On 13 November, Baba explained, "God is neither good nor bad, and everyone, being of and in God, cannot be good or bad. Good and bad are the display of a dual existence which does not exist and is therefore called illusory phenomenon."
A Baba lover from New York, named Joanna Smith, who had met Baba in America in 1958, was traveling in India. She longed to see Baba again, and he allowed her to come. On the morning of Saturday, 21 November 1959, she arrived in Ahmednagar by taxi from Aurangabad, and Adi brought her to Meherazad. Baba took her around the garden and she was overjoyed to see him walking so briskly. She asked Baba when he would come again to the West, adding, "They must see you walk like this, Baba." Baba gave her a noncommittal smile. Meherjee then drove Joanna to Meherabad for a tour, and she returned to Aurangabad the same day. (Meherjee stayed until the 23rd.)
As he had done the day before, Baba played a game of seven tiles that afternoon.
Baba announced that the last 40 days of his seclusion work would be of utmost importance. Prayers were recited at 9:00 A.M. on the 22nd. Each of the mandali was to repeat the following, whilst Baba bowed down at their feet: "Almighty God, help Baba to finish his work by December end, and help us all to hold on to Baba's daaman till the very end, and to share both his humiliation and glorification."
As instructed, Padri had brought six poor persons from Arangaon. Baba then washed their feet and bowed down to them, and he gave each Rs.50 as prasad.
Baba now entered a deeper phase of his seclusion. Three days later, however, Baba indicated that maya had intervened and prevented him from beginning his most important work of 40 days.
Baidul had been sent to Gujarat on 16 November to find a mast. He returned on the 27th with a mast named Pir Saheb, with whom Baba was very happy and with whom he worked satisfactorily.
The mast was sent back to Surat the next day, and Baba then commented, "I will now complete my work of 40 days in 28 days, beginning from today, until 25 December."
On Sunday, 29 November 1959, as instructed by Baba, the Ahmednagar close lovers (Chhagan, Waman, Rustom Kaka, Manek, Mandhare, Rangole, Bhagirath) brought two busloads of lepers, the blind and maimed (100 destitute persons in all) to Meherazad at 9:00 A.M. After the customary washing of feet and bowing down, Baba gave each five rupees as prasad.