I shall give one more example to prove clearly that this atma [soul] remains the same, but the forms and knowing change. For instance, when Masaji is newly born he is a stone. When Masaji is seven years old, suppose he turns into metal form, then into the vegetable form. The form changes — the knowing increases a little each time — but "Masaji" is the same.
Now when he is fourteen years old, he changes into the animal form, in which his knowing increases again. When he is 28 years old he becomes a monkey. When he is 56 he acquires a human body. Still you can be sure that the Sadgurus will not consider Masaji as even having been born yet! But the day he turns his eyes inward, that is the day of his real birth in the eyes of the Sadgurus.
So at present you are all like corpses. You may know much in the worldly sense, but you are lifeless to us Masters. If you want to be truly alive, turn the mind inward. How to turn the mind? It is in the hands of the Sadguru. Buy the help of a Sadguru at the price of your love for him.
So remember this figure: 1 + 7 + 14 + 28 + 56 = 106. And 1 + 0 + 6 = 7; that is, 6 on one side and 1 on the other.
On Christmas Eve, all had tea near Baba and gramophone records were played from 8:30 to 10:30 P.M. Ajoba, being a Christian, gave a nice talk about Jesus. On the 25th, Baba's feet were washed at noon and a special music program was held from five to ten o'clock in the evening. The lead singer of the group shed tears as he sang before Baba, who afterwards presented the singer with his shawl. Visitors were permitted to come to Meherabad and tour the ashram.
In the course of his explanations the following day, Baba revealed:
As previously explained, there are an infinite number of worlds which have cooled down, and for each such world to cool down takes cycles and cycles. Imagine how long! But when a man attains Realization and ascends to the seventh plane, he feels as if only a second has passed; that is, no time has actually passed during the numberless changes of forms and deaths and births of 84 lakhs [8,400,000 times].