Smoking from the pipe of an untouchable

(From 1888 to 1893 Swami Vivekananda travelled the length and breadth of India often times mostly on foot. Sometimes he was accompanied by some of his brother disciples and most other times he preferred travelling alone. The following incident took place during one of his travels.)

Sometime during the early part of August, 1888, Swami Vivekananda was travelling from Agra to Vrindaban on foot. As usual his only possessions were a staff, a Kamandalu (water pot) and one or two books. As he was reaching Vrindaban he became very tired and exhausted. At that time he saw a man on the wayside smoking an Indian tobacco pipe called Chillum. Vivekananda felt that a smoke would do him good and so he asked the man if he could have a puff or two at his Chillum. On hearing this the smoker looked shocked and with much embarrassment blurted out, "Sir, I am a Bhangi, a sweeper!" (In those times in India, people who cleaned restrooms, toilets, drains etc. were considered as untouchables and lived in the outskirts of cities, towns and villages. These unfortunate people, the so called untouchables, were called Bhangis.) When Vivekananda heard this he shrank back and continued on his journey without having a smoke. After walking some distance Vivekananda thought, "What, I have taken the Sannyasin's vow and have given up all ideas of caste, family prestige and all, and yet I fell back into caste ideas when the man told me that he was a sweeper! And I could not smoke the Chillum which he had touched! That was due to ages of habit!" No sooner this thought occurred to him he turned back and went looking for the man. He found the man still smoking at the same spot. Vivekananda said to him, "My son, please prepare me a Chillum of tobacco." The man objected but Vivekananda insisted on smoking from his pipe. Finally after having a smoke Vivekananda left for Vrindaban.   

Much later, recounting this incident to a disciple Vivekananda said, “That incident taught me the great lesson that I should not despise anyone, but must think of all as children of the Lord.”