THIS COMPLETELY CURED HIM

 
While we were at Meherabad we chatted with the women and learned much of the history of the women's ashram and what had been happening during the war. Khorshed, Gulmai's niece, told us that at one time they had to chant the names of God, as given by Baba, for an hour every morning followed after a five-minute interval by one hour's meditation. Sometimes they were with Baba at the cinema by 5:30 in the morning, usually watching a three-hour program.

At this period, she told us, Baba found fault with everything and called them "second-hand furniture" and said, "Women can't keep quiet about anything, even when they are God-Realized." At another time He told them, "If you don't want to be old before your time, be cheerful in deed, word and thought, and in appearance — most of all in appearance. It is a divine art to look always cheerful; it helps others."

Mohammed, the mast, was still at Meherabad and we were told a story that at one time he kept demanding that Baba produce his wife. No one knew if, in fact, he had a wife but eventually to humor him Baba told him that he would see her that afternoon. He had one of the women of the village dress up to look like an awful old hag and presented her to Mohammed as his wife. This completely cured him of his desire to see her and he never referred to her again. Thus does Baba comply with our insistent desire, in order to make us free from that desire.