Thus the monks lived the spiritual life; and the monastic Order of Ramakrishna was consolidated too. But even as the Order was twofold in its provision, blending the ideal of personal freedom that itinerant monk hood had insisted on, with that of a brotherhood bound by a shared love for the Master and organized to further his mission, so there was a corresponding twofold tendency in each member of the Baranagore Math. In Narendranath especially, these two tendencies were seen, and at times were at war with one another. At these times he was torn between loyalty to the Math and its mission, and loyalty to the traditional vision of the wandering monk. And it was the same with his brother-monks. Indeed, there were times when it seemed that the traditional ideal would draw them apart to the isolated sannyasi's life in spite of themselves. However, if we view what happened from the standpoint of the Order as a unity, it will be seen that it was consistent throughout, for there was always a group at the Math, constituting the Ramakrishna brotherhood, even when most of the monks were out in different places. Some of them were continuously at the monastery for several years, whilst others were almost constantly wandering. From July 1890, for nearly seven years, Narendranath was himself absent; but for some four years immediately following the passing away of Shri Ramakrishna he was most of the time with his monastic brothers, either at Baranagore, or on various short pilgrimages, which will be mentioned presently._x000d_
A love of pilgrimage characterizes the Hindu monk. As the proverb has it, "A wandering monk and flowing water do not become dirty": by not remaining in any one place for long the wandering monk remains free from blemish. Moreover, who does not aspire to visit the places of pilgrimage, made more holy by the visits of saints and countless others, where God is accepting the worship of his devotees and showering grace on them? It is but natural for those who have renounced the world with the aim of realizing God, to seek Him where He is espe-cially present; and this was so with the monks of the newly established Baranagore Math. As we have seen, the itinerant tendency was manifest in some of them even when the Master was at Cossipore; and immediately after his passing away some went with the Holy Mother to Vrindavan, where they stayed for several months._x000d_
Towards the end of February 1887, Saradananda, Abhedananda and Premananda went to Puri; and Akhandananda left for Tibet.