Subodh Chandra Roy was with Baba for about three-quarters of an hour. Baba gave him a short discourse and answered the scholar's questions about reincarnation.
"There are many births and deaths apparently," he was told. "But in reality, there is only one birth and one death."
Dr. Roy then asked, "What does your darshan mean for a person without sight?"
Baba explained, "All who come for my darshan are blind, for none can see me as I am. There are very few in the world who can 'see' me, the rest see only illusion. But the contact of touching me or receiving my embrace is a darshan of untold blessing, and so you are blessed."
When Dr. Roy asked about the breaking of his silence, Baba replied, "The fact that I have observed silence is in itself the answer that I must break it.
"My silence is no vow. I had the urge to observe silence, and I will equally have the urge to break it. An urge is independent of time, but the time is fast approaching when I will have the urge to break my silence."
Dr. Roy spoke of his deep study of various world religions and the conclusions he had reached, and invited Baba's comments.
In response, Baba stated, "There are two aspects of religion, the ceremonial and the spiritual — in other words, the husk and the substance. When a man's consciousness begins to involve and he dives deep within, he can rightly assert that he belongs to no religion but that all religions belong to him."
"How should I characterize your teachings?" asked Dr. Roy. "To what philosophy or religion is it closest to?"
Baba replied, "My teachings are not like any religion or philosophy. If you are looking to anything for close similarity, it would be a sort of synthesis of Sufism, Zoroastrianism and Vedantism."
"I am glad to know this. As a professor in America, I teach comparative religion. I teach all three of these religions, Sufism as a part of Islam."
Dr. Roy next inquired, "How do you convey your gestures when you feel tired or get impatient?"
Baba took the blind man's hands into his and showed him how he did his signs, letting him feel his hands as he gestured. Dr. Roy asked, "Do you feel impatient at my questions?"