Meanwhile Baba maintained a constant stream of correspondence with those lovers in Europe and America who had not returned to India. Baba's sweet words seemed to lift their spirits and bridge the distance between themselves and their Beloved. In one letter, on 15 December 1937 to the group in England, Baba wrote:
Talking of Europe the other evening I said there were three things there I liked — Kimco, Assisi and Portofino; so you need never fear that Kimco will slip from its very precious place in my heart.
In a letter to Donkin on 8 December, Kitty wrote:
Baba told this interesting fact the other day — that all four aspects of four great Avatars were embodied in the present Avataric period. The Buddha — with his poise, peace, calm exterior, and renunciation — is present in all Avatars, whether it shows externally or not. Today, however, the work of the Avatar has to be active. He is Muhammad in his strict discipline with the boys [mandali]; Krishna in his life up here with the group [women], and Jesus in his work with the mad-men [masts], washing them, feeding them, healing, et cetera, at the dispensary.
During 1927, Kalingad had come from Persia to India for his high school education in the Meher Ashram. He became one of Baba's favorite boys and was very conscientious with his duties at Meherabad. Baba allowed him to join the men mandali and Kalingad carried out his duties with love and full faith in the Master. He did not wish to leave Baba and return to Persia, but being a Persian citizen, he was drafted in the army and was forced to obey the country's law or be arrested.
Kalingad wept profusely before Baba, who comforted him, "I am always with you; keep me always with you."
After staying with Meher Baba for ten years, Kalingad departed for Persia with tears in his eyes. The men mandali also regretted his departure. Kalingad never saw Baba again, as he died a few years later in Persia.
On Sunday, 19 December, Dhake came to see Baba at Meherabad. Baba came down the hill and, after discussing certain matters with Pendu and Dhake, he stood and walked hurriedly to the mast ashram. Masaji handed him a broom. Baba rolled up his sleeves and pajamas and went directly to the inmates' toilets.1 He removed the pan from inside, carried it a distance, emptied it in a pit, scoured it with a broom and poured disinfectant in it. Baba then put the pan back, saw that the toilet area was sanitary, and left for the bathing room, where Mohammed Mast was being coaxed into taking a bath. Mohammed only relented after he was promised another voyage to Europe in one month!
Dr. Ghani, who was witnessing all this with the others, quipped, "Baba is so energetic — I feel tired just watching him!"
Baba replied, "I enjoy being active in this way. I like to clean the toilets of the [God-]mad and bathe and feed them, much more than when I am bowed down to by my disciples, or have the arti done before me.
"Are not these souls helpless? To serve them is real service. To feed them is real philanthropy. To look after them is real humanity, and to keep them pleased is really pleasing God!"
Footnotes
- 1.There were no flush toilets or septic tanks, only a tin pan at the bottom of a hole, inside a makeshift stall. Normally, the servants would clean them for the men and women mandali, but Baba himself would often clean them for the masts and mad.