For Don Stevens, this was his first trip to India. Don, a Sufi, had also met Baba in America in 1952. He had missed the meeting in September 1954 due to illness, so he had come to India to attend the sahavas for about ten days. Both men were accommodated in a small room (in what later became the library) on Meherabad Hill, and Savak Kotwal looked after their food, which Sarosh would send from his bungalow in Ahmednagar. Adi Jr. and his wife Franey would eat with them and assist in any way they could. Francis, however, wished to stay in lower Meherabad with the other men, so after Don Stevens left, Francis moved down the hill. Irene was accommodated at Meherazad for one night.
Baba came to see the two Westerners on the hill on the 3rd, along with Irene. Adi Sr. arrived with Dr. Deshmukh, who was introduced to Irene. A copy of God Speaks was given to Irene to present to Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, the Vice-President of India, taking a promise from him to read the entire book. Irene was then driven back to Bombay, from which she left for Delhi to spend the winter with friends.1
For those attending the sahavas, Baba dictated instructions to be read carefully, and which were posted on bulletin boards in the lower Meherabad hall. They were as follows:
Directions Given By Meher Baba, November 1955
Particularly for the participants of the sahavas weeks, and in general for all connected with Baba. I want you to read carefully and absorb these directions, as well as the other items arranged alongside, namely:
1. The framed gist of the Circular No. 25 of 1 May 1955. 2. The two charts on God and Love [done by Rano]. 3. The list of donations for the sahavas weeks [made by various Indian devotees].
No one, and that also includes those who have come for the sahavas, should under any circumstances — either directly or indirectly — ask me for favors, rewards, money, jobs, health or other material things, not even for spiritual gain. The best is not to ask for anything. If anything at all is to be asked for, then first one should ponder whether one has the required degree of determination and courage to ask for the love of Baba.
Footnotes
- 1.Baba also instructed Nariman to give a copy of God Speaks to Dr. Ambedkar.