PRASAD OF LOVE

 
On April 3rd [1927], accompanied by the mandali, Baba went to Vyankatesh Chinchorkar's house in Ahmednagar. Although Baba had been to his home many times before, this visit was memorable for teaching Chinchorkar certain lessons.

As soon as he stepped in his house, Baba asked for food, but as it was not ready, he called for tea. The tea was also not ready and this annoyed Baba, and he stood up to leave. But Chinchorkar entreated him to wait a few more minutes and Baba agreed, but corrected him, "Before inviting me, you should have made sure everything was ready."

The women of the house were called and they sat before Baba. He narrated incidents from Hazrat Babajan's life and urged them, "Many women have become saints and Masters. Although you are married, still try to intensely long for God."

At noon the food was served and the guests sat in two distinct rows, one consisting of the Harijans and the other of Brahmins, Marathas and Parsis. Baba sat in the first row with the Untouchables, but Chinchorkar beseeched him to join the second group. Baba grudgingly accepted, though he was clearly unhappy with the whole arrangement.

After the meal, Baba visited an orphanage. He called a blind boy to him; after caressing him lovingly, Baba asked him to sing a song. He sang while the other children joined in. Baba was garlanded and the manager and orphans of the institution were very happy to have Baba visit them. The group returned to Meherabad in the late afternoon.

Besides the delay in serving the food and the separate line for the Harijans, there was another reason behind Baba's displeasure at the Chinchorkar's house. Chinchorkar was having serious financial problems and was very worried. When Baba arrived at his house and began scolding him, he completely forgot his worries in his absorption to arrange everything for the Master's comfort, and failed to tell Baba about his financial difficulties.

A few hours after Baba's departure, however, the same thoughts again began assailing him. He felt depressed and miserable, foreseeing no solution to his problems. He was sitting outside his house deep in thought when Vishnu rode up on a bicycle and handed him an envelope. Inside, he found a roll of rupee notes. Vishnu conveyed that Meher Baba was giving the money to Chinchorkar as his "prasad of love."

His heart wept with love for the Master's kindness, but he wondered who had informed Baba about his circumstances, for even his family did not know why he had been in a miserable mode of late. Realizing that no one could of known of his plight, he became convinced of the Master's omniscience and mercy.

Chinchorkar was so overcome with gratitude that he felt he should not accept the money from Baba, but Vishnu quickly told him, "I have Baba's order to return to Meherabad immediately after handing this over to you." Vishnu left and Chinchorkar was speechless before Baba's mercy. He had never expected such love and was now granted a new lease on life.