The Combined Diary
Among Thursday's guests is a yogi from Rahuri reputed to be 300 years old who is said to change his body through yogic powers whenever necessary, folios #2v093-2v097, January 27-28, 1927.
Plentiful sweets and "eatables" brought by Thursday's visitors were distributed to the mandali.
Among the guests was a yogi from Rahuri reputed to be 300 years old who was said to change his body through yogic powers whenever necessary. He was recognized in the district as an ascetic who sometimes fasted for long periods without food or water. He lived on "air" during those periods and did not have "necessities."
He engaged in service to others by preparing meals for sadhus and truth seekers who came to his seat in Rahuri and he also kept several cows whose food he secured through donations. Baba gave him 20 rupees and applied dhuni ash to his face. Then Baba also began the practice of applying dhuni ash to the faces of the mandali.
Hazrat Babajan's birthday was celebrated. School authorities neglected to inform the school boys about the holiday; they showed up for school and were dismissed after the morning session.
Baba had fixed 8 to 10 PM as the time for arti and puja. Pandoba reminded Baba that they had been celebrated at 6 PM the year before and Baba rescheduled them for 6 PM. Only the mandali were in attendance and the atmosphere was "dismal." Baba criticized the school authorities for failing to arrange for the students to attend and he ordered the puja implements to be removed.
Soon thereafter the dinner bell rang and as the mandali assembled with their plates and cups, on Baba's orders the big pot of vegetables was tipped into a ditch. The mandali quietly slipped away "to their places and lay low silently." After a while they were summoned and Baba served them their usual portions of bread which they ate with water.
After the meal Baba called the mandali and pointed out their lack of enthusiam, unlike the zealous devotional activities of the late Arjoon on such occasions. A peaceful atmosphere was rapidly restored however and Baba distributed jelebis and milk tea. He ordered all "to enjoy in the best possible way" the two hours between 8 and 10 PM.
The mandali amused themselves well during that period. When Baba returned from the women's quarters around 9 PM he distributed a sweet and followed up with "a very beautiful divine explanation."
Part 107: The Combined Diary
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