Baba explained to him, "My work is strengthened through opposition, and even grows larger as people oppose those who do it for me. The balance of your mind should be like a rock that remains unmoved amidst great storms and high tides. Remember this well, and be quiet. Let others say whatever they like of me and my work. Worry not, fear not."
After this, Baba wished to listen to some ghazals on phonograph records. As the day before, his expression was mostly serious during this time. The selections he liked most were: "O holder of the secret, see that the secret is not divulged" and "O bud, open in the Garden!"
The songs reminded Baba of different Perfect Ones of the past:
Abdul [Abdur] Rehman of Bombay and Maulana Saheb of Bandra were Realized Souls — both Perfect. But the former was a majzoob, while the latter was fully normal-conscious [salik]. So naturally there was a great difference in their ways of feeding themselves. Abdul Rehman would simply dip his fingers in the varied dishes put before him and would lick them. Maulana Saheb preferred a good diet. Also, he used to read the Koran all the time. He was so gross conscious that he read the Koran just like an ordinary man.
Now, about majzoobs: It is said that they eat and drink like ordinary persons, but they are not consciously conscious about this. But in Abdul Rehman a rarity was noticed. Though he did not speak like ordinary persons, yet in response to what others said he used to utter the word Allah . God knows how his link with the gross world was maintained!
The rarities and details on this Path are so great and so subtle that they are enough to make one mad if one only tries to grasp them intellectually.
Akkalkot Swami was Perfection personified.1 Sai Baba, my grandfather, had a unique technique. Babajan was after all Shahenshah [an Emperor; King of Kings]. All were Perfect. But whatever I say today is only what I guess, for from today until the 15th I am in the state of a devotee.
Different Masters adopt different methods. It is all beyond speculation. Only a Qutub can tell who is an advanced soul, a mast, a wali, a majzoob or a Sadguru. As for a Qutub, an ordinary man thinks him to be just like himself; planewalas [advanced souls on the planes] regard him as a man of the planes. But the Qutub is the center of the universe.
Footnotes
- 1.The Swami of Akkalkot was one of the Masters of Sai Baba of Shirdi, and he was also connected with Narayan Maharaj.