NOT ANOTHER WORD

 
Meher Baba and a small group of His mandali were travelling during the war years in a special railway carriage. This was permitted by Baba on the request of Jal Kerawala who on all accounts could be described as one who lived for God and died for God. Baba and the mandali had the small carriage to themselves and for a time everything was fine. Then at one station, despite strenuous protests by the mandali, a group of soldiers crowded into the carriage.

Again things settled down and peace descended — until one soldier, asserting himself more and more in the cramped space, pushed his booted feet against Baba's bare feet. Eruch, observing this and fuming inwardly more and more, finally threw the soldier onto the floor. At this bedlam ensued with a terrific verbal row between Eruch, the mandali, and the soldiers. In the midst of it, Baba gestured to Eruch: 'Be quiet. Not another word out of any of you.' So of course the row, without fuel from the mandali, subsided.

But then the same game recommenced with the soldier pushing Baba's feet into a more cramped position. Once more Eruch could not contain himself, especially as the soldier was increasingly aggressive and taunting, and he said: 'If you continue, I'll throw you out of the carriage!'

But then Baba said to Eruch: 'If you will not be quiet I'll pull the emergency cord and get out wherever it stops.'

So all the mandali sat silent and glum — so much so that when the conductor came to check their tickets, he observed their expressions and asked: 'Are you all going to a funeral?'