It was an indefinable sensation ... I knew I was in the presence of no ordinary man.
Baba spelled on the board, "I am happy to see you. Your spiritual connection with me stretches back for lifetimes. Soon you will not only know, but be convinced. There is no need to tell me anything. I know you very well.
"I want you to go to America with Norina, Elizabeth and Nadine. Follow Norina's advice on spiritual matters. In other affairs you may use your own judgment."
After her brief, five-minute interview, Irene Conybeare returned to Dehra Dun and prepared to depart under Baba's orders.
After she had left, Baba remarked, "She will do beautiful work for me in America."
Immediately on his arrival in Ajmer, Baba had absorbed himself in mast work with double the energy. He would send Kaka every day to find masts. However, on 22 May 1941, Kaka was sent back to Bombay with certain instructions for Chanji, who was to make arrangements for the three Western women who were leaving. After Kaka left, Baba would go mast hunting each day with Baidul.
Krishna, who had to bring bucket after bucket of water to Baba for Chatti Baba's bath, was not always as early as Baba wanted; he sometimes overslept because he had to keep nightwatch until early in the morning. Once in Ajmer, when he was a few minutes late again, Baba got annoyed and directed him to go back to his home. Krishna was fed up with Baba's scolding and agreed. Before leaving, he went to Chatti Baba. Without telling the mast what had just transpired between himself and Baba, Chatti Baba again asked him, "Where do you want to go? Wherever you go he is there!" Krishna stayed.
In mid-May 1941, Baba sent instructions to Adi Sr. in Bangalore to deliver a message to Upasni Maharaj at Sakori, concerning a possible meeting between Baba and Maharaj. It had been a long time since Adi had met the Perfect Master and Adi wept when he saw him. Maharaj told him, "Suffering with a Master brings spiritual fruit, while suffering in the world is just suffering and bears no fruit worth having."
Maharaj also commented, "Now, I am like a husk, empty and lifeless. I have given all my spirituality [spiritual charge] to Baba."
As instructed, Norina, Elizabeth and Nadine left Ajmer on Tuesday, 27 May 1941 to do the Master's work of finding property for establishing a center in America.1
Footnotes
- 1.Another reason for their departure was that, at the time, there were residency requirements for naturalized U.S. citizens (such as Norina and Nadine) whereby their citizenship could be terminated by being out of the country for more than 5 years.