The Bombay group was with Baba practically daily from 8:00 A.M. to 10:30 or 11:00 A.M. Generally, Baba looked exhausted, but he kept giving his loving contact to them, passing the time with discourses, jokes, or music. Despite this, those present could see how tired he really was. The four Dadachanji brothers — Nariman, Rustom, Hoshang and Beheram — had been coming every weekend in turns; but in June, Nariman was instructed to remain in Guruprasad with the mandali until Baba left Poona at the end of the month.
Once, when someone asked why Baba needed a night watchman, he related this story:
The Sufis call all human beings, except Sadgurus, dogs , because, according to them, ordinary men of the world are not worthy of being called anything else.
Once there was a Sadguru living on the banks of a river; he always had a man guarding his door. One day the king of that city came to the door of the Sadguru and demanded his darshan. The watchman stopped him. He went inside and asked his Master's permission, which the Sadguru refused, saying that he would not see the man now. The king began to quarrel with the watchman, asking why the Master kept the doors closed. "Being a man of God, he should keep his gates open every minute," he said. "They should never be closed. No one should be prevented from going inside. What need is there for a watchman like you?"
The Sadguru replied from within: "A watchman is very much essential to drive away dogs like you!" The king at once realized his insolence and ego in demanding an audience. He fell on his knees and humbly requested the watchman to beseech the Master to grant him audience. The Sadguru at once allowed the king inside and met him.
The ego always tickles us, especially on the planes when we realize that we are on the path and feel important and are tempted to tell others of our experiences. Several days ago, a man came to me and related his experiences. I later explained to him that he was on the first plane, but for all of you present it [the planes] is immaterial and unimportant.
These experiences of the planes are illusions within this great illusion [creation]. I told the man not to tell others of his experiences, to take my name and not to give himself importance. Otherwise, he will get stuck in the pleasures of the first plane with all its splendor, and his progress will be stopped.