Until such time when I announce that I will see my lovers or give darshan to them, no one should come of his own accord, but should patiently, and in my love, await my own announcement.
Kindly circulate early the above message of Avatar Meher Baba to all concerned in your sphere of work.
Please note very carefully : Baba wishes all his lovers, Easterners and Westerners, to keep in mind that he wants to remain completely undisturbed and that they must not come for his darshan before his announcement is circulated.
Avatar Meher Baba will be in Poona from April to the end of June 1968. As usual, Baba will stay at Guruprasad, 24 Bund Road, Poona-1. While at Guruprasad, his work in seclusion will continue uninterrupted, and therefore he wants to remain completely undisturbed during his stay there.
In December 1967, Baba had dictated a message for his birthday, stating that his lovers should rejoice on that day because "soon after 25th March something great will happen that has never happened before." Thinking that he would be prepared this year, Eruch kept hundreds of telegrams ready with this message written out, and they were dispatched on 8 February 1968 to those in India and on the 13th to those in Europe, America and Australia.
Then, after Baba dictated this last circular, he wished the birthday message changed to state: "Something great will happen immediately after May 21st!" And, therefore, Eruch and his brother Meherwan had to work feverishly to send new telegrams.
On the 20th and 22nd of February, this telegram was sent from Baba to his lovers in Europe, America, Australia and in India and Pakistan respectively:
From my seclusion, I send my blessings to all gathered in my love to celebrate my 74th birthday. Love makes the Formless and Infinite become enformed and finite as the God-Man among men. Love me more and more, because for the sake of love, I have come among you.
On many occasions those at Avatar's Abode would create a birthday card, or copy one of Baba's messages and send it to Baba. That year, John Bruford drew Baba's face in ink on a card and sent it to India. When Baba saw the drawing, he kissed it.
He cabled John (on 29 February 1968): "Your drawing of me made me kiss myself."
Francis, in a letter to Bruford, described how he had never seen Baba do this before.