Discomforts and harmony must go together. I like Garrett for one thing: He was always honest and very direct in his answers.
There is nothing like struggling; it results in perfection. Fall down and rise up again. Keep on struggling.
Now think before you reply. Do not be swept away by emotions.
The majority voted for Meherabad, and Baba continued:
So it is to be Ahmednagar until we see if it is more practical than Portofino. If Garrett sends money we go to Portofino — charter a boat all to ourselves!
Now those who really want to go and come back, do it now. Leave in June and return in October. Who wants to go now?
[No one raised their hand.]
Meherabad is ideal for me. I should have you quite near me. But I think the discomforts will be too much for you to bear. If we had all strong people here, we could manage it. All are strong in love, very strong. Not one of you wants to leave.
Later that day, Baba commented about habits:
Anything that forms itself into a habit loses its freshness, sincerity and enthusiasm — even repentance. If you every day become weak and repent for having been weak, in the end you find your only weakness has been repenting. Only love remains ever fresh.
The habit of questioning and doubting in the end reacts on the questioner himself. Vivekananda used to always ask questions: "Why? Why this? Why that?" Ramakrishna loved him very much so he used to answer. But one day he got fed up and did not reply. Vivekananda asked again and again, but got no answer.
Then one night at midnight, Ramakrishna said, "Bring me food," and he named certain kinds of dishes. Vivekananda could not find the food in the house at that hour. Ramakrishna asked him, "Why? Why is it not available?" and Vivekananda said, "Because it's twelve o'clock at night! It's not the time for eating!" At that moment, Vivekananda got his answer. From that day, he never asked another question.
Now I, who have formed the habit of answering, will now ask questions and you all answer honestly. Is there real harmony here?
The previous year, King Edward VIII had abdicated the British throne to marry Wallis Simpson.1 His younger brother, George VI, was being crowned king in Westminster Abbey on Wednesday, 12 May 1937, and the Westerners listened to the coronation ceremony on B.B.C. radio.
Footnotes
- 1.Edward the VIII (1894–1972) was extremely popular until his announced intention of marrying Wallis Simpson precipitated a government crisis. Edward insisted he had the right to marry the woman of his choice, but was forced to abdicate as Simpson was a divorcee. He and Simpson married and remained together until his death. (In 1936, Sir Akbar Hyderi had been appointed as one of Edward's privy counselors.)