Ivy, Elizabeth, Margaret, Darwin, Fred Winterfeldt and Don Stevens each said a few words of welcome. Baba responded:
I feel very happy to be with you all today. It is your devotion that made me come to the West during the period of my seclusion. If anything ever touches my Universal Heart, it is love. I have crossed the limited earthly oceans to bring to you all the limitless and shoreless Ocean of Divine Love. Those who do not dare to love me seek safety on the shores. You who love me are swimming in this Divine Ocean. Love me more and more until you get drowned in me. Dive deep and you will gain the priceless pearl of Infinite Oneness.
When Eruch stopped speaking, Age could feel the waves of love coming from the focal point in this Divine Ocean — Baba — and washing almost visibly over those present. They sat silent with the Silent One, each person absorbed in his or her own thoughts of him.
Baba's message "Divine Bliss and Human Suffering" was read by Don Stevens.
In it Baba explained about the difference in suffering between an ordinary man, Perfect Masters and the Avatar, and ended by stating: "[A]n ordinary man suffers for himself, Masters suffer for humanity, and the Avatar suffers for one and all beings and things."
As the waiters began to serve dinner, a well-known New York radio announcer and television personality, David Ross, feelingly read a number of spiritual poems, one each from the great Masters Kabir, Hafiz and Rumi, and one from Baba's close lovers such as Delia, Norina, Malcolm, Josephine Ross, Jean Foster, Ruano, Francis Brabazon and Mani. Baba sat almost motionless at times during the recitations.
Ben Hayman, Mickey Florsheim and John Bass then presented to Baba a gift, a clock with its hands set on Indian time. Four other clocks for the mandali and one for Mani were set for London, Myrtle Beach, San Francisco and Australian time zones, the places Baba would be visiting on this tour. Baba was happy as he accepted the gifts and gave them to the mandali.
Marion then asked for a moment of silence, after which a four-tier, white decorated birthday cake with many lighted candles was wheeled in. Two children, a seven-year-old boy named Larry Karrasch and a twelve-year-old girl named Bobbi Ferenz, garlanded Baba and did it again for the various television and movie cameras recording the event. Baba cut the cake as the room burst into Happy Birthday to Baba, since they had never had the opportunity of being with Baba on his birthday.