Baba gave this same repetition to all participants in the recent Meherabad meeting. It was to be repeated 500 times daily (at one sitting) for 40 consecutive days.
Lovers who had taken part in the 1958 Meherabad Sahavas, but who were not invited to the 10 July meeting, were asked to repeat this phrase 500 times daily for 21 days from 2 to 22 August. The Western lovers were ordered to repeat the same thing from 14 July for 40 days. Some were instructed to do the japa (repetition) a different number of times, instead of 500 times daily — Dana Field 1,500 times and Joseph Harb 2,500. They were also instructed to give up one cherished item: for example, some favorite food or drink such as coffee, or smoking cigarettes, or drinking beer or wine, et cetera, for the same amount of time. Each person received an order separately through a letter from Adi.
Baba informed them while in the West, "Do it even at the cost of your life."
Exempting Kaikobad from the above repetition, Baba instructed him (while he was in Meherabad) to repeat the following invocation for one hour daily during the entire period of Baba's seclusion: "Ya Yezdan! May Baba accomplish his work within six months!"
Kaikobad was also to repeat a second invocation every day for one hour during the period of seclusion: "O Paramatma! Accept the prayers that Meher Baba's lovers are offering you!" Thus Baba's lovers all over the world shared in his work.
Baba spent the first 40 days of his seclusion in strenuous activity. Undoubtedly, he himself bore the burden of the work he had given his lovers to do during these 40 days as evidenced by his periods of deep inner work. Baba had no sleep whatsoever during these 40 days, neither day nor night. Almost every day he would remember some lover or the other with a look of extreme anxiety, and he was constantly restless. Sometimes in his bedroom, he would suddenly sit up in bed and for several hours, in a mood of absolute concentration, remember his lovers one after another. To Bhau, observing Baba at such times — sitting in his bed and taking his lovers' names — "it was as if the Lord of the Universe was worshiping his devotees."
Baba would retire to his room upstairs at Meherazad at 3:00 P.M. Baidul kept watch from 3:00 to 6:00 P.M.; Kaka would be with Baba from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M.; and from 8:00 P.M. to 6:30 A.M., Bhau would do nightwatch.