But as his eyes were about to shut, Baba would nudge him with his foot, telling him to keep awake.
During late January 1923, criticism of Meher Baba and the mandali began appearing in a local Gujarati newspaper. A few days before, Upasni Maharaj had been criticized in the same newspaper. The public was warned to keep away from Baba and his band of unscrupulous followers. The Master paid no heed to the newspaper editor's criticism and would not allow anyone to write a rebuttal.
After this warning was given in the newspaper, only a few courageous people ventured to meet Meher Baba. So this warning, in its own way, proved a help to Baba's work, as it brought only the sincere few. They were the ones who, after careful thought and weighing all the pros and cons, dared to meet him. In fact, one should beware of Meher Baba. To be near the fire and jump into it is meant only for the brave.
Ghani had the habit of sleeping late each day and consequently would not participate in the early morning cricket matches. So Baba freed him from the game and allowed him to sleep. Ghani was delighted, but his joy was short-lived. His room faced the back courtyard of the Manzil, where the game was played. His bed was by a wall that was under a large window, divided into smaller panes. While playing, Baba would fling the ball hard toward one of the windowpanes, sometimes shattering the glass. Ghani would peep out of the window in fright, having been rudely awakened. On one occasion, the ball Baba threw shattered the largest pane of glass and Ghani awakened with a shock. "How can I possibly sleep when you deliberately throw the ball at my window?" he shouted angrily. "I know you are doing it on purpose!"
Baba replied, "The only solution is for you to rise early with the rest of us and sleep in the afternoon!"
Each disciple at Manzil-e-Meem was learning that in this Path with the Master, sleep and any personal preference was taboo. To enter the lane of the Beloved is in itself difficult. After entering it, there is suffering from beginning to end; but the disciple experiences bliss as well. Without this suffering and the pain of longing, life is found to be empty for the disciple.
Baba had the habit of picking on his disciples' weaknesses or teasing them until they lost their temper, then he would smile, saying, "You lost."