The Combined Diary
The visitors are eager to meet Baba but Rustomji insists they remove their shoes before approaching him; they balk and depart without seeing him, folios #335-339, September 10-20, 1926.
In celebration of Ganesh Chathurthi an image of Ganpati was ceremonially installed in Sai Darbar with a puja to Baba. Afterwards the boys were served a special dinner by Baba and the teachers. The sports program however was cancelled on account of heavy rain showers.
Col. Irani, Prof. Kapadia and two other gentlemen arrived at Meherabad early in the morning. Rustomji took them on a tour without recognizing them. Only when Behramji joined them did it become clear who the visitors were.
Baba did not appear at his usual time in the morning, keeping the visitors waiting for nearly three hours. During that time Prof. Kapadia made hostile remarks, especially to Mohon, whom he recognized as his own student. He also questioned where the money was coming from for the upkeep of the colony. Mohon said he did not concern himself about such private matters especially since it was being used "in the best service to humanity and for the salvation of the poor and the needy."
When Baba came out of retirement at 10:30 AM, the visitors were eager to meet him, but because Rustomji insisted that they remove their shoes before approaching Baba, they went away without seeing him.
Afterwards Baba remarked to some of the mandali that it was sheer hypocrisy for people whose lives are devoted to the pursuit of wine, women and wealth to comment on or criticize the Truth. He added that even though they didn't see him, their waiting for three hours would be rewarded as an "unintentional" pilgrimage.
Baba said, "It is the general tendency of the human mind to consider and cling to its own ideas." He cited the example of the various religions of the world considering theirs to be the right one and others to be lost. To Col. Irani's observation that he saw nothing at Meherabad resembling the works of Zoroaster, Baba replied that Zoroaster in his time did what he thought was best under the circumstances and "Now I find this to be the best and I do it."
Part 74: The Combined Diary
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