Kathamrita Volume II - Swami Vivekananda

times it even dipped down. Taking the fishingrod in his hand, he tried to pull it up. Just atthat moment a wayfarer stopped and asked,‘Sir, can you please tell me where Mr. Bannerjilives?’ The fisherman did not reply. Fishing rodin hand, he was now trying to pull in his catch.The stranger repeated his question loudly, ‘Sir,can you please tell me where such-and-suchBannerji lives?’ But our fisherman wasunaware of the outside world – his hand wastrembling and his eyes fixed on the float. Thewayfarer left in a huff. When he had gone quitesome distance, the fisherman’s float sank andhe pulled the fish out onto dry land. Wiping hisface with a hand towel, he shouted to thestranger, ‘Hey, brother! Listen.’ The wayfarerdidn’t want to return, but he came back afterhearing the fisherman shout for some time. Hesaid, ‘But, sir, why are you calling me now?’The fisherman replied, ‘What were you askingme?’ The wayfarer said, ‘I repeated myquestion so many times and now you ask mewhat I was saying.’ The fisherman said, ‘Thefloat was bobbing, so I didn’t hear anythingyou said.’“Such concentration is developed in meditationthat a person sees nothing and hears nothing.He is not even aware of touch. A snake canwriggle over his body, but he does not know it– neither the one who is meditating, nor thesnake, are aware of each other.