Swami Vivekananda

1. Once Swami Vivekananda was talking on importance of using country made things
instead of foreign made, unaware of the fact that he himself wore foreign made
shoes.

A foreign journalist asked mockingly pointing towards his shoes-

Journalist: then why are you wearing this foreign made shoe?
In no time Vivekanand replied, “To show what the real place is for colonialist foreigners
in my country.”

2. Swamiji and the monkeys

In 1888 when Swamiji was putting up in Varanasi when retuning after visiting a temple,
a troop of monkeys chased Swamiji and refused to him pass. To get rid of them and to
save himself, Swamiji began to run but this only made the monkeys follow him even
more aggressively.
Out of the blue, a stranger approached him and asked him to stop running from the
monkeys but to face. Hearing and acting on his advice, Swamiji turned around and
faced the monkeys. This caused them to be confused, and they left him alone. It was as
simple as that!

3. Face your fears in life

This incident in Swamiji’s life is actually a great lesson. When we are confronted by
problems in life, ignoring them or running away from them is not a solution. Like the
monkeys, the problems, if unresolved, will follow us right till the end. Instead, facing
them, confronting them will help resolve and put an end to these issues. Cowards are
not winners. In life, fears have to be won over.

4. Swamiji and Two Foreign Ladies

Once, Swami was travelling in a train. He was in his own nothingness...

Two foreign ladies who were sitting opposite to him started commenting on his clothing.
Then after a while, they noticed an expensive watch around his wrist (probably a gift
from one of his disciples)

They decided to play with him and one of those ladies went close to him and said "give
me that watch now, else we will call the police saying that you harassed us."

Swami pretending to be deaf, gestured them that he cannot hear. Then they tried with
gestures and finally understood that he is not getting a thing they are trying to say. Then
he politely gestured them to write whatever they want to say on a paper and give. The
ladies wrote everything on a paper and gave it to him.

Now, Swami calmly spoke, "Call the police now"

5. Swamiji and his racist professor

A white professor by the name of Peters hated Swami Vivekananda (this was before he
became an ascetic). One day in the dining room, Swamiji took his food and sat next to
the professor. Irritated by his brown student, professor exclaimed: A pig and a bird do
not sit together to eat." Vivekanandji replied, "You do not worry professor. I'll fly away,"
and he went and sat at another table. Mr. Peters, reddened with rage, decided to take
revenge.

When Swamiji chose money over wisdom

The professor decided to avenge his insult and so next day in class, he posed a
question to Swamiji: Mr. Datta, if you were walking down the street and found a
package, and within was a bag of wisdom and another bag with money, which one
would you take?" Swamiji quickly responded, "I will take the one money, of course." Mr.
Peters, smiling sarcastically said, "I, in your place, would have taken the wisdom."
Swamiji shrugged and responded, "Each one takes what he doesn't have."
Continued..

By now the professor’s anger knew no bounds. He had to get his revenge. Therefore,
during an examination, when he handed over Swamiji’s examination sheet, he wrote
‘idiot’ and gave it to him. A few minutes later, Swami Vivekanand got up, went to the
professor and told him in a dignified polite tone, "Mr. Peters, you signed the sheet, but
you did not give me the grade.”