I WILL HAVE TO TAKE UPON MYSELF THE SUFFERING OF ALL

 
Upon news of the death by assassination of French president Paul Doumer on May 7 at the hands of a Russian communist, talk turned to the possibility of war. Meher Baba commented, "There will be a bloody world war. Its more intense physical sufferings — such as massacres — can be avoided if I take the suffering on myself. In that case, my body will suffer various diseases and I will become a physical wreck. In any event, the result of my work will be the same. I will have to take upon myself the suffering of all. If I do not, it will be exceedingly unbearable for the people of the world."

In answer to his disciples anguish about his suffering and their helplessness in alleviating it, he said, "Some portion of the suffering I will have to take upon myself. Some will be spent in false propaganda and in the twisting of facts about me. Some will be expended in little strifes and sufferings here and there."

Within an hour, Baba and the group received reports of negative newspaper articles appearing in the London newspapers. Baba reassured his distraught followers, "Don't worry. It is a good thing. It is an aspect of my game and I am happy to face this situation. This opposition has been deliberately created by me to give a greater force and effect to my work in the West, and to the spiritual earthquake and upheaval that is also to take place. But what I wish of you is to not pay the slightest attention to it."

That same day, May 7, after ten days in Lugano, Baba and the group went to Paris. They toured the city, then on May 9 took a ferryboat to Dover and went from there back to London. The day before Baba embarked for the U.S., someone had asked him why he wanted to make his centre in America. Baba replied, "Because I find there a flood of energy, though it is misdirected at the moment."