Sri Ramakrishna was extremely frugal and did not approve of his disciples’ extravagance. Latu recalled: “Once in Dakshineswar the Master asked a devotee to light the oil lamp in his room. The devotee used four match sticks, yet still couldn’t light the lamp. The Master then got down from his cot and lighted the lamp himself. He said to the devotee: ‘Hello, the householders save their hard-earned money and give it to the monks. Is it proper to misuse their money?’ Another day I was about to use a match stick to ignite his tobacco, and he scolded me, ‘Go to the kitchen, and get fire from there.’” (Source: God Lived with Them)
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If someone peeled a potato a little too deeply, the swami would remind him that the vegetables had been bought with the devotees’ hard earned money and great sacrifice of their comfort; it was not proper for the monks to misuse those things. Premananda could not tolerate any waste, and he imprinted this idea in the minds of newcomers. (Source: God Lived with Them)