And at that very time a man came to the door, and he was asking the servant, “If Swamiji is awake I would like to see him.”

And I was sitting with Swamiji, who was fully awake. He immediately closed his eyes. I said, “Swamiji, this is not right; it is against truth.”

He said, “Be silent! That man is such a bore.”

I said, “Nobody can be a bigger bore than you are. Year by year you have bored this poor family.”

He said, “This is no time to discuss it” – and he was with closed eyes, snoring!

I shook his big belly and I said, “You cannot deceive me by snoring. This snoring is absolutely false.”

He said, “It is authentic.”

I said, “You are perfectly awake. How can your snoring be authentic?”

He said, “You just… It is so hot, and that man is so boring and he will not leave me for hours. You just go and tell him that Swamiji is fast asleep.”

I said, “I will go and I will say exactly what you are saying.”

And I told the man, “Swamiji is fully awake, yet fast asleep; fully awake, yet snoring.”

That man said, “How can it happen?”

I said, “You know, these people are miracle-makers. You can come with me, I can show you.” I took him inside with me.

Swamiji was snoring very loudly, as loudly as he could manage. But you cannot snore for long if you are awake, it is so tiring. I told the man to sit in a corner where it was a little dark. Swamiji opened one eye, looked at me and said, “Has that bore gone?”

I said, “Swamiji, you continue snoring. He is just sitting here in the dark corner.”

He said, “How has he managed to come here?”

I said, “This is no time to discuss it. You simply close your eyes.” And he closed his eyes and started snoring.

And that man said, “This swami is continually talking about being true.”

I said, “I think he is being true – eyes closed, snoring; what more do you want? Do you want him to die? Will you leave this place only when he dies?”

This was too much. Swamiji stood and said, “I cannot do that.”

I said, “You don’t come into this. Don’t interfere. You simply lie down and rest and snore – whether awake or asleep, that is your business. I am just trying to convince this man that Swamiji is a man of miracles: ‘You have just seen how he can open one eye. It is very difficult, only swamis can do that; otherwise both eyes open together.’”

He was very angry at me. He talked against me to everybody in the family, that “This boy should not be allowed in my room.”