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Latu (pre-monastic name of Swami Adbhutananda) is Sri Ramakrishna's greatest miracle. Having absolutely no education, he has attained the highest wisdom by virtue of Master's touch.
Swami Vivekananda
Latu used to follow Sri Ramakrishna's instructions to the letter. One day Sri Ramakrishna told Latu: 'Be careful about wine and about lust and greed. These things are obstacles that create doubts about God.' That was enough for Latu. He would not even walk through the street where there was a wine shop. When he went to Calcutta he walked eight miles (normal distance is four miles) by some roundabout route in order to avoid going through that street.
After the passing away of the Master, Swami Adbhutananda went to Vrindaban and Kasi and lived a severe austere life and continued his spiritual practices.
Swami Adbutananda was a man of high spiritual attainments. His life testified the validity of scriptures. Sankara says in the Vivekachudamani: 'Sometimes he appears to be a fool, sometimes a wise man. Sometimes he seems splendid as a king. Sometimes he wanders calmly, and sometimes behaves like a motionless python, which waits for food to come to it. Sometimes he is honoured, sometimes insulted, sometimes unknown. That is how the illumined soul lives, always absorbed in the highest bliss.'
He would spend most of the day alone; but for a little while in the mornings and evenings people could come to see him, and he would talk with them about spiritual matters. People from different walks of life--judges, doctors, teachers, learned monks, and householders--would come to this unlettered monk for peace and wisdom. His teachings were simple, fresh, inspiring, convincing, and practical--and they all came from his experience. He completely fulfilled the name Adbhutananda, one who enjoys the wonderful bliss of Brahman.
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