Looking at Rick, once again, for the third time, Baba reiterated, "You must strive to see me as I really am!"
In response, Rick said, "By your grace , Baba."
Almost without a pause, Baba replied, "You strive — I will help you."
With a serious look, Baba added, "Don't let me down."
The meeting included some further exchanges, with Baba listening as Rick poured out his heart in love for his Beloved and Baba gave him some specific instructions.
As the time for Rick's visit came to a close, Baba stated, "My time [for the breaking of my silence] is fast approaching. The most important thing for you is to hold fast to my daaman. What does 'holding the daaman' mean? To do exactly what I say, to obey me implicitly. I am God . I am Truth ."
Baba called Rick to embrace him again, and then sent him out of the hall with Eruch; Rick's 45-minute meeting had come to an end. Baba also sent Francis, Nariman and Adi out to talk with him. Before anything else, however, Eruch sat with Rick as they together recounted Rick's interview with Baba, which Eruch jotted down detail by detail. Baba sent two mangoes, from the mast's trees in Meherazad, to Rick through Manu Jessawala, which Rick was to eat as his prasad.
Every day before Baba retired to his room, he would salute the mandali in a joined-handed namaste , which the mandali would reciprocate. On this day, Baba called Rick back to the hall for a final glimpse of him. The only words Rick could muster, as he himself joined his hands in namaste before his Beloved, were "Thank you." At about 10:00 A.M. Baba departed for lunch.
After meeting Baba, Rick Chapman left at 1:30 P.M. for Poona and returned to Ahmedabad via Bombay. Two days after his meeting, on 17 August, Rick wrote the following to Adi:
Dear brother Adi,
Still reeling, I am completely unable to express my happiness at meeting my true Beloved. That God disposed of His own proposal and allowed me to stay close to Him for several of His smiles and a thorough soaking in His love — this is nothing that can properly be spoken of by one who can see Baba only as He really isn't. And if a glimpse of him through eyes that cannot see can give such joy — who then could He be but God Himself!
— Baba's Moochewalla1
Footnotes
- 1.When Rick Chapman first walked into mandali hall, Baba commented on his long mustache (mooch). In succeeding correspondence, Chapman would be referred to — and would sign his letters — as "Baba's Moochewalla."