Whenever any of the wealthier boys would receive packages of cookies or chocolates from home, for instance, Baba would have the package divided among all the boys. If the package sent by a parent was not sufficient, it would be kept until other packages arrived so that there would be enough sweets for each child to receive an equal share.
The instruction in the Hazrat Babajan High School was adapted to conform to university regulations. Baba's inner work with the students was being done simultaneously. Besides their regular courses, such as English, history, geography, and mathematics, spiritual subjects were also being taught from various mystical writings or scriptures. The schedule for the three language groups of students — Marathi, Gujarati, and Persian — was as follows:
Mondays: In Marathi, Gujarati and Persian — study of Meher Baba's discourses
Tuesdays: Marathi — Utterances of different saints and Sadgurus: Dnyaneshwar, Swami Rama Tirtha, Swami Ramdas (from the Dasbodha ), Tukaram, Vivekananda
Gujarati — Utterances of different Perfect Masters: Ghous Ali Shah, Swami Rama Tirtha, Vivekananda, Upasni Maharaj's biography ( Sakorina Sadguru )
Persian — Utterances of Sufi and other Masters: Jalal al-Din Rumi, Ghous Ali Shah, Ibrahim Adaham, Muhammad Gazali, Swami Rama Tirtha, Vivekananda, other Persian writings
Wednesdays: Marathi — Selections from the Bhagavad Gita , Upanishads , Sufi literature, verses of Zoroaster
Gujarati — Selections from Dasatir , Ilm-e-Kshanoom, verses of Zoroaster on the principles of life
Persian — Selections from Dasatir , Hafiz, Ghaznavi , Shams-e-Tabriz, Vashad-a-Niyat, Zoroastrian scripture
Thursdays: Marathi — Spiritual knowledge: Christian secret knowledge ( Gnostic ), Islamic secret knowledge (Sufism), Gatha's Gohar , Sufi literature
Gujarati — Spiritual knowledge: Christian secret knowledge, Sufi literature, Islamic secret knowledge, Bhagavad Gita, Ilm-e-Izad (knowledge or contemplation of God), Kabir's poetry
Persian — Spiritual knowledge: Tassavvo-e-Isbi , Tassavvo-e-Islam , Tassavvo-e-Kabir , Talimat-e-Sufi (Sufi teachings), Ilm-e-Ilahi (knowledge of God)
Fridays: Same schedule as on Thursday
Saturdays: Marathi, Gujarati and Persian — Biographies of [saints], Avatars or Sadgurus: Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, Chaitanya, Khwaja Saheb Chishti, Ramakrishna, Tukaram, St. Francis Xavier, Hazrat Azar Kaivan (a Zoroastrian Perfect Master)1
Persian only — The poetry of Naosar-e-Khushrav and Selavi . The accounts of God-realized persons: Negar-e-Shat-e-Khuda , Rasid-e-gan , Sharh-e-Khwaja Chishti2
Sundays: Marathi, Gujarati and Persian — study of different religions of the world.
Persian only — Falsaf-e-Mahzab-e-Alam (philosophy of world religions)
This schedule, however, was in reality superfluous. It was merely the curriculum of external instruction, a means to a deeper end, which was a spiritual education. The real education was being imparted through Meher Baba's own person, his company, and contact, the medium for which was his silence.
Footnotes
- 1.Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1485–1534) was a Hindu Perfect Master from Bengal who popularized the chanting of " Hare Krishna! Hare Ram! "
- 2.Nasir Khushraw (1004–1088) was one of the greatest poets in Persian literature.