##11 (Vivekananda) The Guru And The Disciple (I) Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

At first, Guru Ramakrishna
Allowed Disciple Narendra
To have his own convictions
And free talks on religions.

Narendra as a member
Of Brahmo Samaj before,
Believed only one God,
Saying all were not Gods.

Once, before Guru, he said,
“To say is it not absurd
That this cup or jug is God
Or, we too are Gods? ”

Guru laughed at his words
For making fun of Gods
Of His Universal existence,
In every living substance.

It was at that right time,
Guru gently touched him,
Which effect, like a magic,
Gave him a rude shock.

This was a new experience
O’er different consciousness,
And he saw the Divine Spirit
Spread o’er wherever he went.

The presence of Brahman
He could feel in everyone,
Including himself, his horses,
And every material substances.

A glimpse of non-dualism
In his vision, came to him
Yet, his doubting mind,
Its real form, didn’t find.

Guru always said, “Believe not
My word until you test it.”
One day, Narendra, as a test,
Placed a coin under Guru’s mat.

A pricking pain Guru felt,
When he sat on the mat,
And the pain vanished,
After the coin was removed.

Guru tested, in his turn,
His disciples, one by one,
He didn’t care to recognize
Narendra two or three times.

But still Narendra came,
With love to see him,
And when Guru asked
In reply, he coolly said,

“I come here to see you
Because I love you;
Your words just to hear
I’ve not come here.”

The Master saw the disciple,
Thereafter, more loveable
For his sincerity and devotion,
From his open expression.