Kathamrita Volume II - Swami Vivekananda

ideals, Purusha and Prakriti. In this mood Ialways saw the form of Gauranga. Later, thisstate also changed. Leaving the phenomenalworld, my mind would ascend to the Absolute.I found no distinction between the ordinarysajina plant and the sacred tulsi. I no longerliked seeing the forms of God. I said to them,‘You, too, cause a feeling of separation’ – so Ilet the forms go. I removed all the paintingsand images of the deities that were in my room.I began to meditate on the Indivisible Sat-chitananda,the Primal Purusha. I had the attitudeof a handmaiden – the maid of Purusha.“I have practiced all kinds of spiritualdisciplines. There are three classes – sattvic,rajasic and tamasic. In the sattvic practices, onecalls upon Him with intense yearning, orsimply repeats His sacred name withoutexpecting any result. In rajasic disciplines onepractices various kinds of exercises –purascharana [6] , visits to places of pilgrimage,a certain duration of panchatapa [7] , worshipwith sixteen articles, and so forth. The aspirantwho practices tamasic sadhana takes recourseto the qualities of tamas. Such an aspirant callsout, ‘Victory to Kali! Why will You not grantme Your vision? I’ll cut my throat with a knifeif You do not reveal Yourself to me!’ The lastkind of discipline is not morally pure – it is likethe practices prescribed in the Tantra.