Baba motioned Irwin to come to him and he embraced him. Irwin recalled: "When I stepped back I felt as if my arms were dripping. The sensation was so strong I had to look down and see if anything was dripping! I was charged."
Baba continued, "Return back to the States and tell the New York group what you have seen and heard. Meherjee will help you with everything. Now go. And send me a telegram when you arrive home."
Irwin left for America on the 10th. His telegram to Baba read: "Arrived in New York. Thought of you all the way."
Although outsiders were stopped from coming to Guruprasad from the 10th of June, during the last ten days of Baba's stay in Poona, Baba visited two homes of his close lovers on Monday, 13 June 1960, and Bindra House four days later.
When Dr. Ghani died in 1951 he had left the family in some debt. His wife Khatunbi had tried unsuccessfully to pay off the loan, and it was a constant source of worry for her. On 14 June, she was permitted to come to Guruprasad with her unmarried daughter Nurjehan to lay the matter before Baba. Weeping, she told Baba of how they had tried for nine years to sell some property to pay off the debt, but it remained unsold.
Baba heard her, but said he was helpless to do anything.
"My ears are deaf to prayers of this kind," he said. "But if you pray to Allah from the bottom of your heart, He will most certainly listen. Therefore, here in my presence, pray to Allah sincerely to help you."
So Khatunbi prayed to God that the family should get a reasonable price for their property and release them from the loan incurred by her late husband.
The very next day, when Baba came to the mandali, news was received from Khatunbi that her property had been sold at the desired price. Baba commented that she must have prayed wholeheartedly, and therefore God had heard her prayer.
Baba ended, saying, "I was deaf to her prayer, but God listened."
Kishanchand Gajwani had been present the previous day and was at Guruprasad on the 15th also. He said, "Baba, this is beyond my understanding. What is the difference between God and Baba? Sometimes you call yourself Avatar and state that you are God, but to Mrs. Ghani you said that you were deaf and only God could hear her prayers?"
Baba replied, "God is the malik [owner, boss] of the universe and I am the malik of God. I am the God-Man [Nar-Narayan]. God is the only Reality, and I and God are one. However, God acting as God is different; God acting as God-Man is something else, something more."
Gajwani asked, "Is the difference between God and Baba that God is Nirgun Narakar [formless and attributeless] whereas Baba is Sagun Sakar [with form and attributes]?"
Baba explained, "I am with form and attributes. I am also without form and without attributes, and I am beyond attributes, and also beyond that. While I manifest in form and with attributes, I always maintain my experience of being without and also beyond attributes. That is why I say God is the malik of the universe, and I am the malik of God.
"For example: Suppose you wear glasses. You can give your glasses to anybody you want. It is under your control and you can give them to anyone easily. Similarly, I can give God to anyone, just by lowering my eyelids or without even moving them — anywhere and at any time I want."
While this conversation was going on, Meherjee informed Baba that Vishnu, too, had won a long pending court matter.
Baba commented, "All these things keep happening automatically, naturally. It is not my miracle. If a good thing happens, people say it is according to Baba's wish."
On the 18th, Baba along with 40 persons visited Sadashiv Patil's home at 2:00 P.M. That afternoon at Guruprasad, Jalbhai showed three films of Baba from 4:00 to 6:00 P.M.1
On Sunday, 19 June, a poor programme was held in Guruprasad. One hundred and sixty poor men and women had been selected in advance, and given an admittance ticket. These poor people were not beggars but were from the lowly working class. They came in the morning, and each received five rupees from Baba's hands after he had placed his head on their feet. The poor people had been warned not to express their thanks or reverence by word or gesture to Baba. One particular individual, the head of a middle-class family in desperate need, was given Rs.200
Baba left Guruprasad for Meherazad early on Monday morning, 20 June 1960. Bhagirath's truck took the luggage, and Baba and the mandali rode in a convoy of four cars: Nariman's DeSoto and his Chevrolet Fleetmaster, Meherjee's car, and Adi Sr.'s car. In addition, Gajwani had been permitted to accompany Baba to Meherazad in his car, along with Siganporia and the Dubash family. On the way they stopped at Bund Garden, where the Poona lovers had gathered. Among them was the singer Patwardhan. After half an hour, Baba's arti was sung and he was bid farewell with vociferous shouts of "Avatar Meher Baba ki jai!" He and the mandali arrived in Meherazad at 10:45 A.M. Baba looked fatigued, but he inspected the modifications to the mandali hall flooring, made at Kenmore's suggestion, and appreciated Kaka's efforts.
"During Baba's stay at Guruprasad that year," Age recorded, "thousands of lovers from all over the country and from all walks of life came to Poona and returned home after bathing in the Ocean of Love. The glory of it was something great to witness! Those who came for darshan were in fact birds (souls) of the Beloved's Garden, as it was only their love which prompted them to undertake such long journeys, and to flock to be in the Lord's presence for a relatively short period of time. But those who came were amply rewarded as Baba seemed to open the portals of his heart that year and allow a free flow of love to all!"
Footnotes
- 1.The films shown were: Charmian Duce's 1958 Myrtle Beach Sahavas; Don Stevens' 1959 visit to India; and some of Jalbhai's recent films shot in 1960.