True spiritual mastery is achieved through complete self-emptying and devotion.
"Becoming the sandals worn on the Master's feet"
Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai
Rustom G. Irani
Baba's uncle and father of Pendu and Naja; cook and night watchman
โRustom Masaโ
Masaji, Rustom Irani, was Meher Baba's uncle by marriage: his wife Piroja, known as Pila Masi, was the sister of Baba's mother Shireen. Within the family he was called Rustom Masa, and Meher Baba Travels records that he was also nicknamed "Uncle Fish". He was born in 1867. He and Pila Masi had two children who grew up, Aspandiar (Pendu) and Naja, and two others, Gustad and Mehera, who died young. When Merwan was at Deccan College, his drama troupe rehearsed at their home on Sachapir Street in Poona, and Merwan and his friends often played cricket in their large compound.
After Pila Masi died in 1917, Masaji moved from Poona to Ahmednagar, where he worked as a clerk at a liquor store, and his children went to live with their aunt Dowla Masi. When Merwan began gathering his first disciples in Poona in 1922, his uncle brought him his dinner, and at Manzil-e-Meem in Bombay Masaji cooked for the Muslims, Parsis and Iranis among the men, using pure ghee so generously that no one missed meat. He was one of the fourteen men who stayed with Baba at Arangaon in 1923, and he surrendered both his children, Naja and Pendu, to Baba's service.
For the next two decades Masaji did whatever work Baba gave him. He was the cook for most of the mandali, at times a night watchman near Baba, and in Toka in 1928, since the ashram had no sweeper, he cleaned the women's toilets as he had done at Meherabad. In December 1924 he was the only companion on Baba's journey to Belgaum. He had a quick temper but was also a practical joker with a great sense of humour, a strong and fierce man who followed Baba with all his heart.
His love for Baba showed in small ways. On a train journey from Lahore in 1929, when Baba had not eaten for two days, Masaji refused his own food. Asked why, he said, "You have taken nothing for the past two days and again today you are not eating. I do not have any appetite when you go hungry." Baba held this up to the others as an example to be followed.
In December 1944, at 77, Masaji went to Poona to hire cooking vessels for the public celebration of Mehera's birthday. He returned to Meherabad on 18 December with a truckload of supplies, weakened by the journey in the open truck in the hot sun. The next afternoon, 19 December, he was found dead on his bed of heart failure. Baba came from Pimpalgaon, touched the body, helped carry the coffin and was the first to throw earth into the grave. Four days later Baba had the foundation of the Memorial Tower to his departed disciples laid on Masaji's tomb, together with the bedding of Chanji, calling him "my loved Masaji". Meher Baba Travels gives the date of death as 18 December 1944; Lord Meher places it on the 19th.
โMasaji, don't worry. The responsibility of looking after Aspandiar and Naja is now with me. I will take care of them. I accept full responsibility for them. Don't worry about your children. They are mine now.
โ Merwan consoling his uncle in Poona in 1917, after Pila Masi died
โIf someone taunts you and you sulk, it is understandable; but this one [Mohammed] is like a child. Why pay attention to his words and take them seriously? You should disregard them. You require great good fortune to deserve the opportunity of doing such a duty [of looking after him]. But it is unfortunate that you cannot digest what I am giving you.
โ Panchgani, early 1938: Baba forgiving Masaji after he lost patience with Mohammed Mast, whose personal caretaker he was
โWhy do you people waste food? The Hindu mandali never do so because they value food.
โ Meherabad, April 1924: hearing that food was being wasted, Baba reproved the Parsi, Irani and Muslim men and sternly questioned Masaji, their cook.
โMy standing order was not to eat anything outside of Meherabad unless given permission. Why did you not comply with it?
โ Lonavla, November 1926: Masaji, Chanji and Afseri arrived with the baggage, and Masaji and Chanji admitted they had eaten on the way. When Masaji argued they thought the order lapsed once they left Meherabad, Baba shoved him so violently that his clothes tore.
โWho cares if you go? โฆ Who needs you? If you leave, a hundred of your fathers [better than you] will come prostrating to serve in your place!
โ Panchgani, early 1938: Masaji was Mohammed Mast's personal caretaker, and when Baba humored the mast by teasing him, the old man lost his temper, disobeyed and was ready to go away. Baba showed indifference, though he later forgave him lovingly.
โWhy did I get upset with Naja? Because of my work, at that moment, it was absolutely necessary that you all not remain in the house. For this reason, I pretended to be upset and ordered all to leave.
โ Bombay, December 1924: Baba had angrily ordered everyone out of the house. Masaji and his daughter Naja missed the train to Poona, and Baba, meeting them at Burjor Dahiwala's house, led them back to the Bharucha Building and explained.
โYou have both been with me for many years, yet you have not yet learned renunciation. You know that the body will drop one day, so why this continual expression of hatred, jealousy and anger between you? To renounce these traits is real renunciation!
โ Meherabad, 19 August 1934: Masaji was the cook and Pilamai managed the kitchen, and they quarreled daily over ingredients. Baba urged the two of them to work together in harmony.
At Manzil-e-Meem Baba told Masaji to keep the leftovers from his lunch in case he became hungry later. For some days Masaji kept them, but Baba never asked for them, so one day Masaji gave the food to Adi Sr. At once Baba came down to the kitchen and said, "I am hungry; bring the leftovers." Masaji hesitantly confessed what he had done, and Baba scolded him for an hour, warning him to follow his orders literally and not to use his own mind in obeying him.
On 26 December 1938 Masaji reached Baba in Jabalpur by train with young Meherwan Jessawala. As soon as he saw Baba he fell at his feet and wept. At Chalisgaon station he had got down to check the luggage, the train had left without him, and he had been stranded on the platform not knowing what to do. "Baba, you have saved me," he said; "otherwise, I would not have been able to face you ever again!"
One night in 1924 at Meherabad, Jalbhai and Padri crept into the Mess Quarters to take some of the mangoes the visitors had brought, knowing that Baba would give them to the Arangaon children. Baba, in his Jhopdi, sent Masaji to see whether a lamp was burning in the bungalow. From a distance Masaji saw the two on a ladder emptying the fruit basket hanging from the ceiling. He crept up behind them and asked whether he too could have some mangoes. They were so startled that they ran away, and Masaji, smiling, reported the incident to Baba. The next morning Baba called the culprits and told them, "Remember, my eyes see all!"
At Meherabad in 1925 the night watch near Baba was usually kept by Masaji or Padri. One night, sitting by Baba near the dhuni before the rain began, Masaji dozed off and his scarf slipped into the flames. Baba clapped loudly a few times; Masaji woke to find his scarf on fire, yanked it out and put out the flames. Baba then forbade him to sit near the dhuni and warned him to stay awake while on watch. The next day Masaji told the story to the others. That same year, on 28 September, Baba had nicknamed him "Major".
In 1929 Baba and the mandali left Lahore by train. Baba had not eaten for two days, and when food was ordered Masaji would not eat either. Asked why, he said, "You have taken nothing for the past two days and again today you are not eating. I do not have any appetite when you go hungry." Baba turned to Raosaheb and Buasaheb, who were eating, and told them to listen and remember: Masaji's attitude was an example to be followed. Then he asked them what the point was of calling themselves his disciples if they had no feeling for him.
In early 1938, with Baidul in charge of the mad ashram at Meherabad, Masaji, then about seventy, was made the personal caretaker of Mohammed Mast at Panchgani. The duty tried his patience, all the more because Baba, when in a good mood, would humour the mast by teasing Masaji. Once Masaji grew so annoyed that he said regrettable things and was ready to leave. Baba at first showed indifference, then lovingly forgave him, telling him the mast was like a child and that great good fortune was needed to deserve such a duty. Masaji would weep and lay his head on Baba's feet. But because he sometimes frightened the mast in his ill temper, which Baba would not tolerate, on 1 April 1938 Baba had the servant Talya sent to look after Mohammed in Masaji's place.