After inspecting preparations at lower Meherabad, Baba departed for Meherazad.
As soon as Baba arrived at Meherabad on the morning of Thursday, 23 September 1954, he reprimanded Pendu and Padri regarding their work.
Then at 9:30 A.M., he walked up the hill, where he made his usual inquiries about the men's health, stating, "All of you must be fit by the 29th and 30th. The wind is not good for the throat; keep warm."
He then stated:
All explanations are stopped from today. Tomorrow, I will take you all to the village. I love these poor people of Arangaon. Tomorrow, at a quarter to four the villagers want to do arti, and I have permitted them. The village is full of germs, but with me everything is safe because I am the poorest of the poor. I say that and really I am that: emperor and beggar at one and the same time.
This reminds me that from the day I stopped speaking, I stopped touching money. I do not touch money, but it comes and goes. Disciples from the East and West give money, but I touch money only when I give to the masts and the poor on special occasions. I then take money in my hand to give them. Sometimes, I have distributed grains. But the important thing is that I must wash their feet and bow down before handing over the gift. As I told you yesterday, I do not only play the part but I become that. You must have heard and read years back that there was a dispensary, hospital, ashram for the boys, a leper asylum and a mast ashram for the God-mad and God-intoxicated. I supervised the boys, lepers, masts and washed their clothes, cleaned their latrines, not for show or humility, but I became that.
The people of this village are very dear to me. You will see how they live in mud houses. I say this because yesterday Frank [Eaton] and Ben [Hayman] were seen going toward the village, and I sent a message that they were not to go. You must be fit for the 29th and 30th, but I thought these men, women and children are dear to me; why not let you see them? I have no time myself nowadays even to take a bath; I have not had my hair washed for three months. I have no time and no sleep.