He also said, "It is no sin if one does not believe in God, but to be a hypocrite is a sin! If you have no faith, it does not matter. By coming to me you do not lower or raise my status. It is immaterial if you do not come to me. But when you come, if you continue being hypocritical, it displeases me. I will not be displeased if you speak against me or do not come to me. But I cannot tolerate hypocrisy because a hypocrite not only harms himself, but also disturbs the faith of others."
Lud Dimpfl of California had written asking permission to visit, as he was being transferred to Iran on business and would be permitted a stopover in India for a few days.1 Baba had given his consent, and Lud was brought by Meherjee at 2:00 P.M. on the 25th. Baba saw Lud for about an hour.
Lud returned the following day, and spent the morning and afternoon with Baba.
At one point, Baba explained to him, "I am the Ocean of Love. So whatever you do with love pleases me. When love draws you to me, don't ask for anything. Only love. If you want to ask me questions, you could have done so through correspondence. But now that you have come here, be a silent recipient.
"Ask and you lose! Love has no questions, and hence expects no answers. Love is ever eager to respond to the slightest wish of the Beloved Master. There is no scope for why and wherefore while obeying the Master. To those who want to follow the Master, Hafiz has said: 'About what you hear from the Master, never say it is wrong because, my dear, the fault lies in your own incapacity to understand Him.'
"In another couplet, Hafiz says to the impatient lover:
O dear, separation and union are none of your business; seek only to relinquish yourself utterly to the will of the Beloved.
Lovers from Andhra, Sholapur and Navsari had arrived the same day as Lud. One of those from Navsari declared, "Baba, I see you everywhere!"
Baba answered, "Good. Try wholeheartedly to see me all the time. But remember well that your present feeling of seeing me is not the 'real seeing.'
"It is very difficult even to have intellectual conviction of God's all-pervading Existence. This requires rocklike faith in God's omnipresence. When you cross the hurdle of intellect, you have the 'conviction-by-sight.' Then God is seen as He should be seen, every moment and everywhere.
Footnotes
- 1.Like Don Stevens and Ivy Duce's husband, Lud Dimpfl was in the petroleum business and worked for Chevron Oil Company.