Ramakrishna was dying. He had cancer of the throat, and in his last days it became impossible for him even to drink water.
Vivekananda said to him, ”Bhagwan, can’t you ask God to do you just a little favor? If you simply ask God that at least you should be allowed to eat and drink it is bound to happen. It is becoming too great a suffering for your body – and not only for your body but for us all. We cannot eat because we know you cannot eat. It has become impossible for us to drink because we know you cannot drink. How can we drink? So if you don’t care about yourself, okay, but think of us – we are also suffering. Just for our sake close your eyes and say to God, ’Do me just a small favor.’”
Ramakrishna closed his eyes, opened them and started laughing. He said, ”You fool! If I listen to your advice God will laugh at me. I asked him....”
That was his way. He had not asked – there is nobody to ask – that was his way. He would not hurt Vivekananda. He closed his eyes, he may have even moved his lips to show Vivekananda that he was praying to God. And then he opened his eyes and he said, ”God laughed at me and he said, ’Ramakrishna, you are listening to these fools? You follow their advice? Are they your disciples or are you their disciple? Who is who? You have eaten with this throat for so many years – can’t you now eat and drink with the throats of your disciples?’
” And Ramakrishna said, ”Vivekananda, his argument appeals to me. So stop torturing yourself, suffering, because now that I have lost my throat, I have to depend on your throats. Eat as much as you can – a little more than usual, because a part of it has to go to me. Drink a little more than usual because there will be my share, too. So eat, drink and rejoice, because God has said, ’Ramakrishna, you can eat through your disciples’ bodies. Why depend on this body? And this body is gone and rotten!’ ” There is a certain invisible unity, an organic unity, between the Master and the disciple.
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