WHILE OTHERS SMILE CONDESCENDINGLY, MEHER BABA ACCOMMODATES

 
Merwan whom I would style as Meher Baba hereafter, continued his infrequent contacts with me. Oftentimes we would repair to an Irani restaurant opposite Hazarat Babajan's seat (Charbawdi) and over a cup of tea Meher Baba would subtly initiate a discussion on varied topics particularly politics by putting me a suggestive question such as, "Do you like the idea of Indian leaders dragging in religion to serve political ends?"...

Meher Baba would listen to my arguments for or against the question with an unassuming eagerness, as if politics was the only subject uppermost in his mind. From what I know of him today, I realize vividly that I must have bored him to death with my philosophy of politics; but he played his part to perfection as he never allowed me to have an inkling of it for the time being. On the contrary he made me believe that he immensely enjoyed my talks by encouraging and inviting me to meet him as often as possible.

Reviewing the situation from such a long distance of time I can confidently assert that Meher Baba was then trying to sound the recesses of my mind and heart, ascertain my likes and dislikes and discover my fads and hobbies if any in life. This line of action he invariably adopts towards people in whom he is spiritually interested, with a view to adopting the least line of resistance from them for their ultimate good. Whilst others smile condescendingly, Meher Baba accommodates and humours people knowingly thereby affording glimpses of his deep understanding of the psychological make-up of man.

Such timely gestures and concessions succeed as nothing else can, in drawing the recipients thereof more closer to Meher Baba than ever and an alert mind here is afforded ample time to bale itself out of a particular weakness which the Master was humouring all along. This opinion of mine I am sure, will be sufficiently corroborated by similar experiences of others, who have stuck to him for any length of time.