BOARD AROUND MY NECK

 
In August 1955, Baba agreed to give darshan in Bombay and he had a sign prepared which read:

In Bombay, Baba stayed at Nariman and Arnavaz Dadachanji's apartment, Ashiana. There Baba said to the mandali, "The sign should be fixed in such a way that each one coming to me reads it before entering Ashiana." Different suggestions were given as to where to display it, but Baba rejected them all.

He then said to me, "Attach the sign to a board and hang it around your neck, and stand near the staircase. Show the board to each of those who come, and make sure each one reads it."

The next morning the darshan program began. I stood in the doorway at the top of the narrow staircase leading to Ashiana, and asked each visitor to read the board. Then a big crowd began to gather and people started shouting at me, saying that I was detaining them unnecessarily and blocking the entrance.

I told them, "It is Baba's order that each one read the board." But because of the rush no one listened.

A very hefty man came up to me and said, "You're obstructing people from going to Baba! If you don't move away from here, I'll move you myself!" Some were shouting at me, some were laughing and some were abusive, but I didn't move. I just stood there with the board around my neck.

The crowd grew and grew and people began pushing me. I kept saying, "Please read the board before going inside. It is Baba's order!"

But because of the rush they ignored me and would say, "Go and stand at the crossroads. Don't block the way here. We've come for darshan, not for reading your board."

The darshan went on for five hours. Afterwards, Baba called me and asked what had happened. I narrated the entire episode, and Baba laughed and said, "Good that it happened. I am happy. Have you any idea about my plight? You only had the board around your neck, but the whole world is around my neck!"