So, if we eat meat, the degree of passion
increases in us; but if we remain on vegetarian food then it neither
increases nor decreases.
Very early the next morning, while the men were
sitting quietly for their two hours of prayers, Masaji was heard
shouting that the horse Sufi had run away. Baba told them to catch the
horse. For over one hour, on foot and on bicycles, they chased Sufi
through fields and ditches and finally, after much difficulty, caught
him. One of the men remarked, "He should have been named Satan instead of Sufi!"
Later in the afternoon, Rustom brought a horse
trainer and, without Baba's knowledge, the trainer mounted Sufi.
Baba was furious when he found out and told Rustom, "Sufi was
presented to me, and he is now mine. How dare you exercise any
proprietary right to my things? You should first ask my permission
before touching something which belongs to me!"
Rustom begged his
pardon and thus became aware of how much the Master loved that horse. Considering that it belonged to his sister-in-law, Mehera, Rustom had
told the trainer it was all right to ride the horse; but he realized his
mistake.
On Sunday, 27 April a Zoroastrian of Ahmednagar
named Nusserwan Naoroji Satha, 27, went out for a long stroll with
either one or both of his brothers Homi and Piloo.1 They happened to pass
by Meherabad. From a distance
they saw Meher Baba sitting alone under a tree in a majestic pose. Nusserwan thought: "Who is this person? He looks like
Zoroaster!" He approached, while Piloo kept aloof, and the Master
lovingly had him sit beside him. They sat quietly for a while and
Nusserwan kept having these thoughts: "Is he really Zoroaster? Is
this the Prophet?"
Baba immediately remarked, "Zoroaster is
born again, but people do not recognize him!"
Nusserwan was
startled, realizing the Master had read his thoughts.
Baba then asked,
"What do you do?"
In a sincere manner, Nusserwan answered, "I
am a follower of Mahatma Gandhi and am taking an active part in the
movement for national independence."
Baba smilingly replied, "Give up all thought
of political independence and concentrate on Self-Realization, which is
real independence and true self-rule."
Nusserwan could not
comprehend what he meant.
Baba concluded, advising him, "Continue
coming here and you will understand all that I am telling you."
Baba tossed an orange to Homi, who caught it. The brothers had lunch with the mandali and
stayed at Meherabad until evening.
Nusserwan was from a large Zoroastrian family
and, due to his first meeting at Meherabad, the entire Satha family
became closely connected with Meher Baba, including Nusserwan's
sister Gaimai Jessawala and her family.
Footnotes
- 1.Accounts differ as to which of the brothers went with Nusserwan that day, although Homi also met Baba around the same time.