Temptation is the test of renunciation. All great teachers of the world have had to face this trial. Sri Ramakrishna was no exception. Hriday once conspired secretly with Lakshminarayan Marwari to get ten thousand rupees. Sri Ramakrishna later told the following story:
Lakshminarayan Marwari, a Vedantist, used to come here [to Dakshineswar] very often. One day he saw a dirty sheet on my bed and said: “I shall invest ten thousand rupees in your name. The interest will enable you to pay your expenses.” The moment he uttered these words, I fell unconscious, as if struck by a stick. Regaining consciousness I said to him: “If you utter such words again, you had better not come here. It is impossible for me to touch money. It is also impossible for me to keep it near me.” Lakshminarayan then wanted to leave the money with Hriday. I said to him: “That will not do. If you leave it with Hriday, then I shall instruct him to spend it as I wish. If he does not comply, I shall be angry. The very contact of money is bad. No, you can’t leave it with Hriday.” (Source: They Lived with God)
Once Rakhal found a coin on the street. Out of kindness he picked it up and gave it to a beggar. As a child finds joy in telling his mother everything, so it was Rakhal’s nature to inform the Master of everything. When the Master heard what Rakhal had done, he reprimanded him: “Why would a person who does not eat fish go to the fish market? If you did not need money, why did you touch it?” What wonderful logic! The Master wanted his spiritual son to be free from lust and gold, the two great obstacles in spiritual life. (Source: God Lived with Them)