Misuse of Power or Dhyan

In swami Ramakrishna Paramhans ashram there used to be a man named, Kalicharan. He was very innocent and simple man. In his room he had kept three hundred idols of different God. He used to pray, do aarti, put chandan on each and every idol. His whole day used to pass off in taking care of idols and praying to every God. He used to get deeply immersed in this activity and never would disturb or fight with with anybody.

Swami Vivekananda was also a disciple of Swami Ramakrishna and would stay in the same ashram. Since Vivekanand was young, highly knowledgeable and would find reason for everything, did not appreciate this habit of Kalicharan. He used to always ask Kalicharan that why did he pray to these stone idols, offer bhog to each and every idol. Vivekanand wanted an explanation from Kalicharan. He used to always tell him to pack up all the idols in a cloth and immerse them in river Ganga.

But Kalicharan was not perturbed by Vivikanand's remarks. He would just smile and not answer him back. Everyday Vivekanand used to tell Kalicharan to stop this habit but it had no impact on him.

Once Swami Vivekanand was immersed in dhyan, he felt some spiritual power within. He attained dhyan or samadhi which is very difficult to achieve. He felt that he is above all and with this power he can change Kalicharan. Through this dhyan and spiritual power he started sending messages to Kalicharan " O Kali, pick up all the thakurs and put them in Ganga river" Kalicharan could feel those vibrations or messages sent by Vivekanand. He was sweating and crying and could feel that some power within was pressurising him to immerse these idols.

One day unwillingly and with a heavy heart he packed up all the idols, put them in a bedsheet and went towards the river, crying bitterly as he was feeling very void and lost.

That time Swami Ramakrishna Paramhas was walking towards the river. He saw Kalicharan weeping and carrying some load on his shoulder. He went near and asked him "Kalu, why are you weeping and what are carrying on your shoulder?" Kalicharan started crying by saying that some inner voice, voice from within forcing me to throw these God's idols in the Ganga river. Paramhans said "go back, don't throw these idols, there is no voice from within or anything that sort. Continue with your daily rituals."

Kalicharan went back to the ashram and decorated his room as before with the idols and started doing his aarti and was busy and happy with his work. Ramakrishna pushed the door and entered into Vivekanand's room. Vivekanand got up and did namaskar to his Guru. Then Ramakrishna told him "Vivekanand, first time you have attained this spiritual power, you have achieved so much strength and first time only you have misused it. If Kalicharan throws his thakurs in the river what would you get. Why are you feeling bad. You may be brighter than him. You have more reasoning power and understanding than him. When Kalicharan is getting peace and satisfaction by doing this, why are you disturbing him. He is not troubling anybody, he is not doing harm to you or any person, then why are you forcing him to do this. From now on I take back this power from you. You will not get dhyan or samadhi. With my blessings you got this power, but now I am snatching it from you."

Narendra(Vivekanand) touched his Guru's feet, started weeping and promised that in future he will not misuse the powers. Please do not take back this strength which you have given me. I apologise for my mistake.

Very often we also do the same. We try to change others and want them to behave like us. But that is not correct. Every individual has some quality in them. So long if anybody is not hurting or troubling others, we should not force them to change.