If you were to see me at Andhra and elsewhere where the traditions
are different from yours, you would see how different it is. They
respect me, as they are used to thinking of saints and yogis sitting
with a sober expression on their faces. If they were to see me here
with you — and you eating and smoking in front of me — they would say,
"What is going on here?" When I sit with the lowly and poor, I am one
with them, and when I sit with you, I am one with you. But when I am
in my Divine State, only God knows who I am: you cannot.
If you see me amongst sadhus, you won't find anyone more serious than
me there. I am there as the head sadhu. When I am amongst boys, I
play marbles, I fly kites, and here I am just one of you. When giving
darshan, I am above everything. Then my power, if not checked, would
burst everything. This is my Divine Ego that says [speaks] Truth. If
I came into my Divine Excitement, you would not stand it five minutes.
When big wrestlers would see Baba in that mood, they would run away.
It is not anger. In God anger does not exist. When I get into a
Divine Mood, I get Divine Excitement.
It is said, "Perfect ones are so soft like butter, hard like steel,
so it all comes and it all goes." When I am with crowds, I feel all
alone in the crowd, and when I am in seclusion, I feel the whole world
around me.
Now, among my mandali there are those who would give their life for
me. They would not dream of smoking, sitting beside Baba: but when I
tell you all, "Chat, smoke, be relaxed, be honest and do as I tell
you," don't hesitate. But be so prepared to do anything just as you
do now. If I say, "Eat plenty, play tennis, etc." — suppose if I
tell you afterward, "Fast for a day, stand in the tree, etc," you
might do it — but not as children as you do all these things. The
mandali will do it. If Baba tells them to go about in the town naked,
they will do it."