HOMAGE TO THE MASTERS

 
On the afternoon of the 14th of November, BABA, as is characteristic of him, arrived at Meherabad a good while in advance of the time fixed for him and his party of about twenty-five men, to start from there on the first stage of the Mass Darshan Tour.

BABA looked ill and complained of running a temperature, pain in the throat and an uncomfortable feeling in the abdomen. "The doctors cannot, at this stage, say what the fever is due to. It might turn into anything," said BABA. "All the same, let us make the start and try to carry out the program already chalked out."

BABA travelled by car and most of his men by a State Transport Bus especially engaged for the trips to the Samadhi (tombs) and Dargahs (shrines) of Upasni Maharaj, Sai Baba and Babajan.

It was past sunset when they arrived at Sakori. Nearly thirty years had passed since BABA'S last visit to this 'cradle' of his spiritual life. What was once practically a desolate spot, detached from the village, had now turned into a fine suburb with temples and houses built around Maharaj's last resting-place.

The men and women, all disciples and devotees of the great Master, received BABA with devotion and enthusiasm. Love and reverence sparkled from their faces as they tenderly led BABA over the premises, pointing out the spots that had been once so familiar to him. He bowed down and very reverently touched his head to the Samadhi which he was visiting for the first and last time.

It was a tense moment, and many amongst the men belonging to the two Masters-in-One appeared visibly moved, probably due to a flood of reminiscence, particularly those of BABA's people who had attended the last rites of Maharaj in December, 1941.

Immediately after standing up, BABA, pointing to himself and then to the Samadhi, said:

"Maharaj is here and not there."

When he was shown the neat little building where there once had been a thatched hut, BABA recalled how he and Maharaj used to sit together in that hut at night while others then living there with Maharaj would be asleep.

"It was on this very site," said BABA, "that one night Maharaj outwardly acknowledged me to be the Avatar."

After accepting the lavish refreshments offered to BABA and his men, the party left for Sai Baba's shrine at Sherdi. The previously commonplace surroundings there were found to be transformed by the erection of huge modern structures, and those who had lived with Sai Baba found it hard to recognize the original sites and scenes.

In spite of the late hour, stray visitors continued passing in and out of the temple-like Dargah without recognizing Sai Baba in the person of BABA amongst them. Like other outsiders, BABA and his men also offered their respects at the big marble tomb; then BABA led his party to, the small old mosque where Sai Baba used to sit with his devotees and listen to the Quran, which was recited to him for about half an hour every day.

They also paid a visit to Khandoba's Temple, where Maharaj stayed nearly three years without food, under Sai Baba's instructions.

"At that time," BABA said, "Sai Baba used to eat large quantities of food and yet often complained that he was feeling very hungry."

It was nearly two in the morning of November 15th at Poona, when Babajan's Dargah was especially unlocked, to enable BABA and his men to pay their respects there. After a little rest, BABA proceeded to Bombay, where he set out on his mission of obeisance to the masts and saints. This is anything but a 'do-it-in-order-to-leave-it' perfunctory sort of business with BABA. We see some of his deep love for these Lovers of the Path outwardly expressed when he seeks them out in all parts of India in their usually remote haunts, and personally contacts them.

During the break for lunch that day in Bombay, and before he had finished with his mast contacts, BABA said, "Bombay, at the moment, has ten or so very good masts.... Umer Baba and Mangsaji Maharaj are the spiritual lords of Bombay.... All masts, wherever they are, are helping in the inner crusade.... They all know that things are going to happen as have never before happened.... Out of the entire list of all the masts here I have only contacted seven.... Four I had already seen before.... I will now see only three more and then rest for a while before we leave for Hamirpur tonight.... When the world will be blessed with my Grace, it will be due to the eternal Grace I enjoy from Babajan, Sai Baba and Maharaj."

During the fifteen days of the Fiery Life Rhythm, BABA made so many statements about Masters, saints and masts as to compile a discourse on "Masts and Masters." While dwelling on their words and on the events in the lives of diverse spiritual personalities, such as Guru Nanak and Baba Farid, Swami of Akkalkote and Kwaja of Ajmer, Eknath and Bayazid, Dhuniwala Maharaj and Mowlana of Bandra and others, BABA invariably recalled his own Masters with some such remark as "Who is Sai Baba? To talk about a father's father is something quite different; just as I would find it impossible to describe Babajan's greatness."

It was New Year's Day, January 1st, 1953, when at Saoner some stray talk induced BABA to disclose, probably for the first time, a part of his 'talk' with Maharaj in the Dahigaon meeting just a few months prior to Maharaj's passing away in 1941 — It was as follows:

"Maharaj requested me, 'Now speak, anything, something; you can, you should, in my presence.' He knew I would not and should not speak, having arrived at the state of the Ancient One, the Original One. When I did not speak, Maharaj knew and I knew that he would drop his body shortly. He is listening now and that is why I am telling you this much."

As if these cryptic remarks were not enough to keep his men guessing, BABA also said something that morning which was entirely new to his oldest of disciples, viz.:

"I am still in search of one who would love me as GOD loves me."

Later, at Elluru in Andhra, BABA closed an interesting discourse on the Avatar with the following remarks:

"Sai Baba made me what I am; Babajan made me feel what I am; Maharaj made me know what I am, and I Am what I Am; so let us bow down to the three of them."