Thus, the morning ended. In the afternoon around 4:30 we were back in Guruprasad. This came about because the Los Angeles group wanted to show the Easterners a surfing film, and Mani had offered us Guruprasad. Mike Childs strums his guitar; some have brought garlands for Baba's chair. Mani helps Martha Markoff adjust her new sari. Mehera is seated by the door to the women's quarters as before. Meherjee Karkaria and Merwan Jessawala speak to us. Meherjee says of the difficulties of the charter flights, "Baba does it—we are just instruments." He wants a cable saying we have arrived safely. Baba's injunction is we are to return directly home. Eruch Jessawala says "Problems become sweet memories. We concentrated on Baba and the problems lost themselves." He goes on to say: "Merwan* came to Baba in his mother's womb. Baba came to visit her when she was pregnant. He has no experiences. He has created a will to serve Baba." Then Merwan says: "I request Brother Eruch to give his experiences." Eruch: "What a brother! But before we spend time in exchanging experiences, Merwan should speak out his heart, how we can be of service to Baba. Merwan has had no time to be with you. He spends all his holidays working for Baba. I'm very happy to have such a brother who lives for Baba. I think Merwan should say something."

Then amid much laughter, Merwan takes out a prepared paper:

"Beloved Baba and my dear brothers and sisters in Baba.

I have been called upon, or rather forced to address a few words to you. Before I proceed any further, allow me to state that the art of speech making is very foreign to my constitution. Leave alone making speeches, even hearing lengthy ones, are to me a torture that perforce I must at times endure. As such I have never indulged in this cruel art of inflicting the pain of making people listen to words which are nothing but the expression of ignorance.

Well, howsoever much I dislike it, I will not disappoint you, who have come prepared specially to take some punishment, though I assure you it will be an amateur performance.

I am a man of few words and what I believe in is action. Action involves effort. One has to make an effort to breathe, an effort to eat, an effort to drink, an effort to provide the means of food and drink and in these days of tension, an effort even to go to sleep! However, I feel, all these efforts would not be worth their while if one fails to make the effort of efforts—the supreme effort of making Beloved Baba our constant companion in our day-to-day effort of living, and providing the means of livelihood. What would otherwise be a humdrum and almost animal existence would at once be transformed into a life full of meaning and joy.

The drudgery which one dreads, and to which there is no end in our life on earth, can become the very means to hold on to the daaman of the Beloved, whom we strive to make our constant companion, for drudgery offers us the time and scope to indulge in the luxury of the Beloved's mental companionship. This constant effort wears off our ego, and as a consequence humility and love find scope for expression. If we give free expression to this new found humility and love we begin to live the very message of our Beloved Avatar. Our very life then can create a tremendous impact on the lives of others. May Beloved Baba, the compassionate One, bless us in our efforts in this direction to thus spread His message of Love and Truthful living, and help us to dispense with the boredom of words spoken to and thrust upon tired and unwilling ears in this age of noise.

The Silent One gave His Love to humanity in Silence and it behooves us who love Him to spare no effort in molding our lives so that we may be capable of absorbing this Love and reflecting it in our own lives.

If, however, words must be made use of, then let us make use of them to recount to others our association with the Beloved and various interesting incidents connected with Baba, so that we keep company with Beloved Baba even in our words. For to a lover the greatest joy is to ever be in the Beloved's Presence; and as Hafiz says the best way to be in the constant company of the Beloved is never to absent yourself from Him in thought, word and deed.

So now I will request our dear brother Eruch to recount to us a few incidents in his life of close physical association with the Beloved.

*According to www.LordMeher.org, correct spelling of Eruch Jessawala's brother's name is Meherwan-webmaster-JK