NOTES ON MY TRIP TO INDIA IN 1948

July 25th. We got more information of early days from Korshed (Gulmai's niece). She and all her family were followers of Upasni Maharaj, Baba's second Master. One day, Maharaj told his mandali they should follow Baba. He said Baba had enough power in His little finger to set the universe aflame. Korshed met Baba when she was only twelve and loved Him from then on. She was in the first group of women to be with Him, which included Mehera and Naja. They lived in a very primitive thatched hut but in Nasik they saw little of Baba. Later they were put to cook and from 2-6 p.m., Mehera and Korshed made 1,000 chapatis.

Whole families followed Baba and all seemed wholeheartedly devoted to Him. She said at one time during the war, they had to chant the names of God from 5-6 every morning, then, after a five minute interval, they had to meditate for an hour. Sometimes they were with Baba at the cinema at 5:30 a.m., usually seeing a three-hour program. This was for Baba's work. At this period, He found fault with everything and called them "second-hand furniture". He said: "Women can't keep quiet about anything, even when they are God-realized."

At another time, Margaret had to read aloud for hours at anytime of the day. She also went through quite a time having to write a short story each day. 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 cheerfuI, it helps others."

Every morning, someone brings flowers to our room. Korshed tells us that the bark of the Neem tree is good for the teeth and the leaves for the nerves. The light leaf is dedicated to Ram and the dark leaf to Krishna. The leaves brew good tea for tired people.

July 29th. Jean and I had a joint interview with Baba. He asked us about everybody, Minta (my sister) especially. He said He would summon a meeting, to do with publishing the revised Discourses edited by Mr. Purdom, which l had brought with me. He said He would take care of our health.

July 30th - August 4th. There followed three separate interviews on alternate days. At the first of these Baba asked me to tell Him everything that had happened to me during the separation. As always happens on these occasions, it doesn't seem necessary to say anything — one forgets anyway. The only important thing was being in Baba's loving presence. However, I did say that I was unhappy about the way I worked for Him. I did not feel adequate in the way I conveyed Him to others.

He listened intently and gravely to all that I had to say. Then He spelled on His board that from thence onwards I would work for Him 100% to His satisfaction and my own peace of mind. He instructed me to write to several people giving them all His news. He told us that we were to leave in the middle of October for England. I was to stay two months in London and then go on to Panama. The rest was not yet settled.

August 5th. Elizabeth arrived back from a trip to the U.S. She and Norina are to stay here until we go to Pimplegaon, Baba has given me Vitamins A, B, C, D, to take. This is apart from Nilu's prescriptions.

August 6th. We all got up at 4 a.m. to go to the cinema. I had a temperature and felt ill but Kitty said Baba would be displeased if I did not make the effort to go. Groups of women joined us at the cinema at 6 a.m. The picture is "Gaslight." Baba was very sweet and said I should not have come.