Baba announces that he will cease writing and might not resume for days, months or even years, “It all depends upon Babajan,”
folios #2v064-2v068, January 1, 1927.
The “Christian New Year” was celebrated with milk tea and rava at breakfast, followed by a reading out of the many New Year greetings Baba received by post from devotees. A letter from a friend of Vishnoo was also read out detailing his meeting with Baba in Poona on 27 December during which they discussed Arjoon’s death. The writer reported that Vishnoo’s mother and others in Poona were ridiculing him because they were certain that Baba was at Meherabad on that day. A letter from Baboo was also read out describing Hazrat Babajan’s ill health, to which Baba replied, “These old men are very sticky.”
Afterwards there was a discussion of the Tabligh Movement as reported in the Daily Mail; a “prominent Mohammedan barrister” was urging fellow Mohammedans to convert as many Hindus as possible to Islam so that when Swaraj became established in India the Mohammedans would have a decisive vote in the government. Baba conveyed that the “present communal hum-drum” was caused by the inner working of the Masters; that the working was currently invisible but that in the future it would “set the whole of India at logger-heads.”
He pointed out that Gandhi’s remark, “I have studied all the religions but I prefer Hinduism as the best” is a “sign of weakness” and added that Gandhi, though sincere, can serve only through his gross form; he cannot be compared with great spiritual workers who have gone beyond the realm of the subtle and also the mental. Great spiritual work is going on, which is impossible for the layman to grasp. Baba used the image of the power house which is relatively dark compared to the theater which is blazing with light, “So you must all stick to the Power House (Sadguru).”
Baba told the story in considerable detail about the yogi who attempted to disgrace a Sadguru by sending him worldly pleasures in the form of wine, a prostitute and a meat dish cooked of dog flesh. The Master did not “take long in ‘doing away’ with them all” and sent a note of thanks to the yogi, who rose to challenge the Master’s “fakiri.” While crossing the river on horseback, the yogi’s horse “committed nuisance.” The Master called out that the horse had “spoiled” the river; the yogi called back that such a “trifling nuisance” cannot spoil the river. How then, called the Master, can the rubbish you sent me spoil the Infinite Divine Ocean?
During the day Baba frequently distributed sweets. At 2 PM he called a meeting to announce that from the following day he would cease writing and might not resume for days, months or even years, “It all depends upon Babajan.”
During the evening cricket match, a party of Walki villagers came for darshan; among them was an ascetic whom they worshipped and called Maharaj. He humbled himself before Baba, who placed his hand on the ascetic’s head, giving him “queer” experiences. The ascetic expressed yearning to be put on the Spiritual Path; Baba encouraged him to continue visiting Saints and Masters, telling him to come back when he was finished. Baba promised to give him a push toward the Path.
Shankarnath and Masaji were detailed to sleep outside Baba’s Zhopdi every night.