Swami Turiyananda relates another incident indicative of the profound love for all men that there was in the Swami's heart. Although it happened after his first visit to America, it will be in place to mention it now, while this side of our subject's personality is before us. It took place at Balaram Bose's home in Calcutta, where the Swami was staying for a time. Swami Turiyananda said:_x000d_ I came to see Swamiji and found him walking alone on the veranda lost in such deep thought that he did not perceive my arrival. I kept quiet, lest I should interrupt his reverie. After some time Swamiji, with tears rolling down his cheeks, began to hum a well-known song of Mirabai. Then, with his face in his hands and leaning on the railings, he sang in anguished tones, "Oh, nobody understands my sorrow! Nobody understands my sorrow!" The sad strains, and Swamiji's dejection, seemed to affect even the objects around him! The whole atmosphere vibrated with the sad melody: "No one but the sufferer knows the pangs of sorrows." His voice pierced my heart like an arrow, moving me to tears. Not knowing the cause of Swamiji's sorrow I was very uneasy. But it soon flashed upon me that it was a tremendous universal sympathy with the suffering and oppressed that was the cause of his mood.

Another initiation ceremony took place at Alambazar Math in the first week of May, when the Swami gave Mantras to Sharatchandra Chakravarty and Sudhir. The latter, who had joined the monastery in April that year, was now named Brahmachari Shud-dhananda by the Swami. The Swami's talks on renunciation had so inspired him that he could no more stay at home; and leaving his college studies, he had joined the monastery. To Sharat the Swami said: "Arouse Shraddha in yourself and in your countrymen! Like Nachiketa, go to Yama's door if necessary, to know the Truth — for the salvation of your soul, for the solution of the mystery of life and death! If going into the jaws of death helps you gain the Truth, you have to do that fearlessly. All fear is death; you have to go beyond it. Be fearless, be ready from today to lay down your life to attain Moksha (liberation) and for the good of others. Otherwise what is the use of bearing this burden of flesh and bones? Being initiated into the fiery Mantra of absolute renunciation for the sake of the Lord, give away your body for the good of the world, as the sage Dadhichi did when the Devas came and told him that the demon Vritra could not he killed with any other weapon but a thunderbolt made of his bones!"

It was the end of April 1397. Only five days ago I had left home to live with the sannyasis of the Alambazar Math. Swamis Premananda, Nirmalananda, and Subodhananda were then living there. Swamiji presently came back after his visit to Darjeeling. Along with him there were Swami Brahmananda, Swami Yogananda, and his Madrasi disciples, Alasinga, Kidi, G. G., and others.

Swami Nityananda, only a few days before, took Sannyasa from Swamiji. He spoke to Swamiji one day about the need for a systematic training for the Math, as a large number of young men had at that time joined the Math to lead a We of renunciation. Swamiji readily agreed to the suggestion and asked him to gather all the inmates who all assembled in the hall. "Let some one he writing as 'I dictate", said Swamiji. No one seemed to be prepared to come forward, and finally the task fell on me. It might be said in passing that at that time, with the inmates of the Math, literary education was out of favour, the prevailing notion being that to realize God by Sadhana and Bhajana was the goal, while literary knowledge, even though it might b~ a little fame and name, was really useless for a Sadhaka (aspirant). Only in the case of those who are chosen by God to carry His mission or message was the need for literary training recognized…. Swamiji before dictating the rules remarked as follows: "Look here, we are going to make rules, no doubt; but we must remember the main object thereof. Our main object is to transcend all rules and regulations. We have naturally some bad tendencies which are to he changed by observing good rules and regulations; and finally we have to go beyond all these even, just as we remove one thorn by another and throw both of them away." The course of discipline and routine decided upon was of this kind:

Both morning and evening should he devoted to meditation, while the afternoons after a short rest should he utilized for individual studies, and in the evenings one particular religious book should be read and expounded. It was also provided that each member would take physical exercise both morning and evening. Another rule was to the effect that no intoxicant save tobacco should he allowed. Having dictated the rules, Swamiji asked me to make a fair copy of the rules and instructed me that I should put all the rules in the positive form ...

These rules and regulations have, with little alteration, taken permanent form as the Rules and Regulations of the Ramakrishna Math, Belur.

Religion, arts, science, housekeeping, cooking, sewing, hygiene — the simple essential points in these subjects ought to be taught to our women. It is not good to let them touch novels and fiction. The Mahakali Pathashala is to a great extent moving in the right direction. But only teaching rites of worship won't do; their education must be an eye-opener in all matters. Ideal characters must always be presented before the girls to imbue them with a devotion to lofty principles of selflessness. The noble examples of Sita, Savitri, Damayanti, Lilavati, Khana, and Mira should be inspired to mould their own lives in the light of these.

On another occasion, after that of the above conversation with Swami Yogananda, when the Swami was staying at Balarambabu's house, he was talking in a light mood with some of his brother-monks and with some lay disciples of the Master. At such times he would be full of wit and jokes. Swami Adbhutananda was taking him to task for not preaching tile ideas of Shri Ramakrishna, and was challenging him to prove how his plans could be reconciled with the latter's teachings. Shri Ramakrishna insisted, above all, on Bhakti and on the practice of Sadhana for the realization of God; while the Swami, Adbhutananda pointed out, was constantly urging them to go about preaching, and serving the poor and the diseased — those things that turned the mind outward, which was the great impediment to Sadhana. Then again, the Swami's idea of starting Maths and Homes of Service for the public good, his ideas of organization and of patriotism, which were undoubtedly Western in conception, his efforts to create a new type of sannyasi with a broader ideal of renunciation, and other ideas sin3ilar in spirit, were incompatible with Shri Ramakrishna's ideal of renunciation and would surely have been repudiated by him. The Swami at first took these observations of Swami Adbhutananda lightly and retorted jokingly, saying: "What do you know? You are an ignorant man. You are indeed a fit disciple of Shri Ramakrishna! Like guru like chela! Your education ended with 'Ka', the first letter of the alphabet, like that of Prahlada. Being reminded by 'Ka' of Krishna, he could not proceed further. You are Bhaktas, in other words, sentimental fools! What do you understand of religion? You are babies. You are only good at praying with folded hands: '0 Lord! How beautiful Your nose is, how sweet Your eyes are', and such nonsense. And you think your salvation is secured, that Shri Ramakrishna will come at the final hour and take you up by the hand to the highest heaven! Study, public preaching, and doing humanitarian works are, according to you, Maya, because Shri Ramakrishna did not do them himself, because he said to someone, 'Seek and find God first; doing good to the world is presumptuous!' As if God-realization is such an easy thing to achieve! As if He is such a fool as to make himself a plaything in the hands of an imbecile!"

Swami Adbhutananda later told a devotee: "I was stunned to hear all these things; and when some other brother-monk tried to say something, taking up the thread of our talk, Vivekananda grew more and more serious, and thundered on."

The Swami now said: "You think you understand Shri Ramakrishna better than myself! You think jnana is dry knowledge to he attained by a desert path, killing out the tenderest faculties of the heart. Your Bhakti is sentimental nonsense which makes one impotent. You want to preach Ramakrishna as you have understood him, which is mighty little. Hands off! Who cares for your Ramakrishna? Who cares for your Bhakti and Mukti? Who cares what the scriptures say? I will go to hell cheerfully a thousand times, if I can rouse my countrymen, immersed in Tamas (inertia), and make them stand on their own feet and he Men, inspired with the spirit of Karma-Yoga. I am not a follower of Ramakrishna or any one; I am a follower of him only who carries out my plans! I am not a servant of Ramakrishna or any one, but of him only who serves and helps others, without caring for his own Mukti."

He could not contain himself any longer. Tears streamed from his eyes. In a flash he was on his feet and ran from the room to his sleeping apartment. His brother-disciples were seized with fear and repented of their criticisms spoken to him in that strain. A few of them went to his room some minutes later. Entering quietly, they found him sitting in meditation, his body stiff, tears flowing from his half-closed eyes, and body-hair standing on end. It seemed to them that he was absorbed in Bhava-samadhi. After nearly an hour he rose, washed his face, and came out to those waiting in the sitting-room. The atmosphere was tense. At length the Swami broke the silence saying: "When one attains Bhakti, one's heart and nerves become so soft and delicate that they cannot bear even the touch of a flower! Do you know that I cannot even read a novel nowadays! I cannot think or talk of Shri Ramakrishna long, without being overwhelmed. So I am trying and trying always to keep down the rush of Bhakti welling, within me. I am trying to bind and bind myself with the iron chain of jnana, for still my work to my motherland is unfinished, and my message to the world not yet fully delivered. So, as soon as I find that Bhakti feelings are coming up to sweep me off my feet, I give them a hard knock and make myself adamant by bringing up austere jnana. Oh, I have work to do! I am a slave of Ramakrishna, who left his work to be done by me, and will not give me rest till I have finished it! And, oh, how shall I speak of him! Oh, his love for me !"

This incident is significant, exposing as it does the depth of the Swami's Bhakti. It also gives an idea of the cost at which his service to others was done. His brother-monks ever sought to prevent such tempestuous outbursts, for these would bring him closer to awareness of his real nature. They had been warned that when he knew that, he would tear off all mortal bonds and in Mahasamadhi soar into the Supreme Con-sciousness of Brahman. Reflecting on such occasions in the Swami's life as that above related, one of the greatest of his brother-monks said: "You see, the Master has brought us all into this world to keep his [the Swami's] mind diverted to external matters and to his various plans of work, so that he may live long enough to fulfil our Master's mission. Otherwise, he may fly off at any time to the sphere of Nir-vikalpa Samadhi."

So profound and convincing was the impression created by this incident, that no protest was afterwards made against his plans and methods of work. It was as though the atmosphere had been heavy with clouds of doubt, which from time to time broke in storms of conflicting ideals, and had now cleared. Everyone realized as never before that the Master was at the back of Vivekananda, working through him.

For some time the preaching and philanthropic work was carried on through this Association. In 1899, however, the Swami moved the Math to Belur, and, in 1901, by Deed of Trust, made over its management to Trustees. The main objects of the Math were the training of monks for Self- realization and for service of the world in all possible ways. Soon after this, the Ramakrishna Mission Association ceased to function as an independent organization, and the Math authorities carried on the activities conducted by it.

In the course of time, as the scope of the Math's activities and its responsibilities grew, it was felt that, for the sake of efficiency, and to have a legal status, there should be a separate organization known as the Ramakrishna Mission. Accordingly, in 1909, a society named the Ramakrishna Mission was registered under Act XXI of 1860. The law required certain changes in the rules and regulations of the Mission Association; but most of these changes related to matters of administration. The principles and objects as originally laid down by the Swami remained the same. The management of the Ramakrishna Mission was vested in a Governing Body consisting of the Trustees of the Belur Math for the time being. The Mission was established and registered so that the purely Math activities, namely, the training and maintenance of a band of sannyasis to carry on religious work, could be kept distinct from the charitable activities which the Mission was to organize.

In due course, branch Maths sprang, up in different parts of the country. These branch Maths and the Math at Belur have, from their inception, been parts of a single organization. The Ramakrishna Mission extended its activities also, and the various institutions that had already been started in different parts of India were gradually incorporated into the Ramakrishna Mission. New centres were also started.

Though the Ramakrishna Mission and the Ramakrishna Math with their respective centres are distinct institutions, there is close association between them, since the Governing Body of the Mission consists of the Trustees of the Math, and the principal workers of the Mission are monks of the Math. Both have their headquarters at Belur Math; but their funds and accounts are separate.

Accordingly, on his return from Darjeeling he called a meeting of all the monastic and lay disciples of Shri Ramakrishna. It took place at 3 p.m., on Saturday, May 1, 1897, at Balarambabu's house. When all, had assembled, the Swami opened the meeting with the following words in Bengali:

From my travels in various countries I have come to the conclusion that without organization nothing great and permanent can. be done. But in a country like India, at our present stage of development, it does not seem to me well advised to start an organization on a democratic basis in which every member has an equal voice, and decisions are arrived at by a majority of the votes of the community. With the West the case is different.... Among us also, when with the spread of education we learn to sacrifice, to stand above our individual interests and concerns, for the good of the community or the nation at large, then it will be possible to work on a democratic basis. Taking this into consideration, we should have for our organization at present a Director whose orders everyone should obey. Then, in the fullness of time, it will be guided by the opinion and consent of the members.

This Association will bear the name of him in whose name we have become sannyasis; him, taking whom as your ideal you are leading the householder life in the field of activity — this Samsara (this world) — ; him whose holy name, and the influence of whose unique life and teachings, have within twelve years of his demise spread in such an unthought-of way both in the East and the West. Let this Sangha (Organization) therefore be named the Ramakrishna Mission. M7e are but the servants of the Master. May you all help in this work!

On May 2 the Indian Mirror reported: "Swami Vivekananda arrived from Darjeeling on Wednesday last with his disciples. Owing to the scorching weather it is not likely that the Swami will be able to deliver a lecture at a time when most of our leaders are absent from Calcutta ......” He remained only a week in Calcutta, to supervise and settle some important matters: he then left for Almora in the interest of his health.

where he and the monastic members of the Order always met with warm hospitality. On such occasions devotees and visitors from all parts of the city gathered there.

We have already noted the Swami's intention to start an organization for service on all levels from the spiritual to the material-service in which monks, devotees, and general public would co-operate.

My Dear Miss Noble {Sister Nivedita},_x000d_ Your very very kind, loving, and encouraging letter gave me more strength than you think of._x000d_ There are moments when one feels entirely despondent, no doubt--especially when one has worked towards an ideal during a whole life's time and just when there is a bit of hope of seeing it partially accomplished, there comes a tremendous thwarting blow. I do not care for the disease, but what depresses me is that my ideals have not had yet the least opportunity of being worked out. And you know, the difficulty is money._x000d_ The Hindus are making processions and all that, but they cannot give money. The only help I got in the world was in England, from Miss Muller, and Mr. Sevier. I thought there that a thousand pounds was sufficient to start at least the principal centre in Calcutta, but my calculation was from the experience of Calcutta ten or twelve years ago. Since then the prices have gone up three or four times._x000d_ The work has been started anyhow. A rickety old little house has been rented for six or seven shillings, where about twenty-four young men are being trained. I had to go to Darjeeling for a month to recover my health, and I am glad to tell you I am very much better, and would you believe it, without taking any medicine, only by the exercise of mental healing! I am going again to another hill station tomorrow, as it is very hot in the plains. Your society is still living, I am sure. I will send you a report, as least every month, of the work done here. The London work is not doing well at all, I hear,

Alambazar Math, Calcutta_x000d_ May 5th, 1897_x000d_ Dear Mrs. Bull,_x000d_ I have been to Darjeeling for a month to recuperate my shattered health. I am very much better now. The disease disappeared altogether in Darjeeling. I am going tomorrow to Almora, another hill station, to perfect this improvement._x000d_ Things are looking not very hopeful here as I have already written you--though the whole nation has risen as one man to honour me and people went almost mad over me! The practical part cannot be had in India. Again, the price of the land has gone up very much near Calcutta. My idea at present is to start three centres at three capitals. These would be my normal schools, from thence I want to invade India._x000d_ India is already Ramakrishna's whether I live a few years more or not._x000d_ I have a very kind letter from Prof. Janes in which he points out my remarks about degraded Buddhism. You also write that Dharmapala is very wroth about it. Mr. Dharmapala is a good man, and I love him; but it would be entirely wrong for him to go into fits over things Indian._x000d_ I am perfectly convinced that what they call modern Hinduism with all its ugliness is only stranded Buddhism. Let the Hindus understand this clearly, and then it would be easier for them to reject it without murmur. As for the ancient form which the Buddha preached, I have the greatest respect for it, as well as for His person. And you well know that we Hindus worship Him as an Incarnation. Neither is the Buddhism of Ceylon any good. My visit to Ceylon has entirely disillusioned me, and the only living people there are the Hindus. The Buddhists are all much Europeanised--even Mr. Dharmapala and his father had European names, which they have since changed. The only respect the Buddhists pay to their great tenet of non-killing is by opening "butcher-stalls" in every place! And the priests encourage this. The real Buddhism, I once thought, would yet do much good . But I have given up the idea entirely, and I clearly see the reason why Buddhism was driven out of India, and we will only be too glad if the Ceylonese carry off the remnant of this religion with its hideous idols and licentious rites._x000d_ About the Theosophists, you must remember first that in India Theosophists and Buddhists are nonentities. They publish a few papers and make a lot of splash and try to catch Occidental ears. . . . _x000d_ I was one man in America and another here. Here the whole nation is looking upon me as their authority--there I was a much reviled preacher. Here Princes draw my carriage, there I would not be admitted to a decent hotel. My utterances here, therefore, must be for the good of the race, my people--however unpleasant they might appear to a few. Acceptance, love, toleration for everything sincere and honest--but never for hypocrisy. The Theosophists tried to fawn upon and flatter me as I am the authority now in India, and therefore it was necessary for me to stop my work giving any sanction to their humbugs, by a few bold, decisive words; and the thing is done. I am very glad. If my health had permitted, I would have cleared India by this time of these upstart humbugs, at least tried my best. . . . Let me tell you that India is already Ramakrishna's and for a purified Hinduism I have organised my work here a bit._x000d_ Yours,_x000d_ Vivekananda

On May 5 he wrote to Mrs. Bull: "I have been to Darjeeling ... to recuperate my shattered health. I am very much better now. The disease disappeared altogether in Darjeeling. I am going to Almora tomorrow, another hill station, to perfect this improvement."

Theosophists, Buddhists, Christians, and such ilk may bring money and start papers by the hundreds, but the effect on us is zero absolute. The only Christian missionary that had a welcome was Dr. Barrows and that was on account of my letter l I do not think I .have time to write separately to Dr. Janes. He has been uniformly kind to me.

As originally drawn up, these were as follows: _x000d_ This Association (Sangha) shall be known as the Ramakrishna Mission. _x000d_ The aim of the Sangha is to preach those truths which Shri Ramakrishna has, for the good of humanity, preached and demonstrated by practical application in his own life, and to help others to put these truths into practice in their lives for their temporal, mental, and spiritual advancement.

The duty of the Mission is to conduct in the right spirit the activities of the movement inaugurated by Shri Ramakrishna for the establishment of fellowship among the followers of different religions, knowing them all to be so many forms only of one undying Eternal Religion.

Its Methods of Action are:_x000d_ (a) To train men so as to make them competent to teach such knowledge or sciences as are conducive to the material and spiritual welfare of the masses; _x000d_ (b) to promote and encourage arts and industries; and_x000d_ (c) to introduce and spread among the people in general Vedantic and other religious ideas in the way in which they were elucidated in the life of Shri Ramakrishna_x000d_ Indian Work Department:

The activities of the Mission should he directed to the establishment of' Maths and Ashramas in different parts of India for the training of sannyasis and such of the householders as may be willing to devote their lives to educate others, and to the finding of the means by which they would he enabled to educate the people, by going about from one province to another.

Its work in the Foreign Department should be to send trained members of the Order to countries outside India to start centres there for the preaching of Vedanta in order to bring about a closer relation and better understanding between India and foreign countries.

The aims and ideals of the Mission being purely spiritual and humanitarian, it shall have no connection with politics.

Anyone who believes in the mission of Shri Ramakrishna, or who sympathizes or is willing to co-operate with the above-mentioned aims and objects of the Association, is eligible for membership.

The Swami himself became the General President, and made Swami Brahmananda and Swami Yogananda, President and Vice-President respectively, of the Calcutta centre. Narendranath Mitra, a disciple of the Master and a solicitor, was appointed Secre-tary; Dr. Shashibhushan Ghosh and Sharatchandra Sarkar, Under-secretaries; and Sharatchandra Chakravarty, Reader of Scriptures. It was also decided that meetings would be held at Balarambabu's house every Sunday afternoon, when the Gita, Upan-ishads, or other Vedanta scriptures would be recited or read, expositions would be given, papers read, and lectures delivered. The subjects would be chosen by the President.

When the meeting had broken up and most of the lay members had departed, the Swami said to Swami Yogananda: "So the work has now begun in this way. Let us see how it succeeds, by the will of Shri Ramakrishna."

Swami Yogananda: "You are doing these things by Western methods. Would you say that Shri Ramakrishna left us any such instructions?"

The Swami: "How do you know that these methods are not in keeping with his ideas? Shri Ramakrishna was the embodiment of infinite ideas: do you want to shut him up in your own limits? I shall break those limits and scatter his ideas broadcast all over the world. He never instructed me to introduce worship of him, and so forth. The methods of spiritual practice, concentration and meditation, and the other higher ideals of religion that he taught — those we must realize and teach to all men. Infinite are the ideas and infinite are the paths that lead to the Goal. I was not born to create a new sect in this world, too full of sects already. Blessed are we that we have found refuge at the feet of our Master. It is our duty to give the ideas entrusted to us freely to the whole world."

Swami Yogananda did not dissent, and so the Swami continued: "Time and again I have received in this life marks of his grace. He himself is at my back and is making me do all these things in these ways. When I used to lie under a tree, exhausted, smit-ten with hunger; when I had not a strip of cloth even to tie my Kaupina (loin-cloth) with; when I had resolved to travel round the world penniless; even then, through his grace, I received help in every way. Then again, when people in crowds jostled with one another in the streets of Chicago to have sight of this Vivekananda, I was able, through his blessings, to digest without difficulty all that honour, a hundredth part of which would have turned the head of any other man. By the will of the Lord, victory has been mine everywhere. Now I intend to do something for this country. Do you all give up doubts and misgivings and help me in my work; and you will see how, by his grace, wonders will be accomplished."

Swami Yogananda: "Whatever you will, shall come about. We are always ready to follow your leading. I clearly see that the Master is working through you. Still, I confess, doubts do sometimes arise in the mind, for, as we saw it, his method of doing things was so different; and so I am led to ask myself whether we are not straying from Shri Ramakrishna's teachings."

The Swami: "The thing is this: Shri Ramakrishna is far greater than his disciples understand him to be. He is the embodiment of infinite spiritual ideas capable of devel-opment in infinite ways. Even if one can find a limit to the knowledge of Brahman, one cannot measure the unfathomable depths of our Master's mind! One gracious glance of his eyes can create a hundred thousand Vivekanandas at this instant! But if this time he chooses, instead, to work through me, making me his instrument, I can only bow to his will."

It was the Swami, among all the disciples of Shri Ramakrishna, who saw in the Master not a person only, but a principle, not the apostle of realization and renunciation only, but that of service to humanity in the spirit of worship also. Did not the Master renounce the bliss of Brahman to be of service to mankind? Did he not treat all beings as Narayanas (divinities) every 'moment of his life? Who among his disciples had not seen his unhappiness at the sight of poverty and misery, and his touching solicitude over their relief? True, this phase of the Master's personality was overshadowed by the sublimity of his illumination, by his superconscious flights, and by his utterances of wonderful power and charm, exhorting all to seek the Highest. It was left to the genius of Swami Vivekananda to interpret Shri Ramakrishna's life and teaching from all angles. It was left to this his greatest disciple to bring out and emphasize the human side of his Master's nature and message, and to clear away the misconception that prevailed in the minds of many, that Renunciation and Service were conflicting ideals which could not he combined without detriment to one or the other. And it is to the Swami's glory that he gave shape to these divine impulses by founding the Ramakrishna Mission. Renunciation and Service are, according to him, the twofold National Ideal of modern India. The institution that he started was to practise and preach this Ideal in its national and international aspects.

The first general meeting of the members of the Ramakrishna Mission Association was held on Sunday, May 9,1897, at Balarambabu's house, with Swami Brahmananda presiding. For the first three years the Association held its meetings there, in Baghbazar. Whenever the Swami was in Calcutta, he attended and, to the delight of all present, spoke and sang.