Swami Vivekananda 11

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Swami Vivekananda 11

 

The Master Departs

In the month of October 1885 Sri Ramakrishna developed throat ailment,

which subsequently proved to be incurable cancer of throat. The doctors

gave up any hope of recovery, and there was for the first time an

atmosphere of gloom, anxiety, and worry at Dakshineswar. Swami

Vivekananda organized the team of his fellow brothers and devotees to

take due care of the Master. Timetables were set up so that some one

would always be available for providing necessary help to Thakur and Ma

Saradadevi. The householder devotees on their part offered monetary and

material help for Thakur's nursing care, medicines, and food. Thus a

nucleus of sangha - mission - evolved around Thakur in his presence with

the help and efforts of his monk-like disciples, Swami Vivekananda, in

particular.

 

In these critical days of his illness Sri Ramakrishna made certain

important moves. He called Narendra and told him 'to take care of these

boys', i.e. his brother disciples, lest they should go back to the

worldly life. Swami Vivekananda was to become their leader and see to it

that they were properly trained and cared for as sannyasins. Secondly,

Sri Ramakrishna once wrote, 'Naren will teach.' Naren, at that time

only 22 years of age, never dreamt of such a role in future life, but

the telescopic vision of the Master could see the future role of Swami

Vivekananda as the world teacher and world leader. He said, " Naren, at

present you may deny and protest, but I tell you, your very nature would

get this work done through you. The Mother would see to that you spread

Her message all over. " Thus, the mantle of leadership fell on the broad,

powerful pure, and wise shoulders of Narendranath.

 

One day, about three days prior to his leaving this world, Sri

Ramakrishna called Swami Vivekananda and transferred all his spiritual

powers to him, saying, " O Naren, today I have given you everything I

had, and have become a fakir, a pauper. "

 

And the last stroke was very touching, amusing a bit, and full with

insight. Skepticism had not yet died down completely from the mind of

Swami Vivekananda. One day he was sitting at the holy feet of his ailing

Master when a thought arose in his mind, 'If now in this condition of

distress if the Master tells me he is Avatar Purusha, then I will accept

him as the greatest of God Man. " As soon as the thought arose in the

mind of Swami Vivekananda Sri Ramakrishna, though weak and unable to get

up, said, 'Even now you have doubts! O Naren, the same Rama and the same

Krishna are embodied in this body as Ramakrishna. I am speaking the

truth.'

 

Thus was completed the training, revelations, and transfer of all the

spiritual powers from the Master to his most able disciple for the

welfare and benefit of future mankind. All doubts vanished from the

heart and mind of Narendranath; he had become one with the Master.

Therefore, we say that Sri Ramakrishna's spiritual experiences and

powers were so vast that they could not be contained in one body. It

required three bodies, those of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Ma

Saradadevi, and Swami Vivekananda, the Holy Trio, for its full

expression.

 

Sri Ramakrishna left the worldly abode on 16th August 1886. To fulfill

his Master's desire, Swami Vivekananda now rented an old house at

Baranagore and converted it into a monastery, where all his

grief-stricken (but firm in determination) brother disciples started

staying in great atmosphere of brotherhood. They daily worshiped Sri

Ramakrishna in his photo image (I shall send you one) and everyone

shared the work of begging for the food, worshiping the Master,

teachings his message, and reading from the ancient Indian scriptures,

viz. the Gita and Upanishads. The Ramakrishna Mission had come to life.

What next?

 

continued part 12...

 

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