Swami Vivekananda - A Biography by Swami Nikhilananda

All these problems were solved by the generosity of Surendranath Mitra, the beloved
householder disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. He came forward to pay the expenses of new
quarters for the Master's homeless disciples. A house was rented at Baranagore,
midway between Calcutta and Dakshineswar. Dreary and dilapidated, it was a building
that had the reputation of being haunted by evil spirits. The young disciples were
happy to take refuge in it from the turmoil of Calcutta. This Baranagore Math, as the
new monastery was called, became the first headquarters of the monks of the
Ramakrishna Order. Its centre was the shrine room, where the copper vessel containing
the sacred ashes of the Master was daily worshipped as his visible presence.
Narendranath devoted himself heart and soul to the training of the young brother
disciples. He spent the day-time at home, supervising a lawsuit that was pending in the
court and looking after certain other family affairs; but during the evenings and nights
he was always with his brothers at the monastery, exhorting them to practise spiritual
disciplines. His presence was a source of unfailing delight and inspiration to all.
The future career of the youths began to take shape during these early days at
Baranagore. The following incident hastened the process. At the invitation of the
mother of Baburam, one of the disciples, they all went to the village of Antpur to spend
a few days away from the austerities of Baranagore. Here they realized, more intensely
than ever before, a common goal of life, a sense of brotherhood and unity integrating
their minds and hearts. Their consecrated souls were like pearls in a necklace held
together by the thread of Ramakrishna's teachings. They saw in one another a reservoir
of spiritual power, and the vision intensified their mutual love and respect. Narendra,
describing to them the glories of the monastic life, asked them to give up the glamour
of academic studies and the physical world, and all felt in their hearts the ground swell
of the spirit of renunciation. This reached its height one night when they were sitting
for meditation around a fire, in the fashion of Hindu monks. The stars sparkled
overhead and the stillness was unbroken except for the crackling of the firewood.
Suddenly Naren opened his eyes and began, with an apostolic fervour, to narrate to the
brother disciples the life of Christ. He exhorted them to live like Christ, who had had
no place 'to lay his head.' Inflamed by a new passion, the youths, making God and the
sacred fire their witness, vowed to become monks.
When they had returned to their rooms in a happy mood, someone found out that it was
Christmas Eve, and all felt doubly blest. It is no wonder that the monks of the
Ramakrishna Order have always cherished a high veneration for Jesus of Nazareth.
The young disciples, after their return to Baranagore, finally renounced home and
became permanent inmates of the monastery. And what a life of austerity they lived
there! They forgot their food when absorbed in meditation, worship, study, or
devotional music. At such times Sashi, who had constituted himself their caretaker,
literally dragged them to the dining-room. The privations they suffered during this
period form a wonderful saga of spiritual discipline. Often there would be no food at
all, and on such occasions they spent day and night in prayer and meditation.
Sometimes there would be only rice, with no salt for flavouring; but nobody cared.
They lived for months on boiled rice, salt, and bitter herbs. Not even demons could