Soon after they returned, preparations were immediately begun for Baba, Raosaheb, and Vishnu to reenter seclusion. Pendu reported to Baba that matters at Meherabad had gone well during his absence.
On 7 July, using the metaphor of an ocean, Baba gave a discourse to the mandali on angels. He began by explaining that there is an Ocean of infinitude in God.
[The drops in] the waves, which were created in the beginning with the whim in the infinite Ocean, do not pass through the seven stages of evolution as other drops do, but immediately assume the form of angels instead. These angels are in the same state for cycles and cycles — for eons and eons. They have subtle forms and are in the second heaven in the subtle plane.1 They unconsciously thirst for a human form, even though they are in the highest state of happiness. But this bliss is of no use to them without [full] consciousness.
It rarely happens, but after millions and millions of years, one angel is born as a human being in order to realize its Real Self. Why? In order to gain the consciousness which up to now it lacked, though it has passed numerous years in the subtle world as an angel. After an angel is born as a human being, it does not have to pass through human reincarnation, but becomes Realized in that very first human birth! These angels are not born on the gross plane together, but one at a time.
Therefore, from a spiritual point of view, man is far superior to angels because the angels, in spite of enjoying millions of years of bliss in heaven, have to take human form before attaining liberation.
Baba had sent Chanji to Madras on the 2nd to arrange a suitable place of seclusion. Chanji returned to Meherabad four days later, and Baba immediately sent him to Poona for certain work, after which he was to return the next day. Weary from his travels, Chanji reported that the work in Poona had not been completed satisfactorily, and Baba took him to task. Chanji pleaded, "What could I do? I am incapable of some things; I have shortcomings, weaknesses and faults. I am unable to satisfy you. You are put to trouble because of me, and it is better that I leave you."
To console Chanji, Baba spent nearly two hours on the 8th explaining:
Footnotes
- 1.Whereas angels exist in the subtle world (second heaven of the third plane), archangels exist in the mental world (the heaven of the sixth plane).