ChaptersChapter 13Page 1,813

Chapter 13: Nasik & Cannes

1937Page 1,813 of 5,444
At the top, Baba showed them the source of the river. He then directed them to a shady spot told them to unpack and eat the picnic lunches. Afterward Baba motioned for them to repack the uneaten food and be ready to move. Then he took them on a walk.
After an hour's walk, the group was noticeably tired. Baba then asked Delia to make tea and indicated that he was hungry.
"Why don't you all eat?" he asked.
But Delia objected because there would be nothing left for supper.
"Never mind, we will eat," and he motioned everyone to be seated.
The baskets were again unpacked, the food was distributed and tea was served.
It was only 10:00 A.M. and they had already eaten their lunch, tea and dinner.
Baba spelled out, "Since there is nothing else to do and the food is finished, we should go home."
The sun was high by then, but nevertheless they descended by a different route and returned to Meher Retreat at two o'clock.
Memo came to Meherabad alone on Sunday, 28 March, to see Baba, and stayed with Daulatmai at the Family Quarters. A meeting of the Trust was held at 8:30 A.M. in Rahuri on the 30th. Ramjoo, Sarosh, Adi Sr., Padri, Pendu, Vishnu, Kaka, Norina and Elizabeth were in attendance. Chanji also came to Rahuri that day from Bombay.
Malya Rudhyar, the astrologer Dane Rudhyar's wife, was touring India and came to Nasik on the 31st. The Rudhyars had met Baba in Boston in 1931 and again in Hollywood in 1932.
During Malya's meeting, Baba told her, "Bravery and strength overcome all difficulties. Be firm, do not despair and keep longing. It is there in you. You are the infinite universe, but you must discover it and find that out. I will help you, always.
"Places and physical conditions do not matter where longing and determination are deep and strong. It is not a question of patient, endless walking, for example. It matters how and where you walk — in which direction. You may walk and walk for years, but if it is in the wrong direction it is a waste of energy and time. If you go further away, of course you do come back when the time comes, but it is such a long process."
Malya was invited to stay in the Nasik ashram and she did for a few weeks before returning to America.
On Thursday, 1 April 1937, Baba gave a very interesting discourse to the Westerners, explaining that they should always think of him in everything they did:
I may want anything from you. I may instruct some of you to nurse and wash the lepers and look after them. I may order some to meditate on me, or wander about like sadhus, or dance and sing with joy, or become like skeletons, or grow big and fat. But whatever it may be, all should work for me. This new work will start in April.
Meditation means all the time — always thinking of Baba, letting nothing distract you.
It is your doing it for me that counts; otherwise, we have millions of hospitals and billions of nurses to call upon. But I want you to work for me, beg for me, write for me, mediate on me. When you think of these lepers as Baba, you will wash them with love. Baba is all in all, so wash them with the same love as you wash my hair. Then only do you express the St. Francis state.
Turning to Margaret Craske, Baba continued:
If you dance for me, you do as much good as one who meditates on me. Some like work, some like play. But when you do it for me, then it is the same. This is Vedanta and Christian philosophy in a nutshell; so very easy and yet so very difficult!
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