Lives of Love

De Simple Silence.

http://www.cheaphealthinsurancequotes.net/ individual health insurance plans qvshrm http://www.autosinsurance4u.com/ nj car insurance ynv http://www.carsinsurancecompanies.com/ affordable auto insurance 459 http://www.getcheaphealthinsurance.net/ health insurance =) http://www.your-cheap-insurance.com/ auto insurance rates 75699

Contents 1 The Full Measure Of His Love 2 Supreme Purity 3 The Two Drunks 4 At The Circus 5 Plums 6 How Lucky You Are 7 Bhajias 8 Ice-Cream Story 9 Dr. Goher 10 Goher's Own Story 11 More Love From Goher 12 Pendu's Drum 13 Fallenfluh, Switzerland 14 The Dome 15 Chickens And Messages

The Full Measure Of His Love

The next morning [Sep, 1987] in Mandali Hall Mani talked about being in the hospital in Mysore where she had an emergency ear-operation in 1936. In the days after her surgery Baba came every day and tenderly fed her drops of soup from a teaspoon at first, then later tiny pieces of apple until she was well enough to eat.

Naja stayed in Mani’s room to look after her. As Baba wished His identity kept secret, Naja and Mani were told not to tell anyone who He was. Even then the nurses were greatly drawn to Baba without knowing why.

A nurse asked one morning « Who is this Baba ? »

Naja replied, « The patient’s brother. »

« And why doesn’t He speak ? » persisted the nurse.

« Oh, He’s very shy ! » said Naja.

Every morning as Baba’s car pulled up, it seemed that all the nurses would be on the landing in order to have a glimpse of Him coming up the stairs. Then again they would come into Mani’s room whenever He was there, on some pretext or another, just to see Baba. One nurse popped in, her eyes on Him, asking « Is my thermometer here ? »

Naja said to Mani in her resounding « stage whisper » : « She never takes your temperature so how could she leave the thermometer here ? »

Nurse Rose, who worked in the nursery, would come pitter-patter into the room with each of the day’s newborn babies. Without a word she would hold it out before Baba. He would silently take the baby on His lap and « talk » to it in gestures and smiles, taking quite a bit of time with each one. This went on every day while Naja and Mani looked on.

One day Mani counted twelve newborn babies that Nurse Rose brought to Baba one after another. So many were brought that Mani and Naja began to feel very impatient and thought there would be little time left for them to spend with Baba.

But He expressed no impatience whatever, and gave the full measure of His love and attention to each of these fortunate babies.

Supreme Purity

Mani S. Irani

One afternoon Baba was resting in His room. He had body aches and He looked tired. He was lying on His back, eyes closed, and gestured to us to press His hands and legs. We arranged ourselves on both sides of His bed sitting on our little wooden seats. We began pressing His hands and legs — this massaging the elder of a household is not an unusual practice among Indian families.

After a while, Baba, His eyes still closed, snapped His fingers and gestured to us to stop. We withdrew our hands to our laps, but did not rise in case a creaky seat disturbed His rest.

Whilst silently sitting there looking at Beloved Baba’s form, I felt wave upon wave of purity emanating from Him. I recognised this purity just as a blind man sitting in front of an ocean senses by the fresh tang of the salt air reaching him that he is facing the ocean.

I was overwhelmed and awed by the experience and heard myself say inwardly, « So, God is not only supreme Love but also supreme Purity. »

The Two Drunks

Mani continued … saying that as a child in Poona she was treated to a glimpse of the New Humanity to come.

Two drunks had wandered into their lane. One of them needed the support of a lamp-post. Mani’s mother did not like drunks at all. Thieves and drunks she never liked, so Shirinmai closed the door. But Mani stayed on the steps of her house to watch them.

The two drunks looked at each other with great affection and respect, paying compliments to each other, the highest of which is calling someone your father. So one said, ‘You are like my father, so noble, so good.’

‘No, no,’ the other protested, ‘I am not fit to wipe your shoes. I am no good. You are the one who is my father !’

And so it went on and on, each one refusing to accept the other’s compliment. At last one said, ‘If you contradict me one more time, I’ll beat you !’

Not surprisingly, a fist-fight soon broke out and the neighbours who had crowded around were laughing so hard that they had quite a job to pull them apart.

Mani imitated the drunks’ way of talking all through the story, and it was very funny.

Then Mani went on : As we know from Baba, the world that is to come will be a world of love and brotherhood. It will be such a beautiful world. Man cannot change, the habits of thousands of lives cannot change. But what will change is the shape of our aspirations, actions and wants. Like those drunks, men will still fight, but for noble causes and high ideals.

At The Circus

The next evening, Sunday, we all went to the Circus in Ahmednagar. A couple of the Western residents who were in charge of arrangements collected our names and money, made the bookings and bought the tickets beforehand for the best seats in the front rows. In the late afternoon we pilgrims boarded the bus at Meherabad, and each was given a large paper bag containing all sorts of goodies prepared by Alan Wagner and his kitchen staff for our snack evening meal to be eaten at the Circus. Curfew time for the Pilgrim Centre is 9 :30 PM, so Mani gave special permission for all to return later at the end of the performance.

What a delightful feeling of anticipation there was as we drove into town, got down from the bus, threaded our way through the masses of people thronging the dusty area in front of the Circus, and entered the huge marquee. The large Ring was brightly lit, a brass band was playing loudly in a gallery above it, and strong smells assailed our noses as we were directed to our seats. Soon afterwards the mandali arrived. Mani and the women mandali sat in the centre of the front row. I was in the same row of the next block and could easily go and speak to them before the show started, or look across at them at times during the performance. The men mandali sat in various places nearby.

There was a good variety of acts, some very clever and daring, others not quite so attractive to me. There were of course plenty of animal acts with monkeys, dogs, small horses, lions and elephants, not to mention clowns, dare-devil bike riders, tightrope walkers and trapeze artists. It was all very enjoyable, and the whole audience was most appreciative.

After greeting Mani next day at the Trust Office, I mentioned the Circus of course, and how I had seen her a few times applauding or watching closely. I said I liked the elephants particularly, and felt they had saluted Mani, Goher and Meheru sitting in the front row. I thought their eyes were so expressive, and Mani agreed, saying that their eyes are the smallest part of them but reveal a lot, and they are very intelligent animals — she had always loved being close to them.

Plums

Quetta in 1931

One day there Katie was told to carry a plate of lovely big plums to Baba. He picked up one and held it near her mouth, but she refused to take it, exclaiming ‘No, no Baba, it is for you !’ He was very annoyed. Chanji was there, and Baba told him to tell her ‘Never refuse anything I give, or say or do !’ She began to cry, and promised to obey Him. Again He picked up a plum and held it near her mouth which she opened wide—but then He put it straight into His own mouth ! As she stood there staring at Him, He laughed and told her ‘See, this is how you obey Me !’

How Lucky You Are

Katie Irani

Back in Dehra Dun again, Baba would often call everybody in the evenings to sit round Him.

Once he composed a song of four lines and asked Mani and Katie to sing. It was in persian, and Baba explained it to them :

Although I am a sinner, I am very lucky And although I am poor, I don’t mind being poor Please have mercy on this poor beggar So that I may one day become one with you in your love

Baba specially gave them this song to emphasise how lucky they all were to be with Him. He told them : « You are all like second-hand furniture, and all old stock, but still the important thing is that you are all with Me. Remember that, and how lucky you are. There are so many people all over the world, but I have chosen you few to be here with Me. »

Bhajias

Naja

At one time Baba had returned for the night in the Jhopdi, and the women mandali had returned to their quarters. Suddenly Masaji came knocking at their place calling out to Naja. Baba had called the men mandali, telling them that He was hungry and wanted bhajias.

These are made from chickpea flour (or channa dal flour as it is called) mixed with water to form a soft batter in which onions, coriander, chopped green chillies, cumin seed powder, and salt are added, then fried in hot oil.

Baba had told the men that whoever made them and brought them to Him first would make Him very happy, so they all dashed in different directions. Masaji, knowing that not only would the ingredients be available at the women’s quarters but also their assistance, headed straight to them.

Excitedly the women all helped to get everything ready and the primus stove going. Naturally with such a head-start Masaji was able to bring the hot bhajias to Baba in double-quick time, and was rewarded with Baba’s appreciation of his efforts.

On another occasion when Baba wanted bhajias quickly, Rustom came to the women. They all rushed to help Naja, one cutting onion, one grinding masala, everyone busy preparing the ingredients. Quickly the bhajias were made and ready to give to Rustom with some other food to take to Baba.

In the meantime Baba had sent the other men mandali to different family houses close by to ask them for the same thing. The bhajias and food from Naja and the women came to Baba first, followed later by that sent from other families.

Baba said : ‘Look how they made it fast in a few minutes, and how everybody else was very late. See how they do it — a little example of how to keep ready for the Master. You never know when the Master will want something, or what He will want, and you must be ready and so quick.’

Baba waited until everybody’s food had come. Then He mixed everything together, and gave some to each of the mandali, and ate a little Himself.

http://www.allcarinsurancequotes.net/ car insurance quotes 8P http://www.treatanxietydisorder.net/ xanax >:-]] http://www.tophealthinsurers.net/ california health insurance :]] http://www.sleepingpillsonline.org/ order ambien online 67491

Ice-Cream Story

I was confined to the Pilgrim Quarters with a dose of flu and so it was a whole week before I could see Mansari again. No-one was there when I came to her room, and straight away she told me her delightful ‘ice cream story’ :

Baba called her to the May 1965 Darshan, at Guruprasad, Poona, and she was told to be in the pandal. She was sitting some way back. Eruch, on Baba’s instructions, called for her to show where she was, so she raised her hand. Again Eruch announced, Baba says to wave. Then, Baba says you are so small you should stand up so He can see you.’ She did so.

After darshan she was told to come to see Baba in the mandali room at exactly 12 :30 (or whatever the time was). On coming she found a row of men sitting on one side, and women on the other. Baba told her : ‘Stand there, be still, don’t laugh, and open your mouth so I can flip the ice cream in !’

At the very idea she laughed—‘because what if it hit my forehead or came on my sari ? !’ Baba said, ‘I told you not to laugh.’ So she stood there. Baba took a spoonful of ice cream and flipped it straight into her mouth. Three times He did this, once asking what flavour she wanted. She told him : Flavour is nothing—you are giving it to me, that is all !’ After the last mouthful Baba said ‘Now go !’ and she left.

While telling me about it she laughed happily at the memory of that time.

Dr. Goher

My first meetings with Dr Goher were at Guruprasad, Poona — at the East-West Gathering in November 1962 in Beloved Baba’s presence, and the Great Darshan in May 1969. There was only the opportunity of introducing ourselves to each other the first time, but at the Darshan I remember being impressed with her quiet gentleness and found it easy to talk to her on the occasions when we Australians were with the women mandali.

She is a medical doctor but I did not use that title when speaking to her — in fact from quite early on I simply called her by the intimate ‘family’ name which is pronounced ‘Guvvaire’, this being as close as I can get with a phonetic spelling. However, throughout this account I will use only her proper-name spelling, Goher. She had said she never liked it, and the other was a softer alternative which the mandali always use, and somehow I was allowed to do so as well. My other term of endearment for her was ‘My favourite doctor’, and indeed she has always been so.

At Meherazad in the 1970s and ‘80s, on Saturdays and Sundays Goher would be there on the verandah with the other mandali to greet everyone. But on weekdays she was so busy in the Meher Free Dispensary that we did not see her very often at all. She always had other duties to see to in the house as well, and even at weekends rarely came into Mandali Hall when we were listening to Eruch or Mani. But at Aloba’s afternoon tea time she sometimes came to sit on the verandah with various ones for a talk, and usually joined the other women mandali for the entertainment and film programmes in Mandali Hall on Sunday mornings.

Goher’s contacts with pilgrims were more in the nature of personal chats — she was not a teller of stories and anecdotes like the others. And of course in the early years before the Pilgrim Centre was built, and sometimes later on, she gave medical advice to pilgrims when needed.

She tended always to be rather reserved and shy, and this was often brought out in stories of the early days with Baba which the other mandali would tell. For example, when Mehera and Mani were producing a skit or performance to entertain Baba on His return from travel or seclusion work, because of her shyness Goher found it very difficult to do the dance or act the part assigned to her.

My own contacts with Goher, especially in the 1970s and early ‘80s, were nearly always connected with all sorts of sewing for her which I really enjoyed doing. She had charge of all the household linen and furnishings such as sheets and towels, curtains and covers, and sometimes there would be new ones to make up, or alterations and mending needed for items in current use. As well as these, now and again there was work on some of her own clothes, and occasionally a little mending job which she wanted done for one of the men mandali.

So I would find out when she wanted me to come, then get a rickshaw to Meherazad early in the morning and spend the day there, using the old-fashioned but efficient foot-treadle sewing machine, or doing hand-work. It was always so nice to have the opportunity to do some work for any of the mandali, which gave them just a little more time for something else in their very busy lives.

It was also nice to offer to get, or be asked to buy at home and bring next time, various sewing aids and other household items not available in the Ahmednagar bazaar. Apart from the fun of doing this, there was the added enjoyment of further time in Goher’s company before and after completing the assignments.

The Meher Free Dispensary is a large building opposite the entrance to Meherazad, and hundreds of Indian patients come from miles around for treatment there. In the 1980s when we pilgrims arrived in the bus to spend the day at Meherazad we would see them waiting on the wide stone verandah, or sitting close-packed on the ground in the shade of the beautiful spreading Gulmohr (Poinciana) tree.

But during the 1970s when our Australian groups first came to Meherazad the Dispensary work was carried out by Goher and one or two others in a small room off the end of Mandali Hall verandah, and the patients would sit just outside this room while waiting for their turn to be treated. Goher would make sure that we all stayed further down the verandah at those times so that there was no risk of infection for us.

Then the new Dispensary was built. Some time afterwards a laboratory was added at one side, and later again the main treatment area was extended out to the back. Goher showed me round at different times, and I was always immediately aware of the atmosphere of loving service throughout the whole building. Baba’s work from the very early years at Meherabad is still carried out in a free dispensary there, and has also been operating regularly on a wide scale at Meherazad.

Katie, Goher’s sister, has worked there since she came to live permanently at Meherazad in 1978 after retiring from her long-time job with the Japanese Consulate-General in Bombay. Pendu also used to help with registration of case papers for some years before his death in 1986. A band of dedicated Westerners, who are qualified in a variety of medical fields and are residents at Meherabad, come to Meherazad to help Goher and her team of Easterners with the very large numbers of poor villagers treated there every year.

Goher often had to go back and forth between the main house and the dispensary during the day, so to save energy and time she began years ago to use a bicycle, with a basket attached to the handlebars to carry whatever was needed for either place. But more recently, because of her health problems, the familiar bicycle was replaced with a small motorised chair, donated by some pilgrims.

For years Goher suffered greatly with an osteoarthritis condition, and in 1995 she spent three months in America at Atlanta, Georgia, undergoing operations for shoulder replacements. Beloved Baba certainly seemed to put His closest ones ‘through the mill’, sometimes for very long periods — but it never diminished the loving welcome they always gave everyone coming to Meherazad and Meherabad. They put aside or successfully hid their own difficulties, presenting only sweet words and smiles and warm embraces which conveyed their deep love for Baba, so that one often felt it was Baba Himself giving the greeting.

Goher's Own Story

I have always loved Goher and felt very close to her. Although there never seemed to be time or opportunity to talk with her in detail about her own life and how she came to Baba, this is her story as I have gathered it from material lent to me which I carefully edited, and which she herself checked for me in 1996. It is given in her own words to keep the narrative personal.

I have been living with Baba continuously since 1947, but I have known Him since my childhood. I was about six or seven years old when Baba came to my parents’ house in Quetta, now part of Pakistan, with some of the men mandali. Mehera, Naja and Khorshed were among the women mandali. My parents had rented the house next to ours for Baba and the mandali to stay in. I remember Baba used to serve food to all of us Himself — we would go to Him with our plates, He would serve it, and tell us ‘You must eat every bit that is on the plate.’

With children He behaved like a child and played games with us. One was a game of five fingers — He would hold His fingers together in a certain way, and ask us to pick the middle finger, but we were never able to do it !

At that time Baba was known as Sadguru (a Perfect Master), and our friends who followed Him used to ask us to say our prayers to Him. Of course we said our prayers to Zoroaster, but at the same time we were asked to pray to Baba.

CHILDHOOD VISITS TO AHMEDNAGAR

At times I used to come to Ahmednagar to my mother’s maternal home for holidays. Most people in the family did not accept Baba as the Sadguru at that time, especially Sarosh’s father who was very much against Baba. There was a joint family system in those days — everybody lived together, Sarosh’s family, Sarosh’s brother Dinshaw’s family (his wife is my aunt — my mother’s sister), so naturally we stayed with them when we came for our holidays.

Sarosh’s father was so strict that he would not even allow Baba’s name to be mentioned. But also living in the same house were Gulmai and her son Adi who were staunch followers of Baba (Gulmai was Sarosh’s aunt, Adi was his cousin). Sarosh’s father could not say anything to them, but he was very strict with his own son. In spite of that, whenever Gulmai, Adi, or my aunt visited Baba at Meherabad, or when Baba came to Ahmednagar to Khushru Quarters, now known as Meher Nazar, we used to go quietly to see Him. Naturally He would embrace us, kiss and play with us, but we were told we must not mention Baba when Sarosh’s father came home.

But that old man was very cunning. He would bribe us in a way, with sweets or something, and gradually got out of us whether Baba had come to the house and who met Him. As children, sometimes we would blurt it out. And then he would create a row, demanding to know why we had met Baba. Gradually as we grew older we had more sense, and understood that he did not like us to meet Baba — but we would still meet Him quietly.

From our childhood days Baba was like a teacher to us. He played with us and was like a loving father to us, but at the same time, as we grew up He gave us strict orders how to behave in life.

LIVING IN QUETTA

I think it was in 1931 that we were getting several earth tremors in Quetta. We had lived in tents for nearly six months, and when we came back to live in our house it was not in a very good condition. Baba came that year with a few of his men mandali, Chanji, Raosahib and one or two others. I was about 15, my sister Katie was about 11, and other children were also there. Baba and His men stayed in our house for nearly a month. He used to play with us. He was very fond of Katie and would call her to His room when all the mandali were there and play Carrum or other games. Once He took us to the cinema.

Baba was very playful, and had jokes with us. He used to get up at 4 :00 o’clock, and would come into our room, put on the light, shake the beds, and naturally when we saw Him we would all jump out. We never felt strangers to Baba because He was so loving and approachable.

‘YOU BECOME A DOCTOR’

One day when I was going out in my Guide costume, Baba called me and said ‘What are you going to study further ?’ I didn’t know. Baba then said, ‘You become a doctor.’ Since that time it was always in my mind that I would be a doctor.

BABA TELLS GOHER’S FATHER TO LEAVE QUETTA

At that time Baba told my parents, actually my father, that he should sell up his business, which was a huge concern because Quetta, being on the frontier, had a very large military camp of British forces, and naturally the business included a bar, billiards, a toy shop, a restaurant, confectionery and jewellery shops. Baba said he should sell the business, he would get a very good profit, and he should leave Quetta with his family.

After this warning Baba left, and my father was thinking about whether he should sell or not — he had been established there for twenty years or so. My mother was more on the practical and materialistic side, and my father was a more simple person and would have done what Baba told him. But my mother said ‘If we sell everything and go away, how are you going to bring up all your seven children ? There won’t be enough money, and how are you going to start business all over again ?’ Other friends in Quetta did not believe in Baba then, and persuaded my father not to sell. Two years went by, there were some more earth tremors at times, and the business was not running so well.

HER MOTHER’S DREAM

One night my mother had a dream in which she saw a grey-bearded person in a white robe who said to her ‘I am waiting for you to leave Quetta. Why haven’t you gone ? I want you to go away, and when you have left I want to destroy Quetta.’ On waking next morning my mother felt this was a warning message from Baba. She told my father immediately, and said they must sell the business and go away, whatever happened.

So they started to do that. They sent all seven of us children to Ahmednagar for our schooling, and stayed back themselves trying to sell the business, but there were no prospective buyers. If my father had sold when Baba told him to, he would have profited much by it. Prices went down because of continuing earthquakes, and after two years he sold at tremendous loss — it was just like giving it to someone. He would have got one lakh of rupees (100,000) earlier, which in present money terms would mean millions, but in the end he gained only a small fraction of the value for the whole of his business.

THEY MOVE TO AHMEDNAGAR

Anyway, he sold it and my parents came to Ahmednagar, and then Adi’s father, Sarosh and his brother all helped him, because Baba had told them that they must get him settled in business somewhere. So my father opened a canteen at Sarosh’s cinema.

And a couple of years after that we heard there was a terrible earthquake in Quetta when 45,000 to 50,000 lives were lost in one night. Then we all realised that Baba had saved the whole family from this catastrophe.

But my father did not have that zest to start all over again in a new business. My brothers were still too young, and there was nobody to help him in the business. Perhaps he did not have enough inspiration for the work, and he did not earn well. We were all at school in Ahmednagar, and after finishing there we were sent to college in Bombay.

GOHER AT COLLEGE IN BOMBAY

After one year of studying my mother told me, ‘It is very expensive, I can’t afford to pay your fees.’ I was staying with some relations, at first with Sarosh’s sister, then with my married sister. My mother felt that in a couple of years I would get married anyway, so she said she could not afford the fees.

Baba must have come to know about it, or I must have told Him, because He used to visit our house in Ahmednagar — our family was now living separately in a small house, and Baba used to visit quite often. Then He told my mother ‘Let her go to college and I will pay.’ After my graduation in the Arts college, I had to join the medical college, but then I did not have anywhere to live, so again I was going to give up the medical career. While staying with relations I did not have to pay for board and lodging, but if I had to stay in a hostel it would be very expensive.

LIVING WITH ARNAVAZ’S FAMILY

Baba called me to Meherabad, and that was the first time I met Chanji. Baba told him ‘She has to stay at Arnavaz’s parents house.’ Arnavaz and Nargis Dadachanji and the rest of the family of seven children were very young then, still in school, and their father was not earning much — but I have never known a more contented family, a family full of love, I have never seen so much love.

Baba sent me there alone — just gave me the address and said to tell them ‘I have come.’ I didn’t know any of the family. I travelled by train to Bombay, went to the house and knocked at the door, which Arnavaz opened, and told her ‘I am Goher.’ She said, ‘Yes, come in, come in.’

They took me in like one of their own, and they gave me so much love that I never felt I was a stranger but belonged to the family. They were not rich and had only simple meals, one vegetarian dish in the evening or one in the afternoon. But Bachamai, Arnavaz’s mother, would see to it that I had more than her own children had. And sometimes it used to bring tears to my eyes because I knew that my own mother would never have done that for another child.

Baba used to visit their house very often as if it was His own house, because there was so much love there. When Baba was coming Bachamai would be so happy, and she would clean the whole house, make preparations to receive Him, prepare food for Him and for the mandali whom she would receive with the same love.

Whenever the family visited Ahmednagar or wherever Baba was, I would go with them. After a couple of years in their house I went to stay in a girls’ hostel, and Baba gave me very strict orders. No men must come to visit me, I must not touch men or go about with them. Baba said I should write to Him every week, or once a month, whichever it was, and He replied to every letter.

HOLIDAYS WITH BABA

Four years passed. Baba said whenever I had a holiday I could go and stay with Him. Naturally we were more drawn to be with Baba than to our own parents’ house, and wherever He was, Blue Bus Tours, Meherabad, anywhere, every holiday we spent with Him. Once in Bangalore there was a question of my marriage. Baba told me : ‘Don’t worry. You should not think about it, don’t ever marry. You have to come to Me after you have become a doctor.’ So that was always in my mind, and I knew that Baba would call me some day to live with Him permanently.

BABA’S SIGN FOR GOHER

In 1938 during one of the holidays I went with Arnavaz to Panchgani where Baba and the women mandali were staying. I had a very sore throat and a high fever, but in spite of that I went, and as soon as we entered the house Baba enquired after my health. He was displeased and said ‘You can’t stay here. Go back to Bombay immediately and have your tonsils operated on,’ and He sent me back the same night. Ever since then Baba’s sign for me was tonsils — Baba would put His hand on His throat to indicate the tonsils — and that was my sign when He wanted me. Right till the end this was my sign.

During 1938 when I started my college career, my sister Katie joined Baba permanently in the ashram. She would write to me about all the activities there and on the Blue Bus Tours, and Baba would read these letters, sign them Himself, and always sent His love to me.

The monetary question was always difficult for me — I didn’t really like it that Baba was burdened with my tuition fees and also the hostel fees which were very expensive, and it made me uneasy.

GRADUATION

After my graduation in 1944 I came to my parents’ home in Ahmednagar because Baba was away travelling. He returned before long to Meherazad so I sent word that my studies were finished and what should I do. Adi Snr came and drove me to Meherazad. At that time Baba was using the room which later became Aloba’s. There was no furniture, no chair. Baba was sitting cross-legged on the floor on a small carpet, and called me in. He said He was happy that I was a medical doctor now and I should come to stay with Him permanently, and to tell my parents this.

Well, my mother made so much fuss about it, saying ‘I won’t be able to meet you, and why should you go permanently — you can go and visit Baba when you like.’ There was such a row about it, so I wrote to Baba, and He said ‘Don’t come now.’ I felt very hurt and sad, but knew that I must leave home, and wrote back to Him : ‘No, I am coming, in spite of my mother’s protest I am coming.’ Baba was quite happy then and said ‘I’ll call you. So you must be ready whenever I call you.’

After a month or so Baba was going to Raipur, and He told me to meet Him in Bombay at Kaka Baria’s house. Baba with Mehera, Mani, Meheru and myself all went to Raipur. Jal Kerawala was there then, and we lived in a separate bungalow with Baba. A couple of months later Baba sent me back to Bombay to get more medical experience as an intern in the hospitals, and I was there for quite some time.

GOHER JOINS BABA PERMANENTLY

Finally, in 1947 at Satara, I joined Baba permanently.

Norina and Elizabeth returned from America and came to Satara. Norina was not well, she had a heart disease and high blood pressure, and Baba told me to stay in the bungalow with them and look after her. At the same time Baba told me to go and work in a missionary hospital as a volunteer without pay. He also sent me to a leper colony twice a week to give them treatment. In the evening we used to visit Baba and Mehera, Mani and the others in their bungalow.

LIVING AT MEHERAZAD — CHICKENS AND MESSAGES !

After Satara I came with Baba to live at Meherazad with Mehera, Mani and Meheru. Rano and Kitty also came at times. In those days Baba used to sleep in a small room in a field nearby. He did not give me any medical job — He had a poultry farm made with different varieties of hens and ducks, and told me ‘Now you have to take care of these !’ And I was so frightened — I had never held a hen in my life and was afraid they would peck me. But I did it because Baba told me. I had to see to their feed, that the pen was kept clean, and that they would lay eggs ; but Baba never let us eat that poultry.

In those days Baba saw to every detail — anything that came to Meherazad, any bazaar for whatever we needed, and the food we had. So when the chicken feed was finished I had to go and tell Baba. I went over to the mandali side. Baba was sitting in Kaka’s room on the bed, and He was talking to Moorti from Calcutta about the sixth and seventh planes. I just entered the doorway, and without thinking, or listening to what Baba was telling Moorti, I immediately said ‘Baba, the chicken feed is finished.’ And Baba looked up at me so surprised, so seriously at first, then started laughing, and said ‘Here I was talking to this man about the sixth and the seventh plane and was so engrossed in it, and suddenly you come and tell me about the chicken feed !’ And Baba laughed so much. Even to this day Moorti remembers this and often reminds me. For years afterwards Baba would also often remind me.

There were no men on the women’s side of the ashram. I was a sort of messenger, a go-between for the men and women mandali. All day long the bell would be ringing. Kaka would go to the gate and ring the bell — I had to come and take away bags of vegetables ; or I had to convey any message that was to be given to Baba if He was on the women’s side. If Baba was on the men’s side and had to call me, the bell would ring, then I would have to convey the message to Mehera if He wanted a glass of water or something, and then I would bring it to Him from Mehera. So all day long that was my job, plus looking after the chickens.

THE NEW LIFE

Then Baba started meetings about the New Life, and we had to go to Meherabad every day. At a meeting of all the women held on the first floor of Meher Retreat, Upper Meherabad, Baba announced that besides a number of men, He would take only four women with Him in the New Life. Although I was staying permanently at Meherazad with Baba, Mehera, Mani and Meheru, I thought ‘Well, I came only recently and of course Baba will never take me — He will take only those who have lived with Him from their early teens.’ Mehera and Mani were definite, and I thought perhaps Khorshed who had lived all her life with Baba ; and Masi, or Meheru or Naja who had lived with Baba from their early teens would be the fourth person.

We returned to Meherazad with Baba in the evening and I was all the time very sad and depressed. Later on I was watering the garden at the far end, very slowly and sadly. Baba came out on the front verandah of the house and Mehera was standing beside Him. Baba clapped, and that was the sign for me to go there, which I did. Baba said ‘What are you thinking about ?’ At first I didn’t say anything, then Baba told Mehera, ‘She is mad.’ Again He said ‘What are you thinking about ?’ I said, ‘Baba, I was feeling very sad because now that you say you will be going away in the New Life, there is no chance of us ever seeing you. And I don’t know what to do with myself. I thought I’d end my life. I thought I couldn’t live without you, and I know that you won’t take me because I have just recently come to live with you.’

Baba then told Mehera, ‘She is a fool. Tell her that she will go with me.’ And I think that was the happiest moment of my life. I had tears in my eyes, and I was so happy that Baba had already thought of taking me with Him. Later He announced which four were going, and gave us a list to make preparations for the New Life.

Baba was very strict with the companions in the New Life. We had to obey Him implicitly. I was told to call the nightwatchman at 5 :00 in the morning, but one day it was five minutes past 5 :00. When Baba asked what time did I send off the nightwatch, I said Baba, it was late by five minutes.’ He was very displeased with me and said, ‘If this happens again I will send you back.’ We were so happy to be with Baba all the time that we tried our best not to displease Him at all. We were always afraid that He would send us back, away from Him.

When walking in the New Life, Baba’s feet which were always so delicate and tender, developed very large blisters on the soles. In spite of that He kept on walking. Then Mehera would persuade Him, ‘Baba, your feet should be bathed in warm water, and something should be applied.’ So He permitted that, and vaseline gauze bandages were put on. In spite of the blisters Baba would be ready to walk again the next day. It would not have been possible for an ordinary man to walk all those miles like that. Baba was wearing very rough sandals and we knew it was very painful for Him. Later on Mehera made Baba wear soft woollen socks, and she put some felt soles underneath so that the blisters did not hurt Him.

ACTING FOR BABA

I was very shy always, and when I came to join the ashram at Meherazad in 1947 Mani and Mehera wanted to produce a humorous play or skit to amuse Baba, because He used to come out of His seclusion so tired and strained, and that would lessen the burden. They wanted me to take a part in the play, and what a lot of botheration I gave to Mani because I could never act, and she used to get so tired of me because I would say ‘I can’t do this, I can’t do that.’ She’d make me do a little dance, a few simple steps, and I would say ‘No, I can’t move my hands and feet at the same time !’ But when she dressed me as a man and added a beard, then I forgot myself and started playing the part very well.

When I acted like that in front of Baba for the first time it was a Persian play — Mani was an old woman and I was an old man, and we did a sort of dance to a Persian record. It was at Upper Meherabad, and all the women mandali and the Westerners were there. Mehera said how funny I was, and Baba had quite a good laugh.

BABA’S PHYSICAL SUFFERING

Since the time I came to live permanently with Baba I’ve seen nothing but His physical suffering. All the close ones living with Him saw this. One can’t compare Baba’s physical suffering with that of an ordinary man. Baba would not complain much but we could see how much He suffered. One main problem was heartburn. For so many years Baba had been on so many long and severe fasts, and had such irregular diets due to His travels and mast work, that I was afraid of a peptic ulcer but He would refuse any investigation or checkup. And we felt so helpless because we knew He was suffering with this constant pain and uneasiness in His stomach. Then He would make light of it and make us forget that He had any pain. Whilst He was working, either mast work, poor work, universal work, or during seclusion, Baba did not spare His body. ‘My work comes first,’ He would say. Like so many who do not know about Perfect Masters or the Avatar, when I first came to be with Baba I assumed that He as the Avatar, being the personification of Perfection, was beyond being affected by ill-health or the usual things that affect ordinary human beings. In Raipur in 1944 Baba told me He had pain in the heart region. I did not understand then how Baba as God could have this pain. He then explained that Perfect Masters assume illness, while He being the Avatar must undergo all the physical pain and discomfort and illness which the ordinary human body has to undergo. Baba said whenever He complained of any illness I must take Him seriously and give proper treatment. So through the years, because of the strenuous mast work and many fasts, Baba’s digestion was seriously affected and we treated Him accordingly. In the earlier days Dr Donkin (Don) and Dr Nilu were there, and from 1947 I was there also. But naturally when the damage was done, treatment could only be palliative and not a cure.

‘WE FELT SO HELPLESS’

There were times when Baba would let the illness run its course, but at other times due to His particular work we would find an ailment suddenly and miraculously vanish, and Baba would be His radiant self. This we have seen happen so many times. But Baba would always tell us, all three doctors who would attend Him, to do our best to give Him the right treatment. We always felt so helpless in Baba’s presence, and knew that we could never really do anything to help Him or to alleviate His pain or His suffering. We tried our best, and Baba would take the medicines we prescribed. On several occasions we have seen Baba look so ill at one moment, and at the next He would look completely well, and we would be baffled. But then we knew that it was not what Baba was showing us externally that was happening. Baba seemed to take more bindings on Himself, visible and invisible. Many times He would complain of something, and then we would just fold our hands and stand in front of Him feeling so helpless. If it was any ordinary human being we knew that we would have been able to do so much. But for Baba we felt that we could not really do anything to lessen His pain or suffering.

BABA’S RAPID CHANGES IN HEALTH

Baba was very reluctant to have any investigation or checkups done. Until 1963 He would not permit it, but then Don and I would persuade or tell Him that it was very necessary, and He would permit us to consult some outside doctors. Sometimes Baba would be so restless and in so much pain that we would call the doctors, but when they came Baba would look so cheerful and healthy, and the doctors would look at us and say ‘Why have you consulted us ? Baba is looking quite all right, what is wrong with you ? Are you mad ?’ They would think we were emotionally upset and imagining Baba was not well. An example of this was in December 1956 after the second accident when Baba’s right hip joint was injured. Colonel Chatterjee, a very well-known military orthopaedic surgeon in Poona, used to come to treat the fracture. After some time he removed the traction and Baba was in bed. Once Baba complained of very severe pain in the hip joint, and said He was not able to move about, that He could not sit up in bed. Don called Colonel Chatterjee, but when he arrived Baba was smiling and started asking him so many questions about his wife and children. Then Colonel Chatterjee said : Well, where is your pain ?’ and Baba said ‘There is no pain, I am all right.’ Baba sat up, then sat across the bed, moving His legs. Colonel Chatterjee made Baba stand up, and still there was no pain. Then he looked at me : ‘What’s wrong with you, madam ? Baba is all right, he has no pain, He is even standing on this injured leg. Why are you becoming so emotional ? Why do you make up these stories that Baba has such severe pain ?’ Baba would make us look like fools in front of these doctors. Baba’s physical suffering was not like that of an ordinary human being, because in a second Baba would look healthy, hale and hearty, and the next instant it would look as if He was again in severe pain.

1952 ACCIDENT, USA

During the 1952 visit to America when Baba began the journey from the east coast to the west coast, some of the men mandali had already gone ahead, and we women were in two cars — Baba, Mehera, Mani and Meheru were in the first big car with Elizabeth driving, and in the other car with Sarosh driving were Rano, Delia, Kitty and myself. Baba had told us our car must always keep very close to His, but sometimes this did not happen and He would be very displeased.

I used to feel very sad and cried to myself because Baba did not take me in His car which had plenty of room. Whenever we stopped at hotels Baba would say to me ‘Well you are having a very fine time in the other car. You are laughing and joking and smiling and having such a good time, eh ?’

I would feel so hurt, and said ‘What is there to talk about ? Baba, why don’t you take me in your car ?’

‘No, no, I don’t want you in My car.’

On 24^th May early in the morning I was feeling very depressed, and even wrote in my notes : ‘Why didn’t Baba take me in His car ?’ But when the accident took place I realised why He had not done so.

When we reached the accident spot, Baba was lying on the ground, but Mehera, Mani and Meheru were still in the back of the car, and Elizabeth whose ribs and wrists were injured was pinned behind the steering wheel.

There was a lot of blood from Baba’s nose. He could not move, but with His right leg He pointed to the left one, and then I saw that it must be fractured because of the uneven surface of the bones. When the ambulance finally came and the men were lifting Baba, we told them to be very gentle because the left leg might be fractured. Sarosh also helped them to lift Baba who was suffering all the time in silence — He made no sound at all.

PRAGUE HOSPITAL

Baba, Mehera and Elizabeth were all taken to the hospital in Prague. It was a very small town and the hospital was very nice, but I didn’t know if Dr Burleson was capable of handling these serious cases. Don and Nilu were not there because Baba had sent them ahead to California. So I went and talked to Dr Burleson, asking if he could manage, and told him we needed an orthopaedic surgeon for Baba and a neurosurgeon for Mehera. He said he would send for them from Oklahoma City which was only 50 miles away.

In the meantime Dr Burleson set Baba’s leg in plaster and did it very well. He seemed drawn to Baba — he couldn’t believe that anyone who was so badly injured did not utter a sound. With the extra cases the hospital was full, so Dr Burleson vacated his own office for Baba, put a special bed in there and made Him comfortable.

But with His left leg in plaster and His left arm bandaged and strapped because of the fractured shoulder, and being in silence, it was so difficult for Baba to express whether He was in pain or if He was uncomfortable. Baba lay there very quietly, and the doctors were very good and did their best to help and to lessen His pain. When the specialists came they again took X-rays. The technician was a very fine man. He was able to lift Baba alone, and carried Him so lovingly and gently from His room to the X-ray table.

When the neurosurgeon came from Oklahoma he examined Mehera, and although she was unconscious she answered all his questions about her condition, and also when he was examining her to find out how much damage there was to her brain. He was quite surprised that Mehera could answer while unconscious.

RETURN TO MYRTLE BEACH

After many days in the hospital we went back to Myrtle Beach to Elizabeth’s home, Yupon Dunes. There was a heatwave and Baba was very uncomfortable in the plaster cast in spite of the air conditioner installed in His room. A few days later Don thought that Baba should have a checkup, so he arranged for Him to go to Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, to see a good orthopaedic surgeon. Mehera, Mani, Meheru and I went with Baba and Don to Duke University. Mehera also had certain checkups there, and everything was found quite normal. We returned to Yupon Dunes.

NEW YORK

Later Baba was asked to go to New York to give some darshan programmes, Filis Frederick was able to arrange for a nice house in Scarsdale through her friend Mrs Ferris. Baba was given a bedroom on the ground floor, and Mehera, Mani and all of us stayed in rooms on the first floor. From that house Baba went twice to Ivy Duce’s apartment in New York to give darshan. Even with His leg in the plaster cast, He gave darshan there.

Then Don was sent ahead from New York to London. Baba was very uncomfortable in the cast, so He asked me to consult an orthopaedic surgeon in New York. With Ivy Duce’s help I consulted one, but he said the cast could not be removed yet because Baba would not be able to put His weight on that leg.

LONDON AND ZURICH

Then we all went to London. Don took Baba to Sir Reginald Watson-Jones who was a great orthopaedic surgeon. He removed that cast and put on a U-shaped cast for Baba which was more comfortable. Don and the other mandali were all the time attending to Baba and nursing Him.

Baba saw many lovers in London. Then we went to Hedi Mertens’ home in Zurich, Switzerland. Delia, Charmian Duce and Anita Vieillard also stayed with us there, and all the men mandali stayed with Max and Gisela Hafliger. Most of the time Baba was in bad health, and Don would attend to Him. We used to visit a hospital there, where Mehera’s wound on her forehead was being treated. And Baba would be taken out for drives.

MASS DARSHANS, INDIA

From Zurich we went to Geneva and came back to India, reaching Meherazad about the third week in August 1952. It was only three months since the accident, and the fractured leg was not strong enough for Baba to have full weight-bearing on it. He still had to have the U-shaped cast with an elastic bandage.

In spite of that, in November Baba went to Bombay, Hamirpur, Gujerat, Navsari, and later to Andhra, giving mass darshan programmes until late in January 1953. They were not easy journeys because travelling in India is not at all comfortable, yet Baba was in trains or cars for days together, and even distributed prasad to thousands with both hands, although His left shoulder had also been fractured in the accident.

SATARA In August 1953 we went to stay at Satara and remained there, although from July to August 1956 Baba and the men mandali went again to Europe, London and America, and for the first time to Australia.

1956 ACCIDENT, SATARA

Baba’s second car accident happened at Satara on 2^nd December 1956. Baba and Vishnu returned to ‘Grafton’ Bungalow in a taxi at about 6 o’clock, and of course we were so shocked to see Baba injured. This time it was the right side — the whole of His right side, His face, shoulder, hip joint. Although we could imagine what terrible agony Baba was going through, there was not a groan or a moan, He did not utter a single sound.

Dr Nilu died in the accident, but Don was there to help all the time, because he had not gone out with Baba that day. Baba must have specially kept him back to be of use. Even Eruch and Pendu were seriously injured, Pendu very seriously, and there were actually very few of the mandali who could help.

The civil surgeon of Satara was a good doctor who respected Baba. Don went to speak to him and he came over. With Don’s help he examined Baba’s hip joint, and said that Baba should be taken to the hospital to put on a plaster cast. The journey there with all this injury was torture for Baba. The roads were bumpy, the ambulance was hopeless and the whole thing was rattling and hurting Baba so much. It was in the middle of the night that the plaster cast was put on, then Baba was brought back in the ambulance to ‘Grafton’ Bungalow to His room.

Of course the cast was very, very uncomfortable and Don and I thought that perhaps this was not the right treatment. But it was so difficult — Baba suffered silently, and we felt He must be going through intense pain all the time. So Don went to Poona, consulted a good orthopaedic surgeon and brought him to Baba, but he said that Baba must go to Poona for the treatment.

Thus, after eight days, Baba was taken to Poona to that surgeon’s hospital where he took another X-ray and changed the plaster. Baba went through a great deal of pain and discomfort. Later Don consulted an Army doctor, Colonel Chatterjee, who was a well-reputed orthopaedic surgeon. Don was not satisfied with what the local surgeon did for Baba and thought that the cast was somehow not the right treatment.

So then ‘Silver Oaks’ Bungalow near Meherjee Karkaria’s house in Poona was rented. Colonel Chatterjee came and examined Baba, removed that plaster cast and put Baba’s leg in traction which was a tremendous help and a great relief. Don stayed with Baba all the time and Colonel Chatterjee would visit whenever it was necessary.

(Goher’s personal account of her life with Baba ends at this point.)

DARSHAN PROGRAMMES INDIA, AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, 1957-58

In February 1957 Baba returned to Meherazad, and in spite of the severity of His injuries He undertook a number of darshan programmes in various places in India over the next year, culminating in His last visit to America and Australia for the Sahavas of May and June 1958.

Over the next ten years, when Baba was at Guruprasad in Poona every summer and for the rest of the time at Meherazad, Don and Goher continued to look after Him until He dropped His body on 31^st January 1969. I do not have any details of these years in Goher’s life.

More Love From Goher

Here is a heart-warming story told by a Baba lover from Andhra, and later re-told by Goher :

This man had resisted meeting Baba — but then had a wonderful experience with Him. He heard that Baba was coming to visit his home town of Sati, and that people wanted to go to the railway station to see Baba. He said, ‘What fools they are ! Why do they want to go and visit this Meher Baba ?’ But in spite of that, his curiosity led him there. He thought, ‘So many thousands are wanting to see Meher Baba, let me just go and see what sort of person He is.’

So he also went to the railway station and stood on the platform, a little apart from the rest of the people who were Baba lovers. The train was scheduled to halt there, but because Baba and the mandali were going on to Elluru they would not be getting down at Sati. It so happened that when the train stopped, Baba’s compartment was right opposite where this man was standing, and he could see Baba. The Baba lovers had been told they were not allowed to enter that compartment, but somehow this man managed to get in. He shut the door and stood at the extreme end of the compartment, and Baba was sitting at the other end.

As he stood there, Baba looked at him, and he looked at Baba and saw Him in His full glory. Baba was so beautiful, there was so much light around Him, and immediately he was convinced that Baba was God. He was transfixed, looking at Baba, and forgot to get out of the compartment. The train started moving but he wasn’t aware of it, just kept standing there looking at Baba.

The train reached the next station, Elluru, where Baba and the mandali were to get down. But because he had no ticket, the man thought he should not get out onto the platform. Instead he got down from the other side of the train, and thought that nobody had noticed him. But as he was walking along past the compartment, he saw Baba’s hand come out of the window holding a fruit. And then Baba handed him that fruit. He was so surprised that tears came to his eyes. He felt very happy that he knew in time that Baba was God, and that he had not missed this opportunity.

Later when Baba came back to Sati to give darshan, this man also joined in the programme, and requested that Baba should visit his house. In one of the rooms he placed Baba’s photo on a big chair, and said ‘This will be my centre, I will worship here.’ He then moved the photo and asked Baba to sit in that big armchair, and performed Arti with his wife and the mandali and other Baba lovers who were there.

When it was over, Baba began to get up from the chair, and the man moved forward attempting to help Him. But the mandali and others there said ‘No, no, you should not do that.’ Baba noticed this, took his hand, and arm in arm with him, stood up. Not only did Baba do that, but then He told the photographer ‘Come and take My photo with this man and his wife,’ and that touched his heart so much. He had felt very hurt when the others told him he must not touch Baba. Baba knew this, and overcame that hurt with His loving action.

BABA’S COMPASSION

Goher also told of another compassionate side of Baba. This happened on several occasions, she said, and described a typical incident :

After giving mass darshan programmes to thousands and thousands and embracing so many, at the end of the day Baba would be drenched in perspiration, and so tired after the programme was over. When He retired to His room Mehera would remove the drenched sadra and wipe His body with soft towels. Then she would put on a dry sadra, and Baba would just be relaxing when a message would come in from the mandali side : ‘Baba, there is a lover who has just arrived who said he couldn’t make it on time, his train was late, or something had happened to delay him and he could not come, and it is impossible for him to stay here for the next day.’ And Baba would again go from His room to that hall and give darshan to the person, or perhaps two or three, or however many were left there.

And this would happen at so many darshan programmes — one person, or two or three, would be left out for some reason. We would remonstrate and say ‘Tell the person to come the next day. Baba has just come in and He is so tired.’ But no, Baba would not listen to us. He would only listen to the love of His lovers.

GENTLE MEMORIES

Goher was always so loving, thoughtful and generous. She, too, radiated Beloved Baba’s love, and in such a gentle, sweet way. I remember being very touched at different times during my visits, or when saying goodbye as I was leaving for home — she would embrace me, and almost surreptitiously reach down into the depths of her ‘doctor’s pocket.’ Then from her closed hand she would quietly slip into mine a lovely little picture of Baba or perhaps a necklet, murmuring ‘This is for you.’ Needless to say I treasure these gifts.

Over the years I took some nice photographs of Goher — at Meherazad standing beside her bicycle in the garden ; with Katie near the Dispensary ; and at Meherabad with the other mandali during Mehera’s birthday celebration, and walking to the Samadhi on Baba’s Birthday.

I very much enjoy looking at these, remembering so many happy times with her, the warm welcome she always gave, and remembering, above all, her lifetime of devoted service to Beloved Baba, and the depth and strength and beauty of her love for Him.

Pendu's Drum

Meheru Irani as re-told by Judith Garbett

Always Baba impressed on them all that obedience was greater than love, that it was very important to obey him. He was very strict in the early years, and when Meheru made a mistake He would gently pinch her ear saying "Remember not to do it again."

There was a time when the men mandali were there, including Pendu. From an early age he had a bald head, and Baba would tease him about it, once saying to Meheru "What do you think it looks like?"

She replied, "Baba, it looks like a nice drum."

"Well, go ahead and play it!"

She wondered how she could do that, and looked at her mother who was standing nearby, but there was no reaction from her. Then she played the "drum." No-one said anything to her. She rather liked doing it, so she began again, but Baba immediately said "You don't do it unless I give you the order."

Thinking about it much later she realised that there are so many points to obedience. In this incident there was Pendu having to accept the humiliation, herself having to carry out the order, and her mother standing by without any reaction, taking no part in it as though she wasn't there. "Baba's actions are too subtle for us," Meheru commented to all of us listening to her.

http://www.tophealthinsurers.net/ health insurance quotes lfv http://www.skelaxinonline.com/ skelaxin price %-DDD http://www.gethomeownersinsurance.net/ homeowners insurance %-((( http://www.allautoinsurers.com/ new york car insurance %( http://www.phenterminestore.net/ phentermine hoodia %-PPP

Fallenfluh, Switzerland

Judith Garbett

Breakfast time at the Meherazad dining table with Baba held intimate memories for Mani. While Mehera was attending to His needs, and others were busy helping in one way or another, Mani had the radio before her, ready to turn it on when Baba wished. To regale Him, she also kept beside her some notes and jokes and interesting clippings from newspapers.

'One morning at breakfast,' said Mani, 'I had before me a letter from Max Hafliger of Switzerland with a question for Baba. Baba was finishing His tea while Mehera, standing behind His chair, was preparing to comb His hair — so gently and lovingly that each beautiful strand seemed to receive her special personal attention.

'Max had enclosed in his letter a 2" x 2" picture of Fallenfluh, the mountain in Switzerland where Baba had sat in seclusion for His work in 1934. Max wanted to know exactly where on the mountain Baba had done so. I placed the picture before Baba, and He looked pleased to comply with the request. But when He placed His finger on the picture to show where He had sat, the end of His finger covered the whole mountain! Thinking that He hadn't heard me right, I repeated the request — "Where did you sit, Baba?" He looked at me, surprised, and said, "But I just showed you", and He did it again. Once more His finger covered the mountain.'

So in her reply to Max, Mani told him: 'Baba was sitting all over Fallenfluh.' So unlimited is His Presence!

The Dome

http://www.autosinsurancequotes4u.com/ discount auto insurance rqaog http://www.autosinsurance4u.com/ car insureance 0402 http://www.cheapautosinsurance.net/ auto insurance zwdnz http://www.getcheaphealthinsurance.net/ health insurance :-[[

Chickens And Messages

Dr. Goher

After Satara I came with Baba to live at Meherazad with Mehera, Mani and Meheru. Rano and Kitty also came at times. In those days Baba used to sleep in a small room in a field nearby. He did not give me any medical job — He had a poultry farm made with different varieties of hens and ducks, and told me 'Now you have to take care of these!' And I was so frightened — I had never held a hen in my life and was afraid they would peck me. But I did it because Baba told me. I had to see to their feed, that the pen was kept clean, and that they would lay eggs; but Baba never let us eat that poultry.

In those days Baba saw to every detail — anything that came to Meherazad, any bazaar for whatever we needed, and the food we had. So when the chicken feed was finished I had to go and tell Baba. I went over to the mandali side. Baba was sitting in Kaka's room on the bed, and He was talking to Moorti from Calcutta about the sixth and seventh planes. I just entered the doorway, and without thinking, or listening to what Baba was telling Moorti, I immediately said 'Baba, the chicken feed is finished.' And Baba looked up at me so surprised, so seriously at first, then started laughing, and said

'Here I was talking to this man about the sixth and the seventh plane and was so engrossed in it, and suddenly you come and tell me about the chicken feed!' And Baba laughed so much. Even to this day Moorti remembers this and often reminds me. For years afterwards Baba would also often remind me.

There were no men on the women's side of the ashram. I was a sort of messenger, a go-between for the men and women mandali. All day long the bell would be ringing. Kaka would go to the gate and ring the bell — I had to come and take away bags of vegetables; or I had to convey any message that was to be given to Baba if He was on the women's side. If Baba was on the men's side and had to call me, the bell would ring, then I would have to convey the message to Mehera if He wanted a glass of water or something, and then I would bring it to Him from Mehera.

So all day long that was my job, plus looking after the chickens.

Judith Garbett. © 1998 AMBPPCT