Once Subodhananda was going to Calcutta from Belur Math by steamer. On the way, a few young men from Bali started criticizing Vivekananda. Subodhananda boldly told them: “Do you give any donation to Belur Math? If so, please stop it from today. What will you gain by criticizing Swamiji? Neither will your criticism make Swamiji’s hands fall off, nor will your praise help him grow two more hands.” When he heard that those young men did not help Belur Math, the swami said: “Then why do you criticize unnecessarily? Can you appreciate the monks? You work like slaves under English officers and you are supposed to flatter them; if you make any mistake, they will kick you out with their boots.” A few days later, one of those young men came to Belur Math and apologized to Subodhananda: “Maharaj, the other day out of sheer ignorance, we did wrong. Your words came true. One of us was kicked out of the office by an English officer.”
Narrated by A Devotee named Tulsidas:
Maharaj returned to Purulia from Deoghar on 3 February 1919. On the same day, one of my friends had criticized the Master in fun, for which I had scolded him in very rude language. Afterwards I felt bad about this and asked Khoka Maharaj whether I should ask forgiveness for my behaviour. In reply Maharaj said: “He said something improper and you scolded him. So what is there to feel bad about in this small incident?” He then instructed me as to how I should act in similar circumstances and also told me the following incident, which happened in Almora:
“Lala Badri Shah of Almora was a great devotee of Swamiji. Swamiji had even stayed in his house for some days after returning from America. Some local Brahmins grew very annoyed at this, and in order to humiliate Lala Badri Shah and insult Swamiji, they invited Badri Shah to see a play. Badri Shah didn’t suspect anything and went to see the play. In the play he saw that one actor had been dressed up like Swamiji and a garland of eggshells had been put around his neck. Another person played the part of Badri Shah, and he was mocked in a similar fashion. Understanding the motive behind staging the play, Badri Shah immediately left the place with tears in his eyes. But after a few days news came to him that of the seven people who had organized this play, six had died of fever. The seventh man was then experiencing a high fever. That man went to Badri Shah and pleaded with him in a humble tone: “Shahji, unknowingly we have done a great wrong. Please forgive us.”
“What do I know?” Badri Shah replied. “The Master knows everything. Ask Him to forgive you.” (Source: Swami Subodhananda by Swami Chetanananda)