Considering the big city with all its comforts unsuitable for spiritual practice, some of the students wanted a quiet spot where they might devote themselves to a life of renunciation. Miss Minnie C. Boock, a student of Vedanta, offered a property of 160 acres in Northern California for a retreat. When Vivekananda arrived in New York in June 1900, he accepted her offer and asked Turiyananda to take up the project. He was hesitant to assume the responsibility. Swamiji said, “It is the will of the Mother that you should take charge of the work there.” Turiyananda jokingly remarked: “Rather say it is your will. Certainly you have not heard the Mother communicate Her will to you in that way. How can we hear the words of the Mother?” “Yes, brother,” said Swamiji with great emotion, “yes, the words of the Mother can be heard as clearly as we hear one another. It only requires a fine nerve to hear the words of the Mother.” When Turiyananda agreed to the proposal, Swamiji said: “Don’t trouble yourself about lecturing. You just live the life. Be an example to them. Let them see how men of renunciation live.”
Gurudas later wrote about Swami Turiyananda’s last days in Shanti Ashrama: “One evening, just after dusk, when I entered the little cabin we shared together, the swami told me of a vision he had had. The Divine Mother had come to him and had asked him to remain in the ashrama. But he had refused. Then She told him that if he stayed in the ashrama the work would grow rapidly, and many beautiful buildings would be erected. Still he had refused. At last She showed him the place full of disciples. ‘Let me go to Swamiji first,’ he had said. And the Mother with grave countenance vanished from his sight.
“The vision had left him unhappy and disturbed in mind. ‘I have done wrong,’ he said with a sigh, ‘but it cannot be helped now.’” Turiyananda had fully surrendered himself to the Divine Mother, yet he refused Her command. Why? Nobody knows. It will always remain a mystery.