Swami Turiyananda on Vivekananda - 4

The first thing we learned from Sri Ramakrishna was to pay no attention to the opinion of others. He used to say: 'Spit on public opinion! Look toward God and try to please him!' Swamiji was like that."

Sometimes we saw Swamiji doing every detail for himself. But there are others who only talk about such things; they never lift a finger. How difficult it is to recognize the ego and to control it!

When I returned from the West, the news of Swamiji's death was such a great shock that I felt I should also die. I left everything, went straight to Vrindaban, and stayed there for three years. Krishnalal [Swami Dhirananda] was with me. I disciplined him a lot, which directed his mind toward worship and meditation. What is meditation? It is to erase all cravings from the heart. Generally, people seek their own advantage—what they can get out of life. To renounce that is liberation."

Swamiji at one time told me: 'Live the ideal life. The Divine Mother has shown me that by doing so you will accomplish a hundred times more good than I.' I didn't believe it. But then in all seriousness I plunged into the Lord's work and the work succeeded. If I had not associated with great souls like Swamiji and others, what would I have been but perhaps a wandering monk? I would have had some sort of realization, no doubt, but not what I have today.

Swamiji gave us a higher ideal than realization for oneself; it is to expand the consciousness until you see yourself in all beings, and all beings in yourself.

Swamiji was an example of loyalty to his guru. There was power in Swamiji's words because his heart and lips were one. He always held firmly to the truth.

(Source : REMINISCENCES - RMKM)

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The main theme of my life is to take the message of Sanatana Dharma to every home and pave the way for launching, in a big way, the man-making programme preached and envisaged by great seers like Swami Vivekananda. - Mananeeya Eknathji

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