"There were saints," Baba answered, "but the Christian priests are the same type as those priests in every other religion throughout the world. Out of selfishness, priests create and propagate their own customs, tenets and practices, thereby crippling religion. All these rites, rituals and ceremonies are the dry husk of the corn."1
The same afternoon, another new visitor came to meet Baba. Quentin Tod, 46, was a British actor, dancer and choreographer, working in London and New York, who had always had an interest in spirituality. He had met Margaret Craske and Mabel Ryan the previous year and had become friends with them. When Margaret returned from Devonshire in the spring of 1931, she told Quentin of Meher Baba and he became eager to meet him.
Quentin was brought to the Davys' house by Milo Shattuck, whom he had met at lunch that day with Margaret and Mabel. Quentin felt nervous as he climbed the stairs to Baba's room. When he entered the room, he found Baba seated cross-legged on the bed by the window with Aga Ali and Chanji at his side; however, Quentin was so engrossed in seeing Baba, he later related, that he completely forgot about the others around him. Baba smiled and motioned for him to sit beside him. He took his hand and patted Quentin's shoulder. Quentin felt tremendous love and peace emanating from Baba, and also experienced the feeling of recognition of a long-lost friend.
After a short while, Baba took Quentin's left hand and within moments Quentin felt as if an electric current of pure love was passing through him. Quentin immediately felt that he must serve Baba in some way. His mind became silent before Baba's Silence; all questions seemed to fade away as unimportant.
After this first meeting, Quentin recollected about Baba: "What impressed me most was his rather wild air, as if something untamed were alive in him, and his truly remarkable eyes." From then on, Quentin visited Baba every day. On one occasion, Baba assured Quentin that he would do great work for him in the future.
Kitty brought one of her piano students to meet Baba. The girl was extremely nervous, but after Baba's kind entreaties for her to tell him what was on her mind, crying and shaking, she whispered something in his ear. Baba consoled her and made her sit beside him. She stayed with him for about an hour.
Footnotes
- 1.In the same analogy given previously, Baba stated that shariat represents the husk of the corn, while the kernel inside is the essence of spirituality.