[Advaita-l] Vivekananda

[Srikanta Narayanaswami]

I think, in the 'complete works' series it is mentioned somewhere & I 
vaguely remember that in his letters to disciples, swamiji himself 
admitted that to withstand severe cold at foreign land he had to change 
his diet and consumed beef & chain smoking !!  But not sure of the exact 
reference & words..Most of the people are of the opinion based on his 
writings & speech that he was not a good friend of brAhmins & never 
hesitate to criticize their AchAra-vichAra.  But, despite all these 
allegations, we must say swamiji, even today,  one of the most noted 
personalities in the history of bhArateeya adhyAtmika paraMpara. 

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar
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I have not read of Vivekananda eating beef,but he consumed meat,so also Ramakrishna,but he
smoked cigars of very fine brand like cuban cigars.When Vivekananda visited Mysore during the 
rule of Mummadi Krisnaraja Wodeyar to raise funds for his travel to America to attend the International conference of world religions and make his famous speech at Chicago,he stayed at the building which is now famous which is called Sadvidya shala,which has now grown into a college at Mysore near Ramavilas Road.A statue has been planned to be installed to commemorate his visit to Mysore and stay in this building.A servant was posted to look after Vivekananda and attend his needs by the Divan,Sir Sheshadri Iyer.Once,Vivekananda expressed his interest to look around Mysore,which had few streets then,,and the servant took him to the Market street.The servant enquired what the Swamiji wanted in the Market.?Vivekananda asked the servant to buy him a good cigar to smoke.The Chicago speech which made the westerners to sit up and look,is now part of history,and perhaps will be forgotten by the coming generations,but the city of Mysore will ever feel proud,and
 cherish the memory of Swamiji forever.
N.Srikanta.
 
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