YOU SHOULD KNOW YOURSELF

 
In later years Irene Billo told us of her eight years' stay with Baba in India where every moment of her life she had been trained toward following Baba's directions. It therefore became a very difficult problem when she was leaving for her home in Switzerland and had no idea of her future. She went to Baba and asked him for instructions. Baba pointed out on the board:

"What do you mean? You have been here eight years and you don't know what you have to do? You should know yourself. Why should I give you any instructions?"

This was very difficult. Irene said, "If he would have given me instructions! But he said, 'You get married if you like; but, you know, you have been here, and if you have not yet learned to know what I wish, well then, what has been the good of these eight years?'"

She reiterated, "To brave the world freely this way was far more difficult than to obey any difficult rules Baba had given, because one could always hold onto the rules. On your own you keep thinking, 'What have I now done? Have I acted in the spirit of Baba or not?' And if others disagree, one can only say, 'Well, I am just a human being and I hope that Baba loves me all the same.'"