BIOGRAPHY OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

Once they have joined the Ganga's stream.So, Lord, look not upon my sins!Is not Same-sightedness Thy name?The Swami was deeply moved. This girl, whom society condemned as impure,had taught him a great lesson: Brahman, the Ever Pure, Ever Free, and EverIllumined, is the essence of all beings. Before God there is no distinction of goodand evil, pure and impure. Such pairs of opposites become manifest only whenthe light of Brahman is obscured by maya. A sannyasin ought to look at allthings from the standpoint of Brahman. He should not condemn anything, evena so-called impure person.The Swami then joined the party and with tears in his eyes said to the girl:'Mother, I am guilty. I was about to show you disrespect by refusing to come tothis room. But your song awakened my consciousness.'The Swami assumed at the Raja's request the name of Vivekananda, and theRaja accompanied him as far as Jaipur when he departed for Bombay. On hisway to Bombay the Swami stopped at the Abu Road station and metBrahmananda and Turiyananda. He told them about his going to America. Thetwo brother disciples were greatly excited. He explained to them the reason forhis going: it was India's suffering. 'I travelled,' he said, 'all over India. But alas,it was agony to me, my brothers, to see with my own eyes the terrible poverty ofthe masses, and I could not restrain my tears! It is now my firm conviction thatto preach religion amongst them, without first trying to remove their povertyand suffering, is futile. It is for this reason — to find means for the salvation ofthe poor of India — that I am going to America.'Addressing Turiyananda, he said, 'Brother, I cannot understand your so-calledreligion.' His face was red with his rising blood. Shaking with emotion, he placedhis hand on his heart, and said: 'But my heart has grown much, much larger,and I have learnt to feel. Believe me, I feel it very sadly.' He was choked, andthen fell silent. Tears rolled down his cheeks.Many years later Turiyananda said, while describing the incident: 'You canimagine what went through my mind when I heard these pathetic words andsaw the majestic sadness of Swamiji. "Were not these," I thought, "the verywords and feelings of Buddha?"' And he remembered that long ago Naren hadvisited Bodh-Gaya and in deep meditation had felt the presence of Buddha.Another scene of the same nature, though it occurred much later, may berecounted here. Swami Turiyananda called on his illustrious brother disciple,after the latter's triumphant return from America, at the Calcutta home ofBalaram Bose, and found him pacing the veranda alone. Deep in thought, he didnot notice Turiyananda's presence. He began to hum under his breath a