Malcolm, who was in the habit of rising in the morning to meditate and do breathing exercises, gave up this daily routine and went out to the nearby town of Croton-on-Hudson to shop for provisions for the guests. That morning when he returned, he found his wife Jean in tears. "I am not crying," she stammered, "that is, not in the usual sense of the word. I have just had my first interview with Baba, and he asked me to be silent with him a few minutes. I can't describe what happened in words. You'll see for yourself. Baba stirred something so deep inside me that I suddenly found myself weeping for no apparent reason — weeping tears of joy, of ecstasy. But you will experience it yourself."
Jean told Malcolm that Baba had called for them both and she had explained that Malcolm had gone shopping. Baba expressed that he was not at all pleased by Malcolm's initiative, whereby Chanji explained that one must first consult the Master before doing anything. It was Jean and Malcolm's first lesson in how to please the Master.
As Malcolm was chopping wood in the late afternoon, Baba strolled by with Chanji, Meredith and Ali, and he joined them for a walk through the woods. The sun was setting, and the still blue river and the dark-green cypresses were breathtaking in the Master's presence.
Stopping for a moment, Baba took out his board, turned to Malcolm and spelled, "I am God."
"I know," Malcolm quietly replied.
"I am the Ancient One," Baba spelled out. He pointed to the sky blazing with color and motioned, "All this is illusion. Everything is within you."
Malcolm then told Baba that he had had several inner experiences, which led him to agree.
Baba gestured, "Those were glimpses; you must make them permanent. I will help you."
Several people were staying at the Harmon Retreat and also in other accommodations nearby. One couple was Max Wardall and his wife Lillian (who had met Baba at the docks). Max, 52, was an attorney who had a deep inclination for the spiritual path and had written several articles and books on Eastern thought. During their initial meeting, Baba gently took Max's hand and pressed it for a while.