Another old contact, Kashinath, the laundryman of the Manzil-e-Meem days, had contracted leprosy and died in Meherabad. The barber Gangaram of Manzil-e-Meem was now residing in Poona, and was also a frequent visitor during this period.
For those in Meher Baba's close contact, a circular was issued on 4 May, according to which they had to follow any one of the following five instructions for one month from 21 June to 20 July 1948:
1. Observe silence.
2. Take one meal in 24 hours, with tea or coffee once.
3. Feed one new poor person every day with your own hands, morsel by morsel.
4. Repeat daily one name of God 100,000 times. It should be orally repeated, sitting in any convenient posture (not necessarily in one session).
5. Not to touch money or carry it. Not to touch anyone of the opposite sex. (This is not applicable to children under age seven.) Not to hit anyone under any circumstances, even in jest. Not to insult or abuse anyone even when provoked.
Every person was to sign the circular and return it by mail to Baba, indicating which one of the five restrictions they would be observing. This circular was also sent to his close lovers and followers in America, Europe and Australia.
On Sunday, 9 May 1948, Babadas brought an old mast from Nagpur named Ramasumer Baba . He was kept at the Ice Factory Bungalow, where Baba worked with him. Maharaj , as the mast was called, was near 80 and clad only in a loincloth. He was gentle and fond of dogs and cows, which were attracted to him. Eight to ten cows and several dogs were kept for him in Ahmednagar. He would give the cows their fodder to eat, and then lie down while the cows licked his body from head to foot. But the mast himself would never eat, except at the times Baba would feed him. Baba stated Maharaj did not fit into any particular category of masts, that he was of a unique type, but a high mast. Baba worked with him for five days, and then sent him back to Nagpur with Babadas on the 14th.
In world affairs, there had been terrible disturbances in Palestine for some time. On midnight of 14 May, independence from the British was achieved and the new Jewish state of Israel was proclaimed. On various occasions, Baba had stated that he had to find a home in the world for the Jewish people and finally it had come to pass.1 From 20 May, Baba began communing with Ali Shah, who was brought to the Ice Factory Bungalow by Baidul.
Footnotes
- 1.Mani related that Baba heard the news announcing the establishment of the state of Israel on the radio.