##19 (Vivekananda) The Master As A Leader Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

The Divinity of the Master
As a born religious leader,
Was seen in his every word,
As well as in his every deed.

He remained in Narendra’s look,
Always as an open living book,
That explained the eternal souls,
As against the perishable bodies.

His total renunciation meant,
A life time non-attachment
To woman or wealth, that can
Easily corrupt the mind of anyone.

To his disciples, he advised,
To give up lust and greed,
And to be always good,
In order to realize God.

He came to revive the faiths
And the spiritual aspirations
Of those millions of Hindus
O’er a period of 3000 years.

He encouraged Personal Gods,
And worship of symbols,
As one can realize ultimately
The “Oneness” with God easily.

The “Oneness, ” he meant
That God pervaded to activate,
On this earth, all living beings
As well as material bodies.

What he advocated always
Were not the creeds or dogmas,
But one’s deep inner experience
That ensured spiritual progress.

“God listens to prayers
And fulfills the needs
If sincerely one prays.”
Thus he encouraged prayers.