After this reprimand, Baba pardoned Dara and instructed him to rise at 5:00 A.M. (instead of at three), tie a cloth around his eyes, and repeat God's name until Baba told him to stop.
Minoo Pohowala, his brother, and Nadir Dastur were visitors on the 22nd. Nadir was Minoo's business partner in running the Meher Motor Works in Bijapur.
On 23 December, while giving a discourse about God-realization, Baba revealed:
The velocity of the force of maya is tremendous and requires stilling. That is, the force of maya must come to a stop gradually. It takes five minutes for this to happen before Realization. For example, a train coming into the station does not come to a halt all of a sudden. It slows down gradually after the momentum has stopped.
Similarly, due to the "speed" of maya, it takes five minutes before one realizes oneself to be God. Just before Realization, the gross, subtle, and mental worlds all become still; but that continuous sound — "I am God; I am God" — is there. But this is all beyond the mind's comprehension.
That night, Pesu arrived at midnight with the last load of things from Toka. He and four other men quietly unloaded everything from the eight bullock carts and trolley. Baba came out at two o'clock to watch them. Pesu and Subnis had camped in Toka for several days in the extreme cold, watching over the remaining goods there and awaiting a trolley and carts. They had subsisted on only tea and bread, and occasionally rice and dal.
The school was closed for Christmas on Tuesday, 25 December 1928. Meredith came to visit at noon. According to Baba's wish, no religious ceremonies were observed that day.
Baba explained to Meredith, "On all four sides, in every corner of the globe, religious precepts and ceremonies prevail. Were we to follow the same old sham and show here, then what would be the difference between us and the world? Here, to obey me is the best religious act you can perform, and by doing so you will free yourself from all the bondages of the customs and rites of religion."
Gramophone records were played at night, and Dastur left by train for Poona. Two days later, Chintaman Rao and his family were permitted to pay their respects to Baba.