To be with Shri Ramakrishna was itself a kind of austerity and spiritual discipline. It was a rising beyond all ideas of the body, beyond the limitations of the senses. It required concentration and character of the highest order to follow the Master in his flights of thought. The whole soul of the devotee was stirred to realization and ecstatic fervour. He was called to enter the sphere of divine emotion. Shri Ramakrishna tried to depict this in words; but in it he often soared beyond all words to God. The company of Shri Ramakrishna was itself a compelling stimulus to spirituality. Spiritual emotion blazed there, and the very soul of things shone forth._x000d_ Only those who have sat at the feet of the Master can know the ocean of sweet intimacy and oneness with him in which the disciples were bathed. It was a tender, natural, human and easy relationship, free from the affectation, egoism and aloofness which tend to mark the atmosphere surrounding the Guru. The atmosphere was indeed divine; the presence of God was palpable; and yet there was much laughter and fun beneath the spreading trees of Dakshineswar and in the Master's room. The Master and the disciples would often sit under the trees in sweet and intimate talk. And every now and then some remark of the Master would change the human joy into divine blessedness.

Referring to those days Naren used to say:_x000d_ It is impossible to give others any idea of the ineffable joy we derived from the presence of the Master. It is really beyond our understanding how he could train us, without our knowing it, through fun and play, and thus mould our spiritual life. As the master wrestler proceeds with great caution and restraint with the beginner, now over powering him in the struggle with great difficulty as it were, again allowing himself to be defeated to strengthen the pupil's self confidence in exactly the same manner did Shri Ramakrishna handle us. Realizing that the Atman [Self], the source of infinite strength, exists in every individual, pigmy though he might be, he was able to see the potential giant in all. He could clearly discern the latent spiritual power which would in the fullness of time manifest itself Holding up that bright picture to view, he would speak highly of us and encourage us. Again he would warn us lest we should obstruct this future consummation by becoming entangled in worldly desires, and moreover he would keep us under control by carefully observing even the minute details of our life. All this was done silently and unobtrusively. That was the secret of his training of the disciples and of his moulding of their lives.

Once I felt that I could not practise deep concentration during meditation. I told him of it and sought his advice and direction. He told me his personal experience in the matter and gave me instructions. I remember that as I sat down to meditate during the early hours of the morning, my mind would be disturbed and diverted by the shrill note of the whistle of a neighbouring jute mill. I told him about it, and he advised me to concentrate my mind on the sound of the whistle itself. I followed his advice and derived much benefit from it. On another occasion I felt difficulty in totally forgetting my body during meditation and concentrating the mind wholly on the ideal. I went to him for counsel, and he gave me the, very instruction which he himself had received from Totapuri while practising Samadhi according to Vedantic disciplines. He sharply pressed between my eyebrows with his fingernail and said, "Now concentrate your mind on this painful sensation!" I found I could concentrate easily on that sensation as long as I liked, and during that period I completely let go the consciousness of the other parts of my body, not to speak of their causing any distraction hindering my meditation: The solitude of the Panchavati, associated with the various spiritual realizations of the Master, was also the most suitable place for our meditation.

Besides meditation and spiritual exercises, we used to spend a good deal of time there in sheer fun and merry-making. Shri Ramakrishna also joined in with us, and by taking put enhanced our it meant pleasure. We used to run and skip about, climb on the trees, swing from the creepers and at times hold merry picnics. On the first day that we picnicked the Master noticed that I myself had cooked the food, and he partook of it. I knew that he could not take food unless it was cooked by Brahmins, and therefore I had arranged for his meal at the Kali temple. But he said, "It won't be wrong for me to take food from such a pure soul as yourself." In spite of my repeated remonstrations, he enjoyed the food I had cooked that day.

Naren was in his element at Dakshineswar. All his boyish enthusiasm was let loose there. He was like a young lion sporting joyously in the presence of a strong but indulgent parent. All his pent-up energy of mind and heart which had brought on anguish and tempest when it had partially revealed itself before, was now free to express itself fully. It manifested as a torrent of spiritual energy. Shri Ramakrishna understood and was delighted beyond words. The flights of Naren's soul were visible to him. Like a king grown venerable in long years of spiritual experience, was the older man; and Naren was like a young prince and heir, full of fire and vigour because of his spiritual inheritance. The Master let Naren's mind work under the pressure of its intrinsic force; he allowed it to become its own Guru. He held that sincerity of heart brings on, of itself, the gradual illumination of the mind. He allowed Naren to doubt him, to sound him. He said, "Do not accept anything because I have said so; but teat everything for yourself. It is not in assent or dissent that the goal is to be attained, but in actual and concrete realization." And this Naren did, though often it called for extraordinary patience on the part of the Master and involved him in much suffering.

It is true to say that only Narendranath, amongst the desciples, understood the greatness of Shri Ramakrishna. He alone dared to doubt. He alone had an ascertained conviction with regard to the Master, which came of having weighed the Master's words in the balance and transcended doubt. The others hung with rapt attention on every word that fell from his lips. They were Bhaktas (devotees), they loved the Master; theirs was the conviction which comes of love. They knew Shri Ramakrishna only through their burning love for him. But Naren would question him, would smile at his statements and criticize them. Naren, too, had love for the Master, love such as no other disciple had, and it was this love which made him revere and adore him. But he was not satisfied until he had completely satisfied himself of the truth of Shri Ramakrishna's teachings, so far as the analytical intellect was capable of sanctioning the utterances of a saint and seer.

It was Naren's power, partly intellectual and partly spiritual, of searching out and arriving at truth, which filled the Master with respect for Naren. Yes, this was the "Shiva-nature" or the "Shiva-power" in Naren, as Shri Ramakrishna used to call it. On a certain occasion the Master said to the disciples present, pointing to Narendranath, "behold! Here is Naren. See! See! Oh what power of insight he has! It is like the shoreless sea of radiant knowledge! The Mother, Maha maya Herself, cannot approach within less than ten feet of him! She is barred by the very glory which She has imparted to him!" Then he prayed that the Mother might dim that radiance in order that Naren might be able to work. "O Mother," he prayed, "put a little of Thy Maya into Narendra!" For otherwise, by the natural tendency of his soul, he would he concerned only with the highest reaches of personal real¬ization; he would be immersed in eternal meditation and be mindful only of the Supreme Reality. He would thus be lost to the world.

The other disciples accepted Shri Ramakrishna's valuation of Naren as indisputable. Had he not gauged the depths of their own natures also? Had he not, at first sight, had the vision of the special forms of Divinity to which their minds tended! Had he not told every one of them his hidden tendencies! By mere touch he had imparted powers and realizations to them! Who were they to doubt when he said of Naren, "He has eighteen extraordinary powers, one or two of which as sufficient to make a man famous in the world"; or "He is a burning, roaring fire consuming alt impurities to ashes"; and added, "Even should Naren live on beef and pork, it could not harm in the least the great power of spirituality within him!"

One day Naren and other disciples were engaged in a heated argument: "Is God Personal or Impersonal? Does God become incarnate or is divine Incarnation a myth?" On and on the argument raged, until it covered all points of theological inquiry. Naren was the victor. He had overwhelmed all their positions. Shri Ramakrishna approached the gathering, and they heard these opening notes of a song come from his lips:_x000d_ _x000d_ O my mind, what avail thy efforts to realize that Being! _x000d_ Groping about, as thou dost, like a madman in a dark room?_x000d_ _x000d_ The song continued:_x000d_ _x000d_ Go to the six schools of philosophy: _x000d_ There that being thou shalt not find; _x000d_ Neither in the Tantras, nor in the Vedas. _x000d_ That being is fond of the sweet essence of love._x000d_ _x000d_ The disputatious disciples sat silent and ecstatic. Yes, here was the answer to all their questionings. Indeed, Shri Rama-krishna was a teacher who spoke only in the language of realization. He was not a metaphysician. He had seen; he had actually seen the Truth. So, what need of splitting hairs over questions that must remain for ever debatable to the human mind? Like the Buddha of old, Shri Ramakrishna had little use for logic. Spirituality is not the capacity to put fine theories into words. It is realization. It is character. It is the conquest of lust and gold. Shri Ramakrishna took the concern with realization from the plane of discussion into the sphere of personal striving, of austerities, and of a realistic endeavour for vision. Whenever the discussion grew heated, he became impatient of "much talk". Often he would compare the argu-mentative scholars who soared on the wings of discussion to vultures which, whilst soaring high, kept their eyes on the carrion beneath. The minds of these scholars were likewise fixed on the carrion of name and fame, lust and gold.

The Master did not normally interfere, however high the matter discussed. He let them talk. They would learn better, he would say: and sometimes he enjoyed the discussion. By it he sensed the spiritual insight of his disciples. Truly the Master's company was a grand school for the soul. It was a stimulus to personal growth. Everyone was free to discover and realize his own potentialities. But there were certain occasions when Shri Ramakrishna did intervene: for example, when Naren's towering thought overwhelmed the limited vision of another. There was that instance when Naren attacked faith as a means to liberation. He spoke of "blind faith". The Master said, "Naren, what do you mean by `blind faith'? Faith is always blind. Has faith an `eye'? Why say `blind faith'? Either simply say `faith' or say `Jnana' [knowledge]. What do you mean by classifying faith one kind having an eye, the other being blind?"

Slowly but surely Naren came to understand that it was realization that was true religion: man must see God. Thinking of Reality was good, but better was the vision of it-to attain which took time and much loving patience. But in time Naren discovered that the silence of insight was Shri Ramakrishna's most eloquent teaching. Sometimes, during conversations, Shri Ramakrishna would hold forth in soul stirring utterances. At other times he would leave the disciples to themselves and their argumentative moods. Discussion ended, they would find him in deep Samadhi. This, they came to know after a time, was his way of protesting against their heated discussion. His character and the spiritual radiance of his personal life were the power behind his teaching. The man who preached universal love and toleration lived it. Shri Ramakrishna did not attack any social custom. He did not preach against caste. Himself a Brahmin, he had love for the downtrodden millions who were lowest in the social scale. By performing the most menial of all services, which even the lowest of the outcastes would shrink from doing, he revealed his utter humility.

What were Shri Ramakrishna's answers to questions pertaining to God-vision and methods of realization? How to pray? _x000d_ "Pray in any way," he would say, "for the Lord hears even the footfall of an ant." How to find God? "By the conquest of lust and gold." Sincerity was the main theme of his teaching. Without sincerity nothing was possible; with sincerity all was possible. He would say to Naren and others that if they carried out but one-sixteenth of what he had done to realize God, they would be blessed for ever. Is God Personal or Impersonal? "He is both," said Shri Ramakrishna, "and yet He is beyond both; beyond any intellectual or theological dogmas. He is manifest to the soul in its own inmost realization. He assumes any form for the pleasure of His devotee. He is inexpressible. . . . He is not to be found between the covers of a book or within the walls of a temple." Is image-worship right or wrong? Such a question, to Shri Ramakrishna, was an idle one. Worship of anything which helped one to see God was right. Intense longing was the one thing needful.

Shri Ramakrishna was intimately acquainted with the various spiritual paths that led to the realization of God. The all comprehensive Hindu scriptures prescribe certain methods of worship suited to particular temperaments, which appear indecent to others. Once the conversation drifted to such modes of spiritual discipline. The Master said to Naren: "These people cannot rightly pursue their course of spiritual practices. Most of them satisfy their base passions in the name of religion. Well, Naren, you need not hear about these things. As for myself, I look upon all women as my Mother. This is a very pure attitude of mind. There is no risk or danger in it. To look upon a woman as one's sister is also not bad. But the other attitudes are very difficult and dangerous. It is almost impossible to keep to the purity of the ideal. There are various ways to reach God. Some of these are dirty like the scavenger's entrance to a house. It is really better to enter the house by the front door." Then in an exalted mood he said: "There are many opinions and many ways. I do not like these any more. The aspirants of different ways quarrel among themselves. You are my own people. There are no outsiders here. I tell you, I clearly find that He is the whole and I am a part of Him. He is the Lord and I am the servant. Again sometimes I think that He is I and I am He."

Shri Ramakrishna's manner of teaching charmed Narendranath. It modified the puritanical view of life which he as a Brahmo had. Shri Ramakrishna could not bear the word "sin"; he had no such phrase in his spiritual vocabulary as "born in sin". He admitted that man was born with limitations; but whereas others fixed their attention upon the limitations, he saw that the destiny of every soul was the conquest of all limitations. On one occasion when Naren was denouncing certain weaknesses of schoolboys, the Master chanced to overhear and said, "Why talk of these matters? Talk of the Lord and nothing else." Such was his method of teaching and its substance. '

Among the disciples, Narendranath was unique in the way he was able to arrive at the true spirit of the Master's teachings. His soul was the best attuned to the spiritual vibrations of the Master's words. Where others read pages, he read volumes, of the Revelation which the life and gospel of Shri Ramakrishna were. For instance, one day in 1884, Shri Ramakrishna was seated in his room at Dakshineswar surrounded by his disciples, among whom was Naren. The conversation drifted to the Vaishnava religion. The Master gave the gist of the cult of Lord Gauranga and finished by saying: "This religion en- joins upon its followers the practice of three things: relish for the name of God, compassion for all living creatures, and the service of the Vaishnavas, the devotees of the Lord. The real meaning of these precepts is this: God is not different from His name; therefore one should always repeat His name. God and his devotee, Krishna and the Vaishnava, are not separate from one another; therefore one should show respect to all saints and devotees. Realizing that this world belongs to Shri Krishna, one should show compassion to all creatures." Hardly had he uttered the words "compassion to all creatures", when he went into Samadhi. After a while he came back to a semiconscious state of mind and said to himself: "Compassion for creatures! Compassion for creatures! You fool! An insignificant worm crawling on earth, you to show compassion to others! Who are you to show compassion? No, it cannot be. Not com- passion for others, but rather the service of man, recognizing him to he a veritable manifestation of God."

Everyone present there, no doubt, heard those words uttered from the Master's inmost consciousness, but only Naren could gauge their meaning. When Naren left the room he said to the others: _x000d_ What a wonderful light I have discovered in those words of the Master! How beautifully he has reconciled the ideal of Bhakti with the knowledge of the Vedanta, generally interpreted as dry, austere, and incompatible with human sentiments! What a grand, natural and sweet synthesis! The usual idea is that the practice of the knowledge of Vedanta demands a complete withdrawal from society and a rooting out of all such sentiments as love, devotion and compassion. Cherishing hatred of the world and of fellow creatures, thinking them impediments to spiritual attainment, the aspirant goes astray. But from those words of wisdom that the Master uttered in an ecstatic mood, I have understood that the ideal of Vedanta lived by the recluse outside the pale of society can he practised even at home and applied to A aspects of daily life. Whatever a man's vocation, let him understand and realize that it is God alone who has manifested Himself as the world and created beings. He is both immanent and transcendent. It is He who has become all the diverse beings, objects of our love, respect or compassion, and yet He is beyond all these. Such a realization of Divinity in humanity leaves no room for arrogance. By realizing it, a man cannot be jealous of, or have pity for, any other being. Serving man, knowing him to be the manifestation of God, purifies the heart; and in a short time the aspirant who does this realizes that he is a part of God—Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute.

Those words of the Master throw an altogether new light upon the path of devotion. Real devotion is far off until the aspirant realizes the immanence of God. By realizing Him in and through all beings and by serving Him in them, the devotee acquires real devotion. Those following the paths of work and Yoga are similarly benefited by these words of the Master. The embodied being cannot remain even for a minute without activity. All his activities should be directed to the service of man, the manifestation of God upon earth, and this will accelerate his progress towards the goal. If it be the will of God the day will soon come when I shall proclaim this grand truth to the world at large. I shall make it the common property of all, the wise and the fool, the rich and the poor, the Brahmin and the Pariah.

It must be constantly borne in mind that the Master's life and teaching were true to the essence of Hinduism: not to sectarian Hinduism, but to that deep and all-comprehending attitude of soul which has in a marked degree been the Hindu ideal at all times. On the surface, Hinduism may seem to be a rigid framework of rituals and a congeries of myths. But with the Advaita philosophy as background the whole setting and details are seen in a different light. Therefore when Naren came to Shri Ramakrishna he found in it a new theology. True, it was the same theology that he had been taught from his infancy, but he was now approaching it with understanding, whereas, as a child, he had imbibed it without question, as a matter of custom and heritage. Formerly when the intellect bestirred itself, doubt also arose; but now, in the light of the new outlook that had been opened up, the Master's own life revealed to him potentialities and realities in Hinduism that he had not dreamt of. The Hinduism of Shri Ramakrishna was a positive, practical and living realization. However much Naren might question the spiritual ideals and the existence of the gods in which Hinduism abounded, he could not doubt the earnestness of his Master, who laid bare the living spirit of Hinduism. It might be superstition, Naren at first thought; the Master himself might be a madman; but it could be no ordinary superstition that enabled this madman to transmit spirituality by just a touch! To Shri Ramakrishna Hinduism was alive. How, superior it was, thought Naren, to the spiritually lifeless Brahmoism! Indeed, this was more a social reform movement even though the members, considered individually, might be possessed of spiritual aspirations. And did not Keshabchandra Sen, the leading spirit of the Brahmo movement, come and sit at the Feet of Shri Ramakrishna?

To Shri Ramakrishna Naren was indebted for his understanding of Hinduism. This understanding was gained by watching the Master engaged in worship, in teaching, and absorbed in ecstasy. It was communicated to Naren in spite of himself. The Master injected his own consciousness, his own personal realization of the Mother and of Hinduism, into the soul of Naren. How he did this is not known; it was a process too subtle to be explained. The doubting Naren was passing away; the devoted Naren, the spiritual Naren, was being born-Naren the Hindu and more than Hindu.

In those days Naren, in common with many Brahmos, was uneasy about the consequences of intense meditation and of inebriation resulting from divine love. Shri Ramakrishna reassured him on this point, saying, "God is like an ocean of syrup. Would you not dive into it? Suppose, my boy, there is a vessel with a wide mouth containing syrup, and suppose you are a fly anxious to sip the syrup. How would you like to do so?" Naren said that he would sit on the edge and sip, for, if he chanced to fall in, he would be sure to be drowned. Thereupon the Master said, "You forget, my boy, this is the Ocean of Sachchidananda (Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute). There need be no fear of death; this is the Ocean of Immortality. Only fools say that one should not go to excess in one's love of God. Can anybody ever go to excess in divine love? Therefore I say to you, dive deep into the Ocean of God." This advice Naren followed in his life. Though his intellect may at times have questioned, his heart went straight to the goal.

At this time, strange experiences came to him. Many times he saw Shri Ramakrishna in meditation when he himself was at home and the Master in Dakshineswar. One night Naren dreamt that Shri Ramakrishna came to him and said, "Come! I will' show you Gopi Radha!" Naren followed him. After going some distance the Master turned to him and said, "Where else will you go?" Saying this, Shri Ramakrishna transformed himself into the beautiful personality and exquisite form of Radha herself. This so affected the conscious mind of Naren that whereas formerly he had only sung the songs of the Brahmo Samaj relating to the Formless Brahman, he now sang songs on the intense spiritual love of Radha, the individual soul, for Shri Krishna, the indwelling Beloved One. When he narrated this dream to his brother-disciples, they were amazed. One asked him, "Do you believe in the significance of this?" Naren answered, "Surely I do."

Naren once longed to be lost, forgetful of all outer things, in Bhava (ecstasy). He saw how the devotees of the Master, such as Nityagopal and Manomohan, would fall to the ground seemingly lifeless at the chanting of the names of God. He was depressed that he was not able to enter these states himself, and complained about it to Shri Ramakrishna. The Master, regarding him with tenderness, replied: "My child, do not be disturbed. What does it matter? When a huge elephant runs into a pond, it sets up a great commotion there; but if it goes into the waters of a huge lake, little commotion is set up. These devotees are, as it were, small ponds. A little of this great power of Divine Love going into these small ponds lashes the water into a fury; but you are like the huge lake."

About this time Naren passed through a test which proved that he was a roaring fire of spirituality and renunciation. Some of his wealthy friends one day invited him for a drive to their garden in the suburbs of Calcutta. He consented joyfully, having no idea what sort of an evening drive it would be. They stopped in front of a house, and all alighted and entered the grounds where a garden party was being held. These people were merry makers. Naren enjoyed their singing, and sang himself. After a time he grew tired and was told that he might rest comfortably in a room close by. His friends, seeing him alone, sent a dancing girl to amuse him. He was as simple as a child and talked to her like a brother. She told him many interesting things about her life, about her sorrows and mis-fortunes. Seeing that she had engaged all his interest and sympathy, she misinterpreted his feelings and sought to entice him. Instantly he remembered Shri Ramakrishna and thought of God. He became serious, started to his feet, and said to the girl, "Excuse me, I must be going now. I have a genuine sympathy for you and wish you well. If you know that it is a weakness to lead such a life, you will get over it some day." _x000d_ They parted. The girl returned in bewilderment and said to Naren's friends sarcastically, "A nice trick you have played on me-sending me to tempt a sadhu?" Such was the influence Shri Ramakrishna had on Naren.

One cannot bask in the radiance of a great personality without one's inner powers and potentialities being aroused. This happened to Naren. The words of hope and strength which the Master spoke concerning him had an invigorating effect. He became conscious of his future greatness. Once he said to his friends, "What! At best you will be lawyers or doctors or judges. Wait, I will chalk out my own path." He felt sure of himself because the Master was so sure of him. He saw outstanding men-physicians, lawyers, scholars and religious teachers coming to the Master, attracted by his personality. Physicians tested his trances. They observed that, even when outward consciousness had receded, the Master's body would recoil if it came in contact with metal. Scholars noted down his sayings and found them to give expression to the highest realizations. All were convinced of the spiritual greatness of Shri Ramakrishna, Naren included. That the Master had given him the foremost place among his disciples and devotees though from a worldly point of view Naren knew that he was nothing when compared with many of these enhanced Naren's faith in himself. The Master was not guided by worldly considerations in his estimation. To one who was enormously rich and had won the title of Raja, he said, "People call you Raja, but I cannot do so! That would be a lie on my part." To another, a self styled philanthropist, he said, "You are a small minded man, low born as you are."

Thus Naren's all round development, physical, intellectual and spiritual, was fostered by Shri Ramakrishna. Physically, he had the graceful bearing and supple movements of a wild animal. He would walk along, now slowly, now briskly, his mind absorbed in thought. And yet there was a boyishness about him, and a spontaneity of manner, which were a delight to all who knew him. His appearance was that of a young man full of vigour and vitality, slightly above the average in height, and somewhat thickset in the shoulders. His chest was well developed. His head was broad towards the front, indicat-ing mental power and development; and it was well shaped all over. Indeed, he was one of those few men of whom it can be said, without implying femininity, that he was graceful. His eyes were his most striking feature. They were shaped like lotus petals. Rather prominent, though not protruding, they varied in colour according to the feelings of the moment. They revealed a keen, alert mind. At the time of steady gaze they were luminous and deep; at other times they would sparkle with joy and vivacity. When he spoke, it was as if, for the time being, only the person spoken to existed; one could not but feel pleased. Some accused him of intellectual avarice if such a term can be used. They said that his interest in anyone ceased when, to use their expression, "he had wrung him dry". But it was always true of him that he gave more than he received: it was an intellectual exchange.

Although he was muscular and athletic in build, and of striking carriage, one forgot all that in the interest of studying the face. He had a strong jaw, evidence of a resolute nature. To some he seemed a happy dreamer, to others an intense thinker, to others again, one who lived in a world rich with ideal love and beauty; but to all he seemed a young man of high breeding. His smile was benign and engaging. But when he grew serious, his face would strike awe in his companions. There were times when he seemed a child to his brother--disciples; and they loved him all the more when, in that mood, he was cantankerous or exacting or impetuous. When he became excited in discussion, his face and eyes would glow, revealing the tremendous power in him. But when he was absorbed in his own thoughts, he could surround himself with such a repelling reserve that no one would dare approach him. In Fact intense aloofness was one of his striking traits.

His was the temperament of a genius. Various moods would come upon him: now a strange impatience with his environment; again a sweet and loving patience as of one who is indifferent to results, who has eternity at his back. And considering the difficulties under which he laboured and suffered, and the scant appreciation he received from those for whom he laboured and suffered, it was a wonder that his heart did not become like steel. But love and a gentle bearing remained with him throughout. He would say to himself, "Why should one expect to be understood? It is sufficient that they love me. After all, who am I? The Mother knows best. She can manage Her work. Who am I to think myself indispensable?"

The love which Shri Ramakrishna bore for Naren had this as one of its fruits, that a balance was struck between intellect and heart; for it was above all through the vehicle of love that Naren could be taught and influenced. By nature Naren was a philosopher: Shri Ramakrishna made him a devotee also. But lest it be thought that the Master developed only devotional fervour in his disciple, it should be remembered that the highest metaphysical realization which Naren ever came to experience was likewise owing to the Master. Intellectual insight, tempered and softened by spiritual love, was the nature of Naren's spirituality. Though in general appearance he was a philosopher, the Master used to say that only a Bhakta, a devotee of God, could have such amiable and pleasing features. "Jnanis are generally dry in their appearance; but Bhaktas are pleasing to look at." But perhaps Naren's own words are the best guide to discerning his true nature. As Swami Vivekananda, he once compared himself with the Master: "He was all Bhakti without; but within he was all Jnana. I am all Jnana without; but in my heart all is Bhakti." He meant that a mantle of love hid the spiritual intellect of the Master, and a mantle of intelligence covered the devotion within himself.

One side of Naren's character was nurtured by his afflictions and poverty, another by his associations. Shri Ramakrishna perfected these two sides of Naren's character and moulded him according to the ideal he had in view-the ideal which became incarnate in the Swami Vivekananda. Shri Ramakrishna said that had Naren been brought up in luxury he would have certainly drifted in some other direction. He might have become a great statesman or lawyer, or a great orator or social reformer. But poverty had given Naren sympathy with the poor. And from his Master he had learned that there was a difference between intellectuality and spiri¬tuality. Not that he denounced intellect; he acclaimed it. But hereafter he made reason subordinate to spiritual realization; he made philosophy the handmaid of it. Prayer and meditation were the wings upon which Naren now rose to spiritual consciousness.

How wonderful was the Master's love! After the passing away of Naren's father, Shri Ramakrishna said to an influential devotee, "Naren's father is dead. They are starving at home. Now it will be good if his friends help him." When the gentleman had taken his departure, Naren said, rather piqued, "Sir! Why did you tell him that?" The Master, seeing that he had hurt his disciple's sense of family pride in having thus made mention of their misfortune, exclaimed with tears in his eyes, "O my Naren, do you not know that I would do anything for you; that for you I would even go about begging from door to door!" Naren was overpowered. This was love indeed overwhelming and selfless love. As Naren said of his Master long afterwards, "He made me his slave by his great love for me!"

Shri Ramakrishna, as we have already noted, was much alarmed when Naren's relatives were planning for his marriage. His love for Naren, his desire to save him from worldly life, made the Master prostrate himself at the feet of the Divine Mother. He prayed to Her many times, "O Mother, do break up all these plans! May Naren not sink!" But however great the Master's love, he would be strict with Naren if at any time he associated with evil companions, even though he did not do so of set purpose. Did the slightest shadow of an unworthy thought cross Naren's mind, the Master at once detected it. When Naren came to him after having associated with some questionable person, the Master would not even look at him, still less eat from his hand.

Naren's illustrious future was always present to Shri Ramakrishna's vision. He knew that Naren's was the path of renunciation, and trained him to this end. In that light he scrutinized his disciple's every movement. Once he found that Naren was associating intimately with a devotee who had led a worldly life, and warned him; but Naren protested that the devotee had given up his questionable habits. The Master said:_x000d_ However much you may wash the pot where garlic has been kept, still some smell will linger. The boys are pure. They are as yet uncontaminated by any idea of lust and gold. You have seen mangoes that have been pecked by crows. Such mangoes cannot be offered to God or eaten by man. The devotees who have tasted worldly pleasure belong to another group.

A group of monks was seated together thinking of God. Some women passed by. One of the monks opened his eyes wider and cast oblique glances at them: he had renounced the world after being the father of three children. You cannot expect figs from thistles. Worldly men have no leisure to think of God; but do you think I hate them? No, not at all. I find God has become all these. I look upon all women as my Mother. So I find no difference between a chaste woman and a girl of ill fame. . . . I find everyone seeks glass beads: no one wants diamonds. Man is enchanted by lust; he is caught by the glamour of riches; but to one who has seen God, these are worthless trifles. Someone said to Ravana, "You go to Sita assuming all sorts of forms in order to intimidate or seduce her. Why don't you take the form of Rama so that she may take you for her husband?" Ravana replied, "If I meditate on Rama, even the moat exquisite beauty of the world appears as mere straw."_x000d_ Devotion to God is impossible without purity of heart. An impure man cannot have single-minded devotion. His mind is diverted to various things. You cannot expect anything when you are attached to lust and gold. It is extremely difficult for a worldly man to be perfectly unattached. He is a slave to his wife, slave to his money, and slave to his master._x000d_ Then looking at Naren, he said, "My dear boy, you will never attain your goal if you are attached to lust and gold." Verily as the sun is far above the earth, so was this Guru above other Gurus. The Master and Naren transcended all conventional ideas of Guru and disciple. It is not surprising that Naren should have counted these days of ecstasy at Dakshineswar as days of blessedness.

Such was the teaching Shri Ramakrishna gave Naren during the first four years of their relationship, and such was the environment in which Naren grew beyond the confines of his former spiritual hopes. It is difficult to say just when Naren became the Master's disciple. From a mystical point of view he had become the disciple when Shri Ramakrishna touched his heart. It was then that the Master can be said to have taken possession of him. But consciously Naren became the disciple only when his intellect had been convinced-a process which took some time. This process was part of his training. Had he accepted the Master from the beginning, without question, he would not have become Swami Vivekananda, possessed of the power of convincing others because he himself had not been easily convinced.

But when conviction had come, and Naren did become the disciple, it was to him irrevocable. For five years he had living contact with his Guru, Every time he visited Dakshineswar it was a stirring event both for himself and for the Master, serving to intensify their relationship and as an occasion for the further absorption of ideas and ideals by the disciple. He was becoming saturated with spirituality. The Master gave him all that was to be given, all that he had. Shri Ramakrishna was like one. Who had struggled hard against almost insuperable difficulties to acquire a great treasure, and Naren was the son and heir who was to inherit this treasure. Shri Ramakrishna had won a spiritual empire by conquering the chief foes, lust and gold; Naren was to extend this empire over the earth. Shri Ramakrishna had dived deep into the ocean o£ Spirit; Naren was to show the world the treasures the Master had found there. Shri Ramakrishna was the realization and revela¬tion, and Naren the utterance thereof.

Whether Shri Ramakrishna was in fact an Incarnation of God or not, did not at this time occupy Naren's attention. It was the character of the Master that he saw: that told a more complete tale in the way of revelation than all the theories put together. Naren's views at this time were broad, in fact too broad for the average understanding. He viewed Shri Ramakrishna in a larger perspective than most of those about him. He often grew impatient of their tendency to a partisan and exclusive acceptance of the Master. He held him in too high a reverence to appraise him only in terms of the Incarnation doctrine. He unconsciously accepted Shri Ramakrishna's life as the demonstration of means to all spiritual ends-not just to the spiritual ends of one religion or sect. He saw him as a spiritual path-finder. The Master's words were to him veracious utterances in regard to the highest possibilities of the spiritual life. He sensed, from his association with the Master, what he later understood from spiritual science, namely, that human personality can transcend its own bounds by the intensification of transpersonal ideals. All the efforts of the saints had been to this end. In Shri Ramakrishna Naren saw these efforts brought to their highest realization. He saw him as the preserver and rejuvenator of the Hindu Dharma. He saw in Shri Rama¬krishna a new Chaitanya, a new Shankaracharya, a new Buddha; yes, and even more, for the difficulties which stood in the way of the rejuvenation of Hinduism were more numerous and serious in the nineteenth century than at any previous time. Intuitively Naren was aware of all this, and of the great¬ness of Shri Ramakrishna. This understanding grew in him at Shyampukur, and came to maturity at the Cossipore garden ¬house.

In the summer of 1885, seeing the Master suffer from the excessive heat, the devotees requested him to take ice. Finding that it gave him relief many of them now began to bring ice for him when they came to Dakshineswar. He liked to take it with sugared drinks, which he enjoyed like a boy. But after a month or two a pain started in his throat. It was probably in April that he felt the pain for the first time.

More than a month elapsed, but the pain did not abate; and scarcely had the month of May come when the disease developed new symptoms. It increased when he spoke much or went into ecstasy. It was at first diagnosed as inflammation of the throat due to cold, and an ordinary plaster was prescribed. But finding it not efficacious after a few days' use, a devotee brought Dr. Rakhal of Bowbazar, who was known to be an expert in such diseases. The doctor diagnosed the disease and prescribed an unguent and medicine for application inside and on the outside of the throat. He asked those attending on the Master to see that as far as possible he did not talk much for some days and did not often go into ecstasy.

The thirteenth day of the bright fortnight of Jyaistha (May--June) was drawing near, when a fair of the Vaishnava community is held annually in the village of Panihati on the east bank of the Ganga, a few miles north of Calcutta. The Master went there, persuaded by the devotees, and spent the whole day singing and dancing, often going into Samadhi. The result was aggravation of the disease. The doctors now diagnosed it as "clergyman's throat". The Master followed the physician's instructions in all matters but two. Whenever there was occasion for spiritual converse, he would lose body consciousness and go into ecstasy; and when afflicted people came to him for solace he would talk, no matter what it cost him. At the same time his communion with God intensified; he had no regular hours for food or drink; most of his time was spent in meditation and prayer, which with him meant Samadhi. Thus the last year of his life became a slow crucifixion.

The devotees naturally became anxious. Narendra realized the gravity of the situation. He remarked to a friend, "I am afraid the object of our love and adoration will not live for long. I have read the medical books and consulted some doctor friends about his disease, and I am afraid his throat trouble has turned into cancer, the cure for which has not yet been discovered." Shri Ramakrishna readily agreed to moving to Calcutta for systematic treatment.