Kathamrita Volume II - Swami Vivekananda

“There was a goldsmith whose tongue turnedup and stuck to his palate. He looked like thepicture of a man in Jada samadhi. He becamemotionless. He remained like this for manydays. People began to visit and worship him.After a number of years his tongue suddenlyrelaxed and he regained normal consciousness.Then he even resumed his goldsmithprofession. (All laugh.)“All these things concern the body. Theyalmost never relate one to the Lord. Thebrother of Shalagram (a dealer in tabasheer [6] )knew eighty-two yoga postures. He would talkabout his yoga samadhi, but in his mind hewould secretly yearn for ‘lust and gold’. Hesaw a bank note worth many thousands ofrupees belonging to Diwan Madan Bhatt lyingsomewhere. Tempted by greed, he swallowed itin the hope that he could take it out later [bysome yogic procedure]. That note wasrecovered from him – and he was jailed forthree years. In my guilelessness I had thoughtthat he had made a lot of spiritual progress! Iswear it!”His earlier story – Mahendra Pal is returned hismoney – Bhagavati, the oil woman – his contempt forthe Kartabhaja sect’s practicing sadhana with womenas partners“Mahendra Pal of Sinthi gave five rupees toRamlal. When he left, Ramlal told me. I asked