But, when reasoning failed to solve the ultimate spiritual mysteries, Sri Ramakrishna gave Naren a glimpse of non-dualism through a mere touch whereby Naren experienced a new level of consciousness and saw the presence of Brahman in everything – from the food he ate to the crowds on the street to himself.

It would be later, in the Cossipore garden house, at the end of the Master’s life on earth that Naren would realize non-dualism completely.

In 1884, a tragedy struck the Datta family: Vishwanath, Naren’s father died suddenly leaving the family with no source of income.

Naren searched for a job hither and thither but found none. Nor did he get much help from friends. His mother, devout and religious as she was, felt the pinch of poverty and once on hearing Naren pray, asked Naren bitterly if God had ever done anything for them. For how could a compassionate God allow such misery?

Doubt about the very existence of God crept into Naren’s mind.

Till one evening, weary and hunger from searching fruitlessly for a job, Naren sat down in the porch of a roadside house. Suddenly he had a strange vision – he felt veil after veil being removed from his soul. The night went by and he understood the reconciliation of God’s justice with His mercy.

Though he had this miraculous experience of Divine Grace, the family’s poverty continued. And, yet, Naren could not bring himself to ask Mother Kali to end it.

Instead, he asked Sri Ramakrishna to do so on his behalf.

The Master’s reply was to tell Naren to go and pray to Mother Kali himself as ‘She fulfills every sincere prayer of Her devotees.” (Vivekananda - a Biography – Nikhilananda pg 54)

Naren agreed; but on entering the temple of Mother Kali, he gazed on Her and was overcome with ecstasy. He forgot all about asking for a boon! Realizing that it was Sri Ramakrishna himself who had made him forget to ask Mother Kali for worldly things, Naren asked the Master to do something for his family. And, was assured that the family would always be able to live a simple existence.

The experience at Mother Kali’s temple left a mark on Naren forever.

It changed his idea of God. He realized that the same Immanent Spirit became the Personal God when the cycle of creation, preservation and destruction of the world was being played out. He understood that different religions worshipped this Personal God as a mother, father or friend. And, finally, he accepted Mother Kali as one such Personal God.

Sri Ramakrishna continued to mold Naren’s religious side and re-educated him in the essentials of Hinduism but soon the first signs of the cancer which would take Sri Ramakrishna from this world were evident. By the middle of 1885, Sri Ramakrishna was moved from Dakshineshwar to a house with a large garden in a suburb of Calcutta called Cossipore.

Naren and the other young devotees took charge of nursing their Master. As he began to understand the fatal nature of the Master’s illness, Naren intensified his own spiritual practices. The world appeared distasteful; he spent night after night in meditation; his longing for the vision of God knew no bounds; he felt the awakening of the kundalini and had other visions.

Sri Ramakrishna was pleased with Naren’s spiritual struggle and progress. He desired that Naren be his spiritual heir and wanted him to look after the young disciples, saying:

“I leave them in your care. Love them intensely and see that they practice spiritual discipline even after my death and that they do not return home.”

A few days after this incident, Sri Ramakrishna gave monastic initiation to several disciples and thus laid the foundation of the future Ramakrishna Order of monks.

Just before the end of the Master’s life on earth, he called Naren to his bedside. As he gazed on Naren, Sri Ramakrishna went deep into meditation. Naren felt a subtle current-like force enter his body and the Master said:

“Today, I have given you everything I possess . . . By the powers
I have transmitted to you, you will accomplish great things in the world.”