VIVEKANAND

_______________________________

May all be happy

May all be healthy
May all see auspiciousness
May all be free from sorrow
_______________________________

Shelve all the gods and goddesses for the next 50 years. Let our nation be our God, let
us worship our motherland and serve our countrymen. Awaken, arise, stop not until you
have achieved your goal.

Were it not for the blessings, inspiration and enlightenment I received from my mentor, I
would be nothing. He shattered my pride and showed me that "where science ends,
spirituality begins."

I am Narendranath Dutt, born on January 12, 1863. My father was Shri Vishwanath Dutt
and my mother was Bhuwaneshwaridevi. I was merely a stone. Gurudev Ramakrishna
Paramhansa, like a touchstone, touched me, and when he did, a miracle happened.

My father was an attorney at the Calcutta High Court. He was a scholar of English,
Sanskrit and Persian. A generous and an ardent music lover. Our home was ever
musical. My mother was the perfect model of affection. All that I am today, I owe to her.

_______________________________

Our holy saint (Lord Shiva) is playing His drum

No one is as mad as our Shambhu
He squanders everything on those who desire or not
_______________________________

One day I called out to my servant, "Hey, wretched rascal, can't you hear me?" My
father overheard me. Enraged, he declared I should stop going to school, for there was no
need for a Dutt to patronize a house of learning that taught children such coarse language.
He arranged for me to be tutored at home. Thus I learnt the Ramayan, Mahabharat and
Sanskrit grammar.

Whenever I had the time, I looked out of the window at the lane where the ascetics and
holy men passed by. 'What a delightful life they have ! And that wonderful baul (a kind
of folk singer of Bengal).....how lovely his singing was, like a boat tied on the river bank,
gently bobbing with the lapping of the waves.'

_______________________________

Oh, boatman! From which village have you come

And to which are you going?
Please tie your boat to our shore
Under the shade of the flowery tree.
 There is a beaded necklace, red glass bangles
And a basket full of sweet berries in my house.
Please come to me and take them all
For my Beloved, who is in your boat.
_______________________________

I was just 14 when my father was transferred to Raipur in central India. I became a
bookworm in Raipur and in no time I finished all the books in my father's collection. I
used to spend my evenings near Budha Taalaab, a lake where people gathered everyday
under the peepal tree (holy fig -tree) to sing bhajans (devotional songs) together.

_______________________________

The mind roams with pride

In the world of relations
But of what nature are those relatio ns?

Bones burnt like wood and the hair as grass

Golden body turned to ashes
Nobody came close
_______________________________

Back to Kolkata. After passing out of high school I studied at the Presidency College.
Kolkata was a beautiful city at the tim e. But the most beautiful part of the city was
undoubtedly our College Street. If you wanted to meet all the scholars of Kolkata,
College Street was the place. After one year I was enrolled in the Scottish Church
College.

Whenever I recollect my student life, I remember Professor Hasty the most. A good
teacher leaves a lasting impression in the minds of his students. That was the year the
drought occurred. The terrible state of my countrymen made me sad. Children whining
with hunger roamed the streets, helpless women and migrants from villages came to the
city with the hope of getting some help from kind-hearted rich people.

I became an atheist, lost all faith in the supreme power of mercy of the Hindus, Raheem
of the Muslims and God Almighty of the Christians. What kind of justice was this, when
so many people were suffering for just a handful of grains on the one hand, while others
were getting sick from overeating on the other?

_______________________________

If You do exist, why is it lik e this?

The hungry do not get bread
The thirsty get no water
Where is Your justice, O God?
Of what meaning is this life?
I ask You only this
If You do exist, why is it like this?
_______________________________
My mother wished that I should learn music. An Ustadji (master of music) used to come
and teach me music, and I learned Hindi and Urdu devotional songs from him.

The most revolutionary name of that era was Raja Ram Mohan Roy. After the death of
his older brother, his family members forced his sister-in-law to jump into the funeral
pyre in keeping with the custom of suttee. After this incident, he raised his voice against
these bizarre rituals of Hindus. With the help of some educated friends he established the
Brahmo Samaj. The movement quickly gained renown and strength.

I also started following them. But I was very stubborn. I couldn't accept anything
blindly. While the prayers and congregational singing at the Brahmo Samaj pleased me,
I wondered if we could reform society by singing devotional songs, discussing social
matters and opposing social evils… I wondered how we could really get closer to God.

With this uncertain state of mind, I went to Maharshi Devendranath Thakur (an eminent
leader of the Brahmo Samaj) to ask if he had seen God, but he dodged my question. I
came away quietly. Somehow a feeling of anxiety overcame me, perhaps the same sort
of feeling Meerabai had. That's why she sang those pained lines...

_______________________________

Without sight of You, the eyes pain

Since You departed, Lord
(I have) not tasted peace
_______________________________

One day my mother called out to me, "Naren, please go and see Uma Didi, and on your
way back go to Uncle Ramchandra. Tell him your father wants to meet him."

When I reached Mr Ramchandra Dutt's house, we got talking, and all our discussions led
to spirituality. Ramchandra Daadu (Grandpa) perhaps saw my anxiety.

"So, our Naren Babu (Sir) wants to see God,” he teased. “Since you are so keen, let me
test you to ascertain if you are actually capable of seeing God.”
"Why? What skill or capability is required to see God?" I retorted.
"It is required, my son. Only a jeweler can valuate the price of a diamond… But now I
believe you are fit to see God."
"Oh, Grandpa! Have you ever come across anyone who has seen God?"
"I have, my son."
I nearly lost all patience. "Who is he? Tell me, Grandpa, tell me!"
"His name is Ramakrishna Paramahansa, the priest at Dakshineshwar Kali Temple. Only
he can make you see and experience God."

I was surprised. Ramakrishna Paramahansa! Prof. Hasty had also mentioned this name
before.

"Naren, you have to do something for me. You have to sing bhajans at Suren Babu's
house today. The cure for your insanity, Ramakrishna Paramahansa, will be there.
Come at eight o'clock in the evening. Be there on time."
I was dancing with joy. That evening when I saw Ramakrishna Paramahansa, I looked at
him closely – his lean body, disheveled beard, shabby clothes, listening to the devotional
chanting with eyes closed – and wondered, could this fellow ever have seen God? This
fellow? No, he must be a fraud.

Suddenly he opened his eyes and stared right at me. It was an awkward situation. I
looked around to avoid his glance. After a while he smiled at me.

"So, you have come," he said.

Suren Babu immediately followed with, "Baba, Naren sings very well."
The Baba (elderly man) said smilingly, "Of course, he is Narendra, king of men. He
shall sing well. Naren, today you must sing. This day marks the meeting of two stars.
Today you will sing and I shall only listen."

_______________________________

Come home, O harried mind

In this alien world, donned in foreign garb
Why roam without reason?

Turn to the path of Truth

With the light of Love
And treasure of Virtue as your provision
Kept hidden most carefully
_______________________________

After the session he came to me, held my hand and asked, "Will you come to
Dakshineshwar? Do come". I remained there, transfixed and still. He flowed like an
unconstrained river; I was stuck there like a whirlpool in midstream.

When finally we went to Dakshineshwar and Ramakrishna Paramahansa heard of our

arrival, he rushed out like a storm and puffed with excitement upon seeing us. "Naren,
you have come after such a long time!" he said. "You kept me waiting for so many days.
I am fed up of those materialistic people. Come, come with me, we have so many things
to talk about."

He took me inside the house where many people were sitting in the room. I asked him,
quite arrogantly, "Maharaj, have you ever seen God?" "Yes," he answered, "as clearly I
see you now, perhaps even more clearly. God can be seen. But who wants to see him?
People want wealth, family. For them they shed tears. But who cries for God?"

He was the first person I met who claimed to have seen God. My Brahmo Samaj culture
had taught me to understand the ultimate reality as formless, but this crazy old man
claimed the stone idol of Goddess Kali regularly appeared to him in the flesh!
 _______________________________

Abstract ultimate unqualified form

The only object
Personified positively qualified form
The ultimate unity
_______________________________

Two days later I returned to see him. Suddenly he touched my chest with his right foot.
The entire universe seemed to spin before me. I could see the walls of the room and the
garden of the temple dissolving in front of my very eyes. It felt as if my death had come.

When I went to him for the third time, all of a sudden he put his hand on my head and I
became unconscious. This experience was beyond belief. I felt ecstatic.

_______________________________

Neither me nor mine

Body given by someone else
Whatever wealth I have
Is given by someone else

The donor gave all these without? arrogance

"It’s all mine," said the recipient with pride
The mind that utters "me, mine"
Is given by someone else
_______________________________

At one point I went to the idol of Goddess Kali and said, "Ma, You alone know what
Your play is about," and I started singing.

_______________________________

All is Your will; You are the fulfiller of all wishes

Dost Thou every deed, that which all say is done by me

I am the tool, You are the hand

I am the house, You are its lady
I am the chariot, You are the master
I run as You drive
_______________________________

I can't explain how delightful those five years were, but the sudden demise of my father
heralded a period of misfortune. I went to Gurudev with anger in my heart and said,
"Baba, I have lost the battle. Please ask Goddess Kali to free me from this poverty."
And he said, "Ask Her yourself.”
So I went into the temple, stood in front of the idol and said, "Ma, bless me with
knowledge and devotion." Baba said, "I bless you. Your family will never face any
problems of sustenance. You crazy child, went to Ma for such ordinary things? She is
the Mother of the Universe! Mother knows the needs of her children." I decided to
dedicate the rest of my life at the pious feet of the Goddess.

_______________________________

As light in the eyes and a pearl in a shell

If even such little space I could have at the feet of the Mother
If the mouth be the lamp and the tongue its wick
I could write Her a letter with tears for ink
I could take care of You, O Ma
For some moments so that You could sleep
If even such little space I could have at Your feet
_______________________________

After some days Baba was diagnosed with throat cancer. One day he calle d to me and
said, "Somebody told me you have learnt classical music as well. Let me hear what your
classical music sounds like."

_______________________________

Ma Kalika, You are the Goddess

Destroyer of demons
Mother of the universe
You are Shiv ani
Form of death you are
The embodiment of joy
_______________________________

Gurudev’s state had deteriorated. He said, "Naren, I am leaving all these responsibilities
to you, entrusting you with all my power, all my devotion, all my reasoning. You shall
be a legendary soul."

_______________________________

Please don’t go away, O sage

I surrender at your feet
Lord of Meera, Girdharnaagar
Light the light with your light
_______________________________

In the next two or three months I traveled across North India. In Rajasthan I was invited
to the court of the king of Alwar who was against idol worship. I told him, "An idol is a
mere representation of the supreme power in which you have faith. Not only in an idol,
but in each and every partic le in the world I can feel the presence of God."
 _______________________________

If you have the vision

Try to see Him in every particle
In forests, gardens, water and air
In both life and death He is there
Who are you, where have you come from
And where do you have to go
If one can think thus
Make one’s own the knowledge of the ultimate
It brings the end of pride
_______________________________

In Mount Abu I rebuked my devotees when they expressed prejudices against other faiths:
"Do you want to become superior by degrading others? My religion doesn't teach this!"

_______________________________

None is superior to another

Everyone is His child
Make everyone your own
And receive the God in all
_______________________________

At Kanyakumari, where the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal meet, I
became impatient, jumped into the ocean and swam to a rock. Standing on the rock was
enchanting. This was a perfect place for meditation. I was in a state of emotion. O
Mother India, bless me so I can achieve my goal by serving you.

_______________________________

I salute my motherland
Well-watered, well-nurtured
With the cold breeze of the southern wind
Dark with crops, my motherland

The dark night is full of delight

Shimmering with the brightness of the full moon light
Heavenly trees grow flowery
With gentle smile and melodious words
Showering joy and boons is my motherland
I salute my motherland
_______________________________

I was planning to go to America to participate in the Parliament of World Religions in

Chicago. The Maharaja of Khetri made all the arrangements for my USA tour. He gave
me this saffron dress and Rajasthani turban. And it was he who re -christened me
Vivekanand.
At Chicago, two pieces of news awaited me. First, that the conference had been
postponed and second, that I needed a letter of recommendation to participate in it. On
my way to Boston by train, I made the acquaintance of a co-passenger named Mrs
Catherine Sanbourne. She was impressed by me and offered me her hospitality.

There I met Dr Wright, the Harvard University professor who asked me to represent the
Hinduism at the Parliament of World Religions. With the recommendation letter of Dr
Wright, I was on my way to Chicago. But I misplaced the address of Mr Baroze, without
which finding his office was impossible. A lady saw me and took me to her home. Her
name was Mrs George W Hale. She was a good friend of Dr Baroze. The next day the
world religions conference was to commence. I was grateful to God for everything.

_______________________________

Thanks to You, O Lord, thanks to You

When You are with me
I feel no sorrow
When I was depressed
You came as hope
For me, You are the only thing worth believing
In suffocation I lived
Until you became my breath
You alone fulfill my wishes
When You are with me
I feel no sorrow
_______________________________

September 11, 1893. I took the stage along with all the other Indian representatives,
there to attend the 17-day conference. Everybody came well-prepared with written
speeches. I was preparing myself, mentally, to face such a large audience. With eyes
closed, I remembered Gurudev in my mind. On my turn I went to the podium. The huge
auditorium was full with about seven thousand listeners. I bowed to Ma Saraswati,
Goddess of Wisdom, in my mind and started my speech

SISTERS & BROTHERS OF AMERICA… It fills my heart with joy in response to

the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of
the mother of religions, and I thank you in the name of the millions and millions of
Hindu people of all classes and sects. I am proud to belong to a religion which has
taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in
univers al toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a
nation which has sheltered the persecuted, and refugees of all religions and all
nations of the earth. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered the
purest remnant of the Israelities, and is still fostering the remnant of the grand
Zoroastrian nation.

Sectarianism, bigotry and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have filled the earth
with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization.
Had it not been, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. You
want to spread religion all through India, but the crying evil in the east is not
religion, they have religion enough, but it is bread that the suffering millions of
burning India cry out for with parched throats.

The philosophy of my religion is so deep and distinguished that I feel proud of it, but
still I don't want to convert you. The Christian is not to become a Hindu or a
Buddhist to become a Christian. But each must assimilate the spirit of the others
and yet preserve his individuality and grow according to his own law of growth.

The Parliament of Religions today underlines that holiness, purity and charity are
not the exclusive possessions of any church in the world, and that every system has
produced men and women of the most exalted character. In the face of this
evidence, if anybody dreams of the exclusive survival of his own religion and the
destruction of the others, I pity him from the bottom of my heart, and point out to
him that upon the banner of every religion will soon be written, in spite of
resistance: 'Help and not Fight,' 'Assimilation and not Destruction', 'Harmony and
Peace' and not 'Dissension'.

For the next 17 days, I had the opportunity to deliver my speech 12 times. All the
American newspapers were praising me. Said The New York Herald , "He is undoubtedly
the greatest figure in the Parliament of Religions. After hearing him we feel how foolish
it is to send our missionaries to this learned nation."

An unknown foreigner had become "a famous Hindu monk".

But I was restless. Ma, I do not want praise. My countrymen suffer extreme poverty
and here I see a great wastage of food. These people spend thousands of dollars on their
luxuries and my countrymen are compelled to beg for a handful of grains. Where is the
justice? I was in tears.

_______________________________

I wanted devotion
You granted fame
Your mysteries You know better, O Ram
I wanted to serve
You granted rest
Your mysteries You know better, O Ram
_______________________________

A revolution took place in my life. I traveled and delivered lectures in various cities in
America.

"You can't serve God and luxury at the same time. You who train your missionaries to
abuse and defame us, our God and our incarnations, can’t tolerate my criticism?"

"Don't touch us, we are Columbians. We can criticize, abuse and philosophize about the
entire world but don't you dare do the same to us. We are very sensitive," you say?

Many Christian brothers agreed with me but some priests became hostile. I replied,
"According to our holy scriptures only three persons are permitted to speak the bitter truth
– the doctor, the teacher and the minister. The day these people begin to lie, no one will
be able to save society from destruction."

_______________________________

However bitter it be, it is the truth

Alas! Who can awake one who lies down, refusing to open his
eyes
He who sows thorns has no right to flowers
That religion which slanders others, I cannot accept
Truly God is disgraced by such blasphemers
_______________________________

I remember the days I spent at Thousand Island Park with my disciples. I often gave
lectures on the Bible, Vedanta Sutra, Narad Sutra, Upanishads and the Geeta. I had now
been in America for almost two years. My English friends repeatedly invited me to visit
England. I intended to go there. Mrs George W. Hale asked me, "Swamiji, why do you
wish to go to England, when your work here is going so well?" I replied, "These are my
mentor’s orders. Although he is no more, he continues to order me. I am his slave. I
intend to obey him."

_______________________________

O Lord Krishna, accept me as your slave

Let me make a beautiful garden
And glimpse You in the morn
In the flowery lanes of Vrindavan
Singing the acts of Govinda
O Shyam, accept me as your slave
_______________________________

Now I was in England. It was a question of great amazement, how a handful of

Englishmen could actually rule over 400 million Indians. Later I realised that their
biggest strengths were patriotism, discipline, respect for law and order, and respect for
time.

Once during a lecture in England, an Irish lady sitting in the first row drew my attention.
It was as if Saraswati, the Goddess of Wisdom herself, was seated there in English
clothing. She was Miss Margaret Noble, a divine soul. Later on she became my disciple
and I named her Sister Nivedita. She wanted to devote her life to my mission. I asked
her to pledge her life to one of chastity and come to India to enlighten the women by
educating them.

_______________________________

Bring them light, they who are stranded in darkness

Make them bloom with devotion
 For centuries they have borne atrocities
Far from right knowledge and still pining for it
They are our mothers and sisters
Whom you shall release
Make them free birds
To fly in the bright wide sky
_______________________________

December 16, 1896. I embarked on my journey back to India. Mr & Mrs Savior and my
assistant Mr Goodwin accompanied me. Two priests traveling with us, on seeing me and
my saffron robes, became very angry and began to abuse my religion and gods, for no
apparent reason. I rushed forward, caught one of them by the collar and warned him, "If
you utter one more word against religion, I'll throw you into the ocean.” Intimidated by
my anger, they begged for forgiveness. When one cannot understand true devotion, he
must be shown the way of strength and power.

After sailing for a month I could see the Indian peninsula. I was mesmerized by its
beauty. The waves of the ocean along with the south wind hummed with me:

_______________________________

India, my motherland, we worship you

How I have b een longing to see you, Mother India
Without your touch and fragrance, nothing is good
With your image burned into my mind
I followed the spiritual path
In lands foreign, too, I stood with your flag
I now reach out to you, my shelter
To you I am returning today
_______________________________

Now I arrived in Madras, where I addressed the youth.

February 1897. I reached Calcutta, the land of my Master, Shri Ramakrishna

Paramahansa. A crowd of thousands came to welcome me, thus I was overwhelmed with
emotion.

_______________________________

Lord, I am at Your Feet

Endeavouring to please you
No sweetness have my words
Yet many favours I humbly ask
Receiving from You alone whatever I have to offer
Truly I am the pauper and You my patron, that is our relation
So I came to tell You
_______________________________
Thereafter I dedicated myself to the creation of the Ramakrishna Mission & Ashram.
Suddenly Calcutta was struck with an epidemic. I served the victims by providing them
with medicine, food and drinking water. During this period a scholar from South India
came to visit and deliver a talk on religion. I granted him ten minutes.

He was livid: "Swamiji, are you making fun of me? How is it possible to sum up within
ten minutes?" I replied:

_______________________________

O learned scholar
Keep aside your thoughts on religion
Do thou thy deed
Do works to remove the sorrows of the people
Do thou they deed
My religion at this moment is to help everyone
None should be left to starve
Come, let us collect food from somewhere
See, the drought has ravaged the land everywhere

O pundit, religion is not of mere and untimely Scriptural learning

A man becomes a god in time, by his good deeds
The people are distressed due to starvation
Feed them first, to full satisfaction
Keep aside your thoughts on religion
Do thou first thy deed
_______________________________

One day one my juniors came to me, "Swamiji, we came here to become ascetics and
now—" I said, "Brother, first try to be oopyogi (useful), then become to be a yogi
(ascetic). Another colleague said, "What are we doing here? We’re only looking after
the patients. What a wonderful life we had before this, practising meditation, worshipping
and enjoying the singing of melodious devotional songs. So many days have passed
since you sang a devotional song.

I answered:
_______________________________

To share the grief of those who suffer

Is true worship
To be intimate with all and to serve others
Is true religion
Indeed, that is the only religion
_______________________________

1898. With Sister Nivedita and three other Western disciples I went to Kashmir. At
Amarnath, the moment I saw the snow-white Shiv-ling, I lost my senses. Reaching the
Amarnath cave, I could clearly hear a divine voice say, "Your death shall come only when
you allow it." I could feel the divine power of Shiva.
 _______________________________

Shiva, the Lord of all souls

Protector of all creatures
Lord of yoga, Lord of lords, Shiva
With bow in hand, matted ha ir blazing upward
Caper (?) hair on the forehead
Seven universes play the beat
And the earth trembles beneath Thy Holy Feet
_______________________________

Then I visited the famous Kashmiri temple, Ksheer Bhavaani. When I found the idol in it
to be br oken, I was distressed. I thought to myself, "If only I were there at that time, it
never would have happened." Suddenly I heard a divine voice: "Do you look after me or
do I look after you? Whatever happens is my wish, under My control."

The surroundings suddenly became suffused with the scent of piety. I felt as if I had
become a newborn child.

_______________________________

Thou art the embodiment of kindness, O Mother

Thou art the embodiment of grace, O Mother
Thou art the only power, O Mo ther
Thou art the only devotion, O Mother
Thou art the only solution, O Mother
Thou art the only salvation, O Mother
_______________________________

1899. Once again I embarked on a tour of America and Europe, for a year and six
months. My friend Turiyanand accompanied me on this journey.

January 12, 1900. Some of my American disciples gathered and secretly arranged a
celebration for my 38th birthday. I said to them, "Us sages, we don't celebrate birthdays.
Don't pray for my longevity, pray instead that my years on earth may be useful." I told
them, "I shall not celebrate my 39th birthday and I will not see my 40th." Turiyanand was
in tears. "Why are you talking like this, Swamiji?" he asked. "Listen, brother. Smaller
plants can't grow in the shadow of a big tree. If I live, new monks will not able to do their
work properly. Moreover, the thought of death does not frighten me; rather, I feel thrilled
by the idea,” I told Turiyanand.

_______________________________

Grant this much, my Lord

When the soul leaves my body
I should sing the Name of God
When the soul leaves my body
Let it be released with ease
 Let Thy Name issue forth from the mouth
Only then could I be rid of all grief
When the soul leaves my body
_______________________________

As I returned from Europe, the cloud of war hung darkly over it. Alas, pleasure comes
with the crown of grief and treasure by exploiting innocent people, their sweat, tears and
blood. War is never good and peace is never bad.

Now I was living in Belur Math, with fellow monks. One day a novice came to me and
asked, "Swamiji, what form of God should we worship? There are so many forms in our
religion, we often get confused." I replied, "It is a great pleasure that you have so many
options. There is a saying, ‘As the vision, so the creation’. If any form pleases you,
worship that form. If you need the help of a mentor then seek tutelage in some sage.
Always keep the windows of your mind open. With closed eyes it will be the formless
ultimate being, with opened eyes it will be God personified. The day you get the feeling
you can make Krishna, He who makes the world dance, dance for a bowl of buttermilk,
that day you shall be closer to God.

_______________________________

Whom all the gods and goddesses adore

Who is the eternal, infinite, indivisible, impenetrable
Whose Name is chanted by all the sages such as Narada and
Vyaasa
BUT CAN'T REACH TO THE END, ???
He is made to dance by the daughters of milkmen
For a bowl of buttermilk
_______________________________

July 4, 1902. I woke up early in the morning with a distinct feeling, as if my Gurudev
had just called me. I meditated in the temple area. I entrusted Premananda with two
responsibilities. First, I asked him to open a Vedic college to abolish the superstitions
and misconduct of society. Second, I asked him to set up an Ashram exclusively for
women and with an independent administration.

I told my friends, "There is no hurry for salvation. First serve the weak, dedicate yourself
to others in this life. In your next life you can learn Vedanta (Holy Scriptures) and attain
salvation.

"Only by following the path of religion, can this country gain freedom. If India gets
involved in any social and political friction, it will meet utter destruction, but if it pursues
the search for God then my India shall remain immortal…. Now all of you go back to
your chores. It is time for my meditation."

I quietly returned to my room and after meditating, I lay down in bed. My entire life
became picturesque and flashed before my eyes. I could see a glance of the pious idol of
Gurudev, as if He was saying, "Never leave Naren alone. Otherwise he will enter the
realm of profound meditation." I said, "Baba, my work in this life is ove r. Now allow
me to leave the world."

An unusual joy began to swell within me and everything in my surroundings started

dissolving into eternity.

_______________________________

That is whole
This is whole
What has come out of the whole is also whole
When the whole is removed from the whole
The whole remains, still, whole
_______________________________

THE END