Gustadji was fond of riding, and Baba once directed him to ride the donkey. No sooner did Gustadji climb onto its back, than the donkey, instead of moving forward, went backwards! Gustadji did his best to bring it round, but it stubbornly kept going backwards and then threw Gustadji off. Laughing, all the other men ran to help him to his feet.
Mani had recovered from her ear operation by then and returned to Upper Meherabad to join the other women — Mehera, Naja, Khorshed, Soonamasi and Walu. Vishnu's mother Kakubai was living in lower Meherabad. At dusk one day in July, Mani took photographs of Baba on the donkey, and of him with Mehera and the other women. Naja, in turn, photographed Mani with Baba and the women.
On 10 July 1936, Baba was driven by Adi Sr. from Meherabad to Rahuri and Nasik, along with Sidhu, Piroja and her baby daughter Tehmi (who was to have a tonsillectomy in Nasik). Chanji, Kalingad and a boy named Jalil followed by bus. Baba stopped in Rahuri on the way to check the progress of work there. Kalemama had speedily taken up the work of erecting an ashram at Rahuri as instructed by Baba, and Baba would often visit the site.
In Nasik, Baba visited Dina and Naval. Baba asked Naval how he felt. Seeing Dina's worried expression, Baba gestured:
This is bad! One mustn't hold on to worries, no matter how sad or depressing, and keep them in the mind all the time, brooding over them. Instead, take the worry from your mind, fling it out, and be free of it by occupying yourself in daily chores in your usual routine. Because all this is nothing — zero — illusion. Whatever has happened, has happened. It is over, finished, whether it was painful or pleasant. Nothing whatsoever remains of either.
Whether it be happiness or misery, both are the same. Neither is lasting. When you were miserable, you were feeling sad. Now that feeling has left you. Similarly, if you had nothing to worry about, you would have been happy. But even that happiness would not have lasted. Of what use would even that happiness have been to you? So whatever misery or happiness is here today, it will pass.
Everything comes, everything goes. But from the spiritual viewpoint, if one bears suffering as much as possible, it is good.
Dina asked, "But why should there be so much suffering when you are here, present in physical form?"