Baba declared, "Saib Asmi is not Saheb-e-Zaman, but Keshav has mistakenly said so. Some day, in one of his future births, Asmi may become [Qutub] Saheb-e-Zaman!"
This elicited loud cheers of "Avatar Meher Baba ki jai!" and the pandal resounded with the cries.
Keshav then apologized for his mistake, saying that only Meher Baba was the Saheb-e-Zaman.
Saib Asmi laid his head on Baba's feet, and Baba warmly embraced him. Again there was loud cheering.
Principal Niranjan Singh was now called to the dais, and he received Baba's embrace. Niranjan Singh's wife was sitting on Baba's right, silently weeping.
Baba began a discourse:
For one to declare that he is a saint and allow people to bow down to and revere him, without real authority, is to feed one's ego with intense happiness. Simultaneously, with the feeding of the ego comes a feeling of well-being.
One who is addicted to [eating or smoking] opium derives a similar feeling of well-being, though temporarily. After a time, the opium addict begins to feel the after-effects of opium such as severe constipation, loss of appetite, headache, dullness and drowsiness. He then begins to realize that it would have been better had he not become addicted. But, unfortunately, he cannot give up the habit. He has become its slave. He realizes this too late and sinks into deeper addiction, being tempted to take greater and greater quantities of opium to keep pace with the gradual loss of the feeling of well-being.
Similarly, one who indulges in happiness by allowing people to bow down to him, without real authority, feels the prick of conscience later on. And with this feeling he realizes that he has no authority, but has got so used to the habit of feeding his ego in this manner that he is unable to stop the practice. He continues indulging and, after a time, does not pay heed to the pricks of conscience. He becomes numb to the voice within.
After years of addiction, it so happens that one day the opium addict is found lying unconscious in a gutter of filth. An extra overdose of opium proves tragic for the addict who lost complete control over himself. The passerby scoffs, ridicules, points at him as a confirmed opium addict.
In the same way, a person who poses as a saint, without really being one, starts to behave in an unworthy manner after years of indulgence in addiction to overdoses of homage.