Swami Vivekananda (The Master Builder of Our Nation)

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MEDITATION AS A PASTIME

 

As mentioned earlier, meditation was a pastime with him. Meditating with closed

eyes before the image of Shiva in the room or on the terrace was like a hobby to

him. Sometimes, for long hours, he remained in meditation, lost to the world

outside. He would meditate not only when he was alone but also in the company of

his playmates. His companions could not participate totally in this game, as ,

after sometime, they would open their eyes and lose their concentration. It was

on one such occasion that a hooded cobra made its appearance near the meditating

child. His friends raised a hue and cry and fled from the place but Naren sat

oblivious of the presence of the cobra. His parents watched the scene in

trepidation, feeling helpless. Fortunately, the snake slowly crawled away much

to the relief of his parents, but little Biley was all the while enjoying an

inexplicable bliss and was totally unaware of the commotion around. He was

indeed a born Dhyana Siddha to whom concentration and meditation were just a

play.

 

 

KING AND THE COURT

 

Naren had his lighter side too, which was full of fun and frolic. One of his

favorite games, even as a young lad of five or six, was playing the " King and

the Court " . A Prince to the manner born, he would always play the part of the

king. The highest step on the staircase to the pooja room was his throne where

he would install himself with all the pomp and solemnity of a king and appoint

his own Prime Minister, Commander-in-chief and so on. They had to stand with

folded hands before the king and carry out his orders. Sitting on the royal

throne, he would listen to the problems and grievances and administer justice

with true royal dignity. Disobedience of any kind was not permitted.

 

 

Even the slightest slip in subordination was put down with a stern and severe

look.

 

 

INBORN LEADERSHIP QUALITIES

 

Naren was a born leader, In his childhood, during his student life and also in

his monastic days, he always remained the leader of his group. No wonder, Shri

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, his spiritual Guru, ordained him to be the future

leader of his sanyasin disciples. In addition to the inborn qualities of

leadership of mind and heart, he was also physically endowed with the dignity

and grandeur of a royal personality. People spontaneously looked up to him and

accepted him as their leader. With a natural ease and confidence, he could exert

his will and win over his associates. People felt secure and safe under his

leadership and trusted him implicitly his clarity of thought in planning, his

meticulous execution of the plans which were so evident in his later life were

reflected even in the games he played in his childhood.

 

 

Cont.