Master Disciple Stories

Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna

Naren (Swami Vivekananda) was searching for some one who could show him God. Naren went to many Meditators and Yogi’s like Devandra Nath Tagore but no one could satisfy his sharp intellect and rational mind.

On the other part of same city Sri Ramakrishna was waiting eagerly for young Boys who were supposed to join him in the divine play. Some times in deep anguish Sri Ramakrishna used to climb the roof of building and cry “come Oh, My boys come”

One day one college professor discussed about Sri Ramakrishna in front of young Naren and Naren went to see Sri Ramakrishna in Dakshineswar.

Naren was careless about his clothes and appearance but his eyes which were partly withdrawn was telling the treasure which he was carrying inside his heart.

Sri Ramakrishna recognized Naren instantly. Naren sang a few songs there and as usual he poured his soul into those songs.

First two paragraph of Naren first songs were:

Let us go back once more,
O mind, to our proper home!
Here in this foreign land of earth Why should we wander aimlessly in stranger's guise?
These living beings round about,
And the five elements,
Are strangers to you, all of them; none are your own.
Why do you so forget yourself,
In love with strangers, foolish mind?
Why do you so forget your own?

After the singing was over Sri Ramakrishna suddenly took hold of Naren hand and took him aside. To the amazement of Naren, Sri Ramakrishna with tear in his eyes started talking to him “Oh you have come now, how unkind of you to keep me waiting for so long” and then suddenly with folded hands Sri Ramakrishna said “I know you are ancient sage Nara who have taken birth to remove the miseries of human world.”

Naren's rational mind could not accept this child like behavior of Sri Ramakrishna. When they returned back to main room, Sri Ramakrishna fed Naren with his own hands. This further disappointed Naren.

Then Naren asked Sri Ramakrishna “have you seen God” and Sri Ramakrishna replied shocked Naren “yes, I have seen God and I talk to God as I am talking to you”

Some how Sri Ramakrishna managed to extract promise from Naren to visit again and in their next visit Naren was led to deep ecstatic experience by Sri Ramakrishna. After the experience Naren's rational mind thought that Sri Ramakrishna had hypnotized him.

So on his third Visit Naren was very careful but this time again Sri Ramakrishna put Naren into deep trance with his Touch. This time Sri Ramakrishna asked many questions from Naren in trance to know about his past.

And Sri Ramakrishna later said that Naren had attained perfection in last birth itself. After this visit Naren submitted himself to his Guru feet for ever.