HEROINES OF THE PATH

These little memories of Kitty — her quick and ever-present alertness to the needs of the Master — come back to me as I write. Her selfless service is unique. But as with the others, the shine and polish came through many years of discipline with Baba, which she describes so well and so honestly in her book. It is hard to imagine today that Kitty had "moods". But as she says in her article "Come and See", Baba makes you face up to the truth of yourself.

"There is no escape in a life lived in a group, living at close quarters . . . every detail of the life of each is known to the Master. For example, someone insults you, calls you names, calls you a liar. Immediately your ego is hurt, you boiI inside, and if this resentment is not controlled, it shows itself in anger and excitement. In this way you feed the ego, and instead of decreasing, it increases. Shri Baba, who sees all, calls both parties together. He rebukes, He scolds for this lack of control and lack of love, saying: 'If you cannot love each other, and it appears that you cannot, then take practical steps to see that you do not fight and can give in to one another. When you begin to feed the ego with the help of the mind and you feel resentment and excitement approaching, start laughing, start dancing, go outside for a moment till the mind is under control. But control at all costs!! She remarks: how slow all are to learn this lesson of control! But obedience to Baba's order makes it easier, especially His last words: 'Now go, forget about it and do not brood. Throw it all over. Be happy, be cheerful. This is My order.'"

So one learns to jane do, let it go, and forgive, from the Divine forgiver. The blue bus tours were an especial testing ground for learning to control moods and reactions.

In India and in Europe Baba made good use of Kitty's managerial talents. She was often the one chosen to "hassle" the travel agents to make the constantly altered arrangements on His trips to the West (Cannes, Portofino, Avila, etc.) She was involved in finding "the perfect boy." And, in the ashram, for a long while she was in charge of the kitchen.

This is one of the first "Kitty" stories I heard, before I met her. Baba, before He went away on a mast tour, laid out the menu for all: bread and tea for breakfast. One woman wasn't feeling well, — could she have her bread toasted? Kitty yielded. But everyone knows how good toast smells. Soon all were having toast. Then — what good is toast without jam? It soon became toast and jam for all. On His return, Baba, discovering all this, "ticked off" Kitty, and she was demoted from her reign in the kitchen. The lesson: orders must be followed out literally, or as Kaka used to say in his humorous homilies to the Westerners, "No suggest." She says:

"Baba's orders had to be obeyed to the letter. Be assured that if you did anything contrary to what He said, He was sure to know about it and would call you to explain. No one who has not lived near Baba can ever believe how every detail of everybody's life throughout the day was His concern. It might have been your food, your health, your bath, your special work, your home ties, but whatever it was it was also Baba's interest. How He also did His spiritual or universal work was a puzzle to me, but He said, 'This must be so. I work all the time, whether I am thinking of the butter, bread or milk. I do My universal work simultaneously. I cannot rest unless I work. When I work, that is My rest. My work is in restlessness'."