Chapter 36: Interested In Remaining Disinterested
1961Page 4,769 of 5,444
One day Baba remarked to Eruch about his mother and sister, "I was thinking of calling Gaimai and Manu to Guruprasad, but after consulting the women, they said that if I called them, I would have to call others also." Eruch kept quiet and Baba added, "I am so guileless! All are fooling me!"
Eruch replied sardonically, "You are not guileless, Baba, but ghag [cunning]! You are ustad [masterful]!" Eruch's remarks made Baba laugh.
On Monday morning, 7 August 1961, after spending five months in Poona, Baba returned to Meherazad with the men and women mandali. Once again before leaving, Baba stopped at Bund Garden, where he sat under Babajan's tree and bid farewell to several hundred of his Poona lovers. Madhusudan sang bhajans and the arti. The lovers lined up on both sides of Baba's car and touched his hand as he drove past.
In Meherazad, his seclusion continued.
Baba warned: "The months ahead will be most difficult ones for those staying with me and for my lovers everywhere in India and abroad. The patience of my lovers will be greatly taxed and their love for me tested by the measure of their forbearance.
"As for myself," he added, "my seclusion work will further batter my already fragile health, for I still have much to suffer. And already I feel so tired."
Sometimes it would seem there was a definite change for the better in Baba's health, and sometimes a change for the worse. There would be marked improvements followed by heavy setbacks. This pattern continued for the remainder of his life.
Kaikobad was brought back to Meherazad from Meherabad on 10 August. Three days later, on the 13th, Baba sent Bhau to Meherabad for three nights, where he was to spend time with his family.
Viloo had a Ping-Pong table at her home that was not being used, so Adi arranged for Bhagirath to transport it to Meherazad on the 19th. On 23 August, Baba's trouble with piles again surfaced, with pain and bleeding.
One day in Meherazad, Baba remarked: "He who says he understands God has not understood anything! For the One Who is to be understood is beyond understanding. I am far, far beyond human understanding, and he who knows me becomes me!"
On another occasion, he commented: "How can one earn Godhood? You earn your livelihood by the sweat of your brow, and Divinity by the blood of your heart."