"Never mind; make room."
Baba embraced them and they left. Nadine, whom the Shaws knew well, was outside. Baba had been holding back "the floodgates" of tears for Jeanne. But when she left his presence, the gates opened and the tears began to flow.
That evening, Baba and his close group went to Radio City Music Hall, the largest movie theater in the world at the time. The temperature was bitterly cold and Baba's health was poor. When he returned to the hotel, he vomited and began to run a slight fever. He indicated that he wished to fast. Baba's health continued to be poor.
Baba had originally scheduled a longer stay in New York, but his ship had been delayed after leaving Port Said because of bad weather, so he was able to stay in New York for only three days. Since he had to meet with the persons involved with the film projects, there was no opportunity for him to grant private interviews. He did make an exception for Minta Toledano. Minta had recently divorced and had brought her seven-year-old daughter to New York to live with her ex-husband, Herbert, who had moved from Panama. Baba met Herbert and the girl, and invited Minta to join the group accompanying him to California.
Adi Sr. noted in his diary on 13 December: "Overnight attack of illness [to Baba] still continues in a listless and dull feeling, accompanied by a severe headache and pain in the back. So Baba is declining every interview Norina wants to arrange." Two general receptions had been planned by Norina, but Baba permitted only one to be held, even though he was feeling unwell. It was at the Stokeses' home on the 13th.1 Baba gave darshan to nearly 200 people. The upstairs library was used for the group to gather while Baba met each individual privately in a small room off to one side (where Stokes meditated). People were instructed, "No questions and no talking," and then ushered in to be with Baba who was seated in a green sofa chair. A dim, soft red light illuminated the room. Age recorded, "No one had a chance to speak to Baba, but he spoke inwardly with them, which is the true spirituality. Of what use are words and interviews when one can have the Beloved's physical touch, which all received!"
One learned man who came was Dr. Frederick Kettner, 48, a well-known professor of philosophy and author who had previously met Baba at Harmon in 1931.2 When ushered in to meet the Master, he felt Baba's presence so strongly he held his hand for several minutes while remaining dumbfounded.
Footnotes
- 1.Graham Phelps Stokes later shifted his devotion away from Baba. He was more interested in meditation, Vedanta and inner experiences than following Meher Baba's teachings of service to a Master. Stokes never lost his deep respect for Baba, but he was unable to accept him as the Avatar. Subsequently, he authored a booklet titled The Ever-Returning Christ, about the oneness of all Avatars, but Meher Baba is not mentioned in it. (The booklet has a foreword by Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh, who was associated with the Vedanta movement, who Stokes may have met through Swami Paramananda of Boston, also a Vedantist.)
- 2.Frederick Kettner later founded The Institute for the Advancement of Cultural and Spiritual Values to promote his philosophy of "Biosophy." One of its goals was: "To create a world-fellowship of peace-loving human beings who have overcome religious, national, racial and social prejudices, who can work creatively for the growth of democracy, spiritual personal growth and world peace."