I now ask you to decide, and align yourself in one of the following three categories: First: One who wishes to contribute Rs.1,000 toward the New Life. Second: One who thinks he cannot contribute. Third: One who wishes to safeguard this amount, can go away today faultlessly.
Those who choose the second category cannot, and should not, feel the least diminution of status among the companions. No discrimination in treatment will be used. Even if one gives away the amount, I might send him away for reasons of health, accidents or mishaps, without any fault on his part. I am making these plans so that this New Life should not prove a torture to you all. Although suffering will certainly be there, it should be, and will be, enjoyable.
This plan, if realized, will make me feel really happy. I see you are laboring and exerting your utmost to keep up the mood, the prerequisite of this New Life. I do appreciate all this. These hardships, however, are nothing compared with what I see in the hazy picture of the New Life after the 1 st of January.
I myself am still not feeling free, although I am 100 percent free. I also feel that lack of food will make us all cowards. The help-period, which automatically ends on the 31 st of December, has allowed the changes so far without affecting the conditions and my oath. After January 1, I shall be perfectly free.
Baba then asked the companions to choose one of the three alternatives, and all wholeheartedly agreed to give him their individual amounts. Baba was very happy at their decision. He instructed the men to wash their hands and faces and stand before him one by one. He washed his own hands, and poured a little water on the hands of every companion. He had them stand in a line, and asked Ghani to loudly repeat this prayer:
In the presence of God, and having God as our witness, we have willingly and wholeheartedly offered Rs.1,000, which amount was our property, for the use of the companions in this New Life, willingly and wholeheartedly. May God make our New Life a success.
With the sacrificing of Rs.1,000 each, the companions now had no money left to their names. Baba then began discussing how to have good food within the conditions, as he had stated he would do when they reached Jaunpur: