Narendra (Swami Vivekananda) tests his Guru
Narendra (later Swami Vivekananda) was among the audience when Ramakrishna Paramahansa shared with his devotees that he treated gold and dust alike. Ramakrishna claimed he could not even bear the touch of money, a statement that intrigued many.
At the time, Narendra was still in the initial years of his discipleship. A deeply rational and skeptical young man, he questioned everyone and everything—including his Guru. When he heard Ramakrishna say that even his physical body would react to the touch of money, Narendra decided to test this claim.
One day, when no one was around, Narendra slipped into Ramakrishna's room and carefully placed a coin inside the mattress. It was hidden from view but positioned so that it would come into contact with Ramakrishna's body when he lay down.
That night, as Ramakrishna went to sleep, he barely sat on the mattress before suddenly jumping up, as though he had been shocked. Crying out that something was wrong with the mattress, he asked his disciples to investigate.
The devotees searched under the mattress but found nothing. Finally, they shook the mattress thoroughly, and the hidden coin fell out.
Ramakrishna, surprised, asked who had put the coin there. Narendra admitted it was him, explaining that he wanted to test whether Ramakrishna's body would truly react to the money. Now, having witnessed the reaction firsthand, he was satisfied.
Rather than being upset, Ramakrishna praised Narendra for his inquisitive nature. He commended him for testing everything before believing it and encouraged him to continue questioning and seeking the truth.