Swami Vivekananda

God plays such mysterious games with each individual. We have no idea at what point some unexpected event is going to happen in our lives.

Swami Vivekananda was a great, great spiritual figure. He was a towering giant in the inner worlds. Just one or two days prior to Sri Ramakrishna’s earth-departure – some even say a few hours – Naren said to his Master, “You are leaving us. What have you given me? What can you do?”

Sri Ramakrishna answered, “I am now giving you my all.” He concentrated on Naren and entered into trance. Afterwards, he told Naren, “Now I am a beggar. To you I have given everything. All my inner wealth I have given to you.”

Naren was Sri Ramakrishna’s dearest disciple. Sri Ramakrishna had brought Naren’s soul down to earth to do his work and the work of his consort, Sarada Devi. Sri Ramakrishna always showed Naren infinite affection and love. He often extolled Naren’s height to the other disciples.

On other occasions, after Swami Vivekananda had already conquered the heart of America and become world famous, all of a sudden a strong desire entered into him. At that time, Sri Ramakrishna had left the body, but Sarada Devi was still in the physical.

Swami Vivekananda said, “Thakur did not initiate me. I need initiation to make progress.” Can you imagine! With his Master’s compassion, blessings and grace, Swami Vivekananda had become one of the absolutely supreme spiritual figures. But now he sought initiation from another spiritual Master, Pavahari Baba, who lived in Ghazipur. Swami Vivekananda had disciples of his own by that time, but still he felt he needed initiation!

Swami Vivekananda went to Ghazipur. He visited Pavahari Baba in his cell and begged initiation from him not once, but sixteen times! Each time Vivekananda went to Pavahari Baba, he had a vision of his own Guru, Sri Ramakrishna, looking at him and offering a very sad face. Finally, Swami Vivekananda lost all his desire for initiation. He said, “I will not go again to Pavahari Baba or any other great Master. I will not torture my Master any more.”

When a person reaches a very, very high spiritual state, they must not think they are safe. Why things happen, we do not know. Only we must always pray to our Lord Beloved Supreme for His Protection.

In 1898 Swami Vivekananda was in Kashmir with some of his disciples, including Sister Nivedita. There he had a most unusual and upsetting experience.

A disciple of a Muslim Fakir used to come and see Swami Vivekananda and listen to him speak. This disciple was greatly attracted to Swami Vivekananda. His own Master had a little occult power, but he was virtually unknown, whereas Swami Vivekananda was by that time so famous. One day the man asked to become Swami Vivekananda’s disciple, and Vivekananda accepted him.

When this man’s Guru, the Fakir, found out what had happened, he became absolutely furious. He told his disciple, “Vivekananda has taken you away from me. Tell him I am giving him two weeks. If he keeps you as his disciple for more than two weeks, I will use my occult power and he will vomit blood. You are my disciple! He has no right to accept you.”

When Vivekananda heard this powerful message, he told the seeker, “Fine! If you want to remain my disciple, I shall definitely keep you. You may stay with me. His threat will have no effect on me.”

The disciple did stay. Alas, after two weeks had elapsed, Swami Vivekananda became extremely ill. He started vomiting blood and he had severe stomach problems. His case was very serious. When that particular disciple saw what had happened, he hurried back to his original Master.

Meanwhile, Swami Vivekananda was so sad, depressed and furious. He came back to Bengal. He was still sulking and angry. In front of Sarada Devi, he said, “Thakur used to say that I was his dearest, his dearest! Then how is it that I have to suffer from this kind of humiliation? How could he allow this to happen? What was Thakur doing? Could he not see how much I suffered at the hands of that Muslim Master and his disciple? He did not help me at all. What use are all my realisations if I could not save myself from the Fakir’s occult powers?” Swami Vivekananda was so angry with Sri Ramakrishna and with himself.

Sarada Devi had such wisdom. She was absolutely the mother of compassion. She said to Vivekananda, “My son, this disciple had a spiritual father. If you had a disciple who went to somebody else, somebody who was greater than you, would you not feel sad? Again, when you go to other Masters and want to become their disciple, it breaks your spiritual father’s heart. Sri Ramakrishna is in the soul’s world, true. But if somebody has come into your life to be your spiritual father, you should remain faithful to him. Regardless of the height of the other Master, do not break the bond that God has created. God created one person as the Master and one as the disciple. This Muslim disciple belongs to his original Master. Similarly, those who are your disciples are meant to stay with you. If they go to some other Master, will it not affect you?”

The Mother continued, “If the Master who used his occult power had higher wisdom, if he had oneness with God’s Will, then he would have said, ‘Who cares if this disciple of mine goes to another Master? If he gets realisation with the help of another Master, then let him go. My only goal is to take people to the Goal.’ If that Master had higher wisdom, he would not have used his occult power to make your life miserable. He would have allowed his disciple to stay with you. He might have felt sad, but to use occult power to punish another Master is most painful and most objectionable. Finally, my son, I wish to remind you that Thakur believed in the synthesis of all religions, so do not feel sad that this disciple has gone back to his Muslim Master.”

In this way, Sarada Devi was able to console Swami Vivekananda. What she said is so profound. A Master should not try to take a disciple away from another Master. But if they want to come, it is up to the previous Master. If the first Master has higher knowledge, and if he feels that somebody else will be able to help the disciple more, then he should allow that disciple to go to the new Master.

In my own case, when my disciples go and join other Masters, I never try to bring them back from that Master. If they feel that the new Master is going to help them realise God, then let them stay with that Master. There are many roads to God. As long as a seeker feels sure that the new road will help him, then let him go.