It is like going from one cage to another. The wire binding the wings of the bird must be cut.
Each person must make individual efforts to sever his own leash; for example, by renunciation or being indifferent to food and drink. But above all, efforts should be made to cut the cord through love. Love God; for when the Sadguru comes he snaps the cord and frees the bird.
Baba concluded:
I am the Christ and the world exists because of me! For me there is no time, space, cause, effect, duality, or anything. There is only unity.
At Borker's invitation, on 26 February, Baba visited the Ahmednagar National High School with several of the mandali, where he was warmly received. At this time, Borker publicly announced the opening of the Meher Ashram school. In the welcome address, he stated:
In the very near future, a boarding house will be opened in the holy place of Meherabad where children will be provided with free food and clothes. This establishment will be called Meher Ashram. The children kept there will also be given the best possible education. But the highest benefit to the children will be that of having the sacred company of Shri Sadguru Meher Baba, the significance of which is beyond our comprehension.
Meher Baba is the greatest Spiritual Master of the age and has a great duty to perform in giving a tremendous push forward to the whole world for its material and spiritual advancement.
A proposal had been put forth to open the Meher Ashram school in Ahmednagar on a plot of land near the Cotton Market. Baba was shown the property that day and approved it.
A primary school for the villagers and the few children staying at Meherabad was reopened on Tuesday, 1 March 1927 in part of the Mess Quarters. Dhake was appointed principal, Chanji vice-principal, and Mehendarge, Nisal, Vishnu and Gaikwad (one of the former teachers) were assigned by Baba to be teachers. After a week, Nisal was transferred to the National High School in Ahmednagar, and Chhagan was appointed to take his place. Chanji, Vishnu and Chhagan, being members of the mandali, were not paid, but the other teachers were given wages.1
On 7 March, Ramjoo and Ghani arrived from Lonavla. Later the same day, Chanji brought his older brother Naoroji H. Dadachanji and his family to Meherabad. Naoroji, 40, was a building contractor and had taken a contract to build a Parsi boys' hostel in Poona, where he and his family had been living for some time. Naoroji's family consisted of his wife Bachamai, 29, their three daughters, Arnavaz, eleven, Nargis, seven, and Roda, five, and their three-year-old son, Tehemtan.
Footnotes
- 1.The school at Meherabad was gradually expanded and taught all levels equivalent to grammar and high school.