On one occasion Swami Vivekananda felt that some of these brother disciples

wanted to create a narrow sect in the name of Ramakrishna and turn the
Ramakrishna Math into a cult of the Temple, where the religious activities
would centre around devotional music, worship, and prayer alone. His words
burst upon them like a bomb-shell. He asked them how they knew that his ideas
were not in keeping with those of Sri Ramakrishna. 'Do you want,' he said, 'to
shut Sri Ramakrishna, the embodiment of infinite ideas, within your own limits?
I shall break these limits and scatter his ideas broadcast all over the world. H
e
never enjoined me to introduce his worship and the like.'
Had it not been demonstrated to Vivekananda time and again that Sri
Ramakrishna was behind him in all his actions? He knew that through the
Master's grace alone he had come out triumphant from all ordeals, whether in
the wilderness of India or in the busy streets of Chicago.
'Sri Ramakrishna,' the Swami continued, 'is far greater than the disciples
understand him to be. He is the embodiment of infinite spiritual ideas capable o
f
development in infinite ways....One glance of his gracious eyes can create a
hundred thousand Vivekanandas at this instant. If he chooses now, instead, to
work through me, making me his instrument, I can only bow to his will.'
Vivekananda took great care lest sentimentalism and narrowness in one form or
another should creep in, for he detested these from the bottom of his heart.
But things came to a climax one day at Balaram's house in Calcutta, when
Swami Yogananda, a brother disciple whom Sri Ramakrishna had pointed out as
belonging to his 'inner circle' of devotees, said that the Master had emphasized
bhakti alone for spiritual seekers and that philanthropic activities,
organizations, homes of service for the public good, and patriotic work were the
Swami's own peculiar ideas, the result of his Western education and travel in
Europe and America.