Baba indicates he wants the new Ashram to be well established before he begins speaking,
folios #2v256-2v260, May 10-11, 1927.

On a busy morning trip to Ahmednagar to participate in a “Sacred Thread” ceremony, Baba gave darshan to hundreds of people at the homes of several devotees.

A police officer showed up at Meherabad to investigate the abuse of the young woman in the village. Rustomji went with him to Ahmednagar. Meanwhile a ballast train stopped near the new well and began loading stones. Baba stopped the loading but allowed them to keep those they had already loaded. The railroad officer insisted that he had obtained permission from Khan Saheb. When Rustomji returned it became clear that no permission had been secured.

Requests for information and applications for the new Ashram continued to flow in. Materials were being gathered for further expansion of the premises — corrugated iron sheets, bamboo poles and matting. Baba alluded to a permanent building to be designed by a well-known architect in Bombay in such a way as to refer to all the religions of the world as well as a “prominent sign of its founder.” He indicated that he wanted the new Ashram to be well established before he began speaking. Afterwards he would be engaged in the “Perfection of His Circle,” which could not be accomplished as long as Hazrat Babajan remained embodied.

Baba pointed out that both the mandali and the students were receiving spiritual benefit from participation in the Ashram.

In the afternoon Baba suddenly asked Dhakay and Nisal whether they were following his instructions to meditate. Receiving negative replies from both, Baba sent word for them to depart. After supper however Dhakay sat near Baba during the Sexton Blake story. Baba brought up his disobedience and Dhakay said he did not intentionally disobey; he simply did not remember an order to meditate. Baba pointed out that breaking an order intentionally was very harmful and should be avoided. Better to leave than do that. If he did not want to meditate he should request to be freed from the order. Dhakay said he did not like to meditate because he could not concentrate his mind properly.

Baba rescinded the order for Dhakay and with some humor passed it on to Ramjoo, standing nearby, who immediately requested to be freed from it. The issue was cheerfully settled by an order for Ramjoo, Dhakay and Padri to take turns relating a Sexton Blake story each night after supper.

Part 145: The Combined Diary

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