I had expected Baba to give me some very serious, heavy lessons. I did not expect him to make pleasantries about people whom I knew and people back in America. After all, I could always think about those people any other time during the rest of my life. Why was Baba spending this precious five minutes talking about other people? Why wasn't Baba talking about serious spiritual matters? In the back of my mind I had expected Baba to discourse to me about the rigors of the spiritual path and to tell me that I was very young and inexperienced. I expected him to tell me that I should return to America and to assume normal responsibilities there. I had prepared myself for a stern lesson on the seriousness of trying to follow the Avatar and on how difficult such a task was.
But Baba was giving me the lesson that I needed, and he was giving it by his example rather than his words. He was showing me something which he always tells us, that the most practical way to love God is through loving our fellow beings. He was showing me that in my desire to receive serious spiritual lessons, I was still being self-centered, and he was showing me that the cure for selfishness was involvement with other people and concern for them.
Baba asked Jim, "How did you sleep last night?"
"Pretty well," Jim answered.
"What are your plans?"
Jim said, "I am leaving India shortly to return to America to go back to school. I'm taking a train from Poona at 3:00 P.M. for Bombay."
"I am happy to hear this. Don't miss your train. When you get back to the States write one letter to me."
Then Baba asked, "Do you have any questions?"
Jim was caught off guard. It had never occurred to him that the Avatar would ask him if he had any questions for him. He couldn't think of a thing. His mind was a total blank. However, he had written a short poem for Baba which he held out to him. Baba told him to read it which Jim did as follows:
Ignorance of You is despair. Knowledge of You is hope. Love of You is happiness Service for You is nobility. Obedience to You is bliss.
From the back of the room, Francis boomed out, "Here, here!" at the last line, which Baba said he liked the best.
Jim continues his recollections of the meeting: