ANOTHER COOK STORY . . .

In 1943 Beloved Baba's darshan program was arranged by Ramchandra Gadekar in Sholapur district, Beloved Baba with forty Mandali members visited Sholapur, Barsi and Akalkot. At that time Gadekar’s wife Gunatai cooked food for Baba and the Mandali, as He used to like the food cooked by her very much. In 1944 the Gadekars were staying in Mutha's bungalow on Station Road in Admednagar. This location was such that Baba with the Mandali would drop in the house unannounced, either on the way to or returning from Meherabad

Once Baba and the Mandali visited the house; Baba went straightaway into the kitchen where Gunatai was cooking. He asked her to move away and said, "I want to cook myself." Beloved Baba prepared bhajiyas and peeled potatoes in the kitchen! Gunatai was in tears to see this. When the meal was ready, He mixed all items in a thali (plate) and distributed it as His prasad to all present. Baba continued this "habit" at Poona where the Gadekar family shifted in 1947.

III. "No Connection . . . "

Norina Matchabelli wanted to bring a friend of hers, a lady from high society, and a great lover of classical music, to visit Baba. This was in Europe. Finally it was possible. The lady talked with Baba for a while. Norina was wringing her hands in anxiety that the lady should be duly impressed by Baba. Then Baba signaled for a record to be played. Norina asked, "Beethoven?" "No." "Bach?" "No . . . that record!" Norina's eyes opened wide and hesitatingly she asked, "La Cucaracha?" "Yes!"

While the record was playing, Baba moved in time with this popular song. The lady, who evidently didn't know what to make of Baba in the first place, got up and left. Norina questioned Baba about it. He touched one hand with the other and said, "What could I do? She has no connection with Me."

IV.  "A  Coat Of  Many  Colors"

Once at Guruprasad, Poona, someone requested that Baba should wear a coat of a color other than pink. In reply Baba said, "Why should I? If I submitted to such requests there would be no end to it. I am the slave of the love of My lovers, not of their whims."

In early days, Baba once appeared in a red coat. A Western disciple with a background in Theosophy, said, "O Baba, you shouldn't wear red — it's not spiritual." Baba answered, "But I like red."

V.  "Feed  Me"

There was once a family of Baba lovers in which the wife never did any work for her family. The husband would come home from work tired and hungry and his wife would not feed him. The children would be hungry and neglected too. The wife, instead, spent all her time in her prayer room meditating on Baba. So one day the husband wrote to Baba describing the situation. Baba replied by inviting the whole family to visit Him.

When they entered Baba's room they looked so dirty and ragged that Baba asked if everything was all right. The last time they had come they had looked clean and well-dressed and now they looked so unkempt. The wife explained, "Baba, I love you so much. I just want to meditate on You all day long. I don't have time for other things." Baba looked at the husband. "Is this true!" The husband answered affirmatively.

So Baba said to the wife, "Your love for Me is very great. It pleases Me and makes Me happy. I am happy in you. But I am hungry, miserable and neglected in your children and miserable and neglected in your husband. If you would feed Me in the children and in your husband and take care of their needs I would be happy in them too."

The wife and husband embraced. All went well afterwards.