Sri Ramakrishna was extremely frugal and did not approve of his disciples’ extravagance. Latu recalled: “Once in Dakshineswar the Master asked a devotee to light the oil lamp in his room. The devotee used four match sticks, yet still couldn’t light the lamp. The Master then got down from his cot and lighted the lamp himself. He said to the devotee: ‘Hello, the householders save their hard-earned money and give it to the monks. Is it proper to misuse their money?’ Another day I was about to use a match stick to ignite his tobacco, and he scolded me, ‘Go to the kitchen, and get fire from there.’” (Source: God Lived with Them)
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If someone peeled a potato a little too deeply, the swami would remind him that the vegetables had been bought with the devotees’ hard earned money and great sacrifice of their comfort; it was not proper for the monks to misuse those things. Premananda could not tolerate any waste, and he imprinted this idea in the minds of newcomers. (Source: God Lived with Them)
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A monk was in charge of the kitchen store. One day while pouring oil, a few drops fell on the floor. Premananda saw it. He called to the monk: “Why are you wasting the Master’s oil? The devotees donate their hard-earned money for the Master’s service. You will not have to work here anymore. I bow down to you.” Premananda bent his head and left the place. The monk felt terrible. He continued his work, but did not eat any food for a few days except for drinking Ganges water. When Premananda heard about it, he embraced the monk and said: “Are you mad at me? Who else do I have other than you? If you do not do right, shall I not scold you? Know for certain, a monk’s scolding purifies the mind.” Premananda then gave him prasad and removed his mental agony. (Source: God Lived with Them)