[Disputations prevent realization of God.] Bhagavan continued: So long as one reasons and argues about God, one has not realized Him. You both were engaged in discussion. I did not like it. How long does the noise continue at a feast to which many are bidden? So long as the guests have not begun to eat. As soon as the viands are served and they begin to partake of them, three-fourths of the noise is gone. Then the more the sweetmeats are passed around, the more the noise subsides. The nearer you come to God, the less you are disposed to argue. When you come up to Him, when you behold Him as the Reality, then all noise, all disputations are at an end. Then is the time for the enjoyment which comes in Samadhi.

Saying this, the Bhagavan gently moved His and over Narendra's sweet face and caressed him, repeating, "Hari Om, Hari Om, Hari Om."

Then what a miracle passed before the eyes of the disciples! Looking at the Bhagavan, they saw His sense-consciousness beginning to leave Him. Looking again, they saw that it had left Him altogether. In this half-conscious state the hand of the Incarnation of Divine

[paragraph continues] Love continued to rest on Narendra's body. Was He breathing into him the inspiration, the power that comes from above? Then yet other changes came over the Bhagavan. He said to Narendra, with folded hands: A song do sing, then I shall get well; how else shall I be able to stand on my feet. "My Nitai! Oh! He is deep drunk, intoxicated with the wine of Divine Love, the love for Gouranga (God-Incarnate)."

A short while and He was speechless again, speechless like a figure cut in marble. Drunk with the joy of the Lord, the Bhagavan went on, saying: "Take care of Radha, lest thou fall into the Jamuna. O thou, mad with ecstatic love for Him who incarnated Himself at Brindavan, the Lord Sri Krishna!" Once more He was in deep Samadhi! Coming back into sense-consciousness he repeated portions of a well-known song: "O my friend, how far is that blessed woodland, the land where is to be seen my own Beloved One? Look! Here comes the fragrance from the blessed person of my Beloved! I am unable to take a step forward, O my friend!"

Now the Bhagavan had lost all consciousness of the world. He was not mindful of anything

or any person in this state. Narendra was seated before Him, but apparently He did not see him. He had lost all sense of time and place. The mind, the heart and the soul had all become absorbed in God. Suddenly He stood up, saying: "Deep drunk with the wine of Divine Love, with love for Gour (God-Incarnate)." A few moments after He took His seat and said: "Yonder is a light coming this way, but I cannot even now say from which way the light comes." It was then that Narendra began to sing:

GOD-VISION