No one was forcing him.
Definitely not the Math. He is simply offered what each of us is offered by
the organisation we work, the family we live, the political party we belong,
by the Math. I mean that the group we are part of, support us and care us,
he is offered the same.
No one says 'go away'
when you declare allegiance to them.
He went to them with
conviction in their way of life or got convinced in the process.
In the Math, gates were
open and nobody was stopping him. He was free to roam in the compound and
even if he agreed to come with me. They would surely send him. He was there
free like a bird. If he is willing to return, he could do that any time.
That is a big 'if' though.
Belur Math is
Ramakrishna Missions global headquarters established by Swami Vivekanada. It
is a major tourist attraction where tourists flock to see the creation of
Swami Vivekananda all the time. inside the Math, you feel great calm. As I
explained, it is on the banks of the Hooghly river. River, the tourists, the
missions buildings, together would create a wonderful feeling for the first
time visitor but to me it was another jolt in my already frail heart which
was reeling in pain ever since he left home.
In the evening, he bid
me good bye and in a state half hibernated not knowing what more to tell
him, I came out heads down and not looking back. Thus ending whatever meager
hope I and the rest of the family had that he would return.
I asked him whether he
was happier there than at his own home? He avoided a
direct answer (probably not to hurt my feelings).
He
smiled and then said he feels very comfortable at the Math and in his new
role. He even said that a new name will be affixed to his name once he
reaches a certain stage in his training. I was curios and worried whether
that would end our ability to make the current one way contact we have with
him. I asked whether he would let us know that new name leaving a feeble
channel of communication open. He smiled at my question again.
Next :
Letter
from Arunachal. June 2007