THE GEM OF AN INSTITUTION

 
Since the 1st of May, 1927, when the Meher Ashram was declared open with four Brahmin, three Maratha and three Mahar boys (all Hindus of different castes) at Meherabad, near the village of Arangaon, in the Ahmednagar District, much has been said and written about it in the public in many countries of the East and the West.

Yet to scintillate the multicoloured rays of faith, hope, devotion, love, service and spirituality that this rare gem of an institution has generated, reflecting the Founder's neutral Divine lustre, is a subject beyond the scope of this narrative. Beside its spiritual aspect, the secular educational progress of the Ashramites is no less wonderful.

While the crowning glory of it is the creation of a real little Saint of a boy fifteen years old, by name Abdulla Ruknuddin Ahwazi, now popularly known as the Chhota Baba, for whom the whole world is a mere dream as an experienced fact and by whom the Omnipresence of the Omnipotent is being actually experienced and realized continuously.

With the advent of fourteen boys from Persia, two of whom were Mohammadans and the rest Zoroastrians, the Persian section was opened on the 17th of July, 1927 in the Hazrat Babajan High School, which is attached to the Ashram. This foreign advent, as well as the first class facilities of Persian teaching, cause quite a flutter amongst the local Mogul community, and gradually the number of Mogul boys in the Ashram began to swell beyond expectations.

To all appearances, the first four months were, for the most part, passed in arranging the hundred and one mundane details that an Institution of this magnitude entailed.

So far as an external manifestation of the Master's internal workings for the Ashram was concerned, the 1st of September, 1927, witnessed the first spark of spirituality. Spiritual classes were opened that evening, and since then the boys were begun to be explained the spirit of all religions, the lives of Divine Heroes in every nation, and discourses on divinity and spirituality itself were given by competent speakers under the personal instruction of the Master for one hour every day.

Within another month, the Master seemed all engrossed in the Ashram affairs and began to remain there for hours together, freely mixing with the boys to the extent of actually playing, and at times eating with them. In November, quite a change came about in the atmosphere, mysticism was rampant everywhere; though at the same time the secular education of the boys was never overlooked, or allowed to suffer in the least.

On the 2nd of November, 1927, the Master passed an extraordinary order. All the boys in the Ashram were strictly forbidden to speak with anyone save amongst themselves, or with the Ashram authorities. Even the school-teachers were instructed not to talk with the boys after the school hours.

On the 10th of the same month, His Holiness left eating solid food and began to remain on tea or a little milk, which system He continued for nearly five months and a half at a stretch, leaving the milk also for some days in the course of this prolonged fasting.

And a week after taking to this system, he began to convey to the boys every now and then, through stray hints and lengthy explanations, the importance of Love, concentration and meditation, and thus directly began to inspire the boys to Divine Aspiration!