LISTEN! BABA IS SINGING TOO

 
Then one evening, as we were lighting the lantern for the night, we heard the beat of a drum. At sunset everything was so quiet in those days that we could hear the slightest sound. We were attracted to the beat of the drum, and we realized it was Baba playing in the Post Office. Then Dowla Masi said, "Listen! Baba is singing too." This was the first time that I had heard Baba sing and also accompany Himself on the drum. We said, "Let's go to hear Baba sing! The mandali are there so why can't we go there too?" So we tidied up, crossed the road and the field, and came to the Post Office.

When we arrived Baba was singing in His lovely voice. We went inside very quietly without disturbing Him, and sat down. Baba was seated with the mandali all on one side of Him. He was still singing and reaching the high notes very beautifully.

When it came to the chorus Baba stopped singing all of a sudden, pointed to me, and asked, "What are you thinking?" I was very startled. I did not know that Baba asked about your thoughts, and it is very awkward to have to say out loud what you are thinking.

Fortunately, at that time I was thinking only of Baba. I was admiring His fingers, thinking how lovely His hands looked playing the drum. In the light of the hurricane lantern Baba's hands looked very beautiful. So, I said in Gujarati, "Baba, I am looking at Your hands, how beautiful they look playing the drum. You have lovely hands."

I felt very shy saying this, but I had to say what I was really thinking. I could not lie. Baba looked at His hands as if He had never seen them before, and just nodded, and continued to play the drum and sing. But Baba was pleased because I was thinking only of Him. The men mandali were sitting around on one side of the room, and I could easily have looked to see who they were. But I never even glanced at them; I looked only at Baba.

So that was a time, perhaps, that I pleased Him. It is very difficult to be with Baba; you cannot think of anything without Him knowing your thoughts.