The Combined Diary
"Don't do anything half-heartedly, nor leave anything half-done, nor have a wavering mind to do two things at a time," folios #2v179-2v183, March 28-30, 1927.
Baba along with seven mandali drove to Ahmednagar for afternoon tea at Kaka's place. In the evening Chanji was called to sit near Baba until 7 PM when he was dismissed for having spilled a tobacco box.
Anna related stories of his "supernatural" experiences with Baba. When attacked by robbers the previous year, he repeated Baba's name which made him think to lie down and pretend to be nearly dead. That strategy saved his life. Later that night while lying in bed he felt Baba's presence around him; his wounds though deep and serious healed quickly with the mere application of lime.
Anna also told about two women he brought to Baba for help. One of them suffered from injured and deformed feet. When approaching Baba she suddenly fell down from the pain. Baba indicated that her disease had fallen down there and that she would be free of it. The next morning her feet were normal. The other woman came to Baba for help with money problems. Shortly thereafter she was met at Dhond station by a man who owed her money; he immediately repaid the debt in full. Not long afterwards another debtor, from whom she was expecting costly litigation, repaid his debt without complications.
Later Baba went to the "ladies quarters" and sent word to the men who had assembled for evening darshan near the dhuni to proceed to bed. He retired at 9:30 "apparently in a ruffled mood."
Mr. Borkar brought an elderly man known for sincere public service whom he had chosen to work at the Ashram school. Baba concurred with his choice and addressed the mandali: "In whatever things you undertake, throw your whole heart and mind. Do it sincerely and whole-heartedly. Don't do anything half-heartedly, nor leave anything half-done, nor have a wavering mind to do two things at a time. Take one and finish it."
In the evening Baba and the entire mandali walked toward the West. Baba stopped for "a couple of minutes" near a mound erected during WWI by the military for target practice. Upon return the mandali gathered around Baba for talks on "general topics" and the usual evening arti.
The newspaper carried a story about Gandhiji's illness and narrow escape from sun-stroke. Baba instructed the mandali to be very careful about keeping their heads and necks covered when in the open.
A member of the Parsi priestly class -- a Mobed -- came to visit; he performed the Kushti Prayer before paying respects to Baba and telling about his interest in spirituality. He had visited a saint in Hydrabad and he said he could see faint forms and colors during his prayers. Baba advised him and applied dhuni ash to his forehead.
Padri and Behramji argued about a game of checkers that Padri had played in private. Baba reconciled them but also prohibited the mandali from playing checkers while exempting Padri, like Gustadji and Jal, from the mandali's "bindings and petty rules."
Part 128: The Combined Diary
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