Akhandananda

None, O beloved, ever loved the wife for the wife's sake, but it is the Self in the wife that is loved." I'd like to share a fascinating spiritual experience related by one of Sri Ramakrishna's intimate disciples, whose name was Gangadhar.

He became Swami Akhandananda.

Very young monk, one of the youngest of the group, very much devoted to Sri Ramakrishna and to Swami Vivekananda, and very austere.

He went, during his wandering days, begging his food without a penny, without even shoes, walking all the way to Tibet in the snow, in ca- in bare feet.

He would spend often nights altogether in meditation or in spiritual moods.

Um, at that time, Swami, um, Akhandananda had come, another disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, and he was visiting Belur Math, the main monastery.

He was visiting from, um, from Sargachi, which is the ashram, the orphanage which he established.

So he was given the room next to Swami Shivananda.

So a little late in the night, he had a little bed which he made on the floor, and he went to sleep, naturally.

And suddenly woke to a sound of pounding.

Um, he's pounding the door, Swami Akhandananda pounding the door to Swami, connecting it to Swami Shivananda's room and saying, "Dada," that means elder brother, "wake up, wake up.

Are you there?" And Swami Shivananda also was awake.