A GOOD LAUGH FOR BABA

 
Sometimes people ask, "What was the most humorous event you can remember with Meher Baba?" There were many humorous incidents I can recall. And Baba's sense of humor was so perfect that even relatively minor things could become a source of great amusement for us all. But I happen to recall one time when Baba was greatly amused at something. Would you like to hear it?

It so happened that we were on a mast tour. On this particular occasion we were traveling by car, and I was driving. Baba sat beside me on the front seat. We were driving through a town and we were just on the outskirts when the crowd on the road became very dense. There were so many people in front of us that we could barely move.

I was concentrating on inching the car forward, trying to find a path through the sea of humanity, impatient because Baba was always in a hurry when we traveled, and I thought He would not be pleased at this unexpected delay. But as I was driving I suddenly became aware of Baba's body shaking. I could feel the vibrations of the car seat, and I glanced over and saw that Baba was laughing heartily.

In fact, more heartily than I had ever seen Him laugh before. Of course, Baba made no sound when He laughed, but He would go red in the face and His body would shake with the laughter contained inside. When I saw Baba in such a mood, I was so surprised that I asked Him why He was laughing. Baba pointed to the side of the road.

Up ahead, where Baba was pointing, was a shrine of some saintly person. That was why there were so many people on the road. Apparently it was the anniversary of this saintly person's death and so many people were coming to bow down and pay their respects.

"Yes, Baba," I said, not able to see what was so funny. Baba pointed to someone in the crowd. There were so many people it was hard for me to know whom Baba was pointing to. Baba gestured that the man was wearing a hat and a coat but there were many who were. "That man?" I asked as I described the man I thought Baba meant.

Baba shook His head, "No," and pointed again, "Oh, that man who's just about to bow at the shrine?" Baba nodded, "Yes," and then gestured, "He is bowing down to himself."

From this I understood that in a previous life, that man had been the saintly person that all had come to honor. But see the fun. The saintly person, in a new incarnation, had also come and was now bowing down in reverence to his own tomb! This fun in illusion was a great joke for Baba.