119 MR. NANJUNDA RAO CANNOT EXPECT FOREIGN HELP, BUT VIVEKANANDA CAN

Swami Vivekananda while collecting funds in the name of his Guru Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, was very active, but while distributing them to his brother-disciples and those who supported him earlier for his visit to Chicago, he was (in ybrao-a-donkey's personal view), very reluctant and stingy.

Shri M.C. Nanjunda Rao, was one such person, who was at the receiving end of free advice of Swami Vivekananda. from England to Shri Nanjuna Rao on July 14, 1896.

FREE ADVICE TO SHRI NANJUNDA RAO

"... But you must not depend on any foreign help. Nations, like individuals, must help themselves. This is real patriotism. If a nation cannot do that, its time has not yet come. It must wait. ..."

HOW VIVEKANANDA PRACTISED HIS ADVICE?

Swamiji wrote to Ms. Ole Bull from San Francisco, on March 7, 1900:-

"...The thousand dollars I have in New York will bring Rs. 9 a month; then I bought for her a bit of land which will bring about Rs. 6; and her old house--that will bring, say, Rs. 6. I leave the house under litigation out of consideration, as I have not got it. Myself, my mother, my grandmother, and my brother will live on Rs. 20 a month easy. I would start just now, if I could make money for a passage to India, without touching the 1,000 dollars in New York. Anyhow I will scrape three or four hundred dollars--400 dollars will be enough for a second class passage and for a few weeks' stay in London. I do not ask you to do anything more for me; I do not want it. What you have done is more, ever so much more than I deserve. I have given my place solemnly to you in Shri Ramakrishna's work. I am out of it. ..."

Another example of dependence on foreign funds for personal maintenance. Swamiji wrote to Ms. Hale on

"... Well, now about me. You must persuade Harriet to give me a few dollars every month, and I will have some other friends do the same. ..."

Another example of one such free advice, which Vivekananda himself violated in his personal life. First we shall see the free advice. Swamiji wrote to Shri Nanjunda Rao, from Switzerland, on 26th Aug. 1896:--

FREE ADVICE TO SHRI NANJUNDA RAO

I will give you one advice however. All combined efforts in India sink under the weight of one iniquity — we have not yet developed strict business principles. Business is business, in the highest sense, and no friendship — or as the Hindu proverb says "eye-shame" — should be there. One should keep the clearest account of everything in one's charge — and never, never apply the funds intended for one thing to any other use whatsoever — even if one starves the next moment. This is business integrity. Next, energy unfailing. Whatever you do let that be your worship for the time. Let this paper be your God for the time, and you will succeed.

"...When you have succeeded in this paper, start vernacular ones on the same lines in Tamil, Telugu, Canarese, etc. We must reach the masses. The Madrasis are good, energetic, and all that, but the land of Shankarâchârya has lost the spirit of renunciation, it seems. ..."

Swami Vivekananda wrote to Mrs. Ole Bull, from Wimbledon, on Aug. 6, 1899:

"... The money which I got in Europe and America by lecturing alone, I spent just as I like; but every cent I got for the work has been accounted for and is in the Math ..."

ybrao-a-donkey-'s personal view, which needs corroboration through larger evidence:

After Ms. Henrietta Muller, the principal donor for purchase of the Beluru Math site expressed her opinion that every thing connected with Vivekananda was fraudulent (Pl. see Post No 108, and 065, his other European donors for the Ramakrishna Math seem to have insisted upon submission of accounts. Then Vivekananda seems to have blamed his brother-disciple Swami Brahmananda, brought pressure on him, built some sort of accounts, and also admitted that he used Rs. 5,000/-(in those 1899 days very large amount) personally. After being asked to account for donations, Swamiji seems to have lost interest in the Math Finances, and seems to have passed on the thorny crown to Brahmananda and Mrs. Ole Bull.

Vide his letter dated 7th March 1900 to Mrs. Ole Bull, he washed off his hands with the financial affairs of the Math by getting accounts from Brahmananda for Rs. 35,000 and conceding that he (Vivekananda) used Rs. 5,000 from the Math funds intended for construction of cottage on Ganga.

Vide Ibid:

"...As for the Math and the money, the sooner I am relieved of that burden the better... I have given my place solemnly to you in Shri Ramakrishna's work. I am out of it ... "

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ybrao-a-donkey's personal view: Swamiji has already passed on his superhuman powers to Mrs. Ole Bull.