- How to Conquer Lust?
- What if You Are Married?
- “If You Don’t Earn, Why Did You Marry?”
- Testing Sri Ramakrishna
- Every Act of Sri Ramakrishna Had Deep Significance
- Never Act So Foolishly
- “Have You Killed It?”
- You Kept Silent!
- Why Do You Listen to Them?
- Did You Not Also See His Good Side?
- Truthfulness is The Key to God-realization
- Infatuation of a Beautiful Courtesan
- Sri Ramakrishna: Embodiment of Infinite Ideas
- “I Will Be Responsible.”
- ‘Please release me forever.’ – Swami Yogananda
When he was not serving the Master, Jogin devoted his time to japam and meditation. Another aspect of his nature was his deep feeling for suffering people. Once a man from his village died in a train accident, and his wife and children were left helpless. Jogin mentioned it to his brother disciples, and Tarak immediately gave Jogin forty rupees to take to the family.
One night, while he was repeating the name of Sri Ramakrishna, an evil spirit tried to harm him. Immediately he shouted out, “Jai Ramakrishna” (Victory to Ramakrishna). Frightened, the spirit said to him: “I shall never again come to disturb you. Henceforth this place is yours.”44 Perhaps it was a haunted place; but by the grace of the Master his life was saved.
Because Yogananda was pure like the ever-free Shukadeva, the Master engaged him to do errands for Holy Mother. “Jogin and Sharat belong to my inner circle,” said Holy Mother. “None loved me as did Jogin. If anybody would give him any money, he would save it, saying, ‘Mother will use it for her pilgrimage.’ The other monks would tease him for staying in this household full of women. He would ask me to address him as ‘Yoga.’” Yogananda was so respectful towards Holy Mother that he would not salute her by touching her feet. When the Mother would leave the place, he would touch that spot with his head. Asked about this strange behaviour, Yogananda replied: “What! I don’t have the audacity to keep the Mother standing and waiting for me so that I can bow down to her.”
Yogananda commanded love and respect for his sterling, saintly qualities. But what distinguished him among the disciples of Sri Ramakrishna was his devoted service to Holy Mother. He was one of the first monks to discover the extraordinary spiritual greatness of Mother, hidden under her rural simplicity. Once Saradananda said to Yogananda: “Brother, I do not always understand Swamiji. He speaks in various moods. Whatever stand he takes, he makes so much of it that the others pale into insignificance.” Yogananda said: “Sharat [Saradananda’s premonastic name], I tell you one thing: Cling to Holy Mother. Whatever she says — that is right.” Yogananda then took Saradananda to Holy Mother, and gradually the latter became an attendant of the Mother, remaining so for twenty-one years after Yogananda’s passing away.
Vivekananda valued his judgment and foresight, so in 1898 he took Yogananda by boat to the new site purchased for Belur Monastery on the bank of the Ganges. Although Yogananda was quite ill, he was very pleased to see the beautiful land that Swamiji had purchased for the permanent home of the Ramakrishna Order.
Just before Yogananda’s death, Shivananda had asked him, “Jogin, do you remember the Master?” Yogananda replied, “Yes, I remember the Master more — even more — much more.”