A BABY BORN TO A CRAZY MOTHER

 
Simultaneous with the departure of half the members of the Mad Ashram, preparations started for the opening of the Hospital-on-the-Hill for female patients. A lady doctor was placed in charge. Countess Nadine Tolstoy, a disciple of Meher Baba and daughter-in-law of the great Russian writer, was appointed matron. She was assisted by other Western and Eastern disciples residing in the "Meher Retreat" on the hill. They co-operated in different capacities working in selfless and loving service for the destitute who poured in from the surrounding villages and from Ahmednagar city. The attraction was not merely treatment and loving care in the hospital, but Baba's darshan and blessings.

On October thirteenth a crazy woman, rambling along the road about twenty-five miles from Meherabad between Rahuri and Ahmednagar, was picked up by one of the Master's mandali, brought to Meherabad and admitted to the "lying-in" ward of the hospital. On October fourteenth at 4 a.m. the woman gave birth to her child, the first baby born in the holy precincts of Meherabad. Thus by a peculiar freak of chance this child, born of a poor, unknown, neglected wife, had the rarest of good fortune to be born in the holy atmosphere next door to the abode of Avatar Meher Baba.

Baba was the first to hear the cry of the new child before dawn, and to see and bless it. He gave instructions that special care be taken of the little one during the first days of its earthly life, as the poor mother was mentally unbalanced. Often he went near the child, playfully caressing it with the love he alone can give, and bringing tears of joy to the eyes of those who witnessed the divinely touching scene.

A Master's true greatness is not in performing miracles as much as in doing these little acts of love and selfless service that move the hearts of those who watch. Service is the watchword of the life under Baba's spiritual guidance, and no example can be more impressive than his personal act in spontaneous giving of his infinite love in service to the needy.

Giving birth to a baby by a crazy mother in the living presence of Meher Baba seems to represent the spiritual birth of a New Humanity from the womb of the war-crazy world-mother, blessed by the life and presence of the Avatar.