Bill's objective will be to make Avatar's Abode universally known, for it is to become one of the great places of pilgrimage in the world. This is a great burden Baba is putting on Bill's shoulders, and it will be the responsibility of all who love Baba to cooperate fully with him as one heart with many hands."
Baba named Francis and Bill as trustees, telling them to choose three other men as well. Robert Rouse, Reg Paffle and John Bruford's names were put forward and Baba approved their selection.
Baba further explained: "There should be no personalities in Baba's work. Baba alone does his work, but it pleases him to use this person or that person in his work. Now a new phase in the development of Avatar's Abode begins, and it falls to Bill to direct it. And Baba wants John [Bruford] and others to wholeheartedly cooperate with Bill and work under his direction in the development of the place. In so doing, they will be cooperating directly with Baba in his work in Australia."
Baba also informed Bill, "If ever you should need money, come to me and I will see to it."1
Besides Avatar's Abode, another subject of repeated discussions at this time was whether or not Amar Singh Saigal would be reelected to India's Parliament in the upcoming elections. Saigal had not wanted to run and had told Baba, "I want to devote the rest of my life in serving you and traveling all over India to spread your message and tell people about the Avatar of the Age." Baba heard him, but ordered Saigal to stand for re-election.
Regarding his campaign, Baba would comment to the mandali: "He has got no money. You know he is honest and I have told him to be honest. I have ordered him to stay in Parliament only if he remains honest. So how can he get reelected when he has got no money and others are spending like mad to transport voters to the polls?"
On the day of the election, during one point in the counting, Amar Saigal was trailing by more than 20,000 votes and his defeat seemed certain.
Baba cabled him: "Worry not what the result will be as you have won the heart of the Ancient One in whose hands rest the rise and fall of human empires."
Pendu was in his room listening to the results on the radio. He became excited about the election and insisted to Baba that he help Amar Saigal to win. When the final count was declared, Saigal was reelected by 1,000 votes.
Baba's 73rd birthday was celebrated on Saturday, 25 February 1967. At five o'clock in the morning the men mandali stood facing Baba's chair in the hall and said "Avatar Meher Baba ki jai!" seven times as the women stood before him in his bedroom.
Footnotes
- 1.As it turned out, in the 1970s and 1980s, Le Page became quite successful in business and generously supported a variety of worthwhile Baba projects in Australia, as well as in India.