TIDINGS OF JOY ABOUT THE GOD-MAN

 
In August 1943 I received a letter from Adi K. Irani giving me the information that a congregation of Baba lovers was expected to be held at Meherabad in January 1944. He further wrote: "Those who will be called to attend the congregation will have already agreed to obey all instructions of Baba. Should you feel inclined to obey implicitly, please let me know earlier so that I may put you up as an aspirant to be supplied with the necessary circulars.... Baba sends His blessings."

I felt a bit puzzled as I read this letter. Instead of just meeting Him, I was to be invited for a stay with Him at Meherabad. This was more than encouraging, but the condition of obedience to Him had to be seriously considered. After much thought, a reply was sent by me as follows: "Baba, I have not yet met you personally. I do not know much about your teachings. I do not have any idea about the nature of the obedience expected of me. So, however much I wish to see you and be with you, will it be proper to reply, 'I will implicitly obey you?' I need your guidance to be honest to my conscience. Please help me inwardly to arrive at the right decision."

During the previous few months I had become acquainted with the late R.K. Gadekar, one of Meher Baba's dear disciples, who lived at Sholapur, about eighty kilometres from my place. I used to visit him to learn more about Meher Baba. A few days after posting the above letter I went to Sholapur. I showed Gadekar the letter received from Adi Sr. and told him the contents of my reply to Baba. He explained to me how my reply to Him was wrong. I should instead have willingly agreed to obey Meher Baba.

He added, "Whatever the Master orders is invariably for the highest good." He told me that I was all the more fortunate, for Baba had given me the opportunity of obeying Him before meeting Him in person. So on that very day I conveyed posthaste to Baba my readiness to obey Him implicitly!

The next day when I reached my home a letter from Adi Sr. awaited me. It read: "Baba is pleased with your sincerity, frankness and purposeful decision which you strive to arrive at in obeying Him. He sends His love and blessings." But I did not receive any reply to the letter sent from Sholapur. From this incident I learned that in my life with Meher Baba I should take whatever decision I honestly felt. Baba preferred one's honest efforts irrespective of the decision itself.

A regular correspondence continued and I used to receive replies to practically all of my letters. I was not a poet then, nor am I now, but somehow I used to compose some lines on Baba's divinity and mail them to Him. He would convey that He liked them. What an unconditional love!

Regarding seeing Him, I was asked to wait until the opportune moment. In one of the letters it was stated: "Baba says that He knows your heart. Baba knows your feeling full well." I wondered how it could be and, if so, what could that feeling be! Thus passed the year 1943, the year that brought me the tidings of joy about the God-Man.