- Spiritual Treasures Are Far More Valuable
- “Lo, I Am With You Always.”
- “Impossible to Bring Your Brother Back”
- ‘Sufficient to Keep Your Mind Fixed on Me.’
- ‘Follow me,’ – Sri Ramakrishna
- Swami Trigunatitananda and Udbodhan
- Swami Trigunatitananda and Holy Mother
- The Guru is The Physician
- “If It is The Master’s Work, It Will Stand.”
- “Live Like a Hermit, but Work Like a Horse”
In Sarada’s home there had always been servants and maids who did all the household work. As a result, Sarada considered himself above menial tasks. However, one hot day when Sarada arrived at Dakshineswar, Ramakrishna said to him, “Please bring some water and wash my feet.” Many of Sarada’s friends were standing nearby, making the situation all the more embarrassing. Sarada’s face flushed with humiliation. He did not know what to do. But the Master repeated the request, and Sarada felt compelled to obey. He later said that the Master thus forever broke down his aristocratic pride and implanted in his mind the spirit of service.
One day Sri Ramakrishna sent Sarada to Holy Mother for spiritual instruction and mentioned her infinite power, quoting a Bengali couplet:
Radha’s infinite power of maya is beyond description,
Millions of Krishnas and Ramas evolve, abide, and dissolve in it.
Although Sarada was Ramakrishna’s disciple, Holy Mother later gave him formal initiation. As far as the record shows, Jogin and Sarada were the only two monastic disciples of Sri Ramakrishna who were initiated by Holy Mother.
When Trigunatita studied the Vedanta scriptures, he put his whole mind and all his energy into it. He forgot food and drink, sleep and surroundings. When it was dark, he would bring his mind back to the world and light a lantern. He would study Sanskrit literature and European philosophy until midnight. He practised spiritual disciplines with steadfast devotion, and he never lost his temper if scolded or criticized.
During his stay in Calcutta, Trigunatita developed a fistula, which needed surgery. Dr. Matilal Mukherjee of Baranagore informed the swami that since the operation would take some time and would be painful, he would use chloroform to put him to sleep. Trigunatita told the doctor to do the surgery without chloroform and that he would endure the pain. The surgeon was amazed but agreed to perform the surgery as he requested. He spent half an hour removing the fistula, cutting nearly six inches. The surgeon and nurses did not see any change in Trigunatita’s face — he was as calm as if he were in deep meditation.
Another morning at Belur Math, Swamiji was going to the shrine for meditation and found that Trigunatita was in bed with a high temperature. Swamiji said to him: “Get up. Let us go for meditation. If you meditate, your fever will disappear.” Akhandananda was nearby and he thought that perhaps Swamiji was joking. But he was not joking! Swamiji took Trigunatita’s hand and pulled him to the Master’s shrine. There they meditated for a couple of hours. It is said that after that meditation Trigunatita’s temperature returned to normal.