BOXES OF MONKEYS

 
Norina related to me one time a story concerning the period in which Baba was working with animals. He sent out word that he wanted monkeys sent to him because he had to have one monkey who would recognize him.

Myriads of crates and boxes of monkeys began to arrive from all over India. Every time, the disciples would have to sit in a room together; the crate would be opened in the center of the room and the monkey allowed to climb out and go whither it willed.

They were getting rather hopeless about any monkey ever recognizing the Master, when one day a very tiny monkey, as soon as the box head was removed, rushed like a streak of lightning straight for Baba, climbed up on his shoulder and chattered wildly into his ear.

Baba was delighted and handled the monkey for several weeks, I believe, but he became a great problem. He was small and there seemed to be a constant danger of tripping up people as he would dash frantically to the Master, and the disciples feared he would trip up Baba as he pranced around his sacred feet.

When Baba's work with the monkey was done it seemed impossible to detach his small lover, so the Master thrust him into Norina's hands and commanded her to care for him.

The Princess gave a hilarious picture of her problems with said monkey. He insisted on sleeping with her, messing up her bed and belongings, and generally creating more tension than any other situation with which Baba had faced her. She was forced to manage and endure this problem for three months before Baba sent the monkey back to its environs.

I am sure that most spiritual aspirants would prefer being told to recite mantras for years than to take care of a monkey. Baba brings us down to the realities of living and makes us learn selflessness actively rather than letting us dwell in the ivory towers of psuedo-spirituality.