God lived with them

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Swami Abhedananda

At one time the main topic of discussion and meditation among the disciples in their leisure hours was the life and teachings of Buddha. Narendra was well-versed in Buddhism, and his enthusiam was contagious. On the wall of the meditation room, the vow of Buddha was inscribed in bold letters:" Let my body dry up on this seat; let my skin, flesh, and bones be dissolved; without realizing that Enlightenment which is difficult to attain even in aeons, I won't let the body move from this seat."

One day, Narendra , Kali, and Tarak secretly planned to visit Bodh Gaya, where Buddha had attained nirvana. They left one evening without informing the Master. Tarak provided the passage money. They crossed the Ganges and took a train from the Bally Station. After arriving in Bodh Gaya they went to the temple and recited ," I take refuge in Buddha." While they meditated under the Bo tree, Narendra had a vision of light, and he felt the presence of Buddha. Kali wrote: " A current of peace seemed to be flowing all over my body. Brother Tarak also remained absorbed in deep meditation." They stayed in Bodh Gaya three or four days and at last returned to Cossipore. Sri Ramakrishna was happy to see them return. He remarked:" Go around the world, and you will find that true religion does not exist anywhere. Whatever of spirituality there is, it (pointing to his own body ) is all here."