Dry atmosphere marked the age of Krishna. The predominating elements then were internecine strife, jealousy, greed. So he had to preach, and founded His teachings on, the Gospel of love and gaiety, so that people began learning lessons in and developing love and merriment.

The hopelessness of the situation in Zoroaster's time, when people progressed neither materially nor spiritually, made Him base His system so as to make them live the life of the world, yet be spiritually inclined in search of God and Truth. He enacted certain laws and made it incumbent on every follower of His not to marry more than one woman, and not to regard any other with a lustful eye. He founded His religion on the tenets of good thoughts, good words, good deeds.

In reality all these Avatars were the manifestations of the same One Divinity, void of desires and above lust, greed and anger.

Q. Why do the teachings of Avatars vary?

A. The same, One Divine Element had to give different teachings according to the different attitudes of the people in different times and in different circumstances One forbade drinking of wine, another smoking. A third advised the worship of a personal God; another advocated impersonal worship. One instituted the worship of God through the medium of different elements of nature — so according to the times and circumstances, every Avatar left behind Him a different teaching.

For example: Suppose there are about twenty to twenty-five patients in a hospital. Those complaining of thirst in the morning are prescribed tea or coffee. Those with the same complaint, at noon, are given lemon-water; in the evening buttermilk and at night hot milk. The physician is the same; the complaint is the same. But the one complaint, of thirst, is satisfied in different ways according to different conditions, at different times.

In the same way, God is One; but His manifestations at different times to satisfy the thirst for Truth ordains different ways and remedies.

What a Mast Tour is Like, Continued from page 28

29th and 30th September: Baba, at the close of his semi-seclusion, joined Pendu and Adi Sr. at Lahore and all left for Hyderabad (Sind). The all-night journey passed without sleep, travelling third-class, was very exhausting. The rush of passengers was tremendous. We reached Hyderabad (Sind) in the early morning of the 30th.

30th September and 1st October — Hyderabad Masts : (1) Pirshah (Sayyed), a high-grade Salik Majzoob residing in Tore Kacheri Moholla and revered by many inhabitants of the place, was contacted. (2) Juma Mast, said to be 90 years old, staying 3 miles away at Chager, in the Garden House of the Chief Officer of the Hyderabad Municipality, was contacted. For a number of years, he stayed on the open bank of a river. He belongs to one of the high types. (3) Babu Gokulananda, said to be 130 years old, is blind. He sits in a room at Rishi Ghat and is a Salik Saint. People of the town have built for him a small house. (4) Jinda Vali, a Saint, lives within the precincts of the old Hyderabad Fort. He is there since 35 years. He has not stepped out of the Fort area. He is said to be very old, but looks strong and healthy. He lives in a hut, and has many dogs, cats and birds around him. (5) Noorshan lives at Gadi Khata Moholla near one Mr. Ghaswala's shop. For many years, he stayed at an open cross road, then he was given shelter by Mr. Ghaswala. (6) Ahmedali Shah, said to be 150 years old, lives near the main gate of the old Fort for the last 15 years. (7) Mama Mast (Hindu) spends the night opposite to the Fort, near a bazaar. He stays the whole day at the market. His external trait is an unending stitching of clothes. When approached, he consistently asks for one pice only, without any motive of collecting money. (8) Lal Sayin (Mast) is very flabby and heavy in build. He hardly moves