BABA'S REMINDER

To Those Who Love Him and Obey Him and to Those Who Would Do So

From amongst His intimate followers, the resident Mandali included, 32 men were present before Baba from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, September 8th, 1957, at Meherazad, Pimpalgaon. Baba began by distributing sweet-meats to them, saying, "Let me sweeten your mouths before I make you swallow some bitter pills . . .

"What I have to say to you is not only for those now before me, it is for all who love me and persevere in trying to obey me. At first I had thought of inviting for the day a representative from each and every center and group in the country. But then I took into consideration the expense and trouble of long journeys and the inconvenience to all concerned, because the facilities here are so very limited, even for those who live near me all the time.

“I intend to tell you things straight from my heart and I expect you to let them reach your hearts and not just your ears. The friends of H. tell me that for all his good qualities he generally lets things go in at one ear, and out at the other—but I know he loves me and will hear me seriously. If anyone now present believes he may take what I say lightly, he had better leave this meeting at once.

"I am no saint. Because I am Beyond, I am therefore beyond all saints. The world, once it knows who I am, will understand then what I want you to understand now—that from the beginningless beginning I am the Ancient One, immutable and eternal. You may wholeheartedly believe me to be the Avatar; but belief, however deep, does not amount to absolute conviction."

Here, D. interjected, "There is no question of conviction for those of us who have accepted You once and for all, because our acceptance is absolute." Baba continued, "It is all for the best if that acceptance remains unshaken under all circumstances. The world in general accepts the existence of God, without caring overmuch about the reasons for doing so. It is a fact, also, that there are a few in the world who do see God as He is to be seen, and fewer still who do know God as He really is to be known.