The restless youth
Naren grew up into a vigorous youth; he had the build of an athlete, a resonant voice, and a brilliant and very sharp intellect. He distinguished himself in athletics, philosophy and music, and became the undisputed leader among his friends and classmates. At college, he studied and absorbed Western thought which implanted a spirit of critical inquiry in his mind. His inborn tendency towards spirituality and his respect for ancient religious traditions and beliefs on the one side and his rational bent of mind which demanded a visual and concrete proof for everything on the other, created some conflict in his mind. While thus passing through this restless phase, the Brahmo Samaj held some attraction for him. Brahmoism was an attempt at reformation of Hinduism, trying to implant Western standards and the principles of Christian theology into our ancient philosophy and religion. Brahmoism was the popular socio-religious movement of the time. It believed in a formless God, deprecated the worship of idols and addressed itself to various forms of social reforms. Many eminent intellectuals became adherents to, and protagonists of this movement at the time.
Vivekananda too earnestly tried to understand Brahmoism but the more he delved into it, the more he felt that as there was something vitally lacking, something missing in it. He used to put questions to the Brahmo elders in all earnestness and sincerity to properly understand things, but none of them could give convincing and satisfactory answers to his questions, especially about the existence of God. This only accentuated his spiritual restlessness.
At this time, he remembered the words of his professor, William Hastie, during one of his lectures, on Wordsworth’s poem, the Excursion, in which the ecstatic experience of the poet was described. Professor Hastie had said,” Such an experience is the result of purity of mind and concentration on some particular object and it is rare indeed particularly in these days. I have seen only one person who has experienced that blessed state of mind, and he is Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa of Dakshineswar. You too can understand for yourself if you go there.” Fateful words indeed were these!
His Confrontation with the God man Sri Ramakrishna and His discipleship under Him
Meetings of certain persons at times, stand out eventually and stretch out into eternity. Thus for instance, Hanuman’s first meeting itself with Sri Rama. Though utter strangers to each other they were, it bound them inseperably together and for all time to come. Hanuman’s name cannot be mentioned without mentioning Rama’s name and vice versa. Likewise was the meeting between Sri Ramakrishna and Vivekananda, which turned out to be of unique significance for the spiritual destiny of India. It not only changed the whole course of Vivekananda’s life, but also opened a new chapter in the history of Hinduism and brought out its renaissance. This was in the year 1881 that this historic meeting took place between the prophet of modern India and the carrier of his message.
No sooner had they met, Narendranath put straight away this question to Sri Ramakrishna,” Sir, have you seen God?”. It was the same question he had previously asked many other popular religious leaders but had drawn a blank each time. But now instantly came Sri Ramakrishna’s reply. “Yes, I see Him just as I see you here, even more intensely.” He further went on,” God can be realized and one can see and talk to Him as I am doing with you. But who cares to do so? People shed torrents of tears for their wives and children, for wealth or property, but who does so for the sake of God? If one weeps sincerely for Him, He surely manifests Himself. “In the transparent sincerity of Sri Ramakrishna’s face, Narendranath could realize the absolute truth of his words. He had found at last one who could assure him from his own experience that God existed, that all the scriptures were not fictitious fabrications but were pure statements and affirmation of an eternal and universal truth called God. His doubts were totally dispelled at this meeting with his destined Guru.
The disciple’s training had begun on a positive note. In his second interview, he was made to perceive very vividly the spiritual powers of the saint. Narendranth has recorded for us what exactly happened.
“Muttering something to himself, with his eyes fixed on me, he slowly drew nearer me. I thought he might do something queer. But in the twinkling of an eye, he placed his right foot on my body. The touch at once gave rise to a novel experience within me. With my eyes open, I saw that the walls and everything in the room whirled rapidly and vanished into nought, and the whole universe together with my individually was about to merge in an all- encompassing mysterious void! I was terribly frightened and thought that I was facing death, for the loss of individuality meant nothing short of that. Unable to control myself, I cried out, What is this you are doing to me? I have my parents at home. He laughed at this and striking my chest, All right, let it rest now. Everything will have to come at its own time. The wonder of it was that no sooner had he said this, that strange experience of mine vanished. I was myself again and everything within and without the room, became again as it had been before. All this happened in less time than it takes me to narrate it, but it revolutionized my mind.”
This was the mystic touch that ultimately changed Narendranath, a near agnostic into Swami Vivekananda, the world famous monk who roused the slumbering the fire of religion in millions of hearts in the East and the West before he died an early death in his 40th year.
During his five or six years of discipleship, Narendranath met his Master once or twice every week and often stayed with him for some days. And from week to week his illumination grew, till it culminated in his master looking upon him as his spiritual heir. In the early stages NARENDRA ridiculed many ideas of the master because they were so different from the teachings of Brahmo Samaj, of which he was then a member. But he found that here was a man, himself an infallible proof of whatever he talked. Narendranath realised that he had to shift himself from the Intellectual plane to which he was accustomed as a university student to the spiritual plane in which the Master- lived and moved.
Narendranath’s knowledge of Western philosophy was no doubt of great use to him in later years in expounding Vedanta. But first and foremost, he felt, he had to acquire spiritual experience of which Vedanta is but only an intellectual exposition. And of this experience the Master himself gave him a glimpse. But it rested upon him to develop it till it became fully of his own.
Narendranath’s father passed away suddenly and the family was shaken up. Although his father had been earning well, it turned out that the family was left nearly penniless on his death, and even the family sustenance became difficult. Naren was almost starving, often concealing his pangs of hunger and telling a lie to the mother that he dined at some friend’s house. So that others in the home could have a few more morsels of his share and appease their hunger a little more.
Once or twice, Narendra tried to pray to Mother Kali in the Dakshineswar temple for the alleviation of the family’s distress; this was approved even by the Master himself. But he found that although he was in dire for money to keep the kitchen fire burning, yet, standing before Her, he could not ask the Mother for earthly wealth. He could pray only for Knowledge and devotion when it came to asking Her.
Narendranath’s surrender to the Master lifted him spiritually, from doubt to certainity; his ego was effaced and he was mellowed down completely, fully conquered by the Master’s love, which he also reciprocated in full measure.
With Sri Ramakrishna’s illness and his removal to Cossipore on the outskirts of Calcutta for treatment, began Narendranath’s final training under the Guru. It was a time remarkable for the intense spiritual fire which burned within the heart of Naren and which expressed itself through various intense practices. The Master utilized this opportunity to bring his other young disciples also under the leadership of Narendra. And when Narendra prayed that he might be blessed with nirvikalpa samadhi, which is regarded as the highest spiritual experience, the Master admonished him in a fury of saying,” Shame on you! I thought You would grow like a huge banyan tree sheltering thousands from the scorching misery of the world. But now, I see you seek your own liberation. “ All the same he conceded that Narendra had the much coveted realization, after which the Master, however, said that “the key “ to this would thenceforth remain in his (Sri Ramakrishna’s) keeping and “the door” would not be opened till Narendra had finished the task for which he had taken birth. Three or four days before his Samadhi, Ramakrsihna transmitted to Narendra all his own power and told him,” By the force of the power transmitted by me, great things will be done by you; only after that will you go back to whence you came.
Taking Sanyasa – From the prison cell of individuality to the freedom of universality
After the passing away of the Master on 16th August, 1886 many young disciples gathered together in an old dilapidated house at Baranagar in North Kolkata, under the leadership of Narendranath, where, while practicing spiritual exercises and in the midst of intense austerities, the foundation of the Sri Ramakrishna brotherhood was laid. It was during these days that Narendranath, along with many of his brother disciples went to Antpur and there, on Christmas eve(1886), sitting round a huge fire in the open, took the vow of sanyasa. They also took new names, appropriate to the monks where Narendranath emerged as Swami Vivekananda.
Their sadhana continued till 1890, Vivekananda preparing the band of his companions for their mighty task so that each might go into the world and spread Sri Ramakrishna’s message. During this period, they would also go out as itinerant monks to nearby places for brief periods.