desired for him but the life of the wanderer( in silence and nudit ( on the banks of the 3anga& 9e would have nothing& FSwami*i was dead and goneF( writes 'ivedita( representing the Swami's present mood and attitude2 F.ho was he that he should feel responsible for teaching the worldM +t was all fuss and vanit & )he /other had no need of him( but onl he of 9er& Even work( when one had seen this( was nothing but illusion&F ,n overBmastering love enveloped him& 9e believed now in nothing but love ? love so intense that it would be impossible for even the bitterest of enemies to resist it& )o continue in the words of Sister 'ivedita2
" can give no idea of the vastness of which all this was utterance ? as if no blow( to an in the world( could pass and leave our /aster's heart untouchedE as if no pain( even to that of death( could elicit an thing but love and blessing& 9e told us the stor of Vasishtha and VishwamitraE of Vasishtha's hundred descendants slainE and the sage left alone( landless and helpless( to live out his life& )hen he pictured the hut standing in the moonlight( amongst the trees and Vasishtha and his wife within& 9e is poring intentl over some precious page( written b his great rival(

@$;
when she draws near and hangs over him for a moment( sa ing( F0ook( how bright is the moon tonightGF ,nd he( without looking up( F1ut ten thousand times brighter( m love( is the intellect of VishwamitraGF ,ll forgottenG the deaths of his hundred children( his own wrongs( and his sufferings( and his heart lost in admiration of the genius of his foeG Such( said the Swami( should he our love also( like that of Vasishtha for Vishwamitra( without the slightest tinge of personal memor &

)he part reached 1aramula on October + "& )he .estern disciples planned to wait there for some da s( and then go sightseeing to such places as 0ahore( <elhi( ,gra( and so on& )he Swami started for Rawalpindi and 0ahore( leaving the .estern disciples in the care of Swami Saradananda& Sister 'ivedita describes the leaveBtaking as follows2
,nd so he went& .e all?&servants and boatBpeople( friends and disciples( parents and children ? accompanied him to the tonga on the roadside to sa goodb e& One sturd little& figure( the fourB earBold daughter of his chief boatman( whose devotion to him we had long noted( trotted determinedl at his side with a tra of fruit for his *ourne on her black head and stood smiling farewell as he drove awa & ,nd we( not less deepl touched than this little child( but infinitel less unselfish in our grownBup comple6it of thought and emotion( knew not when we should look upon his face again( et failed not to realiLe that we had that da lived through hours( within whose radiance all our future would be passed&

On October "@ 'ivedita wrote to her friend2

9e Hthe SwamiI left us esterda ( and we ma see him again at 0ahore( or not till we reach 5alcutta& , fortnight ago he went awa ( alone( and it is about eight da s since he came back( like one transfigured and inspired& + cannot tell ou about it& +t is too great for words& / pen would have to learn to whisper& 9e simpl talks( like a child( of Fthe /other ? but his soul and his voice are those of a 3od& )he mingled solemnit and e6hilaration of his presence have made me retire to the farthest corner( and *ust worship in silence all the time& F.e have seen the birth Of stars( we have learnt one of the meanings&F +t has *ust been the nearness of one

@$$
who had seen 3od( and whose e es even now are full of the vision& )o him at this moment Fdoing goodF seems horrible& FOnl the /otherF does an thing& F-atriotism is a mistake& Ever thing is a mistakeF ? he said when he came home& F+t is all /other &&& ,ll men are good& Onl we cannot reach all&&&& + am never going to teach an more& .ho am "( that + should teach an oneMF&& & .e have been living and breathing in the sunshine of the great religious ideals all these months( and 3O< has been more real to us than common men& ,nd in those last hours of esterda morning( we held our breath and did not dare to stir( while he sang to the /other and talked to us& 9e is all love now& )here is not an impatient word( even for the wrongdoer or the oppressorE it is all peace and selfBsacrifice and rapture& FSwami*i is dead and goneF were the last words + heard him sa &&&&

On reaching 0ahore( the Swami wrote to the Ra*a of :hetri( on October "82 F)his ear + suffered much in :ashmir and am now recovered and going to 5alcutta direct toda & For the last ten ears or so + have not seen the -u*a of Shri <urga in 1engal which is the great affair there& + hope this ear to be present& )he .estern friends will come to see !aipur in a week or two&&&& + leave instructions with m brother Saradananda to write to /unshi*i before the start for !aipur &&&&&& Sister 'ivedita( however( did not want to go to !aipur( for she was an6ious to return to 5alcutta to start work& ,bout her tour programme she had written to her friend on September "$( F+n about seven or eight da s + go off ',ll b m lone' to 5alcutta( e6amining on the wa 0ahore( <elhi( ,gra( and 1enares (Varanasi)& Once in 5alcutta( + hope to be at work ? and won't + workGF Swami Sadananda met the Swami at 0ahore( having left ,lmora on September 7>& On October "8 the Swami and this sann asi disciple of his left 0ahore b train for 5alcutta&

@$# !0 CONSECRATION OF THE M ATH# ITS SC OPE% AND IDEALS )he Swami and his disciple reached the monaster ( still 'ilambar /ukher*ee's house at 1elurE on October "$ ("$#$)& )he Swami's une6pected appearance made his brotherBmonks and disciples happ E but their *o was mingled with pain to see how pale and ill he looked& )hough the had not been informed of his sudden departure from :ashmir( news of his movements there had often reached the /ath through 'iveditaRs letters( which were read out at class meetings& Swami 1rahmananda then the 9ead of the /ath( felt ver concerned about the Swami's health& )he Swami often suffered from hard breathing of an asthmatic nature& 'o sooner had he reached the /ath than he became bedridden& 9e did not leave his bed from morning till afternoon( and seldom talked with an bod & 9earing of his illness( devotees started gathering at the /ath& 3irishchandra 3hosh also came& 9e was astonished to find that the Swami had left his bed and was walking downstairs& Surprised( he asked the Swami( _=%h( what is this( Swami*iM .h have ou come downstairsM + heard that ou had become seriousl ill&F +n fun the Swami said& FAou see( when + close m e es to sleep( + see Ra*a's H1rahmananda'sI face full of an6iet for me& + am walking now( so that he will feel happ & 9e wants to make me a patient& ,s a matter of fact + am all right&F 1ut afterwards he appreciated 1rahmananda's administration of the /ath( and said( F+ have been stunned to see Ra*a's work& 9ow nicel he is running the /ath& ,bout him Shri Ramakrishna used to sa ( '9e can run a kingdom&' )wo or three da s later( Sharatchandra 5hakravart ( the disciple of the Swami( came to the /ath& On seeing him Swami 1rahmananda said to him( FSince returning from :ashmir( Swami*i does not speak to an bod E he sits in one

@#% place rapt in thought& Aou go to him and b conversation tr to draw his mind a little towards ordinar matters&F On entering the Swami's room( the disciple found him sitting crossBlegged( facing the East( apparentl in total abstraction& Seeing the disciple he onl said( FAou have come( m sonM -lease take our scatF( and lapsed into silence& )he disciple( seeing the Swami's left e e red( asked( F9ow is it that our e e is redMF F)hat is nothingF( said the Swami( and was again silent& /en even after a long time the Swami had not spoken the disciple touched his feet and said( F.on't ou tell me what ou saw at ,marnathMF 1 the disciple's action( the intensit of the Swami's mood was broken a little( and his attention was diverted slightl outwards& 9e said( FSince visiting ,marnath( + feel as though Shiva were sitting on m head for twent Bfour hours a da and will not come down&F )he disciple listened in speechless wonder& )he Swami further said2 F+ underwent great religious austerities at ,marnath and then in the temple of :shirB1havani& On the wa to ,marnath( + made a ver steep ascent on the mountain& -ilgrims do not generall travel b that path& 1ut the determination came upon me that + must go b that path( and so + did& )he e6ertion of the strenuous ascent has told on m bod & )he cold there is so biting that ou feel it like pinpricks&&&& + entered the cave with onl m loinBcloth on and m bod smeared with ashesE + did not then feel an cold or heat& 1ut when + came out of the temple( + was numb with cold& & & &F )he disciple then Duestioned him about the legend of the white pigeons that are said to live in the cave of ,marnath& +t is told that the sight of them on leaving the shrine signifies the granting of a desire and heightens the merit of the pilgrimage& FAes( AesG + knowGF the Swami repliedE F+ saw three or four white pigeons( but + could not be sure whether the belonged to the cave or lived in the ad*oining hills&F 9e spoke of the divine Voice that he had heard at the temple of :shirB1havani& .hen the disciple sought to e6plain it awa b suggesting that it might be a wholl sub*ective e6perience(

@#" the echo of intensel powerful thoughts with no ob*ective realit ( he gravel remarked2 F.hether it& be from within ourself( or from some e6ternal agenc ( if ou hear with our own car( e6actl as ou are hearing m words( a voice not connected with an form speaking to ou from the skies( will ou doubt its realit MF 0ater on( the disciple asked the Swami if he had ever seen ghosts and spirits& 9e replied that the spirit of one of his relations had appeared to him now and then( bringing news of farBoff places& F1utF( he said( Fon enDuir + found that her words were not alwa s true& +n a place of pilgrimage + pra ed for her emancipation( and since then + have not seen that spirit again&F +n his letter of October 7> to 5hristine 3reenstidel( the Swami wrote of his( health as follows2
/ health again failed badl & + had therefore to leave :ashmir in haste and come to 5alcutta& )he doctors sa + ought not go tramping in winter& )his is such a disappointment( ou knowG 9owever + am coming to the 4&S& this summer&&&& + am getting better ever da ? and then the long months before + can start for 4&S& 'ever mind( F/otherF knows what is best for us& She will show the wa & + am now in 1hakti& ,s + am growing old( 1hakti is taking the place of !nana&&&&

)he Swami was suffering from asthma at that time& On October 7;( at the reDuest of some of the monks( he had his chest e6amined b the wellBknown specialist( <r& R& 0&( <utt& +n consultation with some other doctors <r& <utt gave the opinion that the Swami must be careful of himself , clot of blood was found to have formed in his left e e( possibl due to intense concentration& )he monks constantl made efforts to keep him from going into the deeper states of meditation( fearing that the 3reat and Final /editation might come upon him at an time( and that he might throw off the bod like a wornBout garment& So abstracted was his mind from outward things in these da s( that often he would not hear the answers to Duestions that he himself had asked& 'otwithstanding his failing health the Swami resumed his

@#7 old life with the monks& 9ours were spent in religious converse&( DuestionBclasses were heldE the scriptures were read and commented uponE and he took up seriousl the training of the /ath members& 9e instituted regulations and monastic discipline with spiritual and intellectual work for certain hours of the da & On the da of his arrival he thrilled his hearers b reading( with his characteristic eloDuence and depth of feeling( the three poems that he had& written in :ashmir& Ever word of them( as uttered b him( seemed ensouled with his own realiLations& On October "# and 7% he performed the 9oma rite& )he ne6t three da s were given over to the great religious festival of <urga -u*a( when man la disciples of the Order gathered at the /ath& On the 7=th Swami )uri ananda arrived from ,lmora& Ever thing was now centring( as it were( in the monaster ( and the devotional fervour of the 1aranagore da s seemed to shine forth anew& ,mong the members who had *oined the monaster ( both before and during the Swami's absence( were those who later became Swamis Vimalananda( 1odhananda( :al anananda( and Somananda& )he first two had *oined when the /ath was at ,lambaLar( and the others at 'ilambarbabu's gardenBhouse& )hese( with the other disciples( had followed courses of stud on the Vedas( 9indu theolog ( and even material science& 1ut still more important( of course( were the worship of the /aster and the hours spent in meditation and devotion& From 'ovember + on( the Swami's place of residence alternated between the monaster and 1alarambabu's house in 1aghbaLar( 5alcutta( where he was obliged to sta for the sake of treatment& 1ut he did not allow his illness to prevent him from meeting the man people who flocked to him for instruction& ,bout these da s one of his disciples writes2
, gathering was an ever da occurrence when Swami*i used to sta in 5alcutta& ,t ever hour of the da ( from earl morning till eight or nine at night( men would flock to him& )his naturall occasioned much irregularit in his mealsE so( his brotherBdisciples and friends( desiring to put a stop to this state of things( strongl advised him not to receive visitors e6cept at appointed hours& 1ut the loving

@#@
heart of Swami*i( who was ever read to go to an length to help others( was so melted with compassion at the sight of the thirst& for religion in the people( that in spite of ill health he did not compl with an reDuest of the kind& 9is onl repl was( F)he take so much trouble to come( walking all the wa from their homesE and can "( sitting here( not speak a few words to them( merel because + risk m health a littleMF

)he Swami at that time was an embodiment of love& 9is heart went out to ever bod & 9is grace descended on all( saints and sinners alike& )he miser of the world afflicted him terribl & -erhaps he also knew that the time of his passing awa was approachingE so he could not den an bod his blessings& ,s a result( man persons who led indifferent lives were initiated b him into the m steries of spiritualit & Soon a whisper went round the /ath that the Swami was not a proper *udge of a man's inner propensities( that he could easil be satisfied with a few words of praiseE otherwise( how could he give his blessings to men of such worldl inclinationsM )his disparaging talk particularl pained a certain disciple( and one da ( as the Swami was taking his evening stroll in the /ath compound( he approached and said( FSwami*i( + have something to ask ou&F FAesF( said the Swami without turning his head& )hen the disciple said2 F/uch talk is going round the /ath that ou cannot properl discriminate a right person from a wrong one& Aou bestow our grace upon ever bod without looking into his previous life or inner propensities& ,s a result we find some of our disciples leading an indifferent life even after receiving our blessings&F )he Swami suddenl turned towards the disciple and e6claimed( with emotion2 F/ bo ( do ou sa that + do not know a manM .hatG when + see a man + not onl find out the working of his inner self( but even get a glimpse of his previous life& + know what is going on in his subBconscious mind2 even he does not know it& 1ut then( do ou know wh + bless such peopleM )he poor souls have knocked at ever gate to get a little peace of mindE but the have been refused ever where& )he have come to me at last& +f "( too( refuse them( the will have nothing else to fall back upon& So

@#= + do not discriminate& Oh( the are so afflictedG )he world is so full of miseriesGF )hese words could ver well have been spoken b the Swami's /aster also ? Shri RamakrishnaG +n the meantime Sister 'ivedita( eager to return to 5alcutta and begin her work( left the compan of the ,merican ladies( and reached 5alcutta on 'ovember "( via Varanasi& From the station she went straight to the Swami( who was then at 1alarambabu's house& )he 9ol /other was also living in 5alcutta at that time in a house nearb in 1aghbaLar& )he Swami received his disciple warml and arranged for her sta at the 9ol /other's house till she could find a place for herself& )he /other had no ob*ection whatever( for she had alread taken 'ivedita into her heartE but some of the orthodo6 members of /other's household felt inconvenienced& 9owever( she did not have to sta there for long& ,fter a week or so a house was found for 'ivedita at "8 1osepara 0ane( where she happil lived till she left for the .est in !une "@##& ,ll the same( whenever possible( she would spend the afternoons and( in the hot weather( the nights with the 9ol /other and the women devotees at their residence( +8^7 1osepara 0ane& On 'ovember > the Swami received at the /ath Shri Rishibar /ukher*ee( the 5hief *ustice( and Shri 'ilambar /ukher*ee( the -rime /inister of :ashmir& On the following da /rs& Ole 1ull and /iss /ac0eod( accompanied b Swami Saradananda( reached 5alcutta after a tour of some of the historic cities of northern +ndia& )his time the could not sta in the cottage that the had previousl occupied( since arrangements were being made to shift the /ath to its new grounds( on which the cottage stood& For some da s the lived with 'ivedita at "8 1osepara 0aneE then the found a house for themselves at 1all ( on the .est 1ank of the 3anga(& about two miles north of the 1elur /ath& +t was during their sta with 'ivedita that /rs& Ole 1ull reDuested the 9ol /other to allow her photograph to b(8 taken& /rs& 1ull said( F/other( + wish to take our photograph to ,merica and worship it&F Onl after being repeatedl reDuested did the /other consent&

@#> .hen the photographer came( she cast down her e es and went into trance& )hat was the first photo taken of the /other& ,fter she had regained the normal state( another was taken& ,nd a third was taken with 'ivedita facing her& On 'ovember "7( the da before the :ali -u*a( the 9ol /other( accompanied b a number of women devotees( visited the site where the Ramakrishna Order was shortl going to have its headDuarters& )he Swami had invited the .estern disciples also& ,ll the monks were present( and elaborate arrangements had been made for worship& )he picture of the /aster worshipped in the /ath had been taken to the new siteE and the 9ol /other had brought her own picture of the /aster& .ith special worship she blessed the place& +n the afternoon she with her part ( and also the Swami( with Swamis 1rahmananda and Saradananda( returned to 5alcutta& )he Swami had reDuested them to take part in the ceremonial opening of Sister 'ivedita's girls' school( in 1aghbaLar& )his took place ne6t morning( on the da of :ali -u*a& ,fter worshipping Shri Ramakrishna( the 9ol /other pra ed that the blessing of the 3reat /other of the 4niverse might he upon the school( and that the girls that it trained might be ideal girls& Of this blessing Sister 'ivedita herself has written& F+ cannot imagine a grander omen than her blessing( spoken over the educated 9indu womanhood of the future&F From his first meeting with Sister 'ivedita( the Swami had discussed with her at great length the situation of +ndian women( his ideas for the improvement of their condition( and his plans for the education of 9indu girls& She had been known as an educationist and educator in England( and she had come to +ndia e6pressl to be of service to the women of +ndia& +t had been assumed& during her sta ( first in 5alcutta and then at ,lmora( and later during her wanderings with the Swami in :ashmir( that at the first opportunit ( she would open a girls' school in 5alcutta( so as Fto make some educational discover ( which would be Dualitativel true and universall applicable to the work of the modern education of +ndian womenF at large& )he Swami( when in 5alcutta( saw her

@#8 freDuentl and gave her additional insight into the +ndian consciousness and into the nature of the work that she had assumed& )his insight she sought to embod in her book( )he .eb of +ndian 0ife& ,t the 9ol /other's residence she came in touch with several orthodo6 women who were well versed in the epics( dramas( and religious teaching of 9induism ? women whose lives testified to the truth of the values and realiLations of 9induism& )his was of special advantage to her& She herself lived the life of a 9indu 1rahmacharini and soon became altogether 9induiLed& )he opening of her school marks the beginning of Sister 'ivedita's work in +ndia& )he Swami showed keen interest in it& 9e gave her full libert in the working out of her ideas& She could be free from collaborators if she chose& ,bove all( she could( if she wished( give her work Fa definite religious colourF or even make it sectarianE but he added knowingl ( FAou wish through a sect to rise be ond all sects&F Eventuall it should include all sects( not onl within( but outside( 9induism& )he Swami once told her( F+f amidst their new task the +ndian women of the future would onl remember now and then to sa ( 'ShivaG ShivaG'( it would he sufficient worship&F ,nd indicating his idea of what a worker in the cause of womanhood should be like( he once said to the Sister( FAes( ou have faith( but ou have not that burning enthusiasm that ou needG Aou should be consumed with energ &F )hen he blessed herE and( it will be right to sa ( she did indeed become Fa consuming energ F in that cause& )he Swami did all he could to make the life( that 'ivedita had adopted( easier& Sometimes he would ask her to cat with himE he would then prepare special dishes for her( and make her to take them in his presence( for he knew that she was then practising austerities( such as living on a spare diet of milk and fruit( and sleeping on a hare board& 9e would now and then ask her to cook delicacies for him( so that she too might partake of them& 9e would also make others cat a little of the food cooked b her( thus breaking down to a great e6tent the iron barriers of orthodo6 among his own people with regard to her&

@#; 9e made ever effort to have her accepted b 9indu societ ( and was alwa s read to listen to her views in a discussion& ,s for his own orthodo6 disciples( he was constantl breaking the bonds of the meaningless among the ageBold customs and traditions in which the had been brought up& 9e sometimes tested their lo alt b asking them to take( as his -rasada( food forbidden b orthodo6 & , letter that the Swami received at this time from Sir !amset*i )ata( of 1omba ( is worth reproducing& )he Swami had met this wellBknown millionaireBphilanthropist in !apan& +n !ul "$#@ the were fellowBpassengers from Aokohama to Vancouver on board the 5&-&R& steamer Empress of +ndia( and also on the *ourne from Vancouver to 5hicago b 5anadian -acific Railwa & .hile in !apan the Swami had been impressed b the industrial development of the countr ( and had hoped for a similar development in +ndia& 9e wrote to the Ra*a of :hetri and to ,lasinga -erumal of /adras to this effect& -robabl he spoke in the same wa to Sir !amset*i during their *ourne & 9aving some acDuaintance with the Swami's views( the latter evidentl felt sure that his present scheme would interest the Swami& 9is letter ran as follows2
<ear Swami Vivekananda( + trust( ou remember me as a fellowBtraveller on our vo age from !apan to 5hicago& + ver much recall at this moment our views on the growth of the ascetic spirit in +ndia( and the dut ( not of destro ing( but of diverting it into useful channels&

" recall these ideas in connection with m scheme of Research +nstitute of Science for +ndia( of which ou have doubtless heard or read& +t seems to me that no better use can he made of the ascetic& spirit than the establishment of monasteries or residential halls for men dominated b this spirit( where the should live with ordinar decenc ( and devote their lives to the cultivation of sciences ? natural and humanistic& + am of opinion that( if such a crusade in favour of an asceticism of this kind were undertaken b a competent leader( it would greatl help asceticism( science( and the good name of our common countr E and + know not who would make a more fitting general of such a campaign than Vivekananda& <o ou think ou

@#$
would care to appl ourself to the mission of galvaniLing into life our ancient traditions in this respectM -erhaps( ou had better begin with a fier pamphlet rousing our people in this matter& + should cheerfull defra all the e6penses of publication& .ith kind regards( + am( dear Swami( 7@rd 'ovember( "$#$& Esplanade 9ouse( 1omba & Aours faithfull ( !,/SE)!+ '& ),),&

.e do not know what the Swami wrote in repl ( but we can safel assume that he e6pressed his appreciation of the scheme& +ncidentall ( while speaking of Sir !amset*i )ata( it is interesting to note what he once told Sister 'ivedita2 when the Swami was in !apan( ever one who saw him was struck b his likeness to the G1uddha& )hen came the da of the consecration of the Ramakrishna /ath ? Frida ( <ecember #& )he consecration of the grounds had been performed long before( earl in /arch that ear ("$#$)& On this later occasion the Swami himself performed all the rites( helped b his brotherBdisciples and his own disciples& )he ceremon was an impressive one& ,fter bathing in the 3anga( the Swami put on a new ochre cloth( entered the shrineBroom( and sat in meditation on the worshipper's scat& 9e then worshipped the relics of Shri Ramakrishna with the utmost veneration( covering them with heaps of flowers and 1ilva leaves& ,gain he became absorbed in meditation& Swami -remananda and the other monks stood at the door watching him do the worship& ,fterwards a procession of the whole brotherhood was formed& +t wended its wa along the bank of the 3anga( from 'ilambar /ukher*ee's gardenBhouse to the new site& )he Swami led( carr ing on his right shoulder the urn containing the remains of Shri Ramakrishna& )he blowing of conchs and beating of gongs sounded across the river& On the wa the Swami said to a disciple2 F)he /aster once told me( '+ will go and live wherever it will be our pleasure to take me( carr ing me on our shoulders ? be it under a tree or in the humblest cottageG' .ith faith in that gracious promise + m self am now

@## carr ing him to the site of our future /ath& :now for certain( m bo ( that so long as his name inspires his followers with his ideals of purit ( holiness( and loving spirit of charit to all men( even so long shall he( the /aster( sanctif the place with his hallowed presence&F .hen the came in sight of the new /ath( the Swami spoke of the glorious future that he felt it was to have2 F+t will be a centre in which will be recogniLed and practised a grand harmon of all creeds and faiths( as e6emplified in the life of Shri RamakrishnaE and onl ideas of religion in its universal aspect will be preached& From this centre of universal toleration will go forth the shining message of goodwill and peace and harmon to deluge the whole world&F 9e warned them of the danger of sects in time arising within its fold& 0a ing the sacred urn on the special scat spread on the /ath grounds( the Swami and all the others prostrated themselves in fervent salutation before it& ,fter the solemn rites of worship he lit the sacrificial fire and performed the Vira*a 9oma( at which onl the sann asis of the Order could be present& 9aving himself cooked the -a asanna (sweetened milkBrice) with the help of his sann asi brethren( he offered it to the /aster& )his brought the consecration ceremon to a close& )he Swami then addressed the gathering as follows2 F<o ou all( m brothers( pra to the 0ord with all our heart and soul( that 9e( the <ivine +ncarnation of the age( ma bless this place with 9is hallowed -resence for ever and ever( and make it a uniDue centre ? a -un aBkshetra (hol place)?of the harmon of all the different religions and sects( for the good of the /an ( for the happiness of the /an GF ,ll( with folded palms( responded b *oining in in pra er to the 0ord& )hen the return procession began& Sharatchandra( the Swami's disciple( on the order of his guru( carried the urn on his head& )his da was a memorable one in the histor of the Ramakrishna Order& )he ver atmosphere vibrated with spiritualit & )he Swami was *ubilant( ecstatic& 'ow( he felt( a formidable task had been accomplished2 that of finding a site and the means for the establishment of a temple for the /aster and of

=%% a monaster ? the whole to serve as the headDuarters of a monastic order dedicated to the practice and propagation of the /aster's teachings& 9e said&& F1 the will of the 0ord is established toda 9is <harmakshetra& )oda + feel free from the weight of the responsibilit which + have carried with me for twelve long ears& ,nd now a vision comes to m mindG )his /ath shall become a great centre of learning and spiritual practices& -ious householders will erect houses for themselves on the grounds round this future religious universit and live there( with the sann asis in the centre& )o the South( the followers of the 0ord from England and ,merica will come and make their abodeGF )urning to a disciple( he asked triumphantl ( F.hat do ou think of itMF )he disciple respectfull e6pressed the doubt that this Fmost e6cellent piece of fanc F would ever materialiLe& FFanc ( do ou sa GF the Swami cried out& F9ear me( % ou of little faith l )ime will fulfil all m e6pectations& + am now onl la ing the foundation( as it were& 3reat things will come later on& + shall do m share of the taskE and + shall instil into ou all the various ideas that ou will in the future have to work out& )he highest principles and ideals of religion have not onl to be studied and comprehended( but brought into the practical field of life& <o ou understandMF , few da s later( the same disciple had the privilege of hearing some of the Swami's ideas on the scope and ideals of the /ath( and on the regulations and disciplines that he wished to be observed there in the future& )he disciple's record of what he heard gives a glimpse of the Swami's schemes for a national education and for philanthropic work in his own countr & Some e6tracts will be of interest& ,s he was walking to and fro on the grounds of the new /ath he said( pointing to an old cottage2
)here will be the place for the sadhus to live in& )his /ath will he the central institution for the practice of religion and the cultivation of knowledge& )he spiritual force emanating from here will permeate the whole world( turning the currents of men's activities and aspirations into new channels& From here will be disseminated ideals

=%"
harmoniLing *nana( 1hakti( Aoga( and :arma& )he time will come( when b the mere will of the sann asis of this /ath( life will vibrate into the deadened souls of men& ,ll these visions are rising before me& On that land to the south will be the )emple of 0earning( modelled after the manner of our ancient )ols& +n it will be taught 3rammar( -hilosoph ( ,rts( Science( 0iterature( Rhetoric( 9indu 5odes of 0aw( Scriptures( and English& )here the oung 1rahmacharis will live and stud the Shastras& )he /ath will provide them with food( clothing( etc& ,fter five ears' training these 1rahmacharis will be at libert to return to their homes and lead the householder's lifeE or( if the prefer( the ma take the vow of Sann asa with the sanction of the Superiors of the /ath& +f an of these 1rahmacharis are found to be disorderl or of bad character( the /ath authorities will have the power to turn them out& 9ere bo s will be taught irrespective of caste or creed& 1ut those who would like to observe the orthodo6 customs of their respective castes and creeds( will have to arrange for their food and so forth separatel & )he will attend onl the classes in common with the rest& )he authorities shall keep a strict watch on their character too& 'o one will be entitled to admission into the monastic order who has not received his training here& )hus( in the course of 'time( the /ath work will be conducted wholl with a personnel drawn from them& <isciple2 )hen( sir( ou mean to reBintroduce the old 3urukula s stem in the countr M Swami*i2 .h ( assuredl ( esG )here is no scope whatever in the modern s stem of education for the unfoldment of the 1rahmavid a& )he old institution of 1rahmachar a must be established anew& 1ut its foundation must he laid on a broad basis( and man changes and modifications suited to the needs of the times will have to be introduced into it( of which + shall tell ou later on& )hat plot of land ad*oining ours in the south should be acDuired in time& )here will be the ,nnasatra or a Feeding 9ome of the /ath in the name of Shri Ramakrishna( where proper arrangements will be made for serving food to those who are reall poor and need ( regarding them as forms of 'ara ana& )he scope of its work will be regulated according to the funds at its disposalE it ma even be started with two or three people& Enthusiastic 1rahmacharis will have to be trained to conduct this ,nnasatra& )he themselves should find means for its support( even b begging from door to door& )he /ath will not be allowed to lend an pecuniar aid to it& .hen the

=%7
1rahmacharis have completed their five ears' training in this 9ome of Service in that wa ( then onl the will have the right of admission into the )emple of 0earning branch of the monaster & )hus after ten ears of training in all( the will be entitled to enter the Sann asa ,shrama after due initiation b the /ath authorities ? &of course( if the have a mind to become sann asis( and if the latter find them fit for it& 1ut the -resident of the /ath ma ( in the case of some speciall gifted 1rahmachari( waive this rule and give Sann asa at an time in spite of this rule& Aou see + have all these ideas in m head& <isciple2 Sir( what is the ob*ect of establishing these three separate branches in the /athM Swami*i2 <on't ou seeM )here should be( first( ,nnadana( or the giving of food and other necessaries of ph sical lifeE ne6t( Vid adana( or the imparting of intellectual knowledgeE and( last of all( !nanadana( or the conferring of spiritual knowledge& )he harmoniLing of these three aspects that conduce to the making of /an( must be the sole dut of the /ath& 1 devoting themselves to the work of the ,nnasatra in the manner indicated( the idea of working for others b practical means( and that of serving humanit in the spirit of worship( will he firml implanted in the minds of( the 1rahmacharis& )his will graduall purif their minds( leading to the development of Sattvic thoughts and aspirations& ,nd such alone are capable of receiving and retaining the ,para and the -ara Vid a (the secular and the supreme knowledge) and thus of becoming eligible for Sann asa&&&& <isciple2 Sir( our words encourage me to learn something more of our ideas about the ,nnasatras and Sevashramas& Swami*i2 )here should be wellBventilated rooms in these homes( in each of which two or three of the poor or the diseased will live& )he should have comfortable bedding and clean clothes& )here should be a doctor for them who will come and see them once or twice a week( or as often as convenient& )he Sevashrama will he a department of the ,nnasatra( in which the diseased will be nursed and well taken care of& +n time( as funds permit( a big kitchen will he built( and an number of hungr people will be fed at all times of the da to their hearts' content& 'one shall be refused under an circumstances& )he waterBgruel strained off from the cooked rice( draining into the 3anga( will turn its water white + Oh( how glad at heart + shall be to see an ,nnasatra working on such a grand scale here +

Speaking thus the Swami stood for a while gaLing dreamil at the 3anga( as if fathoming the future to see the sight that

=%@ he had *ust visualiLed& 9e broke his rumination to sa affectionatel to the disciple2
.ho knows when the sleeping lion will be roused in one or other of ouG +f the /other but kindles in the soul of an one of ou a spark of 9er divine power( hundreds of such ,nnasatras will he opened all over the countr & :now this that *nana( 1hakti( and Shakti are alread in ever living being& +t is onl the difference in the degree of their manifestation that makes one great and another small& +t is as if a curtain were drawn between us and that perfection& .hen that is removed( the whole of 'ature is at our feet& )hen( whatever we want( whatever we will( will come to pass& +f the 0ord wills( we shall make this /ath a great centre of harmon & Our 0ord is the visible embodiment of the perfect harmon of all ideals& 9is throne will remain unshaken in the world of spiritualit if we keep alive that ideal of harmon here& .e must see to it that people of all sects and creeds( from the 1rahmana down to the 5handala( will find on coming here their respective ideals manifested& )he other da when we installed the image of Shri Ramakrishna on the grounds of this /ath( + saw his ideas emanating from here and flooding the whole universe with their radianceG + for one am doing and shall do m best to elucidate his broad ideas to all peopleE ou all also do the same& .hat avails the mere reading of VedantaM .e have to e6emplif the truth of the pure ,dvaita in practical life& )his ,dvaitavada has so long been kept hidden in the forests and mountainBcaves& +t has been given to me to bring it out from seclusion and scatter it broadcast before the workada world and societ & )he sound of the ,dvaita drum must resound in ever hearth and home( in meadows and groves( over hills and plains& 5ome all of ou to m assistance and set ourselves to work& <isciple2 1ut( sir( m mind inclines rather to realiLe the ,dvaita state through meditation than to manifest it in action& Swami*i2 .h G .hat is the use of remaining alwa s stupefied in !adasamadhiM 4nder the inspiration of ,dvaita wh not someBtimes dance like Shiva( and sometimes remain immersed in SuperconsciousnessM .ho en*o s a delicac more ? he who cats it all b himself( or he who shares it with othersM 3ranted that b realiLing the ,tman in meditation ou attain /ukti( but what is that to the worldM .e have to take the whole universe with us to /uktiG .e shall start a conflagration in /ahama a's dominion&& )hen onl ou will he established in the Eternal )ruth& Oh( what can con=pare with that 1liss(

=%=
immeasurable& Finfinite as the skiesFG +n that state ou will be speechless( carried be ond ourself( b seeing our own Self in ever being that breathes( and in ever atom of the universe& .hen ou realiLe this( ou cannot b e m this world without treating ever one with e6ceeding love and compassion& )his indeed is practical Vedanta&

,lthough the new /ath was consecrated( and Shri Ramakrishna ceremoniall installed there( on <ecember #( "$#$( as related above( it was not until !anuar 7( "$##( that the /ath was finall moved from 'ilambar /ukher*ee's gardenBhouse& 1ut from <ecember # several of the monks lived on the new /ath grounds& )he reason for the dela in moving the whole /ath to the new place was that the alterations and additions to the e6isting Duarters had not been completed& )his work was begun in ,pril "$#$( but though it was pushed through with all speed( it was not completed until the beginning of "$##& ,n entire upper store ( with a veranda facing the 3anga( had to he built( and so also the building to accommodate the shrine of Shri Ramakrishna and the diningBhall of the monks& Some time during his sta at 1alarambabu's house( perhaps before his departure for <eoghar( the Swami( along with Swami Aogananda( Sharatchandra 5hakravart ( and Sister 'ivedita( went to see the 5alcutta Xoological 3ardens& )he Superintendent( Rai 1ahadur Ramabrahma San al( hearing of his intended visit( received him and his part at the entrance( and showed them all the animalBhouses& )he Swami wanted to see the feeding of the lions and tigers& )his was done on the order of the Superintendent& )he snakes interested him( and he entered into a long discussion on the evolution of reptiles& 'e6t it was the monke s& On seeing the almost human members of this species( he was sometimes beard to address them in a curious wa &( sa ing( F.ell( how did ou get into that bod M .hat frightful :arma in the past has brought ou hereMF ,fter light refreshments a long conversation ensued& )he Superintendent was a student of botan and Loolog ( and held strongl to the <arwinian theor of evolution& 1ut the Swami( though admitting <arwin's theor to be sound to a certain e6tent& preferred to it -atan*ali's more comprehensive theor

=%> of FfillingBin of natureF( which( he showed( more satisfactoril e6plained evolution& 9e pointed out that -atan*ali( unlike the .estern philosophers( did not put forward Fstruggle for e6istenceF( Fsurvival of the fittestF& and Fnatural selectionF as causes of the evolution of one species into another& 9owever important struggle and competition ma be in evolution in the lower orders of nature( the are( the Swami held( retarding rather than aiding factors in the development of human character& -erfection( according to the ancient 9indu sages( is man's real nature2 onl ( it is prevented from manifestation b certain obstaclesE and as these are removed( so it manifests itself more full & +t is through education and culture( through meditation and concentration( and( above all( through renunciation and sacrifice( that the obstacles are removed& )hus the competitive struggle over se6 and food( he maintained( does not appl to the human plane on its higher levels& "'he sages( on the contrar ( struggled to grow above nature( to conDuer animal instinct( to go be ond even the sense of process( and to merge human nature in the <ivine& )he Superintendent( much pleased( e6claimed2 QQSwami*i( that is a wonderful theor G .e need in +ndia at the present time more men like ou( versed in Eastern and .estern philosoph ( to point out to our educated communit their oneBsidedness and to correct their fallacies and confusions&F )he same evening the Swami e6plained more clearl and elaboratel his theor of evolution with special reference to the needs of modern +ndia( to a group of friends and visitors( at 1alarambabu's house& )o summariLe what he said2 <arwin's theor is applicable to the animal and vegetable kingdoms( but not to the human kingdom where reason and knowledge are highl developed& +n the saints and ideal men we find no trace of struggle whatever( and no tendenc to rise higher or grow stronger b the destruction of others& )here we find sacrifice instead& )he more a person can sacrifice the greater he is& )he struggle of a rational man is with his internal nature& )he more he succeeds in controlling his mind the greater he is& On being Duestioned(

=%8 F.h then do ou emphasiLe so much the need for our ph sical improvementMF the Swami thundered2
,re ou menM Aou are no better than animals( satisfied with eating( sleeping( and propagating( and haunted b fearG +f ou had not had in ou a little rationalit ( ou would have become Duadrupeds b this timeG <evoid of selfBrespect( ou are full of *ealous among ourselves( and have made ourselves ob*ects of contempt to foreignersG )hrow aside our vain bragging( our theories( and so forth( and reflect N on the doings and dealings of our ever da life& 1ecause ou are governed b animal nature( + teach ou to seek success first in the struggle for e6istence( and to attend to the building up of our ph siDue( so that ou ma he able to wrestle all the better with our mind& )he ph sicall weak( + sa again and again( are unfit for the realiLation of the SelfG .hen once the mind is controlled and man is the master of his self( it does not matter whether the bod is strong or not( for then he is not dominated b it&

Sleep rarel visited the Swami at this time& 9is disease kept his brain constantl active( and at freDuent intervals during the night he would he awake& 9e therefore ver much desired rest( as is evident from the following incident2 )here was to be an eclipse of the sun& 9e was at 1alarambabu's house( and had *ust eaten a meal cooked b a disciple( who was now rubbing the Swami's feet gentl & )he sound of conchs and the ringing of bells were heard( announcing the beginning of the eclipse& F.ell(F said the Swami( Fthe eclipse of the sun has begun& 0et me have a nap&F 0ater( when the sk had become Duite dark( he remarked( F+sn't it an eclipse indeedGF )hen he turned over to sleep& Some time after( he got up and said to the disciple attending on him2 F)he sa a man is rewarded a hundredfold in what he desires or does during an eclipse& + thought that( if + could sleep soundl now for a little( + should get good sleep in the futureE but it was not to be& + have slept for about fifteen minutes onl & )he <ivine /other has not blessed this bod with sound sleep&F ,s we have alread seen( the Swami had for some time wished for a 1engali paper or *ournal to be started in 5alcutta& On account of man difficulties that had not et been done&

=%; On !ul ";( "$#$ he had written to Swami 1rahmananda from Srinagar2 F/ opinion regarding what ou have written about Sarada is onl that it is difficult to make a magaLine in 1engali pa ingE but if all of ou together canvass subscribers from door to door( it ma he possible& +n this matter do as ou all decide& -oor Sarada has alread been disappointed once&F ,fter the ,merican ladies had returned to 5alcutta from their tour in 'orth +ndia( /iss /ac0eod gave what mone she could to the Swami( who immediatel passed it on so that the publication of the 4dbodhan( a fortnightl *ournal in 1engali( could commence& +n her reminiscences !osephine /ac0eod writes2 F/rs& 1ull had given several thousand dollars to found the monaster & + having ver little( it took me some ears to have eight hundred dollars& One da + said to Swam&&& '9ere is a little mone ou ma be able to use&' 9e said( '.hatM .hatM' + said( 'Aes&' '9ow muchM' he asked& ,nd + said( 'Eight hundred dollars'& +nstantl he turned to Swami )rigunatita and said( ')here( go and bu our press&' 9e bought the press which started the 4dbodhan( the 1engali magaLine published b the Ramakrishna /ission&F , press was bought and( to the delight of the Swami( the *ournal made its appearance on !anuar "=( "$##& Swami )rigunatitananda had volunteered to be its editor and manager& .ith him were a few 1rahmacharis to help& )he Swami gave directions about the conduct of the magaLine& 'othing but -ositive ideas for the ph sical( mental( and spiritual improvement of the race should have a place in it& +nstead of criticiLing and finding fault with the thoughts and aspirations of mankind as embodied in its literature( philosoph ( poetr ( arts( and so forth( ancient and modern( it should point out how the can be made more conducive to progress& +t should never attack or seek to destro an one's faith& )he highest doctrines of the Vedas and Vedanta should be presented to the people in the simplest wa ( so that b diffusing true culture and knowledge it might in time be able to raise the 5handala to 1rahmana status& +t should stand for universal harmon as preached b Shri Ramakrishna( and scatter abroad his ideals of love(

=%$ purit ( and renunciation& .ith untiring Leal and perseverance( and wonderful selfB denial( Swami )rigunatita laboured for the success of the *ournal& ,s the Swami remarked( onl an unselfish sann asi could do such heroic work& , glimpse of the Swami's frame of mind( at the time of which we are writing( is given in his letter of <ecember "> to 5hristine 3reenstidel2 F'ever was a man more bound b :arma on all sides as + am and never one tried more to be free& .hat guided me most do ou think( the head or the heartM )he '/other' is our guide& .hatever happens or will happen will be under her ordination&F On <ecember "8 the Swami announced to the monks that he would go for a short change to 1aid anath (<eoghar)( and that( later on( probabl in the summer( he would again visit Europe and ,merica& On the +#th( attended b 9arendranath( a 1rahmachari disciple( he left for 1aid anath( where he was the guest of 1abu -ri anath /ukher*ee& 9e occupied himself in private studies( writing letters( and in spending long hours walking& 9e remained 'alone much of the time& Removed from public activities and organiLational responsibilities( his mind tended to meditative absorption( however much he tried to rest +t& On the whole( his health was badE and here( for a time( there were complications& ,n acute form of asthma set in( causing him severe discomfort& +n one attack he was almost suffocatedE and those who stood about him feared that the time had come for him to leave his bod & .hile sta ing at the house of the same gentleman( the Swami and Swami 'iran*anananda were out for a walk one da & )he found a man l ing helpless on the roadside( in the cold of winter( suffering from acute d senter & )he man had onl a rag on( and that too was soiledE and he was cr ing with pain& )he Swami wondered how he could help him2 he himself was onl a guest& 9ow could he take such a patient to his host's house without the latter's consentM 1ut he must do something at an costG .ith the help of 'iran*anananda he raised the suffering man to his feet& 1 supporting him the two monks brought him slowl to the house& )here( the cleaned and

=%# 5lothed him( and applied hot fomentations& )he nursed the sick man back to recover & )he host( instead of being ve6ed( was lost in admiration( and realiLed that the heart of Vivekananda was as great as his intellect& <uring the SwamiRs absence from 5alcutta( the 9ol /other visited the new monaster on <ecember 7%th On !anuar 7( "$## the /ath was finall moved entirel from 'ilambar /ukher*eeRs gardenBhouse to its present Duarters&

="% !1 AMONGST HIS OWN PEOPLE 1 Swami*i had gone to 1aid anath( <eoghar( thinking that the climate there might do him some goodE but the result was otherwise& On <ecember 7#("$#$ he had written to /rs& 1ull2 FAou know alread m inabilit to accompan ou& + cannot gather strength enough to accompan ou& )he cold in the lungs continues( and that is *ust what makes me unfit for travel& On the whole + hope to improve here&F 1ut alasG his hope was soon shattered( for b the second week of !anuar "$## his illness had taken a serious turn( and he had to wire Swamis( Saradananda and Sadananda to come to <eoghar& ,ccordingl the left 5alcutta on !anuar "; to attend the Swami& Soon after reaching there Swami Saradananda wrote to !osephine /ac0eod on !anuar "#2 F+ had to run down here two da s ago( for the Swami has been suffering from the same kind of difficult of breathing( and sent a telegram& + will return to 5alcutta with him as soon as he feels eDual to it& 9e is much better now( and we hope he will be himself again in a few more da s&F ,t <eoghar the Swami received letters almost dail from the /ath( giving him news of its activities and members& 9e must have been happ to learn of the 9ol /other's visit there and to the residence of /rs& Ole 1ull at 1all ( on <ecember 7%& On 5hristmas <a some of the monks were invited b /rs& Ole 1ull and /iss /ac0eod to their house& On <ecember @% the ,merican ladies were entertained b the monks at the /ath before their leaving for ,merica& On !anuar 7( "$## as we have said( the /ath was transferred to the new site for good& Sister 'ivedita was invited to give talks twice a week to the 1rahmacharis there on such sub*ects as ph siolog ( botan ( the arts including painting( and the kindergarten s stem& +n spite of his illness( the Swami was active& )he letter that he wrote from <eoghar on !anuar @( "$## to /rinalini 1ose(

="" one of his 1engali lad Bdisciples( reveals his man sidedness& .e find him here as a sociologist giving his views on the origin of customs( and on widowBmarriage( libert ( and other matters& +t reads in part2
Some ver important Duestions have been raised in our letter&&&& (") Rishi( /uni( or 3od ? none has the power to force an institution on societ & .hen the needs of the times press hard on it( societ adopts certain customs for selfBpreservation& Rishis have onl recorded those customs& ,s a man often resorts even to such means as are good for immediate selfBprotection( but which are ver in*urious in the future( so also( societ not infreDuentl saves itself for the time being( but these immediate means( which contributed to its preservation( turn out to be terrible in the long run& For e6ample( take the prohibition of widowBmarriage in our countr & <on't think that Rishis or wicked men introduced the law pertaining to it& 'otwithstanding the desire of men to keep women completel under their control( the never could succeed in introducing those laws without betaking themselves to the aid of a social necessit of the time& Of this custom two points should be speciall observed2 (a) .idowBmarriage takes place among the lower classes& (b) ,mong the higher classes the number of women is greater than that of men& 'ow( if it be the rule to marr ever girl( it is difficult enough to get one husband apieceE then how to get( b and b ( two or three for eachM )herefore has societ put one part under disadvantage( i&e& it does not let her have a second husband( who has had oneE if it did( one maid would have to go without a husband& On the other hand( widowBmarriage obtains in communities having a greater number of men than women( as in their case the ob*ection stated above does not e6ist& +t is becoming more and more difficult in the .est too for unmarried girls to get husbands& Similar is the case with the caste s stem( and other social customs& So( if it be necessar to change an social custom( the necessit underl ing it should be found out first of allE and b altering it( the custom will die of itself& Otherwise( no good will be done b condemnation or praise& (7) 'ow the Duestion is2 +s it for the good of the public at large that social rules are framed( or societ is formedM /an repl to this in

="7
the affirmativeE some again ma hold that it is not so& Sonic men( being comparativel powerful( slowl bring all others under their control( and b stratagem( force( or adroitness( gain their own ob*ects& +f this be true( what can be the meaning of the statement that there is danger in giving libert to the ignorantM .hat( again( is the meaning of libert M 0ibert does not certainl mean the absence of obstacles in the path of misappropriation of wealth etc&( b ou and me( but it is our natural right to be allowed to use our own bod ( intelligence( or wealth according to our will( without doing an harm to othersE and all the members of a societ ought to have the same opportunit for obtaining wealth( education( or knowledge& )he second Duestion is2 )hose who sa that if the ignorant and the poor be given libert ( i&e& full right to their bod ( wealth( etc&( and if their children have the same opportunit to better their condition and acDuire knowledge like those of the rich and highl situated( the would be perverse ? do the sa this for the good of the societ ( or blinded b their selfishnessM +n England( too(& + have heard( F.ho will serve us( if the lower classes get educationMF For the lu6ur of a handful of the rich( let millions of men and women remain submerged in the he7 of want and ab smal depth of ignorance( for( if the get wealth and education( societ will be upsetG .ho constitute societ M )he millions( or ou( "( and a few others of the upper classesM ,gain( even if the latter he true( what ground is there for our vanit that we lead othersM ,re we omniscientM F4ddhared ,tmana ,tmanamF?Raise self b self&F 0et each one work out his own salvation& +t is freedom in ever wa ( i&e& advance towards /ukti is the worthiest gain of man& )o advance towards freedom ? ph sical( mental( and spiritual ? and help others to do so( is the supreme priLe of man& )hose social rules which stand in the wa of the unfoldment of this freedom are in*urious( and steps should be taken to destro them speedil & )hose institutions should he encouraged b which men advance in the path of freedom&&&&

Swami*i returned from 1aid anath to 5alcutta with Swami Saradananda on the night of !anuar 77& 'e6t morning 'ivedita went to see him at his call& ,bout her visit she wrote to /iss /ac0eod on !anuar 7@2 F+ returned from an hour with

="@ the :ing Hthe SwamiI who came last night and sent for me at eight( morning& 9e was divine( looking splendid though he told me that he stood three nights battling for breath( but full of plans& + never saw him in such a mood before& Saradananda and + are to carr on a 5rusade and enthuse 5alcutta with lectures in theatres& & & &F On the 7>th Swami Saradananda also wrote to /iss /ac0eod about the Swami2 F.ell( m last was from 1aid anath( and + told ou how the -rophet Hthe SwamiI was ver ill with the same kind of attack as he used to have at 1elur& 9e suffered dreadfull ?poor childG but is much better now?onl feeling weak& .e took him back to 5alcutta as soon as the fit was over and he could move easil about& & & &F On the following da the Swami himself wrote from 1aghbaLar( 5alcutta( to 5hristine 3reenstidel2 F)he fact is( + was once more in the vale of death& )he old diabetes has now disappeared& +n its place has come what some& doctors call asthma( others d spepsia owing to nervous prostration& 9owever it is a most worr ing disease( giving one the sensation of suffocation sometimes for da s& + am best onl in 5alcutta& So + am here for rest and Duiet and low diet& +f + get well b /arch& + am going to start for Europe& /rs& 1ull and others are gone& Sorr + could not accompan them&F ,nd on Februar 7 he wrote to !osephine /ac0eod2
'either did the change at 1aid anath do me an good& + nearl died there( was suffocating for eight da s and nights& + was brought back to 5alcutta more dead than alive( and here + am struggling to get back to la again& <r& Sarkar is treating me now&&&& & & & + have suffered mentall and ph sicall all m life( but /other's kindness has been immense& )he *o and blessings + had infinitel more than + deserve& ,nd + am struggling not to fail /other( but that She will alwa s find me fighting( and m last breath will be on the battlefield&

+n addition to ph sical illness( the Swami also had to suffer at this time from the shock caused b the defection of his formerl Bdevoted admirer( /iss F& 9enrietta /uller& 9e must

="= have known about it in the earl part of <ecember( if not before( from 'ivedita or /iss /ac0eod& From 'ivedita's letter to /iss /ac0eod( dated <ecember ;( it is known that /iss /uller wanted to meet the Swami on <ecember 8( but could not do so& +n this letter 'ivedita writes2 F/iss /uller came esterda ? .ednesda ? and sta ed four hours on purpose to see Swami( as she afterwards acknowledged&&&& She has thrown ever thing overboard& Shri Ramakrishna( Swami( /editation( 4niversit H4niversalit MI of Religions( ever thing& She does not hesitate to sa that 9induism is Eroticism to the core( and that its truths have been 'kept from her'& 1 whomM 'Oh( names are useless'( she answers& ,ll( meditation included( is 'dirt '& She is now a 1ible 5hristian of a virulent t pe( and tending towards millennialism&&&& + spoke of Swami& 'Oh( ou won't love him longG' she answered gail ? '<ivine /aster'GF On <ecember 7>( "$#$( the +ndian Social Reformer published this news item2 F)o our 5hristian brethren we beg to offer a 5hristmas present in the shape of the news( which we have *ust received from the most authentic source( that /iss /uller has completel severed her connection with Swami Vivekananda's movement to spread 9induism( and that she has returned to her 5hristian faith&& & &F /iss /uller had also written a letter to the Statesman of 5alcutta& , repl to it appeared in the +ndian /irror& .hen Swami Saradananda went to 1aid anath to bring the Swami back( the latter alread knew what had happened& On !anuar "# Saradananda wrote all about it from 1aid anath to /iss /ac0eod( then on her wa to England2
-oor /iss /uller has sailed for her home )uesda Hactuall on .ednesda ( !anuar "$I last( perhaps to F her fortune there ? as none will appear here to ask her precious hand ? and as + with m efforts could not be Duick enough in demandingG .ell( + thought of seeing her to sa goodb eE but the report of her last visit with 'ivedita made me withdraw& )hen + thought of writing a letter on behalf of the /ath( and + wrote it tooE but 'ivedita thought it too sentimental& )hen we concluded b letting 'ivedita write a few lines for us and

=">
send :alikrishna with it and a few roses and fruits and nuts& + do not know if it has been carried out or not( for + hastened here for the Swami& , few opinions of /iss /uller will interest and enlighten even ourself if ou deign to lend our car& First& )he Swami tried for some occult power( or organiLation( or something humbug( and he failed miserabl ( and all other occult teachers in +ndia predicted it& 9ence her love for the Swami has withered and dropped like a dried flower as in the case of ,ksha a H3hosh( the bo whom she had adoptedI& Second& .e are a nation of black magiciansE we mesmeriLe food and so on( and we have practised that on our dear 3rann H/rs& 1ullI and Aum H/iss /ac0eodI( hence our devotion and love& )hird& +t is her sacred dut to go around in England and elsewhere and enlighten people of these bright e6periences& Fourth 'o salvation for Swami or us( unless we become 5hristians as herself( who( the Swami sa s( has never been baptiLed& 'ow ponder over these( and be miserable forever( thou awfull deceived lad &&&&

'ivedita gave an account of her last meeting with /iss /uller to /iss /ac0eod in her letter of !anuar 7@( "$##2 FOn .ednesda H!anuar "$I + saw /iss /uller off& On Saturda H!anuar "=" + lunched with SalLers& One or two nast touches about Swami Hb /iss /ullerI& ,bout mone ( + replied with definite statement that first sum bought /ath land (it is well to have tangible things to show)( and second was refused( and so on& .hen the word 'deceived' was used of Swami in Duotation from /iss /uller( + simpl gave a sharp warning not to( repeat it( and so on&F )hough the Swami must have felt ver bad on hearing all this( he knew the lad well& 5hanging her religious affiliation and making declarations in the press was not a new thing for her' 1ack in !ul "$#>( on the "8th( she had announced in the /adras /ail2 F+ am leaving the )heosophical Societ &F +t was after this that she had become a follower of the Swami in England& 1ut the /adras /ail and the #aha,odhi (ourna' had long back discerned her nature& )he former had prophesied as follows in its issue of September @%( "$#>2 F& & & +f +ndia cannot spontaneousl produce champions for herself( this manufacture of them b eccentric lad faddists is not likel to do the countr

="8 much good& /iss /uller( we fear( is doomed to sustain a ver complete and bitter disappointment&F ,nd the latter( the /ahabodhi !ournal( in its 'ovemberB<ecember "$#> issue( had stated2 F+t will reDuire thousand births et for /iss /uller ]s to be reborn the meanest 9indu woman( when her real womanl culture will begin under the thraldom( should the 0ord be pleased to grant it to her( of the '1rahmin priest'&F +n addition to the causes for /iss /uller's leaving the Swami that Swami Saradananda mentioned( the Swami himself knew that there was the reason of his illness( which was the main reason& On September "=( "$## the Swami would be writing to /r& Sturd from Ridgel /anor2 F/rs& !onson is of opinion that no spiritual person ought to be ill&&&& )hat was /iss /ullerRs reason for leaving me( m illness& )he ma be perfectl right( for aught + know ? and ou too?but + am what + am&F ,nd on !une 7%( "#%% the Swami was to write from 'ew Aork about /iss /uller to 5hristine 3reenstidel2
.ell( /other seems to be kind again and the wheel is slowl rising up& <id ou hear of m friend /iss /ullerM .ell( she left me in +ndia ? and the sa tried to in*ure me in England& )his morning + get a letter from her that she is coming to the States ? and wants to see me badl G 9er defection was a great blow to me ? as + loved her so much( and she was a great helper and worker& She has plent of this world's goods and brains( but like m self ? she now and then gets into violent nervous fits& 'ow( of course( there is good e6cuse for her age ?none for me& She wants to come b the end of !une& "( of course( want her to come earlier& So + wrote her *ust now&&&&

+t is not known to date whether or not the met in the StatesE but it is clear that she had climbed down somewhat within a couple of ears of her defection& )he Swami's words in his letter to 'ivedita( written on 'ovember "7( "#%"( from 1elur /ath( also impl this2 F1 the b ( /iss /uller is here in 5alcutta& She wrote a letter to ,khandananda( with whom she has been in regular correspondence( to the care of the /ath& So + sent some flowers and fruits( and a letter of welcome( to her hotel& + have not had a repl et&F

="; 1 the beginning of Februar "$## the Swami was feeling better& Once more he was at the task of training his brotherBmonks and disciples& )his( it hardl needs sa ing( was something that he was alwa s bus with( either manifestl or tacitl & 'ow it would be that the should cook for him ? himself an e6cellent cook& Or again( that the should carr out some other &order precisel and promptl & +n his demands he was most e6acting( so that the might learn attentiveness and accurac & Following the e6ample of -avhari 1aba( the were to concentrate on and do to perfection even the simplest acts of life& )he Swami once said&& F9e who knows how even to fill a 5hillum of tobacco properl ( knows also how to meditate& ,nd he who cannot cook well( cannot be a perfect sann asi& 4nless cooking is performed with a pure mind and concentration( the food is not palatable&F Or( he would train some of the disciples to be preachers& )he had to stand up and speak e6tempore before him and a group of sann asis and houseBholders& Sometimes( the would be nervous( but lid would insist( and tell them of the advice that Shri Ramakrishna had once given him for overcoming diffidence& F)hinkF( said Shri Ramakrishna( Fof the men before ou as worms( as the old proverb runs&F Once warmed to their sub*ect( the disciples would speak fluentl ( on the 4panishads( or on !nana or 1hakti( or again on the need of Shraddha( renunciation( and so forth& )he Swami would encourage them with cheers( or with F.ell doneGF at the end of a speech& Of Swami Shuddhananda he said( F+n time he will be an e6cellent speakerGF On another occasion being pleased with a piece of work done b the same Swami( he said( Duoting the 1ible( FAou are the beloved son in whom + am pleased&F +t was the Swami's habit( in order to give encouragement( to e6tol to the highest even the smallest merit of his followers& +n keeping with this habit of the Swami was his capacit to make all who were about him great( and eDual to brave or dare an thing& Success or failure on their part would elicit from him nothing but approbation and encouragementE for he *udged his brothers and disciples not b their achievements but b the

="$ spirit in which the engaged in action& Enough that the had dared and done their bestG 9e would( so to speak( throw them into water be ond their depth( to make them learn to swim& 9e had infinite faith in the possibilities of the human soul( and would inspire his followers with a fire and eloDuence that were irresistible& )he were as capable of inspiration as he himself( he told them& ,n atom of goodness in a disciple he would see as a mountain( and mountains of faults and failings he would ' see as atomsG +n such a relationship( ever word spoken( ever thought( ever deed attempted or accomplished( ever purpose understood( and even those misunderstood( became charged with power and the means of e6tended vision& Such was the spirit in the /ath in those da s& )he affairs of the /ath were capabl organiLed b Swami Saradananda( who had been called back from ,merica for that purpose& Even 'though the Swami knew that Saradananda was ver useful in the States( he thought it of greater importance and more urgent to have the work of the headDuarters organiLed( and some of the ounger members trained as preachers( b one who was acDuainted with .estern methods of organiLation( and with .estern needs and temperament& 1esides( he knew that the work in ,merica would not suffer& for Swami ,bhedananda was working there with untiring Leal and surprising success& Since his arrival at the /ath in the beginning of Februar "$#$( Swami Saradananda had given himself to his task with great devotion& Ever thing went like clockwork and with great enthusiasm& UuestionBclasses( and classes for the stud of Sanskrit and of Eastern and .estern philosophies were conducted regularl b him and b Swami )uri anandaE and meditation classes were held dail & )he business side of running the /ath was entrusted to the ounger members& )his was done at the instance of the Swami& 9e held that unless the were given freedom of decision in their sphere( with responsibilities to shoulder( the would never learn to stand on their own feet and work wholeheartedl for the cause& )he formed themselves into a bod and elected a superintendent from among themselves ever month& 9e was

="# responsible for seeing that the dail duties were properl carried out and the needs of the /ath attended to& On the principle of division of labour the superintendent assigned to each fellowBdisciple his duties( had a reserve force to meet emergencies( and allowed some b turn to devote themselves entirel to spiritual practices and austerities& 9e had to see that all work was done properl and in time( that ever thing was kept neat( clean( and in its place( that the sick were taken care of( and so on& +t was a delight to the Swami to see( both before he left 5alcutta in the earl part of "$#$ and again after he returned in October( that the organiLation of the /ath was so satisfactor & )he Swami is seen in these da s preBeminentl as a monastic leader and as the builder of a monastic order& 9e was constantl teaching his disciples the ideals and practice of the monastic life& 3athering them together whenever the mood came upon him( he would instruct them in the duties of their life( impress upon them the responsibilities of the great vow that the had taken( and put before them its glories and possibilities& 9e would often sa ( F1rahmachar a should he like a burning fire within the veinsGF Or( FRemember( the ideal is the freedom of the soul and service to all&F )he life of Sann asa meant( to him( renunciation of the personal for the sake of the universal good( till the personal was merged in the impersonal& 9e so brought ideals to life and showed them to he practical( that the could never afterwards be passed off as abstractions& 9e held that nothing was impossible for one who had faith in himself& 9e would point out2
)he histor of the world is the histor of a few men who had faith in themselves& )hat faith calls out the divinit within& Aou can do an thing& Aou fail onl when ou do not strive sufficientl to manifest infinite power& ,s soon as a man loses faith in himself( death comes& 1elieve first in ourself( and then in 3od& , handful of strong men will move the world& .e need a heart to feel( a brain to conceive( and a strong arm to do the work& 1uddha gave himself for the animals& /ake ourselves fit agents to work& 1ut it is 3od who works( not ou& One man contains within him the whole universe& One particle of

=7% matter has all the energ of the universe at its back& +n a conflict between the heart and the brain( follow our heart& +n one of the gatherings of disciples the talk drifted to ,dhikarivada( or the doctrine of special rights and privileges& )he Swami spoke in unmeasured terms against it and the evils that have resulted from it& 9e said that the highest truths should be given to one and all alike( without making distinction& 9is disciples should he bold enough to give out the truth uneDuivocall and fearlessl ( without caring for the prevailing customs of the people and of the countr & 9e cried out2
'o compromiseG 'o whitewashingG 'o covering of corpses with flowersG&&& )his attempt at compromise proceeds from arrant( downBright cowardice& 1e holdG / children should he brave( above all& 'ot the least compromise on an account& -reach the highest truths broadcast& <o not be afraid of losing our respect( or of causing unhapp friction& Rest assured that if ou serve )ruth in spite of temptations to forsake +t( ou will attain a heavenl strength( in the face of which men will Duail to speak before ou things that ou do not believe to he true& -eople will he convinced b what ou sa to them if ou can strictl serve )ruth for fourteen ears continuall ( without swerving from +t& )hus ou will confer the greatest blessing on the mN( unshackle their bonds( and uplift the whole nation&

Or Duoting 1hartrihari he would e6claim2 F0et sages praise thee or the world blame thee& 0et fortune itself come( or let povert and rags stare thee in the face& One da eat the herbs of the forest for foodE and the ne6t da ( partake of a banDuet of fift courses& 0ooking neither to the right nor to the left( *ourne thou onGF ,gain and again he would sa that onl a great monk can be a great worker& FOnl the unimpassioned and unattached do most for the worldF&& he would sa 2 F.ho can claim to be a greater worker than 1uddha or 5hristMF +n the Swami's e es there was no work that was secular& ,ll work was sacred& ,ll work was worship& F.e must combine the practicalit and the culture of the finest citiLenship with the love of povert ( the purit ( and the thorough renunciation that characteriLe the true monk( and the man of 3odGF

=7" +n discussing the kinds of service that the monks should take up( he would mention the feeding of the poor( relief in times of famine( nursing the sick( supervising sanitation in epidemicBinfected towns( founding orphanages and hospitals and centres of education and training ? all of which have since become elements in the work and la of the monks of the Ramakrishna Order& +n the monaster itself( besides leading the spiritual and intellectual life( the were also to acDuaint themselves( theoreticall and practicall ( with music( gardening( the keeping of animals( and so forth& ,nd he himself( setting an e6ample( would often e6periment in the sinking of a well( or in baking( or some other form of cooker ( or he would teach them choral singing& 9e would insist on ph sical e6ercise( sa ing2 F+ want sappers and miners in the arm of religionG So( bo s( set ourselves to the task of training our musclesG For ascetics( mortification is all rightG For workers( wellBdeveloped bodies( muscles of iron( and nerves of steelGF Stud ( also( was reDuired in order that the monks might( through learning( develop wellBreasoned *udgement on the social and spiritual needs of the time and their mutual ad*ustment( and on the best wa of bringing about an e6change of the highest ideals between East and .est& )he Swami was never tired of impressing upon the minds of his monastic disciples that renunciation with unbroken 1rahmachar a was the onl ke to +llumination( to the realiLation of the 9ighest& )he life of the monk was a continuous struggle( a war with the internal nature& )his being so( the monk must practise intense )apas a (spiritual disciplines and austerities)( selfBcontrol( and concentration( if he aspired to victor & 'othing pleased him so much as to see someone of them devoting himself to austerities and meditation in solitude& Once he turned fiercel upon someone( who had put to him a worldl Duestion( with the remark( F3o and perform )apas a for some time in order to purif our mind( and then ou will not ask such perverse DuestionsGF )he Swami insisted that in their preparator stage his disciples must submit themselves to strict discipline( and

=77 scrupulousl observe the regulations about food and the other e6ternal restrictions en*oined on the 1rahmacharis& On the night of <ecember "8( before he left for 1aid anath( he held a long meeting at the monaster ( in which he gave instructions to the ounger members concerning the regulation of food( and particularl about eating sparingl at night& :nowing the importance of the action of food on the mind( he said( F.ithout control over food the control of the mind is impossible& OverBeating causes much evil& 1oth bod and mind are ruined b overBeatingGF +n their present state of spiritual development the were not to cat food touched b nonB9indusE the were to have 'ishtha (steadfast devotion to their own +deal) without being narrowBminded and bigotedE and the were to keep firml to the life of 1rahmachar a& 1ut if at an time the should find themselves unable to adhere to the high ideals and rigorous discipline of Sann asa( the were to he free to return to the householder's life& )his was much more desirable and manl than leading a h pocritical life( and bringing degradation on themselves and disgrace to the Order& )he were to rise earl ( meditate( perform their religious duties s stematicall ( and be particularl mindful of )apas a& )he should take special care of their health( he punctual as to the time of meals( and he attentive to other matters of personal necessit & )heir conversation at all times should he on religious sub*ects& ,s in .estern monasteries( the were not even to read newsBpapers during a certain period of their training& )he were not to mi6 freel with householders& On this point( one da in /a "$##( he charged them in a fever of monastic passion2
)he men of the world should have no voice in the affairs of the /ath& )he sann asi should have nothing to do with the richE his dut is with the poor& 9e should treat the poor with loving care( and serve them *o full with all his might& )o pa respects to the rich and hang on them for support has been the bane of all the monastic communities of our countr & , true sann asi should scrupulousl avoid that& Such conduct becomes a public woman rather than one who professes to have renounced the world& 9ow should a man( immersed in :amaB:anchana (lust and gold)(

=7@
become a true devotee of one whose central ideal was the renunciation of :amaB:anchanaM Shri Ramakrishna wept and pra ed to the <ivine /other to send him such a one to talk with as would not have in him the slightest tinge of :amaB:anchana( for he would sa ( F/ lips burn when + talk with the worldl Bminded&F 9e also used to sa that he could not even bear the touch of the worldl Bminded and the impure& )hat :ing of sann asis can never be preached b men of the world& )he latter can never be perfectl sincere( for the cannot but have some selfish motives to serve& +f 3od incarnates 9imself as a householder( + can never believe 9im to be sincere& .hen a householder takes the position of the leader of a religious sect( he begins to serve his own interests in the name of principle( hiding the former in the garb of the latter( and the result is that the sect becomes in time rotten to the core& ,ll religious movements headed b householders have shared the same fate& .ithout renunciation religion can never stand&

,fter his return from 1aid anath the Swami framed certain rules for his oung disciples in order to guard them from the least touch of worldliness or contact with worldl Bminded people& )he latter should not( out of familiarit ( be allowed to sit or lie on the sadhus' bedsE nor should the sit at meals with the sadhusE and so on& )o a disciple he said2
'owada s + feel a sort of disagreeable smell of lust in the bodies and clothes of worldl people& + had read of it in the Shastras( and now + find wh it is that men of purit and renunciation cannot bear the touch or the association of the worldl Bminded& .ith right rigour and wisdom the Shastras en*oin 1rahmacharis to remain absolutel aloof not onl from women but even from those who associate with women& .hen the 1rahmacharis become firml established in the ideals of Sann asa( there is no harm in their mi6ing with houseBholders&

9e would not allow the ounger members of the /ath to live even in the 9ol /other's retreat in 5alcutta( for the purpose of serving herBher whom he adored as he adored Shri RamakrishnaB*ust because it was like a women's /ath where womenB devotees lived and where man ladies came to pa their respects to the 9ol /other and to be taught b her&

=7= )here was the instance of his rating a oung 1rahmachari of blameless character( whom he found there after returning from :ashmir( and of his appointing an aged but energetic disciple in the latter's place& +t hardl needs sa ing that the Swami was not a hater of householders or of women& 9e was b no means blind to the virtues and ideals of the householder's life( and he counted among his best friends men and women who were householders( and whose lives he held up as e6emplar even to his monastic followers& 9e would often sa 2 F+ understand the greatness of the ideal householder( full of the earning to protect and serve( eager to earn righteousl and spend benevolentl and ever striving to order his life after a spiritual ideal& /arriage ma be the path( in fact( the onl path( for certain souls( but he who has adopted the monastic life should know that ever thing in the world is fraught with fear& Renunciation alone can make one fearless& / bo s( ou must appropriate the greatness of the householder's ideal& FOur ideal of service to the world must be like that of the householder as taught in the parable of the birds& On seeing that two wear travellers( who had come beneath the forest tree in which the rested( had nothing to cat( the birds cast themselves into the fire lighted b the travellers in order to furnish them with food( because the thought that it was their dut as householders to do so&F +n this wa he infused into the members of the Order a spirit in which the highest service was made one with the highest meditation& Sometimes in a mood of remonstrance he would e6claim2 FSa ( what work shall + do in our countr M Ever one here wants to lead( and none to obe G +n the doing of great works( the commands of the leader have to he simplicit obe ed& +f m brotherB disciples tell me now that + have to pass the rest of m life in cleansing the drain of the /ath( know( for certain( that + shall obe that order without a word of protest& 9e onl can he a great commander who knows how to obe ( without a word of murmur( that which is for the general good&F One is reminded of how the founders of the .estern monastic orders

=7> had demanded of members the same readiness and utter selfBabandonment in obedience& )he will of the individual had to he trainedE onl in that wa ( the Swami held( could the strength of a monastic organiLation be maintained& )he Swami was sometimes tempted to give wa to despair and think his life a failure( since there did not come to him Ftwo thousand enthusiastic outhsF to be trained as sann asi workers read to give their lives for the spiritual regeneration of their motherland( and Fthree hundred million rupeesFE for( he used to sa ( with these at his command he could solve all of +ndia's problems and set her on her feet& F9owever(F he said( F+ will do the ver best m self( and infuse m spirit in others to continue the work& 'o rest for meG + shall die in harnessG + love actionG 0ife is a battle( and one must alwa s be in action( to use a militar phrase& 0et me live and die in actionGF One evening while pacing to and fro( restless with the greatness of his thought( he suddenl stopped and e6claimed to a sann asi disciple2 F0isten( m bo G Shri Ramakrishna came and gave his life for the worldE + also will sacrifice m lifeE ou also( ever one of ou( should do the same& ,ll these works are onl a beginning& 1elieve me( from the shedding of our lifeBblood will arise gigantic heroes and warriors of 3od( who wit + revolutioniLe the whole worldGF ,nd he would often charge his disciples with the words& F'ever forget( service to the world and the realiLation of 3od are the ideals of the monkG Stick to themG )he monastic is the most immediate of pathsG 1etween the monk and his 3od there are no idolsG ')he sann asi stands on the head of the VedasG' sa the VedasE for he is free from churches and sects and religions and prophets and scripturesG 9e is the visible 3od on earthG Remember this( and go thou th wa ( sann asi bold( carr ing the banner of renunciation ? the banner of peace( of freedom( of blessedness&F .hen the Swami returned to 5alcutta from <eoghar (1aid anath)( he lived sometimes at the new monaster and sometimes at 1alarambabu's house& )hough his health was still poor( he came with new plans and an invigorated spirit& 1aid anath had done him some good in that it had rested him&

=78 )he da after his return he held a meeting of his brotherBmonks( telling them that the must now be prepared to go forth( as the followers of the 1uddha did( and preach the gospel of Shri Ramakrishna to the people of +ndia& )he same da he called Swamis Vira*ananda and -rakashananda( his disciples( and instructed them to proceed at once to <acca in East 1engal (now 1angladesh)& )he first of these two humbl protested( sa ing( FSwami*i( what shall + preachM + know nothingGF F)hen go and preach thatGF e6claimed the Swami2 F)hat in itself is a great messageGF 1ut the disciple( still unconvinced( pra ed that he might be allowed to practise further spiritual disciplines and attain RealiLation first( for his own salvation& ,t that the Swami thundered( FAou will go to 'hell if ou seek our own salvationG Seek the salvation of others if ou want to reach the 9ighestG :ill out the desire for personal /uktiG( )hat is the greatest of all spiritual disciplines&F ,nd he added sweetl 2 F.ork( m children( work with our whole heart and soulG )hat is the thing& /ind not the fruits of work& .hat if ou go to hell itself working for othersM )hat is better than winning heaven through selfB sought salvationGF ,fterwards he called these two disciples and with them went into the worshipBroom of the monaster & )he three sat in meditation( in which the Swami became absorbed& )hen he solemnl said( F'ow + shall infuse m Shakti( m -ower( into ouG )he 0ord 9imself shall be at our backGF )hat whole da he was most loving to these two disciples( and gave them private instruction concerning what the should preach and what /antras the should give to those who desired to be initiated& )hus blessed b their guru( the left for <acca on Februar =& )he Swami also commissioned two of his brotherBdisciples( Swamis Saradananda and )uri ananda( to preach in 3u*aratE and the set out on their *ourne three da s later& +t was the Swami's desire that the Vedas and other scriptures should be studied at the /ath& From the time the monaster was moved to 'ilambar /ukher*ee's gardenB house( he had started( with the help of his brotherBdisciples( regular classes on the Vedas( the 4panishads( the VedantaBSutras( the 3ita( the

=7; .ha avata( and other scriptures( and had himself taught for a time -anini's ,shtadh a i& 'ow he occupied himself with a comprehensive stud of Sanskrit scriptures and literature& ,nd in these da s he composed his two great Sanskrit poems on Shri Ramakrishna( one of which is now dail sting during ,rati( the evening service( at the Ramakrishna monasteries& /an came from far and near to see the Swami& 5onstant discussion on religion and philosoph ( and on how to bring about material improvement and a national regeneration( went on( as had happened in the da s when the Swami made SealRs 3arden his headDuarters for meeting people& 1ut the most memorable visit was that of 'ag /ahasha a( who came all the wa from his distant villageBhome at <eobhog in the <istrict of <acca( to the new /ath& +t was like the coming together of two great forces( one representing the highest t pe of the ancient householder's ideal( and the other( the ideal of a new t pe of monasticism2 one mad with 3odBinto6ication( the other into6icated with the mission of bringing out the <ivine in manE but both one in their inward Sann asa and RealiLation&& ,fter saluting each other 'ag /ahasha a e6claimed( F!ai Shankara 1lessed am + to see before me the living ShivaGF and remained standing before the Swami with folded hands& On being asked about his health he said( F.hat is the use of inDuiring about a worthless lump of flesh and bonesG + feel full of bliss at seeing Shiva 9imselfGF .ith these words he fell prostrate before the Swami( who at once raised him up& )he 4panishad class was then in progress& )he Swami said to his disciples( F0et the class be stopped& 5ome and see 'ag /ahasha a&F .hen all had seated themselves round the great devotee( the Swami said( F0ookG 9e is a householder( but he has no consciousness of whether he has a bod or not( of whether the universe e6ists or notG 9e is alwa s absorbed in the thought of 3odG 9e is a living e6ample of what man becomes when he attains Supreme 1hakti&F )urning to 'ag /ahasha a he reDuested him to tell them something of Shri Ramakrishna( but he with his characteristic humilit replied2 F.hat shall + sa G + am too unworth to speak of 9imG + have

=7$ onl come to purif m self b the sight of /ahavira( who( in the <ivine pla (0ila) of the 0ord in 9is incarnation as Shri Ramakrishna( is the 0ord's complement& Victor be to 9imG Victor be to 9imGF )he Swami remarked( FAou have trul known what our /aster wasE we are onl beating about the bushGF .hereupon 'ag /ahasha a broke forth in protest2 F-ra ( do not speak such meaningless words& Aou are the shadow of Shri Ramakrishna& 9e and ou are the obverse and the reverse of the same coinG 0et him see who has the e es to seeGF ,fter some talk the Swami said to him( F+t would he so good if ou would come and live at the /ath& )hese bo s will have a living e6ample before them to mould their lives after&F )he great 1hakta replied in a mood of resignation2 F+ once asked the /aster's permission to give up the world& 9e said( '0ive in the world&' So + am following his command( and come occasionall to be blessed b the sight of ou all( his children&F )hen the following dialogue ensued& )he Swami2 F'ow m onl wish is to awaken the countr & )his great giantess is as if sleeping( having lost all faith in her own strength ? sleeping( dead to all outward appearance& +f we can awaken her once more to the consciousness of her infinite strength in the Sanatana <harma HEternal ReligionI( then our 0ord and we will not have been born in vain& Onl that one desire remainsE /ukti and the like seem like trash beside itG <o bless me that + ma succeed&F 'ag /ahasha a2 F)he 0ord is ever blessing ou& .ho can check our willM Aour will and 9is are one& *ai RamakrishnaGF )he Swami& FOh( if onl + had had a strong bod ( so needful for workG See how( since m coming back to +ndia( m health is impaired( frustrating all m plans of workG +n Europe and ,merica + was so well&F 'ag /ahasha a2 F0iving in a bod ( as the /aster used to sa ( one has to pa ta6es in the shape of disease and affliction& 1ut ours is a chest of gold sovereigns( and so it has to he guarded with vigilant care& ,las( who will do thatG .ho will understand what it means to the worldGF

=7# )he Swami2 FEver one in the /ath looks after me with great love and care&F 'ag /ahasha a2 F1lessed are the that serve ou( for thus the are doing good not onl to themselves but to the world at large( whether the understand it or notGF +t is impossible to describe the manner and spirit in which 'ag /ahasha a spoke these words in appreciation of the Swami& )o those who never knew 'ag /ahasha a( the ma appear fulsome and theatrical ? even blasphemous ? E but an one who knew that godl soul will recogniLe them as coming from his deepest conviction& )hose present at this meeting found it difficult to check tears of emotionE for 'ag /ahasha a had the power of breathing the tenderest feelings and most vibrant thoughts into the souls of his hearers( b means of a few simple words( or even b a mere look& )he four preachers sent out b the Swami did e6cellent work in the cities the visited& Ever where the found opportunities for the spread of the gospel of Shri Ramakrishna( which appealed directl to all hearts( mainl because of its simplicit and directness& Swamis Vira*ananda and -rakashananda started( at the earnest desire of the citiLens of <acca( a branch of the Ramakrishna /ission there& Swamis Saradananda and )uri ananda( who left 5alcutta on Februar ;( made a tour of towns in :athiawar& )he were enthusiasticall welcomed b the Swami*i's devoted admirers( whom the found ever where& 1 their lectures and talks on Vedanta the Swamis created a profound impression on the minds of people in that distant province& ,fter three months of preaching and teaching( these four monks returned to the monaster at the call of the Swami who re*oiced to hear of their success&

=@%

!2 AMONGST HIS OWN PEOPLE 2 +t will be interesting to note how the movement started b the Swami was being carried on b his coBworkers in +ndia and abroad& ,t the time of which we are speaking( namel ( the close of the last centur ( four features are found chiefl to characteriLe the movement's activities2 firstl ( the preaching of Vedanta b individual sann asis of the OrderE secondl ( the founding of monastic centresE thirdl ( the starting of temporar centres for the relief of distress in times of famine( plague( etc&E and fourthl ( the establishment of homes for orphans& )o recapitulate( the main events had been&& the inauguration of the Ramakrishna /ission in 5alcuttaE the establishment of the permanent headDuarters of the Ramakrishna Order at 1elur /ath and its organiLation on a solid basis thereE the starting of the centre in /adras b Swami Ramakrishnananda and his preaching and teaching thereE the opening of the girls' school b Sister 'ivedita in 5alcuttaE the sending of preachers to 3u*arat and East 1engal (now 1angladesh)E and the Vedanta work carried on b Swamis Saradananda and ,bhedananda in England and ,merica& )here were also the famine relief operations conducted b Swami ,khandananda in /urshidabad <istrict in "@#;( and the public sanitation work in connection with the "$#$ 5alcutta plague epidemic& )he Ramakrishna /ission held its weekl meetings in 5alcutta throughout "$#;& 4nder its auspices public meetings were also held freDuentl ( at which Sister 'ivedita and Swami Saradananda often delivered lectures& Swami Ramakrishnananda delivered lectures( and conducted as man as eleven classes a week( in different parts of /adras cit ( under the auspices of various societies& 9e also visited other cities of the /adras -residenc (now divided into )amil 'adu and ,ndhra -radesh) to carr on Vedanta work there& ,bout the middle of "$#; the Swami deputed Swami

=@" Shivananda to work in 5e lon (Sri 0anka)( in response to an appeal for a teacher made to him b the chief 9indu communities while he was there& 1esides arousing an interest in the Vedanta philosoph among the )amils and the Sinhalese in 5e lon( Swami Shivananda opened classes for the teaching of Ra*aBAoga and the 3ita& )he latter of these was attended b several Europeans also& One of them( /rs& -ickett( to whom he gave the name 9ariB-ri a( was speciall trained b him to teach Vedanta to Europeans& 9e sent her to ,ustralia and 'ew Xealand to prepare the wa for a teacher of the Vedanta there& She made a tour of both countries( interested some earnest students( and opened classes in ,delaide and South Victoria( and in 'elson( 'ew Xealand& )he idea and need of having a monaster in a cool( secluded region of the 9imala as( where East and .est could meet on an eDual footing of love and unit of purpose( e6change with each other their own highest ideals( and practise the ,dvaita teaching were much in the Swami's thought& 9e had written to a friend that this monaster must be about ;(%%% feet above seaBlevel( since he did not want to make it too difficult for his .estern disciples coming to work for his cause in +ndia( b forcing on them the +ndian mode of living in the fier heat of the plains& On his tours he had himself looked for a suitable site in the hills in and about <harmsala( /urree( Srinagar( <ehra <un and the town of ,lmora( but had found nothing to answer satisfactoril to his purpose& .hen he went to :ashmir( he left the matter in the hands of /r& and /rs& Sevier& .ith Swami Swarupananda the made a tour into the interior of ,lmora <istrict& +n the course of an e6tensive and diligent search the came on the beautiful estate of /a avati with its thickl wooded hills spread over an area ranging from 8(%%% to ;(%%% feet elevation( the ,shrama being at 8(=%% feet& +t was fift miles cast of ,lmora and commanded a magnificent view of the snow ranges& )he decided at once that it was the spot for starting the proposed ,dvaita ,shrama and having a permanent home for -rabuddha 1harata& )he purchase was promptl made and the established it as their retreat on

=@7 /arch "#( "$## the da on which the birth anniversar of Shri Ramakrishna was publicl celebrated that ear& )he ,dvaita ,shrama was founded with the fullBhearted blessings of the Swami and under his guidance& )he press was moved there forthwith& +n certain respects the ,dvaita ,shrama is uniDue among the institutions started under the inspiration of the Swami& )he following lines( which he wrote to the *ointB founders of the ,shrama( set forth its ideal and principles2
+n .hom is the 4niverse( .ho is in the 4niverse( .ho is the 4niverseE in .hom is the Soul( .ho is in the Soul( .ho is the Soul of manE knowing 9im( and therefore the 4niverse( as our Self( alone e6tinguishes all fear( brings an end to miser and leads to infinite freedom& .herever there has been e6pansion in love or progress in wellBbeing of individuals or numbers( it has been through the perception( realiLation( and the practicaliLation of the Eternal )ruth ? The 9neness of A'' .ein s& F<ependence is miser & +ndependence is happiness&F )he ,dvaita is the onl s stem which gives unto man complete possession of himself( takes off all dependence and its associated superstitions' thus making us brave to suffer( brave to do( and in the long run attain to ,bsolute Freedom& 9itherto it has not been possible to preach this 'oble )ruth entirel free from the settings of dualistic weaknessE this alone( we are convinced( e6plains wh it has not been more operative and useful to mankind at large& )o give this O'E )R4)9 a freer and fuller scope in elevating the lives of individuals and leavening the mass of mankind( we start this ,dvaita ,shrama on the 9imala an heights( the land of its first e6piration& 9ere it is hoped to keep ,dvaita free from all superstitions and weakening contaminations& 9ere will be taught and practised nothing but the <octrine of 4nit ( pure and simple( and though in entire s mpath with all other s stems( this ,shrama is dedicated to ,dvaita and ,dvaita alone&

+n this ,shrama there is no e6ternal worship of 3od b means of images( pictures( or s mbols( nor an religious ceremon or ritual( e6cept the Vira*a 9oma ? not even the worship

=@@ of Shri Ramakrishna( which is central in the life of the other monastic centres of the Ramakrishna Order& 1efore he left on his second visit to the .est( the Swami(& in response to a reDuest( agreed to send four of his disciples to help in the work of the ,shrama& .ithin a week of his departure( Swamis Sachchidananda (senior)( Vira*ananda( and Vimalananda( and 1rahmachari 9arendranath( left 1elur /ath to take up enthusiasticall their new duties& )hese were mainl the construction of a building for the monks( roadBmaking( agricultural work( and helping in the publication of the *ournal& 0ike the aboveBmentioned institutions( the three magaLines that had been started either under the auspices of or under the direct control and guidance of the Swami and conducted b his brotherBdisciples and his own disciples( did a large amount of educational work in +ndia and abroad& )hese magaLines were the 1rahmavadin of /adras( -rabuddha 1harata of ,lmora and subseDuentl /a avati( and 4dbodhan of 5alcutta& )he spread far and wide the teachings and ideas of Shri Ramakrishna and the Swami& )he made known( vindicated( and interpreted the thoughts and ideals of the ancient +ndian sages and philosophers& )he published reports of the activities of the members of the Order( and also brought out their writings and lectures& )urning now to the Vedanta movement in the .est( Swami ,bhedananda( as we saw( after holding classes for some ten months in 0ondon( had to leave for ,merica in the latter part of !ul "$#;( in response to urgent and repeated calls from the Vedanta Societ of 'ew Aork for a Swami to take charge of that centre& )hough the classes that he had been conducting in 0ondon had to be temporaril suspended( the work there was never at a standstill& )he disciples of the Swami and other students interested in the Vedanta continued to meet in small groups& )he helped each other and themselves b readings( talks( and discussions( with unabated Leal( looking forward to Swami Vivekananda's return to them at no distant date& +t is hardl possible to give here a full account of the

=@= widespread preaching done b Swamis Saradananda( ,bhedananda( and ,bha ananda in ,merica& )hese teachers of the Vedanta carried their message through man of the more important States( making their headDuarters in 1oston( 'ew Aork( and 5hicago& )he press often carried editorials e6pressing appreciation of their lectures and their personal Dualities& Swami Saradananda( as previousl mentioned( was called back b the Swami for the sake of the +ndian work& 9e left 'ew Aork for +ndia on !anuar "7( "$&#$( after about two ears of stead preaching work& Swami ,bhedananda visited man cities of the 4&S&,&( delivering lectures and holding classes& 9e then established himself in 'ew Aork where he opened regular classes on oga and meditation& )he growth in interest could be seen from the increasing siLe of the audiences of educated people( man of them members of churches( and some of them people of standing in public life& 9e met representative personalities in the worlds of art( science( and religion& One liberal and enlightened 'ew Aork clerg man went so far as to distribute this Swami's lecture programmes among his congregation( advising them to go and listen to him& Swami ,bhedananda delivered eight Bsi6 lectures in /ott's /emorial 9all alone& Several of the best papers and *ournals of 'ew Aork State published accounts of his teaching and of himself& On Easter Sunda "$##( Swami ,bhedananda initiated four 1rahmacharis& <uring the summer he visited .orcester( 1oston( 5ambridge( and other places in 'ew England( and met able and influential persons2 for instance( /r& Edison( the inventorE !oseph !efferson( the famous actorE .illiam <ean 9owells( the novelistE and professors in 5ornell( +owa( Aale( and other universities& 'o less active was Swami ,bha ananda& ,fter preaching the Vedanta in different parts of the 4nited States for nearl two ears with her characteristic Leal and energ ( she went to 5hicago in "$#;& .ithin four weeks of commencing work there( men and women of education and social standing had gathered round her& )he urged her to establish herself in 5hicago& She

=@> accordingl founded the ,dvaita Societ there& )hus the seeds sown b Swami Vivekananda on ,merican soil were growing vigorousl as the da s passed( striking roots in the heart of the nation& F+t will be impossible to tellF( wrote a contemporar ( Fhow man will look back in after ears to the teachings of the Swamis as a turning point in their lives&F +n the si6 ears' interval between his first landing in ,merica in "$#@ and his "$## visit( the growing influence of Oriental philosoph in ,merica could be discerned in several directions( not least in the rise of F'ew )houghtF societies& )he principles and practices of the Vedanta were to be found set forth under man names and in various wa s& So( when the Swami left the shores of +ndia the second time for the .est( he did it with the consciousness of a bright prospect opening up before the work that he had set in motion& )hough his visit was chiefl in search of health( he was again to find himself in a vorte6 of intense activit ( for preaching and teaching were his ver la& 0et us also take note of the humanitarian works undertaken b the Order in the service of suffering +ndia( starting with 1engal as a nucleus& Swami ,khandananda( fired b the words of the 0eader( did much educational work in :hetri in "$#=& )hrough his activities the number on the roll of the local school increased immensel and the Dualit of teaching also improved& ,t that time the s stem of slaver obtained in Ra*putana (now Ra*asthan)& )hrough Swami ,khandananda's efforts man slave bo s were freed and arrangements were made for their education& 1ut his activities were not confined to the town& 3oing from village to village he established five 0ower -rimar Schools& Shortl after( on the advice of Swami Vivekananda and on being satisfied with the uniform progress of these schools( the Ra*a of :hetri sanctioned from the revenue of his State an additional annual grant of five thousand rupees for the education department& )he local Sanskrit School was also( through Swami ,khandananda's effort( converted into a Vedic School for teaching the +a6ur/Veda& Some time after( in "$#>(

=@8 ,khandananda went to 'athdwara in 4daipur State for a brief sta & )here( after much labour( he succeeded in starting a /iddle English School( and with the help of a 1engali outh managed to conduct it for a time& +n ,lwar and other States in Ra*putana he established associations of a cultural nature( but in which matters concerning the welfare of the people were also discussed& /ention has alread been made of the famine relief done b Swami ,khandananda in /urshidabad <istrict& )his led to another form& of service( for( moved b the helpless condition of deserted children in the famine affected villages( ,khandananda conceived the idea of starting an orphanage& 9e began work with two little orphans in ,ugust "$#;( at /ahula( the centre of his relief work& ,t the beginning of "$## the orphanage was moved to Sargachhi& )he number of bo s increased graduall as da s passed& 1esides feeding( nursing( and housing them( he made arrangements for their education ? practical( intellectual( moral( and spiritual? so that the might help themselves and be helpful to others& +n short( he set about making men of them( in the full sense of the word& .ithin two ears of starting( he had made( with the limited funds at his disposal( arrangements for the teaching of reading( writing( and arithmetic in elementar English and in the vernacular& Orphans of an creed and caste were welcome( and the were given full freedom to keep to their respective faiths and religious practices& Swami ,khandananda was( as the ears went b ( to push on boldl with his selfBimposed task( struggling with difficulties and hardships( his health eventuall to he shattered under the strain& Suffice it to sa that( if Swami Vivekananda was( among the 1rotherhood( the moving spirit of the ideal of service to fellowBmen( it was Swami ,khandananda who was the first and foremost to take it up and carr it out into practice& ,nother famine relief centre was opened in ,ugust "$#; at <ina*pur( where several deaths had occurred from starvation& Swami )rigunatita managed it on a plan similar to that followed at /urshidabad& .ithin two months( he had e6tended

=@; help to some eight Bfour villages& ,s a result of his untiring and disinterested services the 3overnment allowed him( as it had Swami ,khandananda( to bu rice at a much reduced price& )he following e6tract from the official Report shows how Swami )rigunatita's work was appreciated b the 3overnment2
+ cannot close m report without referring to the good work done b Swami )rigunatita( a member of the Ramakrishna /ission& &&& 9ere the Swami took up his abode in great discomfort( and distributed rice gratis to deserving cases& 9e made ever endeavour to arrive at the truth( and as far as he was able( made personal enDuiries into the cases& 9e subseDuentl gave some relief in <ina*pur town itself&&& Relief was given irrespective of caste and creed&&&& + would add that the Swami managed the whole work himself without the assistance of m self or an one else&&&&

,t the termination of the work a public meeting was convened on <ecember @( "$#;( b the leading residents of <ina*pur( to present an address of thanks to Swami )rigunatita& )he -resident thanked the Swami and said among other things2
+ full realiLe the Swami's good and disinterested work& 9e had nothing to bind him to this district& 9is onl ob*ect was to do good to mankind&&&& 9e did not depend on the officials for help( neither did he work in opposition to them& "'he Swami did ever thing himself and with his own hands& )his is the secret of success in SelfB3overnment& SelfB3overnment consists m having work done and not having meetings onl &&&& +f we had more such men( + must sa ( we shall have more SelfB3overnment&&&& + am glad to preside at this meeting( because though it is a small beginning( et it is a beginning of selfBhelp in the right line& +f there is the germ( it ma grow up in time&

,fter the -resident had read the address of thanks( Swami )rigunatita rose and spoke eloDuentl in repl for two hours( dealing with the cause and remed of famine& 9is lecture was much appreciated& , third relief centre was opened at <eoghar b Swami Vira*ananda( about the same time and on the same lines as the others& 1esides these( centres of relief were also opened at

=@$ <akshineswar and in 5alcutta& Friends and disciples of the Swamis in England and ,merica were so moved b reports of the people's distress that the convened meetings and sent liberal donations for the famine relief work& +t will be remembered that when bubonic plague broke out in 5alcutta in /a "$#$( and when those who had residences of their own in the villages were fleeing the cit ( it was a sann asi( namel ( the Swami( who thought of the welfare of those who had no alternative homes in the countr and had therefore to remain in 5alcutta& +t was he who devised a scheme for dealing with the situation& .hen( in the following ear( plague again appeared in 5alcutta( the Ramakrishna /ission plague service was promptl instituted on /arch @"( under the Swami's instructions& +t did a considerable amount of work in a wellBorganiLed wa & 9e himself went to live in the slums to put heart into the people and encourage the workers& )he management of the service was placed in the hands of Sister 'ivedita as Secretar and Swami Sadananda as officerB inBchief& Swamis Shivananda( 'it ananda( and ,tmananda acted as assistants& 1ustees (Duarters of the poor) in four areas of the cit were cleared of cartBloads of filth and accumulated matter and thoroughl disinfected under the direct supervision of the Swamis& On the occasion of Sister 'ivedita's address( F,le -lague and the <ut of the StudentsF( delivered at a public meeting held in the 5lassic )heatre 9all on ,pril 77( Swami Vivekananda spoke stirring words from the chair& ,s a result fifteen students volunteered for service& )he were formed into a band for doorBtoBdoor inspection of huts in selected 1ustees( for the distribution of literature on sanitation( and for Ng counsel& )he met on Sunda s at the Ramakrishna /ission to submit reports of their work to Sister 'ivedita( and to receive instructions from her( until the epidemic subsided& ,nother institution that grew in public favour and( after the Swami's return from the .est( into a national festival( was the celebration of the birth anniversar of Shri Ramakrishna& +n addition to having a religious significance( the festival became

=@# the occasion for the feeding of thousands of poor people wherever the Order was established& )his( in brief( is the record of public service done in the two and a half ears following the founding of the Ramakrishna /ission& )he value of the service is not to he gauged so much b actual amount of work done( considerable though that was( as b the spirit of service( fellowship( and coBoperation infused into others to thrive and grow in their lives and actions& +n those da s when famine raged with all its attendant suffering( the Swami's dominant thought was for the victims& )he cr of the distressed seemed to transfi6 his heart& ,ll who heard him talk at that time about the wa s of alleviating the lot of the people( were amaLed b the intensit of his s mpath for his countr men& )o return now to the months immediatel preceding the Swami's second visit to the .est( there are a number of happenings et to record& +t will be simpler to do so without following a strictl chronological order& )he intensit of the Swami's compassion for the distressed has *ust been mentioned& )here were occasions when pandits( who had come to discuss matters of theolog and philosoph ( found these matters swept aside in the floodtide of his compassion( and what to them seemed mundane matters formed almost the entire sub*ect of discussion& For instance( possibl about this time( but perhaps even as earl as ,pril "$#;( -andit Sakharam 3anesh <euskar( the respected Editor of Hitavadi( came to see the Swami with two friends& 0earning that one of them came from the -un*ab( the Swami entered into conversation with him on the needs of that province( especiall about the scarcit of food there( and how that had to be met& )he talk drifted to the dut of the upper classes to provide the poor with education and to the sub*ect of the betterment of their material and social conditions generall & 1efore taking leave the -un*abi visitor courteousl e6pressed his regret as follows2 FSir( with great e6pectations of hearing various teachings on religion we came to see ou& 1ut unfortunatel our conversation

==% turned on commonplace matters& )he da has passed in vainGF )he Swami at once became grave and said( FSir( so long as even a dog of m countr remains without food( to feed and take care of him is m religion( and an thing else is either nonB religion or false religionGF ,ll three visitors were struck dumb b the Swami's repl & Aears after his passing awa ( -andit <euskar( when relating the incident( said that those words burnt into his soul and made him realiLe( as he had never done before( what true patriotism was& On another occasion a pandit of northern +ndia came to argue with the Swami on the Vedanta& )he latter was then much depressed at his helplessness in coping with the wideBspread famine& .ithout giving the pandit an opportunit to discuss the scriptures( he said( F-andit*i( first of all tr to ameliorate the terrible distress that is prevailing ever where( to still the heart& rending cr of our hungr countr men for a morsel of foodE after that come to me to have a debate on the Vedanta& )o stake one's whole life and soul to save thousands who are d ing of starvation ? this is the essence of the religion of the VedantaGF FVeril ( the austerities and selfBtortures of the 9athaBAogaF( so someone was to sa ( Fpale into insignificance before the higher and nobler wa shown to us b the great Swami Vivekananda ? this la ing down of our lives as a sacrifice on the altar of humanit &F On Februar "@( Sister 'ivedita delivered a lecture at the ,lbert 9all( 5alcutta( on F:ali and 9er .orshipF( with <r& /ahendralal Sarkar in the chair& She wrote down beforeBhand what she intended to sa and showed it to the Swami for his approval& -rominent people of 5alcutta attended( and the hall was crammed to capacit & <r& Sarkar( however( spoke against :aliBworship( and criticiLed 'ivedita for preaching in favour of superstitions that educated +ndians were tr ing to remove& )hen an unbalanced devotee of Shri Ramakrishna and a lover of :ali Fgot up and amidst tremendous e6citementF called the chairman( among other things( an Fold devilF& )here was a sort of verbal free fight& )he chairman remained

==" silent( and 'ivedita intervened to restore order& )he lecture made such a good impression that the managers of the famous :alighat temple invited her to speak at the temple( again on :aliBworship& 'ivedita consulted the Swami about accepting the invitation( and when he consented( she spoke there on /a & 7$& Sometime in the second week of Februar "$##( the Swami suddenl decided( to go to /adras with Swami Sadananda on Februar "=E and if the four da s' sea trip agreed with him( to continue on to England& 9e also had a mind to take 'ivedita with himE but to this Sadananda ob*ected2 so she was to sta behind& 1ut soon afterwards the Swami changed his plan( since the treatment that he was undergoing would be interrupted& 9e did not want to interrupt it a second time& 9e decided to sta for a month more( and then if possible start for the .est& ,s earl as <ecember "8 ("$#$)( the Swami had given out his intention of going to the .est& Owing to ill health he had had to postpone his departureE and now( as we have *ust seen( he had to postpone it again& ,s a matter of fact he had wished to go earlier in /a "$#$ with the Ra*a of :hetriE but the doctors had not allowed him to go& 'or did his health permit him to go with /rs& 1ull and /iss /ac0eod in !anuar "$##& 'evertheless( it remained his intention to go( both for the sake of his health and to see how his work in England and ,merica was going on& ,n achievement of the Vedanta work in England had been the publication b 0ongmans( 3reen and 5ompan ( 0ondon( of Ramakrishna2 9is 0ife and Sa ings( b F& /a6 /uller& ,s we have alread seen( the Swami's efforts were behind this book to some e6tent( and his brotherBdisciples had assisted the author b suppl ing materials& Reviews of the book appeared in prominent papers of +ndia in !anuar "$##& On /arch "8 ("$##) the Swami wrote to /ar 9ale( F<id ou come across /a6 /uller's new book& Ramakrishna2 9is 0ife and Sa ingsM +f ou have not( do( and let mother see it&F +n the latter part of Februar the Swami and Sister 'ivedita

==7 went to see Shri <evendranath )agore at his ancestral home( where he was sta ing in a secluded room on the roof& -reviousl ( on Februar "=( 'ivedita had gone there alone and Shri )agore had e6pressed his desire to see the Swami& .hen she conve ed his message to the Swami( the latter said( FOf course +'ll go( and ou can go with me( and fi6 a da as soon as ou please&F 'ivedita fi6ed the earliest Sunda morning (most probabl Februar "#) and went with the Swami& ,bout this visit she wrote to /iss /ac0eod on Februar 7@( "$##2 .e were shown up( one or two of the famil accompan ing& Swami went forward and said F-ranamF( and + made it( offering a couple of roses& )he old man gave me his little blessing first and then he told Swami to sit down( and for about ten minutes he went on making a kind of charge to him in 1engali& )hen he paused and waited( and Swami*i ver humbl asked for his blessing& +t was given( and with the same salutation as before we came downstairs& )hen Swami would have gone at once( but that was not our plan& ,nd he came into the drawing room where /iss )agore came to see him and the famil assembled b degrees( rather the men of it& 9e refused tea( but suggested its being brought to me& )hen he accepted a pipe( and all these little things prolonged the talk till ten o'clock& Of course( S mbolism( especiall :aliBS mbolism was the sub*ect& Once Sarala 3hoshal( a grandBdaughter of <evendranath )agore and Editor of 1harati( heard that the Swami could cook ver well( and asked Sister 'ivedita about it& 5oming to know of this( the Swami insisted them both to dine one da at the /ath( and himself prepared some of the dishes& +n the course of a talk with the ladies he asked 'ivedita to prepare a 5hillum of tobacco for him( as he would do an of his +ndian disciples& )he Sister at once got up and went to do it most' gladl ( regarding it as a privilege to serve her /aster& .hen the ladies had gone( the Swami said to his brotherBmonks that he had asked that service of 'ivedita( onl because he had been told that there was a feeling among some of the educated in 1engal that he had secured and held his .estern disciples through flattering them and pandering to their tastes&

==@ <uring the earl summer of "$## the Swami's health was again bad& )he Lemindars of 'arail( his admirers( placed at his disposal a 1aLra( or houseboat( so that he might spend the mornings and evenings in the fresh air on the 3anga& Often he would spend the time in meditation( seated on the roof& ,t other times he would be like a great child( Fcheerfulness in his face( softness in his looks( abstraction in his mood( careless about his person and his clothes( and ever movement bespeaking master over the sensesF& 3enerall it would be northward in the direction of <akshineswar that the Swami's boat would driftE and in the twilight stillness( or later in the evening( he would freDuentl plunge into deep thought& ,fter a whole da 's teaching and& discoursing to his own disciples and to all those who flocked to him from 5alcutta( these evening trips were a real recreation for him& On /arch "" ("$##)( having been asked b the Editor of -rabuddha 1harata to interview the Swami( Sister 'ivedita went to the /ath about $ p&m& in a houseboat& She was told that the Swami would meet her at the boat& +t was( therefore( moored at the /ath embankment( and their conversation took place on the roof of the boat& )he sub*ect was Fthe Duestion of converts to 9induismF& .hen the interview was over( the Swami said to 'ivedita2 F+ sa ( /argot( + have been thinking for da s about that line of least resistance& ,nd it is a bare fallac G +t is a comparative thing& ,s for me( + am never going to think of it again& )he histor of the world is the histor of a few earnest men( and when one man is in earnest the world must *ust come to his feet& + am 'O) going to water down m ideals& + am going to dictate terms&F Earlier in this chapter the Swami's efforts at training some of his disciples to be preachers( confident of themselves( were noted& .ith a view to coaching 'ivedita in confidence( and in unconcern about public criticism( he repeated to her( as he repeated to them( the advice that Shri Ramakrishna had given him& +n this connection she wrote to /iss /ac0eod on /arch "8 & J+ forgot to tell ou that he said Ramakrishna alwa s said( '0ok 'a -okG2 '/en are worms'( and when he was in 5hicago

=== Hin "$#=I( he had a vision& 9e was l ing on the floor 'half dead' from an6iet and privation apparentl and Shri Ramakrishna came into the room and touched him and said( '9utG 3et up manG 0ok 'a -okG' )hat + think was all that + forgot&K 9ealth or no health( the Swami was most active at this time( and alwa s read to help others& 4nder medical advice he had to desist from public lecturing& 1ut he attended a lecture given b Sister 'ivedita on Februar 78( on F)he Aoung +ndia /ovementFE and he was the central figure at the Sunda meetings of the Ramakrishna /ission& On ,pril 77 he presided over the meeting in the 5lassic )heatre( when Sister 'ivedita spoke to students on F)he -lague and the <uties of StudentsF& On several occasions he accepted invitations to dinner parties given in his honour at the residences of noted 5alcutta citiLens& )he were delighted with the talks he gave on those occasions& On ,pril 78 he went into 5alcutta and gave a talk in 9indi to his 3u*arati disciples of 1aghbaLar& Sometime in the last week of Februar "$##( a telegram reached the Swami that Swami ,bha ananda( his ,merican disciple( was arriving in 1omba on Februar 7=& 9e telegraphed her back to go on to /adras first and lecture there( since the public celebration at 1elur of the birth anniversar of Shri Ramakrishna was fi6ed for /arch "#& ,s desired b the Swami( the people of 1omba and /adras accorded her a fitting welcome in their respective cities& +n 1omba she delivered an address in the 3aiet )heatre on Februar 7;( with /r& *ustice Ranade presiding& She said2
1rothers and Sisters of +ndiaG + bring with me the greetings of the people of 5hicago in particular and of ,merica in general& + have come to ou in order to stud our religion and our national cust8rm( in order to know whether the rumours we have received are true or false& + come to see and investigate for m self in order that + ma stud the teachings of Vedanta in ,merica and see trul that it is the outcome of the minds of great noble people&

)he #ahratta of -oona wrote about her on /arch >2

==>
one of his HSwami VivekanandaRsI disciples( drawn to +ndia b the coming anniversar festival of Ramakrishna -aramahamsa at 5alcutta( is an ,merican lad *ournalist bearing the garb and name of a 9indu sann asi( Swami ,bha ananda( who was admitted into the spiritual order& & & b Swami Vivekananda( when he was last in ,merica& ,n ,merican lad in the garb of a 9indu sann asi is a romantic fact no doubt&&&& She is no longer a theoretical convert( &&& but an actual sann asi who comes here to pa her respects to the memor of her grandBguru HShri RamakrishnaI &&& Swami ,bha ananda is no insignificant woman( nor has she embraced 9induism without carefull stud ing the Vedas and the 4panishads& &&& She has been striving in her own wa to spread the light she has received&&&&

From 1omba ,bha ananda went to /adras on /arch =( and was presented with an address of welcome b an ,ssociation of Aoung /en& She replied to this address on the following da in -achai appa's 9allE and was later interviewed b a representative of the /adras /ail& She reached 5alcutta on /arch "; evening( and was given a grand reception b the Ramakrishna /ission at 1alarambabu's house (>; 1osepara 0ane) on the following da & She took part in the birth anniversar celebrations of Shri Ramakrishna( held that ear at 1elur /ath( and gave an address& )his was the first time that the celebration was held there& Sankirtan parties added to the general fervour& ,bout 7%(%%% people were given consecrated food& ,bha ananda gave three lectures to large audiences at the 5lassic )heatre( in 5alcutta( and later left with Swami Vira*ananda for <acca on ,pril >& ,t <acca she was given a fine reception on ,pril ; at 'orthbrook 9all b the people there& On the same da she delivered an address under the presidenc of Rai :aliprasanna 3hosh 1ahadur at the same 9all& She delivered a second lecture at the Ramakrishna /ission( <acca on ,pril "=( and a third at the !agannath 5ollege on the same da & She gave two more lectures on FVedanta in the .estF at the house of /ohin <as& ,bout her( a reporter wrote& FSwami ,bha ananda( the ,merican Sann asin initiated b the

==8 illustrious Swami Vivekananda( was invited b the Ramakrishna /ission H<acca( under the patronage of the 9indu communit at large &&&& )he Swami was in our midst for about two weeks &&&& /ore than once she appeared in public to *oin the 9ari Sankirtana with an +ndian sari on( a bag of )ulasi beads in hand( uttering '9aribol'( and a garland of Rudraksha round her neck &&&&&& From <acca Swami ,bha ananda went to / mensingh and 1arisal( from where she returned alone to 5alcutta& She remained in 5alcutta till the beginning of !une& )his was her visit to +ndia in outline& Other personalit and of her attitude towards the Swami and the Order( we catch glimpses from the letters that Sister 'ivedita wrote to /iss /ac0eod during this period& ,bout ,bha ananda( 'ivedita had written2
/arch 7@2 ,bha ananda arrived on Frida evening& , crowd of about fort persons assisted 1rahmananda and m self to receive her at 9owrah& ,nd she proceeded to FreceiveF these on Saturda H/arch "$I evening at >; Ramkanta 1ose's 0ane& Swami came in here the first thing on Frida morning and reproached me with the fact that the house was not a Lenana& So onl Sadananda enters it now& 9ence ,bha ananda was happ & On Sunda we went to the 1irthda & )here she told me that she did not feel in the least at home here ? and it seems she told Swami that she Fcould not live with that lad H'iveditaIF ? she was simpl craL & Aou imagine how glad Sadananda and + were that her things had to be removed to 'arendranath /itter's house on Sunda evening( and we have not seen her since& /arch @%2 Swami ,bha ananda came in during this Hthe initiation ceremon of 'ivedita on /arch 7>I& ,nd we both sta ed and breakBfasted with the monks& ,fterwards we did not get awa till about >& &&& She is ver funn & She did not care to listen to all he Hthe SwamiI said ? but went off with a book( fretted because she could not get awa ( and so on( and inveighed against eating on the floor and with fingers in his presence& She does not reall love Swami + think( and she sa s m love is ver foolish and emotional&&&& Such greatness( such sweetness( such humilit ( as + see in him Hthe SwamiI towards her( + could not have imagined& F+ was a foolF( he said to her( about his Samadhi in the

==;
'ew Aork class ? Ja teacher has no right to let himself go into tranceK( and she calls that the best lesson he ever gave herG She accepts the statement ou see + " nipped off a week of dut to ,bha ananda on )uesda b taking her to breakfast at the 3reat Eastern and then driving about 5alcutta&&&& She is to lecture on Frida in a theatre&&&& ,bha ananda has been grumbling that all the monks are m slavesGGGGGG ,pril >2 ,bha ananda is starting for <acca toda & + refused to go when she came(&( and she does not know that + was asked&&&& For three da s she has been lecturing to large audiences here on :arma and Sacrifice( and so on& +t is awful&&&& She is so rude( raving about the dirtiness and inconvenience of 9indu homes in the presence of her host and hostess( and abusing the monks for their inattention to her &&& ,pril #2 9e Hthe SwamiI( asked after Fthe old lad F& She is in <acca( but no news& /a $2 Saradananda was *ust back in time to smooth the ruffled plumes of ,bha ananda who came back from <acca( sore about mone and :alikrishna's conduct( and not scrupling to sa dreadful things of Swami*i& /a #2 / heart misgives me about ,bha ananda& Saradananda writes that& she did not go to the /ath on Sunda &&&& She sa s people brought her mone in <acca and :alikrishna absorbed it all( and that she was simpl being FrunF b FSwami and 5o&F( for their own benefit& /a 7=2 / home is to be given up on the >th !une&&&& Of course ou know all about the reactions of discipleship and so onE but Sarola H3hoshal MI is difficult to understand& She paraphrases ,bha ananda's dislo al criticism b sa ing( F,bha ananda sa s she came to +ndia to learn Vedanta( but she has onl succeeded in seeing Vivekananda dancing before the picture of Ramakrishna&F She HSarola imagined that criticism is perfectl *ustified& + think + showed her how utterl absurd it was& /a @"2 ,bha ananda is still at the old place( and even the /other H9ol /otherI asked me when she would go&&&& /itters are tired of her( sa she is alwa s angr and that the cannot afford it&&&& She is utterl inconsiderate about the e6penses and pa s for nothing herself& !une ;2 On )hursda or Frida H!une + or 7" night last( Saradananda and 1rahmananda came under m window( and Saradananda

==$
said( F<o ou know that ,bha ananda left for ,merica this morningMF She went earl in the morning( and the tender heart of Saradananda was greatl moved( because she went in tears& .e concocted a warm telegram( which Swami sent to 1omba ( but + reall don't think + need write her at 5hicago&&&& + had not been to see her for ten da s or soE but the heat made it impossible&&&& Swami sa s( he did wrong to organiLe the demonstrations in 1omba and /adras for her and then let her drop to 5alcutta&&&& She will be the -aramahamsa of a new sect in her own mind& 9owever( + think this also should be welcomed&

Sometime in the second week of /arch( "$##( 'ivedita reDuested the Swami to make her Fa member for lifeF on Saturda ( /arch 7>( which was e6actl a ear after her first initiation& )o this he consented( sa ing that he had done the same for two novices of the /ath recentl & .hat made 'ivedita ask the Swami for this( we do not know for sureE but it is likel that it was owing to the spirit of renunciation that was growing in her as a result of the Swami's training& )he arrival of Swami ,bha ananda in +ndia ma perhaps have made 'ivedita more conscious of her own status( and so could have had something to do with her reDuest& She ma have felt that the time was ripe( and that the Swami would have no ob*ection to making her a sann asini& Over some small matter on Ramakrishna's birth anniversar ( Swami ,bha ananda had snubbed her( sa ing that she Fdid not belong to the Order ? was not a sann asiniF& )his offensive remark could well have added fuel to the fire& 1ut the Swami had his own idea of what should be done& On /arch 7>( "$##( he initiated 'ivedita as a 'aishthika 1rahmacharini( and not as a sann asini& ,bout the ceremon 'ivedita wrote to /iss /ac0eod on /arch @%2
" reached the /ath at $ and went to the 5hapel& )here we sat on the floor and till the flowers came for worship( the :ing Hthe SwamiI talked to me of 1uddha& 9e said the !ataka 1irthBstories meant that after giving up his life for others five hundred times a man could become the 1uddha of the 1lessed Vision& .asn't that a beautiful

==#
note to strike *ust thenM )hen the brought things( and he taught me to make pu*a at last( ou see( chatting HchantingMI so sweetl all the time and e6plaining it all& + have kept for ou the little white flower that he gave me to put on m head& ,fterwards + got him to touch it with the fireBashes for ou( and the little pink spot is sandalBpaste& )he whiteness is all burnt awa + see& Outside + have put a little fine about which + read a poem esterda & +t seemed to me such a beautiful t pe of the /aster& F+ am the 3abriel that stand ( &&& ) in the presence of 3od&F -u*a ended with the salutation to an ,vatar( which unfortunatel + cannot Duite remember& .hen + had decorated the shrine with flowers( he said( F,nd now give some to m 1uddha& 'o one else here likes him but me&F .hen the -u*a was over( we went downstairs to make the Fire Sacrifice&

1efore the fire and in the presence of the monks( 'ivedita took the vows of lifelong celibac ( obedience( and povert & Offerings were made to Fire and invocations chanted( as part of the ceremon ' ,fter it was over 'ivedita prostrated before the Swami and he marked her forehead with ashes& )he ceremon was completed with the chanting of the appropriate /antras b a monk& 'ivedita sta ed at the /ath that da ( and after the midda meal the Swami gave her a RudrakshaBmala ? a rosar of sacred seeds& From then on she wore a white robe and the rosar & )hat 'ivedita had been made a 'aishthika 1rahmacharini( and not a sann asini( was Duite understandabl a disappointment to her& )his is evident from her letters to /rs& 1ull and /iss /ac0eod& )he former she wrote on /arch 782 F+ fanc ( he made me a 1rahmacharini for life partl for the sake of reviving the old order of 'aishthika 1rahmacharini( and partl because + am not reall read for an thing higher in his e es&F )his was of course her own e6planation& ,nd to /iss /ac0eod she wrote on /arch @%2 F9owever(& + do not want to go on like this( but to ou must let m self go& + am onl a 1rahmacharini( not a SwamiGF She had not et spoken about the matter to the Swami& 1ut an opportunit presented itself on ,pril 7@( when she went to the /ath& She asked the Swami at last( F.hat perfection could + strive for in order to be worth

=>% of being a sann asiniMF )he Swami put an end to this aspiration of hers for good b sa ing( FAou *ust keep as ou areGF She never raised the Duestion again& /arch 7$ that ear was a sad da for the Ramakrishna brotherhood( for on that da Swami Aogananda( one of the direct monastic disciples of Shri Ramakrishna( passed awa & 9e had been seriousl ill for some time& )he Swami's sorrowful comment was2 FOne of the bricks of our building has given wa &F , prominent householder disciple of the /aster( Ramachandra <atta( had passed awa somewhat earlier( on <ecember ";( "$#$& Ever since the /aster's demise( Rambabu had been leading a pious life in his Aogod ana at :ankurgachi& .e learn from a letter of Sister 'ivedita that at this time( in the sprang of "$#$( the Seviers wanted the Swami to go up to /a avati to give them spiritual initiation& She wrote on /arch 782 F)he Seviers want him Hthe SwamiI to come to their new place and initiate themE and as he& dreads the mountains and is an6ious to do it( + think perhaps he will go to 0ucknow and do it for them& .on't that be lovel for them M&&& )he Seviers' address now is /a avati via ,lmora&F ,gain on ,pril "" 'ivedita wrote to her friends2 F+ asked him about going to the Seviers as he had promised( and he said he was not going ? then he said in a ver secret wa ( '-eople think so much of themselves( /argot& 9arr H/r SevierI thinks it dreadful to come to 0ucknow or 1enares with his neuralgia( but + have another attack( + cannot stand it& / chest is alwa s sore all over with neuralgia( and + have never once lost that ache on the left side( since + was ill&F' )hus( unfortunatel for /r& Sevier( his wish was not fulfilled( since he passed awa in October "#%%( while the Swami was in the .est& ,s we have seen( it had been the Swami's intention at least since <ecember "$#$ to go to the .est again& 'ow /ahananda :avira*( the ph sician who had been treating him since his return from 1aid anath( advised a sea vo age for the sake of his health ? preferabl b cargo vessel( which would take a longer time& +n the light of this advice Swami 1rahmananda

=>" and other brotherBmonks of the Swami urged him to start at once( since his health was in a critical state& On ,pril "" he himself wrote to 5hristine 3reenstidel about his health as follows2
/ complaint( + do not know what& Some sa asthma( others nervous weakness of the heart brought on b overstrain& ,n how( last two months the terrible fits of suffocation( which used to remain for da s( have not come& Aet unlike other asthmatic people + feel a little weakness in the heart alwa s& .hatever it be( d spepsia certainl has a great deal to do with it( + am sure& +t depends upon the state of m stomach& )he summer this ear( strange to sa ( is bringing me round graduall ( and + feel capable of absorbing more heat than ever&&&& , sea vo age will he ver good indeed( and also *ust now m conscience is free( having started some work for the plague in 5alcutta&&&& ,n how( this summer + am sure to be in England( unless something unforeseen happens to retard it& ,re ou coming to England this summerM 5an ou( for a tripM +t will be such a pleasure to see ou&&&& )here ou will see the old England( and "( the best thing on Earth&&&& but ou will scarcel recogniLe me when ou see me again( + have grown so old?gre and decrepit& )wo ears of suffering has taken awa twent ears of m age& .ell( but the Soul changeth not& <oes itM +t is there( the same madBcap ,tman& /ad upon one idea( intent and intense&

,lthough the sea vo age to the .est was now definitel decided on( the date of sailing had to be postponed( because Swamis Saradananda and )uri ananda were still in :athiawar( where the had gone for preaching work& )he Swami wished to hand over the affairs of the /ath to Swami Saradananda( and to take Swami )uri ananda with him to the .est& )he eventuall returned to the /ath on /a @( at the Swami*i's call& Swami )uri ananda( being a man of meditation( was averse to public life& Since long the Swami had been tr ing to persuade him to come out into the arena of work( but in vain& ,t last( one da in the summer of "$#;( while the were at <ar*eeling( when all argument had failed( and )uri ananda had been modestl insisting that public preaching was not in

=>7 his line( the Swami put his arms round the neck of his brotherBmonk( laid his head on the latter's chest( and said( weeping2 F<ear 9aribhai( don't ou see( + have been la ing down& m life( inch b inch( to fulfil the mission of our /aster( till + am on the verge of deathG 5an ou merel look on and not come to m help b relieving me of a part of m great burdenMF )uri ananda was overpowered b this moving appeal( such was the love he bore the Swami& ,ll his hesitation vanished in minutes( and then and there he pledged to do unflinchingl whatever the Swami would bid him do& Since then he had been sharing the responsibilities of the work with his brotherBmonks& ,s we have seen( he went to :athiawar to preach Vedanta and collect funds& On his return from there( when the Swami asked him to accompan him to the .est as a teacher of Vedanta( he took it as the will of the /other and resigned himself to the task without a word of protest& (,ccording to another version( when the Swami asked him to accompan him to the .est( )uri ananda protested vehementl E but( when the Swami appealed to him as above related( he submitted&) Swami )uri ananda was held in great love and reverence b the brotherhood for his austere life of 1rahmachar a from his ver bo hood( for his spirit of burning renunciation( and for his highl developed spiritual nature& Versed in Sanskrit and an adept in meditation( he had from the da s of the ,lambaLar /ath trained the ounger members of the monaster b holding classes and talks and( above all( b his e6emplar life& .hen the Swami asked him to go to ,merica( he e6pressed the desire to take with him some standard Vedantic works in Sanskrit& )he Swami e6claimed2 FOh( of learning and books( the have had enoughG )he have seen the :shatra powerE now + want to show them the 1rahmanaGF 9e meant that in himself the people of the .est had seen the combative and protective spirit& as manifest in his own vigorous defence of the Sanatana <harmaE and now the time had come for them to have before them the e6ample of a man of meditation' &.ho had been horn and bred in the best traditions and rigorous disciplines of 1rahminhood&

=>@ )ill the middle of /a ( nothing had been decided about 'ivedita's going to England( even though the Swami had( in Februar ( suggested it to her for two reasons& +n the first place her sister had written her a reproachful letter( sa ing that she was broken down with strain and worr ( and asking how she would be able to marr & ,bout this 'ivedita had written to /iss /ac0eod on !anuar @%( "$##2 F+t seems that she H'ivedita's sisterI will probabl want to marr this ear ? but with a school on her hands( and that in its present state( she would have to go on indefinitel & )his cannot be& + onl know one repl &&&& +f she wants to marr and there is no other outlook((" must simpl go home and take m old place over&F Secondl ( before 'ivedita told the Swami( in the first week of Februar ( about her sister( he had told her that she must return to England( because there was no mone with which she could carr on her work in +ndia& 9e had& as we know alread taken steps in an effort to remed this situation b sending two of his disciples to East 1engal and two of his brother ? monks to 3u*arat to collect fundsE and he had asked others to do the same& .hen 'ivedita heard this ? about going to England ? from the Swami& she told him about her sister's letter *ust mentioned& )he Swami said to her( F)hen ou have no alternative& Start this month& )he emergenc is sufficient reason&F 'ivedita said in repl ( F0et me go on till September on what + have( and work as if there were no chance of being called home& )hen let us face the situation again&F )o this the Swami agreed& +n the third week of /a ( 'ivedita heard from !osephine /ac0eod( who suggested that she ('ivedita) go to England& 'ivedita was over*o ed& She went to the Swami on /a 7% and told him that her school was a waste of time& 9e in turn told her that she should go back to Europe and bring mone for her proposed F9ome for .idows and 3irlsF& )he following da she wrote to /iss /ac0eod2
+ thought how funn that Aum (/iss /ac0eod) reall rules us all( even at this distanceG Swami suggested the same thing the other

=>=
da ( for 'im's H'ivedita's sister'sI wedding( and + would not listenE and ou speak and it is done &&&& Of course( it Hthe schoolI is onl a waste of time in one sense &&&& *ust when a girl grows e6Duisite( she marries( and + can do no more for her& +f + could go round to Lenanas( of course( and teach English to the ladies( it would be a great thing( but + am onl one person( and m time( what with school and sanitation and writing( is Duite full&&&& / place is to train Educational /issionaries( and for that + must have their whole lives in m hand&&&& So it ma be that this is the answer( and that + am to tr m fate in England&&&& For one thing( /iss /uller will pa for me to go to England now( but + don't in the least trust her to send me back&

1 the second week of /a ( Sister 'ivedita had bought two firstBclass tickets for Swamis Vivekananda and )uri ananda on 1&"&S&'& 5ompan 's S&S& 0o'conda, due to sail on !une 7%& )hen the Swami told her to get one more firstBclass ticket on the same steamer( for herself& 'ivedita forbade /iss /ac0eod to tell an of her ('ivedita's) famil of her impending arrival in England& She informed /r& Sturd that the Swami was going to England and asked him to arrange lodgings& 1ut /r& Sturd did not react favourabl ( so ultimatel she had to make arrangements for the Swamis in .imbledon( with the help of her sister& She also sent information to /iss /uller& )he Swami had thought out a plan for 'ivedita& She wrote about it to /ss /ac0eod on !une ;( "$##( as follows2
9e Hthe SwamiI talks of taking me to ,merica and setting me to lecture under a bureau( and so earn mone we shall need& 9ow glad + should beG Of course( + cannot tell whether his idea that + should be popular would be fulfilled& + should *ust love to do it( however( + might go to the same towns where Ramabai had been ? and lecture there& .ouldn't that be funM +f( in addition( + could form a huge societ ( each member of which in England( ,merica( and +ndia should contribute a minimum of one penn or two cents or one anna per annum ? that would be grand& )he work would never want mone & Such are the plans that occur to me& Aou will sit in *udgement of them& + believe in tin subscriptions to work done for the people( Fb the people( as a *o to the maker and the userF&

=>> +t was now settled that the would sail for ,merica via England( where the would sta for a few da s& For more than a month prior to the da of departure( the monaster swarmed with devotees and visitors& 4p to the last moment the Swami was bus teaching and giving instruction& 9is voice would now and then be heard( singing devotional songs and pouring his whole soul into them& +n his own heart there was evidentl no sense of separation arising from his intended departure& On the da before their leaving( photographs were taken of the Swami and of )uri ananda separatel & )wo group photographs were also taken& On !une "; the Swami went on invitation to the house of /aster /ahasha a (/ahendranath 3upta( the recorder of The 0os-e' of Shri %amakrishna3 along with others& On that da he also visited Sir !atindramohan )agore( who had invited him to dinner& )his gentleman had found the Swami's %a6a/+o a most interesting( and had e6pressed his earnest desire to learn more on the sub*ect in a private interview& Sometime in the second week of !une( 'ivedita left her house at "8 1osepara 0ane and moved to the 9ol /other's residence at $ 1osepara 0ane (1aghbaLar)( where she lived till she left for the .est& On !une + @ evening she went to the /ath( where a teaBpart was given in her honour and a bouDuet of seven roses presented to her b the F ounger members of the /athF& )he also read out a farewell address to her& She was accompanied b Swami Sadananda and /r& /ohinimohan 5hatter*i& From the /ath the went to <akshineswar( where 'ivedita spent her time till late in the evening in pra er and meditation& .hen the returned to the /other's residence( it was raining heavil E but 'ivedita had the satisfaction of having surrendered full to the <ivine .ill& On the night of !une "# a farewell meeting was held at 1elur /ath& )he members of the monaster presented addresses to the Swami and Swami )uri ananda& Swami ,khandananda had come with four orphans from /ahula to see the Swami off& Swami Saradananda opened the meeting with a short speechE Swamis ,khandananda and )rigunatita also made short

=>8 speeches& Swami )uri ananda gave a fitting repl E after which the Swami made a fier speech on FSann asa2 +ts +deal and -racticeF& +n it he insisted that the sann asi is to love deathE that is to sa ( he is to hold his life as a sacrifice to the welfare of the world& )hen all his actions will be performed selflessl ( for the good of others& )oo high an ideal( the Swami said( is wrong& )hat was the trouble with the 1uddhist and !ain reformers& On the other hand( an insufficientl high ideal is also wrong& )he two e6tremes must be avoided& FAou must tr to combine in our life immense idealism with immense practicalit & Aou must be prepared to go into deep meditation now( and the ne6t moment ou must be read to go and cultivate these fields Hpointing to the meadows of the /ath& Aou must he prepared to e6plain the intricacies of the Shastras now( and the ne6t moment to go and sell the produce of the fields in the market& & & &F )he must remember that the aim of the monaster is manBmaking& )he themselves must be Rishis& F)he true man is he who is strong as strength itself and et possesses a woman's heart&F )he must have a deep regard for their Sangha (the Order) and be obedient& 9aving given them this final instruction the Swami gaLed lovingl on them as a father on his children( and blessed them& On the da of departure the 9ol /other gave a sumptuous feast to the Swami( Swami )uri ananda( and all her sann asi children of the /ath( at her 5alcutta house& ,fter receiving the /other's blessings( the left for -rincep 3hat about @ p&m& b coach& /an friends had assembled at the ghat to bid them a farewell& )he Swami was in good spirits and urged them all to be of good cheer& 'eedless to sa ( a feeling of sadness descended on ever one as the time of final leaveBtaking drew near( though the knew that the Swami would alwa s be with them in their hearts& ,t the ghat the& passengers had to go through a strict e6amination b the port medical officers& )his was because of the recent plague epidemic& )he launch came about > p&m& and the Swamis and Sister 'ivedita got into it& )he were to travel first class'( while Swami Saradananda's brother( who was accompan ing them( had a secondBclass

=>; ticket& .hen the launch was leaving( those assembled could not check their tears& ,ll of them simultaneousl prostrated on the ghat in farewell salutation to the Swami& )he onlookers were stunned to see it& So long as the Swami and part were in sight( the group of monks devotees( and friends waved their hands or handkerchiefs&

=>$ !3 HALF$WAY ACROSS THE WORLD On !une 7%( "$## the Swami boarded the S&S& 0o'conda at the 5alcutta port on the 9ooghl River and was off for the .est( accompanied b Swami )uri ananda and Sister 'ivedita& Satishchandra 5hakravart ( Swami Saradananda's brother( who was on his wa to 1oston( also travelled b the( same ship& Fortunatel ( the Swami wrote his travelogue of this vo age in a series of articles entitled F-arivra*akaF for the Gd,odhan, the newl started 1engali *ournal of the Ramakrishna Order& 1 reading the book either in the original 1engali or in its English translation entitled #emoirs o <uro-ean Trave', appearin in vo'ume seven of The 4om-'ete Works of Swami Vivekananda, one can learn a wealth of detail( the like of which is not found from the Swami's own pen in regard to an other period of his life& +n following him over rough seas and placid waters( we shall draw heavil from this source( not hesitating at times to Duote informative and interesting passagesE for in reading the Swami's own description( the reader will feel( as it were( the immediac of his presence& )he 9ooghl 's sandbanks and shoals near the entrance of <iamond 9arbour make the passage of seagoing vessels haLardous and slow& Onl at high tide and during the da time can the pilot( with great care( safel steer his shipE at no other times will he venture it& 1ecause of this( the 0o'conda took two da s to clear the river and sail free& ,fter riding e6ceedingl rough seas for more than two da s and nights in the 1a of 1engal( the ship touched at /adras& )he news of the Swami's coming had been telegraphed ahead( but due to the prevalence of plague in 5alcutta( the +ndian passengers were not allowed to go ashore& ,nd the whole cit thus suffered a keen disappointment& , correspondent of the /adras Hindu speaking of the arrival of the ship there and the

=># eagerness of the citiLens to entertain the Swami( as the had done before( wrote2
On Sunda morning the pier was crowded with an eager throng of spectators an6ious to see the Swami Vivekananda( who was on his wa to England b the S&S& 0o'conda* 1ut to their disappointment the were told that the AN" having arrived from 5alcutta( an inflicted port( was under Duarantine( and that the Swami would not( be allowed to land& )he numerous people who had gathered together( of all ranks and ages( had therefore to go awa considerabl ve6ed& Some there were who determined to have a glimpse at least of the Swami( and with that view the went in boats alongside the vessel( from whose deck the Swami was accorded a distant but cheerful welcome b his friends and admirers& Some da s before( a public meeting was held in 5astle :ernan under the presidenc of 9on'ble /r& -& ,nanda 5harlu( at which it was resolved to address 3overnment pra ing that the Swami Vivekananda be permitted to land at /adras( and stop there for a few hours before embarking again& /essage after message was despatched to the 1lue 9eights( but the Swami's friends and admirers got onl some vague replies( but no sanction was wired to the -ort 9ealth Officer and the result was that the 9ealth Officer could not allow him to land&&&&

)he Swami wrote in his memoirs2

+n the night of the 7=th !une( our ship reached /adras& 3etting up from bed in the morning( + found that we were within the enclosed space of the /adras harbour& .ithin the harbour the water was still( but without( towering waves were roaring( which occasionall dashing against the harbourBwall were shooting up fifteen to twent feet high into the air and breaking in a mass of foam& +n front la the wellBknown Strand Road of /adras& )wo European -olice +nspectors( a( !amadar of /adras( and a doLen 5onstables boarded our ship and told me with great courtes that FnativesF were not allowed to land on the shore( but the Europeans were& , FnativeF( whoever he might be( was of such dirt habits that there was ever chance of his carr ing plague germs aboutE but the /adrasis had asked for a special permit for me( which the might obtain& 1 degrees the friends of /adras N to come near our vessel on boats in small groups& ,s all contact was strictl forbidden( we could onl speak from the ship( keeping some sN between& + found all m friends?,lasinga( 1iligiri(

=8%
'arasimhachar ( <r& 'an*unda Rao( :idi( and others on the boats& 1asketfuls of mangoes( plantains( cocoanuts( cooked riceBandBcurd( and heaps of sweet and salt delicacies( etc& began to come in& 3raduall the crowd thickened ? men( women( and children in boats ever B where& + found also /r& 5harier( m English friend who had come out to /adras as a barristerB atBlaw& Ramakrishnananda and 'irbha ananda made some trips near to the ship& )he insisted on sta ing on the boat the whole da in the hot sun& and + had to remonstrate with them( when the gave up the idea& ,nd as the news of m not being permitted to land got abroad( the crowd of boats began to increase still more& "( too( began to feel e6haustion from leaning against the railings too long& )hen + bade farewell to m /adrasi friends and entered m cabin& ,lasinga got no opportunit to consult me about the .rahmavadin and the /adras workE so he was going to accompan me to 5olombo& )he ship left the harbour in the evening( when + heard a great shout( and peeping through the cabinBwindow( + found that about a thousand men( women( and children of /adras( who had been sitting on the harbourBwalls( gave this farewell shout when the ship started& On a *o ous occasion the people of /adras also( like the 1engalis( make the peculiar sound with the tongue known as the 9ulu&

F)hat rising and heaving of waves which had commenced from the mouth of the 3anga(F the Swami continued( Fbegan to increase as we advanced( and after we had left /adras it increased still more&F +ndeed( in its passage from /adras to 5olombo the ship rolled and pitched heavil & /an of the passengers suffered from seasickness( including( at the beginning of the vo age( Swami )uri ananda( though he soon reB covered& .orse off were two 1engali bo s( one of whom was certain he would die& )he Swamis consoled him( assuring him ? with difficult ? that seasickness was a common and passing matter( never fatal& ,nd when the bo s could once again endure the thought of food( the Swami gave them a lion's share of the abundance of fruits( sweets( and riceBandBcurd that had been heaped upon him b the people of /adras& One person among the passengers( who was unaffected b the monsoon seas( was ,lasinga -erumal( who had hurriedl bought a ticket and boarded the ship in /adras& 9is head

=8" shaven( e6cept for a tuft in the centre( a conspicuous caste mark on his forehead( barefoot( and wearing a dhoti in South +ndian st le( he would now and then stroll on the heaving deck( eating the popped rice and fried peas that he had brought with him Fso that his casteF( as the Swami wrote( would Jremain intactK& 'otwithstanding the rigidit of ,lasinga's orthodo6 ( the Swami viewed it as a hallmark of his character& FOne rarel finds a man like our ,lasinga in this world(F he wrote in his memoirs( F? one so unselfish( so hardBworking( and devoted to his guru( and such an obedient disciple is indeed ver rare on earth& F On the morning of !une 7$( after three da s and two nights( the ship finall reached 5olombo& Of their da 's halt there the Swami wrote2
Our 5olombo friends had procured a permit for our landing( so we landed and met our friends there& Sir Hactuall 9on'ble /r& -&I 5oomaraswarn is the foremost man among the 9indus2 his wife is an English lad ( and his son is barefooted and wears the sacred ashes on his forehead& /r& ,runachalam and other friends came to meet me& ,fter a long time + partook of /ulagutanni and the kingBcocoanut& )he put some green cocoanuts into m cabin& + met /rs& 9iggins and visited her boarding school for 1uddhist girls& + also visited the monaster and school of our old acDuaintance( the 5ountess of 5anovara&

)he 5ountess of 5anovara( an ,merican woman( who( as the Swami wrote( Fwears a 3erua cloth after the mode of the 1engali sari(F had visited 5alcutta a few months earlier& She had started fifteen schools in 5e lon Hnow Sri 0ankaI( including one orphanage and one industrial school& 'ivedita( who cherished the aspiration of becoming an educational missionar ( was much impressed to see what she had accomplished& +n a letter of !ul > to /iss /ac0eod( 'ivedita wrote of the festive farewell reception given to the Swami at the last house he visited on his wa back to 0o'conda:
0ast of all( driving down to the Dua ( we had to enter a house where we were met outside b drums( fifes( and tomBtoms& +nside a

=87
dense crowd( and fruit on a table& Oh what a crowdG ,nd how the looked at SwamiG &&& 9e pointed to his European clothes( but it made no difference& 9e was their ,vatar( *ust the same& )hen he took a small fruit( and sipped milk&&&& ,nd then as he turned to go( ou should have heard the shout( F-raise to Shiva( the 0ord of -arvatiG 9ailGF it was deafening( and ou should have seen the crowd in the street when we got outG ,nd the crowd on the landing stageG )hem came our first host and hostess back to me us off with endless presents( the hostess( 0ad 5oomaraswam ( was an English woman( her husband& , /adrasi 9indu( such a fine manG ,nd there that Duiet EuropeaniLedBlookingBmember of the 3overnment stood( and three times called aloud the praise of Shiva( and then three times FSwami Vivekananda*i :i 'amaskarGF HFSalutation to Swami VivekanandaFI& .hile the crowd cheered& we steamed awa to the 0o'conda* * &

,lasinga returned to /adras from 5olombo& ,nd the 0o'conda 'eft 5olombo on the evening of .ednesda ( !une 7$( on a long vo age from Fthe 0and of Renunciation to the 0and of En*o ment of the .orldF& )he Swami wrote in his memoirs2
'ow we have to encounter the full monsoon conditions& )he more our ship is advancing( the more is the storm increasing( and the louder is the wind howling ? there is incessant rain( and enveloping darknessE huge waves are dashing on the ship's deck with a terrible noise( so that it is impossible to sta on the deck& )he dining table has been divided into small sDuares b means of wood partitions( placed lengthwise and breadthwise( called fiddle( out of which the food articles are *umping up& )he ship is creaking( as if it were going to break to pieces& )he 5aptain sa s( F.ell( this ear's monsoon seems to he unusuall rough &&&& & &,mid such conditions( ou must remember( the work for our Gd,odhan Hwriting the F/emoirs of European )ravelFI is going on to a certain e6tent&&&& 'ear the island of Socotra Ha little over =>% miles cast of ,denI( the monsoon was at its worst& )he 5aptain remarked that this was the centre of the monsoon( and that( if we could pass this( we should graduall reach calmer waters& ,nd so we did& ,nd this nightmare also ended&

+t was indeed a long nightmare( for the 0o'conda took ten da s instead of the usual si6 to sail from 5olombo to ,den& ,t

=8@ the latter port( which was reached on the evening of !ul $( not onl was no cargo allowed into the ship( but no one( white or black( was allowed ashore& 9owever( there were not man things worth seeing at ,den( and the travellers were content to remain on board& <uring the vo age the Swami passed his time in reading( or writing for the 1engali magaLine of the Order( or talking to 'ivedita or his brotherBdisciple& 9e took due precautions for his health( and told Swami )uri ananda that in order to keep fit he proposed to take dail ph sical e6ercise and that( if he ever failed( to remind him& Swami )uri ananda willingl agreed& For a few da s the Swami regularl e6ercised( but thereafter( being absorbed in talk( he would forget and would sa to Swami )uri ananda( when the latter would remind him2 F'ot toda & + am keeping Duite well on board( and + am now talking to 'ivedita& She is a foreigner and has left her countr & to learn about these things from me& She is ver intelligent( and + feel great *o in talking to her&F ,s had been anticipated( the sea vo age greatl improved the Swami's health ? dail e6ercise or no& .hile sailing through the gulf of SueL( he wrote to 5hristine 3reenstidel on !ul "=( "$##2
+ was so bad in health that in +ndia m heart went wrong all the wa & .hat with mountain climbing( bathing in glacier water( and nervous prostration& + used to get terrible fits ? the last lasting about seven da s and nights ? all the time + was suffocating and had to stand up& )his trip has almost made a new man of me& + feel much better and( if this continues( hope to be Duite strong before + reach ,merica&

,lthough he was not aware of it when he wrote this letter( the Swami was to meet 5hristine 3reenstidel weeks before he would reach ,merica& She and /rs& Funke were alread in 0ondon( having come to meet him in response to his urging in a letter written from +ndia on ,pril ""( "$##& 'ot until the 0o'conda touched at /arseilles was he to learn from a cable that the had indeed come&

=8= )he long ocean vo age appears to have been not onl ph sicall beneficial to the Swami( but mentall rela6ing as well& Reading his #emoirs of <uro-ean Trave', a good part of which he wrote on board ship( one gets the impression that the author was on an openBended vacation without an serious business on hand or in view& 9is vast fund of knowledge( his wideBranged information( his detailed observation of his immediate surroundings poured through his pen in a most entertaining manner( sparkling with wit and fun& +ndeed( this uniDue production( which unfortunatel loses in translation much of its native spirit and humour( shows that( if the Swami had wished( he could have been the /ark )wain of 1engali literature& 1ut if the Swami seems to have been in a rela6ed vacation mood during the vo age( one also finds that his mind was occasionall engaged in serious thought about the work that la ahead& On !ul "=( he wrote from -ort Said to /r& E& )& Sturd 2
&&& ,s ou know sure( + shall not have man friends sta ing now in 0ondon( and /iss /ac0eod is so desirous + should come& , sta in England under the circumstances is not advisable& /oreover( + do not have much life left& ,t least + must go on with that supposition& + mean( if an thing has to be done in ,merica( it is high time we bring our scattered influence in ,merica to a head ? if not organiLe regularl & )hen + shall he free to return to England in a few months and work with a will till + return to +ndia& + think ou are absolutel wanted to gather up( as it were( the ,merican work& +f ou can( therefore( ou ought to come over with me&&&& +n case ou cannot come to ,merica( + ought to go( ought + notM

,fter touching at 'aples( the ship called at /arseilles& ,nd on /onda morning( !ul @"( "$##( the Swami was in 0ondon& For( Swami )uri ananda and Sister 'ivedita the association with the Swami during the vo age was an education and a veritable spiritual feast& )he Sister regarded it as a pilgrimage( and recorded in her diar some of the striking conversations of the Swami( as well as some of her own impressions& 0ater

=8> on( she presented these memoirs in her book The #aster As ) Saw Him* Since the show the Swami in var ing moods( the are of absorbing interest to students of his lifeE thus we need make no apolog for giving the following Duotations from them& .rites the Sister2
From the beginning of the vo age to the end( the flow of thought and stor went on& One never knew what moment would see the flash of intuition( and hear the ringing utterance of some fresh truth& +t was while we sat chatting in the River on the first afternoon that he suddenl e6claimed( FAes + the older + grow( the more ever thing seems to me to lie in manliness& )his is m new gospel& <o even evil like a manG 1e wicked( if @(ou must( on a great scaleGF ,nd these words link themselves in m memor with those of another da ( when + had been reminding him of the rareness of criminalit in +ndia& ,nd he turned on me( full of sorrowful protest& F.ould to 3od( it were otherwise in m landGF he said( Ffor this is verif the virtuousness of deathGF Stories of the Shivaratri( or <ark 'ight of Shiva( of -rithvi Rai( of the *udgementBseat of Vikramadit a( of 1uddha and Aashodhara( and a( thousand more were constantl coming up& ,nd a noticeable point was that one never heard the same thing twice& )here was the perpetual stud of' casteE the constant e6amination and restatement of ideasE the talk of work( past( present( and futureE and( above all( the vindication of 9umanit ( never weakened( alwa s rising to new heights of defence of' the undefended( of chivalr for the weak&&&& + cannot forget his indignation when he heard some European reference to cannibalism( as if it were a normal part of the life in some societies& F'that is not trueGF he said( when he had heard to the end& F'o nation ever ate human flesh( save as a religious sacrifice( or in war( out of revenge& <on't ou seeM )hat is not the wa of gregarious animalsG +t would cut at the roots of social lifeGF :ropotkin's great work on F/utual ,idF had not et appeared( when these words were said& +t was his love of 9umanit ( and his instinct on behalf of each in his own place( that gave to the Swami so clear an insight& ,gain he talked of religious impulse& FSe6Blove and creationGF he cried( F)hese are at the root of most religions& ,nd these in +ndia are called Vaishnavism( and in the .est( 5hristianit & 9ow few have dared to worship <eath& or :aliG 0et us worship <eathG 0et us

=88
embrace the )errible( because it is terribleE not asking that it he toned down& 0et us take miser ( for miser 's own sakeGF ,s we came to the place where the riverBwater met the ocean( the Swami e6plained how it was the great reverence of 9indus for the ocean( forbidding them to defile it b crossing it( that had made such *ourne s eDual to outcasting for so man centuries& )hen( as the ship crossed the line( touching the sea for the first time( he chanted( F'amah Shiva aG 'amah Shiva aG & & & F 9e was talking again of the fact that he who would be great must suffer( and how some were fated to see ever *o of the senses turn to ashes( and he said( F)he whole of life is onl a swanBsong& & & & F 'ow he would answer a Duestion( with infinite patience( and again he would pla with historic and literar speculations& ,gain and again his mind would return to the 1uddhist period( as the c` of a real understanding of +ndian histor & F)he three c cles of 1uddhismF( he said one da ( Fwere five hundred ears of the 0aw( five hundred ears of images( and five hundred ears of )antras& Aou must not imagine that there was ever a religion in +ndia called 1uddhism( with temples and priests of its own orderG 'othing of the sort& +t was alwa s within 9induism& Onl at one time the influence of 1uddha was paramount( and this made the& nation monastic& & & & F ,nd he drifted on to talk about the Soma plant( picturing how( for a thousand ears after the 9imala an period( it was annuall received in +ndian villages as if it were a king( the people going out to meet it on a given da ( and bringing it in re*oicing& ,nd now it cannot even he identifiedG &&& FAes( 1uddha was rightG +t must be cause and effect in :arma& )his individualit cannot but be an illusionGF +t was the ne6t morning( and + had supposed him to be doLing in his chair( when he suddenl e6claimed'& F.h G the memor of one life is like millions of ears of confinement( and the want to wake up the memor of man livesG Sufficient unto the da is the evil thereofGF F+ have *ust been talking to )uri ananda about conservative and liberal ideas(F he said as he met me on deck before breakfast one morning( and straightwa plunged into the sub*ect& F)he conservative's whole ideal is su,mission* Aour ideal is struggle& 5onseDuentl ( it is we who en*o life( and never ouG Aou are alwa s striving to change ours to something better( and before a millionth part of the change is carried out( ou die& )he .estern ideal is( to he

=8;
doing2 the Eastern to be suffering& )he perfect life would be a wonderful harmon between doing and suffering& 1ut that can never be& F+n our s stem it is accepted that a man can never have all he desires& 0ife is sub*ected to man restraints& )his is ugl ( et it brings out points of light and strength& Our liberals see onl the ugliness( and tr to throw it off& 1ut the substitute something Duite as bad( and the new custom takes as long as the old( for us to work to its centres of strength& F.ill is not strengthened b change& +t is weakened and enslaved b it& 1ut we must be alwa s absorbing& .ill grows stronger b absorption& ,nd consciousl or unconsciousl ( will is the one thing in the world that we admire& Suttee is great in the e es of the whole world( because of the will that it manifests& F+t is selfishness that we must seek to eliminateG + find that whenever + have made a mistake in m life( it has alwa s been because se'f entered into the calculation& .here self has not been involved( m *udgement had gone straight to the mark& F.ithout this self( there would have been no religious s stem& +f man had not wanted an thing for himself( do ou think he would have had all this pra ing and worshipM .h G he would never have thought of 3od at all( e6cept perhaps for a little praise now and then( at the sight of a beautiful landscape or something& ,nd that is the onl attitude there ought to be& ,ll praise and thanks& +f onl we were rid of selfGF FAou are Duite wrong(F he said again( Fwhen ou think that fighting is a sign of growth& +t is not so at all& ,bsorption is the sign& 9induism is the ver genius of absorption& .e have never cared for fighting& Of course( we struck a blow now and then( in defence of our homesG )hat was right& 1ut we never cared for fighting for its own sake& Ever one had to learn that& So let these races of newBcomers whirl onG )he 'll all he taken into 9induism in the endGF 9e never thought of his /otherB5hurch or his /otherland e6cept as dominantE and again and again( when thinking of definite schemes( he would e*aculate( in his whimsical wa ( FAes( it is trueG +f European men or women are to work in +ndia( it must be under the black manGF 9e brooded much over the national achievement& F.ellG .ellGF he would sa ( F.e have done one thing that no other people ever did& .e have converted a whole nation to one or two ideas& 'onB beefBeating( for instance& 'ot one 9indu cats beef& 'o( noGF ?

=8$
turning sharpl round ? Fit is not at all like European nonBcatB eatingE for beef was formerl the food of the countr GF .e were discussing a certain opponent of his own( and + suggested that he was guilt of putting his sect above his countr & F)hat is ,siatic(F retorted the Swami warml ( Fand it is grandG Onl he had not the brain to conceive( nor the patience to waitGF and then he went off into a musing on :ali&&&& F+ love terror for its own sake(F he went on( Fdespair for its own sake( miser for its own sake& Fight alwa s& Fight and fight on( though alwa s in defeat& )hat's the ideal& )hat's the ideal&F F)he totalit of all souls( not the human alone(F he said once( Fis the -ersonal 3od& )he will of the )otalit nothing can resist& +t is what we know as 0aw& ,nd this is what we mean b Shiva and :ali and so on&F +t was dark when we approached Sicil ( and against the sunset( sk ( Etna was in slight eruption& ,s we entered the Straits of /essina( the moon rose( and + walked up and down the deck beside the Swami( while he dwelt on the fact that beaut is not e6ternal( but alread in the mind& On one side frowned the dark crags of the +talian coast( on the other( the island was touched with silver light& F/essina must thank meGF he said& F+t is + who give her all her beaut GF )hen he talked of the fever of longing to reach 3od that had wakened in him as a bo ( and of how he would begin repeating a te6t before sunrise( and remain all da repeating it( without stirring& 9e was tr ing here to e6plain the idea of )apas a( in answer to m Duestions( and he spoke of the old wa & of lighting four fires( and sitting in the midst( hour after hour( with the sun overhead( reining in the mind& F.orship the terribleGF he ended( F.orship <eathG ,ll else is vain& ,ll struggle is vain& )hat is the hut lesson& Aet this is not the coward's love of death( not the love of the weak( or the suicide& +t is the welcome of the strong man( who has sounded ever thing to its depths( and knows that there is no alternative&F

Often during the vo age the( Swami talked of those saints whom he had known personall & -aramount was Shri Ramakrishna( of whom he told( among man other things( how with but a touch he could impart the highest insight( as instanced b the lad who( after being touched b the /aster's hand( never spoke during the remaining ten ears of his life( save to sa ( F/ 1elovedG / 1elovedGF ,nd he told also of a certain

=8# woman to whom the /aster had offered salutation in the name of the /other( throwing flowers on her feet and burning incense before her( and who had passed immediatel into the deepest Samadhi( from which it had been most difficult to recall her& )wo or three hours elapsed before she awoke from ecstas ( and( as Sister 'ivedita narrates2
'one had the forethought to make a single enDuir as to her name or abode& She never came again& )hus her memor became like sonic beautiful legend treasured in the Order as witness to the worship of Shri Ramakrishna for gracious and noble wifehood and motherhood& 9ad he nor said of this woman( Fa fragment of the eternal /adonnahoodFM & & & F.as it a *okeF( the Swami said( Fthat Shri Ramakrishna -aramahamsa should touch a lifeM 9f course, he made new men and women of those who came to him( even in these fleeting contactsGF ,nd then he would tell stor after stor of different disciples& 9ow one came( and came again( and struggled to understand& ,nd suddenl ( to this one he turned and said( F3o awa now( and make some mone G )hen come againGF ,nd that man toda was succeeding in the world( but the old love was proving itself ever alight&

)he Swami spoke with great feeling of 'ag /ahasha a( who had paid him a visit in 5alcutta onl a few weeks before his departure& 'ag /ahasha a( he said again and again( was Fone of the greatest of the works of Ramakrishna -aramahamsaF& 9e related how on one occasion he had cut down the supporting pole of his cottage( in order to make the fire to cook food for a guest& Speaking of the modern saints of +ndia( such as -avhari 1aba( )railanga Swami( Raghunath <as( and others( as also of those of ancient times(
&&& his whole soul went to the interpretation of each( as he rose before him( and it would have been impossible at an moment for the listener to think of an other as higher &&&& Raghunath <as had been dead two months( when the Swami reached his ,shrama& 9e had been a soldier originall in the 1ritish service( and as an outpost sentinel was faithful and good( and much

=;%
beloved b his officers( One night( however( he heard a RamBRam part & 9e tried to do his dut ( but F!a 1olo Ramachandra :i !aiGF maddened him& 9e threw awa his arms and uniform( and *oined the worship& )his went on for some time( till reports came to the 5olonel& 9e sent for Raghunath <as( and asked him whether these were true( and if he knew the penalt & Aes( he knew it& +t was to be shot& F.ell(F said the 5olonel( Fgo awa this time( and + shall repeat it to no one& )his once + forgive ou& 1ut if the same thing happens again( ou must suffer the penalt &F )hat night( however( the sentinel heard again the RamBRam part & 9e did his best( but it was irresistible& ,t hut he( threw all to the winds( and *oined the worshippers till morning& /eanwhile( however( the 5olonel's trust in Raghunath <as had been so great( that he found it difficult to believe an thing against him( even on his own confession& So in the course of the night( he visited the outpost( to see for himself& 'ow( Raghunath <as was in his place( and e6B changed the word with him three times& )hen( being reassured( the 5olonel turned in( and went to sleep& +n the morning appeared Raghunath <as to report himself and surrender his arms& 1ut the report was not accepted( for the 5olonel told him what he had himself seen and heard& )hunderstruck( the man insisted b some means on retiring from the service& Rama it was who had done this for 9is servant& 9enceforth( in ver truth( he would serve no other& F9e became a VairagiF( said the Swami( Fon the banks of the Saraswati& -eople thought him ignorant( but + knew his power( <ail he would feed thousands& )hen would come the grainBseller( after a while( with his bill& '9'mG' Raghunath <as would sa ( ', thousand rupees ou sa M 0et me see& +t is a month( + think( since + have received an thing& )his will come( + fanc ( tomorrow&' ,nd it alwa s came& & & &F ,nd then( perhaps came the stor of Sibi Rana& F,h( AesGF e6claimed the teller( as he ended( Fthese are the stories that are deep in our nation's heart + 'ever forget that the sann asin takes two vows( one to realiLe the truth( and one to help the world( and that the most stringent of stringent reDuirements is that he should renounce an thou ht of heavenGF

O&' ()* +,' +)-. (/01+'( +2 +,' 34'5+02& 21 6,)+ 7'829'5 21

=;" those( who failed to keep their vows& Uuoting the memorable verses of the 0ita on the point2
First( he e6plained how ever thing( short of the absolute control of mind( word( and deed( was but Fthe sowing of wild oatsF& )hen( he told how the religious who failed would sometimes be born again to a throne( Fthere to sow his wild oatsF( in gratif ing the particular desire which had led to his downfall& F, memor of the religious habitF( he said( Foften haunts the throne&F "'or one of the signs of greatness was held to be the persistence of a faint memor & ,kbar had had this memor & 9e thought of himself as a 1rahmachari who had failed in his vows& 1ut he would be born again( in more favourable surroundings( and that time he would succeed& ,nd then there came one of those personal glimpses which occurred so seldom with our /aster& 5arried awa b the talk of memor ( he lifted the visor for a moment( on his own soul& F,nd whatever ou ma thinkF( he said( turning to me suddenl ( and addressing me b name( F" have such a memor lF & & & 9is voice sank into silence( and we sat looking out over the starlit sea& )hen he took up the thread again&& F,s + grow older( + find that + look more and more for greatness in little things& + want to know what a great man cats and wears( and how he speaks to his servants& + waist to find a Sir -hilip Sidne greatnessG Few men would remember the thirst of others( even in the moment of death& F1ut an one will be great in a great positionG Even the coward will grow brave in the glare of the footlights& )he world looks on& .hose heart will not throbM .hose pulse will not Duicken( till he can do his bestM /ore and more the true greatness seems to me that of the worm( doing its dut silentl ( steadil ( from moment to moment( and hour to hour&F 9ow man points on the map have received a new beaut in m e es( from the conversations the recallG ,s we passed up the coast of +tal ( we talked of the 5hurch& ,s we went through the Straits of 1onifacio( and sat looking at the south coast of 5orsica( he spoke in a hushed voice of Fthis land of the birth of the warlordF( and wandered far afield( to talk of the strength of Robespierre( or to touch on Victor 9ugo's contempt for 'apoleon +++( with his B<t )u 'apoleon MF ,s + came on deck( on the morning of our passing through the Straits of 3ibraltar( he met me with the words( F9ave ou seen

=;7
themM 9ave ou seen themM 0anding there and cr ing( '<inG <inG )he FaithG )he FaithGF' ,nd for halfBanBhour + was swept awa into his dramatiLation of the /oorish invasions of Spain& Or again( on a Sunda evening( he would sit and talk of 1uddha( putt in new life into the customar historical recital of hare facts( and interpreting the 3reat Renunciation as it had appeared to him who made it& 1ut his talks were not all entertaining( nor even all educational& Ever now and then he would return( with consuming eagerness( to the great purpose of his life& ,nd when he did this( + listened with an an6ious mind( striving to treasure up each word that lie let fall * For + knew that here + was but the transmitter( but the bridge( between him and that countless host of his own people( who would et arise( and seek to make good his dreams& One of these occasions came on a certain evening( as we neared ,den& + had asked him( in the morning( to tell me( in broad outline( what he felt to he the points of difference between his own schemes for the good& of +ndia( and those preached b others& +t was impossible to draw him out on this sub*ect& On the contrar ( he e6pressed appreciation of certain personal characteristics and lines of conduct( adopted b some of the leaders of other schools&& and + regarded the Duestion as dismissed& Suddenl ( in the evening , he returned to the sub*ect of his own accord& F+ disagree with all thoseF( lie said( Fwho are giving their superstitions back to m people& 0ike the Eg ptologist's interest in Eg pt( it is eas to feel an interest in +ndia that is purel selfish& One ma desire to see again the +ndia of one's books( one's studies( one's dreams& #$ hope is to see again the strong points of that +ndia( reinforced b the strong points of this age( onl in a natural wa & )he new state of things must be a rowth from within& FSo + preach onl the 4panishads& +f ou look( ou will find that + have never Duoted an thing but the 4panishads& ,nd of the 4panishads( it is onl that one idea ? stren th* )he Duintessence of Vedas and Vedanta and all( lies in that one word& 1uddha's teaching was of 'onBresistance or 'onBin*ur & 1ut + think this is a better wa of teaching the same thing& For behind that 'onBin*ur la a dreadful weakness& +t is weakness that conceives the idea of resistance& + do not think of punishing or escaping from a drop of seaBspra & +t is nothing to me& Aet to the mosDuito it would he serious& 'ow( + will all in*ur like that& Strength and fearlessness& / own ideal

=;@ is that giant of a saint whom the killed in the /utin ( and who broke silence( when stabbed to the heart( to sa ( ',rid thou also art 9eG'
F1ut ou ma ask( what is the place of Ramakrishna in this scheme 9e is the method( that wonderful unconscious methodG 9e did not understand himself& 9e knew nothing of England( or the English( save that the were Dueer folk over the sea& 1ut he lived that great lifeE and + read the meaning& 'ever a word of condemnation for an G Once + had been attacking one of our sects of <iabolists& + had been raving on for three hour&(E( and he had listened Duietl & '.ell( wellG' said the old man as + finished( 'perhaps ever house ma have a back door& .ho knowsG' F9itherto the great fault of our +ndian religion has lain in its knowing onl two words ? Renunciation and /ukti& Onl /ukti hereG 'othing for the householdersG 1ut these are the ver people whom + want to help& For( are not all souls of the same Dualit M +s not the goal of ill the sameM F,nd so strength must come to the nation through education&F + thought at the time( and + think increasingl as + consider it( that this one talk of m /aster had been well worth the whole vo age( to have heard&&&& )he Swami was constantl preoccupied with the thought of 9induism as a whole( and this fact found recurring e6pression in references to Vaishnavism&&&& 9e loved to dwell on the spectacle of the historical emergence of 9induism& 9e sought constantl for the great force behind the evolution of an given phenomenon& .here was the thinker behind the founder of a religionM ,nd where( on the other hand( was the heart to complete the thoughtM 1uddha had received his philosoph of the five categories ? form( feeling( sensation( motion( knowledge ? from :apila& 1ut 1uddha had brought the love that made the philosoph live& Of no one of these( :apila had said( can an thing be declared& For each is not& +t but was( and is gone& Each is but the ripple on the water& :now( % manG thou art the seaG :rishna( in his turn( as the preacher and creative centre of popular 9induism( awoke in the Swami a feeling which was scarcel second to his passionate( personal adoration of 1uddha& 5ompared to 9is man Bsidedness( the Sann asa of 1uddha was almost a weakness& 9ow wonderful was the 3itaG &&& 9ow strongG 1ut besides this( there was the beaut of it& )he 3ita( after the 1uddhist writings( was

=;=
such a reliefG 1uddha had constantl said( F+ am& for the -eopleGF ,nd the had crushed( in his name( the vanit of art and learning& )he great mistake committed b 1uddhism la in the destruction of the old&

For the 1uddhist books were torture to read& 9aving been written for the ignorant( one would find onl one or two thoughts in a huge volume& ()he Dhamma-ada he placed( however( on a level with the 0ita*3 +t was to meet the need thus roused( that the -uranas were intended& )here had been onl one mind in +ndia that had foreseen this need( that of :rishna( probabl the greatest man who ever lived& 9e recogniLed at once the need of the -eople( and the desirabilit of preserving all that had alread been gained& 'or are the 3opi stor and the 0ita (which speaks again and again of women and Shudras) the onl forms in which he reached the masses& For the who'e #aha,harata is his( carried 8ut b his worshippersE and it begins with the declaration that it is for the -eople&
F)hus is created a religion that ends in the worship of Vishnu( as the preservation and en*o ment of life( leading to the realiLation of 3od& Our last movement( 5haitan aism( ou remember( was for en*o ment& ()he Swami was characteriLing the doctrine hereE he was not speaking of the unsurpassed personal asceticism of 5haitan a&) ,t the same time !ainism represents the other e6treme( the slow destruction of the bod b selfBtorture& 9ence 1uddhism( ou see( is reformed !ainism( and this is the real meaning of 1uddha's leaving the compan of the five ascetics& +n +ndia( in ever age( there is a c cle of sects( which represents ever gradation of ph sical practice( from the e6treme of selfBtorture to the e6treme of e6cess& ,nd during the same period will alwa s be developed a metaph sical c cle( which represents the realiLation of 3od as taking place b ever gradation of means( from that of using the senses as an instrument( to that of the annihilation of the senses& )hus 9induism alwa s consists( as it were( of two counterspirals( completing each other( round a single a6is& & FAesG Vaishnavism sa s2 +t is all rightG )his tremendous love for father( for mother( for brother( husband( or childG +t is all right( if onl ou will think that :rishna is the child( and when ou give him food( that ou are feeding :rishna& )his was the cr of 5haitan a& '.orship 3od through the sensesG' as against that Vedantic cr ( '5ontrol the sensesG Suppress the sensesG' F,t the present moment( we ma see three different positions of

=;>
the national religion& ? the Orthodo6( the ,r a Sama*( and 1rahmo Sama*& )he orthodo6 covers the ground taken b the Vedic 9indus of the /ahabharata epoch& )he ,r a Sama* corresponds with !ainism( and the 1rahmo Sama* with the 1uddhists& J+ see that +ndia is a oung and living organism& Europe also is oung and living& 'either has arrived at such a stage of development that we can safel criticiLe its institutions& )he are two great e6periments( neither of which is et complete& +n +ndia( we have social communism( with the light of ,dvaita ? that is( spiritual individualism ? pla ing on and around itE in Europe( ou are sociall individualists( but our thought is dualistic( which is spiritual communism& )hus one consists of social institutions hedged in b individualistic thought( while the other is made up of individualist institutions within the hedge of communistic thought& F'ow we must help the +ndian e6periment as it is& /ovements which do not attempt to help things as the are( are from that point of view( no good& +n Europe( for instance( + respect marriage as highl as nonBmarriage& 'ever forget that a man is made great and perfect as much b his faults as b his virtues& So we must not seek to rob a nation of its character( even if it could be proved that the character was all faults&F 9is mind was e6traordinaril clear on the sub*ect of what he meant b individualism& 9ow often has he said to me( FAou do not et understand +ndiaG .e +ndians are /anBworshippers( after allG Our 3od is manGF 9e meant here the great individual man( the man of selfBrealiLation ? 1uddha( :rishna( the guru( the /ahapurusha& 1ut on another occasion( using the same word in an entirel different sense( he said2 F)his idea of manBworship (that is to sa ( the worship of the manhood which e6ists in an man( in all men( apart from their individual achievement of thought or character( humanit ) e6ists in nucleus in +ndia( but it has never been e6panded& Aou must develop it& /ake poetr ( make art( of it& Establish the worship of the feet of beggars( as ou had it in /edieval Europe& /ake manBworshippers&F 9e was eDuall clear( again( about the value of the image& FAou ma alwa s sa F( he said( Fthat the image is 3od& )he error ou have to avoid( is to think 3od the image&F 9e was appealed to( on one occasion( to condemn& the fetishism of the 9ottentot& J+ do not knowK( he answered( Fwhat fetishism isGF , lurid picture was hastil put before him of the ob*ect alternatel

=;8
worshipped( beaten( and thanked& """ do thatGF he e6claimed& F<on't ou see(F he went on( a moment later( in hot resentment of in*ustice done to the lowl and absent( Fdon't ou see that there is no fetishismM Oh( our hearts are steeled( that ou cannot see that the child is rightG )he child sees persons ever where& :nowledge robs us of the child's vision& 1ut at last( through higher knowledge( we win back to it& 9e connects a living power with rocks( sticks( trees( and the rest& ,nd is there not a living -ower behind themM +t is s mbolism( not fetishism l 5an ou not seeMF 1ut while ever sincere e*aculation was thus sacred to him( he never forgot for a moment the importance of the philosoph of 9induism& ,nd he would throw perpetual flashes of poetr into the illustration of such arguments as are known to law ers& 9ow lovingl he would dwell upon the /imamsaka philosoph G .ith what pride he would remind the listener that( according to 9indu Savants( Fthe whole universe is onl the meanin of words* ,fter the word comes the thing& )herefore( the idea is allGF ,nd indeed( as he e6pounded it( the daring of the /imamsaka argument( the fearlessness of its admissions( and the firmness of its inferences( appeared as the ver glor of 9induism&&&& One da he told of Sat abhama's sacrifice( and how the word F:rishnaF( written on a piece of paper( and thrown into the balances( made :rishna himself( on the otherside( kick the beam& FOrthodo6 9induismF( he began( Fmakes Shruti( the sound( ever thing& )he thin is but a feeble manifestation of the preBe6isting and eternal idea& So the name of 3od is ever thing2 3od 9imself is merel the ob*ectification of that idea in the eternal mind& Aour own name is infinitel more perfect than the person( ouG )he name of 3od is greater than 3od& 3uard ou our speechGF Surel there has never been another religious s stem so fearless of truth l ,s he talked( one saw that the whole turned on the unBspoken conviction( selfBapparent to the Oriental mind( that religion is not a creed( but an e6perienceE a process( as the Swami himself has elsewhere said( of being and becoming& +f it be true that this process leads inevitabl from the apprehension of the manifold to the realiLation of the One( then it must also he true that ever thing is in the mind( and that the material is nothing more than the concretiLing of ideas& )hus the 3reek philosoph of -lato is included within the 9indu philosoph of the /imamsakas( and a doctrine that sounds merel empiric on the lips of Europe finds reason and necessit ( on those of +ndia& +n the same wa ( as one declaring a truth selfBevident

=;;
he e6plained on one occasion( F+ would not worship even the 5reek gods( for the were separate from humanit G Onl those should be worshipped who are like ourselves( but greater& )he difference between the gods& and me must be a difference onl of degree&F& 1ut his references to philosoph did not b an means alwa s consist of these epicurean titbits& lie was merciless( as a rule( in the demand for intellectual effort( and would hold a group of unlearned listeners through an anal sis of earl s stems( for a couple of hours at a stretch( without suspecting them of weariness or difficult &&&& 'or would .estern speculations pass forgotten in this great restoration of the path the race had come b & For his was a mind which saw onl the seeking( pursuing enDuir of man( making no arbitrar distinction as between ancient and modern&&&&

+n this wa ( he would run over all si6 s stems of 9indu philosoph ( anal sing( comparing( reconciling one with the other( and showing their points of difference from 1uddhism& )hus he dwelt long and minutel on the Vaisheshika and the ' a a philosoph in particular( side b side with those of the Vedanta and of :ant& 9e concluded b sa ing2
One set of persons( ou see( gives priorit to the e6ternal manifestation( the other to the internal ideal& .hich is prior( the bird to the egg( or the egg to the birdG <oes the oil hold the cup( or the cup the oilM )his is a problem of which there is no solution& 3ive it upG Escape from /a aG

1ut the Swami was not occupied all the time with problemsE free from the cares of public life( he was *ovial and often gave himself up to fun and merriment with his brotherBmonk and his disciple& So passed the time until the 0o'conda arrived at )ilbur <ock in 0ondon after a vo age of fort Btwo da s& +t being summertime( most of the Swami's 0ondon disciples and friends were out of town& )hus( while crowds had seen him off in <ecember of "@#8( he had known that onl a few would be on hand to welcome him back& )hose few were 'ivedita's mother and sister( a /iss -aston( and his ,merican disciples( 5hristine 3reenstidel and /ar Funke( the last two of whom( as we have seen( had come all the wa from <etroit to meet

=;$ him& <escribing his appearance( /rs& Funke said( F9e had grown ver slim and looked like a bo & 9e was so happ to find that the vo age had brought back some of the old strength and vigour&F 5onspicuous b his absence at the dock was /r& E& )& Sturd & 1efore arriving in England the Swami had received word from his old friend that he had gone off to .ales and thus could not receive the two Swamis in 0ondon( where he now lived& )his must surel have come as a disappointment to the Swami( but at first it was perhaps no more than that& ,s time went on( however( disappointment turned to painful surprise and shock& )he Swami's letter written to Sturd from -ort Said indicates that he had taken for granted that Sturd 's lo alt to and enthusiasm for the work was intact and reliable& 1ut it was soon to become apparent that such was not the case& <uring the Swami's fortnight in England( Sturd did manage to come in from .ales for three da s& 1ut face to face with his guru he could not unburden his mind& Onl later did the unwholesome( and surel unhapp ( thoughts he was harbouring e6plode in acrimonious letters to the Swami( bitterl denouncing his wa of preaching and living& 'otBwithstanding Sturd 's insulting insolence( the Swami brought the chain of this incredible correspondence to a close with the remark& F)hat +ndia still lives( Sturd ? HthatI +ndia of unBd ing love ? of everlasting faithfulness ? the unchangeable( not onl in manners and customs( but also in love( in faith( in friendship& ,nd "( the least of that +ndia's child( love ou( Sturd ( with )ndian love( and would an da give up a thousand bodies to help ou out of this delusion&F /r& Sturd was not the onl erstwhile supporter of the Swami's cause whose change of heart was conspicuous& /iss 9enrietta /uller had returned from +ndia earl in "$##( full of rancour& )owards the close of her visit in +ndia she had advertised in the -ress the severance of her connection with the Swami's movement and her return to the 5hristian faith& ,fter coming back to England she spread various false reports against the Swami and did not( of course( welcome him to her

=;# .imbledon home& Such betra als hurt the Swami deepl & ,lmost a ear later( in a letter dated !une 7%( "#%%( he was to write to 5hristine 3reenstidel from 'ew Aork2 F<id ou hear of m friend /iss /ullerM .ell( she left me in +ndia ? and the sa tried to in*ure me in England&&& 9er defection was a great blow to me ? as + loved her so much and she was a great helper and worker&F ,nother of the Swami's erstwhile English followers whose ardour had cooled was /rs& ,shtonB!onson& She was of the opinion that a spiritual person should not fall ph sicall ill?an opinion riot uncommon among certain religious groups of that period& :nowing of the Swami's illness( her enthusiasm for his cause noticeabl declined& She( however( came to see the Swami one da with Sturd & )hese defections( on top of Sturd 's strange behaviour&( undoubtedl gave the Swami some rude shocks& F)he 0ondon work seems to fall to pieces(F he later wrote to( 5hristine on September 7( "$##( after leaving England& F)he friends over there are all shak ( even Sturd &F Aet( despite such blows and( disappointments( the Swami's radiance was undimmed( its light and power felt b ever one who came in close touch with him& From Sister 'ivedita's letters of this period we learn that the Swami sta ed the first da in 0ondon( and the ne6t morning went to the suburb of .imbledon& )here 'ivedita's sister found rooms for him in a lodging house( known as the 0 mes( which was about a fifteen minutes' walk from the 'obles' residence& +t was a Duiet place( where the Swami was in perfect peace& )hough he was in good health when he landed( he began suffering again( off and on( and continued to take needed rest& )his being the holida season( when man people had left the cit ( the Swami did no public work during his sta & +ndeed( the onl lo al friends he saw( out of the crowds that had flocked around him in "$#8( were Emmeline Souter and /a6 3 sic& +t was during this period that the members of the 'oble household came in intimate contact with the Swami for the first time& )he all loved and revered him deepl and( to the

=$% delight and wonder of 'ivedita( used to pa respects to him b kneeling at his feet& 9e would hold them all spellbound b his illuminating talks& striking a responsive chord in ever heart& Even 'ivedita's ounger sister /a ( who was shortl to be married (becoming /rs& /ar .ilson)( felt strongl tempted to follow him( giving her life in his service as had her elder sister& 'ivedita's ounger brother( Richmond( still in his teens( saw in the Swami a 5hristBlike person& +n later ears he wrote of him2
)hat m sister should have obe ed his call was nothing wonderful( for ) m self saw Swami*i( and + know his power& One had onl to& see and hear Swami*i and to sa to oneself( F1ehold the manGF One knew he spoke truth( for he spoke with authorit ( and not as a scholar or as a priest& Swami*i brought certaint with him( he gave assurance( and confidence to the inDuirer& )his + think was what he did for m sister( and it was the certaint which led her to obe the call fearlessl ( and( once having obe ed without hesitation( she never had cause to regret&

'ivedita's mother( /rs& Samuel Richmond 'oble (/ar )( found in the Swami a son who needed her care& +ndeed( she looked upon him as her own( and when /iss /uller's canards against him reached her cars( she felt humiliated( as she said( to the verge of tears b such treatment of him& On ,ugust "8( in response to the man invitations which constantl reached him from ,merica( the Swami( accompanied b Swami )uri ananda and the two ,merican disciples( travelled b train to 3lasgow& ,nd from there( on ,ugust ";( the set sail on the S&S& Numidian for ,merica& Of the vo age across the ,tlantic /rs& Funke wrote2
&&& )hese were ten neverBtoBbeBforgotten da s spent on the ocean& Reading and e6position of the 0ita occupied ever morning( also reciting and translating poems and stories from the Sanskrit and chanting old Vedic h mns& )he sea was smooth and at night the moonlight was entrancing& )hose were wonderful eveningsE the /aster paced up and down the deck( a ma*estic figure in the moonBlight( stopping now and then to speak to us of the beauties of 'ature&

=$"
J,nd if all this /a a is so beautiful( think of the wondrous beaut of the Realit behind itGK he would e6claim& One especiall evening when the moon was at he full and softl mellow and golden( a night of m ster and enchantment( he stood silentl for a long time drinking in the beaut of the scene& Suddenl he turned to us and said( J.h recite poetr when thereK( pointing to sea and sk ( Jis the ver essence of poetr MK .e reached 'ew Aork all too soon( feeling that we never could be grateful enough for those blessed( intimate ten da s with the guruO&

=$7 !! SECOND VISIT TO AMERICA 1 On the morning of /onda ( ,ugust 7$( "$##( the S&S& ' umidian docked at 'ew Aork( and once again( after an absence of almost three and a half ears( Swami Vivekananda set foot on ,merican soil& +n 'ew Aork( as in 0ondon( it was the offB seasonE thus that ver afternoon( after visiting the town house of his old friends /r& and /rs& Francis 0eggett( the Swami and his brotherBdisciple Swami )uri ananda went with them b train to Ridgel ( their beautiful countr home in the 9udson River Valle some ninet miles from 'ew Aork& F9e was tired and illBlooking(F /iss /aud Stumm( a guest at Ridgel and one of those who had come to meet his ship( was to write later on& 1ut clearl he was in good spirits( for she added2 F9e .as carr ing most carefull a big bottle wrapped in papers that were torn and raggedE this precious bottle( which he refused to relinDuish before reaching 1innewater( contained a kind of sauce like curr ( brought thus b hand from +ndia& 'For !oG' he said&F F!oF was( of course( /iss !osephine /ac0eod( who was a member of the Ridgel household& +n the serene atmosphere of this large( wideBlawned countr estate( five miles from the 9udson and some twelve to twent miles from the beautiful 5atskill /ountains( the Swami waited( as Sister 'ivedita was to write( Ffor the leading that he confidentl e6pected( to show him where his ne6t effort was to lie&F )ogether with Swami )uri ananda and( a little later( Swami ,bhedananda( he was assigned a large guest cottage( a short walk from the commodious and hospitable F/anorF& ,t the latter( there was alwa s the congenial companionship of their hosts and fellow guestsE while( whenever the wanted it( the Swamis had the privac and silence of the &cottage( known thereafter as FSwami*i's 5ottageF( b virtue of its most honoured occupant&

=$@ )he household was a large one& +n addition to /r& and /rs& 0eggett and /iss /ac0eod( there were ,lberta and 9ollister Sturges( the grownBup children of /rs& 0eggett b a former marriageE there was the .hitmarsh famil ( the head of which /r& )heodore .hitmarsh( was a nephew of /r& 0eggettE there were /aud Stumm and other more or less permanent guests( and man temporar guests who visited Ridgel for var ing periods during the Swami's tenBweeks' sta there& Sister 'ivedita arrived from 0ondon on September 7% and sta ed on until the Swami himself left in earl 'ovember& /rs& Ole 1ull and her daughter Olea came on October ;( also to sta until 'ovember& )hen( for shorter visits( there came the two /c:indle sisters( +sabelle and 9arriet( from 5hicago( whom the Swami delighted to see againE there was /iss Ellen .aldo( his disciple from 'ew AorkE /rs& Florence /ilward ,dams from 5hicago( and /iss Florence 3uernse ( the daughter of the Swami's close friend <r& Egbert 3uernse of 'ew Aork& ,nd to hasten the natural improvement of his health( a <r& 9elmer( a famous 'ew Aork osteopath( .as brought to Ridgel b /r& and /rs& 0eggett to diagnose his illness and to treat him& Others came and went( some sta ing a da ( some a week or more& One of the guests the Swami must have been especiall happ to see was his brotherBdisciple Swami ,bhedananda( whom he had left in 0ondon in <ecember of "$#8& Swami ,bhedananda had come to ,merica in ,ugust of "$#;( and had there been conducting the work of the Vedanta Societ of 'ew Aork with great success& 9e had been lecturing at the 3reenacre School of 5omparative Religions in /aine when Swami Vivekananda had arrived in 'ew Aork( and thus had been unable to greet his beloved brother& until September $( when( at the Swami's call( he came to Ridgel & )here he sta ed about ten da s( and it was with much satisfaction that the Swami learned from him about the progress of the ,merican work and the 'ew Aork Vedanta Societ 's recent move to its first permanent Duarters at "=8 East Fift Bfifth Street& On October "> these FVedanta Societ RoomsF were formall

=$= opened b Swami ,bhedananda( and from the twent Bsecond of that month he held regular classes there& 1 mid September the Swami's health was noticeabl improving& F,n ,merican 1rahmachariniF wrote about him at this time2
+t is alread three weeks since Swami Vivekananda and Swami )uri ananda reached ,merica from England& Swami Vivekananda is rapidl recovering from all indisposition( and for the gain made in health during the vo age from +ndia to England( is dail adding renewed vigour& )he few chosen ones( who have heard the Swami in eas homeBtalks since his arrival( are deepl impressed with the great message of truth he bears ? a larger and fuller prophec and vision than an he has et given to the East or .est&&&&

,s earl as September 7 the Swami himself wrote to 5hristine2 F+ had the famil doctor of the 0eggetts to come and see me& 9e is also of opinion that there is nothing HwrongI with m heart( e6cept a little nervous tremor( and that will pass awa with proper dieting& + am almost a vegetarian now( e6cept + cat a bit of fish now and then( as the doctor sa s& 'o meat whatsoever( and + am doing splendid&F )he Swami's occupations at Ridgel were light and varied& F+ am writing a book on '+ndia and her people'(F he wrote to /ar 9ale in earl September( F ? a short chatt simple something& ,gain + am going to learn French&F Sometimes he tried his hand at golf( walked in the countr side( or learned to draw under the tutelage of /aud Stumm( Ftoiling over his cra onsF( she wrote( Fwith as single a mind and heart as if that were his vocation&F Or( again( he obligingl sat for his portrait b this same artistB teacher& 1ut of greatest delight to those around him were the long summerBevening hours of Feas homeBtalksF when he spoke to his friends of Fhis great message of truthF( while& the listened spellbound& )hus cared for b loving friends( he rested in this countr retreat( his presence a constant *o and inspiration to his hosts( their famil ( and their other guests& 1 'ovember + he could write to 5hristine( F+ am ver strong and health now and feel strong like a lion( read to take up an

=$> work again&F ,nd less than a week later( on 'ovember ;( he left for 'ew Aork( his da s of rest over& /eanwhile( Swami )uri ananda had left Ridgel around the end of October for /ontclair( a town in 'ew !erse & twent miles from 'ew Aork cit & 9ere( work opened for him in the form of classes for children in the home of /rs& F& .heeler( an ardent student of Vedanta( where Swami Saradananda had earlier sta ed and preached& +n addition( the newl arrived Swami visited 'ew Aork once a week to hold another class for children( teaching them b means of stories and readings from the Hito-adesha and other books of& +ndian wisdom& 9e also talked to and meditated with the 'ew Aork students( and was later to participate full in the 'ew Aork work of Swami ,bhedananda( holding classes and giving the regular lectures of the Societ in the latter's absence from the cit & +n <ecember "$## Swami )uri ananda went to 5ambridge( /assachusetts( where he did much valuable work& On <ecember "% he read a paper on FShankarachar aF before the 5ambridge 5onferences( an annual course of lectures given b wellBknown speakers( conducted b <r& 0ewis !anes( and sponsored b /rs& Ole 1ull& Swami )uri ananda's lecture( the first he had ever given( was attended b professors of 9arvard 4niversit and man other learned men( all of whom spoke highl of it& )he first appearance of Swami Vivekananda at the new Duarters of the 'ew Aork Vedanta Societ was on the evening of )uesda ( 'ovember ;( the da of his arrival in 'ew Aork& +n the words of a letter appearing in the .rahmavadin of Februar "#%%( he Fwas urged to take charge of the meeting&&&& Swami ,bhedananda introducing HhimI in words of love and reverence as the founder of the present Vedanta work in 'ew Aork and the pioneer and prophet of Vedanta philosoph in ,merica& Swami Vivekananda presided and gave the evening to Duestions and answers&F )he Vedanta Societ that Swami Vivekananda had founded

=$8 in 'ew Aork in 'ovember of "$#= had been steadil growing and was now flourishing under the able leadership of Swami ,bhedananda( who had taken charge in ,ugust of "$#;& )hrough his man lectures both within the Societ and on farB flung lecture tours( Swami ,bhedananda was e6erting a strong influenceE indeed the movement Swami Vivekananda had begun in ,merica was taking firm root& F)wo ears of patient( persistent( loving service has established Vedanta in a consecrated bod of earnest students who are devoted to the continuance of the work(F wrote a 'ew Aork student in the .rahmavadin of September "$##& 'or was the impact of the Vedanta movement noticed onl b its own followers& )he general public recogniLed it as Fa growingl important factor in the thoughtBmovement of the da F( and the Vedanta philosoph had become a topic for earnest discussion in intellectual and religious circles ? particularl ( among serious religions groups that were e6ploring new avenues of spiritual search&& )he Swami was( of course( delighted to see the progress that had been made in his absence& On the "%th of 'ovember he was given a public reception in the 0ibrar of the Societ ( and( needless to sa ( man of his old friends and disciples came to meet their beloved teacher( over*o ed to have him among them once again( if onl for a brief time& ,lso present were a large number' of men and women who had been attracted b his name or his books( first published in "$#8( and who wished to meet him personall & ,n address of welcome was presented to him b some of his old friends( in repl to which he made it clear that his heart was overflowing with love and goodwill towards them& One of Swami ,bhedananda's students( 1rahmachari 3urudas( afterwards known as Swami ,tulananda( was present at this reception& +n his memoirs( entitled With the Swamis in America, he recorded his impressions of the evening2
<uring the short period Swami*i sta ed in 'ew Aork( there was great re*oicing at the Vedanta 9ome& Swami*i did not give an public lectures( but he attended the classes and meetings at the Vedanta 9ome( and there he gave short talks and answered Duestions&

=$;
, public reception was given to him at the 9ome( and his former friends and students gathered in large numbers to meet their beloved teacher again& +t was a ver happ gathering& Others were also present who had long desired to meet the great Swami of whom the had heard so much& )hough public( the reception was informal& )he Swami had a smile( a *oke( or kind word for ever one of his old friends& -art of the time he was seated on the floor( in the +ndian fashion( some of his friends following his e6ample& )here was much talking and laughing( and the Swami showed b a gesture or a remark that he had nowise forgotten his old students&&&& Swami*i was so simple in his behaviour( so like one of the( crowd that he did not impress so much when + first saw him& )here was nothing about his wa s that would mark him as the lion of 'ew Aork societ as so often he had been& Simple in dress and behaviour( he was *ust like one of us& 9e did not put himself aside on a pedestal as is so often the case with lioniLed personages& 9e walked about the room( sat on the floor( laughed( *oked( chatted ? nothing formal& Of course( + had noticed his magnificent( brilliant e es( his beautiful features and ma*estic bearing( for these were parts of him that no circumstance could hide& 1ut when + saw him for a few minutes standing on a platform surrounded b others( it flashed into m mind2 F.hat a giant( what strength( what manliness( what a personalit G Ever one near him looks so insignificant compared with him&F +t came to me almost as a shockE it seemed to startle me& .hat was it that gave Swami*i this distinctionM .as it his heightM 'o( there were gentlemen there taller than he was& .as it his buildM 'o( there were near him some ver fine specimens of ,merican manhood& +t seemed to be more in the e6pression of the face than an thing else& .as it his purit M .hat was itM + could not anal se it& + remembered what had been said of 0ord 1uddha( ? Fa lion amongst menF& + felt that Swami*i had unlimited power( that he could move heaven and earth if he willed it& )his was m strongest and lasting impression of him&

1ut while the Swami's power was indeed immeasurable and aweBinspiring( he had no wish to use it to influence othersE on the contrar ( he avoided doing so& +t was at one of his class talks during this period in 'ew Aork that( becoming aware of his power over his listeners( he instantl stopped and left the

=$$ room& )here was no more lecturing that night( and ever one went awa greatl disappointed& .hen a friend later asked him wh he had broken off his lecture *ust when his audience was becoming absorbed in it( he replied( lie had felt that the minds of his listeners were becoming like soft cla in his handsE he had the power to give them an shape he wished& )o do so( however( was against his philosoph E he wanted ever one to grow according to his or her own natural bent& So he had stopped& )hough the students were disappointed and puLLled that evening( the had opportunities of seeing and hearing the Swami on man other occasions during his two weeks' sta in 'ew Aork& 9e often came to the Societ 's headDuartersE he held DuestionBandBanswer classes at the weekl meetings (regularl held on )uesda and )hursda evenings and Saturda mornings)E he came also at other times to talk inB formall to them& )o answer their Duestions was one of his Duickest and most effective methods of handling their spiritual or philosophical difficulties& 1ut his answers( though alwa s illuminating( were often une6pected( and sometimes unsettling to the Duestioners& Such a repl was recorded b 1rahmachari 3urudas in an article appearing in the &ra,uddha .harata of ,pril "#"$2
H,t the Swami's Duestion classesI ever one was invited to ask an Duestion he wished& So one evening( an old churchBlad asked him wh he never spoke of sin& )here came a look of surprise on Swami*i's face& F1ut( madam(F he said( Fblessed are m sins& )hrough sin( + have learned virtue& +t is m sins( as much as m virtues( that have made me what + am toda & ,nd now + am the preacher of virtue& .h do ou dwell on the weak side of man's natureM <on't ou know that the greatest blackguard often has sonic virtue that is wanting in the saintM )here is onl one power( and that power manifests both as good and as evil& 3od and the devil are the same river with the water flowing in opposite directions&F )he lad was horrified( but others understood& ,nd then the Swami began to speak of the divinit that resides in ever manE how the soul is perfect( eternal and immortalE the ,tman resides in ever

=$#
&& & 9ere was hope( here was strength( ever man can become divine( b realiLing his own divinit & <o ou see what an immense consolation Swami*i's teaching was to those that had searched( but had not et foundE those who had knocked( but unto whom it had not et been opened M )o them( Swami*i came as a Saviour& 9e came to the door of their own hearts and knocked& ,nd blessed are the who opened the door to receive the flow of benediction that came with his presence&

Even in the midst of his multifarious activities( the Swami would( now and then( get a glimpse of a strange foreboding regarding his life on this mortal plane& One da he said to Swami ,bhedananda( F.ell( brother( m da s are numbered& + shall live onl for three or four ears at the most&F )he brotherBdisciple replied( FAou must not talk like that( Swami*i& Aou are fast recovering our health& +f ou sta here for some time( ou will be completel restored to our former strength and vigour& 1esides( we have got so much work to do& +t has onl begun&F 1ut the Swami replied significantl 2 FAou do not understand me( brother& + feel that + am growing ver big& /A self is e6panding so much that at times + feel as if this bod could not contain me an more& + am about to burst& Surel ( this cage of flesh and blood cannot hold me for man da s m8re&F )he East 5oast( with its constant bustle and increasing cold( was doing the Swami's ph sical condition little good& )hus after a sta of a week or so at the 0eggetts' house at 7" .est )hirt Bfourth Street( he moved to the home of his old friends <r& and /rs& Egbert 3uernse ( now at "%$ .est Fift Bninth Street& F)he doctorF( he said( Fwants to watch me and cure me&F +n addition( <r& 9elmer( the osteopath who had treated him at Ridgel ( also treated him in 'ew Aork& 1ut despite the coBordinated care of these two eminent doctors( the Swami developed a bad cold and fever& -ossibl ( causes other than the inclement weather of 'ew Aork affected the state of his health& )he emotional shock of an une6pected encounter with Swami :ripananda( who earlier had betra ed him( together with a bitter letter of recrimination and dissension he had received

=#% around this time from /r& Sturd ( could not have left his highl sensitive bod unaffected& ,s his own best diagnostician( the Swami wrote from 'ew Aork to a disciple( FOn the whole( + don't think there is an cause for an6iet about m bod & )his sort of nervous bod is *ust the instrument to pla great music at times and at times to moan in darkness&F +t had been the Swami's intention to spend the winter at /rs& 1ull's home in 5ambridge( but Duite suddenl ( his plans changed& F5ircumstances have so fallenF( he wrote to 5hristine 3reenstidel on 'ovember 7" from 'ew Aork( Fthat + have to start for 5alifornia tomorrow& +t is for m ph sical benefit too( as the doctor sa s ? + had better be off where the severe winter of the 'orth cannot reach& .ell ? thus m plans are made and marred&F So it happened that after a fortnight's sta in 'ew Aork( during which he paid visits to a few neighbouring towns( the Swami left on 'ovember 77 for 5alifornia& ,t the earnest reDuest of his devoted friends and admirers in 5hicago( the Swami stopped over in that cit for a week (from 'ovember 7@ to 'ovember @%)( sta ing with the 9ale famil ( now at >7 .alton -lace& +n this cit ( where he had often lived( lectured( and held classes during his first visit in ,merica( he had uncounted friends and disciples( and( of course( he now saw man of them& ,mong his old acDuaintances thus renewed was /me Emma 5alv8( whom he first met in 5hicago a few ears before and who( as it happened( was again in the cit with the /etropolitan Opera 5ompan & Sister 'ivedita was also in 5hicago at this time( having come there directl from Ridgel earl in 'ovember in her effort to raise mone for her proposed 9ome and School for .idows and 3irls in 5alcutta& )he Swami made new friends also( and it was a great delight to him to find how man people( *ust b reading his books( had been attracted to his teachings and had developed not onl an understanding of spiritual ideas( but a great reverence for +ndia and +ndian culture& <uring this week he visited several outl ing suburbs( where he was entertained at dinner

=#" or at receptions b various distinguished persons( and no doubt he dined often with his friends in 5hicago& On /onda ( 'ovember 7;( he gave a parlour talk at the .alton -lace flat( to which friends both old and new were invited& 4nfortunatel ( no record remains of what he said on this occasion or of what his sub*ect was& 1ut the Swami's week in 5hicago was not entirel devoted to meeting and talking with people& 9e spent also Duiet( rela6ed times with the 9ale famil ( reading( perhaps listening to the cousins pla ducts on their two pianos( and( now and then( making recordings for them b talking into the big( flaring megaphone of one of )homas Edison's primitive phonograph machines& .hat became of the wa6 c linders or disks that bore the impress of the Swami's voice is not at present known& )his pleasant interlude in the Swami's westward *ourne came to a close on 'ovember @%( "$##& On that evening he entrained for 0os ,ngeles on the Santa Fe's 4a'ifornia <>-ress, and( though he ma not have planned it so( he was on his wa to a new and important phase of his world mission& 9e was not to return to 'ew Aork until !une ; of the following ear& )he Swami arrived in 0os ,ngeles in the earl afternoon of <ecember @& 9ere he was to be the guest of /rs& S& :& 1lodgett( at whose house /iss /ac0eod had come from Ridgel in the earl part of October "$##( in order to nurse her brother( who la there fatall ill& ,lthough )a lor /ac0eod had died earl in 'ovember( /iss /ac0eod had sta ed on and( at /rs& 1lodgett's reDuest( had urged the Swami to come& 9e had concurred( thinking( perhaps( more of his work than of his health& +n fact( as /iss /ac0eod had left Ridgel ( the Swami blessed her in Sanskrit and then called out as she drove off2 F3et up some classes and + will come&F )his was the first intimation that after months of rest he once again felt impelled to carr his message to wider fields& ,nd( indeed( his going to 5alifornia was to open one of the momentous chapters of his life& )hough he came unobtrusivel ( without announcing a

=#7 new programme( and though he seemed ph sicall incapable of doing hard work an longer( one marvels to witness him again rising to the aweBinspiring heights of his ministr with his wonted power( ever devoted to doing F/other's workF as commissioned b his /aster& 1efore coming to sta with /rs& 1lodgett( the Swami( together with /iss /ac0eod( first spent a week at the home of a /iss Spencer( who became one of his fervent disciples& 'ot much is known as to who this /iss Spencer was( e6cept that she had spent the foregoing ten ears nursing her blind and d ing& mother ? which ma reveal a character of selfBsacrifice and devotion& .hile in her home( the Swami was wont to sit on the floor beside the aged and d ing lad ( and at /iss Spencer's Duestion wh he seemed so interested in her mother( he told her that death( like birth( was a m ster E when the b8d approaches dissolution( the sense activities are stilled as the soul graduall passes to the life be ond& )his state( so sad and repulsive to a mind limited to e6ternal appearances( was to the Swami's spiritual insight pregnant with interest and significance& 1ut during these da s the Swami surel did other things besides sit with the aged /rs& Spencer& /iss /ac0eod( for instance( must have introduced him to her newl made friends( who had been eagerl looking forward to his arrival in their cit & +ndeed( the Swami soon found himself surrounded b man people to whom his religious writings were alread well known( and who were an6ious to see him and to hear him lecture& ,mong them was a /r& 1ernhard R& 1aumgardt( Secretar of the Southern 5alifornia ,cadem of Sciences( and a versatile man of man talents and accomplishments& 9e took deep interest in the Swami and his work& and arranged for his first lecture in 0os ,ngeles( engaging for the purpose 1lanchard 9all( the best in the cit ( on the evening of Frida ( <ecember $& )he Swami's lecture that evening was entitled F)he Vedanta -hilosoph or 9induism as a ReligionF and was attended b more than si6 hundred people( all of whom( as we learn from one who was present( were FenchantedF& Sitting enthralled

=#@ among them were three women who were to pla important roles in the service of the Swami's ministr on the .est 5oast( both during his visit there and subseDuentl & )hese were the /ead sisters of South -asadena2 /rs& 5arrie /ead . ckoff( /rs& ,lice /ead 9ansbrough( and /iss 9elen /ead& )he Swami delivered his second lecture in 0os ,ngeles on the evening of )uesda ( <ecember "7( at 4nit 5hurch( under the auspices of the Southern 5alifornia ,cadem of Sciences& Over a thousand people attended( and the lecture( entitled F)he 5osmos( or the Vedic 5onception of the 4niverseF( was a great success( creating a demand for more& )he Swami himself( his health now improved( was eager to work and to teach& 1 this time he had no doubt moved from /iss Spencer's home to /rs& 1lodgett's small house at #7" .est )went Bfirst Street& /rs& 1lodgett( a widow( whom the Swami described to /ar 9ale as Ffat( old( e6tremel witt & & & and ver motherl F( had attended the -arliament of Religions in 5hicago si6 ears earlier( and had there heard him give his first talk to the ,merican people& +n 5hicago she had acDuired a large coloured poster of him( which she had hung in her 0os ,ngeles home( never dreaming that the great Swami himself would one da be her guest& +t was on the da following the second of the Swami's lectures that two of the /ead sisters ? /rs& 9ansbrough and 9elen /ead ? came to pa him a friendl call& <uring the course of the conversation the Swami offered to hold a class if the sisters cared to make the arrangements& <elighted at this proposal the /ead sisters wasted no time in arranging for a series of three classes to be held in the 1lanchard 1uilding on the evenings of <ecember "#( 7" and 77& )hus the wa opened for the Swami to set forth on a season of stead teaching on the -acific 5oast& )he first class of the series( which was entitled as a whole F,pplied -s cholog F( was held not in the main auditorium of the building( but in the three studio rooms that opened one into the other& )his arrangement could not accommodate the audience which numbered between one hundred and fift

=#= and two hundred& )he second and third classes( therefore( were moved to the chapel of the 0os ,ngeles 9ome of )ruth ? a religious societ of F'ew )houghtF persuasion ? at the suggestion of its director( /r& !& Ransome 1ransb & )his led almost inevitabl to further classes at the 9ome of )ruth( man of whose members were completel won over b the Swami's simple manner( his great intellectualit ( and( above all( his towering spiritualit & <uring the last week of <ecember he held a series of si6 classes at the F9omeF( entitled as a series F)he /ind and +ts -owersF& )he individual titles of five of these classes are now known to us2 On 5hristmas <a he spoke on F5hrist's /essage to the .orldFE the title of his class of <ecember 78 was not announced( but those held from <ecember 7; to @% were( respectivel 2 F)heor of 5oncentrationF( F-ractice of 5oncentrationF( FSpiritual 1reathingF( and FReincarnationF&"@ /an of the members of the F9omeF became the Swami's ardent followers& <escribing his work there( the leader of the 0os ,ngeles F9omeF wrote in part in the magaLine Gnit$ for Februar "#%%2
&&& 9indu missionaries are not among us to convert us to a better religion than what 5hrist gave us( but rather in the name of religion itself( to show us that there is in realit but one Religion( and that we can do no better than to put into practice what we profess to believe& .e had eight lectures at the 9ome b the Swami Vivekananda( and all were intensel interesting&&&& )here is combined in the Swami Vivekananda the learning of a universit Bpresident( the dignit of an archbishop( with the grace and winsomeness of a free and natural child& 3etting upon the platform without a moment's preparation( he would soon be in the midst of his sub*ect( sometimes becoming almost tragic as his mind would wander from deep metaB

l' Since it has been said in earlier editions that the Swami spent nearl a month at the 9ome of )ruth in 0os ,ngeles and gave several public lectures there with audiences of more than a thousand( it should be noted here that newl ascertained facts pertaining to the Swami's visit in 0os ,ngeles make it highl improbable that he sta ed at the 9ome of )ruth for more than a few da s( if at all& ,s for the talks he gave there( to the best of our knowledge( the have all been mentioned in the present accounted& C Ed&

"@

=#>
ph sics to the prevailing conditions in 5hristian countries of toda ( whose people go and seek to reform the Filipinos with the sword in one hand and the 1ible in the other( or in South ,frica allow children of the same Father to cut each other to pieces +n contrast to this condition of things( he described what took place during the last great famine in +ndia where men would die of starvation beside their& cattle (cows) rather than stretch forth a hand to kill&&&&

)he Swami( as alwa s( gave his message straight& 9e neither sugarBcoated it nor watered it down& 'or did he have the Fclosed fist of the preacherF in which was reserved the choicest teachings for the elect few& Swami Vivekananda wholeheartedl believed in the saving power of the highest truth& ,nd he believed that man( an man( should alwa s be taught that truth& )herefore he admonished2 'ever forget the glor of manG )o give man onl the highest and the best to remember his glor ( never to patroniLe him( never to temporiLe or compromise ? that was perhaps his wa of carr ing out what he had learnt earl in life from his /aster2' F!iva is ShivaF& )o his listeners( who were not committed to doctrinal teachings of the 5hurch( his message brought abiding light and refreshing inspiration& )hose whose ver thought process was conditioned b doctrinal teachings were stunned b his amaLing message of simple truths& .ho could withstand the impact of such teachings without being affected one wa or the other( when( in his lecture F9ints on -ractical Spiritualit F( he uttered the following wordsM2
&&& .e should look upon man in the most charitable light& +t is not so eas to be good& .hat are ou but mere machines until ou are freeM Should ou be proud because ou are goodM 5ertainl not& Aou are good because ou cannot help it& ,nother is bad because he cannot help it& +f ou were in his position( who knows what ou would have beenM )he woman in the street( or the thief in the *ail( is the 5hrist that is being sacrificed that ou ma be a good man& Such is the law of balance& ,ll the thieves and the murderers( all the un*ust( the weakest( the wickedest( the devils( the are all m 5hristG + owe a worship to the 3od 5hrist and to the demon 5hrist l )hat is m doctrine( + cannot help it& / salutation goes to the feet of the good(

=#8
the saintl ( and to the feet of the wicked and the devilishG )he are all m teachers( all are m spiritual fathers( all are m Saviours& + ma curse one and et benefit b his failingsE + ma bless another and benefit b his good deeds& )his is as true as that + stand here& + have to sneer at the woman walking in the street( because societ wants it& She( m Saviour( she( whose streetBwalking is the cause of the chastit of other womenG )hink of that& )hink( men and women( of this Duestion in our mind& +t is a truth ? a bare( bold truthG ,s + see more of the world( see more of men and women( this conviction grows stronger& .hom shall + blameM .hom shall + praiseM 1oth sides of the shield must be seen&

,lthough man members of the 9ome of )ruth were won over to the Swami( there were metaph sicians( both within the F9omeF and outside it( who were thoroughl disturbed b his ultra radical teachings that stopped nowhere between 3od and man& Even /r& 1ransb ( who was close to the Swami in the beginning of his ministr on the .est 5oast( could finall stand it no longer& FSwami(F he one da asked tauntingl ( Fif& all things are one( what is the difference between a cabbage and a manMF Sharp came the Swami's repl ( FStick a knife into our leg( and ou will see the line of demarcation&F F)he missionaries were not the onl ones who opposed Swami*i(F /rs& 9ansbrough recalled( F)here were man teachers of metaph sics and man pseudoB teachers who resented him or maliciousl condemned him( either because he was so far superior to them or because he e6posed their shallowness and 'spoiled their business' b teaching true metaph sics&F 'or did the Swami merel lecture on Ftrue metaph sicsF or religious veritiesE lie ave spiritual light as though showering his audience with it& )o those with e es to see( he himself seemed a veritable embodiment of that light& +t was probabl of his 5hristmas <a lecture at the 9ome of )ruth( F5hrist's /essage to the .orldF( that /iss /ac0eod wrote2 FSwami lectured a great number of times at the 9ome of )ruth and in various halls( but perhaps the most outstanding lecture + ever heard was his talk on F!esus of 'aLarethF( when he seemed to radiate a white light from head to foot( so lost was he in the

=#; wonder and the power of 5hrist& + was so impressed .ith this obvious halo that + did not speak to him on the wa back for fear of interrupting( as + thought( the great thoughts that were still in his mind& Suddenl he said to me( '+ know how it is done&' + said( '9ow what is doneM' '9ow the make mulligatawn soupG )he put a ba leaf in it(' he told me& )hat utter lack of selfBconsciousness( of selfBimportance( was perhaps one of his outstanding characteristics&F )here was alwa s *o in his compan ( the childlike nature of the -aramahamsa continuall revealing itself& 9is 0os ,ngeles hostess( /rs& 1lodgett( who had opportunit to know him in rela6ed and informal hours( reminisced in a letter of September 7( "#%7 to /iss /ac0eod2
&&& + knew him personall but a short time( et in that short time + could but see in a hundred wa s the child side of Swami*i's character( which was a constant appeal to the /other Dualit in all good women& 9e depended upon those near him in a wa which brought him ver near to one's heart&&&& 9e would come horse from a lecture where he was compelled to break awa from his audience( so eagerl would the gather around him ? come rushing into the kitchen like a bo released from school( with( F'ow we will cookF& )he prophet and sage would disappear to reveal the child side or simplicit of character&

.herever the Swami went in the .est( he was sought after not onl as a great religious teacher( but as an e6traordinar personalit ( one who could bring life to an gathering and brightness to an household& ,lthough( in "#%%( 0os ,ngeles was not a large and cultured cit compared with the cities of the East 5oast( the Swami was no doubt lavishl entertained from time to time& .e know( for instance( that in <ecember of "$## he spent a week or so with the Stimsons( a wealth famil ( to whom /rs& 1lodgett had introduced him and who lived in a mansion on the fashionable Figueroa Street& .e know also that on <ecember 7@( a morning reception was held for him b a /rs& 5aroline /& Severance( to which she invited # 5a number of 'advanced' women to meet himF& /rs& Severance was not a stranger to the SwamiE she had( indeed( attended

=#$ one of his first lectures in ,merica ? his talk delivered in Salem( /assachusetts( in the da s before the -arliament of Religions& ,t the beginning of the ear "#%%( Swami*i moved his classes from the 9ome of )ruth( from whose platform he did not feet free to speak criticall of metaph sical teachings( to -a ne's 9all( a secular auditorium situated in the heart of town& 9is classes there were held on the mornings of !anuar 7( @( =( >( and 8 at ten o'clock( but onl the titles of the classes of !anuar = and > are knownE the were respectivel 2 F.hat 1rings SuccessF and F.e OurselvesF& )his first week of the ear was a full one for the Swami& +n addition to these morning classes( he gave two evening lectures in the auditorium of the 1lanchard 1uilding& )he first( delivered on )uesda ( !anuar 7( was entitled F+ndia and +ts -eopleF (or F)he -eople of +ndiaF)( and the second( delivered on Saturda ( !anuar 8( F)he 9istor of +ndiaF& On the afternoon of Sunda ( !anuar ;( the Swami delivered at -a ne's 9all to a packed and overflowing house what is toda one of his best known lectures of that period2 F5hrist's /essage to the .orldF& )he lecture( uniDue in being his onl published lecture on 5hrist( full reveals his profound reverence for the highest 5hristian ideal as embodied in and empowered b the 5hrist& F+t does not matter at all(F he said( Fwhether the 'ew )estament was written within five hundred ears of his birth( nor does it matter even( how much of that life is true& 1ut there is something behind it( something we want to imitate&&&& )here must have been a nucleus( a tremendous manifestation of spiritual power ? and of that we are speaking& +t stands there&F )he following evening( !anuar $( the Swami commenced his second class on F,pplied -s cholog F with the title F)he -owers of the /indF& ,s far as is known( this was his last public lecture in the cit of 0os ,ngeles& +t is possible( however( that he spoke there often to private gatherings in the homes of his friends& .e know( for instance( that he held a morning class on !anuar "7 at /rs& 1lodgett's& +n !anuar of "#%% the Swami moved to the nearb town

=## of South -asadena( becoming the guest of the three /ead sisters( all of whom had been attending his 0os ,ngeles lectures and classes( and had become his devoted friends and helpers& ,lthough there is evidence that the Swami was a guest of others during this period( sta ing( for instance( for a time at the home of a /rs& !& 5& 'ewton in South -asadena( and spending a few da s in !anuar at /rs& 1lodgett's in 0os ,ngeles( he remained for the most part at the /eads' home until mid Februar ( lecturing in -asadena almost ever da & 9is health had b now improved& F+ am ph sicall much better now than + have been for months(F he had written to 5hristine as earl as <ecember #& F)he weakness of the heart is nearl gone& )he d spepsia is also much better and Ver little& + can walk miles now without feeling it in the heart& +f this continues( + e6pect to have a new lease on life&F ,nd about three weeks later( on <ecember 7;2 F+ don't think + have an thing with the kidne s or the heart& )he whole thing was about indigestion( and it is now nearl cured& , month more and + will be strong like a lion and hard like a mine&F )he Swami's work in -asadena started with a lecture in the small theatre of the then famous and lu6urious 3reen 9otel on the morning of /onda ( !anuar ">& 9is sub*ect was F1haktiBAoga or the Religion of 0oveF& On the mornings of !anuar "; and "# he also lectured at the 3reen 9otel( but apart from the fact that his lectures there (unlike those given elsewhere) were free of charge( we have little information about them& Even the titles of the second and third lectures are unknown& )he largest number of the Swami's -asadena lectures were delivered at the Shakespeare 5lub( one of the most prominent women's clubs of Southern 5alifornia& 9ere in the last two weeks of !anuar and the first three da s of Februar he gave at least twelve talks( covering a wide range of topics& +ncluded among his sub*ects were F.omen of +ndiaF !anuar "$)( F-ersian ,rtF (!anuar 7%)( F)he +deal of a 4niversal ReligionF !anuar 77)( F)he Science of AogaF (!anuar 7>)( F/ 0ife and /issionF (!anuar 7;)( F)he ,r an RaceF

>%% (!anuar @%)( F1uddhistic +ndiaF (Februar 7)( and F)he 3reat )eachers of the .orldF (Februar @)& 9e also gave a number of talks on the epics and legends of ancient +ndia( namel ( FReligious 0egendsF (!anuar "8)( which ma have included F)he Stor of !ada 1harataF and F)he Stor of -rahladaFE F)he Rama anaF (!anuar @ ")( and F)he /ahabharataF (Februar ")& On Sunda ( !anuar 7$( he spoke at the 4niversalist 5hurch on F)he 4niversal ReligionF& .ith the e6ception( perhaps( of F-ersian ,rtF( which the Swami gave at a& reception held for him b the ladies of the Shakespeare 5lub( the lectures mentioned above were open to ever one( and as man of them were announced in the 0os ,ngeles( as well as the -asadena( newspapers( the attendance was not limited to the local public& ,lthough the Swami seems to have lectured almost ever da in the latter part of !anuar ( he felt dissatisfied with the amount of work he was doing& F+ am not working hard right now(F he wrote to 5hristine on !anuar 7=( Fbecause + cannot get work enough& )he first boom is over ? and people do not want to pa & + am thinking of going to San Francisco ? that is a new field& + am tired of working completel and have lost the Lest for work that + had before&F +n this letter( written from /rs& 1lodgett's cottage in 0os ,ngeles( to which he had evidentl returned for a time( one sees him in a mood of fatigue and resignation ? but it was a mood that drew from him onl words of strength and encouragement2
" am afraid &&& what rest and peace + seek for will never come& 1ut F/otherF does good to others through me?at least some to m native land and it is easier to be reconciled to one's fate as a sacrifice& .e are all sacrifices( each his own wa & )he great worship is going on ? no one can see its meaning( e6cept it is a great sacrifice& )hose that are willing( escape a lot of pain& )hose who resist are broken into submission and suffer more& + am now determined to be a willing one&&&& + have no news to tell ? happ + am not of course ? + am not born to be happ ?nor do + care for it now ? + am so used to the other side& )o work am + born ? and + will ? till + drop down& + am content now ? that is all&&&& 5heer up( 5hristina& )his world has no

>%"
time for despondence( none for weakness& One must be strong or pass out& )his is the law&

+ndeed( if the Swami had Flost the Lest for workF( there was no evidence of it in his lectures& )he were as vigorous( as powerful( and as stirring as an he had given during his earlier mission in the .est& /an of them were taken down in shorthand and have come to us with their eloDuence intact& Some were uniDue in sub*ectBmatter( particularl those delivered in -asadena( namel ( F.omen of +ndiaF( F/ 0ife and /issionF( or F)he 3reat )eachers of the .orldF& 0et us Duote here a passage or two from this last( which was one of his most striking& )he Swami said2
)hese great )eachers are the living 3ods on this earth& .hom else should we worshipM + tr to get an idea of 3od in m mind( and + find what a false little thing + conceiveE it would be a sin to worship that 3od& + open m e es and look at the actual life of these great ones of the earth& )he are higher than an conception of 3od that + could ever form& For( what conception of merc could a man like me form who would go after a man if he steals an thing from me and send him to *ailM ,nd what can be m highest idea of forgivenessM 'othing be ond m self& .hich of ou can *ump out of our own bodiesM .hich of ou can *ump out of our own mindsM 'ot one of ou& .hat idea of divine love can ou form e6cept what ou actuall loveM .hat we have never e6perienced( we can form no idea of& So( all m best attempts at forming an idea of 3od would fail in ever case& ,nd here are plain facts( and not idealism ? actual facts of love( of merc ( of purit ( of which + can have no conception even& .hat wonder that + should fall at the( feet of these men and worship them as 3odM ,nd what else can an one doM + should like to see the man who can do an thing else( however much he ma talk& )alking is not actualit & )alking about 3od and the +mpersonal( and this and that( is all ver goodE but these man ? 3ods are the real 3ods of all nations and , races& )hese divine men have been worshipped and will be worshipped so long as man is man& )herein is our faith( therein is our hope( of a realit & Of what avail is a mere m stical principleG )he purpose and intent of what + have to sa to ou is this( that + have found it possible in m life to worship all of them( and to he read for all that are et to come& , mother recogniLes her son in an

>%7
dress in which he ma appear before herE and if one does not do so( + am sure she is not the mother of that man& 'ow( as regards those of ou that think that ou understand )ruth and <ivinit and 3od in onl one -rophet in the world( and not in an other( naturall ( the conclusion which + draw is that ou do not understand <ivinit in an bod E ou have simpl swallowed words and identified ourself with one sect( *ust as ou would in part politics( as a matter of opinionE but that is no religion at all&&&& .ill other and greater -rophets comeM 5ertainl the will come in this world& 1ut do not look forward to that& + should better like that each one of ou became a -rophet of this real new testament( which is made up of all the old testaments& )ake all the old messages( supplement them with our own realiLations( and become a -rophet unto others& Each one of these )eachers has been greatE each has left something for usE the have been our 3ods& .e salute them( we are their servantsE and( all the same( we salute ourselvesE for if the have been -rophets and children of 3od( we also are the same& )he reached their perfection( and we are going to attain ours now& Remember the words of !esus2 F)he :ingdom of 9eaven is at handGF )his ver moment let ever one of us make a& staunch resolution2 F+ will become a -rophet( + will become a messenger of 0ight( + will become a child of 3od( na ( + will become a 3odGF

,side from lecturing in -asadena the Swami often held small outdoor classes for a number of interested students( generall choosing a hilltop near the /ead's house for his classBroom& )he weather( happil ( was warm and sunn ( and proved to be most salutar for him( and despite his almost dail work he lived a rela6ed lifeBreading( strolling in the garden( writing& 9e was( for instance( *otting down at this time some 9indu legends for Sister 'ivedita's useE also he wrote for her( his now famous poem( F.ho :nows 9ow /other -la sMF Sometimes he *oined in long talks with his disciples and friends( and would now and then accompan them on picnic parties and outings& )he people of southern 5alifornia were e6cursionBloving( and the Swami's hosts were no e6ception& )hus he was persuaded during his sta in -asadena to make e6cursions here and there& )here ma not( however( have been man of these(

>%@ for as /rs& 9ansbrough reminisced( he did not particularl care for sightseeing& FOnce when we were up on the range of hills not far from our house(F she relates( Fm sister 9elen was calling his attention to different views& ''iece 9elen(' said the Swami( 'don't show me sightsE + have seen the 9imala asG + would not go ten steps to see sightsE but + would go a thousand miles to see a HgreatI human beingG' F +n the second weekend of !anuar ( he made the trip up /ount 0owe( a high peak of the San 3abriel Range that rose *ust northBwest of -asadena& 9e was accompanied b /r& and /rs& 1aumgardt( /iss /ac0eod( and /rs& 0eggett( the last of whom had come to 0os ,ngeles in earl !anuar & -art wa up the mountain( the part sta ed overnight at the then famous hotel called Echo /ountain 9ouse( where( on the morning of Sunda ( !anuar "=( the Swami gave a talk& )hat same da ( he and his part proceeded to the summit of /ount 0owe via the tortuous but scenic /ount 0owe Railroad( and that evening( the e6cursion complete( the returned home& )wo da s later( the Swami( accompanied b /iss /ac0eod and /rs& 0eggett( made a round trip b train to Redlands( a small town some sevent miles cast of 0os ,ngeles( renowned for its natural scenic beaut and its e6tensive landscaped park& )he had lunch there at the 5asa 0oma 9otel and returned to -asadena in time for the Swami to give a lecture at the Shakespeare 5lub& +n the /ead household( which consisted of seven members( there were two children2 Ralph( /rs& . ckoff's seventeenB earBold son( and <oroth ( /rs& 9ansbrough's fourB earBold daughter& )he Swami became an intimate friend of both& On those rare da s when he had no morning class( he would pla in the back garden with <oroth and her oung friends( giving himself to ringBaroundBtheBros and similar games& .hile he was no doubt as happ as his little pla mates( en*o ing the games for the reasonless reasons of a child( he liked also to observe the wa s and thoughts of the children( and was interested in their earl education& F9e used to like to talk

>%= with them(F /rs& 9ansbrough recounted( Fand would ask them man Duestions about their activities2 wh the pla ed this game or that( and so on& 9e was much interested in the problem of childBtraining( and we often discussed it& 9e did not believe in punishment& +t had never helped him( he said( andadded('" would never do an thing to make a child afraid&F' Sometimes the Swami would sit with the children in a shed in the back garden and look at their picture books& 9e particularl en*o ed his old favourites A'ice in Wonder'and and A'ice Throu h the Lookin 0'ass* Ralph loved the Swami and alwa s tried to serve him in whatever wa he could& 9e would shine his shoes( fetch tobacco from upstairs for his pipe( and do other little things that the Swami asked of him& Often the talked together& F5an ou see our own e esMF the Swami asked Ralph one da & Ralph answered that he could not( e6cept in a mirror& F3od is like that(F the Swami told him& F9e is as close as our own e es& 9e is our own even though ou can't see 9im&F )he Swami had his own spontaneous wa of dispelling an feeling on the part of those with whom he lived that he was a superior being& 1ut while the elder members of the /ead famil felt full at ease with him( the could not( at the same time( help feeling Fas if 5hrist himself were in their midstF& 9is great presence and his talks could charge the ver air with a spiritual atmosphereE his oceanlike compassion could absorb and dispel the burdens and pains of those who came close to him& )he three /ead sisters( whose brother was a 0os ,ngeles banker( were well connected in southern 5alifornia( and helped the Swami in ever wa possible& /rs& 9ansbrough( particularl ( was instrumental in arranging classes for him and would go to an length to be of service to him& She was( indeed( to act as his secretar and( for a time( his housekeeper during his coming sta in northern 5alifornia& +n his lectures and classes during this period the Swami laid great emphasis on practical Vedanta and oga& 9e& wanted to make available to all men and women the means of gaining

>%> complete control over their minds and thereb to be free& +ndeed( one of his ke teachings during this period was F3et hold of ourselfGF 5onsistentl ( for he wanted to preach a FmanBmakingF religion( he did not bab his listeners& .hen he felt that some home truths would do his audience good( he never hesitated to speak them out with the tremendous force of his personalit ( irrespective of the effect his frankness might have on his audience& Shri Ramakrishna had long before described him as an unsheathed sword& 9e had never become sheathed& +ndeed( there were not a few occasions during his -asadena lectures when he would aim sharp thrusts at un*ust and illBinformed critics of tested +ndian institutions and traditions( or when he would scold the .est for its shallow and selfBdestructive arrogance& FOne evening as we were going home after a lecture he asked me how + liked it(F /rs& 9ansbrough reminisced& F9e had been ver outspoken that evening in criticism of the .est( and + said that + had en*o ed the lecture( but feared that he sometimes antagoniLed his audiences& 9e smiled as if that meant nothing to him& '/adam(' he said( '+ have cleared whole halls in 'ew Aork&'F )here is no known record of an one having stalked out indignantl from the Swami's lectures in 0os ,ngeles or -asadena& 1ut inevitabl he made enemies who( even as in his first visit in ,merica( took recourse to scandalBmongering( though not to the same virulent degree& 9e was not disturbed& One morning at the /ead's house a rumour of scandal about him was being discussed b a few of his devoted followers& 9e was walking slowl up and down the roomE finall he said( F.ell( what + am( is written on m brow& +f ou can read it( ou are blessed& +f ou cannot( the loss is ours( not mine&F ,s far as is known( the Swami's lecturing work in southern 5alifornia came to a close with F)he 3reat )eachers of the .orldF( which he gave on Februar @ at the -asadena Shakespeare 5lub& 9e had given now( from <ecember $ to Februar @( at least thirt Beight formal lectures and class talks( to sa nothing of his private talks in the homes of his friends and his

>%8 picnicBclasses on a hilltop in South -asadena& <uring this -eriod Vedanta Societies -asadena were formed in 0os ,ngeles and -asadena b groups of his ardent followers( the inaugural meeting of the -asadena Societ taking place in the Shakespeare 5lub& )he Swami hoped that the establishment of such Vedanta societies might start a twoBwa current of aid between +ndia and ,merica& spiritual help flowing from East to .est( financial help from .est to East& ,t present( ver little is known of how the Swami spent his time during the remainin; three weeks that he sta ed in the southern part of 5alifornia& 9is letters during this period give us little e6act information& +t is known( however( that on Februar 8 the Swami visited what was then called the )hroop -ol technic +nstitute and /anual )raining School( and was much interested in the practical training given to both bo s and girls& )his visit of the Swami to the )hroop +nstitute is of particular interest( for the small school( which in "#%% was one Of the few of its kind in the 4nited States( was to grow into the now famous and e6tensive 5alifornia +nstitute of )echnolog &

>%; !" SECOND VISIT TO AMERICA 2 ,s the Swami's health improved during his sta in 0os ,ngeles( he began to think of e6tending his work and his mission further afield& )he -acific 5oast( he discovered( was a fertile ground for the reception of Vedantic ideals& +ndeed( as earl as the last da s of <ecember of "$## he had been thinking of lecturing in San Francisco and off and on had discussed the idea with his intimate friends( notabl /rs& 9ansbrough& 'o definite plans were made& however( until ? as though to emphasiLe the need to carr his ministr to the north ? a letter arrived from the Reverend 1en*amin Fa /ills( inviting him to speak on Februar 7> before the 5ongress of Religions that was to be held at the First 4nitarian 5hurch in Oakland( a cit across the 1a from San Francisco& )he Swami accepted /r& /ill's invitation( deciding( as well( to work independentl in San Francisco& /rs& 9ansbrough went on as advance agent and arranged for his sta at the -ine Street 9ome of )ruth( one of the two F9omesF in the cit & She also made arrangements for his first lecture& )hus the Swami( who arrived in San Francisco on the evening of Februar 77( started his work in the northern part of the state( as he had in the south ? on his own( free of outside management or sponsorship& 9is first lecture( delivered on the evening of Februar 7@ at San Francisco's 3olden 3ate 9all( was entitled F)he +deal of a 4niversal ReligionF& +t was not( however( until two da s later( when the Swami spoke in Oakland before the 5ongress of Religions that his presence in the area became widel known& )he Reverend 1& Fa /ills( then pastor of Oakland's First 4nitarian 5hurch and organiLer of this local 5ongress of Religions( did not know of the Swami b hearsa onl & /r& /ills had himself spoken before the .orld's -arliament of Religions in "$#@ Eand had there heard the Swami speak& 9e had been impressedE indeed(

>%$ he was to sa later to /rs& 9ansbrough of the Swami( F)his man altered m lifeF& 'or was he without the e6pectation that Swami Vivekananda would draw large crowds& 9e was not to be disappointed& )he 5ongress of Religions( which was held during the months of !anuar and Februar of "#%%( and whose programme consisted of eight Sunda evening lectures( each delivered b a representative of a different religious point of view( created much interest among intellectual and religious circles& ,ll the lectures were well attended& 1ut on the evening of Sunda ( Februar 7>( when Swami Vivekananda was scheduled to speak on F)he 5laims of 9induism on the /odern .orldF( an unprecedented crowd poured into the 4nitarian 5hurch& )he large auditorium and its ad*oining hall were filled( and hundreds were turned awa for lack of room& +n the audience were man prominent 5alifornia clerg men who later had the opportunit to meet him and to e6change ideas with him& )wo ears later( lecturing in San Francisco on F)he 9indu .a of SalvationF( /r& /ills spoke of the Swami in terms of highest praise( describing him as Fa man of gigantic intellect( indeed( one to whom our greatest universit professors were as mere children&F )he Swami was invited to give a second lecture at Oakland's First 4nitarian 5hurch on the evening of Februar 7$& Entitled FVedanta and 5hristianit F( it drew as large and enthusiastic a crowd as had the first& Referring to the reception twice accorded him( he wrote to /rs& 1ull on /arch =2 F)he people here have been prepared b m writings beforehand and the come in big crowds&&&& Rev& 1en*amin Fa /ills invited me to Oakland and gave me big crowds to preach to& 9e and his( wife have been reading m works and keeping track of m movements all the time& / health is about the sameE do not find much differenceE it is improving( perhaps( but ver imperceptibl & + can use m voice( however( to make @(%%% people hear me as + did twice in Oakland and get good sleep too after two hours of speaking&F )here were no doubt hundreds among the thousands who heard the Swami speak in Oakland who had cars to hear that

>%# the were listening to no ordinar lecturer& )he reaction of one such listener is on record& Returning home from the Swami's lecture of Februar 7$( /r& )homas ,llan declared to his startled wife that he had *ust heard Fnot a man( but a 3odGF and he became thenceforth an ardent Vedantin& +ndeed( so great was the Swami's attraction in Oakland that in the month of /arch he delivered on popular demand two series of three paid lectures& 1oth series( which were given in .endte 9all( a smaller auditorium of the same 4nitarian 5hurch( again drew large crowds& )he first series consisted of three lectures dealing with the Vedanta philosoph ( and were entitled2 F)he 0aws of 0ife and <eathF( F)he Realit and the ShadowF( and F)he .a to SalvationF& )hese were given respectivel on the evenings of /arch ;( $( and "7& )he first of these lectures created a sensation among the churchBgoing populace of Oakland( for during the course of it the Swami had said( F'ot how to go to heaven( but how one can stop going to heaven ? this is the ob*ect of the search of the 9induFG +t was a concept totall new to 5hristianit ( and( as the papers said the following da 2 FSwami Vivekananda &&& 9as Set Oaklanders )hinking&F )he second series of three lectures dealt with +ndia's customs( culture( and ideals& <elivered respectivel on the /onda evenings of /arch "#( 78( and ,pril 7( the lectures were entitled F)he /anners and 5ustoms of +ndiaF( F)he ,rts and Sciences in +ndiaF( and F)he +deals of +ndiaF& 9ere( too( his voice was like a fresh wind sweeping through old wa s of thought& Even as during his first visit to ,merica the Swami took time and care to present a true picture of +ndia's culture and ideals( uprooting from his listeners' minds the old( distorted images and attitudes that could block their reception of his countr 's great spiritual gifts& +t must be noted( however( that( if the Swami spoke of +ndia for a purpose( he also simpl 'iked to talk about his countr and to narrate the wonderful +ndian stories( so rich with life and so imbued with and illustrative of high moral and spiritual ideals ? and his audience never tired of listening( for he was a stor teller &ar e>ce''ence* )his second .endte 9all series

>"% completed the Swami's work in Oakland& 9e had given eight lectures in all at the 4nitarian 5hurch( each time travelling to and fro b ferr across San Francisco 1a ( accompanied b a number of his newl made and devoted followers& /eanwhile( he had been working steadil and successfull in San Francisco& Earl in /arch( he had moved from the -ine Street 9ome of )ruth( where he had felt crowded and not free to live and teach as he pleased( to a friend's at ">%7 !ones Street& 9ere he had not been comfortable either& )herefore( /rs& 9ansbrough and /rs& 1en*amin ,spinall( who with her husband was director of the F9omeF( had found and rented for a month a large upstairs flat for him at ";"# )urk Street( where he could be independent( hold classes( receive visitors( give individual instruction ? where( in short( he could live in ever respect as he wished& /rs& 9ansbrough( together with /rs& ,spinall( also moved to these room Duarters( serving him faithfull as secretar ( housekeeper( cook( press agent( and general keeperBofBaccounts& On /arch "; he wrote to /rs& 0eggett( F/rs& 9ansbrough( the second of the three H/eadI sisters is here( and she is working( working( working ? to help me& 0ord bless their hearts&F +ndeed( wherever the Swami went in the .est( there seemed to be hands and hearts read to help him& ,s he himself once said to /rs& 9ansbrough( F)he /other dropped me in a strange world( among a strange people who do not understand me( and whom + do not understand& 1ut the longer + sta here( + have come to feel that some of the people in the .est whom + have met belong to me( and the also are here to serve the work assigned to me&F /rs& 1en*amin ,spinall was among those who did all she could to serve the Swami& FEven if ou had lived on the highest mountain(F he was to sa to her later on( F ou would have had to come down to take care of me&F <uring most of /arch and the first week or so of ,pril( the Swami held classes dail ( and often twice dail ( in the two ad*oining parlours of the )urk Street flat& 9ere he settled down to teaching the practice of meditation to those who would pursue such spiritual training with serious intent&

>"" +t was( indeed( not until the Swami had moved into the )urk Street flat on /arch #( deciding to remain for at least a month more in San Francisco( that his work assumed a definite and distinctive character& )heretofore( it had a more or less general natureE that is to sa ( he gave his listeners a wide view of his overall message( teaching the harmon of religions( giving a broad surve of the principles of the Vedanta philosoph ( and presenting( as in Oakland( a picture of +ndian culture that was in outline( colour( and meaning faithful to fact& ,s we have seen( his first lecture in San Francisco had been F)he +deal of a 4niversal ReligionF& 9is second lecture( delivered on Sunda ( /arch =( also at 3olden 3ate 9all( had been entitled F)he Science of ReligionF& ,nd on /arch >( 8( and #( at the Red /en's 1uilding on -ost Street( he had given a series of three lectures on +ndia( entitled respectivel ( F+ndia and +ts -eopleF( F,rts and Sciences in +ndiaF( and F+deals of +ndiaF& + )henceforth( the Swami's San Francisco lectures markedl assumed the emphasis that distinguishes the main bod of his work on the -acific 5oast& 'oticeabl ( he stressed the need for man to stand on his own feet( to be a light unto himself( to realiLe and to utiliLe to the full his own divine power& /ore consistentl and strongl than ever before( he emphasiLed the essential divinit of man& +t was as though he wanted to impress the principles of ,dvaita Vedanta indelibl on the new era of civiliLation that was then struggling into birth throughout the world& .hile living and holding classes at the )urk Street flat( the Swami also delivered three evening lectures a week in the Red /en's 1uilding in downtown San Francisco and on Sunda afternoons gave a series of five public lectures in 4nion SDuare 9all( which was also centrall located& )he sub*ects of his Sunda lectures were2 F5hrist's /essage to the .orldF (/arch "")( F1uddha's /essage to the .orldF (/arch "$)( F/ohammedF (/arch 7>)( F:rishna and 9is /essageF (,pril ")( and F+s Vedanta the Future ReligionMF& )he last named lecture( given on ,pril $( was one of his most stirring

>"7 and provocative& .e ma Duote from it here at some length( for it epitomiLed much of his teaching on the -acific 5oast( where( as said above( he again and again stressed the need for monistic Vedanta in the modern world& Aet he well recogniLed that while Vedanta was the answer to presentBda problems( it was not an eas answer( thus he Duestioned its universal acceptance2
+n this countr H,mericaI the king has entered ever one of ou& Aou are all kings in this countr & So with the religion of Vedanta& Aou are all 3ods& One 3od is not sufficient& Aou are all 3ods( sa s the Vedanta& )his makes Vedanta ver difficult& +t does not teach the old idea of 3od at all& +n place of that 3od who sat above the clouds and managed the affairs of the world without asking our permission( who created us out of nothing( *ust because 9e liked it( and made us undergo all this miser ( *ust because 9e liked it( Vedanta teaches the 3od that is in ever one( has become ever one and ever thing& 9is ma*est the king has gone from this countr E the :ingdom of 9eaven went from Vedanta hundreds of ears ago&&&& )here is a chance of Vedanta becoming the religion of our countr because of democrac & 1ut it can become so onl if ou can and do clearl understand it( if ou become real men and women( not people with vague ideas and superstitions in our brains( and if ou want to be trul spiritual( since Vedanta is concerned onl with spiritualit &&&& )hese are what Vedanta has not to give& 'o book& 'o man to be singled out from the rest of mankind?FAou are worms( and we are the 0ord 3odGF ? none of that& +f ou are the 0ord 3od( + also am the 0ord 3od& So Vedanta knows no sin& )here are mistakes( but no sinE and in the long run ever thing is going to be all right& 'O Satan ? none of this nonsense& Vedanta believes in onl one sin( onl one in the world( and it is this& the moment ou think ou are a sinner( or an bod is a sinner( that is sin& From( that follows ever other mistake( or what is usuall called sin& )here have been man mistakes in our lives& 1ut we are going on& 3lor be unto us that we have made mistakesG )ake a long look at our past life& +f our present condition is good( it has been caused b all the past mistakes as well as successes& 3lor be unto successG 3lor be unto mistakesG <o not look back upon what has been done& 3o aheadG &&& 'o book( no person( no -ersonal 3od& ,ll these must go& ,gain(

>"@
the senses must go& .e cannot be bound to the senses& ,t present we are tied down ? like persons d ing of cold in the glaciers& )he feel such a strong desire to sleep( and when their friends tr to wake them( warning them of death( the sa ( F0et me die( + want to sleep&F .e all cling to the little things of the senses( even if we are ruined thereb 2 we forget there are much greater things&

+n /arch and ,pril( all the Swami's evening lectures were given in .ashington 9all in the Red /en's 1uilding& )hese he delivered in groups( or series( of three& )he si6 lectures of the first two series( given during the second and third weeks of /arch were entitled2 F)he /ind& +ts -owers and -ossibilitiesF (/arch "@)( F/ind 5ultureF (/arch ">)( F5oncentrationF (/arch "8)( F'ature and /anF (/arch 7%)( F)he Soul and 3odF (/arc 'h 7@)( and F)he 3oalF (/arch 7;)& On /arch 7#( ,pril @( and ,pril >( he delivered his& third series in the Red /en's 1uilding& )he three lectures were entitled2 F)he Science of 1reathingF( F/editationF( and F-ractical Religion2 1reathing and /editationF& +n addition( he gave an evening lecture on /arch @%( whose title was F<iscipleshipF& +n San Francisco( as elsewhere( the Swami's towering and benign personalit stood before his listeners as irrefutable proof of his message& )here he was ? a man who was himself 3odlike( who clearl had realiLed what he preached( and who could transport others into that same divine awareness& .hether his health was good or bad made no difference to this power of his& So& friendl and simple was the Swami that those who were close to him sometimes forgot his gigantic dimensions& Reminders( however( would flash out& /r& )homas ,llan( whose first e6perience of him had convinced him that he had heard Fnot a man( but a 3odF( soon became his close follower and an usher at his lectures& 9e was again to be awed b a sudden awareness that the Swami was far bigger than life& F+t win when + introduced him at Ha Sunda I lectureF( he later recalled( Fthat + felt like a pigm and saw him as an immense giant& ,fter this e6perience + could not bring m self to stand beside him again( but alwa s thereafter made m introduction from the foot of the platform&F

>"= <uring his lectures the Swami had the power to break down the dams of orthodo6 thinking( behind which the mind had been long held captive and had grown stagnant& 9e often said things outrageous to conventional doctrine( each sentence like a charge of d namite to blast the walls of some blind belief and liberate the soul& 9is utterances carried a tremendous voltage& FOnce before beginning his lecture(F /rs& ,llan related( Fhe looked out at the audience for a moment and then said2 ',rise( awake( and stop not till the goal is reachedG' +t was like an electric shockGF 1ut after a powerful and soaring evening lecture in San Francisco( during which he would have delivered man an electric shock( the Swami would go with a small group of his followers to some nearb restaurant for supper or a dish of ice cream( becoming again the merr ( full approachable( and loving friend ? a friend unfailingl to all& .hile most of the Swami's lectures and classes in San Francisco were devoted to teaching the paths( both in theor and practice of *nanaBAoga and Ra*aBAoga( making them accessible to and compatible with the modern .estern mind( temperament( and wa of life( he also laid due emphasis on the devotional aspect of Vedanta& )owards the end of his sta in San Francisco( he gave a series of three lectures on 1haktiB Aoga( also at the Red /en's 1uilding( on ,pril #( "%( and "7& )he titles were respectivel ( F.orshipper and .orshippedF( FFormal .orshipF( and F<ivine 0oveF& ,t the beginning of this lecture series( he said2
.e have been taking up the more anal tical side of human nature& +n this course we Hshall) stud the emotional side&&&& )he former deals with man as unlimited being( HasI principle( the latter with man as limited being&&&& One gets hold of us( takes us up to the heights where our lungs almost burst& .e cannot breathe HinI that atmosphere& )he other leaves us where we are and tries to see the ob*ects of life( Htakes the limitedI view&&&& 1oth are necessar & , bird cannot fl with onl one wing&&&& .hat we want is to see the man who is harmoniousl developed &&& great in heart( great in mind( Hgreat in deedI&&&& .e want the man

>">
whose heart feels intensel the miseries and sorrows of the world&&&& ,nd Hwe wantI the man who not onl can feel( but can find the meaning of things( who delves deepl into the heart of nature and understanding& H.e wantI the man who will not even stop there( HbutI who wants to work out Hthe feeling and meaning b actual deedsI& Such a combination of head( heart( and hand is what we want&&&& .h not HhaveI the giant who is eDuall active( eDuall knowing( and eDuall lovingM +s it impossibleM 5ertainl not& )his is the man of the future( of whom there are Honl aI few at present& H)he number of such will increaseI until the whole world is humaniLed&

+n addition to lecturing in downtown San Francisco( the Swami spoke at least once at the -ine Street 9ome of )ruth and also at the 9ome of )ruth on 5alifornia Street& ,lthough we have ver little information regarding these talks( it is known that the latter took place before ,pril $& .ith the Swami's series on 1haktiBAoga in .ashington 9all of the Red /en's 1uilding( his public lectures in San Francisco came to a close& One finds( however( that on ,pril "=( he gave an additional( semiBpublic lecture in a small hall of the same building( also on the sub*ect of 1haktiBAoga& ,fter the lecture was over( a meeting was held in an ad*oining room to inaugurate the Vedanta Societ of San Francisco& <uring his sta in 5alifornia the Swami's health continued to improve& )hough in San Francisco he worked continuousl ( he also found time to go on outings during the da ( sometimes to 3olden 3ate -ark( to the 1each( or to( San Francisco's famed 5hinatown( which was in those da s barel westerniLed& 9e and /rs& 9ansbrough( /rs& ,spinall( and others would travel here and there b means of San Francisco's cable cars( which left no area of the cit inaccessible& Or he would simpl rest in the )urk Street flat( reading( writil&@#( or receiving visitors& One now finds the sense of deep peace( which was to mark his last ears on earth( beginning to pervade his letters to his more intimate friends and disciples& F& & & )he seed must die underground to come up as the tree(F he wrote to Sister

>"8 'ivedita on /arch 7$& F)he last two ears were the underground rotting& + never had a struggle in the *aws of death( but it meant a tremendous upheaval of the whole life& One such brought me to Ramakrishna( another sent me to the 4&S&( this has been the greatest of all& +t is gone ? + am so calm that it astonishes me sometimesGGF 1ut in this mood of increasing calm the Swami's lectures and classes remained e6traordinaril d namic( and his power of attraction was as strong as ever& /an men and women of San Francisco and Oakland became his close followers( attending all his lectures on both sides of the 1a and becoming( as well( students of his classes at his flat& One of these( a /r& Frank Rhodehamel( was later to write his reminiscences of those unforgettable weeks( giving us an intimate and delightful picture of the great Swami during this fruitful period of his mission& /r& Rhodehamel wrote2
+t is now more than ten ears since the Swami Vivekananda lectured to 5alifornia audiencesE it seems but esterda & +t was here as elsewhereE the audiences were his from the outset and remained his to the end& )he were swept along on the current of his thought without resistance& /an there were who did not want to resist( whose pleasure and novelt it was to have light thrown into the hidden recesses of their minds b the pro6imit of a luminous personalit & )here were a few who would have resisted if the could( but whose powers of resistance were neutraliLed b the irresistible logic( acumen( and childlike simplicit of the 3reat )eacher& +ndeed( there were a few who arose to demur& but who resumed their seats either in smiling acDuiescence or in bewildered impotenc & )he Swami*i's personalit impressed itself on the mind with visual intensit & )he speaking e es( the wealth of facial e6pression( and gesticulationE the wondrous Sanskrit chanting( sonorous( melodious( impressing one with the sense of m stic potenc E the translations following in smiling confidence?all these( set of 'b the spectacular apparel of the 9indu sann asin ? who can forget themM ,s a lecturer he was uniDue& never referring to notes( as most lecturers doE and though he repeated man discourses on reDuest( the were never mere repetitions& 9e seemed to he giving something of himself( to be speaking from a superBe6perience& )he most abstruse

>";
points& of the Vedanta were retrieved from the domain of mere speculation b a vital something which seemed to emanate from him& 9is utterances were d namic and constructive2 arousing thought and directing it into s nthetic process& )hus he was not onl a lecturer but a )eacher of the highest order as well& 9e encouraged the asking of Duestions at the conclusion of ever lecture( and would go to an length to make his Duestioners understand& On one occasion( after persistent Dueries b a number of persons( it occurred to someone that the were pl ing the Swami too insistentl with Duestions( and he remarked to that effect& F,sk all the Duestions ou like?the more the betterF( was the Swami's goodBnatured repl & F)hat is what + am here for( and + won't leave ou till ou understand&F )he applause was so prolonged that he was obliged to wait till it subsided before he could continue& ,t times he literall startled people into belief b his answers& )o the Duestion( after a lecture on Reincarnation( FSwami( do ou remember our past lifeMF he answered Duickl and seriousl ( FAes( clearl ( even when + was a little bo &F Uuick and( when necessar ( sharp at repartee( he met all opposition with the utmost good nature and even en*o ment& 9is business was to make his hearers understand( and hT succeeded as( perhaps( no other lecturer on abstruse sub*ects ever did& )o populariLe abstractions( to place them within the mental grasp of even ver ordinar intellects( was his achievement& 9e reached them all& F+n +ndia(F he said( Fthe tell me that + ought not to teach ,dvaita Vedanta to the people at large& 1ut + sa that + can make even a child understand it& Aou cannot begin too earl to teach the highest spiritual truths&F Once at the conclusion of a lecture he thus announced his ne6t lecture2 F)omorrow night + shall lecture on ')he /ind2 +ts -owers and -ossibilities'& 5ome to hear me& + have something to sa to ou( + shall do a little bombBthrowing&F 9ere he glanced smilingl over the audience( and then with a wave of his hand added( F5ome onG +t will do ou good&F )he ne6t night there was barel standingBroom& 9e kept his word& 1ombs were thrown( and he( of all people( knew how to throw them with telling effect& +n this lecture he devoted considerable time to the sub*ect of chastit as a means of strengthening the mind& ,s a practice to develop purit ( he e6pounded the theor of looking upon ever woman as one's mother& .hen he had presented the idea( he paused and( as though in response to inarticulate Duestionings from the audience( said2 FO es( this is a theor & + stand up

>"$
here to tell ou about this beautiful theor E but( when + think( of m own mother( + know that to me she is different to an other woman& )here is a difference& .e cannot den it& 1ut we see this difference( because we think of ourselves as bodies& )his theor is to be full realiLed in meditation& )hese truths are first to be heard( then to be meditated upon&F 9e held purit to be for the householder as well as for the monk( and laid great stress on that point& F)he other da ( a oung 9indu came to see me(F he said& F9e has been living in this countr for about two ears( and suffering from illBhealth for some time& +n the course of our talk( he said that the theor of chastit must be all wrong because the doctors in this countr had advised him against it& )he told him that it was against the law of nature& + told him to go back to +ndia( where he belonged( and to listen to the teachings of his ancestors( who had practised chastit for thousands of ears&F )hen turning a face puckered into an e6pression of unutterable disgust( he thundered2 FAou doctors in this countr ( who hold that chastit is against the law of nature( don't know what ou are talking about& Aou don't know the meaning of the word purit & Aou are beastsG beastsG + sa ( with the morals of a tomcat( if that is the best ou have to sa on that sub*ectGF 9ere he glanced defiantl over the audience( challenging opposition b his ver glance& 'o voice was raised( though there were several ph sicians present& 1ombs were thrown in all of his lectures& ,udiences were *olted out of hereditar ruts( and 'ew )hought students( soBcalled( were sub*ected to scathing though constructive criticisms without merc & Smilingl ( he would announce the most stupendous Vedantic conceptions so opposed to 5hristian theologic dogmaE then pause an instant ? how man ( man times( and with such winsome effectG ? with his teeth pressed over his lower lip as though with bated breath observing the result& +magine( if ou can( greater violence done to the traditional teachings of 5hristendom than b his fier in*unction( F<on't repentG <on't repentG &&& Spit( if ou must( but go onG <on't hold ourselves down b repentingG )hrow off the load of sin( if there is such a thing( b knowing our true selves ? )he -ureG )he Ever FreeG &&& )hat man alone is blasphemous who tells ou that ou are sinners& && &F ,nd again( F)his world is a superstition& .e are h pnotiLed into believing it real& )he process of salvation is the process of deBh pnotiLation&&&& )his universe is *ust the pla of the 0ord?that is all& +t is all *ust for fun& )here can be no reason for 9is

>"# doing an thing& :now the "(ord if ou would understand 9is pla & 1e 9is pla B fellow( and 9e will tell ou all&&&& ,nd to ou( who are philosophers( + sa that to ask for a reason for the e6istence of the universe is illogical( because it implies limitation in 3od( which ou do not admit&F )hen he entered into one of his wonderful e6positions of the salient features of the ,dvaita Vedanta&
+n the Duestions which usuall followed a talk on this sub*ect( there was almost sure to he the Duestion2 F1ut( Swami( what will become of one's individualit when one realiLes one's oneness with 3odMF 9e would laugh at this Duestion( and pla full ridicule it& 9e would sa ( FAou people in this countr are so afraid of losing our individualities(F drawing out the word in laughing mocker & F.h ( ou are not individuals et& .hen ou know 3od( ou will be& .hen ou realiLe our whole nature( ou will attain our true individualities( not before& +n knowing 3od ou cannot lose an thing worth having&&&& )here is another thing + am constantl hearing in this countr and that is that we should Flive in harmon with natureGF F9armon with natureF( he ridiculed& F.h ( don't ou know that all the progress ever made in the world was made b fighting nature( b conDuering natureM )here never has been an e6ception& )rees live in harmon with nature& -erfect harmon thereE no opposition there?and no progress& .e are to resist nature at ever point if we are to make an progress& Something funn happens and nature sa s _cr '( and we cr ? F F1ut(F interposed an old lad in the audience( Fit would be ver hard to mourn for those we love( and + think we would be ver hardBhearted if we did not mourn&F FO es( /adam(F he replied( Fit is hard( no doubt& 1ut what of thatM ,ll great accomplishments are hard& 'othing worthwhile comes eas & 1ut don't lower the ideal because it is difficult to attain& 9old the banner of freedom aloftG Aou do not weep( /adam( because ou want to( but because nature forces ou& .hen nature sa s( '.eepG' sa ''oG + shall not weepG' StrengthG StrengthG StrengthG ? sa that to ourself da and night& Aou are the StrongG )he -ureG )he FreeG 'o weakness in ouE no sinE no miser lF Such statements( vitaliLed b his tremendous personalit ( placed him in the same class with the world's greatest spiritual teachers& <uring these lectures( one was suspended in a spiritual firmament b the pro6imit of a Soul to whom the world was reall a *oke( and to whom 5onsciousness( superBcosmic( was the One and onl Realit &

>7% )he Swami was blessed with an irrepressible sense of humour( which enlivened his lectures and classes( and at times relieved the tenseness of embarrassing situations& Observe his parr to the Duestion incredulousl hurled at him at the close of a lecture which culminated in an impassioned outburst on the glor of 3odB5onsciousness2 FSwami( have ou seen 3odMF F.hatGF he returned( his face lighting up with a happ smile( F<o + look like it ? a big fat man like meMF On another occasion while he was e6pounding ,dvaita( an old man( sitting in the front row( arose deliberatel ( and with a look which said as plainl as words( F0et me get out of this place in hurr (F 'hobbled down the aisle and out of the hall( pounding the floor with his cane at ever step& )he Swami apparentl en*o ed the situation( for amusement overspread his features as he paused to watch him& )he attention of the audience was divided between the Swami( smiling( funBloving( and the disgusted old man who had had enough of him& )he whimsical( pla ful side of the Swami's character would break out at an moment& 5ertain )heosophic and 'ew )hought students were interested primaril in occult phenomena& One such asked( FSwami( have ou ever seen an elementalMF FO es( we have them in +ndia for breakfast(F was the Duick repl & 'or did he hesitate to *oke about his own personalit & ,t one time when looking at sonic works of art the Swami( surve ing a painting of sonic corpulent monks( remarked( FSpiritual men are fat& See( how fat + amGF ,gain( speaking about the power of prophec in the saints he said( FOnce when + was a little bo pla ing in the streets( a sage passing b put his hand on m head and said( '/ bo ( ou will be a great man some da &' ,nd now see where + amGF ,t this little conceit his face fairl beamed with fun& )here was nothing egotistical in such statements& 9is simple funBloving nature carried his hearers along with him in the spirit of his *oke& ,t another time2 F)he 5hristian idea of hell is not at all terrif ing to me& + have read <ante's )nferno three times( but + must sa that + find nothing terrible in it& )here are man kinds of 9indu hells& .hen a glutton dies(( for instance( he is surrounded b great Duantities of the ver best kinds of food& 9e has a stomach a thousand miles long( and a mouth as small as a pinBheadG )hink of thatGF <uring this lecture he got ver warm owing to the poor ventilation& On leaving the hall after the lecture( he was met b a chill blast of north wind& 3athering his coat tightl about him he

>7" said vehementl ( F.ell( if this isn't hell( + don't know what is&F <ilating on the life of the sann asin as compared to that of the householder he said( FSomeone asked me if + was ever married&F 9ere he paused to glance smilingl over the audience& , multitudinous titter was the response& )hen the smile giving place to a look of horror( he continued2 F.h ( + wouldn't be married for an thing& +t is the devil's own game&F 9ere he paused as though to give his words effect& )hen raising his hand to check the audible appreciation that had begun( he went on with a Duite serious e6pression overBspreading his features( F)here is one thing( however( that + have against the monastic s stem( and that isF ? (another pause) ? Fthat it takes the best men awa from the communit &F 9e did not attempt to stem the outburst that followed& 9e had his little *oke and en*o ed it& On another occasion( while speaking seriousl ( he suddenl broke out in merriment( F,s soon as a man gets a little sense he dies& 9e begins b having a big stomach which sticks out farther than his head& .hen he gains wisdom( his stomach disappears and his head becomes prominent& )hen he dies&F )he Swami's assimilation of the world's maturest religious thought and his consummate power in e6pounding it( contrasted curiousl with his outhful appearance( and much con*ecture was rife as to his age& 9e must have known this( for he availed himself of an opportunit to have a little fun on this point at the e6pense of the audience& ,lluding to his own age( which was apropos of the sub*ect( he said( F+ am onl ? F (breathless pause( anticipation) ? Fof a few earsF( he added mischievousl & , sigh of disappointment ran over the audience& )he Swami looked on waiting for the applause( which he knew was read to break out& 9e en*o ed his own *okes as much as did the audience& Once he laughed outright at sonic particularl pointed *oke which he *ust told& )he house was in an uproar at once& )he *oke is irretrievabl lost& .hat a pit G <uring his series of lectures on The )dea's of )ndia, the fact was disclosed that he was a wonderful stor teller& 9ere( perhaps( he was at his best& 9e gave life to the ancient tales b telling them in his inimitable fashion( the sub*ect giving full pla to his unsurpassed power of interpretation( and to that wealth of facial e6pression which was his greatest personal charm& F+ love to tell these stories(F he said& F)he are the life of( +ndia& + have heard them since bab hood& + never get tired of telling them&F )he Swami commanded reverence when he revealed himself at

>77 times to his audience in one of those wonderful waves of transcendental feeling which he did not tr to cheek& ,s when he said( F,ll faces are dear to me&&&& ,s it is possible to 'see 9elen in an Ethiop's face'( so we must learn to see the 0ord in all& ,ll( even the ver worst( are /other's children& )he universe( good and bad( is but the pla of the 0ord&F +n private interviews he was the ideal host( entering into conversation( argument( or stor Btelling( not onl without restraint( but with apparent en*o ment& 9is personal appearance on m first interview was a pleasurable shock from which + have never full recovered& 9e had on a long gre dressing gown( and was sitting crossBlegged on a chair( smoking a pipe( his long hair failing in wild disarra over his features& ,s + advanced( he e6tended a cordial hand and bade me be seated& /emor delivers but fragments of those interviews& .hat remains vivid is the contact with the great sann asin ? the impressions and impetus received ? which refuses to be less than the greatest e6perience in life& Speaking of spiritual training for the mind he said( F)he less ou read the better& .hat are books but the vomitings of other men's mindsM .h fill our mind with a load of stuff ou will have to get rid ofM Read the 0ita and other good works on Vedanta& )hat is all ou need&F )hen again2 F)he present s stem of education is all wrong& )he mind is crammed with facts before it knows how to think& 5ontrol of the mind should be taught first& +f + had m education to get over again( and had an voice in the matter( + would learn to master m mind first( and then gather facts( if + wanted them& +t takes people a long time to learn things( because the can't concentrate their minds at will&&&& +t took three readings for me to memoriLe /acaula 's 9istor of England( while m mother memoriLed an sacred book in onl one reading&&&& -eople are alwa s suffering because the can't control their minds& )o give an illustration( though a rather crude one2 , man has trouble with his wife& She leaves him and goes with other men& She's a terrorG 1ut( poor fellow( he can't take his mind awa from her( and so he suffers&F " asked him to e6plain wh the practice of begging( common among religious mendicants( was not opposed to renunciation& 9e replied2 F+t is a Duestion of the mind& +f the mind anticipates( and is affected b the results ? that is bad( no doubt& )he giving and receiving of alms should be freeE otherwise it is not renunciation& +f ou should put a hundred dollars on that table for me( and should

>7@ e6pect me to thank ou for it( ou could take it awa again( + would not touch it& / living was provided for before + came here( before + was born& + have no concern about it& .hatever belongs to a man he will get& +t was read for him before he was born&F )o the Duestion2 F.hat do ou think about the +mmaculate 5onception of !esusMF he replied( F)hat is an old claim& )here have been man in +ndia who have claimed that& + don't know an thing about it& 1ut for m part( + am glad that + had a natural father and mother&F F1ut isn't such a theor opposed to the law of natureMF + ventured& F.hat is nature to the 0ordM +t is all 9is pla (F he replied as he knocked the ash from his pipe against the heel of his slipper( regardless of the carpeted floor& )hen blowing through the stem to clear it( he continued( F.e are slaves of nature& )he 0ord is the /aster of nature& 9e can do as 9e pleases& 9e can take one or a doLen bodies at a time( if 9e chooses( and in an wa 9e chooses& 9ow can we limit 9imMF ,fter answering at length various Duestions about Ra*aBAoga( lie concluded with a friendl smile( F1ut wh bother about Ra*aBAogaM )here are other wa s&F )his interview was continued fifteen minutes be ond the time set for a class on Ra*aBAoga to be held in the front room of the house& .e were interrupted b the lad in charge of affairs( rushing into the room and e6claiming( F.h ( SwamiG Aou have forgotten all about the Aoga class& +t is fifteen minutes past time now( and the room is full of people&F )he Swami rose hastil to his feet( e6claiming to me( FOh( e6cuse meG .e will now go to the front room&F + walked through the hall to the front room& 9e went through his bedroom( which was between the room we had been sitting in and the front room& 1efore + was seated( he emerged from his room with his hair (which + have said was in a state of wild disorder) neatl combed( and attired in his sann asin robeG 'ot more than one minute had elapsed from the time he started from his room with dishevelled hair and in lounging attire( till he came leisurel out into the front room read to lecture& Speed and precision of action were evidentl at his command& +t was difficult at times( however( to persuade him to stir be ond the pace he had set for himself& .hen late for a lecture( for instance( it was sometimes impossible to induce him to hurr for the street car& +n response to entreaties to hurr ( he would drawl( F.h do ou hurr meM +f we don't catch that car( we will catch the ne6t&F ,t these oga classes one came closer to the man and teacher than

>7= was possible in the lecture hall& )he contact was more personal and the influence more direct& )he embodiment of holiness( simplicit ( and wisdom( he seemed speaking with incisive power( and drawing one's mind more to 3od and renunciation than to proficienc in Ra*aBAoga practices& ,fter delivering a short lecture( he would scat himself crossBlegged on the divan and direct in meditation such of the audience as remained for that purpose& 9is talk was on Ra*aBAoga( and the practical instruction on simple breathing e6ercises& 9e said in part& FAou must learn to sit correctl E then to breathe correctl & )his develops concentrationE then comes meditation&&&& .hen practising breathing( think of our bod as luminous&&& & & )r to look down the spinal cord from the base of the brain to the base of the spine& +magine that ou are looking through the hollow Sushumna to the :undalini rising upward to the brain&&&& 9ave patience& 3reat patience is necessar &F Such as voiced doubts and fears( he reassured b his( F+ am with ou now& )r to have a little faith in me&F One was moved b his persuasive power when he& said2 F.e learn to meditate that we ma be able to think of the 0ord& Ra*aBAoga is onl the means to that end& )he great -atan*ali( author of the Ra*aBAoga( never missed an opportunit to impress that idea upon his students& 'ow is the time for ou who are oung& <on't wait till ou are old before ou think of the 0ord( for then ou will not be able to think of 9im& )he power to think of the 0ord is developed when ou are oung&F Seated crossBlegged on the divan( clothed in his sann asin garb( with hands held one within the other on his lap( and with his e es apparentl closed( he might have been a statue in bronLe( so immovable was he& , ogi( indeedG ,wake onl to transcendental thought( he was the ideal( compelling veneration( love( and devotion& +n the second week of ,pril( the Swami closed his classes at the )urk Street flat( and on .ednesda ( ,pril + "( moved from San Francisco to ,lameda( a small town near Oakland& 9ere he sta ed until /a 7 at the ,lameda 9ome of )ruth( which occupied a large Victorian house( surrounded b lu6urious gardens and orchards& 1efore moving to ,lameda( the Swami had alread lectured several times thereE thus the town was not new to him( nor was he unknown to its inhabitants& +n the last week of /arch he had lectured at least once on Ra*aBAoga at

>7> the residence of a /rs& 3eorge 9& -err before a group of women whose purpose was Fto stud the art of living and to appl it to the service of humanit &F ,lthough the Swami had planned to give a series of three lectures before this group( it is not certain that he delivered more than one( the title of which was F/ind ? +ts -owers and -ossibilitiesF& +n addition( he had given a series of three evening lectures at )ucker 9all in ,lameda on the evenings of ,pril =( 8( and ""& )hese were entitled respectivel & F)he +nfluence of Surroundings on the <evelopment of ReligionF( ')he Formation of 3od +deasF( and F/an's 4ltimate <estin F& <uring his sta in ,lameda the Swami gave another series of three lectures at )ucker 9all on the evenings of ,pril "@( "8( and "$& 9aving sketched the philosophical background in his first ,lameda lecture series( he now devoted the second to a stud of Ra*aBAoga( again la ing emphasis( as in 0os ,ngeles and San Francisco( on the method of realiLing the ideal ? the science of Fhow to control the mind so that it is not thrown out of balance( into waveBformsF and thereb to reveal the substance within& )he titles of these three lectures were( respectivel ( FRa*aB AogaF( F5oncentration and 1reathingF( and F)he -ractice of ReligionF& +n this same week the Swami lectured twice at the ,lameda 9ome of )ruth& Often during his leisure hours he also spoke informall at the 9ome to small( intimate groups of students( sometimes entertaining them with *okes and stories& 1ut though he was generall full of mirth and childlike sweetness and freedom( there was alwa s the undertone of serious states of mind( which could be called forth in a moment b some chance remark or Duestion& )hen he would talk with glowing words on spiritual matters or give counsel that would afford lasting peace to a troubled heart or permanentl alter the direction of a life& Sometimes he would give a sudden shaking to a solidified habit of thought or a complacement outlook& On the evening of Easter Sunda ( for instance( when a small group had gathered on the wide porch of the 9ome( he spoke of renunciation and discipleship and of the disciple's willing and total surrender to

>78 the guru ? an idea then startling( if not repellent( to the .est& F+f ou want to he m disciple(F he said( Fand + tell ou to go to the mouth of the cannon( ou must do it without Duestion&F ,t another time( in the dining room of the 9ome( he spoke to a small group so inspiringl that hours passed uncounted& From morning until late afternoon no one moved( so caught up were the in the world of living spiritualit that he opened before them& Of other such talks a member of the 9ome of )ruth once reminisced2 FFor hours the Swami would go on and on( and the listeners fearing to interrupt the flow of his spiritual outpouring dared not stir& .ith bated breath the would sit and listen& )he were carried off their feet( as it were( b his eloDuence( the felt as if the were soaring in a higher sphereE the were entranced& ,nd onl after the Swami was silent would the feel themselves tied again to this mundane e6istence&F )he Swami was( indeed( living in a higher sphere during his sta in ,lameda( and it would seem that the more he worked( the more e6alted he became& )hroughout his .estern e6perience one notices ? in his letters( in his words from the platform( or in his private conversation ? the longing for the ,bsolute& 1ut at ,lameda( when his work probabl weighed heaviest on him ph sicall ( and his mind was tired from the strain( one finds him writing a letter to /iss /ac0eod that is a ver passion of longing to break all bonds( an intense desire for the Supreme +solation( a earning for that ecstas which he had so often known in <akshineswar in da s long past& )his letter( dated ,pril "$( "#%%( reads2
&&& .ork is alwa s difficult& -ra for me( that m work stops for ever( and m whole soul be t')sorbed in /other& 9er work( She knows&&&& " am well( ver well mentall & + feel the rest of the soul more than that of the bod & )he battles are lost and wonG + have bundled m things( and am waiting for the 3reat <eliverer& Shiva( % Shiva( carr m boat to the other shoreG ,fter all( + am onl the bo who used to listen with rapt wonderment to the wonderful words of Ramakrishna under the 1an an

>7;
HtreeI at <akshineswar& )hat is m true natureE works and activities( doing good and so forth are all superimpositions& 'ow + again hear his voice( the same old voice thrilling m soul& 1onds are breaking( love d ing( work becoming tastelessE the glamour is off life& 'ow onl the voice of the /aster callingG F+ come( 0ord( + come&F F0et the dead bur the deadE follow thou /eGF F+ come( m beloved 0ord( + comeGF Aes( + comeG 'irvana is before meG + feel it at times( the same infinite ocean of peace( without a ripple( a breath& " am glad + was born( glad + suffered so( glad + did make big blunders( glad to enter -eace& + leave none boundE + take no bonds& .hether this bod will fall and release me( or + enter into Freedom in the bod ? the old man is gone( gone for ever( never to come back againG )he guide( the guru( the leader( the teacher( has passed awa E ? the bo ( the student( the servant is left behind&&&& )he sweetest moments of m life have been when + was drifting& + am drifting again ? with the bright( warm sun ahead( and masses of vegetation around ? and in the heat ever thing is so still( so calm ? and + am drifting( languidl ( in the warm heart of the riverG + dare not make a splash with m hands or feet( for fear of breaking the wonderful stillness ? stillness that makes ou feel sure it is an illusionG 1ehind m work was ambition( behind m love was personalit ( behind m purit was fear( behind m guidance the thirst for powerG 'ow the are vanishing and + drift& + come( /other( + come( in )h warm bosom ? floating wheresoever )hou takest me?in the voiceB less( in the strange( in the wonderland& + come( a spectator( no more an actorG Oh( it is so calmG / thoughts seem to come from a great( great distance in the interior of m own heart& )he seem like faint( distant whispers( and peace is upon ever thing?sweet( sweet peace ? like that one feels for a few moments *ust before falling into sleep( when things are seen and felt like shadows ? without fear( without love( without emotion ? peace that one feels alone( surrounded with statues and picturesG + come( 0ord( + come& )he world is, but not beautiful nor ugl ( but as sensations( without e6citing an emotionG Oh( the blessedness of itG Ever thing is good and beautiful( for things are all losing their relative proportions to me ? m bod among the first& Om )hat E6istenceG

>7$ On the da the Swami wrote this letter ? ,pril "$( "#%%( he delivered at )ucker 9all( ,lameda( his last public lecture in 5alifornia ? entitled( as has been seen above( F)he -ractice of ReligionF& )hus the main bod of the Swami's work on the -acific 5oast came to a close& For four and a half months he had taught strenuousl and continuousl ( giving lectures and holding classes almost dail and with full vigour& +n all( his lectures and classes in 5alifornia numbered well over& one hundredE and( in addition( as we have seen( he often talked informall to small groups and gave unnumbered private interviews& Fortunatel ( man of the Swami's lectures of his 5alifornia visit were taken down in shorthand and have come down to us intact& +n San Francisco and ,lameda this invaluable service was performed( it so happened( b a oung woman named +da ,nsell( who attended a large number of the Swami's lectures on both sides of the San Francisco 1a and who providentiall took these opportunities to practise a rust shorthand& /iss ,nsell transcribed her notes in later ears( and in "#8@ the were incorporated in The 4om-'ete Works of Swami Vivekananda, thus making available to the general public a large and important part of the Swami's work during his second visit to the .est& +t ma be said that the Swami had worked in 5alifornia to e6cess& 'o wonder then( that although his health improved markedl for a time and( as he wrote in a letter of this period( his mind was never clearer than in these da s( the end of ,pril found him ph sicall e6hausted& 9e reDuired rest( and thus his lectures in ,lameda finished( he decided to accept an invitation to spend some time at a small private camp in /arin 5ount ( north of San Francisco&& F+ ought to have started Hfor 5hicagoI toda (F he wrote to /ar 9ale on ,pril 7@( Fbut circumstances so happened that "& cannot forgo the temptation to he in a camp under the huge redwood trees of 5alifornia before + leave&&&& + start tomorrow to the woods&F ,s it happened( the Swami( prevented from leaving ,lameda b a severe setback in his health( did not arrive at the camp in

>7# the woods until /a 7& 9ere in this Duiet and beautiful spot in an area generall known as 5amp )a lor( he spent a little over two weeks( resting( taking long walks in the open countr ( cooking chapatis on the bank of the stream that flowed b ( holding informal classes for the friends who accompanied him ? /rs& 9ansbrough( /rs& ,spinall( /iss +da ,nsell( and others?and meditating under the towering redwoods& Of the Swami's first night at the 5amp( /iss ,nsell reminisced& " close m e es and see him standing there in the soft blackness with sparks from the blaLing log fire fl ing through it and a da Bold moon above& 9e was wear after a long lecture season( but rela6ed and happ to he there& F.e end life in the forest(F he said( Fas we begin it( but with a world of e6perience between the two states&F 0ater after a short talk( when we were about to have the usual meditation( he said( FAou ma meditate on whatever ou like( but + shall meditate on the heart of a lion& )hat gives strength&F )he bliss and power and peace of the meditation that followed could never he described& )he stor is told that once while in a small town on the banks of a river in ,merica( the Swami chanced to meet a part of oung men who were shooting vainl from a bridge at eggshells bobbing on the current of a small stream& )hese shells were loosel strung together with a string( at one end of which was a small stone that served as an anchor& )he Swami watched them( smiling at their failure& One of the oung men noticed this and challenged him to tr his hand at the game( assuring him that it was not so eas as it looked& )hen the Swami took a gun and successivel hit about a doLen shellsG )he were astonished and thought he must be a practised hand& 1ut he assured them he had never handled a gun before and e6plained that the secret of his success la in the concentration of the mind& 5ould not this incident have taken place at 5amp )a lor( where a bridge indeed crossed a small streamM .hen the Swami returned on /a "8 or "; to San Francisco( after two weeks or so in the countr ( he was not et restored to healthE thus it was thought advisable that he stop at the

>@% residence of his disciple <r& F/ilburn 9& 0ogan( at ;;% Oak Street( there to be under constant medical observation and care& , <r& .illiam Forster also attended him& For a week( the Swami's poor health prevented him from lecturing( but on )hursda evening( /a 7=( he delivered an address on the .ha avad/0ita before a regular weekl meeting of the San Francisco Vedanta Societ at <r& 0ogan's downtown offices at 8 3ear Street( and on /a 78( 7$( and 7# he gave a series of three semiB public lectures on F)he 0ita? at the residence of <r& 0ogan& )hese were stirring talksE the theme of spiritual selfBreliance that had been predominant throughout the Swami's mission( sounded forth in unmistakable tones& Even as Shri :rishna had e6horted ,r*una to FStand up and fightF( so the Swami e6horted his listeners ? and through them the modern world ? to be strong( to assert the divinit of the Self2
Stand up and fightG 'ot one step back( that is the idea&&&& Fight it out( whatever comes& 0et the stars move from the spheresG 0et the whole world stand against usG <eath means onl a change of garment& .hat of itM )hus fightG Aou gain nothing b becoming cowards&&&& )aking a step backward( ou do not avoid an misfortune& Aou have cried to all the gods in the world& 9as miser ceasedM )he masses in +ndia cr to si6t million gods( and still die like dogs& .here are these godsM &&& )he gods come to help ou when ou have succeeded& So what is the useM <ie game&&&& )his bending the knee to superstitions( this selling ourself to our own mind( does not befit ou( m soul& Aou are infinite( deathless( birthless& 1ecause ou are infinite spirit( it does not befit ou to be a slave&&&& ,riseG ,wakeG Stand up and fightG <ie if ou must& )here is none to help ou& Aou are all the world& .ho can help ouM

1 /a of "#%% the Swami found his 5alifornia work prospering& +n the Vedanta Societies of 0os ,ngeles and -asadena( meetings were being held regularl b his students( and he had received man letters begging him to return( but this had been impossible as his work in the northern part of the state had absorbed all his( attention& +nformal stud groups had been formed in Oakland and ,lameda( and( as has been seen earlier(

>@" on the evening of ,pril "=( "#%%( the Swami had founded a formal Vedanta Societ in San Francisco& ,mong the Swami's more intimate friends and disciples during this period of his ministr in 5alifornia were some who were to remain lifeBlong followers of his teachings and supporters of his work& 'otable among them were /rs& 5arrie /ead . ckoff (of 0os ,ngeles)( /rs& ,lice /ead 9ansbrough( +da ,nsell( /r& and /rs& )homas !& ,llan( /rs& 1en*amin ,spinall( <r& /& 9& 0ogan( /r& 5arl F& -etersen( and /r& ,lbert S& .ollberg( the last three of whom were respectivel the -resident( ViceB -resident( and Secretar of the Vedanta Societ of San Francisco& )owards the latter part of Swami Vivekananda's sta in 5alifornia( he received a pressing invitation from /r& and /rs& Francis 0eggett( then in 0ondon( to *oin them in -aris in !ul & 9e had also been invited b /& 3erald 'obel and the Foreign <elegates' 5ommittee of the 5ongress of the 9istor of Religions( which was to be held in September in con*unction with the -aris E6position of "#%%( to lecture before that distinguished assembl & 9e accepted those invitations& but he thought it best to spend several weeks in 'ew Aork before sailing to Europe& )herefore( on the evening of /a 7#( after his last lecture at <r& 0ogan's house( he bade farewell to his disciples and friends( promising to send in the near future Fa most spiritual Swami b name of Swami )uri anandaF as the head of the Vedanta movement in 5alifornia& On the following da ( /a @%( he boarded the Southern -acific's 9ver'and Limited at the Oakland mole( and was on his wa to the East 5oast& )he Swami broke the fatiguing railwa *ourne across the continent with a stop of four da s at 5hicago( where he visited several of his old friends& ,rriving in 'ew Aork on !une ;( he took up his residence at the Vedanta Societ ( which now occupied a fourBstor house at "%7 East Fift Beighth Street( and here received man of his disciples and admirers( )he Swami was much pleased with the progress of the Vedanta Societ under Swami ,bhedananda& ,lthough the

>@7 oung Societ had undergone a tremor or two in its internal affairs( it had now settled down into a period of harmonious e6pansion& /r& 0eggett had resigned the presidentship in the spring of "#%% in favour of <r& 9erschell 5& -arker of 5olumbia 4niversit ( who had been unanimousl elected to replace him& , membership roll had been opened thereb increasing the Societ 's funds( and an entire house had been rented for its headDuarters& ,mong the honorar members of the Societ at this time were the Reverend <r& R& 9eber 'ewton and 5harles R& 0anman( -rofessor of Sanskrit at 9arvard 4niversit & +n addition( man men of note were in s mpath with the Swami's work( with the Vedanta philosoph ( and with +ndian culture in general& )o name a few( there were -rofessor Seth 0ow( the -resident of 5olumbia 4niversit ( -rofessor ,& V& .& !ackson( also of 5olumbia 4niversit ( -rofessor )homas R& -rice and E& Engalsmann of the 5ollege of the 5it of 'ew Aork( and -rofessors Richard 1otthiel( '& /& 1utler( '& ,& /c0outh( E& 3& Sihler( 5alvin )homas( and ,& 5ohn of the 'ew Aork 4niversit & +t being the hot summer season when man cit dwellers had fled to the mountains or seashore( the Swami did not undertake an e6tensive lecturing programme& 9e wanted( moreover( to be Duiet devoting his time chiefl to teaching and to conversations with his old friends and students& <uring the month of !une "#%%( he lectured onl four times at the Vedanta Societ rooms on successive Sunda s and held 0ita classes on four Saturda mornings& +n the !une report of the ,ssistant Secretar of the Societ one reads2
&&& On !une ;( Swami Vivekananda came to 'ew Aork from 5alifornia and sta ed in the Vedanta Societ Rooms( "%7 E& >$th St&( with Swami )uri ananda and Swami ,bhedananda& ,t that time Sister 'ivedita was also in the cit ( and she was present at most of the meetings& On the following Saturda ( !une #( Swami Vivekananda conBducted the morning class on the .ha avad/0ita, relieving Swami )uri ananda( who usuall taught the class& On Sunda morning( !une "%( Swami Vivekananda lectured in the Vedanta Societ

>@@
Rooms on the sub*ect of FVedanta -hilosoph F& )he rooms were filled to their utmost capacit with students and old friends of the Swami& , reception was given to him on the following Frida evening Hactuall ( on )uesda ( !une "7"( thus giving an opportunit to old friends to meet him once moreE and man students( who had long wished to meet the renowned author of %a6a/*+o a, were made happ b a few kind words and a grasp of the /aster's hand& 9e spoke on the ob*ect of the Vedanta Societ ( and of the work in ,merica& )he ne6t morning( Saturda ( !une "8( he also took charge o t =0itaC class and Hon Sunda ( !une ";I lectured on F.hat is ReligionMF Sister 'ivedita spoke in the evening on F)he +deals of 9indu .omenF( giving a most beautiful and s mpathetic account of their simple life and purit of thought& )he women students( who were alwa s eager to hear of the ever da life and thought of their 9indu sisters( especiall en*o ed this talk& )he Sister 'ivedita was pleased at this interest( and answered man Duestions giving a clearer idea of life in +ndia to most than the had ever known& On !une 7@( Swami Vivekananda conducted the 0ita class( and on Sunda ( !une 7=( he lectured on F)he /otherBworshipF& +n the evening Sister 'ivedita spoke again on F)he ,ncient ,rts of +ndiaF& 9er talk was most entertaining( because of her familiarit with the sub*ect& 9er visit and conversation were ver instructive&&&& Swami Vivekananda conducted the =0itaC class on the morning of !une @%( and the ne6t morning( Sunda ( !ul "( lectured on the FSource of ReligionF& ,s on all previous occasions( the rooms were crowded( and all felt it a privilege to listen to him& On !ul @( Swami Vivekananda and Swami )uri ananda left 'ew Aork( the former going to <etroit to visit old friends( and the latter to 5alifornia to establish a Shanti ,shrama and to take charge of the Vedanta Societ work at San Francisco&

+t should be mentioned that( after sta ing for a time in 'ew Aork( Sister 'ivedita sailed for France on !une 7$( and( as has been seen in the above report( Swami Vivekananda and Swami )uri ananda left 'ew Aork for <etroit on !ul @& )he two Swamis were accompanied b a /iss /innie 5& 1oock( who was going on to 5alifornia with Swami )uri ananda& +n !une of "#%%( /iss 1oock( a member of the 'ew Aork Vedanta Societ and a student of Swami ,bhedananda( offered Swami Vivekananda "8% acres in the largel uninhabited San ,ntone

>@= Valle in Santa 5lara 5ount ( 5alifornia& )he propert la a hundred miles or so southBeast of San Francisco *ust be ond the eastern slopes of /ount 9amilton( on whose summit stood the famous 0ick Observator & Fift miles from a railwa station( twelve miles from the nearest habitation( and three miles from the post office( it was far removed from the conflicting influences of the world and wellBsuited for an austere and contemplative life& On accepting the land from /iss 1oock( the Swami spoke to Swami )uri ananda( who had been lecturing and holding classes at the 'ew Aork Vedanta Societ since ,pril( of his intention of sending him to 5alifornia at once to lead the Vedanta movement there and to establish the Shanti ,shrama or F-eace RetreatF& 1eing devoted to meditation and austerit ( Swami )uri ananda alwa s hesitated to plunge into work( and thus was averse to the idea& Failing to prevail upon him b argument( the Swami said at last( F+t is the will of the /other that ou should take charge of the work there&F ,t this the brotherBdisciple said *ocosel ( FRather sa it is our will& 5ertainl ou have not heard the /other communicate 9er will to ou in that wa & 9ow can we hear the words of the /otherGF FAes( brother(F said the Swami with great emotion( F es( the words of the /other can be heard as clearl as we hear one another& +t onl reDuires a fine nerve to hear the words of the /other&F )he Swami said this with such fervour that Swami )uri ananda could not but accept his wish as e6pressing the will of the <ivine /other( and he cheerfull agreed to take charge of the 5alifornia work& /emorable were& the parting words of the Swami to Swami )uri ananda( when the latter asked for some advice as to how he should conduct the work& F3o and establish the ,shrama in 5alifornia(F e6claimed the Swami in repl F9oist the flag of Vedanta there& From this moment destro even the memor of +ndiaG ,bove all( live the 'ife, and /other will see to the restGF ,fter visiting the Vedanta Societies in 0os ,ngeles( -asadena( and San Francisco( Swami )uri ananda went to the propert in the San ,ntone Valle for the first time on ,ugust 7( + #%%

>@> taking with him twelve students& )here he remained almost continuall until !une "#%7( when ill health forced him to return to +ndia& +n the two ears of his almost unbroken sta in the Valle ( he established the Shanti ,shrama( training in meditation those spiritual aspirants who came to live there for var ing periods of time and living with them the austere monastic life he had known in +ndia& For man ears thereafter annual retreats of one month were conducted at the Shanti ,shrama b the Swami in charge of the San Francisco centre& <uring Swami Vivekananda's short sta in <etroit in !ul of "#%%( he lived at the house of 5hristine 3reenstidel and her famil ( who( though poor( would have shared with him whatever the had& 9e devoted most of his time there to restingE onl once or twice holding informal gatherings for the benefit of his intimate disciples and friends& On !ul + % he returned to 'ew Aork( where he again sta ed at the Vedanta Societ until he sailed for -aris& )he Swami spent these last two weeks or so in 'ew Aork in rest and retirement in the circle of his close followers& 9e attended also to the publication of his books& F)his is m plan *ust now(F he had written to 5hristine on !une 7; before going to <etroit& F+ will have to remain in 'ew Aork a few da s et to see m books through& + am going to publish another edition of :armaBAoga and the 0ondon lectures in a book form& /iss .aldo is editing them and /r& 0eggett will publish&F 'ow( after his return from <etroit he wrote to /iss /ac0eod on !ul 7=( F)he books are in the hands of .aldo and .hitmarsh& )he are nearl read &F +t was at this time that the Swami designed the seal of the Ramakrishna Order( taking the help of one of his 'ew Aork disciples( /r& 9enr Van 9aagen( who was a draughtsman as well as a printer& F)he Sun ` :nowledgeF( the Swami e6plained to /iss /ac0eod in a letter dated !ul 7=& F)he storm water ` .ork& )he 0otus ` 0ove& )he serpent ` Aoga& )he swan ` the Self& )he /otto ` /a the Swan (the Supreme Self) send us that& +t is the mindBlake&F

>@8 ,mong the disciples( whom the Swami freDuentl visited in 'ew Aork and with whom he spent man hours in discussing philosoph and plans of work( was /iss .aldo& ,nother of his intimate friends( and one who had introduced him into ver distinguished circles( both in 5hicago in the da s of the -arliament of Religions and in 'ew Aork( was /rs& ,nnie Smith( whom he was wont to call F/other SmithF& She had been born in +ndia and from earl womanhood had interested herself in +ndian philosoph & She was well known in ,merica as a lecturer on Oriental sub*ects& Some time after the Swami's passing awa ( /rs& Smith spent four ears in 0os ,ngeles and -asadena and wrote that she Ffound the spiritual seed of the Swami's planting springing up all over 0ie -acific coast( for he vitaliLed ,merican religions and sects( as well as 9induism&F .riting of him at this time( one of the Swami's friends said2
9e has broadened in his s mpathies and e6panded in his knowledge daring the four ears of his absence from ,merica& .hile the season is now over for lectures and classes( Swami*i's old friends are basking in the sunshine of his presence& 9is health is now e6cellent( and he is his dear old self once more( with et a mingling of a newer( nobler self that makes us adore him more than ever&&&& 9e has to he a worldBworker( and so no rest can he for him until that work is done&

Onl !ul 78( when the Swami set sail for France( his second and( as it was to prove( his last visit to ,merica came to a close& From the da s of the -arliament of Religions until now he had spent in all nearl thirt Bnine months in the 4nited States( during the course of which he had sown the seeds of his message from one end of the continent to the otherE he had established Vedanta Societies on both coasts and had placed the work he had begun in the able hands of brotherBdisciples& 'ow in the summer of "#%% the great Swami was read to start his *ourne home&

>@;

!6 THE PARIS CONGRESS AND A TO R IN E ROPE ,fter a rough and rain vo age( the S&S& 4ham-a ne, on which the Swami had sailed from 'ew Aork on !ul 78( "#%%( arrived at 0e 9avre at noon on the third of ,ugust& 9e travelled the same da b rail to -aris( where he was at first the guest of /& 3erald 'obel ? an old famil friend of the 0eggetts and a bachelor of e6ceptional culture and intelligence and then of /r& and /rs& Francis 0eggett at their handsome residence in the -lace des EtatsB4nis& 0ater( in the first week of September( he moved to the Duarters of /& !ules 1ois( a wellBknown writer and a student of comparative religion& )he Swami hoped that b living alone with the oung /& 1ois( who spoke nothing but French( he might thereb become more proficient in that languageE thus /& 1ois's apartment remained his headDuarters in -aris& until he left for his European tour& .hile he was the guest of /r& and /rs& 0eggett( the Swami met man distinguished people at their large and lavish entertainments and freDuent sa'ons, where celebrated men and women of all branches of knowledge and culture gatheredB pacts( scientists( philosophers( writers( actors and actresses( singers( painters( sculptors& )hese gatherings proved splendid opportunities for him to e6change ideas with leading thinkers of the .est and to spread his message among them& +ndeed( during his sta at the 0eggetts'( he gave a talk on Frida ( ,ugust 7=( "#%%( in their drawing rooms on F0a Religion et le philosophie des 9indoosF ()he Religion and the -hilosoph of the 9indus)( to which man people were invited& +n his F/emoirs of European )ravelF the Swami gives this picturesDue description of the atBhomes given b the 0eggetts2 F)hat incessant outflow of words( clear and limpid like a mountainBfall( that e6pression of sentiments emanating from all sides like sparks of fire( bewitching music( the magic current of thought from master minds coming into conflict with one

>@$ another &&& used to hold all spellbound( making them forgetful of time and place& & & &F ,mong the eminent men and women with whom the Swami came into close contact in -aris were -rofessor -atrick 3eddes( an eminent sociologist of Edinburgh 4niversit ( !ane ,ddams( the famous ,merican social worker( -Wre 9 acinthe( Sir 9iram /a6im( the <uke of Richelieu( /adame Emma 5alv8( /rs& -otter -almer of 5hicago( <r& 0ewis 3& !anes( /adame Sarah 1ernhardt( -rincess <emidoff( the <uke of 'ewcastle& One of the Swami's own countr men was also in -aris ? <r& !agadish 5handra 1ose( whose remarkable discoveries in regard to plant sensitivit had amaLed the scientific world& <r& 1ose had been invited to attend the E6position in connection with the 5ongress of Scientists( and the Swami met him freDuentl & Often he would point out to his acDuaintances the greatness of this +ndian scientist( Fthe pride and glor of 1engalF& Once at a gathering of distinguished people a student of a celebrated English scientist maintained that her professor was e6perimenting on the growth of a stunted lil & )he Swami humorousl replied( FOh( that's nothingG 1ose will make the ver pot in which the lil grows respondGF .hile he was in -aris( the Swami was a close and keen observer of French culture( and embodied man of his observations in his article F)he East and the .estF& )he -aris E6position 4niverselle( which was then in full swing( afforded him uniDue opportunities for stud ( and the authorities received him with honour( giving him ever opportunit for thorough observation& ,ccompanied b ,lberta( /r& 0eggett( and -atrick 3eddes( he often visited the E6hibition( where -atrick 3eddes e6plained the e6hibits to the part ( the Swami alwa s bringing out of them some new revelations( fresh comparisons( and intellectual discoveries& )he artistr of the varied e6hibits pleased his fastidious e e( and nothing of interest escaped his glance& )he main event of his sta in -aris was his appearance at the 5ongress of the 9istor of Religions( which was held from September @ through $( "#%%( at the Sorbonne in connection

>@# with the -aris E6position& )his 5ongress was Fnot a big affairF( as the Swami wrote& +t was concerned e6clusivel with scholarl matters relating to the historical aspects of various religionsE for discussion of different doctrines or beliefs( such as had taken pI ace so ferventl at 5hicago -arliament of Religions( was not allowed& Rumour had it that the idea of holding another -arliament of Religions had been defeated b the vehement opposition of Roman 5atholics who feared that Oriental ideas might *eopardiLe the authorit of orthodo6 5hristianit & +n an event( the purpose of the -aris 5ongress was onl to enDuire into the historic evolution of the different forms of established faiths and other matters incidental to it& ,ccordingl ( missionar creeds of various religions were not represented( and the 5ongress was attended not b ecclesiastics but onl b such scholars as devoted themselves to the stud of the origin and histor of different religions& )hough he was present at several sittings of the 5ongress( the Swami's ill health prevented him from lecturing before that assembl more than twice& 9e had been reDuested b the committee to debate with the .estern Orientalists on whether the Vedic religion was the outcome of nature worship or notE for his man lectures and writings on Vedanta philosoph and +ndian culture had made it evident that he( above all others( was best fitted to interpret the +ndian position& )o meet the occasion( as well as for his visits to -aris in general( he had for several months been endeavouring to master the French language& )o *udge from two references in the )ndian #irror, he had succeeded to a great e6tentE he had( indeed( become sufficientl fluent in French to speak on highl technical matters before a gathering of scholars& )he first of these newspaper references( dated ,pril 7"( "#%%( read( FSwami Vivekananda( has been invited to represent 9induism and Vedanta in the -aris E6hibition( and the Swami will deliver an address in French&F )he second item which appeared in the )ndian #irror long after the event (on <ecember "7( "#%%) referred to the Swami's having delivered a Fver impressive and eloDuent speech in French at -arisF&

>=% 1eing scheduled to speak on September ;( he was present when a paper was read that morning b a /r& 3ustav Oppert( a 3erman Orientalist( who tried to trace the origin of the ShalagramaBShila and the ShivaB0inga to mere phallicism& )o this the Swami ob*ected( adducing proofs from the Vedas( and particularl the Atharva/ Veda Samhita, to the effect that the ShivaB0inga had its origin in the idea of the AupaB stambha or Skambha( the sacrificial post idealiLed in Vedic ritual as the s mbol of the Eternal 1rahman& F,s afterwards(F said the Swami( Fthe Aa*na (sacrificial) fire( its smoke( ashes( and flames( the Soma plant( and the o6 that used to carr on its back the wood for the Vedic sacrifice gave place to the conceptions of the brightness of Shiva's bod ( his tawn matted hair( his blue throat and the riding on the bull of Shiva( and so on ? *ust so( the AupaBstambha gave place in time to the ShivaB0inga( and was deified to the high <evahood (godhood) of Shri Shankara&F )hen( also( the ShivaB 0inga might have been more definitel developed through the influence of 1uddhism( with its 1auddha Stupas( or memorial topes( in which the relics( either of the 1uddha himself or of some great 1uddhist 1hikshus( used to be deposited& +t was Duite probable that during the 1uddhistic ascendanc the 9indus adopted this custom and used to erect memorials resembling their Skambha& )he ShalagramaBShilas were natural stones( resembling the artificiall cut stones of the <hatuB3arbha( or FmetalB wombedF( stone reliDuaries of the 1auddha Stupas( and these( being first worshipped b the 1uddhists( graduall found their wa into Vaishnavism& )he e6planation of the ShalagramaBShila as a phallic emblem was an imaginar invention& , degenerate period in +ndia( following the downfall of 1uddhism( had brought on the association of se6 with the ShivaB0inga& +n realit ( the ShivaB0inga and the ShalagramaBShila had no more to do with se6Bworship than the 9ol 5ommunion in 5hristianit had in common with cannibalism& )his rebuttal of /r& Oppert's paper was( of course( e6temporaneous& So also was the Swami's scheduled talk given on that same morning of September ;& +n this discourse( of which

>=" we have the Swami's own report in a letter to the Gd,odhan, he dwelt on the historic evolution of the religious ideas in +ndia& )he Vedas( he said( are the common source of all the various stages of 9induism& )he are the source also of 1uddhism and of ever other religious belief in +ndia& 9e spoke also of the priorit of Shri :rishna to 1uddha and said that the worship of :rishna was much older than that of 1uddha& )he 0ita, the Swami held( was contemporaneous with( if not prior to( the #aha,harata* 1oth the thought and the language of the 0ita were the same as those of the #aha,harata7 therefore( how could the 0ita have been later than the #aha,harataE /oreover( if it had been compiled much later( in the 1uddhist period( wh ( when it attempted the reconciliation of all the religious creeds prevalent in +ndia at that period( should it not have mentioned 1uddha and 1uddhismM )he Swami went on to reprove the cavalier shallowness of .estern scholars in their +ndian research& )he traditions of +ndia( he said( were true( and .estern Sanskrit scholars should tr to discover their hidden truths instead of writing fanciful articles& 9e cited as an e6ample of pre*udiced and unscholarl research the contention of .estern savants that 3reek influence lies over ever thing +ndian ? literature( art( astrolog ( arithmetic( and so on& )here might be( it was true( some similarit between 3reek and +ndian terms in astronom ( but .esterners had ignored the direct Sanskrit et molog and sought for some farBfetched et molog from the 3reek& Such shallow and biased learning manifested b man .estern Orientalists was most deplorable& From a single Sanskrit Shloka HverseI that reads( F)he Aavanas H3reeksI are /lechchhas( in them this science is established( therefore( even the deserve worship like Rishis & & & F the have gone so far as to declare that all +ndian sciences are but echoes of the 3reekG .hereas a true reading of the Shloka might show that the /lechchha disciples of the ,r ans are herein praised in order to encourage them to a further stud of the ,r an sciences& )he effort to trace the +ndian drama to 3reek sources was also preposterous( for nothing in the Sanskrit dramas hare an similarit either to

>=7 3reek literar methods or 3reek histrionic forms& 0astl ( referring to -rofessor /a6 /uller's premise that unless it could be demonstrated that at least one 3reek had known Sanskrit( it could not be concluded that ancient +ndia helped ancient 3reece in an wa ( the Swami turned it against him& 9e argued that unless one 9indu who had known 3reek could be brought forward( one ought not to talk even of 3reek influence on +ndian science or culture& )he Swami closed his arguments with the counsel that .estern Orientalists( who spent so much time on a single 3reek work( should do likewise with Sanskrit worksE then onl some true account of the e6change of ideas between East and .est in various historic periods could be gathered& 0ike - thagoras( the celebrated 3reek( whom 5lement of ,le6andria had no hesitation in calling a pupil of the 1rahmanas( the might even come to +ndia to learn& ,fter the lecture( man present e6pressed their opinion that the views of the modern school of Sanskrit scholars in the .est were largel the same as those of the Swami& )he agreed also with his statement that there was much that was historicall true in the -uranas and 9indu traditions& 1ut the learned -resident of the 5ongress differed from the Swami with reference to the contemporaneousness of the 0ita and the #aha,harata, his reason being that the ma*orit of .estern Orientalists thought that the former was not a part of the latter& .hile in -aris the Swami was not onl responding to immediate demands on his time( but was attending also to the urgent reDuirements of the movement he had started& For various reasons( he was an6ious to assure that the responsibilit for the movement ? a responsibilit that had been given to him b Shri Ramakrishna and that had long rested on his shoulders ? be passed on to his brotherBdisciples& 9e was keenl aware that the organiLation he had founded in +ndia needed not onl spiritual resilience but also legal invulnerabilit in order to function effectivel in the world& For this( he had been long an6ious that the trustBdeed of the /ath at 1elur be registered

>=@ at the earliest possible date& Even before he left +ndia in !une "$##( he had been prodding his brotherBdisciples to give the deed a final form& 1ut for one reason or the other this could not be done earlier& ,t last in ,ugust "#%% he could get the deed e6ecuted dul at the 1ritish 5onsulate in -aris& ,side from this( he was engaged in the task of training /argaret 'oble to become trul nivedita, trul FdedicatedF to the F/other's workF& 9e had brought her to the .est to earn mone b lecturing in ,merica for the prospective F9omes for .idows and 3irlsF( which the Swami wanted her to start in some big cities of +ndia& )hough she had( of her own free will( chosen to be the disciple of the Swami( and though she was so much devoted to him and his /ission( she was not et full aware of the implications of true discipleship& ,t times( ideas e6traneous to the Swami's teachings could still fascinate her and claim the lo alt of her heart& .hile she was in 'ew Aork( she became charmed b the sociological theories of the eminent -rofessor -atrick 3eddes of the Edinburgh 4niversit ( and later became involved in his work during the -aris E6position& She was et to know that if she were to be a true disciple of the Swami( all her powers( devotion( and lo alt had to he concentrated on one ob*ective ? the service of the cause she had received from her /aster& )hus during this period there was misunderstanding and estrangement between herself and the Swami& She e6pressed her feelings in a letter to him( to which he replied on ,ugust 7>& )he Swami's letter reveals his wa of discharging the two duties that devolved upon him at this time ? the passing of the responsibilit to his brotherBdisciples( and the training of Sister 'ivedita2
Aour letter reached me *ust now& /an thanks for the kind e6pressions&&&& 'ow + am free( as + have kept no power or authorit or position for me in the work& + also have resigned the -residentship of the Ramakrishna /ission& )he /ath etc& belong now to the immediate disciples of Ramakrishna e6cept m self& )he -residentship is now 1rahmananda's? ne6t it will fall on -remananda etc&( in turn&

>==
+ am so glad a whole load is off me( now + am happ &&&& + no longer represent an bod ( nor am + responsible to an bod & ,s to m friends + had a morbid sense of obligation& + have thought well and find + owe nothing to an bod ? if an thing( + have given m best energies( unto death almost( and received onl hectoring and mischiefBmaking and botheration&&&& Aour letter indicates that + am *ealous of our new friends& Aou must know once for all + am born without *ealous ( without avarice( without the desire to rule ? whatever other vices + am born with& " never directed ou beforeE now( after + am nobod in the work( + have no direction whatever& + onl know this much( so long as ou serve F/otherF with a whole heart( She will be our guide& " never had an *ealous about what friends ou made& + never criticiLed m brethren for mi6ing up in an thing& Onl + do believe the .estern people have the peculiarit of tr ing to force upon others whatever seems good to them( forgetting that what is good for ou ma not be good for others& ,s such + am afraid ou might tr to force upon others whatever turn our mind might take in contact with new friends& )hat was the onl reason + sometimes tried to stop an particular influence and nothing else& Aou are free( have our own choice( our own work&&&& Friends or foes( the are all instruments in 9er hands to help us work out our own :arma( through pleasure or pain& ,s such F/otherF bless them all&

,fter the 5ongress of the 9istor of Religions the Swami( together with !ules 1ois( accepted an invitation of /rs& Ole 1ull to become her guests in a house she had taken at -errosB3uirec( a small village on the English 5hannel( si6 miles from 0annion in 1rittan & 9ere from September "; to the end of the month( he gave himself up to leisure and rest( though his conversations with those who surrounded him( including Sister 'ivedita( who was also the guest of /rs& 1ull( were unusuall luminous& )he stor of 0ord 1uddha was much in his mind in these da s and one finds him reciting passages from the ;atakas( the La'ita Vistara, or the Vina$a &itaka and other great 1uddhist works& 9e would tell now( after 'irvana( 1uddha became the ver embodiment of the highest spiritual poetr ( and he would illustrate this with beautiful passages from the 1uddhist

>=> scriptures relating to the famous G-a'i &richcha, or the FUuestions& of 4pali( the 1arberF( or to the Dhani$a Sutta from the famous Sutta Ni-ata* <rawing philosophical contrasts( he would show the points of difference between the 1uddhist and the ,dvaita positions( and then point out the unit of ideas between the sublime 'egation of the 1uddhist and the supreme 'egation of ,dvaita( sa ing( F1uddhism must he rightG Reincarnation is onl a mirageG 1ut this vision is to be reached b the path of ,dvaita aloneGF +n his final summing up of the differences between the two positions he said2 F)he great point of contrast between 1uddhism and 9induism lies in the fact that 1uddhism said( 'RealiLe all this as illusion(' while 9induism said( 'RealiLe that within the illusion is the Real&' Of how this was to be done( 9induism never presumed to enunciate an rigid law& )he 1uddhist command could onl be carried out through monasticismE the 9indu might be fulfilled through an state of life& ,ll alike were roads to the One Real& One of the highest and greatest e6pressions of the Faith H9induismI is put into the mouth of a butcher( preaching( b the orders of a married woman( to a sann asi& )hus 1uddhism became the religion of a monastic order( but 9induism in spite of its e6altation of monasticism remains ever the religion of faithfulness to dail dut ( whatever it be( as the path b which man ma attain to 3od&F 9induism( he held( included not onl all the faiths within her own fold but the message of 1uddhism and 1uddha himself as well& She( as the mother of religions( had learned to regard 1uddha as the most lionBhearted of all her ,vataras& One of the most powerful factors which contributed to the Swami's supreme veneration for 1uddha was( to Duote Sister 'ivedita's words(
the spectacle of the constant tall ing of his own /aster's life( lived before his e es( with this worldBattested stor of twent Bfive centuries before& +n 1uddha he saw Ramakrishna -aramahamsa2 in Ramakrishna( he saw 1uddha& +n a flash this train of thought was revealed( one da when he was describing the scene of the death of 1uddha& 9e told how the blanket had been spread for him beneath the tree( and how the 1lessed One had lain down( Fresting on his right side(

>=8
like a lionF( to die( when suddenl there came to him one who ran( for instruction& )he disciples would have treated the man as an intruder( maintaining peace at an cost about their /aster's deathBbed( but the 1lessed One overheard( and sa ing( F'o( noG 9e who was sent Hthe )athagata or /essiahI is ever read (F he raised himself on his elbow and taught& )his happened four times( and then( and then onl ( 1uddha held himself free to die&&&& )he immortal stor went on to its end& 1ut to one who listened( the most significant moment had been that in which the teller paused at his own words( ?Jraised himself on his elbow and taughtK ?and said in brief parenthesis( J+ saw this( ou know( in the case of Ramakrishna -aramahamsaGK ,nd there arose before the mind the stor of one( destined to learn from that )eacher( who had travelled a hundred miles( and arrived at 5ossipore onl when he la d ing& 9ere also the disciples would have refused admission( but Shri Ramakrishna intervened( insisting on receiving the newcomer( and teaching him&

+n depicting the portrait of her /aster( Sister 'ivedita mused that perhaps it gave him pleasure to pla off Shankarachar a against 1uddha( as it were( b calling in ,dvaita to the aid of 1uddhism& )he combination of the heart of 1uddha and the intellect of Shankarachar a( he considered the highest possibilit of humanit ( and this he saw onl in his own /aster among the muster roll of the world's )eachers and Saviours& )he Swami was alwa s the religious observer& +n some small chapel in 1rittan ( or in the great cathedrals of -aris( he saw the points of similarit between the ritual of 9induism and Roman 5atholicismE and in this sense he once proclaimed( F5hristianit is not foreign to the 9indu mind&F +ndeed( there was nothing that did not bring some aspect of religion or of spiritual life to the Swami's mind& Returning from 1rittan to -aris with his hostess and fellowBguests( he paid a visit on /ichaelmas <a to /ont Saint /ichel( the ancient fortress and abbe that dominates an islet off the coast of 'ormand & 9ere( seeing the frightful dungeon cages where prisoners were isolated in medieval times( the Swami was heard to remark under his breath( F.hat a wonderful place for meditationGF )he Swami's September visit to 1rittan lasted from the

>=; seventeenth to twent Bninth& 9e was to return with !ules 1ois for a short time( in October& ,t the end of September( some da s before he left for -aris( his disciple Sister 'ivedita departed for England( there to tr to arouse interest in her work on behalf of +ndian women& 1efore she went( he gave her his blessing and said2 F)here is a peculiar sect of /ohammedans who are reported to be so fanatical that the take each newB born babe and e6pose it( sa ing( '+f 3od made thee( perishG +f ,li made thee( liveG' 'ow this which the sa to the child( + sa ( but in the opposite sense to ou( tonight ? '3o forth into the world( and there( if + made ou( be destro edG +f /other made ou( liveG' F +n !une of "$##( before 'ivedita had left +ndia in his compan ( he had told her that she must resume( as if she had never broken them off( all her old habits and social customs& 'ow that she was about to enter new paths of endeavour for an indefinite period( and without his immediate guidance( the thought must have crossed his mind that old ties were perilous to a foreign allegiance& 9e had seen so man betra als of honour that he seemed alwa s to be read for a new desertion& +n an case( the moment was critical to the fate of the disciple( and this he did not fail to realiLe& )hus were his special blessings at the beginning of what was to be a long separation& , ear and a half was to pass before Sister 'ivedita would once again be with her guru& .hen he returned from 1rittan to -aris in the last week of September( the Swami again moved in the most distinguished circles& +n all his talks he missed no opportunit of showing( in wa s distinctl his own( the influence of +ndia over the entire thought of mankind& 9e would refer to the unmistakable evidences that 9indu religious ideas had travelled in ancient times from +ndia( on the one side to Sumatra( !ava( 1orneo( 5elebes( ,ustralia( and even as far as the shores of ,merica( and on the other side to )ibet( 5hina( !apan( and as far north as Siberia& 9e would dilate on the e6tension of the 1uddhist missionar work in S ria( Eg pt( /acedonian( and Epirus in the reigns( respectivel ( of ,ntiochus )heos( -tolem -hiladelph s( ,ntigonos 3onates( and ,le6ander& )hen( perhaps( he

>=$ would tell his interested listeners of the influence of the )artars on world histor and of their conDuests in 5entral and .estern ,sia and finall in +ndia itself& ,nd often he would sa ( F)he )artar is the wine of the raceG 9e gives energ and power to ever bloodGF 9e saw Europe as the admi6ture of numbers of ,siatic and semiB,siatic races( intermingled with the barbarians of the forests of 3erman and( the wilderness of ancient 3aul and Spain& 9e saw European culture as formed( to a large e6tent( b /oorish influence in Spain and b the learning and science of the medieval ,rabs& )he monumental learning and patriotism which the Swami evinced captured all minds and hearts& 9e was scathing in his denunciation of the claim that European culture dominated over the ,siaticE and histor ( archaeolog ( and philosoph were alwa s at his service to prove his contentions to the contrar & One of the Swami's greatest intimates during his sta in France was -Wre 9 acinthe( the former 5armelite monk and 5atholic priest( whom he first met in earl ,ugust of "#%%& +n the "$8%s( -Wre 9 acinthe had been an e6ceedingl popular preacher in -aris's 'otre <ame 5athedral and was well known for his learning( his orator ( and his austerit & 9is liberal views( to which he had given free and eloDuent e6pression( had e6erted a wide influence over the 5atholic world& )he Vatican( however& had not been pleased( and in "$88 he had been called to Rome and rebuked& 9e had continued( nevertheless( to preach ? as he wished( strongl advocating a number of 5hurch reforms( all of which were considered radical& (Reforms similar to those he recommended( it ma be noted here( were taken up a centur later at the Second Vatican 5ouncil held in "#87B8@&) -Wre 9 acinthe was far in advance of his times& .hen the doctrine of papal infallibilit was pronounced at the First Vatican 5ouncil in "$;%( he publicl allied himself with those who opposed it& .hen asked b Rome to retract( he onl the more openl and strongl stated his position& Further( he resigned from his monastic order and was promptl e6communicated& 'ow known officiall as /onsieur 5harles 0o son( he continued to preach( attempting to establish a reformed

>=# 5atholic church& +n "$;7( at the age of =>(& he married an ,merican woman( whose views were as FradicalF as his own and who devoted herself Lealousl to his cause& )hese episodes in -Wre 9 acinthe's life had created a stir in Europe& Orthodo6 Roman 5atholics condemned and ostraciLed himE liberal 5atholics and -rotestants welcomed him with open arms& 9e had continued to preach and to lecture( and in "#%% he was still renowned( still loved and admired b some( still hated and censured b others& 9e and his wife devoted their time& energ ( and hope to an attempt to establish a reformed church& )he Swami was manifestl fond of this ageing priest& +n his own words2 F9e was possessed of a ver sweet nature( modest and of the temperament of a 1hakta&F /an were the times in -aris when the Swami( who alwa s called him b his monastic name( and -Wre 9 acinthe had long discussions on religious sub*ects( on spiritual life( and on sects and creeds& On these occasions the Swami spoke eloDuentl to him of Vairag a (dispassion) and renunciation( and old memories of monastic life were stirred up in the heart of the erstwhile monk '0ater on( he with his wife accompanied the Swami and his part as far as Vienna on their wa to 5onstantinople& )he soon met again in Scutari (also called askbdar) in ,sia /inor( where the -Wre was stopping on his wa to !erusalem to tr to establish cordial relations among 5hristians( !ews( and /uslims& +n -aris the Swami also found a congenial conversationalist in /& !ules 1ois( with whom he sta ed( with the e6ception of his two visits to 1rittan ( from the first week in September until he left France& )his oung man( who moved in intellectual circles( was an advocate of those Vedantic ideas that had influenced Victor 9ugo and 0amartine among the French( and 3oethe and Schiller among the 3ermans& +nterested in the occult( as were man intellectuals in those da s( he had written( among other works( a large and scholarl book on the histor of satanism and magic( for which he was well known& /& 1ois had heard the Swami speak at the -arliament of Religions in 5hicago( and had long hoped to meet him& )his hope was

>>% fulfilled2 not onl did he meet Swami Vivekananda( but he had him for man weeks as a guest in his Duarters( accompanied him to 1rittan twice( and was to travel with him on the tour through south Europe& ,nother native of France who became greatl attached to the Swami and saw him freDuentl was the oung <uke of Richelieu& .hen the Swami was about to leave France( he asked the <uke wh he did not renounce the world and become his disciple& )he oung man wanted to know what he would gain from such renunciation( and the Swami said( F+ shall give ou the desire for death&F .hen asked to e6plain so dubious a blessing( he replied( that he would give the <uke such knowledge and insight that when confronted b death he would laugh at it& 1ut the <uke preferred to remain in the world& .ith -rofessor -atrick 3eddes the Swami had numerous conversations pertaining to the evolution of races( the transition in Europe to modem times( ancient 3reek civiliLation and the great influence it had e6erted in the formation of European culture( and other topics of a like nature& ,nother interesting friend( whose acDuaintance the Swami renewed in -aris( was Sir 9iram /a6im of machineBgun fame& Sir 9iram was then /r& /a6im( who was knighted in "#%"& 9e was a lover of 5hina and of +ndia and a writer on religion and philosoph & F9e could not bearF( said the Swami( F5hristian missionaries going to convert people in 5hina( he himself being a lover of 5onfucius& 4nder various 5hinese pseudon ms he often wrote to the papers against missionar propaganda in 5hina& 9is wife was of the same religious views and opinion&F +n "$#@ Sir 9iram /a6im had attended the -arliament of Religions and had been deepl impressed b the Swami( in whose Fcommanding presence and vast learningF bigotr could not survive& Of his meeting with 9iram '/a6im in -aris the Swami wrote to /rs& 1ull on October 772 F/r& /a6im of the gun fame is ver much interested in me( and he wants to put in his book on 5hina and the 5hinese( something about m work in

>>" ,merica& + have not an documents with me ? if ou have( kindl give them to him& 9e will come to see ou and talk it over with ou& 5anon 9aweis also keeps track of m work in England& So much about that&F +t is especiall noteworth that the Swami went on in this letter to speak of his longBcherished plan of international work& ,s more and more men and women of cosmopolitan background( interests( and influence became interested in his mission( the wa seemed to be opening of itself& F+t ma beF( he wrote( Fthat /other will now work up m original plan?of international work ? in that case ou will find our work of the H5ambridge 5onferencesI has not been in vain& +t seems that after this fall in m health( ph sical and mental( it is going to open out that wa ? larger and more international work& /other knows best&F +n -aris the Swami again met /adame Sarah 1ernhardt( one of the most celebrated actresses of the .est( whom he had known in 'ew Aork in the earl part of "$#8& She had a fervent love for +ndia and told him man times that his countr was Jver ancient( ver civiliLedK& One ear she staged a drama concerning +ndia( and she presented a perfectl realistic scene of an +ndian street( with its men( women( children( and sadhus& She had told the Swami in 'ew Aork that in order to gain a true setting for her pla ( she had visited for one full month ever museum and had carefull studied and acDuainted herself with ever thing relating to +ndia ? the men and women( their dress( the streets( the bathing ghats( and so on& She had a great desire to see +ndia& F5'est mon reveGF ? that is the dream of m life ? she now told him( and she confided that the -rince of .ales( who later became Edward V++( had promised to arrange ever thing for her travels in +ndia and for shooting tigers and elephants& 9owever( she could not go to +ndia *ust then( she told the Swami to his amusement( for since she never travelled without a special train and a retinue of attendants and companions( the trip would be too e6pensive& <uring his sta in -aris the Swami also came into closer touch with one of his old admirers( /adame 5alv8( then the most celebrated opera singer of the .est& 9er culture was not

>>7 confined to music( for she was also learned in philosophical and religious literature& Of her the Swami wrote2 FShe was born poor( but b her innate talents( prodigious labour and diligence( and her wrestling against much hardship( she is now enormousl rich and commands respect from kings and emperors&&&& )hough there are other great singers of both se6es&&&& 5a+A8's genius coupled with learning is uniDue& )he rare combination of beaut ( outh( talents( and 'divine' voice has assigned 5alve' the highest place among the singers of the .est& )here is( indeed( no better teacher than miser and povert & )hat constant fight against dire povert ( miser ( and hardship in the da s of her girlhood( which has led to her present triumph over them( has brought into her life a uniDue s mpath and a depth of thought with a wide outlook&F /iss !osephine /ac0eod proved a most helpful personal companion for the Swami in -arisE it was often she who conducted him to the various places of interest( entertainment( and stud & She en*o ed a great personal friendship with him( and was one of those who saw that he reDuired relief from his missionar laboursE it was her pleasure ? and she felt it her dut ? to keep him from too great an abstraction of mind& .hen he was a guest in a house where she acted as hostess( she made him feel free to come and go as the spirit moved him& Others tended to pl him with Duestions( but not /iss /ac0eod& 9er buo ant nature amused himE et he also entered into serious or e6alted moods in her presence( and she was witness to some of his most soulBinspiring utterances& 1efore meeting the Swami she had studied the 0ita, and her vision had been moulded according to its teachingE thus from the first she FrecogniLedF him as a /essenger of the Spirit( a 5hristBSoul( and she became an ardent champion of his cause& She went to +ndia( as we have seen( in compan with /rs& Ole 1ull and Swami Saradananda( and( together with other .estern disciples( she spent man da s with the Swami( living in the neighbourhood of the monaster at 1elur& )o her he was /aster and friend in one( and throughout her long life her

>>@ man memories of him were alwa s inspiring to those to whom she told them& 1efore leaving France( the Swami( together with !ules 1ois( again visited 1rittan from the fifteenth to the nineteenth of October& )hen( on the night of October 7= he boarded the famous transcontinental train( the 9rient <>-ress, leaving -aris( after nearl three months' so*ourn in France( for a *ourne across southBwest Europe to 5onstantinople& 9is travelling companions were /onsieur and /adame 0o son( !ules 1ois( /adame 5alvS and /iss !osephine /ac0eod& /adame 5alvS had decided not to sing that winter( but to rest in the temperate climate of Eg pt( and the Swami went as her guest& On the evening of the twent Bfifth the part reached Vienna& 9ere( during a stop of three da s( the Swami visited man places of interest( notabl the Schcnbrunn -alace( where 'apoleon's son had been kept virtuall a prisoner and had died of a broken heart ? an episode immortaliLed in a pla named !B Ai 'on (the Aoung Eagle)( which the Swami had recentl seen pla ed b Sarah 1ernhardt& 9e was interested in finding that ever room of this palace was furnished and decorated with the art and workmanship of some special countr ( including +ndia and 5hina( and he was especiall pleased with the +ndian decorations& 9e also visited the museum( and found its scientific section and <utch paintings especiall interesting& ,fter -aris( all other cities of Europe were disappointing to him( but he was a fascinated and wellB informed student of histor ( and nothing concerning man could be without interest for him& 9e knew and could talk and write about the past( the present( and the probable future of the countries through which his train passed& 5ommenting on ,ustria's decline of power and prestige( he remarked( F+f )urke is called 'the sick man of Europe'( ,ustria ought to he called 'the sick woman of Europe'GF 9e saw Europe bristling with portents of war& FEuropeF( he remarked during his tour( Fis a vast militar camp&F ,nd he prophesied rightl 2 F,fter the death of the present ,ustrian Emperor HFrancis !oseph( who died in "# "8I(

>>= 3erman will surel tr to absorb the 3ermanBspeaking portion of the ,ustrian Empire and Russia and others are sure to oppose herE so there is the possibilit of a dreadful war&F 1ut even five ears earlier he had seen catastrophe brewing in the .est2 FEurope is on the edge of a volcano(F he had said in "$#> to 5hristine 3reenstidel& F+f the fire is not e6tinguished b a flow of spiritualit ( it will erupt&F +n the late evening of October 7$( the part (with the e6ception of the 0o sons( who had gone on ahead) left Vienna for 5onstantinople( which the reached on the thirtieth( having passed through 9ungar ( Serbia( Romania( and 1ulgaria& .hen the arrived( the had trouble with the customs officers( who confiscated all their books and papers& ,fter much remonstrance and persuasion b /adame 5alv8 and !ules 1ois( all but two of the books were allowed to be returned& )he officers promised to send these to the hotel immediatel ( but the never did& F.e went round the town and baLaar of Stamboul or 5onstantinople(F the Swami wrote in his F/emoirs of European )ravelF& F1e ond the -ont or creek is the -era or foreigners' Duarters( hotels( etc&( whence we got into a carriage( saw the town( and then took some rest&F )he da after their arrival in 5onstantinople( the Swami and /iss /ac0eod decided to visit Scutari( which lies across the 1osporus( in order to see -Wre 9 acinthe( who( with his wife( was sta ing there for a time at the ,merican 5ollege for 3irls& )he Swami and( his companion e6perienced some difficult ( because neither could speak )urkish or ,rabic& 1 signs the managed to hire a boat to take( them across the strip of water( and then the hired a carriage& FOn the wa (F the Swami wrote in his F/emoirsF( Fwe saw the scat of a Sufi fakir HdervishI& )hese fakirs cure people's diseases( which the do in the following manner& First the read a portion of their scriptures( moving their bod backward and forwardE then the begin to dance and graduall get a sort of inspiration( after which the heal the disease b treading on the patient's bod &F )he Swami had a long talk with -Wre 9 acinthe( and that da he had his meal in the great Scutari cemeter ( with

>>> its /ountains( c presses( coffeeBhouses( and clutter of marble tombstones& )he trip back to 5onstantinople proved even more difficult( as the boat in which the had come was found onl after a long search( and the were landed far from their hotel( to which the returned b tram& )he Swami made his sta in 5onstantinople useful in various wa s& 9e visited ever place of interestE he saw the /useum of ,ntiDuities( with its remarkable collection of sarcophagi and other relies of the past( the foreign Duarters( the ancient walls( and the fortress of seven towers( hone combed with the dark passages and cells of a prison ? Fa dreadful placeF& ,nd from a site above )opkhana across the 3olden 9orn he had a wide view of historic Stamboul( with its man ancient mosDues( columns( minarets( towers( and domes& )hrough the letters of introduction he had brought with him from Sir 9iram /a6im( the Swami met several distinguished persons in both Vienna and 5onstantinople& +n the latter cit he dined with a French char e dBaffaires and made the acDuaintance of a 3reek pasha and also an ,lbanian gentleman& ,s -Wre 9 acinthe was not permitted to speak publicl in 5onstantinople( the Swami also could not do soE but several private conversaLiones and drawingBroom talks were arranged for him( at which he spoke on the religion of the Vedanta to select audiences& ,nd on 'ovember 7( he again crossed the 1osporus (this time accompanied b /adame 5alv8 and !ules 1ois) to deliver a wellBattended lecture on 9induism in the chapel at the ,merican 5ollege for 3irls in ScutariE for here the government had not prevented -Wre 9 acinthe from speaking& F.hat a pilgrimage it wasGF /adame 5alv8 wrote in her reminiscences& FScience& philosoph ( and histor had no secrets from the Swami& + listened with all m ears to the wise and learned discourse that went on around me& + did not attempt to *oin in their arguments( but + sang on all occasions( as is m custom& )he Swami would discuss all sorts of Duestions with Father 0o son H-Wre 9 acintheI( who was a scholar and theologian of repute& +t was interesting to see that the Swami

>>8 was able to give the e6act te6t of a document( the date of a 5hurch 5ouncil( when Father 0o son himself was not certain&F ,fter about ten da s in 5onstantinople the Swami and his friends took the steamer for ,thens& <n route the saw the islands of the Sea of /armara( on one of which the Swami visited an Orthodo6 3reek monaster & On an island of the ,rchipelago he met the distinguished -rofessor R& S& 0epper whom he had known when the latter was a professor in the -achai appa's 5ollege in /adras& ,nd on another of these islands he saw the ruins of a temple on the seashore( which he thought must have been dedicated to 'eptune (or the 3reek -oseidon)( the 3od of the sea& )he sailed on to -iraeus( the port of ,thens( where that night the ship was held in DuarantineE onl the following morning could the Swami and his part disembark& <escribing his visit to 3reece in his F/emoirsF the Swami wrote2
-ort -iraeus is a small town( but ver beautiful( having a European air about it in , respects( e6cept that one meets now and then with one or two 3reeks dressed in gowns& From there we drove five miles to have a look at the ancient walls of ,thens( which used to connect the cit with the port& )hen we went through the townE the ,cropolis( the hotels( houses( and streets( and all were ver neat and clean& )he palace is a small one& )he same da ( again( we climbed the hillock and had a view of the ,cropolis( the temple of the .ingless Victor ( and the -arthenon( etc& )he temple is made of white marble& Some standing remains of columns also we saw& )he ne6t da ( we again went to see these with /ademoiselle /elcarvi( who e6plained to us various historical facts relating thereto& On the second da ( we visited the temple of Ol mpian Xeus( )heatre <ion sius( etc&( as far as the seashore& )he third da ( we set out for Eleusis( which was the chief religious scat of the 3reeks& 9ere( it was that the famous Elusinian / steries used to be pla ed& )he ancient theatre of this place has been built anew b a rich 3reek&&&& ,t "% a&m& on the fourth da ( we got on board the Russian steamer( 5Lar( bound for Eg pt& ,fter reaching the dock we came to learn that the steamer was to start at = a&m& Hp&m&MI ? perhaps we were too earl or there would be some e6tra dela in loading the cargo& So( having no other alternative( we went round and made a cursor acDuaintance with the sculpture of

>>;
,geladas and his three pupils( -hidias( / ron( and -ol cletus( who had flourished between >;8 1&5& and =$8 1&5& Even here we began to feel the great heat& +n a Russian ship the first class is over the screw( and the& rest is onl deck ? full of passengers( and cattle( and sheep& 1esides( no ice was available in this steamer&

+n Eg pt the Swami was especiall interested in the 5airo museum( and his mind often reverted( in all the vividness of his historical imagination( to the reigns of those -haraohs who had made Eg pt might and a world power in the da s of old& ,nd et( in his inmost heart( he was withdrawn from all e6ternal matters& )he underl ing vanit of ever thing had made him reflect powerfull on the terrible bondage of /a a& 9is compassion for those caught in it was the compassion of a 5hrist& One da ( while sightseeing in 5airo( the found themselves in a sDualid street inhabited b women of illBfame& ,s /adame 5alv8 later told the stor ( a group of women sitting on a bench in the shadow of a dilapidated building began calling to the Swami and lewdl laughing&( 9is friends tried to hurr him on( but he detached himself from them and approached the bench& F-oor childrenGF he said( and he began to weep& )he women were silenced and abashed& One of them leaned forward and kissed the hem of his robe( murmuring( F/an of 3odG /an of 3odGF -resentl he *oined his part ( and the walked on& )he Swami's meditative habit( which had revealed itself throughout his second visit to the .est in increasingl intense forms( now reached a veritable clima6& +n -aris( his mind had often been far from his environment( and here in Eg pt it seemed as if he were turning the last pages in the book of e6perience& Even the Sphin6 and the - ramids( even the da s spent on the 'ile amidst the glories of ancient temples and rich scener did not affect him& ,nd one who was with him at the time said( F9ow tired and worldBwear he seemedGF ,nd then there were reasons for his abstraction of mind& +n farBoff +ndia 5aptain Sevier( his great friend and disciple( was on his deathbed in the last week of OctoberE and the Swami had perceived this intuitivel & 9e became restless to return to

>>$ +ndia& )hus one da Duite suddenl he told his companions that he would depart for +ndia& )he were all saddened at this news& 1ut seeing his longing to return home( /adame 5alv8( alwa s generous( paid the fare for his vo age to 1omba & She looked upon him as a great and noble saint( whose Finfluence upon m spiritual life was profoundF& 4sing the Roman 5atholic term( she had addressed him as #on &8re, F/ FatherF&& )o /iss /ac0eod he was prophet and friendE to /onsieur 1ois he was a great thinker and a man of 3od& So it was with a feeling partl of sadness and partl of resignation that the saw him e6tend his hands to them in a final benediction& On the night of 'ovember 78( "#%%( he boarded the first steamer for +ndia?a ship of the +talian line( the S&S& %u,,atino* ,nd on <ecember 8( "#%%( after a vo age of eleven da s( when the ship touched the shores of +ndia( he was beside himself with *o ( for his longing to be with his brotherBdisciples and disciples was now about to be realiLed& 9is homeBcoming was entirel incognito( but travelling on the .om,a$ <>-ress from 1omba to 5alcutta( he met his old friend /anmathanath 1hattachar a& )he stared at each other for a moment in astonishment( and then entered into *o ous conversation& 0ate in the evening of <ecember #( "#%%( the Swami arrived at the 1elur /onaster & 9is brotherBmonks and the brahmacharis were taking their meal when the gardener( out of breath( came running in to tell then( F, sahib has come lF +mmediatel there was much e6citement and speculation as to who the sahib might be( who had come at that late hour and what his business with them could be& )hen to their great surprise the sahib rushed into their midst( and( when the saw who he was the all cried out e6citedl ( FOh( Swami*i has comeG Swami*i has comeGF )he could not believe their e es& ,t once an ,sana (scat) was spread for him and he was served with a large helping of the :hichuri which was the food prepared for that night& 9e partook of it with great Lest( as it was man months since he had tasted it& 0ater( the monks en*o ed several delightful hours while the Swami chatted to them about his

>># varied e6periences in the .est& )here was no sleeping that night& )he were happ be ond measureE he had come back to them( altogether une6pectedl & 'o words can describe their feeling& ,nd now( though the knew it not( he was to be with them till the end& )he Swami said that when he had first visited the Occident( he had been impressed with its power and organiLation and its apparent democrac E but now he saw that its progressive spirit was composed for the most part of greed( selfishness( and struggle for privilege and power& 9e was averse to the s stem of e6ploitation b which small business interests could be swallowed up b large combinationsE that was t rann indeed& F, strong combination he was able to admire( but what beaut of combination was there( amongst a pack of wolvesMF 9e said to someone that his riper e6perience of .estern life made it appear to him Flike hellF( and he held that 5hina had gone nearer to the ideal conception of human ethics than newer countries had ever done or could do& +n connection with 5hina( the Swami once said at a later time( F+ see before me the bod of an elephant& )here is a foal within& 1ut it is a lionBcub that comes out of it& +t will grow in future( and 5hina shall become great and powerful&F 1efore closing the chapter it will be interesting to know Sister 'ivedita's impression of the Swami during his last visit to the .est2
)he outstanding impression made b the Swami's bearing( during all these months of European and ,merican life( was one of almost complete indifference to his surroundings& 5urrent estimates of value left him entirel unaffected& 9e was never in an wa startled or incredulous under success( being too deepl convinced of the greatness of the -ower that worked through him( to be surprised b it& 1ut neither was he unnerved b e6ternal failure& 1oth victor and defeat would come and go& 9e was their witness& F.h should + care( if the world itself were to disappearMF he said once& F,ccording to m philosoph ( that( ou know( would be a ver good thingG 1ut in fact(F he added( in tones suddenl graver( Fall that is against me must be with me in the end& ,m + not 9ER soldierMF

>8% 9e moved fearless and unhesitant through the lu6ur of the .est& ,s determinedl as + had seen him in +ndia( dressed in the two garments of simple folk( sitting on the floor and eating with his fingers( so( eDuall without doubt or shrinking( was his acceptance of the comple6it of the means of living in ,merica or France& /onk and king( he said( were obverse and reverse of a single medal& From the use of the best( to the renunciation of all( was but one step& +ndia had thrown all her prestige in the past( round povert & Some prestige was( in the future( to be cast round wealth& Rapid changes of fortune( however( must alwa s be the fate of one who wanders from door to door( accepting the hospitalit of foreign peoples& )hese reversals he never seemed to notice& 'o institution( no environment( stood between him and an human heart& 9is confidence in that <ivineBwithinB/an of which he talked( was as perfect( and his appeal as direct( when he talked with the imperialist aristocrat or the ,merican millionaire( as with the e6ploited and oppressed& 1ut the outflow of his love and courtes was alwa s for the simple& )hus( student and citiLen of the world as others were proud to claim him( it was et alwa s on the glor of his +ndian birth that he took his stand& ,nd in the midst of the surroundings and opportunities of princes( it was more and more( the monk who stood revealed&

>8" !7 VISIT TO MAYAVATI )he Swami is back in his own world ? that of his beloved +ndia and her monastic life& )hough now almost ruined in health( he will again take up the direction of his +ndian work and the teaching and training of his brotherBmonks and disciples at 1elur /ath& )en da s after his arrival in +ndia( he writes to 5hristine 3reenstidel&
3a and bus -aris( grim old 5onstantinople( sparkling little ,thens( and p ramidal 5airo( all left behind( and here + am writing in m room on the 3anga( in the /athE it is Duiet and still( the broad river is dancing in the bright sunshine( onl now and the n an occasional cargo boat breaking the silence with the splashing of its oars& +t is the cold season here( but the middle of the da is warm( and bright ever da ( and ever hour of the da &&&& Ever thing is green and gold( and the grass is like velvet( et the air is cold and crisp and& delightful& + meant to take rest in +ndia a few months( and then ne6t summer to England once more&

)he Swami had hastened to +ndia because his mind had been telling him that /r& Sevier was seriousl illE moreover( he wanted to meet him an how& ,nother reason was his own ill health& 9e was feeling some trouble in the heart& On arrival at 1elur /ath( he learnt that /r& Sevier( his beloved disciple( had passed awa on October 7$ (" #%%)& On <ecember "" he wrote to /iss /ac0eod2( F,las( m hurr ing was of no use& -oor 5aptain Sevier passed awa ( a few da s ago ? thus two Englishmen gave up their lives for us ? us the 9indus& )his is mart rdom( if an thing is& /rs& Sevier + have written *ust now( to know her decision&'& , fortnight later he again wrote to /iss /ac0eod&& F<ear /r& Sevier passed awa before + could arrive& 9e was cremated on the banks of the river that flows b his ,shrama( a 'a 9indu( covered with garlands( the 1rahmins carr ing the bod ( and bo s chanting the Vedas&&&& <ear /rs& Sevier is calm& , letter she wrote me to -aris comes back

>87 this mail& + am going tomorrow to pa her a visit& 0ord bless her( dear brave soulGF )o( /rs& 1ull the Swami had written on <ecember ">2 F)hings here have gone better than + e6pected( during m absenceE onl /r& Sevier has passed awa & +t was a tremendous blow( sure( and + don't know the future of the work in the 9imala as& + am e6pecting dail a letter from /rs& Sevier who is there still&F )he Swami at once telegraphed to /rs& Sevier to sa that he would be going to /a avati( the date to be made known before starting& +n repl ( he was asked to inform her of the date of his going there at least eight da s beforehand( to enable them at /a avati to make the necessar arrangements'& 1ut the Swami( unaware of the time that these arrangements would take to make( and an6ious to hurr up matters( at once wired sa ing that he was leaving 5alcutta on <ecember 7;( and was due to reach :athgodam on the 7#th& )he telegram reached /a avati on the 7>th& )he Swami had also sent a telegram to his ,lmora friend( 0ala 1adri Sah( in order to be sure of being met b someone at :athgodam( in case those from /a avati failed to arrive in time& ,ccordingl 0ala 1adri Sah had sent 0ala 3ovind Sah from ,lmora to receive the Swami at :athgodam& 1ut /a avati had not been behindhand( for Swami Vira*ananda had gone from village to village after receiving the telegram( engaged some dand Bmen and coolies at high rates( and brought them b forced marches to :athgodam b "7 midnight on <ecember 7$( covering the distance of si6t Bfive miles in two da s( instead of the usual three& )he Swami's train arrived at :athgodam at > a&m& on the 7#th& .ith him had come Swamis Shivananda and Sadananda& On hearing of Swami Vira*ananda's achievement he e6claimed( F)hat's m manGF 0ala 3ovind Sah pressed the Swami to travel first to ,lmoraE but( on the entreaties of Vira*ananda( it was decided to go direct to /a avati& 1ecause the latter was tired after his arduous e6ertions( and because the Swami himself was feeling feverish( the remained at :athgodam for a da before facing the hardships of the hill *ourne &

>8@ )he Swami could not have chosen a worse time for going to the hills& /oreover the winter of "#%%B"#%" was unusuall severe( and particularl so when he visited /a avati& )he *ourne there in those da s( compared to what it is toda ( was difficult& )he account of his hill *ourne s to and from /a avati( and of his sta there( is& worth giving in such detail as we have& +t brings us into close touch with his personalit ( and we catch the savour of his loving( unaffected relations with his disciples& &On the morning of starting( knowing how tired Vira*ananda must still be( the Swami was concerned to see that this disciple of his should have a pon & On Vira*ananda the whole management of the *ourne devolved& 9e also did the cooking( attended the Swami at meals( and did all sorts of services for his comfort& )his was not the first time that he had had the privilege of serving his guru& <uring the latter's sta at 1elur /ath and in 5alcutta( before his second visit to the .est( Vira*ananda( had greatl pleased the Swami b his services& Swami Sadananda saw to the Swami's clothing( luggage( and other personal needs& )hroughout the first da the Swami was as happ as' a child& ,le part ( which 0ala 3ovind Sah had *oined( halted for their midda meal at 1him )al( the Swami himself superintending the cooking& )he evening halt was at <hari( some seventeen miles from :athgodam( where the sta ed the night in a dak bungalow& On the da following( it was raining in the earl morning and snow threatened& 9owever( the part left <hari late in the morning( with a da 's march of fifteen miles before them& )he sk was still overcast with heav cloudsE therefore Swami Vira*ananda had ever reason for an6iet ( fearing that there would be a heav snowB fall and that unless the hurried( the would be put to great trouble& 9e feared most for the Swami( whose health called for ever precaution& ,fter going about two miles it began to rain steadil ( and it was also fogg & SnowBflakes started to come down( but not enough to cover the ground& 1 and b ( snow began to fall continuousl ( but the Swami took it as good fun& ,s the ground became thickl covered with snow( his dand Bmen slipped several times when

>8= making descents( but he was not nervous at all& On the contrar ( he was all the while merr and kept up the spirits of his dand Bbearers b *oking with them& One of them had been married several times and had lost all his wives& )he Swami asked him for fun's sake( whether he would like to marr again& )he man replied( FOf course + wouldE but where shall + find the mone for m wife's dowr MF .hen the Swami said to him( FSuppose + give it to ouF( the old man was delighted and assured the Swami that he would be ver grateful& )he part moved on slowl through biting wind and snow& +t was nearl @ p&m& when the arrived at -aurhapani( having covered seven and a half miles from <hari& , small shop was there( where the travellers decided to halt for an hour or two to cook their meal& )he Swami's dand Bmen begged him to allow them to have tea& .armed and refreshed with tea( the said( the would move on Duickl to /ournalla( the night halt intended& )he Swami( feeling for them( agreed( and promised to pa for their refreshment& Soon the men were smoking their hookahs laLil and blowing at a bad fire in an effort to make the damp wood burn& .hen Swami Vira*ananda came on the scene( he grew all the more uneas ( fearing that there was ever possibilit of the whole part 's having to spend the night in that shop& +t was a miserable hut of one room( some fifteen b twent feet( with a badl thatched roof +n this room was the shop( the kitchen( the sleeping place of the owner( and a pile of fireBwood in one corner& )he smoke from the damp wood in the fireBplace ? *ust a hole in the ground in the middle of the room ? was terrific& )he fire itself was never out( smouldering logs being kept for travellers who came for a little glowing charcoal to light their hookahs or their own cookingBfires with& +n this limited space the part made themselves as comfortable as the could( while the men prepared their tea in an ad*oining shelter& )his had no walls( and( as the roof consisted of brushBwood supported b a few poles( rain and melted snow dripped through constantl & )ime flew b & Once before the fire with their hookahs in hand( men were in no hurr to start& Soon it was > p&m&( and getting dark& +t was plain that the part would

>8> have to spend the night in that Fawful holeF( as the called it2 going to /ournalla was impossible& )hen the Swami became furious in childlike impatience( and roared at them& )he were all fools for having allowed him undertake such a *ourne when there was a chance of snowBfall& )he eldest of them should have been wiserE the oungest should never have dissuaded him from his intention of visiting ,lmora first& ,ll kept Duiet( and after a time the Swami became grave and silent& +t had been the Swami's mistake( Vira*ananda said respectfull after a while( for having allowed the dand Bmen to stop or to prepare tea and idle awa the time& .ithout that the part could have reached /ournalla dak bungalow b evening& )he Swami listened in silence( like a guilt child( and then said to Vira*ananda( his disciple( F'ow comeG <on't mind an thing + said& .e must make the best of our situation&F 'e6t he asked the latter to massage his spine a little( since he was feeling a chill in his back& )he Swami was again merr now( as if it were great fun& +n the course of the heart talk that followed( Vira*ananda said to the Swami( F+t was a significant event that ou with our disciples should be in this plight on the night which marks the passing of the nineteenth centur and the advent of the twentieth&F )he Swami smiled in a thoughtful wa & )o add to their an6iet ( it was discovered that Swami Sadananda and 0ala 3ovind Sah were not with the part && )he had gone far ahead and had taken it for granted that the others were following& )he Swami's mind was not relieved even when told that the must have b that time reached the dak bungalow( for there was a good chance of their losing the wa in the dark and the snow& 9e could not rest content until a man was found who( for a large reward( agreed to run to /ournalla and back( to find the missing members and inform the Swami of their safe arrival there& Still another untoward incident occurred at -aurhapani& )his was when Swami Shivananda's horse which had perhaps never seen snow before( dashed back to :athgodam at full speed( as soon as its rider dismounted& 'either the horse( nor the s ce was heard of

>88 againG )he result was that the oungest member of the part was forced to travel the remaining distance on foot( having given his own horse to Swami Shivananda& )hat night the Swami and his companions had for food Fhorse chapatisF( as the called them( each half an inch thick and not thoroughl baked( and a potato curr & Sleep was out of the Duestion& Snow and rain dripped on the wear travellers( and the were suffocated b the smoke& ,s a clima6 to this unpleasantness( the Swami heard the shopkeeper speaking abusivel of his visitors to one of his relatives& 9e spoke in -ahari(( the language of the hill people( which the Swami could follow to some e6tent& 9e was sa ing that he ought not to have inconvenienced himself b giving the part shelter( and that ne6t morning he would ask them to leave& )he Swami no doubt felt disgusted with the shopkeeper( but that did not prevent him from giving him a good tip when departing& )hus the last night of "#%% passed ? a tr ing night indeed& 'e6t morning the part continued their *ourne through twelve inches of snow& )he rested dand Bmen went at a fast pace( and Vira*ananda( determined to keep up with the Swami( had to run most of the wa & )he latter was charmed b the scene of snowBcovered hills and trees( and often e6claimed( pointing to some ugl snowB capped stump or boulder( F0ook( how snow makes ever thing beautifulGF 9e chatted freel and humorousl with his disciple& .hen the arrived at /ournalla dak bungalow( the Swami re*oiced to find Swami Sadananda and his companion there& .elcomed to a cheer fire( a warm bright room( and a heart meal( he was in a happ mood and gave an amusing account of the previous night's e6periences( as if he had en*o ed them immensel & 9e spoke admiringl of Vira*ananda( sa ing that no words could sufficientl praise his cool *udgement and selfBpossession under stress and provocation( and ended b blessing him from the depth of his heart& )he part halted at /ournalla for the da & )he ne6t morning( !anuar 7( "#%"( the snow thawed( and the *ourne to the ne6t two stages( <evidhura and <hunaghat( a distance of twent Bone miles( was pleasant& )he Swami

>8; walked a part of the wa towards the end( but doing so caused him to breathe hard and tired him e6ceedingl & 9e supported himself with a staff on one side( and b the shoulder of Swami Vira*ananda on the other( Fas an old and affectionate father might lean on his oung sonF& -ointing to his ph sical condition he said to his disciple( FSee( how weak and aged + have become& + feel even this short walk so difficult( while in former da s + thought nothing of walking twent to twent Bfive miles in the mountains&F 9is companion was much distressed at this statement and became alarmed when a moment later he heard the Swami sa ( FAou see( m son( now + am coming to the endGF +n fact his health was ver poor( and there was danger at an time of a complete breakdown& ,t an moment the end might have come& )he Swami with his part arrived at /a avati on !anuar @& .hen he caught sight of the ,shrama position and its buildings( he was much pleased& Reaching the stream in the can on below he heard the monaster bell strike twelve& 9e was so keen to reach( the ,shrama that he mounted a horse and pressed on at full speed& )he ,shrama had been 2artisticall decorated for the occasion with evergreens and flowers& 'eedless to sa ( the *o of the disciples there knew no bounds at meeting the Swami after so long a time& 4nfortunatel ( during most of the Swami's sta ( /a avati was snowBbound( so that he was compelled to remain indoors a great deal of the timeE and he could not take long walks( much as he desired to do& 9e was given a room on the first floor of the ,shramaE but the cold proved too intense for his comfort& From !anuar # he sta ed in the librar Broom on the ground floor( which had a big fire place& 9e remained at /a avati until the "$th& 9e was obviousl in declining health&E +n spite of his high spirits( it was seen that he could not stand an ph sical strain( and several times he had attacks of asthma which( though not severe( alarmed those with him& For all this( he was onl thirt Bseven ears of age& On the morning of !anuar = the Swami went for a walk to the 0ohaghat boundar ( and rode back& 9ail came on as the

>8$ were returning( and then it began to snow the whole da with slight remissions& ,bout si6 inches of snow fell& +n the evening it stopped& On !anuar > the weather was clear( though outside ever thing was snowBcovered in the morning& )he Swami was feeling better& On this da he told Swami Swarupananda of his ideas about the work that he wished to be carried out at the ,shrama( and charged him to push on with it with Leal and energ & )he latter said that as for himself he would do all he could( but without the coBoperation of the brotherB monks of the ,shrama( and the assurance that the would remain there for at least three consecutive ears( the task was be ond his power& )he Swami understood( and when all were gathered before him( he broached the sub*ect( asking one after the other if he were willing to sta for three ears& ,ll but Swami Vira*ananda agreed& .hen his turn came( he humbl but firml said that he intended to pass some time e6clusivel in meditation elsewhere( living on alms& )he Swami tried to dissuade him sa ing2 F<on't ruin our health b practising austerities( but tr to profit b our e6perience& .e have sub*ected ourselves to e6treme austerities( but what has been the resultM ? the breakB down of our health in the prime of manhood( for which we are still suffering& 1esides( how can ou think of meditating for hoursM Enough if ou can concentrate our mind for five minutes( or even one minuteE for that purpose onl certain hours in the morning and evening are needed& )he rest of the time ou will have to engage ourself in studies or some work for the general good& / disciples must emphasiLe work more than austerities& .ork itself should be a part of their spiritual discipline and their austerities&F Swami Vira*ananda admitted the truth of his /aster's words( but respectfull submitted that for all that( austerit was needed to gain strength of character and to conserve the spiritual power( and that both these were imperative if one were to work without attachment& ,fter he had gone out on some dut ( the Swami acknowledged that at heart he knew that Vira*ananda was right and appreciated his feelings( for he himself valued the life of meditation and the

>8# freedom of the monk& Recalling his own itinerant da s ? living on alms and( with the mind fi6ed on 3od( having no thought of the world ? he declared that the were the happiest and sweetest da s of his life( and that he would gladl give an thing( in e6change for the obscurit that frees one from the cares and worries of public life& )he' Swami's conversation was a constant source of inspiration to the /a avati brotherhood& One da in the course of a talk he suddenl got( up from his scat and paced to and fro( his voice raised and e es aflame with emotion( as if he were lecturing to a huge audience& 9e was speaking of his .estern disciples( of their e6emplar devotion and lo alt to him( of their readiness to go into the *aws of death at his command( of how not one or two but doLens would do the sameE and of how the had served him lovingl ( silentl ( trul ( and were read to renounce ever thing at a word from him& F0ook at 5aptain Sevier(F cried the Swami( Fhow he died a mart r to the cause( at /a avati + F On another occasion( speaking of obedience( he said( FObedience and respect cannot be enforced b word of command neither can the be e6acted& +t depends upon the man( upon his loving nature and e6alted character& 'one can resist true love and greatness&F ,t the same time he emphasiLed the need for lo alt t8 the work undertaken( lo alt to the organiLation( and lo alt to the man placed in charge of a centre& !anuar 8 was a clear da ( though the snow had hardened with frost& On this da he received a number of visitors from 5hampawat( and wrote a letter to /rs& 1ull( sa ing2
/rs& Sevier is a strong woman( and has borne her loss Duietl and bravel & She is coming over to England in ,pril( and + am going over with her& + ought to come to England as earl as + can this summerE and as she must go to attend to her husband's affairs( + accompan her& )his place is ver ( ver beautiful( and the have made it simpl e6Duisite& +t is a huge place several acres in area and is ver well kept& + hope /rs& Sevier will be in a position to keep it up in the future& She wishes it ever so much( of course&&&& +t is snowing heavil here(

>;%
and + was caught in a bliLLard on the wa &&& )oda + walked over he snow uphill about a mile( seeing /rs& Sevier's landsE she has made beautiful roads all over& -lent of gardens( fields( orchards( and large forests( all in her land& )he living houses are so simple( so clean( and so prett ( and( above all( so suited for the purpose&&&& :indl conve m und ing love to /iss /uller the ne6t time ou see herE so to Sturd &&&& -S ? :ali has taken two sacrificesE the cause has alread two European mart rs& 'ow it is going to rise up splendidl &&&& )he snow is l ing all round si6 inches deep( the sun is bright and glorious( and now in the middle of the da we are sitting outside( reading' ,nd the snow all& about usG )he winter here is ver mild in spite of the snow& )he air is dr and balm ( and the water be ond all praise&

.hen the Swami visited /a avati( Swamis Swarupananda( Vira*ananda( Vimalananda( Sachchidananda (Senior)( and 1rahmachari ,mritananda (5harles !ohnston of 'ew Aork) were there as inmates of the ,shramaE and 9arendra ('adu) had gone there as a guest& )he used to carr on the ,shrama work in coBoperation with /rs& Sevier& 9er husband( before his passing awa ( had led a ver austere life& 9e used to wear simple clothes( and work ver hard for the ,shrama& 9e practised austerit and povert on principleE so much so that people were astonished& 9e had suffered from urinar trouble for a long time( but had never worried about it& 4ltimatel it took a serious turn& Ever bod advised him to go to ,lmora and get himself properl e6amined and treated( but in vain& 9e said( F+ never sta ed at one place all m life for more than si6 monthsE now + have determined that + shall never leave /a avati&F )aking the name of 3od( he endured the pain of his disease& +t was a sorr sight indeed& 9e finall succumbed to the trouble on October 7$( "#%%& 9e had given his life for the cause of his /aster& & )o return to the account of the Swami's visit to /a avati& )he morning of !anuar ; was clear& )he Swami( with Swamis Sachchidananda( Shivananda( /rs& Sevier( and others( climbed to <haramgarh (also known as <haramghar) earl in the da &

>;" )he Swami managed the climb fairl well& Of the man views of the snow ranges that one gets at /a avati( that from <haramgarh( the highest point (about ;(%%% feet) within the /a avati boundar ( is the finest& )he Swami was so pleased with the spot and its grand view that he wished to have a hermitage built there( where he could meditate in solitude( undisturbed& 9is favourite walk was along the lakeside& One da ( walking there with /rs& Sevier and others( he said to her( F+n the ?".er part of m life( + shall give up all public work and pass m da s in writing books and whistling merr tunes b this lake( free as a childGF , shrine room( with the photograph of Shri Ramakrishna installed in it( had for some time been established at the ,shrama at the earnest desire of some of the inmates& One morning the Swami happened to go into this room& 9e found that regular worship was being done with flowers( incense' and other offerings&( 9e said nothing at the time( but that evening( when all were gathered about the fireplace( he spoke vehementl ( disapproving of ritual worship in an ,dvaita ,shrama& +t should never have been done( he said& )here( attention was to be paid onl to the sub*ective side of religion( such as meditation( individual and collective stud of the scriptures( and the practice and teaching of the highest spiritual monism( free from an dualistic weakness or dependence& )he ,shrama had been dedicated to ,dvaita and to ,dvaita alone& 9e had therefore the right to speak as he did& )hough the Swami was emphatic in his criticism of the introduction of ritual worship there( he did not order them t k) do awa with the worshipBroom& +t was not his intention to hurt the feelings of those who were responsible for it2 that would have been to use his power& 9e wanted them to see their mistake and rectif it& 9is unBcompromising attitude in the matter did in fact lead to the discontinuance of the worship( and ultimatel to the abolition of the shrine itself from( /arch "$( "#%7& .hen the Swami returned to 1elur /ath( in speaking of the above incident( he remarked( F+ thought of having one centre at least where the

>;7 e6ternal worship of Shri Ramakrishna would not find a place& 1ut going there + found that the Old /an had alread established himself even thereG .ell( .ellGF 0ater( soon after the Swami's demise( Swami Vimalananda( who still doubted whether it was right for him to profess himself a member of ,dvaita ,shrama when he leaned towards dualism( appealed to the 9ol /other in this connection& 9e perhaps thought that if she approved( a shrine for Shri Ramakrishna could be reB established at /a avati& 1ut to his disappointment the 9ol /other( in her repl from !a rambati in September "#%7( e6pressed a different view&( as follows2
One who is our guru HShri RamakrishnaI( he is ,dvaita& Since ou all are his disciples( ou too are ,dvaitins& + can emphaticall sa ( ou are surel ,dvaitavadins& 5onve m love and blessings to /rs& Sevier& 0et all of ou accept m blessings&&&& +t is a woman's /athE sta carefull in the /ath& Swami*i's strength is no more&&&&

On !anuar $ the Swami did not go out& +t snowed from @ p&m& and stopped in the evening& 'e6t da /r& 1eadon( a son of a former 0ieutenantB3overnor of 1engal and a teaBplanter( came in the afternoon from 5hirapani( along with one -andit :ashiram( on invitation from F/otherF (/rs& Sevier)( to see the Swami& )he stopped for the night& +n the morning of that da ( the #th( the Swami had gone out for a short walk& On !anuar + % the sk was clear( and there was a grand view of the snows& +n the afternoon and evening the Swami wrote an article( F,r ans and )amiliansF( for &ra,uddha .harata* )n this article he points out that virtuall ever known race( at almost ever stage of social development( has poured into +ndia& 9e writes& F.hatever ma be the import of the philological terms ',r ans and ')amilians'( even taking for granted that both these grand subBdivisions of +ndian humanit came from outside the western frontier( the dividing line had been( from the most ancient times( one of the language and not of blood&F .hile at /a avati the Swami was invited b 0ala 1adri

>;@ Sah to be his guest at ,lmora( but he had to decline the invitation& +nstead( he asked the old gentleman to come to /a avati if he could& 0ala 1adri Sah gladl agreed( and( with his oungest brother( 0ala /ohanlal Sah( met the Swami there on !anuar +%& 0ala 3ovind Sah was alread there& )he weather on the ""th was fine( but the Swami was not well& )he )ahsildar( with others( came to see him& On the "7th the Swami was feeling better( and went out for a walk& 0ala 1adri Sah had brought a sunBdial& )his he gave to the ,shrama& )hrough the efforts of Swami Vira*ananda( there was an iceBcream part & 9e had made a large( delicious block of it with the help of the thick ice that often covers the lake in winter& )he Swami relished this favourite preparation of his& )owards evening he felt unwellE but in spite of it( he sang some songs& !anuar "@ was the Swami's birthda ( making him thirt Beight ears of age& +t was a rain da ( but he was feeling better& )he da following was /r& Sevier's birthda & 9e would have been fift Bsi6( had he been alive& )here was heav and continuous rain& )he Swami wrote about the )heosophists under the heading FStra Remarks on )heosoph F( and then began the article F)he Social 5onference ,ddressF( both for &ra,uddha .harata* +n the former there is sincere criticism& )he latter is a repl to /r& *ustice Ranade's -residential ,ddress at the +ndian Social 5onference of "#%%& .hile admitting the liberalism and patriotism of the great /arathi leader( the Swami in this article denounces his criticism of the sann asis& +t is a passionate defence of +ndian monasticism and an affirmation of its value as shown b +ndian histor & 1esides this writing he made a translation of the F'asadi aBSuktaF of the %i /Veda at the reDuest of a friend( a distinguished man of science& )he ">th was a clear da ( with a little snow on the ground& )he Swami went up to the lake( and en*o ed a walk b its side& 9e also wrote a letter to /r& Sturd sa ing2 FSo sorr to learn the passing awa of /rs& Sturd & She has been a ver good wife and good mother( and it is not ordinaril one meets with such

>;= in this life& )he life is full of shocks( but the effects pass awa an how( that is the hope& & & &F .hile the Swami was at /a avati( the disciples( out of their great love for him( served him in ever wa & One da ( dinner being e6ceedingl late( he became impatient at the evident lack of punctualit and seeming remissness& 9e blamed ever one and finall went to the kitchen to reprimand Vira*ananda( who was then cooking& 1ut seeing the latter in that room thick with smoke( doing his best( and blowing at a smouldering fire( he came awa without sa ing an thing& .hen a long time after( food was brought( the Swami said( F)ake it awa G + shall have none of itGF 1ut the disciple( knowing his /aster well( said nothing& 9e placed the dishes near him and waited& )hen( like a child( the Swami sat down and commenced to eat& .hen he tasted the food( he was delighted& ,ll his anger was suddenl gone& 9e praised the cooking highl ( and made a heart meal& +n the course of it he said( in a most endearing wa ( F'ow + know wh + got so angr & + was frightfull hungr &F RealiLing how difficult it is for a .esterner to understand the 9indu viewpoint as regards service to the guru( he e6plained to the ,merican disciple then at /a avati( 1rahmachari ,mritananda2 FAou see how the serve meG )o a .esterner( this devotion ma seem servile( and ou ma be shocked at the wa + accept all this service without remonstrance& 1ut ou must understand the +ndian idea( then ever thing will be clear to ou& )his is the spontaneous devotion of the disciple to the guru& )his service to the guru is one of the means b which the disciple progresses in spiritualit &F )he "8th was cloud in the morning( and ver chill & +n the evening the Swami went for a walk with /other Sevier& She wrote and sent a message to the )ahsildar( and in the evening he sent his horse for the Swami& 1eing confined indoors most of the time( the latter became impatient to go down to the plains& 1ut it was difficult to secure coolies even at high rates( since the were not willing to make the long *ourne through snow& )his onl added to his restlessness&

>;> )he ";th( the Swami's last full da at /a avati( was cloud & +t had not been possible to arrange for coolies even b the evening& .hen Swami Vira*ananda saw the Swami an6ious on this account( he said( F'ever mind( Swami*iG +n that case( we ourselves will carr ou down somehowG&F ,t this the Swami laughed outright and said *oviall ( FOh( + seeG ou are scheming to throw me into the :hud Hcan onIGF +t was decided to go down to -ilibhit b wa of )anakpur& Earl on the "$th Swami Swarupananda went to 5hirapani to bring coolies from /r& 1eadon's tea estate( and sent them to /a avati b ""&@% a&m& 1ut b this time the man who had been sent from /a avati two or three da s before to engage coolies in the nearb villages( had returned with the reDuired number& So those collected b Swarupananda had to he dismissed with sufficient recompense& )he Swami left /a avati b noon( and met Swarupananda on the wa & )he latter accompanied him and his part as far as 5hampawat( where the stopped for the night in the dak bungalow& )he )ahsildar called in the evening& ,ll the wa from /a avati to -ilibhit the Swami was in e6cellent spirits& On the first night( in the dak bungalow at 5hampawat( he talked with great fervour of Shri Ramakrishna( especiall of his inner sight and of his *udgement of men& 9e said that whatever the /aster had predicted had come to pass& )herefore( he (the Swami)( in his relations with his brotherBdisciples( was alwa s influenced b what Shri Ramakrishna had said of them& , few disciples Ramakrishna had described as +shvarakotis (souls belonging to a <ivine categor )& )he Swami said that he had( b his own insight and repeated tests( satisfied himself as to the superior intrinsic e6cellence of these special souls& )hough he might not alwa s approve of their wa s and opinions( and might even speak harsh words to them now and then( et in his heart he alwa s gave them a much higher position than the others( because Shri Ramakrishna( whose *udgement he accepted as unerring and unassailable( himself had done so& Repeatedl he e6claimed( F,nd above all( above all( + am 'o$a'G + am lo al to the core of m heartGF

>;8 On another occasion the Swami spoke of the +shvarakotis as follows2 F+ can trust in them as + can in no one else& + know that even if the whole world were to desert me( the would stick to me and be ever faithful and read to carr out m ideas and plans( even under the most impossible conditions&F , few words of added e6planation will not be out of place& Shri Ramakrishna marked out si6 of his disciples as +shvaraBkotis( namel ( 'arendra( Rakhal( 1aburam( Aogin( 'iran*an( and -urna& +shvarakotis( according to him( are those who have to take birth whenever an +ncarnation is born& )he are like the high officials of a king& )he belong to the inmost circle of the +ncarnation's devotees& )he are 9is ,ntaranga 1haktas (devotees of the inner circle)( whose mission is to complement 9is work and conserve 9is teaching& )hus( though strictl speaking the are born with RealiLation( the have no /ukti& )heir spiritual practices are unconsciousl intended onl for the instruction of mankind& ,t the head of this group of +shvarakotis Shri Ramakrishna placed the Swami& 'e6t morning the part left for <euri( fifteen miles off( while Swami Swarupananda returned to /a avati& )he Swami had made Swami Vira*ananda the leader of the part ( he being a man of cool nerves& )he reached <euri at + p&m& and halted in a dak bungalow to cook their meal& .ith the Swami( besides Vira*ananda( were Swamis Shivananda and Sadananda( and 0ala 3ovind Sah& Once Vira*ananda( who was seeing to the cooking( was in difficult because of having too much rice in the pot& )he rice was threatening to boil over before it was half cooked& )o add to his difficult the Swami was sending one person or another to enDuire whether the meal was read ( since it was getting late( and he was ver hungr & Vira*ananda was thinking of taking out some of the rice and adding water( when the Swami himself appeared on the scene& Seeing his disciple's plight( he said2 FAou need do no such thing& )ake m advice& -our some ghee over the rice and put the lid upside down& Aou will presentl find that the rice( is nicel cooked( and it will be more palatable tooGF )he disciple did as he was told( with the result that the part found a most

>;; palatable dish served them that afternoon& Ever one did *ustice to it& ,t )anakpur( fifteen miles further on( where the plains begin( the dak bungalow was found occupied& ,ccommodation was obtained in the baLaar above a grocer's shop& 1ecause of the constant cooking for parties of travellers below( the place was ver smok & )he shopkeeper kindl gave his own cot for the SwamiE but this( being old and shak ( cracked noisil at the Swami's ever movement& +t seemed about to collapse with a crash&' 9e( however( was in the best of spirits and made fun about it& 'e6t morning( ridingBponies were secured for the remainder of the *ourne to -ilibhit& ,t that time there was no railwa between )anakpur and -ilibhit& Swami Sadananda chose for himself what seemed the most spirited horse& 9e spurred it on( with the result that it went off at full gallop& .hen the Swami and part had gone a mile or more from )anakpur( he became an6ious for Sadananda& EnDuiring of a& passerBb ( the learnt that the horse had bolted( going across the field *ust ahead& ,ll immediatel dismounted and went in that direction& )he found the missing monk& 9e was leading the horse( which had now become tired and submissive& +t had thrown Sadananda into a ditch( but fortunatel he came out of the escapade unhurt& )hree miles from )anakpur( the Swami and his part were greeted b /a*or 9enness & On seeing them from his bungalow he came out and spoke a few friendl words& ,t 7 p&m& :hatima was reached& )hat evening the Swami told Swami Shivananda that he would have to leave him at -ilibhit( where the latter was to go forth b himself to beg mone for the maintenance and improvement of the 1elur /ath& )he Swami said( FEach member of the 1elur monaster should go about preaching and teaching in +ndia( and ultimatel bring to the general fund at least two thousand rupees&F Swami Shivananda bowed in assent to the words of the 0eader& On the fourth and last da 's *ourne to -ilibhit( the Swami( after riding for some time( and seeing that Swami Vira*ananda

>;$ was nervous when riding( said( F+ will teach ou how to rideGF ,fter giving instruction to Vira*ananda he whipped his own horse to a gallop and shouted to Vira*ananda to do the same& 1ut the latter's horse( seeing the others gallop( for the had also *oined the race( did not wait to be goaded& For Vira*ananda it was a Duestion of holding on or failing off& ,t all events( a good deal of his nervousness was thus overcome( and he *oined in the general hilarit & )he part reached -ilibhit at four in the afternoon& )he had eaten nothing on the wa ( lest dela should cause them to miss the train& Swami Sadananda and 0ala 3ovind Sah had gone on aheadE the former to get provisions from the baLaar at -ilibhit( the latter to inform -andit 1havanidutt !oshi( the <eput 5ollector( of the Swami's arrival& /r& !oshi came to the railwa station with his friends to welcome the Swami& +n the course of the ensuing conversation the sub*ect of meatBeating was& touched on& !oshi*i argued respectfull against itE but the Swami adduced facts and authorities from the Vedas and said that even the Vedic Rishis ate beef and en*oined the eating of it upon others& !oshi*i listened in respectful silence& )he station staff had gathered round( deepl interested in ever word that fell from the Swami's lips& +t was now late in the evening( and Sadananda had not returned& ,bout half an hour before the time of the train's departure he at last appeared with a large basket of -uries( fried things( curr ( and sweets& )he reason for the dela was Sadananda's determination to have the food prepared in his presence& )he Swami( absorbed in his conversation with !oshi*i( had forgotten all about food& )hen( with the permission of his visitors( the Swami asked his part to sit on the same rug and cat from the basket at the same time as himself& 1efore leaving( !oshi*i invited Swamis Shivananda and Vira*ananda to his house in -ilibhit for a short sta & ,n ugl incident occurred when the Swami and Swami Sadananda entered a secondBclass compartment of their train& Occup ing the compartment was an English colonel( who rudel ob*ected to having FnativesF travel with him& Seeing

>;# that man people had gathered round the carriage to pa their respects to the Swami( he did not venture to sa an thing to him( but hurried to the stationBmaster and demanded to have the JnativesK turned out& )he stationBmaster came and respectfull begged the Swami to leave that compartment and get into another& 9e had hardl finished speaking when the Swami roared out( J9ow dare ou sa such a thing to meG ,re ou not ashamedMK )he stationBmaster hastil withdrew( and the colonel( thinking that his order had been carried out( presentl returned to the compartment( to find it still occupied b the Swami and his disciple& )hen he dashed from one end of the platform to the other cr ing out( JStationBmasterG StationBmasterGK but the latter( finding himself caught( as it were( between devil and the deep blue sea( had gone elsewhere& )he colonel was furiousE but seeing that the train was about to leave( he decided to move into another compartment himself( along with his baggage& )he Swami and his disciples had a laugh over the affair& On his wa to 5alcutta( the Swami learnt of the sudden death of his beloved disciple( the Ra*a of :hetri& On the morning of !anuar "$( "#%"( the Ra*a had fallen from an $8 feet high tower of Shikandara( Emperor ,kbarRs mausoleum near ,gra( and he died instantl & )he news appeared in both the English and 9indi newspapers& On !anuar 78 the Swami wrote to /rs& 1ull2 JOn m wa + learnt of the sudden death of the Ra*a of :hetri& +t appears( he was restoring some old architectural monument at ,gra( at his own e6pense( and was up some tower on inspection& -art of the tower came down( and he was instantl killed&K )his version differs from that given in Adarsh Naresh, the 9indi biograph of the Ra*a& )here it is stated that owing to a gust of wind the Ra*a lost his balance and fell& .hatever ma have happened( this was undoubtedl a great shock for the Swami& Several months later( on /a "$( he wrote to /ar 9ale( J)he Ra*a of :hetri died from a fall a few months ago& So ou see things are all gloom with me *ust now&K )hus it was with a heav heart that the Swami reached

>$% 5alcuttaE but in speaking about ,dvaita ,shrama( its situation( and his sta there( he was all praise and appreciation& +ts scener ( the Duiet of the 9imala an *ungles( the loving attention that he had received from /rs& Sevier( the unremitting and devoted service of the little band of his disciples there C all these and other things had made his visit to /a avati a ver happ one& +n fact( he regretted that he had to leave the hills so soon&

>$" !8 A TRIP TO EAST BENGAL AND LIFE AT THE MATH )he Swami and his disciple reached 5alcutta from /a avati on the morning of !anuar 7=( + #% + E and in the afternoon he went to 1elur /ath& 9is return was the cause of re*oicing among his brotherBdisciples and his own disciples& )he wanted to have him again in their midst for a long period& 1efore leaving for /a avati he had sta ed at the( /ath for eighteen da s& )his had given him sufficient opportunit to see the progress that had been made in all directions during his absence in the .est& 5lasses of various kinds were being held( ph sical e6ercises had been introduced( and there were set hours f8r meditation and spiritual practice& 'ew 1rahmacharis had *oined the Order( and his own disciples and brotherBmonks were strenuousl occupied in stud ( teaching( training( and serving& Soon after the Swami's return to the /ath( he was invited to preside over the priLeBdistribution ceremon at 1elur /&E& School& Since the da was a Sunda ( this probabl happened on !anuar 7 ;( and not on the 77nd( as reported in the -ress& /oreover he did not reach 5alcutta until the 7=th& )he audience was composed chiefl of the bo s of the school and some elderl persons of 1elur& )he Swami's highl practical speech on this occasion was summariLed in the +ndian /irror of Februar ">& 9e stressed the need of learning a handicraft& )his had an educative( and not *ust a utilitarian( value& Secondl ( the health of students was of prime importance& )hirdl ( the must be trained in character and good manners& +n the last week of !anuar /iss /ac0eod came to 5alcutta en route for !apan( and met the Swami& 9e wrote to /rs& 1ull on Februar 72 F!oe is here( and + have seen her twiceE she is bus visiting& /rs& Sevier is e6pected here soon ? en route to England& + e6pected to go to England with' -er( but as it now

>$7 turns out( + must go on a long pilgrimage with m mother&F )he Swami had been thinking of vesting the central /ath with legal authorit to manage propert and take care of all other matters connected with the growing organiLation& ,fter considering several alternative plans( he at last decided to make a trust of the /ath& ,ccordingl ( a )rustBdeed was e6ecuted on !anuar @%( "#% "( and registered on Februar 8& 1 this <eed( Swami Vivekananda vested all the 1elur /ath properties in a 1oard of )rustees consisting of Swamis 1rahmananda( -remananda( Shivananda( Saradananda( ,khandananda( )rigunatitananda( Ramakrishnananda( ,dvaitananda( Subodhananda( ,bhedananda( and )uri ananda ? all disciples of Shri Ramakrishna& )he Swami had deliberatel left out his own disciples to guard against an possible legal complication in the future& )he )rustBdeed provided for the election of a -resident b the )rustees from among themselves( to hold office for two ears onl & )he Swami himself had to go with a pleader to the Registrar's Office at 9owrah to register the <eed& On Februar $ the stamped and signed cop of the )rustBdeed was brought from the 9owrah SubBRegistrar's Office to the /ath& ,ccording to Swami 1rahmananda's diar a meeting of the )rustees was held at "" a&m& on Sunda ( Februar "%( to elect the -resident& )hree candidates had been proposed& Swami 1rahmananda was proposed b -remananda and seconded b Swami ShivanandaE Swami Ramakrishnananda was proposed b Saradananda and seconded b Subodhananda( and Swami Saradananda was proposed b 1rahmananda& Vote was taken b ballot and as a result Swami 1rahmananda was elected -resident of the /ath& )hen Swami -remananda proposed Swami Saradananda's name as Secretar ( and Swami 'irmalananda( ,ssistant Secretar & Swami )rigunatita seconded the proposal( and it was unanimousl carried& )he Swami and eight of the eleven )rustees were present at the meeting& )he Swami wanted to include Swami ,dbhutananda's name in the list of )rustees& .hen he asked him about it( ,dbhutananda replied( F+ don't like all that business& -lease do not

>$@ involve me in that&F )hen the Swami said to him( FAou won't be reDuired to do an thingE onl our name will remain there& So ou need not ob*ect to it&F Swami 1rahmananda also tried to persuade him( but he replied with firm determination( F+ do not wish to be in all that&F )he 1all /unicipalit had levied ta6es on the /ath premises( on the ground that it was not a religious establishment( but a gardenBhouse( the personal propert of Swami Vivekananda& , suit was filed in the <istrict 5ourt sometime in September "#%%( in order that the /ath might be declared e6empt from municipal ta6es& )he suit was contested up to the 5alcutta 9igh 5ourt( which decreed in favour of the /ath on Februar 7@( "#%"& 'ews to this effect was given in -rabuddha 1harata of ,ugust "#%"2 )he 1all /unicipalit would not consider our /ath at 1elur as a place of public worship and so would have it pa ta6es& )he matter went to court and was decided in the first instance b the SubB*udge of 9ooghl in favour of the /ath& )he decision was appealed against b the /unicipalit in higher court& +t was then referred to the <istrict /agistrate of 9owrah for arbitration( who has upheld the claims of the /ath and e6empted it from the pa ment of houseBrate& On Februar ";( which( was Shivaratri da that ear( the Swami received /& !ules 1ois at the /ath& .hen the Swami heard that this French friend of his was coming( he wrote on Februar "= to /iss /ac0eod2 F+ am ever so glad to hear that 1ois is coming to 5alcutta& Send him immediatel to the /ath& + will be here& +f possible( + will keep him here for a few da s and then let him go again to 'epal&F 1 inviting /& 1ois to the /ath( the Swami wanted to return the hospitalit that he himself had received in -arisE but 1ois preferred to sta in a hotel in 5alcutta& /iss /ac0eod( who was also sta ing in the cit then( alread knew /& 1ois as the Swami's host in -aris( and as their coBtraveller to )urke and Eg pt& On his arrival in 5alcutta( /& 1ois met her at the 3reat Eastern 9otel( and recogniLed her Fb her steel glance and her profile ? chaste and insatiateF& /& 1ois later recorded his impressions of his

>$= visit to the Swami and 1elur /ath in 5hapter Eight of his French book Visions de'H)nde(& (FVisions of +ndiaF)& )his chapter was translated into English b 1abu 3urudas Sarkar( and published in -rabuddha 1harata of /arch "#"$& E6cerpts from the account are given below2
Vivekananda is standing on the terrace& 9is big e es seemed to have eaten up his visage& )his man ? with almost a swarth comple6ion ? land dressed as the ,r ans si6 thousand ears ago ? born so far from m corner of the earth ? speaking another tongue and adoring another 3od ? has been m best friend& 9e lived at -aris for several weeks in m residence& )ogether( we travelled to 5onstantinople( 3reece( and Eg pt& 9e incarnated for me?with his genius and his perilous frenL ? that +ndia which + cherish as the Fatherland of m dreams ? the Eden where lives the +deal& .e discussed together all& the Duestions relating to destin and the hereafter& 0ike the great )olsto ? who is about to die?this 9indu has got the specialit that he conforms his life to his thoughts ? & O )hese are the first words at the threshold of his house ? F+ am free( m friend ? " am liberated anew& + have given all& )he mone weighed me down like chains& + am now the poorest man in the poorest countr in the world& 1ut the 9ouse of Ramakrishna has been built( and his spiritual famil has received a shelter&F 9e Hthe SwamiI saw the ,merican H/iss /ac0eodI and saluted her with gentle gesture &&& )hen he presented us to his people sa ing ? F1ehold m brothers and m childrenFE under their splendid turbans the oung men smiled at us with still ingenuous e es of the apprentices of life& )he old people snatched themselves off from their meditation of the Vedas ? their bent foreheads marked with the Shaivaic s mbol&&&& 9e took a hookah which a disciple was smoking and drew from it a puff which perfumed the air round( as with an odour of the rose& )hen he gave us some lotus flowers& F5ome upon the terracesF( he said( Fm friends are about to prepare the tiffin&F From there we saw the most moving spectacle&&&&

9alf an hour afterwards in his cell Vivekananda himself served us the FtiffinF( which consisted of eggs( fresh milk( aromatic grains( and mangoes &&& 1ut he himself could not sit with us& 9e begged to be e6cused for not giving us meat& )he monaster made no use of it&&&& , disciple offered us some betels in a green leaf& )he all came

>$> from the monaster garden where the were gathered &&&&&& 'arcotics are smoked or chewed all over +ndiaF( said the sann asi with a smile& FFor us life is a dream and what ou call dream among ourselves is for us a sole realit &&&&&& +n the garden under an +ndian fig tree( the monks were seated in a circle& )he balanced the head and the back in a rh thmic movement& 9e who *ust accompanied us sang in a strange voice?recalling our plainBchant but more strident and more *o ous& +n the centre a fire burnt awa into gre cinders& ,t the side of the fire the trident of Shiva was planted( dressed in garlands( all fi6ed their e es upon the flame where dwelt the divinit &&&& !ules 1ois( however( could not go to 'epalE nor did he write to the Swami about himself after his visit to the /ath& F!ules 1ois went as far as 0ahore( being prevented from entering 'epalF( the Swami was to write on !une "= to /iss /ac0eod( who was then in !apan2 F+ learn from papers that he could not bear the heat( and fell illE then he took ship et bon vo age& 9e did not write me a single line since we met in the /ath&F On Sunda ( Februar 7=( the si6t Beighth birthda of Shri Ramakrishna was celebrated at 1elur /ath in grand st le b more than @%(%%% people from far and near& )he Sankirtana parties and man visitors were received b the Swami and his brotherB monks& , large number of poor people were sumptuousl fed( and some were given :hichuri -rasad in hand& 9aving settled the urgent administrative matters relating to 1elur /ath( the Swami was now free to respond to the pressing invitations that had come from <acca and elsewhere in East 1engal (now 1angladesh)( which he could not refuse& +n addition there was the great desire of his own mother to go on a pilgrimage to the hol places in East 1engal and ,ssam& Still another reason for going was his declining health& Onl those immediatel about him knew how rapidl his health was going down& 9e himself found that( in his condition at that time( work of an kind( reDuiring great concentration of mind and energ of will( was impossible for him& .hile he remained in 5alcutta( therefore( he spent his da s either at the monaster

>$8 or at 1alarambabu's house in 1aghbaLar( his occupations being confined to the informal training and teaching of those about him( lightBreading( and repl ing to correspondents in various parts of the world& On the evening of /arch "$ the Swami left 5alcutta for East 1engal with a large part of his sann asi disciples& 9e travelled b train to 3oalundo( from where he took a steamer to 'ara angan* on the following da & .hen the steamer reached 'ara angan*( he was received b some gentlemen who had come from <acca as representatives of the reception committee there& .hen the train reached <acca in the afternoon of /arch "#( 1abu +shwarchandra 3hosh( the renowned pleader( and 1abu 3aganchandra 3hosh received him in the name of the people of the cit & )he large crowd at the railwa station greeted him with enthusiastic shouts of FVictor to Ramakrishna <evaGF /an students of the various educational institutions of the cit were present& )he procession went along the main thoroughfares until it reached the mansion of the late 1abu /ohinimohan <as& Lemindar& )his had been appointed for the Swami's use during his so*ourn at <acca& 9ere scores of people had gathered to have sight of him& ,t <acca hundreds of people gathered dail to see the Swami and hear his religious discourses& For three da s consecutivel regular religious discussions were held in the afternoon& On /arch 7=( his mother( aunt( sister( and part left 5alcutta and reached 'ara angan* on the 7>th to *oin the Swami's part & )he Swami passed that night in a houseboat on the Sitalaksh a& 'e6t da ( taking another boat& the whole part left for 0angalbandha( arriving there the following morning& )he Sitalaksh a leads into the <haleshwari( and that leads into the 1rahmaputra& )radition has sanctified 20angalbandha on account of its connection with the -uranic legend of Shri -arashurama& )he festival of 1udhashtami draws a large number of pilgrims to the place& )he Swami and his part went to 0angalbandha to bathe in the 1rahmaputra on that hol occasion& ,fter the ritual bathing the returned to <acca& having thoroughl en*o ed the pilgrimage&

>$; On his return( his place of sta at <acca was as before( dail besieged b man visitors& )o them he gave instructions at all hours of the da ( particularl for two or three hours in the afternoon& 9e spoke to them on !nana( 1hakti( faith( renunciation( discrimination( nonBattachment( :armaBAoga( and on other sub*ects& ,ll were charmed b his gracious personalit and brilliant mind& )he found his discourses full of living faith and devotion( and infused with intense vitalit and power& ,s for the Swami himself( he was charmed b the beaut of Fast 1engal& +n this regard the wrote to /rs& 1ull on /arch 7%2 ,t last + am in Eastern 1engal& )his is the first time + am here ? and never before knew ? 1engal was so beautiful& Aou ought to have seen the rivers here ? regular rolling oceans of fresh water( and ever thing so green ? continual production& )he villages are the cleanest and prettiest in all +ndia&&&& /rs& Sevier( + left at 1elur& She is the guest of /rs& 1aner*ee( who has rented 'ilambar /ukher*ee's house on the river ()he Old /ath)& She goes ver soon to Europe& ,gain on /arch 7# he wrote to her2 / mother( aunt( and cousin came over five da s ago to <acca( as there was great sacred bath in the 1rahmaputra river& .henever a particular con*unction of planets takes place( which is ver rare( a huge concourse of people gather on the river on a particular spot& )his ear there have been more than a hundred thousand peopleE for miles the river was covered with boats& )he river( though nearl a mile broad at the place( was one mass of mudG 1ut it was enough( so we had our bath and -u*a (worship)( and all that& + am rather en*o ing <acca& + am going to take m mother and the other ladies to 5handranath( a hol place at the easternmost corner of 1engal H1angladeshI& ,t the earnest reDuest of the educated communit of <acca( the Swami gave a lecture on /arch @%( lasting an hour& Some two thousand people assembled at !agannath 5ollege to hear him& 9is sub*ect was F.hat 9ave + 0earntMF 'e6t da he again lectured( this time on the open maiden ad*oining -ogose School& 9e spoke for about two hours on F)he Religion .e

>$$ ,re 1orn +nF& 1oth lectures were received with tremendous applause( and as a result of them hundreds were led to make a diligent stud of his message and his plans for the regeneration of +ndia& )here was a touching incident while the Swami was at <acca& One da a oung prostitute bedecked with *eweller came in a phaeton with her mother to see him& !atinbabu( the host( and the disciples hesitated to admit the visitors at first& 9owever( when the Swami heard that the had come( he at once accorded them an interview& ,fter the had saluted him and sat down( the daughter told the Swami that she was suffering from asthma and begged him for some medicine to cure her& )he Swami e6pressed his s mpath and replied( FSee here( motherG + too am suffering from asthma and have not been able to cure m self + wish + could do something for ou&F )hese words( spoken with childlike simplicit and loving kindness( touched the two women as well as the others present& From <acca the Swami went on a visit to <eobhog( the home village of 'ag /ahasha a& 9e spoke later about the visit to his disciple( Sharatchandra 5hakravart ( as follows2 9is H'ag /ahasha aRsI wife fed me with man delicacies prepared b her own hand& )he house is charming( like a peace retreat& )here + took a swimming bath in a village pond& ,fter that + had such a sound sleep that + awoke at half past two in the afternoon& Of the few da s + had sound sleep in m life( that in 'ag /ahasha a's house was one& Rising from sleep + had a plentiful repast& 'ag /ahasha a's wife presented me a cloth which + tied round m head as a turban and started for <acca& + found that the photograph of 'ag /ahasha a was being worshipped there& )he place where his remains lie interred ought to be well kept& Even now it is not as it should be& East 1engal will do well to stud and appreciate that great soul( who has sanctified the whole province b his birth( and b living that wonderful life there& On ,pril = the Swami wrote letters to Sister 'ivedita( 5hristine 3reenstidel( and /r& Romesh 5handra <utt( who was then living in England after his retirement from the

>$# +ndian 5ivil Service( and who had praised Sister 'ivedita's work there& )o 'ivedita he wrote& , letter came *ust now from /r& R& <utt( praising ou and our work in England ver much and asking me to wish ou to stop longer in England&&&& Of course( ou sta as long as ou think ou are working well& Aum H/iss /ac0eodI had some talk about ou with /other Hthe 9ol /other( Sri Sarada <eviI( and she desired ou to come over?of course( it was onl her love and an6iet to see ou&&&& + am now at last in <acca( and had some lectures here& + depart for 5handranath tomorrow( near 5hittagong the farthest eastern e6tremit of 1engal H1angladeshI& / mother( aunt( cousin( another cousin's widow( and nine bo s are with me& )he all send ou love& )o 5hristine 3reenstidel he wrote2 F/argot H'iveditad is doing splendid work in England with /rs& 1ull's backing& )hings are going on nicel & + am sleeping better( and the general health is not bad&F ,nd to /r& R& 5& <utt the Swami wrote2 F+ am so glad to learn( from a person of our authorit ( ' Sister 'ivedita is doing in England& + *oin of the good work in earnest 'pra er with the hopes ou entertain of her future services to +ndia b her pen&&&& + am under a deep debt of gratitude to ou( 'Sir( for our befriending m child( and hope ou will never cease to advise her as to the length of her sta in England and the line of work she ought to undertake& & & On ,pril > the Swami and his part left <acca for the shrine of 5handranath( about twent Bfive miles north of the port of 5hittagong& ,fterwards the went to the famous shrine of the <ivine /other at :amakh a( close to 3auhati in ,ssam& On the wa the sta ed for some da s at 3oalpara& ,t 3auhati he delivered three lectures& 4nfortunatel the were not recorded or reportedE but those who heard them said( F)he were brilliant& )he Swami was full of fire and his language was so beautiful and direct& 'ever before had we had such an e6position of our religion&F 1oth at <acca and at :amakh a( the Swami's health went from bad to worse& 9e decided to go to the delightful hillBstation of Shillong( where the air is drier& +t was thought that his health might improve there& Shillong was then the seat of

>#%
the ,ssam 3overnment( and the late Sir 9enr 5otton( a champion of the cause of +ndia( was the 5hief 5ommissioner& 9e had heard much of Swami Vivekananda and was an6ious to meet him& ,t his reDuest the Swami delivered a lecture before resident English officials and a large gathering of +ndians& 0ater( Sir 9enr 5otton( who had ver much liked the SwamiRs speech( visited the latter( e6changed greetings with him( and spent some time discussing +ndia and her national problems& Seeing that the Swami was ill( he instructed the 5ivil Surgeon to render him all possible medical aid& )hroughout the SwamiRs sta ( the 5hief 5ommissioner dail made enDuiries about his health& )he Swami spoke of him as a man who understood +ndiaRs needs and aspirations( was working noble for her cause( and deserved the love of the +ndian people&

Speaking about his Shillong visit to Sharatchandra 5hakravarth the Swami said2 J)he Shillong hills are ver beautiful& )here( + met Sir 9enr 5otton( the 5hief 5ommissioner of ,ssam& 9e asked me( ]Swami*i( after travelling through Europe and ,merica( what have ou come to see here in these distant hillsMR Such a good and kindBhearted man as Sir 9enr 5otton is rarel found& 9earing of m illness he sent the 5ivil Surgeon and inDuired after m health mornings and evenings& + could not do much lecturing there( because m health was ver bad& On the wa 'itai served and looked after me nicel &K )he SwamiRs health was failing rapidl & 1esides the diabetes from which he had been suffering( he had at <acca another ver severe attack of asthma& <uring it the Swami said halfBdreamil ( as if to himself( J.hat does it matterG + have given them enough for fifteen hundred earsGK Evidentl he felt that he could die in peace now that he had given his message to the world( and that if the .estern nations accepted his spiritual ideals and +ndia adopted his plans for her regeneration( there was work ahead of both sufficient for fifteen hundred ears& )he Swami( with Swami Sadananda( his own mother( sister( and aunt( and RamadaRs wife( reached 5alcutta from Shillong on /a "7& )he ne6t da he wrote to 5hristine 3reenstidel2

>#" F+ arrived in the /ath esterda & )his morning came our short note&&&& + paid a long visit of two months to ,ssam and the different parts of East 1engal& For combined mountain and water scener this part of the countr is unrivalled &&&&&& Sharatchandra 5hakravart ( himself from East 1engal( re corded in his diar other incidents in the Swami's visit to that region( which the latter related on his return to 1elur /ath& +n religious matters( the Swami said( the people of those parts were ver conservative( and even fanatical in some respects& 9is disciples had observed the strictest orthodo6 there& 9e himself( when plied with too man Duestions b a <on'tB touchist( had answered( F/an( + am a fakirG .hat is caste or custom to meG <oes not the Shastra en*oin( ', sann asi ma live on /adhukari received even from the hands of a person of a /lechchha famil 'MF Speaking of religious obsessions and monomania( the Swami told of a sentimental outh at <acca who showed him a photograph and asked 'him whether the person photographed was an ,vatar( (<ivine +ncarnation)& F/ bo ( how can + knowMF replied the Swami& 1ut the bo repeated his Duestion three or four times& F,t last(F the Swami narrated( FSeeing that he desired an affirmative answer( + said( '/ bo ( take m adviceE develop our muscles and our brain b eating good food and b health e6ercise( and then ou will be able to think for ourself .ithout nourishing food our brain seems to be a little weak&' -erhaps the bo did not like to be told the plain truth& 1ut what else could + doM 4nless + warn such people( the ma become unbalanced&F FAou ma think of our guru as an ,vatar(F continued the Swami( For whatever ou likeE but +ncarnations of 3od are few and far between& )here have arisen in <acca itself three or four ,vatars( + heardG +ndeed( there is a craLe for them nowada s( it seemsGF /uch )antricism prevailed at :amakh a( he said& +n those parts he had come across the worship of one F9ankar <eoF( who was regarded as an +ncarnation( and whose followers were Vaishnavas& )his ancient sect had a ver wide following in

>#7 those parts& 9e said that Vaishnavism was more prevalent in <acca than in ,ssam& )he 1rahmaputra valle ( he remarked( was be ond compare for beaut ( and the Shillong hills were charming& )he people of East 1engal were much hardier and more active than those on the 5alcutta side& .hat the did( the did in a dogged fashion& )hough the took more of meat and fish( and for that reason were stronger and more Ra*asic than the .est 1engal( the used altogether too much oil and ghee in their cooking( a thing that the Swami did not approve of( because it tended to produce obesit & )his tour in East 1engal and ,ssam was the Swami's last public tour& ,fter it( he was worse in health& )he monks urged him to have complete rest& )he begged him to give up all thought of public work until he was well& So the Swami( to please his brotherBdisciples and his own disciples( gave up his plans and lived at the monaster for seven months in comparative retirement& )hose about him did all the could to restore him to health( to obtain for him the best medical treatment( and to divert his mind to lighter sub*ects& 1ut the found this last difficult( for his mind spontaneousl merged in the deepest concentration& 5asual teaching he was alwa s engaged in( even during this period& 9e also kept himself in touch with the general progress of his work( and was happ at the thought that ever where( whether in ,merica( England( or +ndia itself( his ideas were gaining ground& Often he sang and taught his disciples to singE or he engaged in conversation( serious and not so serious& 1ut when it became serious( his brotherBdisciples would tr to divert his mind to lighter matters& On /a "$ the Swami wrote about his health to /ar 9ale as follows&& F+ came to +ndia last fall( suffered all through winter( and went this summer touring through Eastern 1engal and ,ssam ? through a land of giant rivers and hills and malaria ? and after hard work of two months had a collapse( and am now back to 5alcutta slowl recovering from the effects of it&F

>#@ -eople flocked to 1elur monaster in these da s from all parts of +ndia to receive the Swami's blessings and instructions& 9e kept his e e on the manifold activities of the /ath down to their minute details& )he servants he treated as his own kin& )he vied with one another in rendering him even the slightest service& ,nd whenever he went to 5alcutta b boat( the rowers were as interested in his personalit as his own disciples& Sometimes he would go about in the monaster with onl a :aupina on& Or in the long robe of the wandering monk he would stroll( immersed in thought( along the villageBpaths that led from the monaster gates to the high road& 9e would scat himself to meditate wherever he happened to be( b the 3anga( or under the spreading branches of some inviting tree in the monaster compound& Or it might be that he would spend the da in 5alcutta( or with books in his own room at the /ath& ,nd often he would return to those fier moods of old and make the monaster throb with his spiritual consciousness& <espite his brotherBmonks' efforts to divert the Swami's mind to lighter matters( we learn& that his more intimate talks with his brotherBmonks and disciples were of a diverse and weight nature& )he included such topics as renunciation( 1rahmachar a( and the making of Real /en for the regeneration of the motherland( the music and literature of +ndia( points of' contact and contrast between European and ,sian art( the 3urukula s stem( 'irvikalpa Samadhi( the presence of <ivinit in ever bod ( the eradication of <on'tBtouchism( and 3od's merc & 9is discussion of these and other serious themes was both an instruction and a delight to his listeners& +n fact his discourses covered the whole range of 9indu religion( philosoph ( sociolog ( science( and other branches of knowledge& 9e dwelt on them in a masterl wa and threw new light on them& Often the Swami would be lost in song or meditation( and then he was not of this world& On man da s he himself supervised the cooking and prepared delicacies for the monks& .hen he was visited b deeper moods brought on b the thoughts of

>#= +ndia and her problems( he would not unoften make some casual remark that vibrated with power& 9is remarks on even trifling matters would make his hearers ponder& Each new manifestation of his amaLing personalit was( to those who loved him( both human and divine& 'ow( in e6plaining an idea( he would make opposed views eDuall convincingE again( he would show himself in one or other special vocation or role( as monk( or patriot( or scholar( or m stic( or religious teacher& ,ll marvelled at the insight and understanding( partl innate( partl acDuired through stud and e6perience( which he revealed in spite of his illness& )hough his bod was on the decline( his mind was luminous& 9is brotherBdisciples stood in awe of him( although he was still their F'arenF& ,s happens with diabetes( he had periods of relief from pain and the sense of e6haustionE and there were times when he felt as well as ever& ,t such times particularl ( his brotherBdisciples and friends implored him to restE but he did not heed their words for long& +t would have been easier to move a mountain than hold in check the mind that had taught the world& 1esides( it was evident that his interest in preserving his health and life was waning& 9is words( spoken in former times( came often to the minds of the disciples( FFor one thing we ma be grateful this life is not eternalGF )hrough the power of his thought he was loosening himself from the trammels of the bod ( and the time when he would give it up altogether was drawing close& 9e would sit on the upper veranda of the monaster building( gaLing northwards at the towers of the :ali temple( which showed high above the trees of the grove of man memories at <akshineswar& 0ost in contemplation( his face would be ineffabl sad( or( at other times( luminous with ecstas & )o the outside world( he was the famous Vivekananda( preacher( teacher( and patriotE to his brotherBmonks he was the monk( saint( leader( friend( beloved master( the son of Shri Ramakrishna and the 9ol /other ? their allBinBall& Sometimes after a walk on the lawn of the monaster he would sit under the 1ilva tree( beside which now stands his memorial temple( to rest or to meditate( and on man occasions

>#> he would lose consciousness of the outer world& ,nother favourite scat was under the big mango tree in the court ard between Shri Ramakrishna's shrine and the monaster building& 9ere he would usuall be found in the morning hours( stated on a canvas cot and attending to his correspondence( or writing articles( or reading( or engaged in conversation& )he Swami's room was on the second store in the southeast corner of the monaster building& , large room( with four windows and three doors( it was both his stud and his living Duarters& +n the corner to the right of the entranceBdoor stood a mirror some five feet high( and a little further on( a rack with his ochre clothes& +n the middle of the room was an iron bedstead fitted with a spring mattress( given him b one of his .estern disciples& 1ut the Swami hardl used it( preferring a simple bed on the floor& , couch( a kneeBhole writingBtable with letters and manuscripts( pen( ink( paper( a blotting pad( a callBbell( some flowers in a metal vase( a photograph of the /aster( a deerBskin ,sana (seat)( and a small table with a set of porcelain teaBcups( saucers( and plates( completed the furnishings of the room& /ost of these things were presents from his .estern disciples( and are now treasured at the /ath with great care& 1ut the most important ob*ect in the room was a picture of Shri Ramakrishna( at which the Swami would gaLe in love and reverence& +n this room he wrote( he gave instructions to his brotherBmonks and disciples( he received his friends( he sometime had his communed with 3od& 9ere also( he passed from his mortal form in the final meditation of his life& 'ow the room is regarded as a most sacred place& Ever thing in it is kept as it was on the last da of his life& )he calendar on the wall reads F!ul =( "#%7F& )he writingBtable is as though he had *ust risen from it to go perhaps to the shrine nearb & On the rack still hang his ochre robes& Onl ( on the walls and upon the couch and the beds( pictures of the Swami have been placed( and a lifeBsiLe oilB painting of Shri Ramakrishna has also been added in a prominent place on the wall& )he room is used for meditation& 9e who enters it bows down in reverence& ,nd thousands

>#8 upon thousands have come to visit it( for it speaks of the tenderness( greatness( and power of him whose spirit has set their souls aflame& )he Swami loved the monaster and its surroundings& 9e loved its Duiet and peaceful atmosphere?though this was now and then disturbed b the sirens of the steamers& 9e loved his room( and was alwa s glad to be back in it after his travels( and even after a short absence in 5alcutta& 9e loved his pets ? about which something will be said presentl & ,nd of course he loved his brotherBmonks( his disciples( and the man friends and others who came to visit the /ath and listen to his words& 1ut sometimes he was in a strange mood( insisting on solitude& )hen none dared approach him( and he would remain alone for hours& ,bout his life at the /ath during this period( the Swami wrote to 5hristine 3reenstidel on !ul 8( + #% "2
)hings come to me in fits& )oda + am in a fit of writing& )he first thing to do is therefore to pen a few lines to ou&&&& /iss /ac0eod is in !apan& En*o ing it immensel & + would have followed( but what with low health( dislike to long vo age( etc&( + prefer to remain in +ndia&&&& " am tr ing to be as dull as possible& + have got a few goats and sheep( one deer( and several cows& )hen there are the flower beds( fish ponds( and kitchen gardens&

+ rise ver earl & )hen milk m goatsE feed them& , dog pupp and a beautiful black kid are m special favourites& + take some e6ercise on a pair of dumbbells and then heat having got great( + loll about on a stretcher till "% a&m& .e have two huge mango trees( one -anas H!ack fruitI( and one 'im H/argosaI( making a beautiful grove *ust in front of the monaster building& 4nder them is m favourite place& Fruits are over& .e have eaten several thousand mangoes from these two trees& )here are some -anasas left et& Aou never saw a -anas& +t is a huge fruit& Some of them so big( that a ver strong man can scarcel lift one& .hen the are ver big( the grow on the roots underground& )hen the ground bursts( and ou know b the flavour where to find our fruit& )his is one seasons f=or& best mangoes& 'othing like them& in the whole world( 5hristina& )hen our shads are coming up the river& ,s

>#; " am writing the waves are splashing against the house( and me are hundreds of small fishing boats( all seeking to catch shads& ,nd then our shads HareI greatl superior to our ,merican ones& )he one thing that is disturbing me is the small strainers continuousl going up and down this huge river& )he make too much noise&&&& )he Swami was alwa s frank and free( ruling not so much b formal authorit as b the power of his personalit and love( 9e would sing :irtanas with his brotherB monks or pace the monaster grounds lost in contemplation& On festival da s he would be their 0eader in spiritual e6ercises'& he would pla on musical instruments with them( and& in his sweet and thrilling voice( sing with them in spiritual *o for hours& 9e was the lifeBcentre of the monaster & 9e would often make fun with his brotherBmonks( or tease them( and make them laugh& ,t other times he would give them instruction or help them in their difficulties( alwa s with great tenderness& )hough he might reprimand them on occasions( to others he spoke of those he had reprimanded with great regard( for were the not the sons of the /aster and he the privileged servant of them allM 9e was the irresistible magnet( and the were as so man iron filings drawn towards him( often without understanding wh ( but alwa s loving him& )he Swami himself was an earl riser( and he would rouse the monks from sleep in the earl hours& 9e wanted the monaster rules strictl followedE an infringement displeased him& 9e would make them practise austerities( but would see that the did not go too far& 9is love would not allow them to suffer& ,t the monaster it was all enthusiasm( activit ( spiritual fervour( and hard training& )he garden( the cooking> the care of the monaster cows( and the simplest things were matters of importance to him& 0ike a bo he would argue with Swami 1rahmananda over the boundar between the pasture for the cows and the latter>s vegetable and flower gardens( and over the alleged trespassing from one side or the otherG 9e would e6periment with breadBmaking( tr ing all sorts of east( undaunted b repeated failures& 9e attributed the unhealthiness of the /ath to want of pure

>#$ water for drinking and cooking( the river water being too dirt ( especiall during the rains& +n order to have a suppl of pure water all the ear round( he attempted with the help of his fellowBmonks to sink an artesian well( for which he had bought the necessar appliances& Sometimes( dressed in his ochre ,lkhalia (a kind of robe) and sadhu's cap and carr ing a thick stick( he would call a number of his brotherBmonks and disciples to go out for a walk with him& ,t such times he would be as ga as ever& ,lthough the Swami more or less gave himself to rest during the summer of "#%"( his mind was not totall without plans& 9e was in touch with his brotherBmonks( disciples( and friends through correspondence& On !une @ he wrote to Swami Ramakrishnananda2 F/ health nowada s is becoming a little better& 9ave the rains started in /adrasM .hen the rains begin a little in the South( + ma go to /adras via 1omba and -oona& .ith the onset of rains the terrible heat of the South will perhaps subside&&&& .hatever that ma be( + sa that ou stop our work for some time and come straight back to the /ath& ,fter ou have taken a month's rest here( ou and + together will make a grand tour via 3u*arat( 1omba ( -oona( 9 derabad( / sore( to /adras& .ould not that be grandMF On the same da he wrote to /rs& 9ansbrough( the friend who had helped him so much in 0os ,ngeles and San Francisco to propagate the Vedanta2 F9ow are all our 0os ,ngeles friends M &&& 9ow are all the San Francisco friendsM 9ow is our /adame H/rs& ,spinallI ? the noble( the unselfishM &&& ,re ou pleased with )uri ananda and his workM +s the HShantiI ,shrama progressingM & & &F /iss !osephine /ac0eod( who was now in !apan( was not simpl en*o ing the charm of that countr ( but was tr ing to open up a new field of work for the Swami there( as she had done in 5alifornia& .hen she had met him at the /ath in Februar "#%"( on her wa to !apan( he had told her that Fhe would go to !apan if she wrote for himF& /oreover( she knew since long of his desire to go to 5hina and !apan to preach

>## Vedanta& 1ack in 'ovember "$#8( 3oodwin had written to her about this( sa ing( F9e Hthe SwamiI sa s that while in 5e lon&&&& he will arrange through <harmapala's people for lectures in !apan and 5hina&F She had not forgotten this intention of the Swami's& ,t her reDuest her !apanese friend(( /r& Okakura( sent him Rs& @%%^B for his passage to !apan&( 1ut the Swami wrote to /iss /ac0eod on !une "=2 F'ow( !oe dear( if + am to go to !apan( this time( it is necessar that + take Saradananda with me to carr on the work& ,lso + must have the promised letter to 0i 9uang 5hang from /r& /a6imE but /other knows the rest& + am still undecided &&&& *ust now came a cheDue for Rs& @%%^B from /r& Okakura( and the invitation& +t is ver tempting( but /other knows all the same&F ,gain( four da s later he wrote to her2 F9owever( + am reall tr ing to come( but ou know?one month to go ? and one to come ? and a few da s' sta G 'ever mind( + am tr ing m best& Onl m terribl poor health( some legal affairs( and so on( ma make a little dela &F ,nd some time later he wrote to her2 F+ have had a terrible collapse in ,ssam from which + am slowl recovering& )he 1omba people have waited and waited till the are sickBmust see them this time& +f in spite of all 'this ou wish me to come( + shall start the minute ou write&F ,nd to /r& Okakura he wrote on the same da 2 FAour cheDue for @%% Rs dul reached me and man thanks for the same& + am *ust& thinking of going to !apan( but with one thing or another and m precarious health + cannot e6pedite matters as + wish& !apan to me is a dream( so beautiful that it haunts one all his life&F +n September( /iss /ac0eod became ver insistent( and the Swami almost decided to go to !apan& On September 7> he wrote to 5hristine 3reenstidel2 F+ am *ust thinking of going over to !apan as /iss /ac0eod is so insistent& -erhaps something will be done( who knowsM From !apan of course a peep into ,merica seems inevitable&F .hile the Swami was writing this letter( he received a telegram and a letter from /iss /ac0eod again urging him to go to !apanE so he wrote in a postscript to the same letter2

8%% FShe is so insistent that + am thinking of going over to !apan& +n that case we cross over to ,merica this winter and thence to England&F 1ut ultimatel the Swami could not go& 9e wrote to 5hristine 3reenstidel on October $2 F+ had to give up m trip to !apan( firstl because + am not in a working trim et& Secondl ( don't much care to make such a long vo age (one month) alone& )hirdl ( what am + to talk to them( + wonder&F +n ,merica Swami )uri ananda also was not well& )he Swami wrote in the same letter2 F)he 5alifornia work is progressing famousl & )he want one or two men more& + would send( if + could( but + have not an more spare men& -oor )uri ananda is suffering from malaria et( and is awfull overworked&F )he 1omba tour also was not possible for the Swami on account of his health& On ,ugust ; he( his sister( and /rs& 1aner*ee (of <ar*eeling) went to <ar*eeling b the mail train& Swamis 1rahmananda( )rigunatita( and Sachchidananda went to Sealdah station to see them off& 9e wrote to 5hristine 3reenstidel on ,ugust 82 F+ am going to <ar*eeling tomorrow for a few da s & & &F 9e seems to have returned to 5alcutta in the last week of that month& ,fter his return he wrote to /ar 9ale on ,ugust 7;2 " would that m health were what ou e6pected &&& +t is getting worse( in fact( ever da ( and so man complications and botherations without that& + have ceased to notice it at all&&&& + have not had an direct message from /rs& 1ull or 'ivedita( but + hear regularl from /rs& Sevier( and the are all in 'orwa as guests of /rs& 1ull&&&& + am in a sense a retired manE + don't keep much note of what is going on about the /ovementE then the /ovement is getting bigger( and it is impossible for one man to know all about it minutel & + now do nothing( e6cept tr ing to cat and sleep and nurse m bod the rest of the time&&&& On September 7 the Swami wrote as follows to 5hristine 3reenstidel2 F.ithin the last few months + got two fits Hof asthmaI b going to two of the dampest hill( stations in 1engal( Shillong and <ar*eeling& + am not going to tr the 1engali mountains an more& ,s for me + am ver happ & Of course(

8%" 1engal brings the asthma now and then( but it is getting tame( and the terrible things ? 1right's disease( diabetes ? have disappeared altogether& 0ife in an dr climate .ill Stop the asthma completel ( + am sure& + get reduced of course during a fit( but then it takes me no time to la on a few la ers of fat &&&& >> ,fter his visit to East 1engal the Swami gave a good deal of attention to a number of pets and other animals& )here were 1agha( the /ath dog( a sheBgoat called F9ansiF (FSwanF)( several cows( sheep( ducks( geese( an antelope( a stork( and a kid named F/atruF( round whose neck he put a string of tin bells& .herever he went( the kid went with him& )hose who came to the /ath in great reverence to see the man who had captured the -arliament of Religions and vindicated the spiritual life to )East and .est( were kindled with love for his human personalit when the found him pla ing and running here and there to amuse his favourite kid& .hen it died( he grieved like a child( and said to his disciple Sharatchandra( F9ow strangeG .hoever + love dies earl GF 9e himself would see that the animals were properl fed and their places kept clean and dr E in this( Swami Sadananda was his chief helper& )he animals loved the Swami e6ceedingl ( and he would talk to them as though the were actuall human& Once he said pla full that /atru was reall a relation of his in a former e6istence& )he kid had access to his room and used to sleep on a couch there as though it had ever right to do so& Sometimes the Swami would go to F9ansiF and beg her for milk for his tea( as though she could refuse or give as she chose& )he Swami told 5hristine 3reenstidel about his pets in his letter of September ;2 )he rains have come down now in right earnest and it is a deluge( pouring( pouring( pouring( night and da & )he river is rising( flooding the banksE the ponds and tanks have overflowed& + have *ust now returned from lending a hand in cutting a deep drain to take off the water from the /ath grounds& )he rainBwater stands at places several feet deep& / huge stork is full of glee( and so are the ducks and geese& / tame antelope fled from the /ath and gave us some

8%7 da s of an6iet in finding him out& One of m ducks unfortunatel died esterda & She had been gasping for breath more than a week& One of m waggish old monks sa s( FSir( it is no use living in the :ali Auga when ducks catch cold from damp and rain and frogs sneeLe&F One of the geese was losing her feathers& :nowing no other method of treatment( + left her some minutes in a tub of water mi6ed with a mild carbolic( so that it might either kill or healE and she is all right now& +n one sense 1agha was the master of all the animals at the /athE he felt that the monaster was his b right& Once he was taken across the 3anga owing to gross misconduct( and left there& 1ut he *umped on the ferr Bboat that evening( glaring and growling so savagel at the boatman and the passengers when the tried to dislodge him( that the did not dare dispute his right to remain& 'e6t morning the Swami( going to the bathroom about four as usual( stumbled over him as he la at his door& )he Swami patted him on the back and assured him of protection& 0ater he told the monks that whatever 1agha might do( he should never be sent awa again& )he animal seemed to know that it was to the Swami that he must go for forgiveness( and that( if he permitted him to sta ( he would not be sent awa whatever others might sa or do& )here are strange stories current in the /ath about 1agha& For instance( as soon as the gongs and conchs proclaimed the beginning or end of an eclipse( he( along with hundreds of devout men and women( would take a dip in the 3anga of his own accordG 0ong after the Swami's passing awa ( when 1agha died( his bod was left in a remote part of the /ath grounds on the bank of the 3anga& +t was carried awa b the high tide ? onl to be washed back and deposited at the same spot& .hereupon a 1rahmachari asked permission of the elders to inter the bod in the /ath grounds& -ermission was granted and a pile of bricks still marks the burial place& +n the monaster the Swami was free from the routine of life in societ ( with its tiresome conventionalities& 9e could walk about barefoot or with plain slippers on( hookah or staff in hand& 9e was free of the coat( trousers( and particularl the

8%@ collar( which had alwa s fretted him( of his .estern e6perience& .ith a :aupina (a piece of ochre loinBcloth) he could live in his own element( in monastic silence and seclusion& ,s the da s passed( he revealed himself more and more as the monk& .hen the monks sat down to meals( the beloved 0eader often *oined them( bringing and sharing with them some of the dainties which his rich disciples had sent for him& )here would often be lightBhearted talk at these meals( with the Swami pla ing a leading part& )he were happ sons of Shri Ramakrishna living together& )heir austerities( their stud and meditation( their conversation( their purit of character ? all these were imbued with the Spirit of the /aster's 3reat +llumination& +n this their 0eader had shared& +ts nature was ,bsolute Freedom and +mmortal 1liss& )he Swami's illness was on the increase& )here was a condition of general drops & 9is feet especiall were swollen( making it difficult for him to walk& 9is bod became so sensitive that an but the slightest touch caused him acute pain& Sleep almost deserted him in the last ear of his life& 1ut he was resigned to the will of the 0ord( and in spite of illness was ever cheerful and read to receive people& 9e talked to them with his characteristic fire and eloDuence( though sometimes in a somewhat subdued tone& .hen his disciple Sharatchandra came to see him at this time and enDuired how he was( the Swami softl replied2 F.h ask an more about health( m bo M Ever da the bod is getting more and more out of order& 1orn in 1engal( never has this bod been free from disease& )his province is not at all good for the health& ,s soon as ou begin to work hard( the bod ( unable to bear the strain( breaks down& For the few da s more that it lasts( + shall continue to work for ou all and die in harness&F .hen urged to take rest for some months he said2 F/ son( there is no rest for me& )hat which Shri Ramakrishna called ':ali'( took possession of m bod and soul( three or four da s before his passing awa & )hat makes me work and work( and never lets me keep still or look to m personal comfort&F On

8%= reDuest he told of that great event of his life in these words2 F)wo or three da s before the /aster's passing awa ( he called me to his side when alone( and( making me sit before him( gaLed intentl into m e es and entered into Samadhi& + then actuall perceived a powerful current of subtle force like electricit entering me from his bod & ,fter a time + too lost all outward consciousness and was merged in Samadhi& 9ow long + was in that state + cannot sa & .hen + came down to the senseBplane( + found the /aster cr ing& On being asked he said with great tenderness( JO m 'arenGK + have now become a fakir b giving awa m all and ever thing to ouG 1 the force of this Shakti( ou will do man great things in this world( and onl after that will ou go backG' +t seems to me that it is that power that makes me work and work( whirling me( as it were( in its vorte6& )his bod is not made for sitting idle&F )hroughout !ul and ,ugust of "#%" the Swami took as much rest as he could& ,s a result( in September he was somewhat better& ,fter the establishment of the /ath at 1elur( bigoted and orthodo6 people of the neighbouring villages( who were in fact ignorant of their own scriptures( used to indulge in biting criticism of the Swami and the other monks for their novel ideas( their liberal wa s of living( their modes of work( and especiall for their nonB observance of the customs regarding caste and food& )he even invented lies about them and cast malicious aspersions upon their purit of character& )hese calumnies were aired b them particularl on the boats pl ing between 5alcutta and 1all ( when the found passengers going to or coming from the /ath& .hen the Swami heard about them( he merel observed( FAou know the old proverb( ')he elephant goes through the baLaar and hundreds of dogs follow barking after him&' )he sadhu is never affected if the world abuses him&F Or2 F+t is a law of nature that( whenever new ideas are preached in an countr ( the adherents of the old rise against them& Ever founder of religion has had to& pass this test& .ithout persecution higher ideas cannot enter the

8%> core of societ &F 9ence he regarded opposition and adverse criticism as actual helps to the spread of his ideas( and he neither defended himself nor allowed an of his followers or friends to do so& 9e e6horted them2 F3o on doing our work disinterestedl and without attachmentE it will surel bear fruit some time&F Or2 F)he doer of good never meets with disaster&F )his criticism of the Swami's work and of the monks graduall died out even before his passing awa & )he celebration at the /ath of the <urga -u*a in strict orthodo6 st le contributed a good deal to this end& +f the Swami preached 'liberal ideas in social matters( he was orthodo6 enough in religious matters& +n the latter part of "#%" he had all the religious festivals observed& Several months before the <urga -u*a in "#%"( which fell that ear in October( he secured from his disciple Sharatchandra a cop of Raghunandan's F)went Beight )attvasF( otherwise called FRaghunandan's SmritiF& )his he consulted so that the <urga -u*a could that ear be observed in strict conformit with its in*unctions& 9e did not speak of his intention to an one at the /ath till a few da s before the festival& Four or five da s before the <urga -u*a( Swami 1rahmananda had a vision while he was sitting in the /ath compound facing the 3anga& 9e saw /other <urga come over the 3anga from the <akshineswar side and stop near the '1ilva tree in the /ath compound& !ust then the Swami came b boat from 5alcutta and asked( J.here is Ra*a H1rahmanandaIMK& On seeing Swami 1rahmananda he said to him( F)his time make all arrangements for the <urga -u*a b bringing the -ratima HimageI to the /ath&F Swami 1rahmananda replied( F+ shall let ou know after a da or two& +t will have to be seen whether there is a -ratima available now& )here is not much time left& *ust give me two da s' time&F )hen the Swami told him of the vision that he had had& 9e had seen the <urga -u*a being celebrated at the /ath( and the /other being worshipped in a -ratima& On hearing this( Swami 1rahmananda told the Swami of his own vision& )he news of these visions caused a great sensation at the /ath( and 1rahmachari :rishnalal was

8%8 immediatel sent to search for a -ratima at :umartul & 0uckil ( one -ratima was available( since the customer who &had placed an order for it had not come to collect it on the da arranged& .hen the Swami was informed( he and Swami -remananda went to 5alcutta to ask the 9ol /other's permission about certain observances connected with the -u*a& )he 9ol /other gave her approvalE so the Swami at once ordered the image to be brought( and returned to the /ath& )he news that the -u*a was to be done in the image spread all over the cit ( and the householder disciples gladl *oined with the sann asis to make the celebration a success& On the northern part of the lawn( where Shri Ramakrishna's birthda festival is held( a temporar structure was put up where the /other could be installed for worship& )he image( beautifull decorated( was brought a da or two before Shashthi( the si6th lunar da ( which fell on October ";& ,s soon as it reached the /ath( rain fell in torrents& 4nder the able management of Swami 1rahmananda( the /ath was provided with all the variet of -u*a reDuisites( together with an abundance of foodstuffs& )he nearb gardenBhouse of 1abu 'ilambar /ukher*ee was rented for the accommodation of the 9ol /other& She came with several womenBdevotees to live there on October "@( so as to be able to be present throughout the festival& .ith the permission of the 9ol /other( 1rahmachari :rishnalal took the seat of the worshipper& +shwarchandra 1hattachar a( the father of Swami Ramakrishnananda and a devout 1rahmana( well versed in the )antras and /antras( became the )antradharaka( that is( the director of the worship of the 3oddess in strict accordance with scriptural in*unctions& )he sacrifice of animals was dropped at the 9ol /other's wish& )o feed the poor sumptuousl was the chief subsidiar function relating to the -u*a& 9undreds of them came throughout the three da s that it lasted and were lavishl served with -rasada& Special invitations were sent to some of the 1rahmanas and pandits of 1elur and <akshineswar to *oin in the -u*a& ,s a

8%; result of the celebration the orthodo6 members of the 9indu communit in the neighbourhood lost their animosit towards the monks and became convinced that the were trul 9indu sann asis& On the night of Saptami( the first da of the -u*a proper( the Swami had an attack of fever( which prevented him from *oining in it the ne6t morning& 1ut on the second (,shtami) da he rose from his bed and slowl came down to attend the Sandhipu*a( the most important and solemn function of the whole -u*a& 9e made three offerings of flowers and so forth at the feet of the /other& On the third da ( 'avami( he was well and at night sang a few of those songs to the /other which Shri Ramakrishna used to sing on such an occasion& On Vi*a a <ashami (the fourth da ) the image was consigned to the 3anga at nightfall& )he 9ol /other was highl pleased with the wa the -u*a was celebrated& She returned to her residence at 1aghbaLar after blessing the sann asis& )he <urga -u*a is the national festival of 1engal( having the importance there that 5hristmas has in 5hristian lands& +t is the annual event to which ever 9indu looks forward with great *o & )he /other at this time comes down from 9er ic abode on /ount :ailasa( where She lives with 9er consort Shiva and 9er household of +mmortals( to sta three da s with 9er mortal children and bestow 9er 1lessings on them& )he balm autumn air( the green fields with the padd Bcrop waving its laden head( the shining rivers and bedewed trees ?to 9indus all these herald coming of the /other among them& -resents are given( and bo s and girls have new clothes& Food and clothing are distributed to the servants and to the poor& +nvitations are sent to friends to *oin in the -u*a(& )he houses in which the - 'a is celebrated are decoratedE and for man da s previous( songs to the /other are sting( inviting 9er to come and in *o ful anticipation of 9er coming& +n the image( which is richl decorated( She has one foot on 9er mount( the lion( and the other on the shoulder of the demon /ahishasura( who is& in a death struggle with 9er& She is surrounded b 9er celestial sons and daughters ? :artika( the

8%$ warriorBgod( 3anesha( the giver of success( 0akshmi( the goddess of fortune( and Saraswati( the goddess of learning& )o 9er devout worshippers( She is a living -resence& One has to live in a 9indu household where the -u*a is celebrated( if one is to understand how great is the 9indu's faith in 9er as the destro er of distress and difficult & ,nd the Vi*a a <ashami da in 1engal is the da of universal re*oicing( of e6change of greetings and salutations( of goodwill and fellowBfeeling( when people forget their social differences( enemies their animosities( and clasp each other in warm embrace& )hat October ("#%")( the Swami's condition again became serious( and <r& Saunders( a noted ph sician of 5alcutta( was called in& )he Swami was told to abandon even the slightest e6ertion and give up all intellectual work& 'ot long after the doctor's visit he was confined to his bed& )his distressed him( since he was eager to be up and doing& From now onwards the monks cautioned one another and all visitors to abstain from serious conversation with himE and if in his talks the Swami took up an serious sub*ect( the were to remind him to refrain from doing so& .henever he felt better( he busied himself with some manual work or other& Sometimes he would hoe the cultivated ground of the /ath( sometimes he would plant fruitBtrees and flower plants( or sow vegetable seeds& 9e would watch their growth with bo ish interest& )hat same ear the Swami also had the 0akshmi -u*a and the strictl according to scriptural rites& ,fter the :aliB-u*a his mother sent word when he was a child( he had once been seriousl ill( and that then she had vowed to offer special worship to /other :ali and make him( her 'aren( roll on the ground before 9er (/other :ali)( should he recover& She had forgotten all about it all these ears( but his recurring illness now recalled to her mind this longBforgotten vow& )hough the Swami was ill at the time( he went to the :alighat temple in order to please his mother& 9e bathed in the ,diB3anga and in obedience to her wishes came all the wa to the temple in his wet clothes and rolled thrice on the ground before the /other& ,fter offering worship( he

8%# walked round the temple seven timesE and then( in the open compound on the western side of the 'atmandira( he himself performed 9oma in front of the /other& Returning from :alighat the Swami spoke of the liberal spirit of the templeBpriests& )hough the knew that he had crossed the seas ? an act most unorthodo6 in their e es ? the raised no ob*ection& FOn the other hand(F he said( Fthe welcomed me warml into the temple and helped me to worship the /other in an wa + liked&F On 'ovember "7 the Swami wrote to 'ivedita2 Since the <urga -u*a + have been ver ill and so could not repl to our letter earlier& .e had a grand -u*a here of <urga lasting nearl four da s( but alas + was down with fever all the time& .e had a grand image and huge -u*a it was& Then we had the 0akshmi -u*a following close( and then night before esterda we had the :ali -u*a& +t is alwa s after midnight( this -u*a& + am better now( and we will find a house for ou as soon as ou come& " am so glad ou are accompan ing /rs& 1ull &&&& !oe H/iss /ac0eod is coming to +ndia shortl at 5hristmas time with some !apanese friends& + am e6pected to meet her in /adras& + am going off to the '&.&-& H'orth .estern -rovincesI( etc& soon as 1engal is malarious now that the rains are over &&&&&& )he Swami also wrote to 5hristine 3reenstidel on the same da 2 .e had grand F-u*asF (worships) here in our /ath this ear& )he biggest of our -u*as is the /other worship lasting nearl four da s and nights& .e brought a cla image of /other with ten hands standing with one foot on a lion( the other on a demon& 9er two daughters the goddess of wealth and the goddess of learning and music on either side on lotuses( beneath her two sons?the god of war and that of wisdom& )housands of people were entertainedE but + could not see the -u*a alasG + was down with high fever all the time& <a before esterda ( however( came the -u*a of :ali& .e had an image too and sacrificed a goat and burred a lot of fire works& )his night ever 9indu home is illuminated( and the bo s go craL over fireworks& &

8"% ,n e eBwitness( who was sta ing as guest at the /ath during these da s( wrote in his reminiscences2 F,fter that came !agaddhatri -u*a& )his -u*a was celebrated at the house of Swami*i's mother at Simla H5alcuttaI& ,ll of us had been there on invitation& Swami*i himself managed the whole function&&&& 0ater on( Saraswati -u*a was celebrated at the /ath b bringing an image& 1efore this( never was Saraswati -u*a performed in an image at the /ath&F 1 himself worshipping the <ivine in images( the Swami showed his approval of this form of worship& )hough an out and out ,dvaitin( he( like the great Shankarachar a( had fervent devotion to these personal aspects of the 3odhead& ,s the sun in the evening sk ( lighting up clouds of different shapes( displa s a variet of fascinating colours( so the illumined soul of Vivekananda( like that of his /aster( touched b different religious feelings( revealed to others a wonerfu" variet of forms of 3odBvision& 1ut through that variet these great souls( in a state of realiLation be ond all intellectual underB standing( saw the pla of the one +nfinite onl &

8"" !9 TOWARDS THE END )he several autumn festivals in honour of the <ivine /other were over b the middle of 'ovember (" #% ")( and there was a sense of bliss in the /ath& 1ut in the heart of ever one( there was concern about the Swami's healthE and to add to their an6iet ( his right e e began to give trouble& ,bout this he wrote to 5hristine 3reenstidel on 'ovember 7>2 F1 the b ( m right e e is failing me badl & + see ver little with that one& +t will be hard for me for some time either to read or write( and as it is getting worse ever da m people are urging me to go to 5alcutta and consult a doctor& + will go soon( as soon as + recover from a bad cold + have on&F )wo da s later he again wrote to her2 F+ am *ust under another spell of catarrh and asthma& Aesterda a c clone blew over the place( and several trees and a bit of the roof is damaged& +t is gloom and cold& Aou know( it is almost impossible to write with the asthma on&F .hen 5hristine insisted on knowing in detail about the Swami's health( he wrote in repl on <ecember "72 Aou know( last three ears + am getting albuminuria now and then& +t is not constant( neither is it et of an organic character& )he kidne s are structurall all right& Onl the throw out albumin now and then& )his is worse than throwing out sugar in diabetes& ,lbumin poisons the blood( attacks the heart( and does all sorts of mischief& 5atching cold alwa s increases it& )his time it has caused a small blood vessel in the right e e to burst( so that + scarcel see with that e e& )hen the circulation has become ver rapid& )he doctors have put me to bed( and + am forbidden to cat meat( to walk or even stand up( to read and write& ,lread there is some benefit in this l ing down process( as + sleep a lot and have good appetite and am digesting m meals& 5urious( is it not( that inactivit should bring sleep and appetiteM &&& )he doctor sa s( if + keep to m bed for three months( + will get completel cured&&&&

8"7 1ut it was not possible for the Swami to follow the doctor's orders to the letter& 9e continues2 F+ must stop& +'m going to + p look after m geese( and ducks( *ust for five minutes(( breaking the doctor's command to lie down all the time& One of the geese is a sill fearful bird( alwa s despondent and an6ious& She likes to be all alone b herself and is miserable( ver much like another goose + know Hmeaning 5hristineI in another place&F ,s this letter shows( in spite of bad health the Swami was alwa s read for a little fun( and kept himself bus with his pets and other things& ,t this time something happened which showed the faith and oga power of the Swami& 9is disciple( Swami 'irbha ananda( was delirious with high fever( and all hope of his recover was abandoned& )he fever rose to "%;'F& )he Swami was ver an6ious& Finall ( seiLed b a sudden intuition( he went to the shrine of the monaster to worship Shri Ramakrishna&& ,fter washing the casket containing the /aster's relics( he brought the sanctified water to the sick monk to drink& )he fever abated suddenl & )he Swami( turning to his brotherBmonks and disciples( said with great *o ( F1ehold the power of Shri RamakrishnaG .hat wonders can he not workGF )he /aster's reliDuar ( *ust mentioned( is regarded b his devotees as his 0iving -resence& 'Re Swami called it F,tmarama's :autaF& One da ( shortl after returning from his second visit to the .est( doubt entered his mind and he asked himself( F<oes Shri Ramakrishna reall reside hereM + must test itGF )hen he pra ed( F/ 0ord( Shri Ramakrishna( if thou art reall present here( then bring here within three da s the /ahara*a of 3walior( who has come to 5alcutta on a short visitGF 9e knew that the chance of the -rince's coming was ver remote& 9e mentioned his pra er to none and( indeed( later on( forgot all about it& )he ne6t da ( returning in the evening from 5alcutta where he had gone for a few hours on some business( he learned that the /ahara*a of 3walior was actuall prepared to call on him& )he /ahara*a had deputed his brother to go in a motor car to see whether the Swami was at the /ath( and( in case of his not being there( to leave word

8"@ that he (the /ahara*a) wished ver much to see the Swami( but( since he was leaving 5alcutta the ne6t da ( he would have to reserve the pleasure of seeing him for some other occasion&' ,s soon as the Swami heard this news( he remembered his test( and( running up the stairs to the shrine( bowed his head repeatedl before the altar containing the sacred casket& Swami -remananda( who was at that time meditating there( was bewildered& )hen the Swami told him and the assembled monks about the test& ,ll marvelled at this proof of the -resence of the 0ord in the shrine& +n <ecember "#%"( it became clear that some of the Swami's .estern disciples and friends were again going to gather round him& /rs& Sevier reached 5alcutta from England on <ecember #& !osephine /ac0eod( with her !apanese friends( was e6pected b the end of <ecember& /rs& 1ull and Sister 'ivedita were to start for +ndia in a month's time& ,nd the Swami wanted 5hristine 3reenstidel to come too& 9e wrote to her on <ecember "72 F/rs& 1ull( /iss /ac0eod( /rs& Sevier( and 'ivedita and + will be over*o ed if somebod Hmeaning 5hristineI will be thrown into the bargain&F )he Swami did not stop at this& Si6 da s later he sent her mone for her passage to +ndia( along with an invitation from /rs& Sevier& 9e wrote to her on <ecember "@2 F9erewith + send ou four hundred eight dollars b cheDue on )homas 5ook and Son( 1roadwa ( 'ew Aork&&&& )his is to pa our 'passage to +ndia' if ou think fit to accept /rs& Sevier's invitation&F 4nfortunatel ( *ust at this time 5hristine's mother passed awa & )o give her strength( the Swami wrote on <ecember 7>&& F)he stars brought ou a tremendous blow ? 1lessed be the name of the 0ord&&&& .ell( the /other phenomenal has merged in the /other absolute( eternal& )h will be done& 1 this time ou must have made a decision Habout coming to +ndiaI( or rather the '/other has shown ou the wa '( surel ? " rest content&F +n his letter of
" ,ccording to mother version( while the /ahara*a of 3walior was passing b the 3rand )runk Road near the /ath in his car( he sent his ounger brother to the /ath to see if the Swami was inE but( because he was not there( the /ahara*a went awa disappointed&

8"= <ecember "$ the Swami had given her instructions for the *ourne & +f the Swami had critics( he also had friends and admirers among the most representative of his countr men& +n "#%" the +ndian 'ational 5ongress met in 5alcutta( its sessions commencing on <ecember 7@& Scores of delegates from different provinces availed themselves of the opportunit to visit the monaster and pa their homage to the Swami( whom the regarded as the -atriotBSaint of /odern +ndia& 9e often spoke with them in 9indi instead of in English( and invariabl made a great impression on them& .ith one of the foremost 5ongress leaders the Swami spoke one da in an impassioned and eloDuent manner for an hour and a half( all the while walking back and forth on the spacious lawn of the monaster & +t was on a topic ver dear to the Swami's heart& .ith regard to these meetings the Editor of the 0ucknow Advocate wrote: .hen we last saw him in 5alcutta( during the 5ongress session( he was eloDuentl talking( in pure and chaste 9indi( which would do credit to an 4pper +ndian( about his schemes for the regeneration of +ndia( his face beaming with enthusiasm& ,mong the ideas that the Swami discussed with the leaders of the 5ongress was the founding of a Vedic +nstitution to train teachers and preserve the ancient ,r an culture and Sanskrit learning& )he delegates were in fervent s mpath with this plan& One of those who was present at that time wrote of these meetings with the 5ongress members as follows2 , few months before his Hthe Swami'sI passing awa ( during the 5hristmas holida s( the sittings of the 'ational 5ongress were held in 5alcutta& <elegates( reformers( professors( and great men of various callings from all the different provinces of +ndia( assembled there on that occasion& /an of them came to the 1elur /ath to pa their respects to Swami*i ever afternoon during their sta in the cit & Swami*i enlightened them on various sub*ects( social( political( religious( and so on& +n fact( these meetings formed a 5ongress in itself( of a t pe even superior and more beneficial to those present than the actual sessions of the 5ongress& +n one of these afternoons the proposal

8"> was to start a Vedic 5ollege in 5alcutta( and all present assured him that the would help him in carr ing it on in ever wa that la in their power& 1ut before the plan was matured( Swami*i left the bod & )he Swami cherished this desire to found a Vedic college to the ver end( and even on the last da of his life he discussed with a brotherBdisciple( Swami -remananda( the need of Vedic stud & )o secure funds to commence the work earl on a small scale( he instructed Swami )rigunatita to dispose of the 4dbodhan press& )his was done( and the mone placed in a fund& 1ut the work did not take practical shape( since the Swami passed awa before he could do an thing in this direction& ,mong the prominent members of the +ndian 'ational 5ongress( who visited 1elur /ath( were /ahatma 3andhi and 1al 3angadhar )ilak& )he were put up with other delegates in Ripon 5ollege( 5alcutta( and did not visit the /ath on the same occasion& /ahatma 3andhi( or /r& /& :& 3andhi as he then was( sta ed in 5alcutta for more than a month and a half& ,bout his visit to the /ath( he wrote in his autobiograph & F9aving seen enough of the 1rahmo Sama*( it was impossible to be satisfied without seeing Swami Vivekananda& So with great enthusiasm + went to 1elur /ath( mostl ( or ma be all the wa ( on foot& + loved the seDuestered site of the /ath&& + was disappointed and sorr to be told that the Swami was at his 5alcutta house( l ing ill( and could not he seen&F 3andhi*i also visited Sister 'ivedita after her arrival in 5alcutta from England in Februar ("#%7)& Shri 1al 3angadhar )ilak( ears later( wrote thus of his visit to the /ath2 Once &&& during one of the 5ongress sessions at 5alcutta( + had gone with some friends to see the 1elur /ath of the Ramakrishna /ission& )here Swami Vivekananda received us ver cordiall & .e took tea& +n the course of conversation Swami*i happened to remark somewhat in a *ocular spirit that it would be better if + renounced the world and took up his work in 1engal while he would go and continue the same in /aharashtra& FOne does not carr F( he said( Fthe same influence in one's own province as in a distant one&K

8"8 +n the latter part of "#%"( a number of Santal labourers were engaged to clear and level the /ath grounds& )he Swami would talk freel with them and listen to their tales of weal and woe& +t was a rela6ation for him from his work and tense state of mind& One da some gentlemen of wealth and position came to see him while he was talking with these poor labourers& .hen he was told& of the arrival of the visitors& he said( F+ shan't be able to go now& + am Duite happ with these peopleGF )he Swami was speciall ( fond of one of the Santals( :eshta b name& )his man used to sa ( FO Swami( don't come to us when we are working( for we cannot work while we talk to ou( and the supervising Swami takes us to task for not doing our full measure of workGF ,t these words the Swami was visibl affected& 9e assured them that Swami ,dvaitananda( the Swami referred to( would not scold their& Sometimes( hearing of their wants and miseries( the Swami would be moved to tearsE then :eshta would sa ( F'ow ou must go( SwamiG .e won't tell ou an more of our troubles( for it makes ou weep "F One da the Swami asked :eshta( F.ould ou all like to have a feast hereMF )he man replied( F<ear father( if we eat food cooked b ou with salt( we shall lose our casteGF .hen the Swami insisted and assured them that salt would not be put in during the cooking( but would be served separatel ( :eshta agreed& )he menu included puris( sweets( oghurt( and other tast items& )he Swami himself supervised the arrangements and the serving of food to his guests& From time to time the Santals e6claimed2 FOh SwamiG where did ou get such fine things fromM .e have never tasted such dishes before&F .hen the meal was over( the Swami told them( FAou are 'ara anasE toda + have entertained the 0ord 9imself b feeding ouGF 0ater( to a disciple he remarked( F+ actuall saw the 0ord 9imself in themG 9ow simpleBhearted and guileless the areGF Shortl after the feast was given( the Swami said to the sann asis and 1rahmacharis of the /ath2 FSee how simpleBhearted these poor illiterate people areG 5an ou mitigate

8"; their miser a littleM +f not( of what use is our wearing the ochreBrobeM Sacrificing ever thing for the good of others ? this is true Sann asa& Sometimes + think within m self( '.hat is the 'good of building monasteries and so forthG .h not sell them and distribute the mone among the poorM .hat should we care for homes( we who have made the tree our shelterM ,lasG how can we have the heart to put a morsel to our mouths( when our countr men have not enough with which to feed and clothe themselves "' 0et us( throwing awa all pride of learning and stud of the Shastras( and all spiritual disciplines for the attainment of personal /ukti( go from village to village( devoting our lives to the service of the poor& 0et us( through the force of our character and spiritualit and our austere living( convince the rich man of his dut to the masses and induce him to give mone for the service of the poor and the distressed& ,lasG nobod in our countr thinks of the low( the poor( and the miserableG )hese are the backbone of the nation( whose labour produces our food& .here is the man in our countr who s mpathiLes with them( who shares in their *o s and sorrowsM 0ook how( for want of s mpath on the part of 9indus( thousands of -ariahs in the /adras -residenc are becoming 5hristiansG <on't think that it is merel the pinch of hunger that drives them to embrace 5hristianit & +t is simpl because the do not get our s mpath & +s there an fellowBfeeling or sense of <harma Hcharit I left in the countr M )here is onl '<on'tBtouchism' now(G :ick out all such degrading usagesG 9ow + wish to demolish the barriers of '<on'tB touchism' and go out and bring together one and all( calling out( '5ome( all e that are poor and destitute( fallen and downtroddenG .e are one in the name of RamakrishnaG' 4nless the are raised( this motherland of ours will never awakeG .hat are we good for if we cannot provide them with food and clothingG ,lasG the are ignorant of the wa s of the world( and hence fail to eke out a living( though the labour hard da and night T%'r it& 3ather all our forces together to remove the veil from their e es& + see as clear as da light that the same 1rahman( the same Shakti( that is in me is in them as

8"$ wellG Onl ( there is a difference in the degree of manifestation ? that is all& +n the whole histor of the world( have ou ever seen a countr rise without a free circulation of the national blood throughout its entire bod M +f one limb is paral sed( then even with the other limbs whole( not much can be done with that bod ? know this for certain&F , la disciple said to the Swami( F+t is too difficult a task( sir( to establish harmon and coBoperation among all the var ing religious sects and creeds that are current in this countr ( and to make them act in unison for a common purpose&F Ve6ed at these words( the Swami said2 F<on't come here an more if ou think an task too difficult& )hrough the grace of the 0ord( ever thing becomes eas of achievement& Aour dut is to serve the poor and the distressed( without distinction of caste and creed& .hat business have ou to think of the fruits of our actionM Aour dut is to go on working( and ever thing will follow of itself& / method of work is to construct( and not to destro that which is alread e6isting& Read the histories of the world and ou will see that invariabl ( in ever countr ( at some particular epoch(& some great man has stood as the centre of its national life( influencing the people b his ideas& Aou are all intelligent bo s( and profess to be m disciples ? tell me what ou have done& 5an't ou give awa one life for the sake of othersM 0et the reading of the Vedanta and the practising of meditation and the like be left for the ne6t lifeG 0et this bod go in the service of othersE and then + shall know that our coming to me has not been in vain&F 0ater on( he said( F,fter so much )apas a + have understood this as the highest truth2 '3od is present in ever being& )here is no other 3od besides that& 9e who serves all beings serves 3od indeedG' F )he two occasions *ust mentioned are e6amples of man such( when the Swami( in spite of illness and suffering( rose to heights of amaLing power( feeling( and eloDuence( in giving his message to his disciples and countr men from the enforced seclusion of his monaster & 'o wonder that he would feel a reactionG 1ut who could cheek that might flame within him(

8"# which must either burst out and set the souls on fire( or consume his own beingG .e have seen that( at the Swami's wish( !osephine /ac0eod ? a Flad B missionar F as he used to call her ? had arranged for him to visit !apan( but that he could not go on account of illness& ,s a result( /iss /ac0cod and her !apanese& friends( /r& Okakura and /r& 9ori( decided to visit +ndia& 1esides meeting the Swami( the would be able personall to reDuest him to attend the 5ongress of Religions that was proposed to be held in !apan& /r& Okakura :akuLo( better known in !apan as )enshin( was head of the 5ommittee for the Restoration of Old )emples( and one of the founders of the )ok o School of ,rt( of the 'ipp 1i*utsuin (Fine ,rts ,cadem of !apan)( and of an art *ournal of traditional !apanese art& 9e had travelled e6tensivel on official assignments in connection with art education& ,nd 9ori was a Lealous 1uddhist priest in 'ara& 9is age was about twent Bfive& 9e had led the life of a 1rahmachari for seven ears& )he left !apan on <ecember ; and reached 5alcutta on !anuar 8( via 5olombo( /adras( and 5uttack& )he two !apanese were delighted to meet the Swami at the /ath on the 8th evening& )he Swami said to Okakura( F.e are two brothers who meet again having come from the ends of the earth&F Okakura was charmed with the Swami's personalit & )o his friend Oda )okuno( a 1uddhist priest of the Shin Sect( who was then in )ok o( he wrote about the Swami as follows2 F.e arrived here a few da s ago and met Swami Vivekananda& 9e is a superb scholar in high spirits& 9e is such a prominent figure that people of the entire earth respect him& & & &F +n her reminiscences relating to this event( !osephine /ac0eod wrote2 One of the happ moments of m life was when after a few da s at 1elur( /r& Okakura said to me rather fiercel ( FVivekananda is ours& 9e is an Oriental& 9e is not ours&F )hen + knew there was a real understanding between them& , da or two after( Swami said to me( F+t seems as if a long lost brother has come&F )hen + knew

87% there was a real understanding between these two men& ,nd when the Swami said to him( F.ill ou *oin usMF /r& Okakura said( F'o( + haven't finished with this world et&F .hich was a ver wise thing& Okakura and 9ori were accommodated at 1elur /ath( while /iss /ac0eod sta ed at the ,merican 5onsulate in 5alcutta( b permission of 3eneral -atterson( the ,merican 5onsulB3eneral& )he Swami used to talk with his guests on the glorious life of the 1uddha and about the philosophical side of his teachings( with such fervour( devotion( and insight that the simpl marvelled& )he !apanese loved the Swami dearl E and he for his part moved about with them freel ( and *oined 9ori in his bo ish hobbies& )he Swami liked 9ori ver much. and would sa ( F9e will make an e6cellent sann asi&F .riting to 5hristine 3reenstidel from the /a;th on !anuar 7@ the Swami said2 F/iss /ac0eod has arrived with her !apanese friends( /r& Okakura( a -rof& of ,rt( and /r& 9ori( a 1rahmacharin& )he latter has come to +ndia to stud Sanskrit and English& )he former to see +ndia ? the motherland of !apanese culture and art& Well. /rs& 1ull and 'ivedita are also e6pected in a few da s& ,s it seems now( this whole part is going to !apan( minus 'ivedita& She remains here to work& 'ow( + aim going to tr m hand in !apan and if possible in 5hina& & & &F ,part from the intentions of seeing +ndia( the motherland of !apanese culture( and of personall inviting the Swami to the contemplated 5ongress of Religions to be held in !apan( /r& Okakura seems also to have intended to tr to secure control over the management of the /ahabodhi )emple at 1uddha 3a a( and to acDuire some land near the temple for building a restBhouse for the !apanese pilgrims& .ith this latter purpose in mind( he reDuested the Swami to accompan him to 1uddha 3a a& )he Swami agreed( since he had alread made arrangements to go and sta at Varanasi( in the 3opallal Villa( for the sake of his health& )he Swami said2 F+t would give me the greatest pleasure to accompan ou to the place( where the )athagata attained 'irvana( and after that to go on a pilgrimage to Varanasi where the 1uddha first preached

87" his 3ospel unto man. 1esides( Varanasi has for me a special attraction&F ,fter a sta of about three weeks at the /ath( Okakura( accompanied b the Swami and /iss /ac0cod( started for 1uddha 3a a on !anuar 7;& ,bout their visit( Sister 'ivedita has written2 .hen the winter again set in( he (the Swami) was so ill as to he confined to bed& Aet he made one more *ourne ( lasting through !anuar and Februar "#%7( when he went first to 1uddha 3a a and ne6t to Varanasi& +t was a fit ending to all his wanderings& 9e arrived at 1uddha 3a a on the morning of his last birthda H!anuar 7#I( and nothing could have e6ceeded the courtes and hospitalit of the /ahanta (head of the monaster )& 9ere( as afterwards at Varanasi( the confidence and affection of the orthodo6 world were brought to him in such measure and freedom that he himself stood amaLed at the e6tent of his empire in men's hearts& 1uddha 3a a( as it was now the last( had also been the first( of the hol places he had set out to visit& ,nd it had been in Varanasi( some few ears back (when he was an unknown monk)( that he had said farewell to one( with the words( F)ill that da when + fall& on societ like a thunderbolt + shall visit this place no moreGF /r& Okakura( as we alread know( was head of the 5ommittee for the Restoration of Old )emples& +t was owing to his efforts that the !apanese 3overnment in those da s gave annuall ">%(%%% en ($;>(%%%) for restoring old temples& +n a recent article entitled F!apan's Fight for 0and at /ahabodhi )emple( 3a aF( published in Amrita .a5ar &atrika of !une 8( "#;8( /r& :alipada 1iswas writes of /r& Okakura's mission as follows2 )he third stage of the movement to secure control over the management of the /ahabodhi )emple b the !apanese 1uddhist OrganiLation on behalf on the .orld 1uddhists came in "#%"B%7 when the famous !apanese scholar( artist( and radical thinker )enshin Okakura( first in the compan HofI Swami Vivekananda and ne6t with Surendranath )agore( reopened negotiations( with the /ahanta for a plot of about 7 to @ bighas of land near the /ahabodhi )emple to build a !apanese restBhouse for the pilgrims& )he /ahanta and the district

877 officials were b this time sufficientl alerted and though the parties were welcomed and well received b the /ahanta and his men( their /ission was a failure& +d the Swami's part was one Shri 'areshchandra 3hosh( who had the opportunit of serving the Swami during the last stage of the latter's life& Recalling the visit to 1uddha 3a a and Varanasi this devotee said2 " accompanied the Swami*i's part to 1uddha 3a a& +t is not possible to describe the *o ( which&" feel even now& Okakura had come from !apan( and Swami went with him to show 1uddha 3a a& /iss /ac0cod was with us& :anai /ahara* HSwami 'irbha anandaI was the chief attendant to Swami*i& 9is helpmates were 'eda and m self& +n those da s to go to 3a a from 9owrah( one had to change at 1ankipur& .e reached 1ankipur in the morning H!anuar 7$I& +mmediatel we boarded the train for 3a a( where we reached within two or three hours& Okakura had a letter from the then Vicero ( 0ord 5urLon( with him( and a telegram was sent in advance& ,s a result( at 3a a station some 3overnment officers had conic to receive the part & )he ver cordiall welcomed the part and made arrangements for our sta at the dak bungalows&&&& Swami*i went to see the VishnuBpadaBpadma& )hen after finishing the breakfast in the morning Hof !anuar 7#" all went to visit 1uddha 3a a in horse carriages& .e reached there about "% to "" a&m& )he temple gate was in front of the /ahanta's house& Our carriage stopped in front of it&&&& )he /ahanta then was a oung man of 7$ to @%& 9e came to receive the Swami along with his disciples&&&& ,s soon as Swami*i got down from the carriage( the /ahanta /ahara* prostrated before him& )hen the whole part went inside& First Swami*i( then /iss /ac0eod( Okakura( and others followed&&&& +mmediatel arrangements were made for Swami*i's sta in a big house( and the /ahanta instructed his disciples to suppl whatever Swami*i would need&&&& Separate arrangement was made for /iss /ac0eod and Okakura in the same house& )he /ahanta /ahara* used to have discussions with the Swami for about two hours dail ( either in the morning or in the afternoon( on various religious sub*ects&&&& .e sta ed at 1uddha 3a a for about a week& Swami*i would visit the temple dail ( and e6plain to us the architecture and the historicit

87@ of each image& +n the northwestern corner of the house there was an image of 1uddha from !apan& )he e6pressions on its face and mode of sitting was much like Swami*i's&&&& One da we went to see the caves some miles awa &&&& )here( arrangements were made for tea and other things& ,fter taking some refreshments and rest( Swami*i climbed up to see the caves on the hills& )hree or four caves were ver marvellous& 1eautiful images were carved on the walls inside& 0ong ago monks used to meditate there& .e returned from there b evening&&&& From 3a a we went to 1enares Hnow VaranasiI& /ac0eod returned to 5alcutta &&&&&& )he Swami reached 1uddha 3a a on his birthda & +n this connection /iss /ac0eod was to write to /ar 9ale on !ul "%( "#%72 FOn his fortieth Hactuall thirt BninthI birthda ( !anuar 7#( he arrived at 1uddha 3a a( where we sta ed for a week together& 9e alwa s said he would die at fort & )here can be no mistake( but anguish has come to sta &F .hen she wrote this letter( !oe( as the Swami affectionatel called her( had learned b telegram that he had passed awa on !ul = ? her FanguishF being caused b that event& ,fter about a week's sta at 1uddha 3a a( the Swami( with /r& Okakura( Swamis 'irbha ananda and 1odhananda( 'adu and 3our ('areshchandra 3hosh)( left 3a a b train and reached Varanasi the same da in the evening& ,t Varanasi station the were received b a crowd of about five hundred people( led b !aminiran*an /a*umdar and 5harubabu (later Swami Shubhananda)& )he offered garlands to the Swami and /r& Okakura on arrival& Swamis Shivananda and 'iran*anananda were then at Varanasi( and the latter had made arrangements for the Swami's sta at the 3opallal Villa( or FSoudhavasF& )his had a big compound and a fine garden& )he Swami was hoping that the dr climate of Varanasi would make for an improvement in his health& From Varanasi the Swami wrote to /iss /ac0eod on Februar ;2 .e have safel reached 1enares( and /r& Okakura has alread done 1enares& 9e goes to see Sarnath (the old 1uddhistic place) toda

87= and starts on his tour tomorrow& 9e has asked 'iran*an (Swami 'iran*anananda) to accompan him( and he has consented&&&& + hope 'ivedita and /rs& 1ull have safel arrived Hat 5alcuttaI& + am rather better than at 1uddha 3a a& )he house is nice and well furnished( and has a good man rooms and parlours& )here is a big garden all around and beautiful roses and gigantic trees& +t is rather cooler than at 3a a& )here was no hitch to our friend's being admitted into the chief temple or to touching the Sign of Shiva( and worship& )he 1uddhists( it seems( are alwa s admitted& .ith all love and welcome to /rs& 1ull and 'ivedita if the have arrived and all to ou& +n Varanasi the Swami war( as usual the centre of attraction for man people& )he /ahantas and orthodo6 pandits who met him' became his admirers( in spite of his sweeping ideas on 9indu culture and its restoration( and in spite of the fact that he had crossed the seas& 9e met here the /ahara*a of 1hinga( who begged him to establish a monaster of the Order in the 9ol 5it ( offering him mone for its maintenance for one ear and assuring him of his further support& )he Swami promised to do soE and on his return to 5alcutta he sent Swami Shivananda with a disciple to open an ,shrama there& /an times he went for an afternoon trip on the 3anga( and on a few occasions( when health permitted( he bathed in its waters( and then( like an ordinar devotee( visited the temples( particularl that of Vishwanath& 9e also kept in touch with affairs in 5alcutta and in his +ndian centres elsewhere& 9e was at the time giving much thought to the place of 1uddhism in the +ndian historical and archaeological perspective( as his letter of Februar @ shows2 / dear Swarupananda( & & & +n answer to 5haru's letter( tell him to stud the .rahma/Sutras himself& .hat does he mean b the .rahma/Sutras containing references to 1uddhismM 9e means the 1hash as HcommentariesI( of course( or rather ought to meanE and Shankara was onl the last 1hash akara HcommentatorI& )here are references though in 1uddhistic literature to Vedanta and the /aha ana school of 1uddhism is even ,dvaitistic& .h does ,mara Singha( a 1uddhist( give as one of the names of 1uddha ',dva avadi'M 5haru writes( the word

87> 1rahman does not occur in the 4panishadsG Iue''e ,Jtise Hwhat nonsenseI + " hold the /aha ana to he the older of the two schools of 1uddhism& )he theor of /a a is as old as the %ik Samhita* The Shvetasvatara G-anishad contains the word F/a aF which is developed out of -rakriti& + hold that 4panishad to be at least older than 1uddhism& " have had much light of late about 1uddhism( and + am read to prove that (") ShivaBworship( in various& forms( antedated the 1uddhists( that the 1uddhists tried to get hold of the sacred places of the Shaivas( but failing in that( made new places in the precincts( *ust as ou find now at 1uddha 3a a and Sarnath (Varanasi)& (7) )he stor in the A ni/&urana a,out 0a$asura does not refer to 1uddha at all ? as <r& Ra*endralal will have it ? but simpl to a preBe6isting stor & (@) )hat 1uddha went to live on 3a ashirsha mountain proves the preBe6istence of that place& (=) 3a a was a place of ancestorBworship alread ( and the footprintBworship the 1uddhists copied from the 9indus& (>) ,bout Varanasi( even the oldest records go to prove it as the great place of ShivaBworship( etc& /an are the new facts + have gathered in 1uddha 3a a and from 1uddhist literature& )ell 5haru to read for himself( and not be swa ed b foolish opinions&&&& , total revolution has occurred in m mind about the relation of 1uddhism and 'eoB9induism& + ma not live to work out the glimpses( but + shall leave the lines of work indicated( and ou and our brethren will have to work it out& +nspired b the Swami's teachings( several oung 1engalis at Varanasi( under the leadership of 5haruchandra <as (afterwards Swami Shubhananda)( :edarnath /aulik (later Swami ,bhedananda)( and !aminiran*an /a*umdar( had formed themselves into a band towards the middle of !une "#%%& )heir ob*ect was to serve suffering pilgrims( who gather in thousands in that sacred cit & )he rented a small house and endeavoured with their limited means to provide proper food( shelter( and medical aid to destitute pilgrims( helpless widows( and aged persons l ing ill on the streets and ghats of the cit & )he had named their institution F-oor /en's Relief ,ssociationF& )he

878 worked with a Leal and spirit of selfBsacrifice that recalled the da s of St& Francis of ,ssisi& )he Swami was delighted with the work the were doing and was proud of them& FAou have the true spirit( m bo s(F he said( Fand ou have alwa s m love and blessingsG 3o on bravel E never mind our povert E mone will comeE a great thing will grow of it surpassing our fondest hopesGF So as to fit in with the new outlook inculcated b the Swami( the association was renamed F)he Ramakrishna 9ome of ServiceF at his wish& 9e himself wrote an appeal to accompan their first report& ,t that time Shri 'arasimha 5hintaman :elkar( Editor of the #ahratta of -oona (now -une)( was at Varanasi& One evening he came to see the Swami& )he latter was l ing ill on his bed& Shri :elkar humbl saluted and took his scat on the carpet spread on the floor& )he talked in English& ,s the talk became more and more serious( the Swami sat up on his bed& 9is voice graduall changed from mild to loud& )he sub*ect was the social( political( and economic development of +ndia& Feeling pained at heart he said( F.hat is the use of living longer to see such a degraded( and poor state of the +ndians& )he are undergoing the troubles of hell at ever moment( somehow the are passing their da s simpl b saving their life& )he are da and night bearing the pangs of hunger( humilit ( and miser & )he are as if burning da and night in the fire of hellBdeath would be far better than all this&F 'o good would come of imitating the .esterners' political n@ethodsE but( if the traditional culture of +ndia could be revived( something could be achieved& +ndia had alwa s effected( her social and other development through religion& )he Swami's wa of thinking on these matters was new& +t was his own& +n later ears( when Shri :elkar spoke at Ferguson 5ollege( -oona( on !ul "#( "#@>( he said2 F+f + compare Shri Ramakrishna to a uniDue and brilliant torchlight( + would like to call Vivekananda one who set the whole humanit on fire with the help of this torch&F Such was his regard for the Swami& /an incidents that took place during the Swami's short

87; sta at Varanasi have come to light( but we shall have to confine ourselves to a few& Some of them we learn of from Shri 'areshchandra 3hosh's reminiscences( as following2 , few da s after coming to Varanasi( Okakura wore dhoti and a silk turban at the instance of the Swami& -eople would take him to he a person from the ro al household of 'epal& )hen Swami*i sent him with that dress to visit the Vishwanath temple& ,bout fifteen to twent people accompanied him& Swami*i did not go with him& )he part went to the temple in four or five horseBcarriages&&&& 1haktara* and a few others wanted to take initiation from the Swami& )he were initiated in one of the rooms of the same gardenBhouse on an auspicious da & On this da + saw Swami*i in a high spiritual state( as if into6icated&&&& <uring this period big pandits and sann asis of Varanasi would come to the Swami for discussing the scriptures&&&& Shivanath Hor ShivanandaI -andit used to have discussions with him for five to si6 hours dail & )he son of -ramadadas /itra Hnamed :alidas /itraI also visited him often&&&& .hile the Swami was at Varanasi( /rs& Ole 1ull and Sister 'ivedita arrived in 5alcutta via /adras( sometime in the first week of Februar & /iss /ac0eod( who had accompanied the Swami to 1uddha 3a a( had left his part to receive them in 5alcutta& )he sta ed at the ,merican 5onsulate& From Varanasi the Swami wrote to /rs& 1ull on Februar "%2 .elcome to +ndia once more( dear mother H/rs& 1ullI and daughter H'iveditaI&&&& + hope ou are resting well after our long *ourne ( and so is 'ivedita& + wish it so much that ou should go for a few hours to a few villages west of 5alcutta to see the old 1engali structures made of wood( bamboo( cane. mica( and grass& )hese are the bungalows( most artistic& ,lasG the name is travestied nowada s b ever pigst appropriating the name&&&& 1rahmananda will arrange for it( and ou have onl to take a *ourne of a few hours& /r& Okakura has started on his short tour& 9e intends to visit ,gra( 3walior( ,*anta( Ellora( 5hittore( 4daipur( !aipur( and <elhi( &&& 'iran*an has gone with Okakura( and as he is a !apanese( the don't ob*ect to his going into an temple&&&& )he allowed him to touch the sign of Shiva and worship&&& &()he 1uddhists are not considered nonB9indus in an of our great temples&&&&

87$ ,nd to Sister 'ivedita( the Swami wrote on the "7th2 Over*o ed to receive our letter( more so that ou come with unimpaired will and recuperated health& +n a previous letter( + have written ou what little + had to suggest&&&& + recommend ou none ? not one?e6cept 1rahmananda& )hat FOld man'sF HShri Ramakrishna'sI *udgements never failed ? mine alwa s do& +f ou have to ask m advice or to get an bod to do our business( 1rahmananda is the onl one + recommend( none else( none else&& with this m conscience is clear& <o *ust as the F/otherF directs& + would help ou if + could( but + am onl a bundle of rags and with onl one e e at thatE but ou have all m blessings?all ? and more if + had& ,ll m powers come unto ou ? ma /other 9erself be our hands and mind& +t is immense power( irresistible( that + pra for ou( and if possible along with it infinite peace&&&& +f there was an truth in Shri Ramakrishna( ma 9e take ou into 9is leading( even as 9e did me( na a thousand times more& ,t Varanasi the Swami's health did not improveE rather it graduall became worse& Once he became seriousl ill( and three attendants had to fan him continuousl b turns at night& 9e would sa to Swami Shivananda2 F9ow long can we keep the sick bod b patching up like thisM ,nd even if + pass awa 'ivedita and Shashi HRamakrishnanandaI and others will keep m word& )he will do )hakur's HShri RamakrishnaRs work till the end of their lifeE the won't waver in an case& / all hopes rest in them&F +n his letter to Sister 'ivedita from Varanasi on /arch =( the Swami wrote in the same vein2 +t is night now( and + can hardl sit up or write& Aet still feel dut bound to write to ou this letter( fearing lest it becomes m last( it ma put others to troubles& / condition is not at all serious( but it ma become an time( and + don't know what is meant b a low fever( that almost never leaves me( and the difficult of breathing& .ell( + sent 5hristina V"%% from /rs& Sevier for a travel to +ndia( as she lost her mother at that time& 9er last letter inform me that she sails on Februar ">&th& +n that case her reaching +ndia is ver near& + e6pect of course some information as to the port and steamer

87# ne6t week& +n case + pass awa ( which + would like ver much to do in this cit of Shiva( do ou open her letters directed to me( receive the girl( and send her home back& +f she has no mone to go back( give her a passage( even if ou have to beg& " have spent the little mone + brought from Europe in feeding m mother and pa ing her debtsE what little remains( + cannot touch( as that is the e6pense for the pending lawsuit&&&& Ramakrishnananda came a few weeks before + came awa ( and the first thing he did was to la down at m feet Rs& =%% he had collected in so man ears of hard workGGG +t was the first time such a thing had happened in m life& + can scarcel suppress m tears& Oh /otherGG /otherGG )here is not all gratitude( all( love( all manliness deadGGG ,nd( dear child( one is enough ? one seed is enough to reforest the world& .ell( that mone is in deposit in the /ath& + never meant to touch a penn of that&&&& .ell( if + pass awa ( see that Rs& =%% is paid back ever ( rupee to him& 0ord bless ou and Ramakrishnananda& + am Duite satisfied with m work& to have left two true souls is be ond the ambition of the greatest& Ever our loving father( Vivekananda <espite bad health& the sta of about a month in Varanasi was a pleasant one for the Swami& ,mid the temples and sadhus of the sacred cit he felt himself to be dwelling in the Spirit& On /arch $( he returned to 1elur /ath with Swamis Shivananda( 'iran*anananda( and others( to take part in the birth anniversar of Shri Ramakrishna( which fell that ear on /arch ""& ,ccording to 9ori's diar ( however( the Swami and part reached the /ath on /arch ;( and on the #th /r& Okakura came to see him& )his means that /r& Okakura had completed his tour b this time& From Sister 'iveditaRs letters we know that he was at the ,merican 5onsulate as the guest of /iss /ac0cod& /rs& Ole 1ull was also sta ing there till she left 5alcutta on ,pril ";& +n the second week of Februar ( /iss /ac0cod had left 5alcutta and perhaps *oined /r& Okakura's part to see such places of historical and architectural importance as Sanchi( ,*anta( and so on& She appears to have

8@% returned to 5alcutta along with /r& Okakura( for she was one of the part ( which included /rs& 1ull and 'ivedita( that visited 1elur /ath on /arch 77& )here were times when the Swami finding his bod becoming more and more incapable of work( would feel de*ected( since onl a few workers had come forward to help him& 9is hope la in gathering together a number of intelligent oung men( who would renounce ever thing for the welfare of others( who would la down their lives in working out his ideas for their own good and for that of their countr & 9e used to sa that( if he could get ten or twelve ouths fired with a faith like that of 'achiketa( he could turn the whole current of thought and aspiration of his countr into a new channel& Speaking of this one da to Sharatchandra( he suddenl e6claimed2 F:eeping before ou the national ideal of renunciation which comes of devotion to the 0ord( ou have to work fearlessl with the strength of a lion( heedless of the fruits of action and without caring for criticism 0et /ahavira be our ideal& See how( with unbounded faith in the name of Rama( he ? the prince of the selfBcontrolled ones( wise and sagacious ? crossed the ocean in one bound( def ing deathG Aou have to mould our lives after that high ideal( thinking ourselves the servants of the 0ord&F 9e condemned all weakening ideals in all departments of life including religion( and advocated the practical e6pression of the loftiness of spirit that is the mark of heroism& FOnl b following such an ideal of manliness can we ensure the welfare of our motherland&&&& 1ut( mind ou( never for a moment swerve an inch from the path of righteousness& 'ever let weakness overcome ou&F Speaking in this strain the Swami came downstairs an sat on the canvas cot under the mango tree in the court ard( facing west( as he often did& 9is e es .ere luminous&' his whole frame seemed alive with some strange spiritual consciousness& -ointing to the sann asis and 1rahmacharis about him( he e6Bclaimed2 F,nd where will ou go to seek 1rahmanM 9e is immanent in all beings& 9ere( here is the visible 1rahmanG Shame on these who( disregarding the visible 1rahman( set

8@" their minds on other thingsG 9ere is the 1rahman before ou as tangible as a fruit in our handG 5an't ou seeG 9ere ? here ? here is the 1rahmanGF 9e spoke these words in such an inspiring wa that over all present there came the peace and insight of deep meditation& )he stood like marble statues( so motionless and hushed& in silence had the becomeG Swami -remananda( after his bath in the 3anga( was on his wa to the shrine for worship& 9earing the words of his brotherBmonk he fell into a state of absorption and became motionless& ,fter a Duarter of an hour the Swami said to him( F'ow go for worship&F )hen onl did -remananda regain normal consciousness& )hat scene was unforgettable& Ever one in the monaster was struck with amaLement at the power of the beloved 0eader who( with a word( could raise the minds of all present to the heights of Supreme +nsight& )he public celebration of the birthda of Shri Ramakrishna was on /arch "8E but the Swami could not leave his room& For some da s previous he had been confined to his bed& 9is feet were swollen( and he was almost unable to walk& 3loom was cast over the celebration b the announcement that his malad had taken a serious turn& )he thousands who had come were greatl disappointed( for the had hoped to see and hear him& +n the morning he thought several times of making a public appearanceE but he found that even the few visitors who had come to him in the earl part of the da had tired him& So he decided to rest( and asked Swami 'iran*anananda to keep guard and permit no one to enter his room& )he brotherBdisciple did as he was asked& Onl one la disciple attended on the Swami& Seeing the latter's state of health( the disciple was much affected& )he Swami understood his feelings and said2 F.hat is the use of giving( wa to sorrow( m bo M )his bod was born( and it will die& +f + have been able to instil into ou all( even to a small degree( some of m ideas( then + shall know that + have not lived m life in vainG ,lwa s remember that renunciation is& the root idea& 4nless initiated into this idea( not even 1rahma and the .orldB3ods have the power to attain /ukti&F

8@7 9e then became deepl absorbed in thought& ,fter a while he observed& F+ think that it will be better if( from now on( the anniversar is celebrated in a different wa & )he celebration should e6tend to four or five da s instead of one& On the first da ( there ma he stud and interpretation of the scripturesE on the second( discussion on the Vedas and the Vedanta( and solution of problems in connection with themE on the third da ( there ma be a Duestion classE the fourth da ma be fi6ed for lecturesE and on the last da there will be a festival on the present lines&F .hen the Sankirtana parties arrived( he stood b the window facing south( supporting himself against its iron bars( and gaLed lovingl on the assembled thousands& ,fter a few minutes he had to sit down( since he was too weak to stand& 9e then spoke to the disciple on the realiLation of the Self which comes of devotion to the 0ord born as a worldBteacher from time to time& 9e also talked on the ? glor of the ,vatars( the +ncarnations of 3od( who are able to give /ukti to millions of souls in one life b dispelling their ignorance& 9e gave a beautiful e6planation of what is meant b grace& 9e said2 F9e who has realiLed the ,tman becomes a storeBhouse of great power& From him as the centre( and within a certain radius( emanates a spiritual force( and all those who come within this circle become animated with his ideas and are overwhelmed b them& )hus without much religious striving the inherit the results of his wonderful spiritualit & )his is grace&F F1lessed are thoseF( he continued( Fwho have seen Shri Ramakrishna& ,ll of ou also will get his vision& .hen ou have come here( ou are ver near to him& 'obod has been able to understand who came on earth as Shri Ramakrishna& Even his own nearest devotees have got no real clue to it& Onl some have got an inkling of it& ,ll will understand it in time&F 'Off and on during the last ear and a half of his life the Swami was under strict medical orders& .hen he( returned from Varanasi to be present at the festival *ust mentioned( and to take up again( as he hoped( his work of personal training

8@@ and teaching( his health suffered a serious relapse( as we have seen& ,t the earnest entreat of Swami 'iran*anananda( in which all the monks *oined( he agreed to place himself under the treatment of an , urvedic practitioner( the wellBknown :avira* /ahananda Sen 3upta of 5alcutta& )he treatment was rigorous2 he was not allowed to drink water or take salt& )hese instructions the Swami adhered to faithfull & Firstl ( because he loved to feel the response of the bod to the will( to realiLe his own command over itE secondl ( because he felt that he should abide b the wishes of his monastic brothersE and lastl ( for the sake of the work that was constantl opening up before him& For all these reasons he was read to give a trial to this or an other 5ourse of treatment( though he was not himself ver hopeful& +n loving humilit he said to someone( FAou see( + am simpl obe ing the orders of m brothers& + could riot disregard their reDuestE the love me so dearl GF One disciple asked him( FSwami*i( how is it that in spite of the severe heat of the summer( ou can refrain from drinking water( when ou were in the habit of drinking it hourl throughout the da MF )he Swami replied( F.hen + decided to begin the treatment ' + imposed this vow upon m self( and now the water will not go down m throat& For twent Bone da s + have refrained from water( and now( in rinsing out m mouth( + find that the muscles of m throat close of their own accord against the passage of a single drop& )he bod is onl a servant of the mind& .hat the mind dictates the bod will have to carr out&F ,fter a few da s of , urvedic treatment( he was able to sa to his brotherBmonks( F'ow + do not even think of water& + do not miss it at allGF 9e was over*o ed to find that( in spite of ph sical weakness and broken health( his strength of will remained& ,fter more than two months' use of the , urvedic medicines( he felt greatl benefited& +n spite of a ver spare diet( ver little sleep( and the severe restrictions imposed on him b the treatment( the natural glow of his countenance and the lustre of his e es were undiminished( and he knew no respite from his labours& Shortl before beginning the treatment he had begun reading the

8@= newl Bpublished edition of the <nc$c'o-aedia .ritannica* 9is disciple( Sharatchandra 5hakravarti( seeing one da those twent Bfive large volumes( remarked( F+t is difficult to master the contents of so man volumes in one life&F 9e did not know at the time that the Swami had alread finished ten volumes and was reading the eleventh& F.hat do ou meanMF said the Swami& F,sk me whatever ou like from these ten volumes and + can tell ou all about it&F )he disciple( out of curiosit ( brought down the books and asked him man Duestions on difficult sub*ects( selecting one or two from ever volume& 'ot onl did the Swami answer the Duestions displa ing a vast amount of even technical knowledge( but in man instances he Duoted the ver language of the booksG )he disciple was astounded at the e6traordinar grasp and memor of his guru( and e6claimed( F)his is be ond the power of manGF )he Swami then told him that there was nothing miraculous about itE that( if one observed the strictest 1rahmachar a( one could retain and reproduce e6actl what one had heard or read but once( even if ears ago& FFor the lack of this 1rahmachar a(F he added( _ewe as a nation are becoming poorer and poorer in strength and intellect( and are losing our manhood&F ,fter a while the Swami went on to e6plain to the disciple( most lucidl and convincingl ( the arguments advanced and conclusions arrived at b the different s stems of 9indu philosoph & .hile the talk was going on( Swami 1rahmananda came in and said to the disciple( F9ow inconsiderate ou areG Swami*i is unwell( and ou( instead of humouring him with light talk( as + told ou to( are tiring him out b making him speak on these abstruse sub*ectsGF )he disciple was abashed& 1ut the Swami said to the brotherBdisciple( F.ho cares for our medical restrictions and all thatG )he are m sonsE if in giving them instruction m bod wears out( who cares a straw for thatGF )he conversation afterwards turned to the sub*ect of the 1engali poets& )he Swami was ver severe on 1harat 5handra( one of the older 1engali poets(( and praised /ichael /adhusudan <utta's #e hanadavadha :av$a as the greatest poetic

8@> work in 1engali literature( adding that it was difficult to find another epic poem in the whole of modern European literature to match it& F,nd( do ou knowF( he said in conclusion( Fwhat portion of it + regard as the poet's greatest creationM +t is the scene in which +ndra*it has been slain in battle( and /andodari the Dueen of :ing Ravana( stricken with sorrow at the loss of her valiant son( is imploring her husband to desist from battleE but Ravana( burning with pride( anger( and revenge( like the great here that he is( casting from his heart all grief for his dead son( and without thought for the fate of his Dueen and other sons( is read to go forth to battle& '5ome what ma ( let the universe remain or he broken to fragments( + will not forget m dut G' ? these are the words of a might heroGF )hen he asked the disciple to bring the book from the /ath librar ( and read aloud that portion in a thrilling manner& ,nother morning( talking with the same disciple( he raised the Duestion of establishing the /ath( so much desired b him( for women( somewhere near 5alcutta( on the bank of the 3anga& +t was to be on the same lines as that for men( with the 9ol /other as its central figure and guiding spirit& 1rahmacharinis and women teachers would be trained there to work for the regeneration of their se6 in +ndia& +n a long enthusiastic talk he spoke in detail of his ideas about the convent( the means and methods of its action( the urgent need to start centres all over the countr for the education of +ndian women on national lines( and the great results that would come of such work in time& )hroughout "#%"( and even up to the time of his passing awa in "#%7( the Swami was eager to receive friends and visitors and instruct his disciples( despite the wish of his monastic brothers that he take restE for( in the matter of teaching done b him( he opposed attempts to set limits to it& For that( ever thing must be sacrificed( even the bod itself& Sometimes( hearing of earnest seekers who had been refused admission to his presence( he would be so moved with s mpath that he would sa 2 F0ook hereG what good is this bod G 0et it go in helping others& <id not the /aster preach till the ver endM

8@8 Shall + not do the sameM + do not care a straw if the bod goesG Aou cannot imagine how happ + am when + find earnest seekers after truth to talk to& +n the work of waking up the ,tman in m fellowBmen + shall gladl die again and againGF )o come back to events in the last months of the Swami's life& On /arch 7"( "#%7 Sister 'ivedita lectured at the 5lassic )heatre 9all on F)he 9indu /ind in /odern ScienceF& *ustice Saradacharan /itter was in the chair& )he lecture was a grand success& On /arch 7#( work on the foundation of the river embankment started at the instance of the Swami& )he embankment was necessar because the water of the 3anga used to enter the /ath compound at high tide and make it mudd & On /arch @%( at + p&m&( worship was done in connection with the embankment work& )his was according to 9indu custom& On ,pril 7 the Rev& Oda( the abbot of a 1uddhist monaster in !apan( arrived in 5alcutta and sta ed as the guest of /iss /ac0eod at the ,merican 5onsulate& On the same da ( he went with /r& Okakura to the /ath to see the Swami( and dined there& )he Rev& Oda said to the Swami2 F+f such a distinguished person as ou take part in the 5ongress Hof Religions to be held in !apanI( it will be a success& Aou must come and help us& !apan stands in need of a religious awakening( and we do not know of an one else who can bring about this much desired consummation&F )he Swami( seeing his and Okakura's sincerit ( became enthusiastic and e6pressed consent& )hough his health was ver bad at the time( he did not mind( so long as he could be of service to humanit & On ,pril "# /r& Okakura and the Rev& Oda left for 1uddha 3a a( and Swami Saradananda followed them a little later& )he part was to go to 'epal as wellE but to get their passports the had to return to 5alcutta( which the did on ,pril 7$& 9owever( the visit to 'epal did not come off( since the Rev& Oda left for !apan on /a "( to see to further plans for the 5ongress of Religions& /r& Okakura remained in +ndia till October "#%7& +n /a ( as we shall see( he went to /a avati

8@; for a few da s( and then returned to 5alcutta& 9ori remained at the /ath stud ing Sanskrit( till he fell ill in the summer& On !une "% Shri Surendranath )agore had him moved to Shantiniketan& 9e onl learnt of the Swami's death several da s after it happened& 1 the end of /arch( 5hristine 3reenstidel had arrived in 1omba & )he Swami welcomed her in his letter of /arch @%2 FAou know how welcome ou are ? " need not e6press it&&&& come over straightE onl take great great HcareI of the heat b protecting( the back of the head&&&& +f ou feel tired( take rest in 1omba & /rs& 1ull( !oe H/iss /ac0codI( and /argot H'iveditaI are an6iousl awaiting ou( and so is Vivekananda&F On ,pril ; 5hristine reached 5alcutta& She sta ed with other .estern disciples at the ,merican 5onsulate& 'e6t morning she went to see the Swami at the /ath with /rs& 1ull( and was there for the whole da & .hile she was in 5alcutta( till she left for /a avati( she often visited the /ath& On ,pril "# 'ivedita wrote about her to /iss /ac0eod( then at /a avati( as follows2 F5hristine is be ond wordsB soothing( gracious( lovel & + think we ma come to /a avati together &&& ,nd + feel that it is ver possibl her destin to remain in the 9imala as a ear or so ? meditating& + should think that will prove to be her power& 9er character is radiantl beautiful& Of course + wish + could have her to live with meGF Sometime in the first week of ,pril( !osephine /ac0cod left 5alcutta for /a avati& )he Swami wrote to her on ,pril 7( with instructions about the *ourne 2 J)he telegraph is alread gone &&& )he dak bungalows en route to /a avati provide no food( nor have the cooks& -rovisions have to be taken at :athgodam and arrangements made& +f ou find an difficult ( go straight to ,lmora and make our arrangements at leisure& O& + like /r& Oda much he means business& & & &K From the /a avati diar it is learnt that /iss /ac0eod( accompanied b 0ala 3angi Sah( reached /a avati on ,pril ; ("#%7)( and left on the 7%th& Recalling her meetings with the Swami at the /ath before she went to /a avati( /iss /ac0cod wrote later2

8@$ One da in ,pril ""#%7" he said( F+ have nothing in the world& + haven't a penn to m self& + have given awa ever thing that has ever been given to me&F + said( FSwami( + will give ou fift dollars a month as long as ou live&F 9e thought a minute and then he said( F5an + live on thatMF FAes( % esF( + said( Fbut perhaps ou cannot have cream&F + gave him then two hundred dollars( but before the four months were pawed he had gone& ,t 1elur /ath one da ( while Sister 'ivedita was distributing priLes for some athletics( + was standing in Swami*i's bedroom at the /ath( at the window( watching( and he said to me( F+ shall never see fort &F "( knowing he was thirt Bnine( said to him( F1ut Swami( 1uddha did not do his great work until between fort and eight &F 1ut he said( F+ delivered m message and + must go&F + asked( F.h goMF and he said( F)he shadow of a big tree will not let the smaller trees grow up& + must go to make room&F ,fterwards + went again to the 9imala as& + did not see Swami again &&& On /a >( /r& Okakura( 'ivedita( 5hristine( Sadananda( /iss 1ett( Suren( and :alu left for /a avati in the evening& Swami Saradananda saw them off& Swami*i bore all the travelling e6penses for 5hristine& From the /a avati diar it is known that 5hristine( Swami Sadananda( Suren( and 3angi Sah reached there on /a "%E while Sister 'ivedita( /r& Okakura( and his two servants arrived on /a "@& ,fter a short sta at /a avati Okakura and his servants left on /a 7%& Sister 'ivedita sta ed there up to !une 7%( and then returned to 5alcutta& Especiall from the earl part of /arch "#%7 until his passing awa ( the Swami was bus in man wa s& 9e did not mind even his illness when he was bent upon doing something& Even to the last da he himself conducted numerous scriptural and Duestion classes at the monaster ( and often the 1rahmacharis and even his own brotherBdisciples came to him for spiritual advice& 9e would e6plain the various methods of meditation( and train those who were backward in it& 9e spent hours in answering correspondence( or in reading( or making notes on 9indu philosoph or +ndian histor for publicationE for recreation he would sing or discourse with his brotherB monks giving himself up to fun and merriment& Oftentimes( in

8@# the midst of his talks( his face would assume a dream farBawa look( and then all would leave him( knowing that he wished to he alone with his thoughts& )he Swami's e e saw ever thing that went on in the monaster ( and he was ver strict during these da s in enforcing discipline& 9e insisted upon thorough cleanlinessE when he found the floor covered with dust because of the servants' illness( he himself would sweep it( in order to teach the disciples the necessit of cleanliness( and would not surrender the broom to them& 9e would e6amine the beds and see that the were properl cared for and aired& +f he found an carelessness in that respect( his reprimand was most severe& ,nd once when 1agha( the /ath dog( polluted the water brought for the -u*a through the gross carelessness of one of the *unior members( he was greatl ve6ed& 9e insisted that the classes on the Vedas and the -uranas be held regularl & 9e allowed none of the members of the Order to rest after the noonda meal( making them commence at once the stud of the -uranas& )he Swami abhorred e6tremes& 9e protested against the elaborate paraphernalia of dail worship at the /ath in the strongest terms and advised his disciples to devote more time to scriptural stud ( religious talks and discussions( as well as to meditation( in order to mould their lives and understand the true spirit of Shri Ramakrishna's teachings( and not waste their time over superfluous and minute details in conducting the worship& 9e felt that the -u*a should be done in the simplest wa with due devotion and fervour( and go hand in hand with meditation and stud ( and not be allowed to take up the whole time of the monks& +n order to enforce this( he introduced the ringing of a bell at appointed hours when the monks had to leave whatever the might be doing to *oin the classes for stud ( discussion( and meditation( and an one failing to do so promptl was severel censured& +ndeed( he was a loving and stern guru loved and feared at the same time b his disciples and brotherBmonks& )hroughout his sta at the 1elur monaster and especiall during the last few months of his life( the Swami used to la great stress on meditation& ,bout three months

8=% before his death( he made a rule that at four o'clock in the morning a handBbell should be rung from room to room to awaken the monks( and that within half an hour all should be gathered in the chapel to meditate& Over and above this( the Swami encouraged his disciples to practise austerities& 1esides formulating a hard and fast dail routine for the monks( he had alread written out( in the earl part of "$#$( a comprehensive set of rules and regulations for the proper guidance of the monastic Order( wherein he had briefl set forth his principal ideas( methods( and lines of work& )his was to form the ideal of the 1rotherhood( and its practical application was to be the sole aim and endeavour of the monks& +n his charge to the disciples he repeatedl pointed out that no monastic order could keep itself pure and retain its original vigour or its power of working for good( without a definite ideal to reach( without rigorous discipline and vows( and without keeping up culture and education within its fold& 9e also pointed out that had it not been for the severe austerities and Sadhanas practised b himself and the 1rotherhood( both during the lifetime of their /aster and after his /ahasamadhi( and had it not been for the /aster's divine life which stood as an e6ample and ideal before them( the could not have achieved what the had done& )hus ever one was bound b routine as regards eating( resting( helping in worship and household duties( stud ( and meditation& )here were also rules which the visitors and the la disciples of Shri Ramakrishna had to observe whenever the were at the monaster ( so that their visits might not interrupt the activities of the monks& For the welfare of the Order he had sometimes to be harsh and severe in enforcing the observance of the dail routine( even though he occasionall incurred displeasure thereb & )he Swami's *o was great when meditation and austerities were in full swing& 9e would sa to his old friends and la disciples2 FSee how the sadhus are practising devotion here& )hat is rightG +n the morning and evening( as Shri Ramakrishna used to sa ( the mind turns naturall ( when trained(

8=" to the highest spiritual thoughts( and it is therefore easier to control and concentrate it at these *unctures& One should therefore tr to meditate then on 3od with undivided attention&F .hat he preached( he practised& .henever his health permitted ? and fortunatel he was comparativel well at this time ? he *oined in the morning meditation in the chapel& 9e used to rise at @ a&m& +n a prominent part of the worshipB room a special scat was spread for him( facing the north& 9e meditated there with the others& 'o one was allowed to leave his scat until the Swami had risen& Oftentimes his meditation would last for more than two hours& )hen he would get up chanting FShivaG ShivaGF and bowing to Shri Ramakrishna he would go downstairs and pace to and from in the court ard( singing a song to the <ivine /other or to Shiva as he walked& 9is presence in the meditationBroom invariabl lent an added& power and intensit to the meditation of those who sat with him& Swami 1rahmananda once remarked( F,hG one at once becomes absorbed if one sits for meditation in compan with 'arenG + do not feel this when + sit alone&F )he da s when the Swami could not *oin in the general meditation( he would make enDuiries as to the attendance& Once( after an absence of man da s( the Swami went into the worshipBroom at a time when the monks should have been meditating& +t so happened that on that particular da man were absent& )he Swami was ve6ed at this lapse( and at once coming down called them all before him& 9e demanded an e6planation( and on receiving no satisfactor answer( passed orders that as penalt none of those absent at the meditation( e6cept two or three who were ill at the time( should be allowed to have meals at the /ath that da & 9e told them to go out for /adhukari 1hiksha( or beg handfuls of rice and other foodBstuff from the villagers and cook for themselves under the trees in the /ath grounds& )he were forbidden to go to their friends in 5alcutta( from whom the might e6pect to have a heart dinner& 9e spared none( not even the greatest of his brotherBdisciples( whom he otherwise treated with a special reverence& +n order to ensure obedience he ordered the one in

8=7 charge of the storeBroom not to suppl cooking materials that da & So most of them were obliged to go out for begging their food& )he Swami( however( could not bear to see his dear ones and those whom he respected begging their food( and he left for 5alcutta on the prete6t of business& 9e returned to the /ath the ne6t da full of love and kindness( and laughed at the Dueer e6periences of some( or the better luck of others( and re*oiced at the warm welcome and the sumptuous feast which some had received from some /arwari merchants of Salkhia( three miles distance from the monaster & +n spite of his illness( the Swami had not forgotten his beloved disciples and friends( who had gone to /a avati& On /a 7; he wrote to 5hristine2 / health( though not improved as much as + wished( is not bad& )he liver has been benefited( is a great gain&&&& + am so happ to learn the mountains are doing ou good& Eat a lot( sleep as much as ou can( and get plump& Stuff ourself till ou get plump or ou burst& So the place did not suit /r& OkakuraE wh M )here must have been something to anno him ver much( that he left the place so abruptl & <id he not like the scener M .as not it sublime enough for him M Or !apanese do not like sublimit at all M )he onl like beaut & & & & 9ow is /argot H'iveditaI M +s she still thereM Or gone awa with /r& OkakuraM& & & ,nd to console his friend /adame Emma 5alve( who had lost her father( the Swami wrote on /a ">2 .ith great sorrow + learn the sad bereavement that has come upon ou& )hese blows must come upon us all& )he are in the nature of things( et the are so hard to bear& )he force of association makes out of this unreal world a realit ( and the longer the compan ( the more real seems the shadow& 1ut the da comes when the unreal goes to the unreal( and oh( how sad to bearG Aet that which is real( the Soul( is ever with us omnipresent ? blessed is the person who has seen the real in this world of vanishing shadows&&&& /a the 0ord alwa s shower 9is choicest blessings on ou( is the everlasting pra er of Vivekananda&

8=@ )he da s passed as though the were hours& .hatever the mood of the Swami( for his brotherBmonks and disciples( his presence was in itself a constant source of *o and inspiration& .hether he was impatient( whether he reprimanded( whether he was e6acting or unreasonable( whether he was the teacher or the meditating sage( whether he was full of mirth or grave ? to his brethren( he was alwa s the ,e'oved F'arenF( and to his disciples( the blessed and incomparable guru& , wellBknown preacher speaking of the Swami in these da s sa s ,t this time he began to feel that he had finished his public work and had delivered to the world the message of his blessed /aster( Shri Ramakrishna& )he ine6haustible energ and power that were working through the form now made him turn his attention to another work( the work of training the disciples and moulding the character of those that had gathered round him( b his living e6ample as well as b his soulBstirring spiritual instructions& Silentl ignoring his worldBwide fame( he lived unostentatiousl in the Duiet monaster on the bank of the 3anga( sometimes pla ing the part of a guru or spiritual teacher( sometimes that of a father( sometimes even that of a schoolBmaster& /anBmaking was now the ideal of our illustrious Swami& 9e held classes on the Vedas and the grammar of -anini( sat in meditation with the monks morning and evening( and received visitors from various parts of +ndia&& & & 9is relation with those who came to him was of the kindliest character& 9is allBembracing love was trul divine& )o the visitors he was a personification of humilit & & & & )hrough a heart weeping at the sight of the suffering and degradation of the illiterate masses of +ndia( through a soul glowing with the fire of disinterested love for humanit ( and through true patriotism and through selfBsacrificing Leal that did not know what fatigue was( he showed to his disciples how a 3odBinspired soul felt and worked for humanit & 0ike a cloud in the rain season that silentl deluges the world with water( he now worked silentl and proved to hit disciples that he was a real worker who felt the universal brotherB hood of man( who did not talk much( who did not make little sects for universal brotherhood( but whose acts( whose whole bod ( whose movements( whose walking( eating( drinking( whose whole life manifested a true brotherhood of mankind( a real love and s mpath for all& 1 preaching Vedanta( b living and moving in Vedanta( b

8== 5osmopolitan charit ( and b the simplicit ( purit ( and holiness of his life( Swami Vivekananda solved the problem of the future of his /otherland b holding before the e es of his disciples( followers( friends( and admirers( na ( before even the whole of +ndia( the ideal of characterBbuilding through the light and spirit of Vedanta&

8=> "0 MAHASAMADHI )he last two months( which the Swami passed on earth( were full of events foreshadowing the approaching end( though at the time these events passed unsuspected b those about him& Ever trifling incident had its portent and a host of associations that throbbed with a peculiarl & significant meaning& Some time after he had returned from Varanasi the Swami greatl desired to see all his sann asi disciples( and wrote to them to visit him( if onl for a short time& )he call went even to those be ond the seas& Some cameE others bus at various centres could not avail themselves of what proved later on to be the last opportunit of seeing their beloved 0eader( to whose cause the had dedicated their whole life and s8ul& ,nd great indeed was to be their sorrow& Oh( if the had but known what the call had meant( the would have left ever thing to respond& ,bout this Sister 'ivedita has written2 F/an of his disciples from distant parts of the world gathered round the Swami on his return to 5alcutta& """ as he looked( there was none( probabl ( who suspected how near the end had come& Aet visits were paid and farewells e6changed that it had needed vo ages half round the world to make&F Strangel enough( as da s passed b ( the Swami felt more and more the necessit of withdrawing himself from the task of directing the affairs of the /ath( in order to give those that were about him a free hand& F9ow oftenF( he said( Fdoes a man ruin his disciples b remaining alwa s with them l .hen men are once trained( it is essential that their leader leave them( for without his absence the cannot develop themselves&F .hen he spoke thus( it invariabl caused pain to those who loved him& )he felt that if he leaves the bod ( it would mean a terrible blow to the work& 1ut there were times now in his deep meditation when the Swami cared for nothing but infinite

8=8 repose& .ork and all other bonds were dropping offE more than ever did he withdraw himself from all outer concerns& /editation became his great occupation& )he /aster and the /other were constantl in his mind& , high spiritual mood had come over him( and he was making read for death& 9is brotherBmonks and disciples became ver an6ious at seeing their beloved 0eader retire into such an atmosphere of austerit and meditation& )heir memor was constantl haunted b the prophec of Shri Ramakrishna that 'aren would merge in 'irvikalpa Samadhi at the end of his work( when he would realiLe who and what he reall was and refuse to remain in the bod & F'ot long before his departure(F writes Sister 'ivedita( Jsome of his brotherBmonks were one da talking over the old da s( and one of them asked him Duite casuall ( '<o ou know et who ou were( Swami*iM' 9is une6pected repl ( 'Aes( + know nowG' awed them into silence( and none dared to Duestion him further&F Ever thing about him in these da s was so deliberate and full of meaning that it seemed strange that no one apprehended the true import& )he must have been deceived b the Swami's cheerful bearing( and b the fact that since the beginning of !une he seemed to have become himself again& On !une 8 the Swami went to 1ara !aguli( a village in the 'adia <istrict of 1engal( at the earnest reDuest of his disciple Srimati /rinalini 1ose( a letter written to whom has been Duoted in the earlier chapter& 9e sta ed at her house for about a week( and returned to the /ath on !une "7& ,bout this *ourne the Swami wrote to 5hristine on !une "=2 F,s for me( + am much stronger than beforeE and when seven miles of *olting in a bullockBcart( and a railwa travel of @= miles( together did not bring back the drops on the feet( + am sure the are not going to return& 1ut an wa ( it is the /ath that suits me most *ust now&F On the same da the Swami wrote about his !apanese friends and ,bha ananda to /rs& 1ull2 + am so so& )he rest are all right& /argot H'iveditaI is in the hills&

8=; Okakura came back to town and is a guest of /r& )agore HSurendranathI& 9e came to the /ath one da ( but + was awa & 9ope to see him soon and learn his ne6t moves& )he abbot HRev& OdaI has not et replied to his proposals& + am sorr & Aoung 9ori had an attack of fever here( came round in a few da s( and has gone with Okakura for a few da s& 9e is liked b ever bod for his religious nature& 9e has great ideas of se6ual purit ( and his ambition is to start a fresh band of monks in !apan conforming strictl to chastit E but in m opinion a race must first cultivate the great respect for /otherhood( through the sanctification and inviolabilit of marriage( before it can attain to the ideal of perfect chastit &&&& + wanted to write man things( but the flesh is weak& /arie 0ouise H,bha anandaI is here( as a follower of 5haitan a& Some rich men( + hear( have taken her up& /a she have plent of mone this timeG F.hosoever worships me for whatsoever desire( + meet him with that&F She wanted mone & /a the 0ord give her a lotG )he Swami must have been pained to learn around this time about the defection of Swami ,bha ananda& ,s earl as /a 78 a news item had appeared about her in the )ndian Nation of 5alcutta2 The &ioneer writes2 F5ertain phases of 9induism seem to possess a peculiar fascination for some ,merican women& One of these was for some time a Vedantist and a follower of Swami Vivekananda( who for a time made a name in 'ew Aork or 5hicago as a preacher of Vedantic 9induism( but she has now changed her faith and gone over to another 9indu sect( the sect of EnglishBeducated Vaishnavas in 1engal( who own the leadership of 1abu Shishirkumar 3hose& )his lad HSwami ,bha anandaI is reported to be coming out shortl to +ndia to work as a missionar of 'eoBVaishnavism&F From Swami 1rahmananda's diar we learn that /r& Sakharam 3anesh <euskar( the SubBeditor of the Hitavadi, 5alcutta( visited the /ath on !une "> in the afternoon and reDuested the Swami to preside over a meeting( but he declined due to his bad health& 'ivedita( now an6ious to start her school( left /a avati for 5alcutta on !une 7%& 1 this time a house had been secured

8=$ for her at "; 1osepara 0ane of 1aghbaLar( 5alcutta& 5hristine also wished to go with 'ivedita to 5alcutta and help her in the workE but the Swami had written to her on !une ">2 F+ will he ver an6ious if ou are in 5alcutta at 1aghbaLar& + am slowl recovering& Sta with /rs& Sevier as long as ou can& <on't come down with /argot&F ,nd a week later he again wrote to her2 FAou have not the least cause to he an6ious& + am getting on an how( and am Duite strong& ,s to diet + find + have to restrict m self( and not follow the prescription of m doctor to cat an thing + like& )he pills continue however&&&& 'o an6iet on the score of /arie 0ouisRs H,bha ananda'sI arrival in 5alcutta& She has not et made an noise& )hings go on the same& + am tr ing to go to /ongh r( a place near to 5alcutta and said to he ver salubriant& .e will think of our coming to 1aghbaLar after 'ivedita has fairl started& )ill then( keep Duiet and la on food& & & &F One da ( about a week before the end( the Swami told his disciple( Swami Shuddhananda( to bring the 1engali almanac to him& On getting it( he turned over several pages beginning at that da and kept it in his room& 9e was seen several times on subseDuent da s stud ing the almanac intentl ( as if undecided about something he wanted to know& Onl after his passing was the significance of this understood b his brotherBmonks and disciples& )hen the realiLed that he had been searching an auspicious da on which to throw off the bondage of the bod E and the da he chose of all others was the Fourth of !ul G Sister 'ivedita arrived at 5alcutta from /a avati on !une 78 and took her lodging at "; 1osepara 0ane( 1aghbaLar& Swami Saradananda received her and gave her a deerskin mat as a present from the Swami& 'ivedita was glad to hear from him that the Swami was happ over her coming& She was eager to start her work( and had brought with her some eDuipment for this purpose& On !une 7$( when 'ivedita was preparing to go to the /ath to see the Swami( she received a note 'that he himself was coming to the cit for some business( and would see her&

8=# ,ccordingl the Swami arrived at her residence about # in the morning( and Fwent over the whole house( e6plained ever thing( e6amined ever thingF& 9e then sat down on his own rug( and pla ed with Fsome 0ucknow figuresF "= she had brought& 9e e6pressed delight on seeing the microscope( magic lantern( and camera( and told her to bring the microscope to the /ath the ne6t da & )hen he asked 'ivedita about her plans and she told him that she wished to do F4niversit Settlement .orkF "> rather than the school& )o this he said( F,ll rightF& ,s he was departing( 'ivedita said( FSwami( ou must come back and bless the workGF F+ am alwa s blessing ou(F he responded& On the same da the Swami went to his sister's house on invitation with several others( mainl to settle the longBdrawn dispute over the ancestral propert & )he reached an amicable settlement b compromise& )he attorne of the opposite part confirmed the conditions and the matter was decided to the satisfaction of both parties& ,bout these incidents( 'ivedita wrote to /iss /ac0eod on ,ugust ;2 F9e left ever thing in order& On Sunda (!une 7#I he told me that the lawsuit with the famil that had been hanging over him for three ears( was compromised b them voluntaril in his favour( and he was satisfied at last& +t was the same with ever thing& 9ere + am on m feet& 9e blessed the house and the work( and me. Ever thing&F Sister 'ivedita went to the /ath on the morning of !une 7#( sta ed there till evening( and talked a great deal with the Swami& ,bout her meeting with him( she wrote in the same letter2 F+n the afternoon( he grew ver cross( being tired( and + cried bitterl & )hen he gave me a beautiful blessing ? holding m head and blessing me twice ? in that caressing wa & + onl asked him to tell me when he doubted or disapproved ? not to make up his mind apart from me& Oh + am sure he willG )hat

-erhaps( some sort of school eDuipment which she might have brought from 0ucknow on her wa from /a avati to 5alcutta& From Sister 'ivedita's letters it appears that she had a plan to start a 4niversit for the education of +ndian women&
">

"=

8>% da ( + think + must have told ou( he said2 a great )apas a was coming over him& 9ad + not been there( at near noon( he would still have been in the chapel& 9e felt that death was drawing near( and at these words( the gecko cried&F )hree da s before his passing awa ( as the Swami was walking up and down on the spacious lawn of the monaster in the afternoon with Swami -remananda( he pointed to a particular spot on the bank of the 3anga( and said to his brotherBmonk gravel ( F.hen + give up the bod ( cremate it thereGF On that ver spot stands toda a temple in his honour& Sister 'ivedita( introducing man significant facts in connection with the Swami's passing awa and his foreknowledge of it( writes2 .hen !une closed( however( he knew well enough that the end was near& F+ am making read for deathGF he said to one who was with him( on the .ednesda before he died& F, great )apas a and meditation has come upon me( and + am making read for deathGF ,nd we who did not dream that he& would leave us( till at least some three or four ears had passed( knew nevertheless that the words were true& 'ews of the world met but a farBawa re*oinder from him at this time& Even a word of an6iet as to the scarcit of the rains( seemed almost to pass him b as in a dream& +t was useless to ask him now for an opinion on the Duestions of the da & FAou ma be right(F he said Duietl ( Fbut + cannot enter an more into these matters& + am going down into deathGF Once in :ashmir( after an attack of illness( + had seen him lift a couple of pebbles( sa ing( F.henever death approaches me( all weakness vanishes& + have neither fear( nor doubt( nor thought of the e6ternal& + simpl bus m self making read to die& + am as hard as thatF ? and the stones struck one another in his hand ? Ffor + have touched the Feet of 3odGF -ersonal revelation was so rare with him( that these words could never be forgotten& ,gain( on returning from the cave of ,marnath( in that same summer of "$#$( had he not said( laughingl ( that he had there received the grace of ,marnath ? not to die till he himself should will to do soM 'ow this( seeming to promise that death would never take him b surprise( had corresponded so well with the prophec of Shri Ramakrishna ? that when he should know who and

8>" what he was( he would refuse to remain a moment longer in the bod ? that one had banished from one's mind all an6iet on this score( and even his own grave and significant words at the present time did not suffice to revive it& <id we not remember( moreover( the stor of the great 'irvikalpa Samadhi of his outh( and how( when it was over( his /aster had said( F)his is our mango& 0ookG + lock it in m bo6& Aou shall taste it once more( when our work is finishedGF F ? ,nd we ma wait for that(F said the monk who told me the tale& F.e shall know when the time is near& For he will tell us that( again he has tasted his mango&F 9ow strange it seems now( looking back on that time( to realiLe in how man wa s the e6pected hint was given( onl to fall on cars that did not hear( to reach minds that could not understandG +t would seem( indeed( that( in his withdrawal from all weakness and attachment( there was one e6ception& )hat( which had ever been dearer to him than life( kept still its power to move him& +t was on the last Sunda before the end that he said to one of his disciples( FAou know( the work is alwa s m weak point l .hen + think that might come to an end( + am all undoneGF On .ednesda H!ul 7" of the same week( the da being Ekadashi( and himself keeping the fast in all strictness( he insisted on serving the morning meal to the same disciple H'iveditaI& Each dish as it was offered ? boiled seeds of the *ackfruit( boiled potatoes( plain rice( and iceBcold milk ? formed the sub*ect of pla ful chatE and finall ( to end the meal( he himself poured the water over the hands( and dried them with a towel& F+t is + who should do these things for ou( Swami*iG 'ot ou for meGF was the protest naturall offered& 1ut his answer was startling in its solemnit ? F!esus washed the feet of 9is disciplesGF Something checked the answer ? F1ut that was the last timeGF ? as it rose to the lips( and the words remained unuttered& )his was well& For here also( the last time had come& )here was nothing sad or grave about the Swami during these da s& +n the midst of an6iet about overBfatiguing him( in spite of conversation deliberatel kept as light as possible( touching onl upon the animals that surrounded him( his garden e6periments( books( and absent friends( over and be ond all this( one was conscious the while of a luminous presence( of which his bodil form seemed onl as a shadow or s mbol& 'ever had one felt so strongl as now( before him( that one stood on the threshold of an infinite light& Aet

8>7 none was prepared( least of all on that last happ Frida ( !ul the =th( on which he appeared so much stronger and better than he had been for ears( to see the end so soon& On the da of the /ahasamadhi itself( whether consciousl or intuitivel ( his actions were most deliberate and full of meaning& 9is solitar meditation for three hours in the morning from eight to eleven was the most striking& 9e rose rather earl that da and( after partaking of his tea( entered the chapel of the monaster & ,fter some time it was noticed that he had closed all the windows and bolted all the doors& .hat transpired there( no one will ever know& +n his meditation his own /aster and the <ivine /other ? to his own realiLation One and the Same -ersonalit ? must have been present( for( when he had finished( he broke forth in a touching song in which the highest !nana mingled with the highest 1hakti& <escending the stairs of the shrine( he walked back and forth in the court ard of the monaster ( his mind withdrawn& Suddenl the tenseness of his thought e6pressed itself in a whisper loud enough to be heard b Swami -remananda who was nearb & )he Swami was sa ing to himself( F+f there were another Vivekananda( he would have understood what Vivekananda has doneG ,nd et( how man Vivekanandas shall be born in timeGGF )his remark startled his brotherBdisciple( for never did the Swami speak thus( save when the floodBgates of his soul were thrown open and the living waters of the highest 5onsciousness rushed forth& ,nother unusual incident took place( when the Swami( who was not in the habit of taking his food with his brotherBmonks and disciples( dined with them in the refector & Still more strange was his relish of food& 9e had never felt better( he said& )his same Frida morning he e6pressed a desire to have the :ali -u*a performed at the monaster on the following da ( that being an auspicious one for the worship of the /other& Soon after( Swami Ramakrishnananda's father( Shri +shwarchandra 5hakravarti( a devout worshipper of :ali( came& On seeing him the Swami was delighted and e6plained his

8>@ intention to him& 9e called Swamis Shuddhananda and 1odhananda and instructed them to secure all the necessaries for the intended ceremon which the hastened to do& Of course( the :ali -u*a could not be performed on the following da (Saturda ( !ul >) as he had wishedE but from Sister 'ivedita's letterE of ,ugust ;( "#%7( to /iss /ac0eod( we learn that it was performed about a month later& She writes2 F)hree wishes &&& which he e6pressed the ver da he went ? '" want to do something for !apan&' , night's worship of the /otherE which was carried out b the men last Saturda H,ugust 7"& ,nd Hto seeI /r& HR& 5&I <uttaE which will surel bring them together somewhere in the universe&F ,fter instructing the disciples to make preparations for the :ali -u*a( the Swami asked Swami Shuddhananda to fetch the Shuk'a/+a6ur/Veda from the librar & .hen the latter had brought it( the Swami asked him to read the /antra beginning with the words FSushumnah Sur arashmihF( with the commentar on it& )he disciple read the /antra together with the commentar & .hen he had finished a part of it( the Swami remarked2 F)his interpretation of the passage does not appeal to m mind& .hatever ma be the commentator's interpretation of the word 'Sushumnah'( the seed or the basis of what the )antras( in later ages( speak of as the Sushumna nerveBchannel in the bod ( is contained here( in this Vedic /antra& Aou( m disciples( should tr to discover the true import of these /antras and make original reflections and commentaries on the Shastras&F )he passage above referred to is the fortieth verse in the eighteenth chapter of /adh andina recession of the Va6asane$i Samhita of the ShuklaBAa*urBVeda( and runs as follows2 su.u7;? sUyRri@mA4Bma-49vR$Ta$y nCDaEyPsrsae Fe%Gryae nam+ s n HdI JKCDI patu t$mE $vaha vaLM ta7y? $vaha3 )he purport of /ahidhara's commentar on this ma be put thus2 F)hat 5handra (/oon) who is of the form of 3andharva( who is Sushumna( that is( giver of supreme

8>= happiness to those who perform sacrifices (Aa*nas)( and whose ra s are like the ra s of the Sun ? ma that 5handra protect us 1rahmanas and :shatri as + .e offer our oblations to him (Svaha vat)G 9is (5handra's) ,psaras are the stars( who are illuminators (hence called 1hekura as) ? we offer our oblations to them (Svaha)GF ,t " p&m&( a Duarter of an hour after the midda repast( the Swami entered the 1rahmacharis' room and called them to attend the class on Sanskrit grammar& One who attended this class writes2 F)he class lasted for nearl three hours& 1ut no monoton was felt& For he (the Swami) would tell a witt stor or make ,ons mots now and then to lighten his teaching( as he was wont to do& Sometimes the *oke would be with reference to the wording of a certain aphorism( or he would make an amusing pla upon its words knowing that the fun would make it easier for recollection& On this particular da he spoke of how he had coached his college friend( <asharathi San al( in English histor in one night b following a similar process& 9e( however( appeared a little tired after the grammar class&F Some time later the Swami( accompanied b Swami -remananda( went out for a long walk( as far as the 1elur 1aLaar ' and spoke with his brotherBdisciple on man & interesting sub*ects( particularl on his proposed scheme of founding a Vedic college in the monaster & +n order to have a clearer understanding of what the Swami felt on the matter( Swami -remananda asked( F.hat will be the good of stud ing the Vedas( Swami*iMF )o this the Swami replied( F+t will kill out superstitionsGF Returning to the /ath the Swami talked for a while with the monks& Oh( if the had but known that these were the last words the would ever hear from the lips of their dear and blessed 0eader( their all in allG ,s evening approached( the Swami's mind became more and more withdrawn( and when the bell for the evening service rang( he retired to his own room& )here he sat in meditation facing the 3anga& .hat occurred on that memorable da of the Swami's passing has been best told b some

8>> members of the Order( and a few of these different versions are given below& )hat written b Swami Saradananda on !ul 7= to <r& 0ogan( the -resident of the San Francisco Vedanta Societ ( read2 & & & .e sent a cable to the 'ew Aork Vedanta Societ with directions to communicate to ou( and to all friends in the 4nited States( about the 'irvana of our beloved Swami Vivekananda& 9e entered into the 0ife Eternal on !ul =( Frida evening at ten minutes past nine& +t came upon us so suddenl that even the Swamis( in the rooms ne6t to his in the /ath( had not the slightest intimation of it& )he Swami was meditating in his own room at ; p&m& leaving word that none was to come to him until called for& ,n hour after( he called one of us and reDuested him to fan his head& 9e la down on his bed Duietl ( and the one tending him thought he was either sleeping or meditating& ,n hour after( his hands trembled a little( and he breathed once ver deepl & )hen all was Duiet for a minute or two& ,gain he breathed in the same manner( his e es becoming fi6ed in the centre of his e eBbrows and his face assuming a divine e6pression( and all was over& ,ll through the da he felt as free and eas as possible( na ( freer than what he had felt for the last si6 months& 9e meditated in the morning for three hours at a stretch( took his meals with a perfect appetite( gave talks on Sanskrit grammar( philosoph ( and on the Vedas to the Swamis at the /ath for more than two hours and discoursed on the Aoga philosoph & 9e walked in the afternoon for about two miles( and on returning enDuired after ever one ver tenderl & .hile resting for a time( he conversed on the rise and fall of nations with his companions( and then went into his own room to meditate? ou know the rest& , monastic disciple of the Swami writes2 )he /ahasamadhi took place a few minutes after # p&m& )he supper bell had *ust been rung when the inmates were called to see what had happened to the Swami& Swamis -remananda and 'ishcha ananda began to chant aloud the name of the /aster( believing that he might be brought to consciousness there b 1ut he la there in his room on his back( motionless( and the course proved fruitless& Swami ,dvaitananda asked Swami 1odhananda to feel the Swami's pulse& ,fter a vain attempt for a while( he stood up and

8>8 began to cr aloud& Swami ,dvaitananda then told 'irbha ananda( J,las( what are ou looking atG 9asten to <r& /ahendranath /aLumdar H of 1aranagar( under whose treatment Swami*i was during these da sI and bring him here soon as ou can&K ,nother crossed the river and went to 5alcutta to give information to Swamis 1rahmananda and Saradananda who were there on that da ( and bring them to /ath& )he arrived about half past ten& )hen doctor e6amined him thoroughl ( found life suspended( and tried to bring him back b artificial respiration& ,t midnight the doctor pronounced life e6tinct& <r& /aLumdar said that it might have been due to sudden heartBfailure& <r& 1ipinbihari 3hosh( who came from 5alcutta the ne6t da ( said that it was due to apople6 & 1ut none of the doctors( who came afterwards and heard of the s mptoms( could agree& .hatever the might sa ( the monks of the /ath have the unshakeable conviction that the Swami had voluntaril cast off the bod in Samadhi( when he did not want to remain an longer in the world( as predicted b Shri Ramakrishna& Sister 'ivedita came in the morning& She sat all the while b the Swami and fanned him( till the bod was brought down at 7&pm& to the porch leading to the court ard( where the ,ratrika was performed before taking it to the spot which had been indicated b the Swami himself for cremation& , brotherBdisciple of the Swami writes in the 4dbodhan2 O 9e ne6t meditated from $ to "" a&m& in the shrine& On other da s he never meditated so long at one sitting& 'or could he meditate in an unventilated room( with doors and windows shutE but on this da he meditated after having shut and bolted all the doors and windows of the chapel& ,fter meditation he began to sing a beautiful song on Sh ama (/other :ali)& )he monks below were charmed to hear the sweet strains of it coming from the shrineB room& )he song ran thus( J+s m mother dark M C the darkBfeatured /other( who has dishevelled hair( illumines the lotus of the heartGOK 9e took his noonda meal that da with great relish& ,fter meals he taught the disciples La hukaumudi, a standard work on Sanskrit grammar( for more than tow hours and a half& )hen in the afternoon he took a walk for nearl two miles with a brotherBmonk& For man da s past he could not walk so far& 9e said he was ver well that da & +n the course of the walk he e6pressed his particular desire to establish

8>; a Vedic school in the /ath& ,fter returning from the walk( he attended to some personal needs and afterwards said that he felt ver light in bod & ,fter conversation for some time( he went to his own room and told one of his disciples to bring him his rosar & )hen( asking the disciple to wait outside( he sat down to tell his beads and meditate in the room alone& 9e had thought of worshipping :ali the ne6t da ( which was a Saturda with ,mavas a (new moon)& 9e had talked much about this that da & ,fter meditating and telling his beads for about an hour( he laid himself down on his bed on the floor( and calling the disciple( who was waiting outside( asked him to fan his head a little& 9e had the rosar still in his hand& )he disciple thought the Swami was perhaps having a light sleep& ,bout an hour later( his hand shook a little& )hen came two deep breaths& )he disciple thought he fell into Samadhi& 9e then went downstairs and called a sann asi( who came and found on e6amination that there was neither respiration nor pulse& /eanwhile( another sann asi came and( thinking him to be in Samadhi( began to chant aloud the /aster's name continuall ( but in no wa was the Samadhi brokenG )hat night an eminent ph sician was called in& 9e e6amined the bod for a long time and afterwards said that life was e6tinct& )he ne6t morning it was found that the e es were bloodshot and that there was a little bleeding through the mouth and nostrils& Other doctors remarked that it was due to the rupture of a bloodBvessel in the brain& )his clearl leads to the conclusion that( in the process of !apa and meditation( his 1rahmarandhra Haperture in the& crown of the headI must have been pierced when he left the bod G ,fter his /ahasamadhi several doctors came and e6amined his bod minutel and tried to bring him back to consciousness& )he e6hausted all the means and methods that the knew of rousing him( but to no avail& )he could not( in point of fact( make out the real cause of his death& 9e died( in truth( of his own accord& 9e was born a ogi( and he died a ogiG Still another version reads2 &&& For a month before his passing awa ( the Swami used to meditate much more than usualE and on these da s it seemed as if he had no disease in the bod &&&& On this da ( before going for the afternoon walk with Swami -remananda( he talked with him in a merr mood on various topics concerning the .est& +n the evening

8>$ he went up to his room to meditate& ,fter some time the Swami called in a disciple and asked him to open all the windows of the room as it was warm and to fan him& 'e6t he laid himself down on the bedding on the floor& ,fter the 1rahmachari had gentl fanned him at the head for a while( the Swami said to him( F,ll rightE no more need of fanning l +t would be better if ou rubbed m feet a little&F Sa ing this( he seemed to have fallen asleep shortl after(& +n this wa an hour passedE the disciple was rubbing himE the Swami was l ing on his left side& 9e changed sides once within this time( and( shortl after that( he cried in e6actl the same wa as babies cr out in dreams& )he 1rahmachari noticed( a little after this( that the Swami breathed a deep breath( and his head rolled down the pillow& ,nother long deep breath like the preceding one&& and then all was calm and still about him like deathG )he tired child slept in the lap of the /other( whence there was no awakening to this world of /a aG )he Swami passed awa at the age of thirt Bnine ears( five months and twent B four da s( thus fulfilling a prophec which was freDuentl on his lips( F+ shall never live to see fort &F 'othing could have been more startling than the news of the death of Swami Vivekananda& )he monks at the "@clur /ath were struck dumb at the thought of their bitter( irreparable loss& )he monaster was shrouded in gloom& +n the morning( people poured into the monaster from all Duarters& 5arriages passed through the monaster gate( and boats arrived at the ghat bringing a large number of passengers& Sadness reigned ever where& )he bod la in state in the room which onl a da or two ago rang with the laughter and stirring eloDuence of the inspired monk& 9undreds passed before the bod in silence( their e es debating whether he was dead& )hen the turned in a tempest of grief from the lifeless form of him whom the had loved more than their own life( sa ing to themselves& F+s our Swami reall goneMF ,nd one looking at the face of Swami Vivekananda on this da ( vowed then and there to devote his life thenceforth solel to the service of his countr & 'ot since the passing of their /aster( Shri Ramakrishna( had the monks known such a bereavement& 'ever before had the scene of their /aster's cremation been brought so forcibl

8># to their minds& )he felt that the bottom had fallen out of ever thing& .hen the /aster himself had passed awa ( he had given them to 'aren's charge& 'ow that both had left the mortal plane( the monks felt themselves as strangers in the caravanserai of this world& +n spite of the conclusion of learned doctors( there was an unreasonable hope that Swami Vivekananda might( after all( return to mortal consciousness& &erha-s this was the ver highest SamadhiE -erha-s he might return from it& For this reason the bod was left within the room upstairs until a late hour of the ne6t da & 1ut ever moment the bod became colder and more rigid( and all were convinced be ond doubt that the Soul had sped for ever into the regions of Everlasting 0ight and life& .hen the were forced to believe that he was ph sicall no more( the elder monks despatched some of the disciples to 5alcutta to herald the news& Some were sent to telegraph the message 'to different parts of +ndia and the world& Some were sent for sandalwood( incense( flowers( etc& +ncense was burned in man Duarters of the monaster & )he monaster grounds were crowded with people& Ever one in the monaster felt that this was the last time that the could have a look at the blessed form of the -rophet( who had preached the /odern 3ospel to man peoples of near and distant lands( whose greatness had been felt ever where& )owards the afternoon the bod was brought downstairs to the porch in front of the court ard& )here on a cot it la ( wrapped in the robes s mbolic of sann asis povert & )he soles of his feet were painted with ,lta( a kind of crimson pigment( and impressions were taken of them on muslin( to be preserved as sacred mementoes& )hen the ,rati service was performed( this being the last rite of worship to that form which had been the instrument for the revelation of the 9ighest )ruth& 0ights were waved( /antras were recited( conchs were blown( bells were rung( and incense was burned& ,t the end of the ceremon sonic bowed low( others fell prostrate on the ground in salutation( and those who were disciples touched with their heads the feet of their 1lessed /aster >s earthl form&

88% , procession was formed( and the cot on which the bod rested was slowl lifted& ,gain and again rose the thrilling shouts of J!ai Shri 3uru /ahara**i :i !aiG !ai Shri Swami*i /ahara**i :i !aiGF from the depths of the devotees' hearts& )he procession moved slowl through the court ard across the spacious lawn( until it reached the 1ilva tree which stands in the southeastern corner of the grounds& )here( slightl ahead and to the left( on the ver spot where the Swami himself had desired his bod to be cremated( the funeral p re was built& Finall the bod was placed upon the funeral p re b the monks and devotees& Reeds were lighted( and along with the monks scores of persons lighted the p re until it was all ablaLe& +n the deep dusk the flames died down( and in the souls of those who stood about( an intense calm prevailed& ,nd when the flames had died out and the bod had returned to its original elements( leaving onl burning coals and smouldering embers behind( the monks poured 3anga water over the p re( and in the darkness their pra ers went to the 0ord for guidance and protection& , great peace came ? and utmost resignation& ,ll felt that the 0ord knew bestE and in their sorrow( the said in the depths of their hearts( FO 0ord( )h will be doneGF )he ne6t da ( the monks gathered the sacred relies for themselves and the future generations& )oda a temple stands on that spot& ,n altar has been built( and upon it is a marble basBrelief of the Swami& 9ere the monks are wont to pra and meditate in silence& )he table of the altar stands on the ver spot on which the bod of the Swami rested in the flames& Some of the relics are kept here( and a copper receptacle near the altar of 1hagavan Shri Ramakrishna in the shrine contains the rest& Of these da s Sister 'ivedita wrote to /iss /ac0eod on !ul "82 )he /ath is absorbed these da s in weeping and in worship( and ever one tends to slip back under the h pnotism of things said in illness and caprice( don't ou knowM + feel enslaved and terroriLed b the thought of it( but the will work out their own wa for

88" themselves&&&& <o ou realiLe how ideall great the last scene has beenM 9ow even enemies catch their breath and worshipM Uuietl to put the bod down as a wornBout garment at the end of an evening meditationG F)hat will be a great death + shall die( sa ing '9araG 9araG 9araG' F + remember his sa ing long ago& ,nd it has come true& .ith the laurels green( with all things in order( with the shield undimmed( he went& Oh Swami( dear Swami( grant me alwa s to carr out our innermost will ? not merel the personal whim or weaknessG )rue( the monks and the la disciples of the Order were still griefBstricken( but their faith in( and resignation to( their 0ord with the resulting peace had taken awa the sting of death& <eep beneath the veils of sorrow( all were aware that this was not the end& Emptiness dwelt in the monaster E but within the silence and illumination of their hearts( all were conscious of the fact that life in the soul( such as their 0eader lived( could not have remained long shut up within the prisonBwalls of earthl e6istence( and that his constantl intensif ing realiLation must have burned the bod B consciousness and soared be ond the grasp of death in 'irvikalpa Samadhi& ,cross the sad event of his passing from the world( the words he spoke long before his death ring out now with a triumphant meaning& F+t ma be that + shall find it good to get outside m bod ? to cast it off like a wornBout garment& 1ut + shall not cease to workG + shall inspire men ever where( until the world shall know that it is one with 3odGF )hat inspiration has come( it shall remain with mankind until the whole world attains to the 9ighest )ruth& , ( he scorned /ukti for himself( until he could lead all beings in the universe to its portals& Vision and RealiLation are imperishableE being of the )ruth( the are eternal& ,nd he who has found the )ruth is eternal ? he has Eternit in the palm of his hand( as it were& )he notes of Freedom and RealiLation are heard be ond the boundaries of life and deathE and with the numerous devotees( the apostles and disciples of the /odern 3ospel ? the prophets and the saints and seers of the Sanatana <harma ? the Voice

887 of +ndia is heard and shall resound down the centuries in those shouts of praise and triumph2 !ai Shri 3uru /ahara**i ki !aiG !ai Shri Swami*i /ahara**i ki !aiG !ai Shri Sanatana <harma ki !aiG )he benediction of the /ost 9igh rests now over the world anew& )he flames of the Sanatana <harma have been rekindled& )rul ( gods have walked amongst the sons of menG )he 0ord 9imself( )ruth +tself( was embodied as RamakrishnaBVivekananda for the good of the world& )he spirit of +ndia herself had been made fleshE and the ( the twinBsouls who were horn once more to awaken her( the great mother of religions( have passed from the flesh into the silence of the infinite( having fulfilled their mission and given the message& )he <ivine /other 9erself( the destro er of illusion and the giver( of the waters of life( has walked upon the earthE and the sun of 1rahman has bathed the world with its ra s( scattering the clouds of darkness and ignorance( spreading the light of the celestial effulgenceG )he ends of the world have met( and the gospel of the age has been preached to the nations of the world& )he luminous spirits( who were the founder and the prophet of the new gospel( came because religion had declined and unrighteousness had prevailed& ,nd the are to come again and again for the good of the world( for the establishment of righteousness( for the reinterpretation of the Sanatana <harma( and for the manifestation of the kingdom which is not of this world( the passport to which is the motto2 FRenounceG RenounceG RealiLe the <ivine 'atureG ,riseG ,wakeG and stop not till the goal is reachedG'

HARIH OM TAT SAT!