BABA'S HOUSE

 
On Wednesday, July 25, 1956, the second day we were at the Center with Baba, at about 3:30 p.m., after conducting interviews in the Lagoon Cabin, Baba invited us all — about eighty people — to walk with him from the kitchen up along the winding path to his house. When we arrived in Baba's garden, he walked over to the edge of the slope overlooking the lake and the ocean beyond. There he sat down with his back leaning against a tree. The area was quite open at that time, and we sat on the ground facing Baba.

Baba wore a garland of seven sand dollars, which were supposed to represent the seven main evolutionary stages, from unconscious stone to conscious man. (It was a gift made by Betty Thibodeau.) In a happy mood, Baba reached over to Dr. Ben Hayman, who sat near him, and took his cap off and put it on his own head.

Then, in a more serious mood, Baba said, "I want you to know that I have stayed in many, many places in India. When I went on mast trips to different places, I stayed sometimes in palaces, sometimes in dharamshalas, or special resthouses, sometimes in temples or huts, and sometimes under trees or on station platforms, where the sweepers, or untouchables, would follow me. But here Elizabeth has built a very comfortable house for me. Everything here is her contribution to me. She has given the whole five hundred acres as a gift to me. Tomorrow is Elizabeth's birthday. I am just in time to celebrate her birthday. Tomorrow I will have to embrace her seven times. None of you must give any gifts, however.

"Now the house is open. Go in and see everything, but do not run away with anything. Don't slip — the floor is very slippery! It's some kind of special carpet.

"Of all the places in the world, I feel most comfortable in this house. Even though the climate here is hot and humid, I like this place."

Baba led us all to his house and, as the most gracious host, stood on the porch welcoming each one as we entered.