Joshi Maharaj, like Jagannath Maharaj, had followers, but he was not advanced. He, too, had met Baba previously at Sakori. At that time, he had touched Baba's feet, but this time, since he was accompanied by influential persons and some of his followers, he merely shook hands with Baba.
Baba pointed out, "When you came to Sakori you garlanded me and touched my feet."
Realizing his mistake, Joshi Maharaj immediately bowed down at Baba's feet.
After Joshi Maharaj left, Baba remarked, "In the presence of all the dignitaries, his pride prevented him from touching my feet. But I am Ustad [the Master]. I purposely made him bow down to me. It was for his own good."
Homi Desai of Lahore came for Baba's darshan. He came after several years and was eager to lay some of his problems before Baba.
But on seeing him, Baba stated, "Homi, just sit here quietly for five minutes and then leave."
Homi sat down, but his mind was in turmoil. After five minutes Baba asked him to go, and he left highly disappointed. He thought that he had lost his chance, but Baba sent someone with a message to tell him to come the next day. The whole night he kept awake, worries filling his mind. He appeared the next morning, but Baba again told him to keep quiet and leave after five minutes. Homi flushed with anger, but Baba asked him to come again the following day.
The third day, deeply troubled, Homi arrived at Guruprasad. His eyes were red from lack of sleep and his mind was churning.
"Sit here for five minutes and don't say anything," Baba stated. "Then go."
At first Baba took no notice of him, but the next moment when Baba gazed at him, his clouded mind cleared and inwardly he received the sought-after answers to his questions. Greatly heartened, Homi folded his hands and said to Baba, "Thank you," and then exclaimed, "What a butcher you are to slaughter one so slowly!"
Baba replied with a smile, "Only slow butchering leads one to the Goal. A quick end keeps you where you are."
Every Thursday Shinde, Kamble, Pote and Dhavle (all Poona residents) would spend the day at Guruprasad, going for their lunch at noon to the Edward Hotel, Jal Dorabjee's guest house near the railway station.1 After lunch, Baba would ask them what they had eaten.
Footnotes
- 1.Jal Dorabjee was an old school friend of Jalbhai, Padri, Pendu and Adi Sr., and had first met Baba many years before, at the Poona Jhopdi.