Devotees would often ask Sri Ramakrishna about the behaviour of a person of knowledge. This is because they would often feel baffled by the seemingly inconsistent behavior of such persons. Although they talk of the highest knowledge, yet their actions would point to a level of existence far below the transcendental realm. Sri Ramakrishna would patiently explain to them that there are levels of knowledge and accordingly there would be variations even amongst the men of realization. Spiritual life is a tough journey, a long haul.
Even if one gets a glimpse of the higher truth and is trying hard to get established in it, again and again one can get distracted by illusions. To illustrate this idea Sri Ramakrishna would give a beautiful example. A man was sleeping peacefully in his room. Suddenly, he saw a terrible dream.
In that dream a tiger was about to pounce upon him and devour him. He was terribly frightened. He woke up, but still he was trembling and his heart was beating fast.
It took him quite some time to come to the normal plane. Although when he was awakened he knew that it was just a bad dream and there was no trace of any tiger and that his life was not in danger, still the dream was so powerful and the illusion was so compelling that he was feeling the palpitation in his heart. In the same way, even a person of knowledge if he continues to live in this world of Maya which is full of allurements and distractions and which is the creation of the senses, he can be distracted momentarily.
But, with the help of intense Sadhana over a long period of time slowly it is possible to be fully established to the highest knowledge.
In that state Maya would be totally powerless to delude him.